Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-11-15

covered that unless the Xenophon could
/ succeed in bOmbarding the village into
/ surrender, or starYe ManOa out their plans
/ would fail. AS the whole country was
! becoming aroused the Major was shreWd
/ enough to know that If the Amertcans
/ held out for two or three weeks he would
J be forced to raise the siege.
/ The principal anxiety Of the young
! commander Of ManOa was from the
| ocean. The Xenophon was by far the
! most dangerous foe, but the deserteT
! proved, by his excellent gunnery, able
/ to either sink or drive her from the
/ harbOr. At each shot the young officer
| saw splinters fly, spars cut, or the deck
/ swept.
"Mr. Burnett, said our hero. turning
/ TO the deser5er while the gun was being
! reloaded, would it not be good idea to
send q shot into her hull just about the
/ water liner"
4 nave been thinking Of that, and I
/ shall try it. " said the deserter.
| While the gun was being loaded a she'll
/ hurled from the ship expIoaded above 1t,
! and one man was killed and two wounded
They'll. pay fur tha-at, cried Simon.
@Oh, they'll never stop till they git the
/ yoke on cur necks, groaned an assistant.
Hush yer CHATTER Aeke, cried Jack
| Ratchet. Here, gin a helpin' hand an
/ let's git these fellers carried away.
I'm not gOin' to shirk Jack, said
I y
| never stop till they've got the yoke on
| our necks. Oh. 1 know en-"
| But, by gravy, they dOan't know me,
/ cried Simon. EFF they once get clus
| enough to feel the weight g. my fist they'll
! find me eOut.
The long gun was loaded, amid the con
fusion and excitement of two OF three
| shells exploding above the fort, and sew
! eral solid shot striking the enbsnkment.
| One. buried itself in the earthwOrks near
the feet Of Captain Alton and almost COW
| cred him with sand.
"Oh, Griff, come down." cried Jack
/ Ratchet. What n the name o common
| sense is the use o standin' up thar an
| gittin' killed."
Captain, it seems to me that you have
no right to needlessly expose yourself to
/ certain death in that way; come down,
a want to watch the effect of the next
shot.
will you come down after that?" asked
/ the mysterious gunner.
yes, promise you I will"
The heavy gun was sighted and the
match match applied The young commander der
| thought ne could almost hea@ the ball
/ strike the side Of the ship. It went
| through the hull not more than a foot
/ above the water mark.
| Good, good, Mr.. Burnett; two or three
more such shots Will send her below"
W.
| down, said the gunner.
The young officer, remembering his
| promise, climbed down from the earth
] works. For more than hour he had stood
| there amid the storm of iron hail, but
! had not received q single scratch. He
! gazed about on the pale faces and CHASTITY
! forms stretched upon the ground, and
! with a sigh said:
at cannot be avoided. Drive the man
! of-War away, and we viii have nothing to
! fear from their land forces"
| Two or three of the smaller cannon of
! the Americans had been playing on the
/ ship, but with very little result. 1t was
/ the large gun alone that could save them.
! A second shot at the hull struck the
/ water apparently about a foot from the
/ vessel, but evidently did the ship some
/ harm for she was seen to carsen Slightly
/ from the shock. Another shot struck the
/ hull so near the spot as the last two fred
| that CAPTAIN MOnteith was not a little
alarmed especially when he was informed
that the ship was leaking.
What is she dom naOw?" Simon asked,
! as he observed some commOtiOn on the
/ deck of the Xenophon.
The mysterious gunner sprang upon
| the parapet, glass In hand. He had
scarcely leveled the glass on the vessel
| when he cried:
4O-hol they have manned the capstan,
an are goin' to weigh anchor"
"Tha-at's So" shouted Simon, waving
| his hat in the air. Then the loud huz-
| zahs which followed even reached the
ears of those pale-faced men lying on the
earth dyed with their own blood. They
raised their eyes, growing CLASSY in
death, and in feeble, gurgling cries
joined in the shouts of victory.
"She may not intend to retire, said
the gunner. They are too close and will
drop down the bay a fourth Of a mile or
SO, and renew the SIEGE.
"DOant keer eff they do" shOuteu
Simon. Wen warm 'em up Of they con-
tinue this"
Lets warm 'em up now before they
get out o. port, suggested the gunner.
With a shout Ratchet, Simon, 81 Cole,
Sam Perry, Al Jones, and Tommy Ruffies,
the little tailor, sprang to the gun and
began loading it.
Bring on the ball, Tommy" com
manded Simon.
/ Tommy was bringing it when, as the
man-Of-war slowly veered about, a solid
/ shot sent from one of her ports struck the
top of the earthworks, and plOughed q
furrOw along beneath Tommy's feet. The
little tailor, believing his legs were cut off,
/ sank down bowling FOR mercy.
Don't touch me! don't touch mel" he
screamed; Ell bleed to death ely touch
me-; let me alone.
why, ye amt hurt, cried Jack.
Eyes, I am; my legs are cut of"
Simon picked up the ball he had drop
ped and threw it into the gun.
"Naow, git up thar, youngster, and
never mind any o. yer foolishness. The
ball didn't tech hide or hair O. We. Gil
up, won't yer"
He stopped, seized Tommy by the napt
of the neck, and lifted him 50 his feet
When the tailor discovered that he was
badly scared. but not hurt. he went dOwI
from the parapet feeling lutte sheepish
The m8n-Of- war was rounding about
heading for the ocean. A slight breeze
came from the land, and her sails begaI
to fiji.