River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1901-11-28

exclaimed Capt. Israel. as he w2tched
| his shots and swung his hat.
by gum and by thunder, but / feel
a wickedness and q reioicing!" ex-
claimed Capt. lchabod as he patted
the big gun which had just sent shot
aboard the frigate that plowed its
way from stem to stern.
The "LOrieut" was like COW bait
ed by dogs. If she crowded on sail to
( follow one the other was biting at
! her heels She wasted tons Of solid
shot in seeking to do damage, INT
not a missle came aboard The pride
and pomposity of the French captain
| Kept him under the fire Of the Long
/ Toms for two hours, but when he had
/ lost dozen men he tried To back out
of the affair. His willingness to cry
| quits was not reciprocated, however.
The briggs could outsail him, and they
continued to follow and pitch shot
aboard. He had more men killed and
wounded. and he had his sails riddled
and his yards shot out of the sings
and his foretopgallant mast brought
down. Then, with tears of rage in his
eyes and a helpless feeling in his
heart he hauled down the flag. As
the briggs came up he went aboard of
the MARY" which was nearest. Capt.
lchabod also came aboard of her.
''Who-who shall take it?" asked
the yanquished captain, as he looked
around aud held out his sword.
"Nobody," answered Israel.
But / surrender my ship. The
'L'Orient" has hauled down her flag.
Who was my conqueror? You fly the
American flag, but we have no war
with you
i know, and by hen, ave have Civ
en- you lickin' to let you know that
we are no worms of the Gust. Keep
your corn knife, and if you have
learned your lesson you can take your
frigate and be off"
1T is not regular-I don't under
stand protested the captain Il was
conquered, but nobody will take my
sword"
They didn't try to make it palmer
10 him. He was escorted to the side
and bowed into his boat, and the cap
tive midshipman sent along with him,
and he returned to his ship the most
astonished Frenchman in the world
He was also the maddest. His frigate
had been drubbed by a couple of trad
ers, and then had been rendered to
him as a gift. 1t was not an act of
~ 4, e
cause he had prepared the way for it
and very wen knew that the Ameri-
cans had not yet heard of the edict
He was in hole all around and he
did the best thing possible under the
circumstances by spreading his Grip
pied wings and making for a French
port to repair damages.
''Ichabod,' said Capt. Israel as the
Frenchman went sailing away.
"speakin' in a brotherly way and
without hilarity, femme say that we
licked him out o. his boots
Then by gum we did" replied
Ichabod.
And speakin' a leetle further.
while I'm glad we drubbed him I'm
somewhat afraid that we've done the
wrong thing at the right time and
brought on another war. 1t will be
best, brother Ichabod, that neither
we nor our mates nor our men do
much boasting until we know what
will be done about it, Let us now
proceed on our voyage"
Nothing was done about it. The
French captain doubtless made n
formal report. but it was not to the
effect that 36-gun frigate had been
drubbed by two small merchant briggs
If he had admitted the truth his SUI
periors would have pigeon-holed it
out of shame. and besides there were
events of so much greater Importance
at hand that the incidents were filed
away to be forgotten. The Mary"
and Susan" safely completed their
round voyages to be laid up by the
embargo. but there was deep salts
faction in the soul of Capt. Israel as
he met his brother at intervals and
shook hands and said:
''Ichabod, speallin as brother
might, and my wife Mary bein' in her
usual good health, we did drub that
Frenchman like farmer whalin'
kickin' cow
Then by gum and by thunder, but
we did, and we are no worms of the
DUST" would be the reply of Icha-
bod as he chuclled his satisfaction
and walked about with his hands un-
der his administrations Maya
zine.
Characteristic Differences.
One Of the STRIKING difrerencns in