Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-02-09
our hero sprang up the ladder and

der his arm. The sentries performed
their walk upon gnngboards raised
even with the bottom OF the hammock
nettings and running forward from
the ladders. The larboard gangway
was shaded from the light of the moon
by the awnings, and, walking delib.
crately up the ladder, Tom looked
over the ships side.
"Sentry, said he, in mumbling sort
of tone, "what boat is that at the
boom?"
''The second cutter" returned the
marine, showing by his manner that
he had no suspicious of the spurious
corporal.
Tom Immediately walked of to
where stood the officer of the deck,
and being reassured by the mistake of
OF Che sentry he pulled his cap down
over his eyes, and, touching his visor
respectfully, remarked:
81 should like to overhaul that Sec
ond cutter, sir, for 1 think there is
rum aboard of her."
Tom knew he was playing q des.
perate game, but liberty was to be the
result of success, and he finched not
hair.
"Ha! the Williams" uttered the
lieutenant, Cup to their old tricks
again. Go, corporal, get down into the
boat, and if you do find rum in her
they'll catch it."
Tom started quickly forward, but
Just as he got abreast OF the fore hatch
way he saw the Simon-pure corporal's
head rising above the eombings. The
marine assembled no higher, for with
one blow OF his fist Tom sent him back
from whence he came, and then
sprang quickly out through the port
upon the swinging boom, and, having
reached the place where the second
cutters painter was made fast, he
hauled the boat up and leaped into
her. The flood time was setting up
the river very strongly, and quick as
thought Tom cast off the painter and
rapidly dropped astern.
Help! helpl" shouted our hero, at
the top of his voice: the boats got
loose"
sect out couple OF oars, you lub-
ber," cried the officer of the deck, as
he jumped upon the poop on hearing
the cry, where he arrived just as the
cutter was sweeping past the quarter.
'You can hold her against the tide"
Tom did get out a couple of oars,
but the moment he got them balanced
in the rowlocks he commenced pull
, ing for dear life, and, to the utter
CONSERVATION of the lieutenant, the
boat began rapidly to shoot up the
I river. All the sentries on deck were
q Immediately called upon the poop, and
their muskets were fred at the de-
, serter. Only two of the balls whistled
near the boat, but neither of them did
any harm. On the next moment Tom
C heard the third cutter called away, but
: he knew the men were all sound asleep
in their hammocks, and so he felt Sc
q cure.
r. 1t was ten minutes before the third
y cutter cast off from the ship, and
i long ere they reached Tom he had
gained the shore and was running at
= a remarkable speed toward the city,
a which he reached in safety, and be-
fore o'clock he was on board his own
c brig.
a The next morning the Sarah
= dropped down with the ebb tide, and
as she passed the frigate Tom saw the
q second cutter swinging in her usual
!, place, and, as he gazed upon the
q proud flag that foated at the Eng
i lishman's peak, he murmured to him
! self;
'If I live, I'll some day take the
q pride from those proud iyrants."
9 How literally was that saying full
filled! Tom Macdonough had been
Decatur's favorite midshipman at the
. siege of Tripoli, and "wherever De-
n catur led he daredt to follow" Subse-
quent to that brilliant chapter in the
/ page of our history occurred the event
p which is embodied in our sketch but
8 five years afterward on the 18th of
September, 1914, Thomas Macdop-
|. ough met one of England's proud
fleets on Lake Champlain. At the
!. first broadside, the British Commo-
q dore, Downie, fell, and at the end OF
fight which lasted two hours and
twenty minutes, without intermission,
i Commodore Thomas Macdonough was
+ the conqueror of Champlain. He had
a gained proud victory-he had in.
q deed humbled the pride of the tyrant,
a and that days achievement forms one
q of the brightest pages of the history
: of America.
a Commodore Thomas Macdonough
| the hero of Tripoli-the Conqueror
of Champlain! He was a noble and
;, true-hearted man, and terror to all
enemies of his country. Peace to his
ashes, and everlasting honor to his
t memory!