The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-01-02

uliis, GIS YOUNG OluCel lctiulAS, anu
crying to know what was The matter.
ga heap of cinders got awash, sir, -
said Jaclsa. "Thc pump, clogged wi
! 'em and won't work. -
! "Then we're lost menu says the
officer. and he caught hold by the fore
mast and leaned his face against it like
a child.
| This was Jacka's chance "Lost is
I it? Iss reckon you be lost, and inside
of ten minutes, unless you hearken to
rayson. Here you be, not 20 mile from
! the English coast, as I make it, and
] with fair wind. Here you be three
/ times that distance and more from any
port of your own, the wind dead on her
/, nose. and you ramstramming the weak
! spot of her at sea that's knocking the
| bows to Jericho Now, nossoo, you put
her about and run for Plymouth. Sho
may do it. Pitch over couple Of guns
| forr' ad and quit messing with ship
| you don't understand, and I'll warn she
| will do it. -
| Tho young Frenchy was plucly as
ginger. "What! Take her into PlyTm
outh and be made prisoner? III sink
first!' says he.
But, you see, his crew weren't navy
| men to listen to him and they had
wives and families and knew that Cap II
Jacka's was their only chance. In five
minutes, for all tho officer stamping
and morblewing, they had tho Bean
Pheasant about and were running fol-
the English coast.
3
Now I've got TO 50 back and tell You
what was happening to the Unity in
all this while About in tho afternoon
Cap'n Dick, not liking the look of
the weather at all and knowing that so
long as it lasted he might whistle for
prizes, changed his mind and deter
mined to run back to Polperro, so as to
reship Cap'n Jacka and the prize crew
almost as soon as they arrived. By 5
o'clock he vas we'll on his way, the
Unity skipping along quito as if she
enjoyed it, and ran before the gale all
that night.
Toward 8 in the morning the wind
moderated. and by 80 the gale had
blown itself out. Just about then the
lookout came to Cap'n Dick, who had
turned in for spell, and reported two
ships lights, ono on each side of them
The chances against their being French
men out here in this part of the chan
mel We're about 5 to 2, SO Capn Dick
cracked on and at daybreak. about
5:15, found himself right slap between
the very two frigatas that had called
Jacka to halt the evening before.
One was fetching along on the port
of him, just making ready to put about.
They both ran up the white ensign at
sight of him, but this meant nothing,
and in few minutes the frigate to
starboard fired shot across his bows
and hoisted her French flag.
Cap'n Dick feigned to take the hint.
He shortened sail and rounded at
nice distance under the lee of the
enemy, both frigates now lying oquite
cnntentedly with their sails aback and
lowering their boats. But the first boat
davits when he sung out, "Wurroo
lads!" and up again went the Unity S
great lug sail in jiffy. The French
men, like their sails, We're all aback,
and before they could fire % gun the
Unity was pinching up to windward OF
them, with Cap'n Dick at the helm
and all the rest of the crew flat on theil
stomachs. OFF she went under a rattling
shower from the enemy's bow chaserS
and musiletry and was out of range
without man hurt and with no more
r 1,,1a txxyn fI,a
zen Ing.
The Frenchnen were q good ten min
utes trimming sails and bracing theil
yards for a chase, and by that time
Cap'n Dick had slanted up we'll on theil
weather bow. Before breakfast time he
was shaking his sides at the sight o.
seven hundred odd Johnnies vainly
spreading and trimming more canva.
to catch up their leeway, for at frs
the lazy dogs had barely unreefe(
courses after the gallo and still had thei
topgallant masts housed. Likely enough
they had work on hand more importan
than chasing a small lugger all day, fo
at Z O'Clock they gave up and stoo,
away to the southeast and left tn
Unity free to head back homeward OF
her old course.
: Twas surprising feat TO slip out o
grasp in this way and past two broad
sides, any gun of which could have sen
him to the bottom, and Capn Dicl
! wasn't one to miss boasting over it
: Even durins; the chase he couldn't he'll
( carrying on in his usual loud an,
cheeky way, waving gcodby to TIL
= mossoos, Offering them q tow rope an
the like, but now the deck wasn't bi
9 enough to hold his swagger, and il
!, their joy of escaping French prisol
' the men encouraged him, so that t
hear them talk you'd have thought h
was Admiral Nelson and Sir Silne
!. Smith rolled into one.
a BY O'Clock they made out the Eddy
, stone on their starboard bow and lit
tie after, the morning being bright an
. clear, with IL nice steady breeze, the
). saw sail right ahead of them maxim
in for plymonth sonnd nd %yb