Milford chronicle., 1883-07-06

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and officers were all rallying now, tc
examine into the extent of the disaster.
Qui ga Ia - shouted the hoarse
voice of some one in authority, as he
jumped in ON the comparative terra .fr-
ma of the deck.
But the French mate got no reply to
his hail. Because, don't you see, said
Life, II didn't know nothin' about par
ley-wooin', you know" So the next
minute the interloper was surrounded
by a ring of astonished mariners, and a
great stock Of breath was expended, for
which neither party was any the wiser.
At length a little fellow was pushed into
the ring, who spoke the only language
which Life had considered worth spending
time and labor to learn. Through the
medium of this interpreter he was in
formed that he was on board the Prov
ence. merchantmen, bound to Bordeaux.
But there was not much time to spend
in explanation. To think of restoring
their new recruit to his own vessel was
quite impossible. She was already far
to the windward, and to secure the
head-spars it was necessary for the
i French ship to keep off before the wind.
When Life came to consider the mat
ter. he decided that he had little or moth
ing to be sorry for. He had escaped
unhurt, almost by miracle, and his
situation among his new shipmates was
not likely to be more unpleasant than
under the tyranny of Joe Pinkham.
He had left a few old clothes on board
the Sirius, but not much money was
due him, as the ship had taken but little
oil.
There wis one matter which haunted
his thoughts more than all others.
Rhoda Joy would suppose him dead
and it was quite uncertain how long it
would be before he could inform her of
her mistake, for the political affairs of
the whole world were, at that period, in
a most unsettled state It was not easy
for those living under different flags to
communicate, either in person or by let
ter. It was in the midst of the quasi
war between the United States and
France, and although this was confined |
merely to naval operations, the beliger-
ent state of affairs was well known to the |
crew of the Provence, as well as to Ed
wards himself. Under a false impress
sion, Rhoda Joy, though she loved him
as her life, might, after proper season
Of mourning, unite her fate with that of
some other man. But at nineteen no
youth is long Respondent, if his con-
scence is clear; and our hero, being wei
treated, merged in with the rest as one
Of the crew of the Provence, and, for the
at least, had no reason to sorrow
1t the change of vessels. With the aid
IF the interpreter he made rapid progress
N acquiring the language orally, as he
thought it might be Of great advantage
% have such knowledge at some future
ime.
He was not destined to see the port of
Bordeaux at all, for the Provence was
)verhauled in the Bay Of Biscay by a
French lne-of-battle ship, the Tonnerre,
md three of her men selected to serve in
he navy of the French Directory, one
If whom was the poor waif whom she
lad picked up, as it were, on her jib-
,oom. Little cared the boarding officer
o what flag he truly owed allegiance.
lie was an able-bodied seaman, and such ]
we're in demand; that was a good and y
warrant.
It seemed to Life now that his iden- !
ity and individuality were completely {
ost. For the Tonnerre was one of the
lumsy. crowded ships Of the day,
at least twenty guns too many l
or her length and tonnage, and feeding q
hundred or two more men than were l
f any earthly use in manning them. {
Tence, in an action, her battery was too
lose to be effectually worked, and, ac- a
on or no action, everybody was in ]
verybody else's way. He was no longer c
life Edwards; he was only number so 6
nd-so, unit in cumbrous host of t
a single cog or screw of c
asst, unwieldy machine.
The Tonnerre.di little but make fly
lg runs from one French harbor to an
ther, and verify, by her good sailing
ualities, the taunting boast of her
ritish foes, that the French ships were \
uilt to run away, and their own to fight. c
ut in a few months afterward the coup Il
etat OF Bonaparte changed the whole o
rder of things, and infused new vigor C
to all warlike movements. naval and "
ilitary. The First Consul could not Il
AXE up his mind to lose his conquests I
Egypt; the Tonnerre, with several o
her large ships were ordered to sea ii
ID succeeded in running the gauntlet Il
to the Mediterranean. el
But the elements were not so easily el
oided as the English cruisers. The A
onnerre became separated from her pl
nsorts in bad weather, and was driven II
It of her course over toward the Bar m
ny shore. The gale blew itself out at m
st, and, while in the act of making sail vi
work off the land, an explosion of her ia
agazine took place, from some myster- te
Is cause which has never been ex- vi
lined. The late proud ship was rent in
fragments, and the nine hundred be- Pl
IS who had been crowded into her NJ
re either hurled instantly into eternity tn
were left in the sea clinging to pieces let
the wreck. at