San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-02-14

people. the little brig forward was load
ed with 10 men. Thus crowded and all
hands showing she was doubtless eyed
with anxiety by the contending vessels
as something dangerous coming to the
assistance of one or the other of them.
Boldock stood ON till he could see the
fash Of the water as the black balls
SKINNED the surface. Mr.. Matthews
came on deck and was presently follow
ed by Miss Mansel.
"What is it?" cried the young lady.
"a fight between Mexican man-of
war and a smuggler, no doubt YAM
kee, but can't swear" answered Boil
dock.
Undoubtedly Yankee, SIR" said
Matthews, looking through the glass.
-Four guns Of side," he went on
with some spirit animating his usually
slow manner and casting a little red
upon his yellow face, "and the Mex
lean has five and two large swivels ON
her quarters, and she seems to be full
of men,.
"'Those two vessels" said the COM
mander, must have been hammering
at each other when the fog thickened
down and hid them. 1t has only just
lifted, and it can't be supposed that
both vessels could have been instantly
prepared for action. The brig is we'll
handled. Look! Ha, hap
AS he spoke and laughed, crash! down
came the mizzen topmast of the bark,
and with it her colors, rushing like
stream of light with the fall of the gait.
"Well aimedl" roared the command
er, clapping his hands. go it, little
un! l hate those Spaniards. When an
army Of Spaniards ran away, they left
the field of battle covered with guitars.
That was two centuries ago. See how
cleverly the brig tufts upon the bows of
the bark to rake her with her popguns. "
''The don's seizing his flag i'll the
mizzen rigging" said Mr.. Hardy, with
his eye at the glass
With the naked sight it was easy to
see little figure ascend short height
Of rigging and make fast a flag. 1t
blew out more like distress signal than
the arrogant earnest of triumph it was
intended to be. The vessels were about
ree-quarters of a mile off, and Boil
dock halted his brig with her topsails to
the mast to view that little picture of
passionate warfare. Little it was and
beautiful, and memorable as midocean
sea fight, because of the toylike looks
the distance and the mighty breast OIL
which they were contepding gave the
combatants.
The vessels continued to fire at each
other some time without any visible re-
suit. Their sails swelled, their glossy
sides blazed, they Unanswered round
and round each other, trimming their
canvas with gallant dexterity as they
shifted their helm for the new strategy.
Their guns somewhat becalmed the air
Of the waters about them, and the re-
fected light in their canvas was dashed
with the red flashes of their spouting
artillery. The bark's broadsides were
clearly very wildly aimed. The briggs,
on the other hand, were repeatedly seen
to take effect. The white chips flew out
of the barks black side. A good deal
Of cut rigging hung loose about her,
like the pulled hair of a woman in
back alley scrimmage. Presently down
fell her main topsail with rush to the
cap, with such tug at the topgallant
sheets that the lighter yard and sail
above came down with it.
"Hurrahn' shouted the commander,
clapping his hands as though he was at
theater, some whiskered faces on the
forecastle looking aft at him and grin
ming with all their might at his demon
strative enjoyment "Topsail halyards
shot awayl What's he going to do now?
Almost had enough of it, d? Flash,
bangl Go 1t, little un He'll be YAM
kee. He's bound to be Yankee. Who
but the Yankee has the spirit Of old
Bull? Oh, ] do hate the Yankees for
beating US at sea, but honor 'em for
their pluck, have the deepest respect
for them as sailors, and l love them as
the people who are designed by Provi
dence to show humanity the road.
His lamenting voice had scarcely
ceased when the bark was seen to square
her foreyards and to drift slowly away
before the wind from her little rakish
opponent, whose canvas fiuttered as
though she meant to follow, then to the
conquering note of single gun, fired in
seeming scorn at the mangled bark, the
American colors rose slowly to the try
sail gait end and then blew out. The
brig, her white breasts of canvas pant
ing as she family courtesied, came
rounding with lifting jibs and slightly
leaning heights toward the Wellesley.
Keep your topsail abackl" cried
Commander Boldoct, almost apoplectic
with excitement. "Hoist the ensign,
Mr.. Hardy"
"He might be willing to relieve you
of my men, sir, said Mr.. Matthews
NO." said the commander. we'll
keep them till we find if the Queens at
Halloran island. Shan't you want men
for her?''
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