Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1888-05-24

remove tie t,cath menace of that sway
ing cord. Would that word be spoken?
The cap;ain's hand dropped heavily
down upon the prisoners shoulder.
But with his grim fines up. Go
forward there 4 cryuf ''sllip ahead!'
came also. And bearing down upon
them shovel an enemy with guns
grimly threatening.
''To The guns, men. Not a moment
to be lost, swore the captain. And
in the hurried preparation for imme-
date action the prisoner was forgot
ten.
Boom! boom!" challenged the
brave little American, who could show
only half the guns of her adversary.
Boom! boomr' answered the En-.
glish cruiser.
Spars began to fall and men drop
wounded rs the iron mouths below the
starry flag kept up telling fire, but
the heavier guns would soon disable
.'that Yankee Doodle canoe as the
Captain averred with string of blight
ing adjectives.
A daring project flashed INTO tn,
mind of james Otis. AT least he would
once more serve his country and die in
the doing rather than swing from a
British yari-arm! None noticed as he
slipped to the gangway, and presently
in the dlmness of the hold Il flash OF
blue light revealed slender snake-like
thing reaching to the store of powder
then the flash was gone and the tiny
spark of fire crept along the coil.
Unconscious of rapidly approaching
doom the sturdy English seamen hurled
defiance at their foe. One of the men
as he ran for more powder to the near
est supply saw u dark object moving
through the water away from the can
onading cruiser.
Hark! above the din of battle sound
ed an awful boom which seemed to
rock the oceans depths and sway the
very air. Spars and hull fell splintered
about the swimmer; shattered bodies
shocked his sight; one of the massive
cannons sank before him with a 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 explosion, life was still his-he
moved unhurt preserved as by
miracle.
1t was several moments before he
onI1lI bi,,c,.lf To t,,l- hnh,rI
the horror of it all was SO strong upon
him. When he did look the surprised
American ship was moving away, I'M
conscious that one whose hand had de-
stroyed their enemy WAS still in ex-
istence; and where the Inflated cruiser
had been only Il few light substances
foated upon the shimmerng water.
Two miles before him rose the shore.
He was Il good swimmer, and the dis
lance rapidly lessened. But the late
strain on his nerves had been so tense
that as he swan the sun seemed glar-
ing into his brain. and each stroke
seemed to take Il heart beat from his
strength, But there was only Il half
mile between him and the shore-now
only a quarter. And slowly, more
slowly he swan. The glaze of weak
ness before his eyes made sky and
water seem II brazen hue. Could he
hold out?
But here was the shore crowded with
people who had anxiously watched the
battle between the two ships, wonder
ingly, thankfully seen the British
cruiser shivered all in moment, and
the starry emblem of their country
tiutter safely away. Now all eyes were
on the swimmer-there were surprised
cries, questioning shouts. Further up
the shore row-bOats were already push.
ing off to 90 to his aid. but before they
could reach him the men nearest him
rushed breast deep into the water,
many hands were stretched to help
him, and with all things reeling be.
fore his exhausted vision, James Otis
was held in safe and kindly grasp.
When speech returned to him he
was lying on the grassy bank, the glad
sunshine falling on his face, the blue
water tapping at his feet, all about
him anxious questionings from an ex-
cited crowd. He told his story in the
fewest possible words, but the telling
brought tears from the women, ex.
from the men. and when he
had finished cheer after cheer rang out |
for the deed and the hero of the deed.