The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-06-05

Hes waiting. and that's right.
That's the way I'd fight her. Let her
come close in, and then dose her.
Have any of the men flunked?"
"Never a one, and Tom, father-Tom
is walking about and talking to them
and bidding them walt a little longer.
God have mercy, but what a crashl
And there's another man killed-and
there's one horribly wonderland the
brig is right up on our quarter and go
ing to lay us aboard"
Hush girl! oh, IL could only see!
1 hear the devils yelling--I smell the
smoke of their powder-I hear"
What he would have said was
drowned in the roar OF the broadside
delivered from the Golden Horn"
when the brig was only a hundred feet
away Tom Holly had waited for the
proper moment, with half his guns
loaded with canister and bags of
bullets. The brig was raked from stem
to stem by the fire, and, as a great
cry went up from her decks, the squall
came down, dark. as night, and with
the fury of mad beast. At the first
puff the pirate craft was dismasted
and left helpless wreck, while the
bark was thrown on her beam ends
and, but for the blowing away of most
OF her canvas, would have turned tur-
tie and gone to the bottom. She right
ed at last and went rushing away, but
within half an hour the last of the
squall had passed and new sails were
being bent. Just at sunset the bark
swept down upon the hulk which lay
heaving and tossing on the sea. Her
coming was greeted with yells of de-
fiance from the two score of pirates
who yet held her decks, and fire was
opened from three or four guns Then
the Coward Of Salem" did a thing
which has been recorded to his credit in
the histories of several nations. Seated
on the steps of the companiion- way,
with his daughter above him, Captain
Williams asked:
Are we bearing down on the pirates
Mollie?"
yes, father. They are firing at US
but their shots are wild. Hear them
scream and curse!"
Yes at the guns, and Tom Is going
to sweep her decks again. We are run
ming down to the windward of her
| Now the men are sighting the guns,
| Now the pirates are shaking their fists
and cursing us. Now"
The guns of the Golden Horn
belched forth their fire at point-blanB
range, and when she had passed the
| brig the number of pirates had been
reduced one-half.
rs Tom putting the bark about?'
asked the captain.
Yes, we are wearing ship, and the
guns are being loaded with solid shot,
replied the girl.
That's right-that's good! Tom
means to sink her and sweep the last
pirate off the sea-
Round came the bark on her heel
and as she passed the brig at a cable
| length she fired a broadsi1c of solid
shot which seemed to lift the hulk out
| of water.
Whats that wailing, Mollie?" asked
the blind captain.
IT'S from the pirates, father. The
hulk is shattered and sinking, and thera
are but few men left alive. Oh, God!
Oh, God!'
What is it-quick!"
shes rolling, father-she's rolling
and smashing about-she's going dowr
And Tom has whipped her in fail
fight, and destroyed a gang of devils
Girl are you there?"
yves, father"
Lead me to my chair Now ask Tom
Holly to come down."
A minute later the mate stood befor,
him, look of triumph in his eyes ant
exultation in his heart.
Mollie Now, let the past be past, anC
may God bless and keep you both"
And six weeks later, when the Gold
en- Horn" returned to port, men, wo
men and children gathered to chez
her and her captain and crew, and t
cheer again and again, and to pusl
and jostle each other for the privileg
of being the first to touch the hand o
| "The Coward Of Salem -