The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-03-04
CHAPTER XVIII.
A FLAG OF TRUCE

FLAG OF TRUCE
After having laid bare his plan the
deserter of the Xenophon sat Tor long
time in silence. He gazed upon the YES.
sci which lay at anchor like some mon
ster sea bird. He glanced down at the
bench where q number of boats and small
crafts were moored.
Gould we not overhaul them now?
Griffith asked of the deserter, who had
r.sen to his feet.
mo. the British would discover you,
and your motive be guessed. When nlgh'
fall comes cvery boat must be drawn uF
the creek, and put on the shore behind
that bit of head land, and dthen we can cut
boughs of bushes and 80 arrange every
thing as to screen them from the enem!
on ship or shore"
To Griffith Alton it seemed an age be-
fore night would come. He hunted ur
Jack Hatchet and laid bare the plan.
That's it, said Jack. That's jest ex-
actly it. I'll go to the shop aud put
fire in the forge an begin now maxim
cutlasses.
mo, no, Jack; build no fire until night
said Captain Alton. THE smoke would
be seen and the cause might be guessed
But get together as many assistant smiths
ss YOU can and hunt mp all the material
YOU can find that will be suitable to fash.
ION into cutlasses, be they ever so rude.
Then You must also get together all the
old lockless pistols that can be found and
repair such as can be repaired. Put them
in as good condition as possible.
.Tli do it. .GIiff.. 70 needn't fear but
what I'll do it." said Jack Hatchet. whose
ewes soarkled with excitement at thu
proposition. Il know jest how to work
on guns, too, fur I've beea at that kinder
business fur long time. Then there art
lots O. boys in town who kin pound lroD
and tinker with gun locks, too"
Jack at once set to work and hunted up
such persons as he needed, and they be.
gan gathering together all such materla!
as thew could find. Bars of iron and
steel, reaping ooks, corn knives, and
wagon springs, everything which could
possibly be shared into weapon. THESE
were carried to Jacks shop. Two more
temporary forges were set up that even.
ing, and all Eight loag the work of gath
ering ia material went on.
No fire was built in the forges, for ou
friends were not ready.
The youthful commander went down te
the beach as soon as it was dark. Tho
two deserters and Henry Small accomps.
MED him.
You have considerable experience ir
repairing boats, have you not, Henryf
he Young commander asked the carpen'
ter.
aYes, q good deal, Griff," the carpen.
ter answered, with chuckle. Fact Is
Griff, I've made most of these boats N.Y.
SELF"
Now. how many assistants can you
muster?"
Dun know; but most anybody car
help carry these boats up the creek out
on dry ground, where we kin cauli
EN-"
A hundred hands were soon busy, anc
the silent work vent on.
One after another the boats were dragged
up the creek, taken out behind o bit OF
headland, and put on temporary dry docks
prepared for them.
Thar, they can't see US now when we
work on 'em," said the carpenter.
Can they be repaired Tonight" oul
hero asks. -
NO, Griff, that would be impossible, y
the carpenter answered. You see, sone
on 'em hev been badly split up by the
balls and shells from the ship, an others
are a most rotten"
DO you suppose tho vessel will bom-
bard us tomorrow" the anxious CON-
mander asked the deserter, who stood by
his side.
Il don't know" the deserter answered.
They don't seem to be in hurry for
some reason, which I can't understand,
unless they are waiting to hear from
Major Bridges on the land"
There may be some other reason"
What can it be?"
General Ross may be in trouble in
Baltimore"
"Ah! had not thought of that"
AS the Americans were laboring that
night to strengthen their works, repair
their boats, and gather up material for
arms, they felt the earth almost trembling
beneath them.
what is itP" 81 Cole asked of Grif.
fifth.
Captain Alton, who had felt the earth
tremble under these sounds before, said:
1T is distant cannonading, ST."
1Where?'
Those shots come from Baltimore"
And so the Britishers are there, ara
they:" he asked, his eyes wide open with
astonishment.
Yes, and were We little nearer on
higher ground We conld doubtless see
the flash OF those powerful cannon which
make the earth tremble."
All night long the citizens of Manoa
lal ored on their boats and heard tho dis
tant cam onadine of Fort McEenry.
The night was still. and even the rest
less old ocean seemed hushed to sleep.
The sky was cloudless and the stars
looked kindly down upon the beleagured
people.
All through those dark, silent hours, the
steady boom, boom, booming of cannon
could be heard in the distance.
1t was on that night that the heavens
were painted by rockets red glare and
the bombs bursting in air, and Mr.. Fran
els s. Key, q prisoner aboard British
vessel, wrote the immortal "Star-Span-
gled Banner"
Little did our beleagured friends in
Manoa, On that night Of horror and
anxiety, dream that the great national
American air was Seing composed and
written by captive American.
Their own stsr-spspRled bauper was