Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-08-24


of-war's men. A dozen of them rolled
upon the decks in sudden helplessness.
With answering yells the Russian
boarders broke across the dashed ham,
mocks and swarmed upon the British
deck.
Then ensued scrimmage grim and
great. Jones, erstwhile coward, now
ramped the bloody planks a very lion
of war. Whirling n capstan bar, be
advanced upon the attacking party and
with single blow smote upon the
lieutenants head. cracking 1t like an
eggshell. Still brandishing his weap-
on, he sprang in among the following
bluejackets, dealing death and destruc-
ton, while hot upon his track followed
Barr and Desmond. With muskets
dubbed and eyes and knives agleam
the crew flung themselves into the
fray.
Over the huddle of wrestling, smit-
ing, swearing sailors the powder smoke
hung like a fog, and out of it came
cries and thud of fist and club and the
crate of raspng bulwarks as the ships
tore atftheir fixed grapncls like living
foes. The combatants lost themselves
in very mist of passion and lighting
lust.
Half the Russians were upon the
British decks. A score of British held
the Russian fOrecastle. Jones and Des-
mond, unknowingly raging forward in
to the bows of the man-of-war, found
themselves hewing clear space round
the Russian gun. Barr, with half a
dozen English tars, held his own
deckhouse from a score OF Muscovites.
Across the gray haze Of smoke mus
ket flash showed redly here and there.
Desmond, falling. gripped unseeingly
at the lanyard of the carronade, whose
gunner had been found by chance
| bullet ere he could fire her after re-
loading. With resoundng crash the
charge roared into the bulwarks before
her muzzle. With sudden inspiration
| he seized the lever and started the car
rage at run down the decks. Gather
ing impetus with the heave of the ship
the gun smote upon the shattered
planking and leaped into the sea. A
| yell of delight rang out from the Brit
ish crew as they saw the drawing Of
their enemy's single tooth.
From the yachts hatchway answer
ed another echoing shout. out of the
companion sprang Pladja, the Finn,
bearded, wild eyed, wondering upon
the sudden turmoil. For one moment
he stared in amaze. Then, as the IA
milar hated uniform caught his eye,
with a snarl as of a wolf a-hunt he
hurled himself into the fight, roaring,
hewing, stabbing, like one possessed.
! The white faced Russians fell before
! him like leaves in an autumn gust.
A crash from the far side proclaimed
the gunboat attacked starboard as well
as port. With a cheer the Yankees
sprang down upon her decks and link
! cd forces with the British. Silently,
unseen, they had towed their disabled
! hulk to the rescue and now swept the
Muscovites before them in irresistible
Lacquer with their comrades of the
yacht. Another two minutes hurry
burly. wherein the snap Of pistols and
/ the thudding of clubs contended cease
| lessly, and the cowed sailors Of the
! czar were driven pellmell down the
| hatchways in tumbled heaps and bat
tened down. Then, with shouts of VIC
| tory, the yellow flag whereon sat the
double headed eagle was hauled, down
and cast into the sea. Vigorous We're
the shakings of each Yankee hand and
/ hearty the slaps upon each British
back. Upon the quarter deck the two
commanders met and strove to make
| themselves heard above the gratula-
tory din.
Thanks, mister. a hundred times"
said the merchant skipper soberly.
"But the Lord-he Only knows what
to make of this"
Make of it," shouted Desmond, the
unstanched blood flowing down his
face. "Why, tow her back to Eng
land. the first prize of the war"
Mercy me-" replied the other sadly.
"You're young indeed, mister, or you
wouldn't frame the words. This is
piracy of sorts, this is. We're tilibus-
war. don't you know
| "Dang the COMMISSIONS! quotn les
mond. Lets chance it,
There again, mister, you show your
youth. There might be some chance
for you If you've declared war, and
that you can't tell yet. But there
amt a morsel for me and mine Pr
racy on the high seas, 1t is, and no err
ror BY all that's reasonable, let her
go her evil way and pray to be forgot
ten and forgiven. Two good men have
| / lost over this most misfortunate af-
/ fair. and you've been let blood, too,
as your ash decks show only too plain
ly. Chuck their arms into the sea and
send them back to Cronstadt and the
devil"
Desmond looked half convinced and
unhappy. "Well, skipper" he said I'M
willingly. 81 suppose you know your
business best. But how in the name
of all that's extraordinary did you
come to Ike carrying contraband in
these seas? Is the Turkish fleet COM