The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-04-13

than q mile out to sea when she per-
ceived Repeller No. @ coming toward hel
from seward, and in direction which
indicated that it intended to run across
her course. The LenoX, however, went
straight on, and in short time the two
vessels were quite near each other. Upon
the deck of the repeller now appeared
the director in charge, who, with a
speaking trumpet, hailed the Lenox and
requested her to lay to, as he had some
thing to communicate. The commander
of the Lenox, through his trumpet, an.
swered that he wanted no communities
tions, and advised the other vessel to
keep out of his way.
The Lenox now put on q greater head
of steam, and as she was in any case q
much faster vessel than the repeuer, she
RAPIDLY increased the distance between
herself and the syndicate's vessel, SO that
in q few moments mailing was impossible.
Quick signals now shot up in jets Of black
smoke from the repeller, and In very
short time afterward the speed OF the
Lenox slackened so much that the repel-
Ter was able to come up with her
When the two vessels were abreast OF
each other, and at a safe hailing distance
apart, another signal went up from the
repeller, and then both vessels almost
ceased to move through the water, al
though the engines Of the Lenox were
working at high speed, with her propel-
Ter blades stirring up "A whirlpool at her
stern.
For minute or two the officers of the
Lenox could not comprehend what had
happened 1t was first supposed that by
mistake the engines had been slackened,
but almost ut the same moment that 1t
was found that this was not the case, the
discovery was made that the crab ac-
companying the repeller had laid hold of
the stern post of the LenoX, and with all
the strength of her powerful engines was
holding her back.
Now burst forth in the Lenox n storm
Of frenzied rage, such as was never seen
perhaps upon any vessel since vessels
were first built. From the commander
to the stokers every heart was filled with
fury ut the insult which was put upon
them. The commander roared through
his trumpet that if that Internal sea
beetle were not Immediately loosed from
his ship he would first sink her and then
the repeller.
To these remarks the director OF the
syndicate's vessels paid no attention, but
proceeded to state as briefly and forcibly
as possible that the Lenox had been de-
tanned in order that he might have an
opportunity of speaking with her com
mander, and Of informing him that his
action in coming out of the harbor for
the purpose of attacking a British vessel,
was in direct violation of the contract
between the United States and the syn
dicate having charge Of the war, and
that such action could not be allowed.
The commander Of the LenoX paid no
more attention to these words than the
syndicate's director had given to those
he had spoken, but Immediately com
menccd a violent attack upon the crab.
1t was impossible to bring any of tho
large guns TO bear upon her, for she was
almost under the stern of the LenoX, but
every means of offense which Infatuated
ingenuity could suggest was used against
il. Machine guns were trained to fire
almost perpendicularly, and shot after
shot was poured upon that portion of its
glistening back which appeared above
tho water.
But as these projectiles seemed to have
no effect upon the solid back of Crab III,
two great anvils were hOisted at the end
of the spanker boom and dropped, one
after the other, upon it. Tho shocks
were tremendous, but the internal CON
of the crabs provided, by
means Of upright beams, against injury
from attacks of this kind, and the great
masses of iron slid off into the sea with
out doing any damage.
Finding it impossible to make any inn
preston upon the mailed monster at his
stern, the commander of the Lenox
hailed the director of the repeller, and
swore to him through his trumpet that
if he did not Immediately order the
Lenox TO be set free, her heaviest guns
should be brought to bear upon his float
ing counting house, and that it should be
sunk if it took all day to do it.
II would have been grim satisfaction
to the commander Of the LcnoX to sink
Repcllcr No. 6, for he knew the vessel
when she had belonged to the United
States navy. Before she had been
bought by the syndicate, and fitted out
with spring armor, he had made two
long cruises in her, and he bitterly hated
her, from her keel up.
The director of the repeller agreed to
release the LenoX the instant her COM
mander would consent to return to port.
No answer was made to this proposition,
but q dynamite gun on the Lenox was
brought to bear upon the syndicate's YES
sci. Desiring to avoid any complications
which might ensue from actions of this
sort, the repelier steamed ahead, while
the director signaled Grab ii to move the
stern of the Lenox to the windward,
which, being quickly done, the gun of
the latter bore upon the distant coast
1t was now very plain to the syndicate
director that his words could have no
effect upon the commander of the