The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1893-11-17

uart across behind the big Frenchm.r
ana 70 rake her with every gun as he
passed But onoe past her the I,sd.
"au 70 come back into the wind TO keeu
OUT OF shoal water. The mansuve-
Drought her on 10 the starboard side ~
sne r~renchman. and the trim little
ir'Sate SCENE to heel right over under
sne crashing broadside, which burst
from the gaping ports. A mom~nt
iater her topmen were swarming aloft
70 set " topsails and royals and She
strove ~ cross the Gloire's bows and
rake her again. The French c~aptain
however. brought his frigate's head
round, and the two rode side bv aid
WITHIN easy pistol shot, pouring broad.
sides into each other in one Of those
murderous duels which. could thew all
De recorded, would mottle our charts
with blood.
IN that heavy tropical air with 40
iaint a breeze the smoke formed a thick
oank round the two vessels, from
which the topmasts only protruded.
Neither could see anything of the ne.
ny save the throbs Of fire il the dark
ness and the guns were spongcd and
trained and fired into a 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 seamcn runners
could see what effect their fire was
having. Nor indeed could they tell
now far they Were suffering them
selves, for standing at a gun one could
u 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
pianks and the occasional heavy thud
as spar or block came hurting on the
deck. The lieutenants paced no and
down behind the line of guns. while
capt. Johnson famed the smoke awav
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
lost, Mr.. Wharton?"
Our maintopsail yard and our gan.
where's the flag?"
Zone overheard, SIR"
They'll think we have struck. Lasl.
a boats ensign on the starboard arm
81 the mizzcn cross jack yard"
"Yes. sir"
A round shot dashed the pinnacle To
pieces between them. A second knocked
-wo marines into a bloody, palpitating
For a moment the smoke rose
the English captain saw that his
idversary's heavier metal was pro.
a horrible effect The Leda was
shattered wreck. Her deck was
'trewn with corpses. Several OF her
'ortholes Were knocked into one and
me OF her contemporaries guns had
'een thrown right back on her breech
md pointed straight up TO the sky.
The thin line Of marines still loaded
nd fired. but half the guns were silent
nd their crews were piled thickly
them.
"Stand by to repel ~boarders!" yelled
he captain
"Cutlasses, lads! cutlasses.' roared
Wharton.
Hold your volley till they touchm
rled the captain OF marines.
The huge loom of the Frenchman was
cen bursting through the smoke.
'hick clusters Of boardcrs hung upon
err sides and shrouds. A final broad
de leaped from her ports. and the
lainmast Of the Leda swapping short
4 a few feet above deck spun into
he air and crashed down upon the port
ans, killing ten men and putting the
hole battery out Of action. An in. J
ant later the two ships scraped to-
Their and the starboard bower an {
Tor OF the Gloire caught the mizzcn :
'ain OF the Leda upon the port side. /.
18th a yell the black swarm of board. !
$ steadied themselves for a spring. :
But their feet were never to reach =
at blood-stained deck. From some ;
here there came n well-aimed Whit Of y
and another, and another. The .
lglish marines and seamen. waiting .
lth cutlass and musket behind the ST. y
nj guns, saw with amazement the
rk masses thinning and %shredding q
way. At the same time the port .
arders of the F~rcnchman burst intoa u
ar. n
away the wreck" roared the o
plain. "What the devil are they fir. Il
at?" p
the guns clear.' painted the Ii
.utenant. ''We'll do them yet, boys!' Il
They're running! They're running! o.
running" RI
and it was true. The Frenchman d.
q ceased TO fire, and was intent only le
on clapping on every sail that she "
lid carry. "
But that shouting hundred could not
i'm it all rs their own. As thc smoke
it was not difficult to see the
son. The ships had gained the \
nth Of the estuary during the fight, q,
| there about four miles out to sea III
S the Leda's consort bearing down M
Ter full sail TO the sound of the guns. ii,
,t. de Milon had done his part for GU
day and presently the Gloire was m
wing off swiftly to the north, while I'll
Dido was bowling along at her pe
rts rafting away with her bow th
lscrs. until a headland hid them th
view. m
he Leda lay sorely stricken with co
mainmast gone, her bulwarks le,
her m~izzenmast and gaff m
( AWAY. her sails like n GOA II.