Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1893-08-25
hoop,s PILLa euro ConstipatIon. 25
THE SLAPPING SAL.

It was in the days when Frances powe
was already broken upon the seas, anC
when more of her three deckers lay rottinl
In the Medway than were to be found il
Brest harbor. But her frigates and cor
vettes still secured the ocean, closely fol
lowed ever by those of her rival At tn,
uttermost ends of the earth these dainty
vessels, with sweet names of girls or o.
flowers, mangled and shattered each Other
for the honor of the four yards of bunting
that tapped from their gaffs.
1t had blown hard in the night, but the
wind had dropped with the dawning, and
now the rising. sun tinted the fringe of the
storm wrack as it dwindled into the west
and glinted on the endless crests of the long
green waves. The north and south and
west lay in a skyline which was unbroken
save by the spout of foam when two of the
great Atlantic seas dashed each other into
spray. To the east was a rocky island jut-
ting out into craggy points with few scat
tered clumps of palm trees and a pennant
of mist streaming out from the bare con-
ical bill that capped it. A heavy surf beat
upon the shore, and at a safe distance from
it the British 80 gun frigate Leda, Captain
A. p. johnson, raised her black, glistening
side upon the crest of a wave or swooped
down into an emerald valley. dipping away
to the nor'ard under easy sail. On her snow
white quarter deck stood a stiff, little,
brown faced man who swept the horizon
with his glass.
"Mr Wharton" he cried, with a voice
like a rusty hinge.
A thin, knockkneed officer shambled
across the poop to him.
"Yes, SIR"
"I've opened the sealed orders, Mr.. Whar-
ton"
A glimmer of curiosity shone upon the
meager features of the first lieutenant. The
Leda had sailed with her consort, the Dido,
from Antigua the week before, and the ad-
miral's orders had been contained in a
sealed envelope.
I'VE were to open them on reaching the
deserted island of Sombriero, lying In north
latitude l8 degrees SO minutes, west lon
Rdtude 6S degrees % minutes. Sombriero
bore four miles to the northeast from our
port bow when the gale cleared, Mr.. Whar-
ton"
The lieutenant bowed stifly. He and the
captain had been bosom friends from child
hood. They had gone to school together
Joined the navy together and married into
each others families, but as long as their
feet were on the poop the iron discipline of
the service struck all that was human out
of them and left only the superior and the
subordinate. Captain johnson took a blue
paper from his pocket which cracked as he
unfolded it:
The 80 gun frigates Leda and Dido Captains
A. p. johnson and James Munroe) are to cruise
from the point at which these instructions are
read TO the mouth of the Caribbean sea in the
hope of encountering the French frigate La
Gloire (4S), which has recently harassed our
merchant ships In that quarter. II. M. frigates
are also directed to hunt down the piratieal
craft known sometimes as the Slapping Sal
and sometimes as the Hairy Hudson, which
has plundered the British ships as per margin,
inhicting barbarities upon their crews. She Is
q small brig carrying 10 light guns, with one
"a pound earronade forward. She was last
seen upon the ed ult TO the northeast OF the
island of Sombriero.
JAMES MONTGOMERY, Rear Admiral.
II. NJ. s. Colossus, Antigua
1--WE appear to have lost our consort,"
said Captain johnson, folding up his in
structions and again sweeping the horizon
with his glass. "She drew away after we
reefed down. 1t would be pity IL we met
this heavy Frenchman without the Dido,
Mr. Wharton, ehY'
The lieutenant twinkled and smiled.
''She has IS Founders ON the main and
twelves on the poop, sir" said the captain.
''She carries 400 to our 231. Captain de
Milon is the smartest man In the French
service. oh, Bobby, boy, I'd give my hopes
of my flag to rub my side up against her"
He turned on his heel, ashamed of his mo
mentary lapse. Mr. Wharton" said he,
looking back sternly over his shoulder, "get
those square sails shaken out and bear
away point more to the west {"
"A brig ON the port bow" came a voice
from the forecastle.
"A brig ON the port bow" said the lieu
tenant.
The captain sprang up ON the bulwarks
and held on to the nhizzen shrouds, q
strange little figure with flying skirts and
puckered eyes. The lean lieutenant craned
his neck and whispered TO Smeaton, the
second, while officers and men came pop
ping up from below, and clustering along
the weather rail shading their eyes with
their hands, for the tropical sun was al
ready clear OF the palm trees. The strange
brig lay at anchor In the throat Of curv-
ing estuary, and il was already obvious
that she could not get out without passing
under the guns OF the frigate. A long,
rocky point 10 the north Of her held her In.
Keep her as she goes, Mr.. Wharton"
said the captain. Hardly worth while
clearing for action. Mr.. Smeaton, but the
men can stand by the guns in case she tr1ea
20 pass us- Cast loose the bOwchases and
send the small arm man on 10 the fore
castle"
A British crew went 70 It's quarters In
those Gays with the quiet serenity Of men
On their daily routine. In 3 few minutes,
without fuss or sound. the sailors were
knOtted around their guns, the marines
were drawn up aud leaning on their mus
kets, aud the frigAte's bowsprit pointed
straight for her little victim
is Il Shaping Sal. siri"
Il have no doubt Of a, Mr.. wharton"
They d0nt seem 70 Ike the look q ~.
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