Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1901-12-26

II and Jle cargo OVeTnauletl, ana aS SUI
was full of contraband goods there
was no question about taking posses
sion. It was just at shutdown tina
she ran into the trap, and within hal
an hour the, fog settled down again
The captain of the ''L'Orient," will
his brand-new frigate and IS guns OF
side, was proud and pompous. Aft
er the report on the cargo he put ;
lnidshipman aboard to represent him
self, the Directory of France and sew
eral other things, and when the foe
cleared and the breeze came the "Su
SAM was to be escorted into port. II
was foolish move and proved thai
the officer knew little about the tricks
Of Yankeeland, though perhaps ne
may have been considerably influ'
enced by the fact that the crew OF
the "L'Orient' had planned to cele'
brate his birthday that night. When
the fog closed down the two crafts
were not over quarter of mile
apart, and at the end of every five
minutes the little midshiplnan struck
the briggs bell and was answered by
that Of the frigate. Capt. Ichabod
was surprised, chagrinned and hope
less. It not only meant the loss OF
the brig and cargo, but Imprisonment
for the entire crew. His Long Tom,
covered with a tarpaulin, and of which
he had expected so much, might as
| well have been a log of wood. Even
when the fog closed down and the
little midshipman was the only enemy
aboard, he sat in his cabin with his
face in his hands and despair in his
heart. He was sitting thus when he
heard music and cheering aboard the
Frenchman, and a minute later JOSH
ua, the mate, descended the compan-
ionway with the baby officer in his
grasp and locked him up in a state
room. 'They are too happy over
there to miss him." explained JOSH
ia, ''and we'll keep on striking the
bell for him and pray for a breath of
wind"
Both crafts were lifting lazily on
the ground swell and pointing their
bows all around the compass, but
after ten minutes careful watching
Capt. Ichabod became satisfied that
they were drifting slowly apart. In
order that the enemy might not sus-
pect this the bell was struck with
stronger hand for a time. Of sudden
there came a draught of air. The
French captain may have heard of
fogs without wind and fogs with
wind, but he was not on guard that
night. The "Susan" began stealing
away, and had put Il mile between
them when the Frenchman woke up
and fired a gun. Then he banged away
with a second and third and fourth,
and the crew could be heard making
sail. The breeze increased and the
brig slipped along, and by and by the
captain of the "Susan" knew he had a
chance.
At the end of the morning watch
the breeze freshened, the fog went
swirling away, and when day broke
Capt. Ichabod's heart gave a sudden
jump. Not three miles away to the
westward was Capt. Israel's "A[ary"
bearing down upon him, and 10 or II
miles to the east was the ''L'Orient."
Israel was coming along on his voy-
age, and the frigate was lying to I'M
til daylight should reveal her quarry.
Half an hour later the captain of the
MARY was aboard the Susan to
find out what it all meant. When he
had heard the story of the capture
and escape, Capt. Israel smote his
knee and exclaimed:
''By hen, Ichabod, speakin' as a
brother might, but we are no worms
of the dust!'
''By gum and by thunder, but we
ANTI" agreed Ichabod.
'sIchabod," resumed Israel as he
paused in his walk, cts bad enough
to be bounced about by the British,
but when it comes to the French
walkin' around on what's left of us
we can't stand it. In a brotherly
way, and not meanin' to do evil, I tell
you we must go in and give that frig-
ate a lickin'. She's got carronades
and a plenty of 'em, but we've got
Long Toms and can take our distance.
BY hen, brother, but we'll pound and
bang and drub that Frenchman till
he hollers for mercy!"
''By gum and by thunder, but we
will, Israeli" was the reply, and they
at once began preparations.
The breeze freshened till the briggs
worked like couple of tops, and they
sailed down to meet the frigate. The
Frenchman skipped with delight at
the thought of picking up two prizes
where he had expected only one. 1t
was only when he saw them begin to
maneuver that he was puzzled. A
few minutes later a solid shot came
crashing into his side, and he began
leaping about and chattering like a
lunatic. The "Mary" sent in the first
shot, but the twin ''Susan" was not
far behind. The frigate let go a
whole broadside at them, but had the
modification of seeing the shot fall
far short. Boom! went a Long Tom,
and crash! came a third shot, and
then the strangest sea fight of the
century was on. Two merchant briggs,
with holds full of flour and corn and
groceries and cloths, and mounting
only gun apiece, We're sailing round
and round. the frigate mounting SO
guns and carrying q crew of $50 men
not only sailing round and round
her, but dropping shot aboard which
made the splinters fly and Redeemed
her scuppers with blood.
ssBv hen. but we are pounding her!"