Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-06-20

CHAPTER X.

At ten OF the forenoon the FrenChman lay
plain on the sea, with colors flying. muske-
toers in her tops, and her bulwarks black
with the heads of her mon. \ big frfgate
she was, of the graceful shape which the
British were all too slow TO copy in their
dockyards; and the Gallo cocks in her hon
coops might well have swelled their throats
with dcrisive screams when they beheld the
English sparrow sailing down to grapple
with the hawk
The first shot fired came from the frigata,
when she was still out of reach Of the Cleo
patras guns. Cuthbcrt saw the glance Of
yellow flame and the smother of white smoke;
the ball wbirled up little pillar of froth out
of the sea close alongside, and then came the
report, dullinE is sting against the win,i's
teeth
NV lads exclaimed Sir Peter Grahame
standing at the quarterback capstan with
his hat in his hand, ''yonder ship is the
Guerriere None of the enemys ships has
done more damage to our peaceful merchant
men than she She is a big nut 10 crack,
but our heels are shod with British iron. and
we'll grind the kernel out Of her yet Hold
on all till you get your orders, then make one
man of yourselves. Now God lie with us!'
cheer like a broadside was given; the
helm put over. the lofticr sails furled and
the Cleopatra drove on toward her enemy.
The Cieopa;ra's flying jibboom pointed
due amidshipS of the Gu"rIiere, then by length
of a spoke was the wheel put over, round
swept the Guerrere's helm, that she might
rake the Cleopatra she passed under her
stern But 10, the brig, tw iStiug on her keel
like a Yacht, put her nose at the revolving
Frenchman and blaze. blaze! went her two
bow chasers, and down came the flag of the
republic. along with the gatf and a sputter
of canvas shreds A minute later the YES
sels lay broadside on to one another, as close
. as two houses on opposite sides Of street,
and simultaneously from both Of them leapt
out a line of fame, with a roar as Of a noun
tain rent in twain by an earthquake and the
smashing and splintcring of woodwork,
while all between was smoke.
Now had the action begun in earnest, and
a sight for Cuthbert TO remember was the
deck of the English brig Calm as a statue
and as steady Sir Peter Grahame stood some
fathoms forward of the wheel with powerful
voice and slight gesture Of the arm giving his
orders You would have said that be had
ewes all over his body-cyes for the helms
man ut the back of him and the yards and
sails above him; for the grimy seamen
sweating at the guns and for every toss Of
the arm of the gold-laced French commander
shrieking after the manner Of his nation,
from the raised after deck Of his ship
Now the English captain began 10 see that
he should b. Overmatched if he did not lay
the Frenchman on board; for his eighteen
pounders could make no fight with the
enemys heavy artillery, and there was small
chance of prize money and the glory of a
ga2atting unless the boarding pike and cut
lass came into play. But he gave the
order to man the weather braces TO sheer the
brig alongside, his foret0p mast was carried
away, and ali his head sail with it As a
running man, shot in the leg, falls a cripple
and slues around in a helpless state, 50 the
Cleopatra, deprived OF her forward canvas,
rounded up into the winds eye, whereuPOn
the Fr1nChman sailed clean round her.
drrnchins her with both broadsides in rota-
ton. The second discharge was a murderOuS
volley; for a ball smashed the wheel and
killed the men at it, and bullet hit Sir
Peter Grahame under the arm, and he fell,
mortally wounded
At the beginning of the fight Cuthbert had
stood at the fout of the mainmaSt unnOtIced
by officers and crew-in the furious excite
mcnt and spendid horrors of tn, scene for
getting >elf-cagcr To help. hut in his iEnu-
rance not knowing what to be at, when a
cannon ball struck a seaman in the hack and
threw him forward with a heavy smash,
where he lay dead as dust, with his face a
mask of blood
This was the first man killed; hut scarcely
was he down when gunner lcaped from the
brcech he was patting and tumbled backward
moaning shOckingly
Help me carry him below sang out a
voice: and, with a sick heart and damp fore
head Cuthbert buckled TO the worst bit of
work a sea fight gives.
He had returned on deck for the twentieth
time, and was at his former post, ready to dc
what should lie wanted when the foretop-
mast fell, with its heap of sail and rigging,
and the brig shot round; and i'll a few min
utes the Guerriere poured in the first of her
two deadly hroadsides He heard the grape
scr, ech past him, and bAheld the carnage Of
it; and then he saw Transom, with his hand
to his ear rush forward and call upon the
man to clear away the wreck. Rnd "haar q