Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1901-01-24

~
brass cannon grinEed through them
ana glaaHpd erlg in the moonlight
\ swarm &c battle lanterns flew aloft
and pcrcheh like frelies in the rigging
An attcrsrt was made to get the gal
leon under way 30 that she might an
swer her helm and thus he easier to
fight Eut Ter people were a mere dis
organized n0h each trying to be use
ful. bui entirely without order or disci-
pline and 50 crowded as they were
they succeeded best in getting into
each others way Some few to the
sheets ard braces. some merely hurried
about bawling orders and directions to
whoever wCrli listen. and some loaded
ordnance and small arms with frantic
haste. These last. as soon as the
charges were rammed home. were fir
ed Bow chaser. stern chaser and
broadslde pieces were fred as fast as
the gunners could lead them. but as
they did not trouble themselves to take
any special aim the volIeys may per-
haps have disturbed the fishes, but
from Us, the enemy, they drew not
Eroans, but grns.
There the great galleon lay helpless,
like some wooden island, splitting in
nocuous Gre from every point. But the
Scourge drew on under perfect com
mand and in perfect silence.
When we we're almost aboard of the
enemy, Alec put down his helm and,
running across her bows poured in a
heavy raking fire as each gun bore and
then, getting before the wind again,
came back under her stern and repeat
ed the dose from the same pieces.
While thcy>were still lying helplessly
head to wind he went about once more
and. sending his starboard broadside
into her poop windows as be shot past,
ran away to northward and engaged at
long range.
Hitherto, save for few shot holes In
the sails, trailing rope or two and
here and there n white jagged splinter,
we had suffered nothing. But Alec had
noted that the don's fire was steadying
down as discipline began to assert it
self and. knowing that one we'll aimed
broadsidc must either dismantle or sink
US. remembered that in fight against
heavy odds brains and not brute force
should be the watchword. So, conf
dent in the powers of his long gun, he
sheered off to n distance and began
pelting the Spanard with single shots
as fast as the piece could be loaded.
The don, on his part, after n quarter
Of an hours furious cannonade, grew
tired Of firing at a mark which was OBJ
,rtr LnvrER1 Ip Of ip
and, setting his sail trimmers to work,
got the galleon on the laiDoard tack.
She was headed for Margherita. and Ii
was plain TO us that she intended to
run for shelter under the batteries OF
El Pueblo del Norte.
Now, such n project by no means
suited our ideas. and so we redoubled
our efforts with the long gun, hoping
to carry away some spar that would
disable her. But though Jan Pengony
could plump shot into the hull every
time he clappcd his lintstock to the
primng there was not gunner among
us able to dent either mast or rigging.
And so, dattening in our sheets once
more, we made after her close hauled
and, ranging up TO windward, tried an
other plan.
by one Of fate's revenges these Span
iards were hoist by their own mine,
for on the old mans advice we cram
med each gun TO the muzzle with the
very shackles and wrist cuffs that had
chained some Of us to n gallcy's bank
and, taking the quoins from the gun
carriages, 1t ny a cloud of inquisitori-
al engines that brought everything
down by the run about their ears. Fet-
tcrs were never put to finer use.
A cheer went up as we saw the gal-
leon with foremost gone below the
round top, mainyard cut through in the
sings and rigging all In hopeless
bights, full head to wind, lying an un-
manageable hulk on the water.
But rejoicing came too soon. In an
swcr 10 Alcc's summons to surrender "a
tall armorcd figure sprang on to the
poop and, haiing us. swore he'd fight
the ship while two planks Of her held
together.
The cheer died on our lips. The ar-
morcd Spaniard was Don Miguel del
CassamOro.