The Coconino weekly sun., 1893-11-16


 had to come back into the wind to keep out of shoal water. The maneuver brought her on to the starboard side of the Frenchman, and the trim little frigate seemed to heel right over under the crashing broadside, which burst from the gaping ports. A moment later her topmen were swarming aloft to set her topsails and royals and she strove to cross the Gloires bows and rake her again. The French captain, however, brought his frigate's head round, and the two rode side by side within easy pistol shot, pouring broad sides into each other in one of those murderous duels which, could they all be recorded, would mottle our charts, with blood ...g
 In that heavy tropical air with so faint breeze, the smoke formeda thick bank round the two vessels, from which the topmasts only protruded. Neither could see anything of the enc my save the throbs of fire in the dark ness, and the guns were sponged and trained and fired into dense wall of vapor. On the poop and the forecastle the marines, in two little red lines, were pouring in their volleys, but nei- ther they nor the seamen gunners could see what effect their fire was having. Nor indeed could they tell how far they were suffering them selves, for standing at gun one could but hazily see that upon the right and the left. But above the roar of the cannon came the sharper sound of the piping shot, the crashing of riven blanks and the occasional heavy thud as spar or block came hurtling on the deck. The lieutenants paced up and down behind the line of guns, while Capt. Johnson famed the smoke away with his cooked hat and peered eagerly out
 'This is rare, Bobby" said he, as the lieutenant joined him. Then sud denly restraining himself: "What have we lost, Mir. WhartonT ,..
 Our maintopsail yard and our gaff, sir" =.
 "Where's the iag?"
 ''Gone overheard, sir.''
 They'll think we have struck. Lash oooe o ShoiSh oh eiiS oeai Douie ni 'Ai of the mizzen cross jack yard"
 "Yes, sir"
 A round shot dashed the pinnacle to pieces between them. A second knocked two marines into a bloody, palpitating mass. For moment the smoke rose and the English captain saw that his adversary's heavier metal was pro- ducing horrible effect. The Leda was a shattered wreck. Her deck was strewn with corpses. Several of her portholes were knocked into one, and one of her eighteen-pounder guns had been thrown right back on her breech and pointed straight up to the sky. The thin line of marines still loaded and fired, but half the guns were silent and their crews were piled thick ly round them.
 Stand by to repel boarders!' yelled the captain
 ."Cutlasses, lads! cutlasses,%' roared Wharton.
 Hold your volley till they touch!' cried the captain of marines .. The huge loom of the Frenchman pas seen bursting through the smoke. | Thick clusters of boardcrs, hung upon her sides and shrouds. A final broad side leaped from her ports, and the mainmast of the Leda snapping short off few feet above deck spun into the air and crashed down upon the port guns, killing ten men and putting the whole battery out of action. An in. stant later the two ships scraped to- gether and the starboard bower an chor of the Gloire caught the mizzen chain of the Leda upon the port side With a yell the black swarm of board CTS steadied themselves for a spring. But their feet were never to reach that blood-stained deck. From some where there came a well-aimed whiff of grape, and another, and another. The English marines and seamen, waiting with cutlass and musket behind the si- lent guns, saw with engagement the dark masses thinning and shredding away. At the same time the port boarders of the Frenchman burst into a roar. ..a. ...H
 Clear away the wreck" roared the | captain. What the devil are they fir- ing at2"
 ''Get the guns clear!" panted the lieutenant. "Well do them yet, boysr'
 "They're running They're running! They're running"
 And it was true. The Frenchman had ceased to fire, and was intent only upon clapping on every sail that she could carry. .r.-a But that shouting hundred could not claim it all as their own. As the smoke cleared it was not difficult to see the reason. The ships had gained the mouth of the estuary during the fight, and there about four miles out to sea was the Leda's consort bearing down under full sail to the sound of the guns. Capt. de Milon had done his part for one day and presently the Gloire was drawing off swiftly to the north, while the Dido was bowling along at her skirts rattling away with her bow chasers, until a headland hid them from view. ,...
 The Leda lay sorely stricken with her mainmast gone, her bulwarlks shattered, her mizzenmast and gaff I