The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1895-03-23
THE LONE CORVETTE.

THE LONE CORVETTE.
poor Ted, poor Ted! I'd give my
commission to see him again."
Capt Richard Debney, Of the British
Navy, commander of the man-of-war
Cormorant, was entertaining some
friends in the harbor Of San Francisco,
and the talk turned upon Tied" Deb
ney,, his brother who had resigned
from the navy several years before
because he had ohivalrously prevented
a French cruiser from boring holes in
a wretched opium smuggling craft.
Tied" was impulsive, brave, daring
and loved alike by his superiors and
his men. s,r,&
Have you ever got on the track Of
red?"
"Opce I thought I had at Singapore,
but nothing came of 1t. No doubt he
changed his name. He never asked
for, nor got the legacy which my poor
father left him.
- =
: An hour later they were aboard the
Cormcrant dining with number of
men asked to come and say good-by to
Mostyl, who was starting for England
the second day following, after pleas
ant cruise and visit with :Dehney:
-: Meanwhile, from faE:.beyond that
yellow lane Of light running out from
Golden Gate there came':a vessel, sail
ing straight for harbG.: She, was a:
large old-fashioned cruiser; carrying
guns, and when she passed another ves-.
sci she hoisted \ the British ensign.
She looked Ike a. hall f-obsoIeta corvette,
spruced up, made modern by every
possible device, and all her appoint
ments were shapely and in order. She
was clearly British man-of-war, as
shown in her trim dressed sailors, her
good handful Of marines; but her Sec.
ond and third ieutenants seemed little
like Englishmen, and indeed one was
an American, and one was a Holland
er. There was gun drill, and cutlass
drill every day, and, what was also
singular, there. was boat drill twice a
day, SO that the crew of this man-of-
war, as they saw Golden Gate ahead
Of them, were perhaps more expert at
boat drill than any that sailed. They
could lower and raise a boat, with a
wonderful. experiences in a bad sea,
and they rowed with clock-like preci-
sion and machine like force.
Their general discipline did credit to
the British Navy. But they were not
given to understand that by their COM
mander, Capt. Shewel, who had an eye
like spot Of steel and a tongue like
aloes or honey as the mood was on
him.
This was most noticeable when he
was shut away from the others in his
cabin. Then his whole body seemed
to change. The eye became softer,
and yet full of a sort Of genial deviltry,
the body had careless alertness and
elasticity the whole man had the ath-
1etic grace of wild animal, and his
face had hearty sort of humor which
the slightly lifting lip n it's bizarre dis
dain could not greatly modify. He GER
tainly- seemed well pleased with him
self, and more than once as he sat
alone, he laughed outright, and once
he, said aloud, as his fingers ran up
and down a schedule-not a man-O'-
wars schedule laughing softly.
Poor old Farquhar, il he could sec
me now! Then to himself -"Well. as
[ told him, was violently tossed like
ball into the large country; and I've
had lot Of adventure and sport: But
here's something more- the biggest
game ever played between nations by
a private persOn-with half million
dollars as the end thereof, if all goes
well with my lone corvette!' :E'>
The next evening just before dusk,
3'after ha wing idled about out of sight
!: Of the signal station nearly all day,
& e'apt. sShewel entered the Golden Gate
with the Hornet Of no squadron. But
the, officers at the signal station did not
!. kn, W that, and simply telegraphed to
the harbor in reply to the signals from
the corvette that a British man-of- Var
was arriving. She came leisnrely up
Il the bay, with Capt. SheWell on the
bridge. He gave a low whistle as he
saw the Cormorant in tile, distance.
Il He knew the harbar well land he saw
that the Cormorant had gone to a new
anchorage, not the same as British
mem war took formerly. He drew
away. to the Old anchorag ge---he need
not. be supposed to know .thatsa change
!. .sxas expected; .besid des land this was i'm
s Iertant to Capt. SleWell.) the old an.
chorage was .noarar the docks, and it
was clear. saye for one little life-boat
and d schooner which was making ollt
as he came up. 4
8 she came near to anchor the Cor
1l,crant saluted her, and she replied
4 Instantly Custom officers who were 'es't
& watching the craft from the shore ol
4 from their boats gave up hope Of az an!
& excitement lan they saw and heilrc
thA saiutes But two Went: out to tlit
Hornet, were received gracionsly b,
ola