The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-12-17

tie ramshackle 1S-gun brig departed from
Plymouth on a rowing commission to
harass the southern shores of the enemy
As a fighting machine she was not of
much account. being slow-footed and I'M
dermanned, but nevertheless this small
dissipated looking craft sagged down the
black coast lines of Spain behaving after
the manner of a 12o-gHn leyiathan and
would be denied nothing in glory.
Her commander, when she started, was
one Thomas Warrington, an acting lieu
tenant of twenty-five, who thought the
Sure could beat anything affoat, and
who In his heart despised the big frigates
and line~of-battle ships composing the
fleet. which he Internationally followed
and to which he pretended to be attached
Having slain and wounded many Span
iards and steadily lessened the number
of Der scanty crew, the Sure, in exchang-
ing compliments with something four
times her own size off Barcelona, had the
misfortune to lose not only her COM
mander, but many other brave fellows
She escaped In the early dawn Of a chill
December day, leaving her late antag-
onist drifting helplessly shorewards, but
with tall French frigate in the offing
Fastening to give assistance.
Therefore the battered English brig
dragged herself slowly away to the west.
her masts gone, her rigging hanging
ebout her sides, and the blood and sand
of the fight yet nired about her trampled
decks. Her new commander got up jury
masts and hoisted what sail he could and
then stood out for Cadiz, a proud but
anxious servant of the king on what was.
for the time being at anly rate, his own
quarterback
Mr.. N1idshipman Ulick Irnidge came of
Irish blood, a good fighting fluid, that
heals kindly, SO that the wound which
had sliced away a bit Of his scalp hurt
far less than the remembrance of the
defeated Mignonne, whose capture had
only been averted by the unlucky ap-
pearance of the other Frenchman
The MILDLY Of a century ago shared with
the human frame the extreme reputa-
ton of being fearfully and wonderfully
made. He was not a tactician, perhaps
like the. young gentleman of his age in
the present day, but he had a magnificent
and conSenita1 ignorance of Odds a neg
ative quality which went far towards
counteracting the defects of his educa-
ton, and not seldom brought disaster to
the enemy.
After the duel off Barcelona had been
fought out between the little old unhandy
brig with her poor four-pounders and the
SO~gun MignonEe, and when the Sure
perforce drew away from her adversary,
the senior surviving officer on board was
Mr.. Midshlpman Irnidge, and besides him
there was but one other left alive, a.
second MILDLY named Selby. Mr.. Irnidge
and Mr.. Selby. midshipmen, had joined
on the same day, and the question of
seniority was one Of alphabetical chance
only. 1t was moreover a question they
had argued out with their fists on sew
eral occasions and to varying conclusions
1rnidge was tall and red headed and of
deceptive leanness, while Selby\ was
fair and thick set, and stoutly put upon
his legs as a wholesome we'll fed English
lad should be.
They were troublesome exuberant
couple, very much wrapped up in the
service of the king, and bursting with
the single minded ambition to run as
many hairbreadth risks as could by any
means be devised. During the nine
months the cruise had already lasted they
had had the finest opportunities afforded
them Of fulfilling this ambition, of every
une of which 1t must be owned they had
taken the most ample advantage. It was
taking soundtngs within pistol shot Of the
French fleet. but it was Mr.. Irnidge who
CraWled through the portfolio of q big
French ship at the battle of st. Vincent
and turned her guns in-board.
The two lads quarreled necessarily, and
there was but one subject upon which
they were agreed, and that was the de-
generacy Of those Junior members of the
service whose commissions bore later
dates than their own. Upon this point
they were unanimous and scathing
1rnidge, on whom the new burden Of
command lay heavy, was bent upon max
ing what speed he could to catch up with
the fleet to report himself and his Grip
pied little vessel while Selby was in
clined to be sulky and to twit his senior
with losing chances of glory, which nuight
fall to them If they fingered by the way.
THAT knock on the skull has made you
afraid Of your own shadow" observed
Mr.. Selby unplea sanity.
''I m not afraid" replied Irnidge, whose
hands were itching for fight on the old
lines, but who was restrained by the
sense of his present dignity, TN only
cautious. You've no responsibility; 1
have!''
And to that he adhered in spite of the
rude pantomime of incredulity by which
Mr.. Selby sought to move him.
IF We meet anything We'll go up
against it," concluded Irnidge, but TIL not
alter her course to look for battles till
I've been aboard the flagship
Off Cadiz the Sure sighted the flagship
and duly reported herself. The admiral
was hurried and full Of other thoughts,
for the combined French and Spanish
fleets were said to be lying in wait for
him up the coast.
He went to the side and looked down
contemptuously upon all that remained
Of the Sure.
shes waterlogged," he said shortly.
Shed never get home; and she's not
worth laying up anyhow. They'd make
windmill out Of her Understands all
she's good for, Mr.-um-rrnidge.
Dismay settled upon Irindge's freckled
face.
1.-THE carpenters doing all that's neees-
sary, sir" he ventured, land The pumps
will get her right by tomorrow evening"
The admiral met the blue anxious eyes,
and mostly because he had other and
more important affairs to settle, and it
may be with some lingering remembrance
of what an independent command would
have meant to himself at the lads age,
he replied gruffty, that since Irnidge was
so cocksnre he knew all about the brig.
he had better remain in charge of her for
the time being and put back towards
Cadiz, where he could lie alongside the
Thunderer and the Carthage until they
saw whether she was going to sink or to
swim-not that 1t much matteredi
iii do the best can with her. sirr'
said Irnidge alphabetically. He had got
what he wanted, but had hardly dared to
hope for and so departed full of a stern
joy. He knew. none better, that the poor
old Sure was barely to be kept .afieat by
incessant labor at the pumps; but al
though she was old and shot-torn and