The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1893-12-02

OF us; and, in fact. except there W
as scarcely any discipline and no restra;,
we appeared like a floating penitentia
OF convicted felons.
30 long as we ran down the cham
with a slack sea and a fair wind.
long all went on tolerably well: to
sure they only kept watch when tn,
We're tired below, when they came II
reeied about the deck, did all lust ,
they pleased, and treated me with r
manner Of respect.
On the fourth day from the sett;n
: IN OF the gale as we entered the bav
: biscay, some one aloft deserted a strano
san to windward, bearing down as if /
pursuit OF us. Scarcely did the new
reach the deck when, bad as it was b,
lore, matters now became ten time
worse-every counsel that drunken
ness. insanity and crime combine
could suggest being offered and de
scanted on.
Meanwhile the chase gained rapid
~ upon us, and before noon we discoy
cred her to be o French letter-of
marque with four guns and . lon,
brass swivel upon the poopdeck.
AS for us, every sheet of canvas W,
could crowd was crammed on. but ir
vain; and, as we labored through the
heavy sea, our riotous crew grew every
moment worse, and sitting down sullsilv
IN groups upon the deck declared that.
come what might. they would neither
work the ship nor fight her; that thew
had been sent to sea in a rotten craft
merely to effect their destruction. ana
That they cared little for the disgrace
OF a flag they detested.
Hall furious, my first impulse was to
run among them with nv drawn cnt.
lass and take heavy veng eance upon
the ringleaders. when suddenly a
round shot went flying overour heads.
down with the ensign; strike at
once? cried eight or ten voices tooe4b.
er, as the ball whizzed through the rig.
ging. Anticipating this, 1 had made
inc mate, stauch-hearted, resolute
Fellow, make fast the signal halyard
abort, SO that it was impossible for anv
one on deck to lower the bunting.
Bang went another gun, and. be.
lore the smoke cleared away, a third.
winch, truer in its aim than the rest.
went clean through the lower part Of
our mainsail.
Steady, then, boys, and clear for
action, said the mate. She's French
smuggling craft that will sheer on |
when we show fight, SO that we must |
not fire shot till she comes alongside,
BY this time the Frenchman was
close up, and ranging his long gun to
sweep our decks; his crew were Quite
= about twenty bronzed.
stout looking fellows, stripped to the
waist and carrying pistols in broad,
nat belts slung over the shoulder.
Come, my lads said /, raising nv
zee, as drew pistol from nv side
IND cooked 1t, our time is short now: T
nay as well tell you that the first shot
nat strikes us amidship blows up the
vhole craft and every man on board.
we are nothing less than fireship.
lestined for Brest harbor to blow nm | ,
The French fleet. fyou are willing to
ma Ike an effort for your lives, follow
ne.'
The men looked aghast. Short as a
vas the time for reflection, they felt y
nat there were many circumstances to a
ncourage the assertion. :
Animated now with the desire for v
attic, they sprang to the binnacle and =
sized their arms. :,
I'm an instant the deck became a Fl
enc OF excited hustle, and scarcelv G
as the ANN unition dealt out and thu n
'aroing party drawn up when the ii
renchmon broached-to and dashed hin p
'wsprit to our own. N
One terrific yell burst from our fell. fl
WIS as they sprang frUm the rigging h
"a the poop upon the astonished c;
'enchmer, who thought that the vic. OF
~ was already their own; with death OF
"a ruin behind, their only hope be- Y
re. they dashed forward like madmenI b
the fray. til
The conflict was bloody and terrific, eli
ough not long one; nearly equal in w
moer, but far superior in personal te
cngth, and, stimulated by their sense tit
danger, our fellows rushed forward. an
rrying all before them to the QUAR- ne
>deck sis
MY story is soon told now. We pc
,ught our prize safe into Malta. nj
ich we reached in five days. In less ne
N q week our men were drafted into az
different men-of-war ON the sta
q. was appointed warrant officer
the Sheerwater, forty-four guns: =.
!, as the admiral opened the dis Z
Oh, the only words he spoke puzzled is
for many day after. fro
'You have accomplished your orders fai
well, said he; that privateer Is but in
oor compensation for the wbole diff
nch navy me
Many years after found out that car
dispatches were false ones. 10. tor
led to have fallen into the hands Of VIII
French, and mislead them as To ma
Nelson's fleet, which at that time wit
cruising to the southwark to catch ref
q. This of course explained what still
was destined for us-a French cou
On II not death: and, after all. T
Or was fully good enough for the yer,
! that sailed in the old Ark."-From trou
Works of Charles Lever. hav
- out
Queen victoris's Sight Declining. the
= majesty's eyesight is failing. and stro