St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1896-02-28

pounGers to N.'view the situation. AS l
meditated ny eye fell on some coils OF
telegraph wire which Hudson of the
sur\ ay department had brought into the
fort before the outbreak Of the disturb
ance. to connect us with the capital. AS
my glance fell upon it a thought flashed
through my brain.
"Savedr / cried, leaping from the
annon The captains got 'em again, .
remarked that devils imp Of a drum
mer boy. Without needing this breach
Of discipline l sent for Hudson. In a
few words | whispered my idea to him.
He caught my idea at once. Captain
he cried, you are a genius, a marvel,
a. However, it is not for me to repeat
the compliments, perhaps not altogether
undeserved, he paid my resource.
with his help Iwound the telegraph
wire round two %cannons, connecting ev-
cry two guns with "a spool of wire. In
this way we connected eight guns on the
land side of the fort and six commanding
the bay. Then the wires from each gun
were taken into the powder magazine,
where Hudson had rugged up an Internal
machine of his own devising.
owe had hardly completed our work
when night fell. You are sure they
haven't any muskets?' Hudson said to
me before we separated for the night.
'Perfectly,' | answered. only spears
and knives Then it ought to be all
right he murmured, but how about
the ships?' Lets settle the niggers first, )
| replied. Sufficient for the day are the
ructions thereof.
"With these remarks he left me, and
| sat in my powder magazine awaiting
events. The hours crept by very slowly.
| tingled with excitement, for l knew
the next hour would determine our fate.
At length in the pitchy darkness the
drummer boy, with his only eye glow
ing in the blackness like a c%arbuncle,
whispered softly, Captain, they're com
ingl' Still l waited.
"Then in the deathlike stiffness a yell
broke on the startled air. knew the
crucial moment had come, and II
pressed q button. There was a whirring
sound. Then all was quiet again until a
cheer from my men rang out and knew
that all was we'll. Selling my club |
hurried out into the darkness. Every
thing was as dark as-as the wal office
and the fort was deserted.
"Just outside the gate / stumbled
across a body. | turned it over with my
foot. 1t was a niger in full warpaint
and unarmed. Then l knew that my
plan had succeeded. Hurrying forward,
whittier a dull thud, varied by an occa-
sional groan, guided me, | found my
gallant Bombardiers clubbing for dear
hfe-for the bayonets and barrels of
their muskets had been removed by my
Understanding a scurrying crowd of
savages.
"Well, sir, we banged and banged
until we could no longer raise u arms.
As day broke | ordered the drummer to
beat to quarters. He vas nowhere to be
found. Shouting to my men, | babe
them retire to the fort. Then the sun
rose, and what a sight met our eyes
Every cannon in the fort was studded
with spears and knives as thick as a
pudding is of plums, as close as a pin
cushion is of pins.
"What had happened will be obvious
to you, sir. By the telegraph wires and
an electric battery in the powder maya
zine | had turned all my cannons into
electro magnets of 40 horsepower. Con
seuuently as soon as the enemy were
within range | turned on the current.
Every steel weapon in the hands of the
niggers simply whirled out of theil
grasp and stuck like horse leeches to my
magnets.
1.-THE absence Of the drummer boy
was soon explained. AS, against my dis
tinct orders, he had been wearing ;
hanger when / turned the current on, h,
few against the nearest gun and stucl
there as q c. o. does to a decoration. l
took six men to haul him off.
"Then, in the joy of victory, a sud
den dread came upon me. How abou
the three men-of-war? The foreigl
power ought to have landed it's myrmi
dons by this time. Scourged by my ap
prehensions, l hurried to the seawar'
battlements of the fort. There, in TIL
gray dawn, a strange sight met my eyes
"Nailed to the cruel rocks to the west
ward of Damli lay those three men-of
war, hopeless wrecks, buffeted by tn
waves against the grinding crags. Wha
had happened was simple enough
Damme, sir, it flashed across me in a
instant. The force of my seaward mag
nets had been such that it had derange
the compasses of these vessels. Follow
ing their distorted guidance, they ha
run ashore Oh the reef westward of tn
fort.
Even as | watched l saw a boat pus
off from the wrecked flagship. At one
| donned the graceful uniform of IN
regiment, the Munchausen's Own, {
the service fondly termed it, and Dire
up my gallant 93 in platoons to ava
our vanquished foe. A tall officer, {
gallant bearing, his dripping uniforl
decorated with u star, stepped ashore.
"'Field marshal, said he, bowling
me with a grace that left me no doul
that l was standing in the presence of
prince Of blood royal, Il have the hon
to surrender to you my swordp
"'Not field marshal, | answered, a
cepting the sword as l marked the di
monds flashing in its hilt, only a ca
tain of her majesty's loyal regiment
Munchausen's Own 'Ah,' said h
} highness, turning to his followers, 'wh