The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-12-29
CHAPTER xxx.
+ he Alarm. in the Mornind.

At 7 O'clock In the morning Of the goth
of November, 1859, the ships of the little
squadron of Commodore Duff lay strain
ing at their anchors in Quiberon bay. The
of-battle-ship Belliqueux, the fifty-gun
ships Rochester ,(hag), Falkland, Chath-
am and Portland, and the frigates Miner
va and Sapphire, each thirty-two. OW-
ing to the lateness Of the season 1t was
not yet dawn, although the hammocls
had been piped up and one watch was
already at breakfast. The bay and the
ships were as calm and peaceful, appar-
rently, as they had been at any time dur
ing the weary months of the blockade
with which Duff, under Hawkes. orders,
had shut In the transports of Belloc and
d'Aiguillon and the selected force assem-
bled under their orders for the descent
upon England - ~
The commander was still asleep in the
cabin of the Rochester when the report
of a heavy gun far to seward attracted
the attention of the officer Of the watch.
Gun-flring was common enough along the
shore. where the camps Of the enemy lay,
but it was rare indeed that the sound Of
it came from the open ocean to the west
ward. OF SO much Importance did the
officer conceive the incident to be-, that
he Immediately dispatched a midshipman
to apprise the commodore of the fact.
Duff sprang from his berth, and, real
izing the ominous significance of the oc-
currence, dragged on a. few clothes and
ran to the deck. AS he dressed, the COM
modore heard the firing, which had been
again and again. It was evil
dent from the regularity of the discharge
that it came from a, single ship. The
darkness prevented them from discover
ing what ship it was. though from the
steadily increasing volume Of sound the
vessel was rapidly coming in. Indeed, from
the flashes Of light which marked the sew
eral discharges. they judged that she must
be even now approaching the Cardinals.
Duff and his officers on deck peered
eagerly to seward, waiting in anxious
expectation for the advent Of the stran-
ger. Meanwhile, preparatory signal,
which babe the other ships get in readi-
ness to weigh anchor, was made by
of lanterns from the Rochester. Quick
answers showed that the officers Of the
little squadron were also awake to the
incident and already on the alert. It was
evident to every one that the sound could
only have been caused by ship signaling.
Urgent danger alone would account for
the continuous discharges. Signals to an
English squadron would only be made by
an English ship. They could only mean
that a French fleet was making for the
harbor. " 49,.
Duff uneasily waited few moments
longer, ana presently, lcdsoAIliS Liz al
fair out. determined to get. to sea at
once. He realized that it was more
than probable that the strong
westerly gales which had prevailed
during the past week had forced
Hawke to raise the blockade. and that
the Brest fleet had got out few days
before when the gale had abated. before
the English sips could get back to their
sta ton. Naturally their destination
would be Quiberon. If he were caught
in the confines of the little bay he would
be lost: Out at sea he could at least
make a run for it. There was, of course,
a chance-nay, more than a chance,
certanty--that old Hawke would be hard
on the heels of the French, who would
be in such force that resistance on the
part Of Duff's little squadron would be
madness.
Having at last made up his mind. he
acted with the promptness Of sailor.
1t were better to lose time, and the