The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1889-11-08

even II 1t were not soon cut In twain b
I the pirate, whose shot were so rapid
flying about itP
! called for a volunteer from anon
the men, but noticing how they hum
back, aud feeling that | had not a mo
ment to spare, | was about to pick u,
the lantern and spring into tho riggin!
myself, when Shelburne, seizins L
cried outi
NO, no, Lieutenant; you are com
maneer here! Better | should TAX,
the riskr
Ere could ebsse. he was mounting
the rigging of that perilous, swaying
mast Needless OF the frequent shot:
from the pirate.
watched him anxiously. He soor
gained the top.gallant- masthead, and
began waving tho lantern 70 attract
the attention OF the sioop-of.war.
A moment later a shot struck the
top-gallant-mast, a splinter shattered
the lantern, and | believed the youth
would be lost but ere the spar went
over, he dropped as lightly as a falcon
into the topmast shrouds below, and
then slid, hand over hand, down a
oackstny to the deck.
The pirates now stopped firing.
The thunder. too, had ceased to boom
In tho darkened heavens, and the
lightning no longer flashed. There
was something omtnous, it seemed to
me, in their sudden cessa sea. Nor
was mistaken, for all at ouce the
tempest broke upon us with such ter
rifle fury that for several minutes |
thought it would sink us,
1t quickly passed to leewurd. how.
ever, although it still blew hard gale,
and there was a rather rough sea. |
could no longer make out the sloop-
of-war's light, for now black
masses of flying rack shrouded
the foaming waters ahead OF US,
adding to the gloom in her
direction, although astern the
weather vas not yet so thick as to
prevent my discerning with my night
glass the pirate schooner, still in pur-
suit of lis. could perceive that sho
had lost her jib-boom as we'll as one
OF her sails in the late tcmpests. and
by getting up canvass on the stumps
OF my masts | was enabled to eludo
her for somc time, but at last | heard
the yelIs of her rascally crew close on
our Starboard quarter.
got my fifteen men ready for com.
bat, though knowing a combat would
be hopeless. Skelburne, however,
grasping his sword, stood there like a
Young lion. prepared to fight to the
death, and my other brave fellows
from the sloop bore a promising
with their set teeth and fam
ing eyes. a few more seas brought
pirate craft nearly alongside of us,
and already her fierce, well-armcd
men We're crowding up, ready to board
US, while others, with ropes having
grappIing-irOns at the ends, we're
ABOUT to make fast to US, when sud-
denly there came a broad, bright
Hash. followed by a roar as of a hun.
1red %thunders, and the schooner. shat
Tered to fragments by the heavy sho,
went crashing through her light
-lmbers. disappeared from orr sight.
ne last ~despairing yells Of her manned
md drowning crew rising wildly
ihovc the bowling of the gale.
he next moment, like some black,
hinged giant, II sloop-of-war came
1nrsting from the thick rack which
concealed her approach, and,
booming along over the ruin she had
made, passed US, while the clear trum-
ring of her captains voice broke
lpon my ears:
"llard-a-starboard. Lieutenant, and
,eep in Il wake! Will send a boat
board as soon as / can. Wesaw your
ignal lantern aloft in good time
now went up to midshipman Shell
'Urnc and graspcd his hand, telling
he had saved us all by his daring
n mounting the perilous mast to wave
hat signal. and that / would not fail
o speak OF his gallant conduct to the
Miss Melton, being rear with the
Their passengers, heard me, and | saw
.cr soft black eyes flash with unmis-
akable pride and tenderness on the
fellow. In my gratitude l was
o longer jealous Of him, but acknowl-
dyed to myself that he deserved her
ove, and that the two young people
ere well mated. never treated him
ruifiy af or, and when. months later.
lille we were at Manila, to which
ort we had finally Brought the disa-
led ship, | heard that Miss Melton
nd he were engaged, | filed my briar
ipe and smoked il, feeling quite con-
entod and happy. Rufus Hale, in N.
=. Ledger. .