The Irish standard., 1901-05-11


she anchored under high bluff, a
couple of miles from her original
berth. A young man named Foster
was the first to reach the edge Of the
surrender. The townspcople gave
great shout, and Moore again raised
his anchor and ran out into the bay,
where the Mnrgaretta rode in safety.
Why he did not fire OH the townsfolk
as they stood on the bluff is n question
which will probably never be an
swered.
Such was the situation when Den
mis- O'Brlcn strobe down the street on
Monday morning. There was n look
of mischief in his face which raised
ominous forebodings in the minds Of
those who knew him and who felt that
n single overt net might prcclpitate
state Of war upon the peaceful little
settlement. On the other hand, there
was no love for the English there, and
no sympathy was wasted upon the
men who were likely to be the suffer
ers by O'Brlen's recklessness.
O'Brlcn's way led to little cottage
Mt the end of the street, in which lived
his chum and fellow spirit of mischief,
Joseph Wheaton. A knock at the door
brought out Wheaton, and the pair leis-
urcly snuntcred down to the wharf
alongside of which one Of the mast
ships lay ready for loadlng. A short
distance from It lay the second which
had already received its cargo and was
waiting for It's mate.
"What shame 1t was that we missed
getting the Englishman yestcrdayw
grOwlcd Dennis. MS he watched the five
sailors Of the sloop getting the deck Of
the vessel clear for the cargo.
81 think we can get him yet" sug-
gestcd Wheaton.
"How can we do it?"
"Take thnt sloop, get crowd of the
boys with some weapons, and go after
the warshlp," answered Wheaton.
"By gar! It's n wise head ye have,
Joe" cried Dennis "Here are Peter
"' and John Kraft. They'll give
us hand, and If we four can't handle
those five Englishmen we are a poor
lot that's ALL"
1t needed no coaxlng to get the new
comcrs into the plan, and the four
walked quietly up to the boat and
without any warning lenped on the
English sailors. BEFORE the latter had
time to defend themselves four were
down on the deck with their hands and
feet tied. The fifth took one look at
the woodmen and, leaplng over the side
/, of the vessel to the wharf, ran to the
other sloop and locked himself in the
cabin.
Three hearty cheers were given by
the victors, and Peter Calbreth, run
ming to the mast, hauled down the
English ensign floating there. The
cheering and subsequent hauling down
of the flag soon brought crowd Of
men and boys to the wharf. Dennis
began to tell tho story Of the capture.
Hardly had he commenced, however,
when passage was opened in the
crowd to admit young man, whose
figure and general bearing would at
tract attention in any assemblage. 1t
was jeremiah O'Brien, the eldest of
the O'Brlen boys ,and the leader in all
the athletic sports Of that section of
the country. Over six feet in height,
straight as an Indian, his handsome
face crowned with mass Of curly
brown hair, and with figure that
was compromise between Hercules
and an Apollo, Jeremiah O'Brien
might easily have been taken for an
incarnation Of a Grecian statue.
"What is all the noise about?" he
asked, lightly leaping over the bull
warks Of the sloop and hastily glan-
cling from the bound forms of the Brit
ish sailors into the laughing eyes Of
his younger brother. Dennis told him
In few words what had been done,
and explained their plan to capture the
Margaretta. Jeremiah's face glowed
with enthusiasm.