The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-11-11
THE SHAPING SAL.
A Story Of the Seas Of Long
Ago.

IL was IN the Gays WUeu France
power was already broken upon the
seas, and when more of her three-deck-
ers lay rotting in the Midway than
were to be found in Brest harbor. But
her frigates and corvettes still secured
the ocean, closely followed ever by
those of her rival At the uttermost
ends of the earth these dainty vessels,
with sweet names of girls or of flowers,
mangled and shattered each other for
the honor of the four yards of bunting
that tapped from the gaffs.
1t had blown hard in the night, but
the wind had dropped with the dawn
ing, and now the rising sun tinted the
into the west, and glinted on the end
less crests of the long green waves. To
north and south and west lay skyline
which was unbroken save by the spout
of foam when two of the great Atlantic
seas dashed each other into spray. To
the east was rocky island jutting out
into craggy points, with few scat
tered clumps of palm trees and pen
nant of mist streaming out from the
bare conical hill which capped it. A
heavy surf beat upon the shore, and at
a safe distance from it the British thir-
ty-two gun frigate Leda, Capt. A. P.
johnson, raised her black. glistening
side upon the crest of wave, or
swooped down into an emerald valley,
dipping away to the nor ard under easy
sail. On her snow-white qua rter deck
stood stiff little brown-faced man,
who swept the horizon with his glass
"Mr. Wharton" he cried, with a
voice like rusty hinge.
A thin, knock-kn eed officer shambled
across the poop to him.
Eyes. sir"
Eve opened the sealed orders. Mr..
Wharton"
A glimmer of curiosity shone upon
the meager features Of the first lieuten-
ant. The Leda had sailed with her
consort, the Dido, from Antigua, the
week before. and the admiral's orders
had been contained in a sealed enve-
lope.
1--WE were to open them on reaching
the deserted island of Sombriero, lying
in north latitute 10 degrees, Sc min
utes, west longitude 63 degrees, %
minutes. Sombriero bore four miles to
the northeast from our port bow when
the gale cleared, Mr.. Wharton"
The lieutenant bowed stiff1y. He and
the captain had been bosom friends
from childhood. They had gone to
school together, joined the navy to-
gether and married into each others
families. but as long as their feet were
on the poop the iron discipline of the
service struck all that was human out
of them and left only the superior and
the subordinate. Capt. Johnson took
blue paper from his pocket which
cracked as he unfolded it:
1.-The thirty-two gun frigates Leda and Dido
(Capts A. p. Johnson and James MunrOe) are
to cruise from the point at which these instruc-
lions are read TO the mouth of the Caribbean
sea in the hope Of encountering the French frig-
ate La Gloire (4s), which has recently harassed
our merchant ships in that quarter. H. M
frigates are also directed to hunt down the p.
raticalcraft known sometimes as the Shaping
Sal and sometimes as the Hairy Hudson,
which has plundered the British ships as per
m2r9lQ, lUulCLlUR DaTDdTll6S upon tu0lI CT6Wh
She Is q small brig carrying ten light guns,
with ons twcnty-four-pound carronade for.
ward. She was last seen upon the 23d ultime
to the northeast Of the island Of Sombriero.
"(Signed). JAMES MONTGOMERY, 9,
Rear Admiral :
"H NJ. 8. Colossus, Antigua"
"We appear to have lost our consort. -
said Capt johnson, folding up his in
structions and again sweeping the
horizon with his glass. 'She drew
away after we reefed down. It would
be pity il we met this heavy French
man without the Dido, Mr.. Wharton
eh?"
The lieutenant twinkled and smiled.
''She has eighteen-pounders on the
main and twelves on the poop, sir"
said the captain. 'She carries four
hundred to our two hundred and thirty
one. Capt de Milon is tho smartest
man in the French service. Oh, Bobby
boy, I'd give my hopes of my flag to
rub my side up against her." he
turned on his heel, ashamed of his mo-
mentary lapse "Mr. Wharton" said
he. looking back sternly over his shout
der, get those square sails shaken out
aud bear away point more to the
west" ~
"A brig on the port bow. came .
voice from the forecastle.
"A brig on the port bow" said the
lieutenant
The captain sprsng up on the bull
warks and held on to the mizzen
shrouds, strange little figure with
flying skirts and puckered eyes. The
lean Lieutenant craued his neck and
whispered to Smeaton, the second,
while officers and men came popping
up from below and clustering along
the weather rail. shading their eyes
with their hands, for the tropical sun
was already clear Of the palm trees.
The strange brig lay at anchor in the
throat of a curving estuary. and it was
already obvious that she could not get
out without passing under the guns Of
the frigate. A long. rocky point to the
north of her held her in.
Keep her as she goes, Mr.. Wharton"
said the captain. Hardly worth while
clearing for action, Mr.. Smeaton, but
the men can stand by the guns in case
she tries to pass us. Cast loose the
bowchasers and send the small-arm men
on to the forecastle"
A British crew went to its quarters
in those days with tho quiet serenity
of men on their daily routine. In a
few minutes, without fuss or sound, the
sailors were knotted around their guns,
the marines were drawn up and lean
ing on their nuskets, and the frigste's
bowsprit pointed straight for her little
victim.
lis it Slapping Sal, sir9"
Il have no doubt OF it, Mr.. Whar.