The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-09-25
THE STRANGE FLAG.

A boy asleep in the mid day sunshine
upon broad fiat ledge of rock, with his
sunburned face pillowed on his bare brown
arm. Most people would have thought it a
rather dangerous place for nap, for the
ledge was many feet above the waves
which we're now breaking against the
foot of the crsg in spo1ts of glittering
foam, and he was lying SO near the brink
of the precipice that had he happened to
turn over in his sleep, he would have
fallen headlong over its edge down into
the lashing sea below.
There he lay, however, sleeping as
soundly on that perilous perch as il he
had been at home in his fathers little
fishing hut among the cliffs, built all Of
driftwood, with huge stones piled upon
its roof to keep the furious wind from
tearing off the shingles.
But although the boys slumber was so
deep, it was plainly anything but peace
full. His hands were clinched, his teeth
set, the muscles of his face worked con-
brokenly from his quiverng lips.
He dreamed that he was sailing the
seas in command OF an armed vessel, at
the mast head of which huttered very
strange flag, the like of which he had
never seen before. Then suddenly an
other ship, larger than his own, came
alongside of him, and terrible battle
began. He heard the shouts of the COM
batants, the thunder of the cannon, the
crash of falling spsrs and shattered TIM
bers; then ringing cheer broke forth, as
the enemy's flag came slowly down, and
he started and awoke.
The din of the cannonade seemed to be
still in his ears, but in reality it was the
deep, hollow boom of the waves that had
surrounded his rock and cut him off from
the shore.
But this mattered little to one who was
the best swimmer of his age for miles
around. Clambering nimbly down the
steep face of the rock, he plunged head
long into the sea, and rising like cork
on the crest of huge wave, struck out
CALAMITY for the shore.
Just as he reached it, familiar voice
shouted his name, and he saw tall
young man in the uniform of an English
naval officer standing on the beach above
him.
"Ahap cried the latter, "my friend Paul
trying to drown himself as usual. What
have you been doing?'
The boy answered by relating his
dream.
swell, dare say shall see You COM
handing ship yet" said the young Of
ficer, for you're a right good sailor al
ready. But as for this flag OF yours
what did you say it was like?"
"All covered with red stripes, Mr.. Pear
son, and thirteen white stars in one cor
ner, on blue ground"
swell, you're dream was wrong there,
my lad" chuckled Lieutenant Pearson;
"for / know every flag that flee, and
there's none such among them. What
ever flag you fight under, it won't be that
unless you patch it up for yourself"
The sun was shining upon the sea as
brilliantly as ever, but it's brightest rays
could not pierce the cloud of smoke
which wrapped two ships that lay side by
side, spouting fire at each other from
their battered portfolios.
The captain of the smaller vessel-a
short, strongly built, very handsome man,
with keen black eye-gave his orders as
coolly as ever, but his bold brown face
was growing very grave and stern. And
we'll it might. His whole deck was
one heap of torn canvas and spliDtered
wood. Nearly half his crew were lying
dead, and the hollow gurgle beneath his
feet told how fast the fatal water was
pouring into the hull where heavy shot
had pierced it below the water line.
Suddenly there was lull in the firing,
followed by deafening shout of triumph,
Down came the British flag from the
place where, torn though it was with the
peltng shot, it had futtered dedantly till
now; and as the victorious captain sprang
aboard the enemy's ship, he saw the En-.
glish commander "a tall, fine-looking
man, with thin streak of blood across
his westher-beaten face - offering his
sword in token of surrender.