Connecticut western news., 1896-02-06

tn6 compartments, pSrnapS uOC altogether undeserved, he paid my resource.
 With his help wound 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 rigged up an internal machine of his own devising.
 "We 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 I answered. Only spears and knives. Then it ought to be all right he murmured, 'bst how about the ships?' Let's settle the niggers first, I replied Sufficient for the day are the ructions thereof.
 "With these remarks he left me, and I sat in my powder magazine awaiting events. The hours crept by very slowly. tingled with excitement, for I knew the next hour would determine our fate. At length in the pitchy darkuess the drummer boy, with his only eye glow ing in the blackness like carbuncle, whispered softly, Captain, they re com ing!' Still waited.
 "Then in the deathlike stiffness yell broke on the startled air. I knew the crucial moment had come, and I-I pressed button. There was a whirring sound. Then all was quiet again until cheer from my men rang out and knew that all was we'll Seizing my club I hurried out into the darkness. Every thing was as dark as-as the war office and the fort was deserted.
 "Just~ outside the gate I stumbled across body. I turned it over with my foot. It was a nigger in full warpaint and unarmed. Then 1 knew that my plan had succeeded. ,Hurrying forward, whither a dull thud, varied by an ocoa- sional groan, guided me, found my gallant Bombardiers clubbing for dear life-for the bayonets and barrels of their muskets had been removed by my orders-among a scurrying crowd of savages. .s.- "Well, sir, we banged and banged until we could no longer raise our arms As day broke l ordered the drummer to beat to quart CTS. He was nowhere to be found. Shouting to my men, bade 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 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 maga- zine had turned all my cannons into electro magnets of 40 horsepower. Con- sequently as soon as the enemy were within range 1 turned on the current. Every steel weapon in the hands of the niggers simply whirled out of their grasp and stuck like horse leeches to my magnets.
 ''The absence of the drummer boy was soon explained. As, against my dis tinct orders, he had been wearing 8 hanger when turned the current on, he flew against the nearest gun and stuck there as c. O. does to a decoration. It took six men to haul him off.
 "Then, in the joy of victory, sud den dread came upon me. How about 1 the three men -of-war? The foreign power ought to have landed its myrmi- I dons by this time. Scourged by my ap- l prehensions, hurried to the seaward | battlements of the fort. There, in the l gray dawn, strange sight met my eyes. 1 Mailed to the cruel rocks to the west | ward of Dami lay those three men-of I war, hopeless wrecks, buffeted by the waves against the grinding crags. What l had happened was simple enough. l Damme, sir, it flashed across me in an 1 instant. The force of my seaward mag ] nets had been such that 1t had derapged l the compasses of these vessels. Follow I ing their distorted guidance, they had I run ashore on the reef westward of the I fort
 l "Even as I watched I saw boat push 1 off from the wrecked flagship. At once I I donned the graceful uniform of my I regiment, the Munchausen's Own, as l the service fondly termed it,zand drew up my gallant 93 in platoons to await our vanquished foe. A tall officer, of gallant bearing, his dripping uniform decorated with star, stepped ashore. Field marshal, said he, lowing to me with grace that left me no doubt that was standing in the presence of a prince of blood royal, l have the honor to surrender to you my swordP
 "'Not field marshal, answered, &C., cepting the sword as I marked the dia- monds flashing in its hilt, only a cap tain of her majesty's loyal regiment of l Munchausen's Own.' 'Ah,' said his highness, turning to his followers, what chance have we against nation where such men are only captains?' Rowing low, he followed me, my prisoner, into the fort.
 "That, sir, is the true history of the defense of Damli. The end is plain
 After DIy victory they sent general from home, who reaped its fruits, who was rewarded by grateful country by sticking every condemned letter of the alphabet after his blighted name. But the nation has yet to learn to whose re- source they owe the victory of Damli.
 You were pleased to observe, sir? Eh,
 sir? What, sir? Your obedient servant,
 sir. Waiter, two of the same, with 8
 slice of lemon. ''-New Budget
 Her Best Endeavors.
 "I may not be able to make my childrer
 behave as they should, said the sorely
 tried mother of the large family, "but
 am going to do my prettiestp'
 And she laid the young dude. of tb'
 household across her knee and did hiir
 with slipper, good and hard.-Chicag'
 Tribune.
 The Southern Aurora
 On Feb. 1, in latitude 66 degrees
 longitude 172 degrees 31 minutes, w
 ran into open water again, having thi
 time spent only six days in the ice pack On the 17th the aurora appeared, stron t ger than I ever saw it in the north. 1 rose from the southwest. stretching |