The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1899-08-26
CHAPTER XIX.


to use it on us without blowing away her
cwn forward rigging. Her silence thus con-
iirmed my fears as TO the identity OF the yes
sci, nor were we long in doubt as to the
malevolence of her purpose. Still she gided
toward us, waited as is a feather over a
smooth pond, while we rolled TO the long
reach Of the surges without more way than
would take Us fathom in a minute.
For all the deafness of the Phantom, /
still stuck to the wheel, that she might not
round into the wind Ames and his sister
had gone below to reload the firearms and
Icy our ammunition, when, just as the last
gasp OF wind went out and the shIvering
sails set the reehng points beating the can
vas with n musical ripple, the enemy slowed
a couple of points to the south, and ball
Ct white smoke broke from her bow. Plain.
~ as day | marked the shot as il struck fhe
water and in great leaps came skipping
toward us. IL passed us well astern, Tor,
with the fan of the wind, we had swung into
the trough of the sea, and the Phantom was
row parallel to her pusurer, the latter lying
of our starboard quarter.
There she might remain, and, using us as
q target, sink us at her leisure, though had
little fear OF this action on her part, as the
British policy was ever to capture any
thing that could be Of use, only destroying
that which they could not carry away.
/ watched the flight Of the ball until the
spouts sent aloft as it struck the sea became
smaller and the missile sunk in the distance.
u was a command to come into the wind
and show our colors, and hoping Though
without reason) TO defer 10 the last the fall
OF the bolt, / descended into the cabin and
fumbled through the flag locker for the
Union Jack / had the ensign in my hand
when the girl looked up from her work and
quickly asked;
"Are you 10 make a last stand under
thaty Nay, then, Donald" she said, with
an appeal in her voice, and for the first
time giving me my first name alone, unless
YOU hope TO blind them for good and all by
the sight of that bunting, 'twere a weak
thing to do. You say you will fight; then
fight under your own colors. IL will make
no difference in the end" And with this
she bent to the locker, picked up the en-.
sign of the colonies, and. holding it out,
dragged from my hand the red flag of the
enemy. 1t was a noble act, and worthy Of
the spirit which had been equal TO boarding
Clinton in his own quarters. IL put into me
the stimulus / needed. Without a word |
turned and bounded up the companion, and
in moment the stars and stripes were
hanging at the main peak, barely unfoded
by the zephyr that was still playing aloft
Ii was n plain defiance, and met with
ready answer. The bunting had been aloft
no longer than was necessary for those on
tie distant vessel to have made il out with
q glass, when again came a squirt of smoke
and another ball lcaped toward us. 1t was
wellaimed shot and, had the gun been
trained a trifle more to the right, it would
have ended matters on the instant AS it
was, the bali dipped close TO our stern and
beneath the trailing dingy. There was q
swirl of spouting foam, tearing crash, and
the little boat leaped into the air amid
shower OF splinters, spun over and over like
a top, and then settled, keel upward, with
a clean-cut hole yawning in her bottom.
could almost hear the shout of triumph
that undoubtedly took place on the encmy's
deck as the result of this piece of marks
manship, but in the end, had they but
known il, they were whctting the tigers
teeth instead Of pulling them. Hardly had
the smoke thinned from the shot, when
from under the cloud / marked boat put
ting away. There was little need OF glass
u tell me IL was filled with a boarding
party, and that the drama was rapidly near
ing its close. With the few minutes left for
preparation we made haste to get what arms
we had on deck, and, while yet the yellow
fash of the oars was distant, our arrange
inents were completed. For defense we had
two rifles, four pistols, three cutlasses and
my rapier, though the latter and one OF the
cutlasses, being OF no use, were left in the
cabin. The lady was 40 take charge OF the
ammunition and reload the firearms as
used, for, though her brother and myself
l.ntk knwwoI ovJ al har % rama IN
below, she had for the first time drawn for
herself her own line of action by simply
shaking her head and following us to the
deck She was white as chalk as she stood
end watched the near approach Of the boat.
but will swear that her fear (if fear II was)
was not for herself
just before the enemy drew into rifle
shot | went forward and opened the fore
castle slide, calling both prisoners to come
up. for had mind that / might use them
10 make q show of numbers on our deck.
But in return received a volley of cupSes
only, and, as / had no time to try discipline,
/ shut and again fastened the hatch, rejoin.
ing the others aft.
Even at this stage / was possessed with the
forlorn hope that we might drive OIL the ap
preaching boat, and, il they we're short.
handed aboard Ia condition not unlikely,
and failed to cripple us with their long gun,
something might happen In the way OF wind
from another quarter or the coming dark
ness 10 enable us to escape. The hope, how
ever, was not enough to give life to my
spirits 10 make II worth the telling to my
companions. l had put my past behind me,
rcvcr hoping TO reap what had sowed and
with set teeth awaited with little fear and
lcss doubt for the result Of the coming hour.
Ames lay along the deck with his rife
over the counter; the girl sat IN the com
panion door ready to reload the arms as they
were passed to her; and /. looking for the
proper moment to open fire, stood in plain
sight above the taffrail.
slowly they came on until l could count
Zen men and an officer. sDd p, marked the