Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-12-27

With answertng yclls the Russian board.
CrS s,rdr1ned upon the deck.
quarters into the ranged lines OF man.
of-war's men. A dozen Of them rolled
upon the decks in sudden helplessness.
With answering yells the Russian
boarders broke across the lashed ham,
mocks and swarmed upon the British
deck.
Then ensued a scrimmage grim and
great. Jones, erstwhile coward. now
ramped the bloody planks very lion
Of war. WhirlIng capstan bar, he
advanced upon the attacking party and
with single blow smote upon the
lieutenant's 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
clubbed 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 1t came
cries and thud Of fist and club and the
crate of rasping bClwarks as the ships
tore at their fixed grapnels like living
foes. The combatants lost themselves
In very mist Of passion and fighting
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 n 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 a chance
bullet ere he could fire her after re-
loading. With resounding crash the
charge roared into the bulwarks before
her muzzle. With sudden inspiration
he seized the lever aud started the car
EEHG lt u ooM II lhC dCChos NIathCA-
ing impetus with the heave of the ship.
the gun smote upon the shattered
plnnlling 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
miliar hated uniform caught his eye,
with a snarl as of n 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
ed forces with the British. Silently,
unseen, they had towed their disabled
hulk to the rescue and now swept the
Muscovtes before them In Irresistible
Lacquer with their comrades Of the
yacht. Another two minutes hurly
burly, wherein the snap Of pistols and
the thudding of clubs contended cease
!essiy, 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 were
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, 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 mel" 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 6libus-
ters, we are. No commission to levy
war, don't you know"
Dang the commission" quoth Des.
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. Pi-
racy on the high seas, 1t is. and no err
ror. BY all that's reasonable, let her
20 her evil way and pray to be forgot
ten and forgiven. Two good men have
l 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 un-
willingly, II suppose you know your
business best. But how In the name
Of all that's extraordinary did you
come to be carrying contraband in
these seas2 is the Turkish feet COM
Ing upT
That's tale as Ill unfold in the
cabin" said the American. 'Leastways
I've them there as will. Just for the