Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-12-18

meant for us, my heart! Down,hellum
Slacken away fore and aftl Pipe all
hands for action!
A second gun roared upon the lawn
that stoned from the .tailor's house, and
almost as loudwas the shout that West
lake delivered to all hands to look alive
and bring the guns to bear. The Tom
Bowling YVES throwntinto the wind and
brought to stand abreast OF Labnr' $
Retreat. Plum took turn with the
helm and went to help'at the guns, and
in few minutes the three OF q crew,
with Westlake continuously bawhng
inf orders to bear q hand and load
again, were actively engaged in firing
blank at the enemy on the lawn.
1t might have been that MI. Sloper
and his friends were little tipsy. 1t
might have been that they were l1ri-
tated by their fen de joie being'lnterrupt-
ed and complicated, SO to speak, oy
the cutters artillery. It is certain that
thew continued to load and discharge
their guns as fast as they could sponge
them out, while from the river tho cut
ter maintained o rapid fire at Lahor's
Retreat. In an evil moment, temper
getting the better Of Sloper's judgment,
he loaded one of his pieces with stones,
and the gun was SO we'll aimed that on
Joe Westlake looking aloft he beheld his
beautiful flag of a fathom and a half in
holes.
For some moments the old~man-of
wars man stood staring up at his wound
ed flag, idle with wrath and astonish-
ment, He then in voice of thunder
shouted: opium - Robbins - Tuck!
DYE see what that there fired little tail
or's been and done? Why, junk me, if
he ha'n't shot our color through Boys,
load with ball. Dye hear? Suffocate
me, but he shall have it back. Q1ick,
my hearts, and go for him!'
With ocean alacrity some roundfshot
were got up. gun was fired point
blank at Labor's Retreat and down
came a chimney stack, amid the cheers
of the crew of the Tom Bowling.
"Now, then, A." reared old Joe. 'tover
with our boat, lads, and board 'em!
Tommy, stay you here and let go the
anchor" and in q very few minutes
Plum and Robbins were pulling Joe
Westlake ashore.
Sloper and his party saw them COM
ing and manfully stood their ground
The three seamen, securing the boat,
forced their way on to the lawn and
marched up to the tailor and'his friends.
"What do you mean by firing at my
cutter?" roared old Joe.
"What do you mean by knocking
down my chimneys?" cried the tailor,
who was exceedingly pale.
"Who began it?' bawled Joe. "Who
fired first? Who's bin and made holes in
that there flag Of mine! Why, that's
the flag of British sailor, you little
withered thimble, you, and durn you, if
you don't make me instantly a humble
apology and stump up with the cost OF
what you've injured, I'll skin you'll"
And he threw himself into very men,
acing posture. =.
At this point one of the tailor's
friends skunk of:
my chimney stack is worth more
thar your twdp thefiag," shrieked Slo-
per, hsaddened 10 some Temporal
ry emotion Of Soraik by the insults Of
the old man-of -Mar.: e man.
"Say that agains will your" said Joe.
"Just Speer at that there flag again,
will yon?'
The tailor was idiotic enough to re-
peat the affront, on which, and as
though q perfect understanding as to
what was to be done subsisted among
the three sailors, old Joe, Plum and
Robins fell upon Sloper, and lifting
him up in their arms ran with him to
the boat, into which they flung him,
paying not the least heed whatever to
his cries for help and for mercy, and
instantly headed for the cutter, leaving
the tailor's friends white as milk and
speeches. with alarm near the cannon
upon the lawn.
When the boat reached the cutter,
Plum jumped aboard and received little
Sloper from the hands of old Joe. max
ing no more of the burden than had the
tailor been q parcel, say, Of a coat and
waistcoat or a pair of trousers. Old Joe
then actively got over the rail. He lift
ed the little main hatch, and Mr.. Sloper
was dropped into the space below, where
the darkness was SO great that he could
not see, and where there was nothing
to sit upon but Thames ballast.
elm boat! Up anchor, and away with
u.s." said Joe Westlakc.
The breeze was fresh, the cutter was
always an excellent sailer, and in a very
short space of time she was running
down Long reach with Firth and its adj
jacent shores out Of sight past the round
of land where hartford creek is to be
found. Joe Westlake then called a
council. Robins was at the tiller. Plum
and Tuck came aft and the four debated
ut the helm.
Eve heerd," said old Joe, "of this
tailor afore His.name's Sloper. I've
never larned why he mounted them
guns or where the little roofing hog
got his pluck from to fire 'em. But
there can be no shadder of a doubt,