Nevada County picayune., 1888-06-13

ii' N'NiN Htdl tlit lIlCH lSHShlnS and joking as they knottcd the hem pen cord
 "A gritty rebel. that" said one, nodding toward him.
 Grit: No, sheer obstinacy." growled another. '.These Yankees are all alike. This one contempt uousl ". has got off so slick twice before he probably thinks he'll slip out of thi, moose.
 "IIa, Ina, It's | slip moose, you know" io<ed a third "But, by good King George, wish all the colonists in as sure place." ;" The men aloft came down to the deck. The captain moved toward the prisoner. Even then one word could remove the death menace of that swaying cord. Would that word be spoken: The captains hand dropped heavily down upon the prisoners shoulder.
 But with his grim Times up.- Go forward there ,' cry of ship ahead, :" came also. And bearing down upon ,hem showed an enemy with guns grimly threatening.
 "To the guns, men. Not mo- ment to be lost" sworc the captain. And in the hurried preparation for immediate action the prisoner was forgotten.
 Bloom boom.'' challenged the brave little American. who could show only half the guns of her adver- Sary.
 Spar- began to fall and men dropp cd wounded as the iron mouths be- low the starry flag kept up telling fire, but the heavier guns would soon disable that Yankee Doodle canoe, as the Captain avcrrcd with a string of blighting adicctives.
 \ daring project flashed into the mind of James Otis. At least he would once more serve his country and die in the doing rather than swing from British vard-arm None noticed as he slipped to the gang way, and presently in the dimness of the hole a flash of blue light reveal . eel a slender snake-like thing reach ing to the store of pOwder-then the flash was gone and the tiny spark of fire crcpt along the coil.
 Unconscious of rapidly approach ing doom the sturky English seamcn hurled defiance at their foe. One of the men as he ran for more powder to the nearest supply saw q dark ob- feet moving through the water away from the canonading cruiser.
 lark. above the din of battle sounded an awful boom which seem cd to rock the oceans depths and sway the very air, Spars and hull fell Splintcred about the swimmer f: shattered bodies shocked his sight : one of the massive cannons sank be- fore him with hiss as the hot iron cleft the water. And in place of the instant death to which he had looked forward upon the great ships eNplo- sion, life was still his-he moved un- hurt, preserved as by miracle.
 It was several moments before he could trust himself to look behind the horror of it all was SO strong up- on him. When he did look the sur priscd American ship was moving away. unconscious that one whose hand had destroyed their enemy was still in existence; and where the ill- fatcd cruiser had been only few light substances tloatcd upon the shimmcring water.
 Two miles before him rose the shore He was a good swimmer and the distance rapidly lcssened. But the late strain on his nerves had been so intense that as he swan the sun seemed glaring into his brain, and each stroke seemed to take heart beat from his Strcnuth. But there was only a half-mile between him and the shorc-now only a quarter. And slowly, more slowly he swan. - The glaze of weakness before his eyes before his eyes made water seem a hrazcn hue, Could he hold out;
 But here was the shore crowded with people who had anNiously watch cd the battle between the two ships, wondcringIy, thankfully seen the British cruiser shivered all in a mo- ment, and the starry emblem of their country nuttcr safely away. Now all eyes were on the swimmer