The Irish standard., 1901-05-11

my boys, we can do it." he cried
let every man who has a gun bring
It here, with all the powder and ball
he can spare. Don't wait to load;
we'll find time for that If you haven't
a gun, bring an axe or pitchfork.
Away with you, and hurry backw
The crowd scattered in all directions.
Jeremiah, with the assistance Of his
brother, Calbreth and Kraft, all OF
whom were experienced sailors, looked
over the sails and rigging Of the sloop.
The four prisoners were brought to
the second sloop, where they were left
in charge of guard composed of
three young men armed with pitch
forks.
By this time the men who went IN
search of weapons began to return.
The armament brought to O'Brien con-
sisted of twenty guns, one Of which
was the clumsy arrangement known
us a 'wall piece" gun so heavy that
1t was necessary to rest it on wall or
some other solid support while firing
It, It threw a very heavy bullet a
preater distance than the ordinary
musket, and on that account was
Highly esteemed. There were sixty
bullets and sixty charges of powder,
or three rounds for each gun; thirteen
pitchforks, twelve timber axes, the lat
ter very formidable weapons in the
hands of these woodmen; a few pieces
of pork, a half bag Of biscuits and a
barrel of water. These made up the
sloop's equipment.
Volunteers were not lacking. In
fact, had jeremiah O'Brien, who was
elected the commander Of the sloop.
taken half of those who urged their
services the vessel would have been
swamped. He chose thirty-dve of the
most athletic young men, among whom
were his six brothers. The sails were
hoisted and the little vessel with its
plucky crew headed away before a
stiff northwest breeze to capture the
Margaretta 1t was foolhardy expe-
dition, as the sloop was one of those
single-masted boats which one often
sees carrying light freights in our har-
bors, and the crew under O'Brien's
command very comfortably filled her
deck.
"There is some excitement on board
the Margaretta," cried Dennis, who
was watching her through a spyglass.
81 think they have sighted u.s."
sIf that is the case, she will give
us a rum" answered jeremiah, "for
she is a good three miles off now"
AS he spoke the sails Of the Mar
garetta were seen creeping up into
place. Captain Moore had indeed talk
Ell the alarm and determined to aban-
don the lumber sloops and run for it.
In his excitement he committed a blum
der in seamanship that cost him his
vessel and his life Although his course
was south and the wind in the north
west, he ran up his mainsail with the
boom to starboard. Then realizing his
error. he Immediately proceeded to jib
1t over to port. In fresh breeze, such
as was then blowing, this was task
which needed much caution, but the
excited Moore let the boom go on the
run, and it brought up against the
backstays with such shock that 1T
was broken off short in the wake Of
the rigging.
Moore then became desperate over
the accident and the sight Of the little
sloop leaping over the waves like n
greyhound He ran alongside q mer-
chant vessel lying at anchor, and be-
fore the astonished captain Of the lat
ter could ask what it all meant, the
boom of the merchantman was taken
out by gang from the warship and
put in position to replace the broken
one.
Again the Margaretta opened her
wings to the gale and sped toward the
south. Captain Moore gazed anxious
ly at the pursuing sloop with its force
of armed men, who could now berplain-
~ seen. Every moment saw the gap
OF blue water between the two vessels
grow narrower. Moore ordered the
heavy boats of the Marguretta to be
cut away and cast adrift, and every
thing on deck that was OF little use
was thrown overheard in the hope Of
Tightening the vessel.
Had the crew Of the war vessel been
Of the same character as the men in
the pursuing sloop, the latter would
have found a watery grave that day,
for the difference in armament was ap-
'palling. On the Marguerite were
mounted four sixspounders and twenty
swivel guns. These swivels were short,
thick cannon firing one-pound ball,
and were mounted on swivels placed
on the vessels rail, which made 1t pos
sible for them to be aimed in any di-
rection. 1t was an armament that was