The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-07-31

division of the mainmast, and Ian stood near
me.
My thoughts were turned away from myself
| by hearing Job shout 10 Cad and Web, who
were lying fat on the paddle-boxes, with their
muskets resting on rigging in front of them,
Here, you fel!ers, you're exposin' your
heads layin' that way Why don't you turn
end for end, an git in the cover o. your feet ?
They're big an solid enough to perfect your
whole body against anything under 40
FOUNDER"
"Slence, thore," roarcd the Officer of the
Deck. :" You ought 10 know better than TO
talk, sir. Not another word, sir, or I'll punish
you"
The Captain now made short speech. He
said that there were but 90 rounds of cannon
ammunition for each vessel, and that, conse-
quently, we had none TO waste on long range
firing The plan of battle was to close in rap
idly on the rebel vessels when we came in sight
of them. aud sink them by shots at close quar-
ters, or by ramming, or to carry them by board
ing. Everybody must keep cool and collected,
and listen TO orders waste no shots miss no
chances, and when once engaged determine to
conquer or die before we let up. No man of us
must ask for "quarter under any circum-
stances. Anyone crying quarter" must be
cut down at once by those nearest him.
The crew cheered him Justify rs he stopt, and
almost at the same moment the lookout sang
out,
There's the enemy, sir"
There they certainly we're, stretched in a
black, ominous line, from a fort on our left,
mounting four heavy guns, to q sailing sloop
anchored on our right, carrying two large can
non as in n floating battery. Besides the
schooner there were seven large gunboats, all
steamers
We moved slowly on, watching the flagship
for signals, until we were about half mile
from the enemy.
Then one of the schooner's heavy guns broke
the silence with a laundering report, followed
a few seconds later by another Then the fort
became a roaring, belching volcano.
Shot hurtled about Us, shell screamed through
the air, grape lashed the water into foam but
not gun on our side answered.
" There goes the signal for close action"
shouted somebody. and there WAS great gasp
Of relief from every throat, followed by q
stifening of the sinews for the onset
/ Go ahead fast. Tell the Engineer TO give
her every pound of steam he has" ordered the
Captain.
The engine bells changed out sharply, and the
boat quiyered and spraug ahead under the
powerful impulse. The other boats did tho
same thing. 1t was a race TO see which should
reach the enemy first
The l00-pounder on the flagship sent out an
immense burst of smoke and an echoing roar.
The rebels rushed at us with equal fierce
ness.
] saw one of their gunboats coming directly
for US with all the power of her engines.
Grapeshot and shell from her cannon shricked
around like a horde of demons.
Her decks were shTouded with fame and
smoke, through the riffs Of which could see
her gunners working madly, and musketeers
loading and firing with incredible swiftneSs.
] instnctively blazed away ut a man who
seemed 10 be loveling his gun across the bull
warks directly at me. | must have fred half
dozen shots, almost without thinking, when
heard the Captains stentorian order 10 the
helmsman:
Put her square on to her. Strike her in
the quarter!"
Our bow struck the rebels side with crash
that made both vessels reel, and came near
throwing many Of us 10 the deck. II drove its
terrible way for several feet through the spln-
tering timbcrs, and the two vessels. checked in
their momentum, swung around side by side.
"Bosrlers away" shouted our Captain,
leaping TO the side Of the deck. eutlass in hand.
Qnick as be was. job. Quin and Herman had
managed to slide down the rigging aud be at
his heels with bayouets fixed by the time he
reached the buiwark, aud Ian. Cad. Web and
came mp almost AZ the same moment.
The sides Of the vessels were yet perhaps
two yards apart. aud before they touched
scanned. with q fash of the eye the rebel crew
gathering 10 iItNN us Win ptkG1t 5NbIGHr uhtCH-
cts, FcyolveTs and muskcts
felt myself burn with fierce desire to get
at them and hew them to pieces
The next instant the sides ground together,
and VIC poured over the bulwafks in n mad
rush ] saw the Captains swo.d come down
on a rebel officers head; / saw Jobs bayoBet
sink 10 the shank in a sailor who fred at the
Captain with a revolver; / saw Quin snatch
handspike from a rebel aud knock down a
swaih with it. and all this in the quickness Of
a turn Of the Kaleidoscope. A young Mid
shIpman struck a wicked blow at me with
bis cutlass. ! caught il on the barrel Of my gun,
aud tried 10 run him through with my bayonet
lie slept back TO avoid the thrust, and tript
over a fallen man, and my impetus was 50 great
that ] FELL OH top Of him, just in time 10
escape a thrust from pike in the hands Of
brawny rebel, whom Ian at once bayonetcd in
the shoulder, and Web clubbed the next man
10 him over the head with his gun barrel The
MILDLY and grappled each other by the throat
as We stroye 70 regain our feet.
shout went up from the rebels:
I'VE surrender! We surrcndcr!"
moment later:
"The ship is sinking Stop fighting"
The rebels threw down their arms The
MILDLY ard / released our hold on each other
aud stood upright
The voice Of our Captain rang out above the
din: Get back on the ship. Every body help
save the wounded. See that all the wounded
are brought up"
In less time than take TO write il, all the
rebel wounded were passed aboard our gunboat
and and the rebels were on our oGn decks,
with the prisoners going into confinement be-
low. The rebel vessel was already sunk nearly
10 the waters edge, and in minute after the
last man-0ur Captain-stcpt over our side she
lnrched heavily and disappeared in a boiling
eddy, which rocked us violently.
We took long breath and looked around us.
The work had been complete. The rebel
schooner on our right and four Of the gunboats
were wrapt ia flames or had sunk, one was
captured our flag was flying from the fifth, aud
the other two We're running away a. fast as
steam could drive them The garrison Of the
fort was stampeding back into the woods under
a heavy FIRE from our guns, aud the city of
Elizabeth was on FIRE in a score Of places The
crews Of our feet were cheering as If they
would burst their thr0ats.
Ian wiped his begrimed face aud looked at
his watch.
It's just half past nine" he said "and 30
minutes since we fred the first shot"
Only 30 minutes" shouted Job DWELL
Id've sworn on the Bible that il WIS that many
hours II your going TO count time that way
I'll be older'n Aethusalch ia a month"
Quln shaved enough of plug OF rank mig
gerhead 10 fii bis pipe, aud passed the plug
10 job 20 do likewise
Wasn't it Elegant" bys, said he, as he
filed the bowl and lighted up. "Begorra, Oi
lale that OPm getting the worth o me thirtane
dollars month livery day that Oi live"
Elizabeth City was beautiful little town
about the size Of COh0sh-and the principal
place in this section Of North Carolina. IL