The National tribune., 1898-02-03

The writer was the Executive Officer of
the Signal ut this time. On this particular
morning the Quarternaster had called me
about o'clock t. report that two men were
signalling from the othe: shore. Stepping
into my slippers and some scant attire, L had
gone on deck, and through the binocular seen
two men standing under the thick foliage
waving a ragged shirt attached to the bushy
limb of q tree.
The Officer Of the Deck had agreed with
me that this incident had the premonitory
symptoms OF an ambush, and very likely con-
templated the violent relieving of some Of
our sailor boys of their appetites for break
fast
Quickly concluding to solve the riddle first
and breakfast afterwards, the necessary conf
mands had rung through the ship.
The first cutter had dropped around the
stern of the ship. and with measured oar
strokes pulled for the hither shore, and then
had come: 'A-al-l hands to quarters.
Man the port battery! Cast loose and pro-
vide Prime. Aim! Captains of guns,
train your guns over our boats crew, and
fire at any enemy in sight without further
orders"
The cutter had reached the bank. taken off
the two men. and returned to the ship. They
had proved to be soldiers from Steele's COM
mand escaped from Camp Ford Prison 40
days before since which time they had sub
sisted on condodgers from negro cabins, and
corn-in- the-ear stolen from planters cribs.
They had lain concealed ut this point three
days until our arrival They had learned
from negroes that a very important crossing
of rebel officers was only awaiting our de-
parture, but as the sequel shows our friends
had been misled as to the direction of the
crossing.
had presented to the Captain a plan for
the especial entertainment and capture OF our
friends, the enemy, which he commissioned
me to execute.
That evening, just as the shadows of the
willows darkened the water, the first cutter
had dropped noiselessly into the water, the oc-
cupants armed cap pie, under command of
Ensign Loan Seeking the shadow of the
willows, she had passed down along its front,
across the lagoon to the sand-spit just below
it, where, the boat being hauled up, a watch
had been set, directed to keep sharp look
out for anything approaching from the other
bank, F." and the men had been permitted to
lie down on the warm sand and 90 to sleep,
as their services were not expected to be
needed before midnight
Then, with much unnecessary noise, I'M
sailor-like shouting of orders, and the densest
of black smoke curling heavenward, the
Signal had gotten under way, stood down the
river, and rounding bend six miles below,
come TO anchor.
1t had become pitch dark our ship had
scarcely settled down in her berth when the
firing referred to saluted our ears.
Our niger "-engine wound in the short
scope of chain in a jifiy. and coming ahead
tl,xat fr,v,r .hn,.
and .'catted - it as we sped up river
We soon deserted floating object APP
preaching, which, on hailing we found in
charge of our boats crew, and which proved
to be regular Southern ferry scow, Just wide
enough to run a team and wagon on. foot
and half deep, square ends, and enough
extra length for a pair of strong oars in the
| bow.
Mr.. Loans story was quickly told. The
b ats crew had scarcely settled them selves
after our departure, when before the aston
| ished gaze of the Waterman appeared the
| ferry, which had slipped out of the lagoon at
| their side, moving away from him into the
| darkness instead of towards him as'expected
Half the crew were already in dreamIand
Man the boat Wake up; man the
boat ~ cried he. ''Slip oars give way pull,
boys, pull; pull with Il will, I" soon had come
| the orders.
| But the ether fellows had also been doing
that during those precious seconds that seemed
| like hours. Our men had oyerhauled them
rapidly, however, and gotten close aboard,
when bang! had gone a gun from them. The
enemy had opened fire on them. Replying,
of course, had weakened our mems strength
at the oars. But the cutter was almost upon
them when whole tree, among many that
were floating on the rising tide, had inter-
posed between.