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

| had let 90 OF him the soonest, and he
| had piled on the canvas under a favor
| ing breeze and cracked ahead. With
| fair weather he had reached point
within 100 miles of his port when the
wind fell and he ran into a fog Aft
er several hours Of slowly forging
ahead the fog lifted 10 find the "Su-
san" under the guns of a French
/ frigate. Even had there been a capful
of wind there would have been no sail
/ ing away The edict had been issued,
and the frigate was out looking for
| prizes. 4 boats crew was sent aboard
/ and the cargo overhauied, and as she
was full of contraband goods there
was no question about taking posses
sion. 1t was just at shutdown that
/ she ran into the trap, and within half
an hour the fog settled down again.
| The captain Of the "L'Orient," with
/ his brand-new frigate and IS guns on
| a side, was proud and pompous. Aft
| err the report on the cargo he put a
midshipman aboard TO represent him
| self, the Directory of France and sew
eral other things, and when the fog
| cleared and the breeze came the "Su-
san" was TO be escorted into port 1t
was foolish move and proved that
| the officer knew little about the tricks
of Yankceland, though perhaps be
may have been considerably infu-
euced by the fact that the crew of
the 'L'Orient' had planned to ceie-
brate his birthday that night When
the fog closed down the two crafts
were not over quarter of a mile
minutes the little midshipman struck
the briggs bell and was answered by
that of the frigate. Capt Ichabod
was surprised, ehagrinned and hope
less. 1t 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 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
ua, "and Wen keep on striking the
bell for him and pray for 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 time. OF a sudden
there came 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 n 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 sudden
jump. Not three miles away to the
westward was Capt lsrael's Mary"
bearing down upon him, and 10 or IL
miles TO the east was the "L'Orient"
Israel was coming along on his voy-
age, and the frigate was lying to UNI
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
arother might, but we are no worms
of the DUST"
BY gum and by thunder, but we
amt" agreed lchabod.
"Ichabod," resumed Israel as he
paused in his walk, cts bad enough
to be bounced about by the British.
hut 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 | tell
you we must go in and give that frig-
ate a lickin' She's got carronades
and a plenty of EN-, 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 a 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 besin ia