The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-07-02
The SHAPING SAL

fiopyrishtsd. ,s9s, BY Ceuan Doyial
Il Was in the days when frances power
VS. sresdy broken upon the seas. and
when .rore Of her three-deckers lay rot.
ting Inf She Midway than were TO be founi
In Brest harbor. But her frixates and cor
yestes gill secured the ocean. closely fol-
lowed liver by those Of her rival. At the
utternfost ends Of the earth these dainty
vessclf with sweet names Of girls or OF
iiowers, mangied and shattered each other
for the; honor OF the four yards Of bunting
that ftpped from their gafs.
II h.M blown hard IN the night. but the
Wind issd dropped with the dawning. and
now ttis rising sun tinted the fringe Of the
storm Mraek n IL dwindied into the west,
and gisnted on the endless crests Of the
long g:een waves. To north and south
and west lay . sky limo which was un-
broks Il. save by the spout Of foam when
two Of the great Atlantic seas dashed each
other into spray. To the east Was rocky
island: juttiHg out into crag2y points.
with 4 few scattered clurnps Of palm
trees aid pennant Of mist streaming out
frou I 50 bare conical hill which capped &.
A heaty surf beat upon the shore, and IT
. safe ,Sistance from IL the British 3y-gun
friEase: i.eda. Capt. A. p. Johnson, raised
her bls.rk. gIstening side upon the crest of
. wava or swooped down into an emerald
valley dipping away TO tho norr'ard
under Easy sail. On her snow white quar-
ter desk stood q stiff little brown-faced
man. sho swept the horizon with his
glass.
"Mr Wharton rs he cried, with . voice
like rusty hinge.
A thin. knock-knecd officer shamblsd
across she poop to him.
"Yek SIR"
Wharton"
A giianmer Of curiosity shons upon the
meagr4 features Of the first lieutenant.
The LtAda had sailed with her consort, tho
Dido, i-om Antigua the week before and
the adsmiral's orders had been contained
In sealed envelope.
'Wsiwerc to open them on reaching the
deserted island Of Sombriero. lying In
north aatitude 10 deg. IS min.. west longi.
tnds 6: deg ~ min. Sombriero bore four
miles q, the northeast from our port bow
when the gale cleared, Mr.. Wharton"
The aieatenant bowed stifily. He and
the cagstsin had been bosom friends from
childhood. They had gone to school to-
gstherk joined the navy together and mar
r,ed in.o each Others families. but - long
- theis feet were on the poop the iron dis
cipline Of the service struck oil that was
humsul out Of them and left only the supe.
rior AID tho subordinate. Capt. johnson
took blue paper from HIS pocket, which
cracklssl a. he unfolded IL.
The sai,ty-twosun frisases IAda ana Dido
Capt n r Johnson aud James Munro) arc to
cruise iton the point IT which these instruc-
lions arf read to tho mouth OF the Caribbean
eca ik ;he hope OF sneountsrin9 the French
fri9ate Ia tsioirc (tA which has recently harssee
our merchant snirs la that quarter. II. n.
frtgatesisre also directed 20 hunt down the
p.r.ticai craft known somesimss the sslap-
son" wf.,ch ha. pinndsrsd the Britlsh ships a.
Per maTkin- 4 In ieting barbsritiss upon their
crews. Mia IL . small brig carrying ten light
guns with one twenty four pound csrsouade for.
yard she vas last seen upon the 2sd uie to
North Ehst 81 the islsnd ot somoriero.
Ss'gnsdg ltsss MONTGOMERY tksAr Admirably
u. y. Colossus. Antigua
I'VE appear 10 have lost our consort +"
said CAPT. Johnson. folding up his instruc-
ttons aEsd again sweeping tho horizon with
his Eia4A she drew away after We reefe,i
down. IL would DO pity II We met this
heavy trenehman without the Dido, Mr..
Whartssn--eh :"
ihe lieutenant twinkied and smiled.
''She :aas eigh,een.ponndcrs on the main
and twssises on the POOP. SIR" said the
captains ''She carries 400 to our 81. Capt,
Dc Mtl9n - the smartess man In the
French service. Oh. Bobby boy, I'd give
my hops Of my ,iag to rub my side up
againstS herH" He turned on his heel,
ashamed of his momen,ary lapse. "Mr.
Wharton," said he. looking back siernly
over his shoulder. get those square sails
shaken nut and bear away point or more
TO the west"
"A brsg on the port bow" came . voice
from tina forecastI-.
"A hs & on the port bow" said the lieu
The cArrain srraag NJ on the huswarks
aud he'd on To the miExcn shrouds A
strange little figure with flying skirts aud
ruck~re4 ewes The lean lieutenant eran-,i
his neck: and whispered 10 smeaton, the
second. while officers and nea came ION
ping ur From below and clustering aion .
the weasher rail, shading their eyea with
Their hsslds Tor the tropical sun was a. read =
clear of sh. palm trees, The strange br.g
Law NJ aflchor In the throat of a curvins
estuary. sand 1t WAS already obvious ;ha,
che could not get cut without passtng
under tie gaas of the frigate. A lone
rocky pcsnt 20 :he north Of her held her in
kcer her Is she goes. Mr.. Wharton. '
said the .capisin. Hardly worth white
clearing. for action. Mr., Smeaten. but shs
men eanisiand by the gaas in case she
tries IL I.ass US. Cast loose the bowrh as~r,
aid scnk the smali-aria naea on TO tas
foFccastii +"
A British creu went to iss quarters in
those Dis. with the quiet serenity of ,neu
On their siasly routine In few minutes
withou; fass or sound. the sailors were
knotiet Mound their Euns. the marine,
were drawn M and leaning on their mus
ksts ant the frisa,e's eowsprss pointed
straight or her little victim
''ls IL She Shaping Sal. arr"
II hsst no doubt Of IL, Mr.. Wharton.
"rheys;on't seem 10 like the lock Of us
cir. Th'T've cut their cable aad Are clap
ping on SsiL"
Il wax evident that the brig mean
s,raesiiryys for her freedom. One liiil,
patch ofsranvss tutsered out ABOVE an
other ana her people could Dc sssa work
ing like anatmen in the rigging. Sa,
made ns:astemns 10 pass her antakonss,
bat hesd:ss up shs estuary. The capitals
dubbed rs hands
''Sae's' ina king for saoai water. NJ
Whars0:l sn4 We shall have to cut her
cri sir. Shes = footv little brig. bat
should Dave thought Q fore-and- afte.
veald hfse been more handy"
lit VS. rsos'ny, sir"
'.Ah. .Niw~ii'
YES. tss. heard % il a. Manilsa-a bad
6assnes,f sar. captain And tao mates mus.
dcr~d. shls Hudson. o. Hairy Hudson As
they cal. aim. led ,Ae asut.ay. ness Lon,
doa~r. tir. bat erael villain as ev~s
~tIa esxt yak viii he 70 Execution
dock. ~. Wharson. She scenes. heavily
manned, l sisa coaid saSe tssn,y tor
mea cassof her. ea: .hsv would Re enough
20 eo-r1sf the crew 81 the ara. NJ WhAr.
ton"
Both esssesrs yer. isSkias through .A.i.