Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1899-09-28

r2und into the wind. Ames ana mis- sister
mad gone below to reload the firearms and
lay our ammunition, when, just as the last
gasp OF wind went out and the shivering
sails set the reefng points beating the cam
vas with a musical ripple, the enemy slowed
couple of points to the south, and ball
CT white smoke broke from her bow. Plain.
" as day marked the shot as it struck the
water and in great leaps came skipping
toward us. 1t passed us well astern, tor,
with the fall of the wind, we had swung into
the trough Of the sea, and the Phantom was
low parallel to her pusurer, the latter lying
off our starboard quarter
There she might remain, and, using us as
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.
I 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.
Il was command to come into the wind
and show our colors, and hoping Though
without reason) to defer to 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:
care you to make last stand under
that? 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
Echf ,,pHor oo1or, f,x,,n Ia
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 noble act, and worthy Of
Clinton in his own quarters. 1t put into me
turned and bounded up the companion, and
in moment the stars and stripes were
hanging at the main peak, barely unfolded
by the zephyr that was still playing aloft.
1t was plain defiance, and met with a
ready answer. The bunting had been aloft
no longer than was necessary for those on
the distant vessel to have made it out with
4 glass, when again came a squirt of smoke
and another ball lcaped toward lis. 1t was a
Eell-aimed shot, and, had the gun been
trained trihe more to the right, it would
have ended matters on the instant As it
was, the ball dipped close to our stern and
beneath the trailing dingy. There was a
swirl of spouting foam, a tearing crash, and
the little boat leaped into the air amid a
shower OF splinters, spun over and over like
4 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 enemy 5
deck as the result of this piece OF marks
nanship, but in the end, had they but
known it, they were whetting the tiger $
teeth instead of pulling them. Hardly had
the smoke thnned from the shot, when
from under the cloud l marked boat put
ting away. There was little need OF glass
tn tell me it was filled with 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
flash of the oars was distant, our arrange
lnents were completed For defense we had
two rifles, four pistols, three cutasses and
my rapier, though the latter and one of the
cutasses, being of no use, were left in the
cabin. The lady was to take charge of the
ammunition and reload the firearms as
used, for, though her brother and myself
both begged and commanded her to remain
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
and watched the near approach of the boat,
but will swear that her fear (if fear it was)
was not for herself.
Just before the enemy drew into rife
shot I went forward and opened the fore