Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-10-18

Yankee captain arrive st Portsmouth
before them and report his vessel
prize!
"The FaIHirk's commander walked
the quarterback rapidly, often olane-
ing in cur direction, and. as we Judged.
saying something about US to his Off
GERS.
For three days, with intervals Of
Light breeze, Gains, and fogs, we con
tlnued near Chops Of the Channel,
the vessels changing more or less their
relative positions with the unsteady
puffs OF air, yet never getting very far
from each other. And ali this time
| Captain Downs seemed in q state OF
irritation.
con the evening of the same day we
were once more decidedly ahead. and.
before morning, saw the steady. beacon
from the lighthouse on the western
end Of the Isle of Wight. We were
/ nearing the great naval anchorage at
Spithead, between the island and the
main land, where the harbor of Ports
mouth Is situated.
AS the day broke, a ship was OBJ
! served off our quarter. Lighter and
lighter grew the sky, and more and
more familiar the appearance of the
accompanying vessel.
'COnfOund the miserable Yankee!
cried Captain Downs, at last out OF
/ patience, and grown terribly nervous
/ with his three or four days of suspense.
/ Can 1t be that he really means to fol
! low me into port I'd no idea the
would carry his contemplate folly to
/ this extentP
"He had, indeed, good reason to feel
disturbed, for there, before his eyes,
and not two miles off, was the Rebecca,
| bearing straight up for Spithead.
"No doubt he thought Of the Board
of Admiralty, the Court Of Kings
! Bench, the interminable discussion in
! Parliament, and all the wearying com
/ plicatiOns, both national and interna-
| tional. which this vexatiOus matter in
| vOIved. And who could say how many
individual cases might be held up to
| the light, which would reflect little
| credit on his Majesty's service, and
still less on the immediate actors?
upon his own side he might plead
! the countenance of immemOriaI Gus
| tom; but would he not be confronted
| with that broad construction of En-
! glish law which is the guarantee OF
personal liberty? And besides, would
! not the Yankee Captain be abundantly
| able to prove the nativity Of the four
| impressed men?
Every moment we were getting
nearer to Portsmouth and Spithead
but so, too, was the Rebecca. Soon
the affair of our impressment would
be noised over all England, and
thence borne to the ears of our coun-
trymen at home. Soon Captain Eddy
and the remainder of his crew would
| S1T,
! flying to the wrong that had beer
| done US.
"Our feelings were intense. We
ceased to regret what had happened.
We thought only of the noble sympathy
and resOlute conduct of our true-heart-
ed Captain. How wretched our cOndi-
tiOn but for this.
"StiIl the Rebecca came steadily
along, making what Roadway she could
with the light breeze, and almost hold
ing her own with the FaIkirk.
"But suddenly Captain Downs stop
ped in his fgety walk.
Lieutenant Vane,' he said, see
the brig brought to the wind, and the
main-yard laid aback'
'In few minutes the FalIzirk was
lying mOtiOnless.
Now continued the Captain, see
the cutter called away. Put those
four Yankees into her, and send them
aboard the shipp Then, with a sorry
attempt to cover his modification, he
added: Possibly there has been some
mistake. At all events, the fellow has
followed me long enough to deserve
something at my hands, and he is vel
come to the lubberly scOundrelsP
TN fifteen minutes we were on the
Rebecca's deck, but 1t was a midship-
man, and not the Lieutenant, who es-
corted US there.
Gas we climbed over the ships rail,
Captain Eddy seemed as much re-
joiced as ourselves. Grasping each by
the hand, he welcomed us with q sym
pathy that went to our hearts
It's sooner than I expected he
said, but I meant to see this whole
matter of impressment Overhauled, and
/ would have had you at last
eve tried to express our thanks, but
could not say all we felt. And oh,
how CHEEKY it seemed once more to
haul at the braces of the good Yankee
ship, and obey the tones Of Yankee Of
ficers.
Home and friends were before US,
and in a few weeks we reached the
United States, there to relate to won
dering ears our four days experience
as impressed sailors, and tell every
/ one how much we owed to a captain
who had proved himself such friend
l IN Dna6 and sO worthy of his 7,oeifi07, =