St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1893-12-02

0VAo W. i
Ten times worse Every ill-couducted
disorderly fellow who had been MP thu
gangway once . week or %. every un
reclaimed lsndsman of bad character
and NO seamanship was sent ON boart
of us: and, in fact, except there wa,
scarcely any discipline and no restraint
We appeared like floating penitentiary
of convicted felonA
so long - we ran down the channel
with slack sea and . fair wind, "a
long all went on tolerably well; to b
sure they only kept watch when they
were tired below. when they came up,
reeled about the deck. did all Just a
they pleased, and treated me with no
manner of respect
''On the fourth day from the setting
In of the gale as we entered the bay OF
Biscay. some one aloft deserted astrange
sail to windward. bearing down Is II in
pursuit of uA Scarcely did tho news
reach the deck when, bad Is il was be-
fore. matters now became ten times
worse-every counsel that drunken.
ness. insanity and crime combined
could suggest being offered and de-
scsnted on.
Meanwhile the chase gained rapid
ly upon US. and before noon we discov.
cred her to be . French lctter-of.
marque with four gums and . long
brass swivel upon the poopdeck.
AS for US, every sheet of canvas we
could crowd was crammed on. but in
vain; and, Is we labored through the
heavy aea, our riotous crew grew every
moment worse, and sitting down sullkily
in groups upon the deck declared that,
come what might. they would neither
work the ship nor fight her; that they
had been sent to sea in . rotten craft
merely to effect their destruction, and
that they cared little for the disgrace
Of . flag they detested.
Half furious. my first impulse was to
rum among them with my drawn cut
lass and take heavy vengeance upon
the ringleaderk when suddenly
round shot went flying over our headA
"'Down with the ensign; strike 1t
once" cried eight or ten voices togeth-
er, rs the ball whizzed through the rig.
ging. Anticipating this, I had made
the mate, . stanch-hearted, resolute
fellow. make fast the signal halyard
aloft, 50 that it was impossible for any
ono on deck to lower the bunting.
Bang went another gum. and. be-
fore the smoke cleared away. q third,
which, 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
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 mp. and ranging his long gun TO
sweep our decks; his crew were quite
- about twenty bronz zed.
stout looking fellows. stripped to the
waist. and carrying pistols in broad.
Hat belts slung over the shoulder.
Come. my lads, said I. raising my
Voice, - / drew . pistol from my side
Ind cooked it. our time il short now; I
nay ~ we'll tell you that the drst shot
hat strikes NJ amidship blows up tho
whole craft and every man on board
We arc nothing less than . flreahtp,
destined for Brest hsrbor to blow up
the French Aeet. lfyou are willing t.
make an effort for your lives. follow
me-
The men looked aghast. Short %
vas the time for reflection. they felt
hat there were many circumstances to
'ncourage the assertion.
animated now with the desare for
attic. they sprang to the binnscle and
ei1ed their armA
I'm IN instant the deck became Z '
cone Of excited hustle, and scarcely !,
vas the ANN unition dealt out and the !,
'oarding party drawn up when the
broached-to and lashed hie |
'owsprit 70 our own.
Zone terrific yell burst from our fel-
ows - they sprang from the rigging |;
nd the poop upon the astonished |
who thought that the vic.
Dry was already their own; with death
nd ruin behind, their only hope b.
,re. they dashed forward like madmen
D the fray.
THE conflict was bloody and terrific.
houRh not . long one; nearly equal in
umber. but far superior In personsl
trength. and. stimulated BY their sense
danger, our fellows rushed forward,
lrrying al before them to the quar-
.r-deck.
my story IL soon told now. Wa
rought our prize safe into Malta,
hich we reached in 1--WE days. In lcss
ian . week our men were drafted into
on. I was appointed . warrant officer
! the Sheerwater. forty-Sour guns:
I'D, ~ the admiral opened the dis
ltch, the only words he spoke puzzled
. for many . day after.
:" 'You have accomplished your orders
ID well.' said he; that privateer II but
poor compensation for tho whole
rench navy
''Many years after I found out that
n dispatches were false ones, il.
nded 70 have-fallen into the hands Of
le French, and mislead them as to
ord Nelson's aeet, which 1t that time
n cruising to the southward to catch
em- This Of course explained what
te was destined for us-a French
'ison II not death; and, after AL.
ther was fully good enough for the
ew that sailed in the old Ar3k."-From
V Works Of Charles Lever.
Oueea y1eearan'a SaehH Uaelinan1