The Coconino weekly sun., 1893-11-16

onist but headed up the estuary. The captain rubbed his hands
 "she's making for shoal water. MT. Wharton, and we shall have to cut her out sir. She's footy little brig. but I should have thought fore-and-after would have been more handy"
 Tt was mutiny, sir"
 ''Ah, indeed!"
 Yes, sir, heard of it at Manilla-a bad business, sir. Captain and two mates murdered. This Hudson, or Harry Hudson, as they call him, led the mutiny. He's Londoner, sir, but as cruel a villain as ever walked"
 That's Hairy Hudson on the after rail, sir"
 The low, impertinent blackguard! He'll play some other antics before we are done with him. Could you reach hlm with the long eighteen, MT. Smeaton?"
 Another cable length will do it, sir"
 The brig waved as they spoke, and as she came round squirt of smoke whitfed out from her quarter. It was pure piece of bravado, for the gun could scarcely carry half way. Then with jaunty swing the little ship came into wind again and shot round a fresh curve of the winding channel
 ''The waters shoaling rapidly, sir" reported the second lieutenant
 "There's six fathoms by the chart" |"
 -Four by the lead. sir"
 "When we clear this point we shall see how we lie. Ha! I thought as much! Lay her to, Mir. Wharton. Now we nave got her at our mercy"
 The frigate was quite out of sight of the sea now at the head of this river like estuary. As she came round the curve, the two shores were seen to con verge at a point about mile distant. In the angle, as near shore as she could get, the brig was lying with her broad side towards her pursuer and a wisp of black cloth streaming from her mizzen. The lean lieutenant, who had reap peared upon deck with cutlass strapped to his side and two pistols rammed into his belt, peered curiously at the ensign.
 ''ls it the Jolly Roger, sir?' he asked. But the captain was furious. "He may hang where his brooches are hanging before have done with him." said he. What boats will you want, Mir. Whar- ton?"
 I've should do it with the launch and the jolly boat"
 ''Take four and make clean job of it. Pipe away the crews at once and I'll work her in and help you with the long eighteens."
 With a rattle of ropes and a creaking of blocks the four boats splasbed into the water. Their crews clustered thickly into them, barefooted sailors, stolid marines, laughing middies, and in the sheets of each the senior officers with their stern schoolmaster faces. The captain, his elbows on the binna- cle, still watched the distant brig. Her crew were tricing up the boarding net ting, dragging round the starboard guns, knocking new portholes for them, and making every other preparation for desperate resistance. In the thick of it all a huge man. bearded to the eyes, with a red nightcap upon his | head, was straining and stooping and hauling. The captain watched him with a sour smile and then, snapping up his glass, he turned upon his heel. For an instant he stood staring.
 Gall back the boatsr' be cried, in his thin, creaking voice. Clear away for action there! Cast loose those main deck guns. Brace back the yards, MT. Smeaton, and stand by to go about when she has weigh enough"
 Round the curve of the estuary was coming a huge vessel The great vel low bowsprit and white winged figure head were jutting out from the cluster of palm trees, while high above them | lowered three immense masts with the tri-color flag floating superbly from the mizzen. Round she came, the deep blue water creaming under her fore foot, until her long, curving black side, her line of shining copper breath and of snow-white hammocks above. and the thick clusters of men who peered over her bulwarks, were all in full view. Her lower yards were slung, her ports triced up and her guns run out all ready for action. Lying behind one of the promontories of the island the lookout men of the Gloire upon the shore had seen the cul-Ge-sac into which the British frIgate had headed, so that Capt. de Milon had served the Leda as Capt Johnson had the Slap ping Sal.
 But the splendid discipline of the British service was at it's best in such a crisis. The boats flew back, their crews clustered aboard, they were swung up at the davits, and the fall ropes made fast. Hammocks were brought up and slowed, bulkheads sent down, ports and magazines opened, the fires put out in the galley and the drums beat to quarters. Swarms of men set the headsails and brought the frigate round, while the gun crews threw off their jackets and shirts, frightened their belts and ran out their eighteen-pounders, peering through the | open portholcs at the stately French man. The wind was very light. Hard