The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1889-03-14
A Legend of the British Navy,

prisoner, the Judge advocate shall admins
ter to every member OF the court the fol-
lowing oath:
II, -, do duly swear that l will admin
lister justice according to law, without
partialality, favor or affection; and further
more, do swear that will not on any ac-
count, or at any time whatsoever, disclose
or discover the vote or opinion of any par
ticular member of this court-martial, unless
thereunto required in the due course of law.
So help me Cod"
AS the reader progresses in this
''o'er true tale" he will see how i'm
pOrtant this law is, and how its viola
tiOn was once the means of depriving
his majesty's naval service of five of
its ablest officers.
Early in the present century, one of
the most cour, geous captains in the
British navy, was Captain Burke of the
frigate Excalibur.
Burke was an 1rishman, son of a
magistrate in Galway, and like great
many of his countrymen at that time,
was a noted fire-eater.
He was famous throughout the SER
vice as dead shot with the pistol and
had been engaged in numerous duels.
He was, like most of his country
men, of a fiery temper, and quick to
take offence; and, as may be imagined,
these infammatory characteristics
brought him often into trouble.
1t was a week or so after the capture
of the island of Mauritius from the
French by the English fleet. that Cap
tain Burke could have been seen walk
ing down! one Of the principal streets
in Port Louis, the chief city OF
Mauritius.
He was slightly under the influence
Of stimulants, for he had been dining
with some brother officers ashore, and
he was now returning to his vessel.
AS he was walking along, he observ-
ed a pretty flower girl coming in his
direction, offering her wares for sale.
"Buy a flower monsieur?" said the
girl in excellent French, addressing the
naval officer
Captain Burke, who was a fine-ap-
pearing man and noted among his as
sociates as much for his dnou1S as we'll
as for his reputation as a fire. eater, re-
garded the girl.
She was a beauty-too beautiful, in
fact, for the humble vocation she piled
She had glorious black eyes, ruby lips,
and a figure whose every line and
curve was exposed by her humble
garh.
The wine Captain Burke had drank,
had made him reckless and ripe for any
mischief. Selling the flower girl in
his arms, the naval officer said with a
leer:
81 don't want any flowers, miss; but
I'll take few Kisses" and so saying,
he imprinted several warm oscillations
on the mouth of the shrieking girl,
who, screaming wildly, struggled to
escape from his arms.
The street was thronged with pedes-
trians, among whom were not a few
FRENCH military officers, who stood
amazed at the strange scene. One of
these, more hot-blooded than his fell
lows, rushed forward and struck the
amorous captain a severe blow and
made him reel.
''Vile dog of an Englishman, take
that?" he roared.
When Captain Burke recovered his
scattered senses, thrown into confusion
by the Frenchman's blow, he became
frantic with rage, and taking his cha
peau from his head, he flung it with
full force straight in the face Of the
Frenchman who had struck him.
SQer an insult could lead to but one
thing-a meeting on the field of honor.
4 duel was at once arranged by the
fiery Gauls and the equally hot-bleoded
Ipishman, although the English gov
ernment had strictly forbidden all
dueling between the naval officers and
the inhabitants of the island.
Captain Burke knew this, but in his
anger chose to disobey the rule, re-
gardless of consequences.
Little dreaming what kind of q man
they had to deal with, the French mill
tary officers at once arranged q duel
between the captain and the French of
ficer he had insulted. "And if AL
phonse falls, monsieur, we will fight
you, each in its turn" they said.
t4ll take you ALL" roared Burke,
zone after the other, and pepper you
as would covey of partridges. Say
your prayers, all of you, for you are as
good as dead men, every one of YOU"
"Vain braggart," sneered the French
men, little suspecting that the words
Captain Burke spoke were the truth
and not the utterances of boaster.
They at once led the way to a retired
spot, where they were free FROM inter.
ruption, and the duel began.
The Frenchman would have prefer.
red swords as the weapons to be used,
they as well as Captain Burke haing
provided with them; but the Irishman
is the challenged party, had the choice
Of weapons, and he chose pistols, this
being the weapon he was the nest fa-
miliar with,
Captain Burke was by this time we'll
sobered by the gravity of his position,
and the fumes of the champagne he
had drank no longer obscured his brain
and sight