The National tribune., 1903-07-23

fight with"
Fhe men whom Billings had sent off
presently returned with bundles of sticks
| over their shoulders. the use of which puZ-
Zled Greenvile and the rest. until they
saw one of the sticks stuck in the sand
and lighted and a rocket whizz close to the
boat.
| "Oh, that's their game, is it?" said
| Greenville. They've got a lot of rockets
| they've taken from some ship and are 60
ing to try to burn us up in that way.
| Well, l think we can beat them at that"
He busted himself directing the crew to
| fill buckets of water and have them ready
at different parts OF the ship. The aim OF
| the villains on shore did not equal their
intentions. Though several of the rockets
struck the ship, they made no blaze. until
| one better directed entered the bulls eye
| of the Deacon's state room. and. bursting
| there, sent a shower of fire that at once
inhamed his bedding and the light wood
work. Greenville rushed to the room with
a squad Of men with buckets. They had
an exciting combat with the flames for a
few minutes, amid the triumphant yells of
| the men on shore. and finally quenched
| them. but not until all the Deacon's Sun
| day clothes Were hopelessly ruined.
| That seems to be the last of their
rockets said the First Mate, coming on
deck again with his hair singed and his
clothes burned. and surveying the men on
|
away their whole lot, and unless they can
get some more, they are at the end of that
string" He stepped to the tube and called
down to the Engineer, How are you max
ing out, SAM
Pretty WELL" came the answer back.
I've just found a barrel of turpentine,
and am greasing some boards with it. /
think l will have up steam enough to
| move her within half an hour"
They're through with the rockets" said
81, picking up the First Mates glass, and
studying the group on shore. Il think
they are after boats now to come out here
and attack us. There comes n boat down
through the weeds from that swamp, and
there's another And there, they've found
a fiat and are cutting poles to pole it out.
They seem to be making more for the
stern of the boat"
Il think the best way to meet them is
to gather up everything heavy we can find
to drop in their boats when they come
along the sides. l will go and attend to
| that said Shorty.
In little while the water in front of
the shore was alive with men coming out
in canoes. surf boats and other craft
Billings in a gray uniform could be seen
in the best of the boats leading the move
ment.
Everybody have turpentine balls
ready they heard him command. ''All
we want to do is to burn her. There's
nothing aboard her worth having. The old
iron in her is worth more than anything
else. III give you more prize money for
her bones than she's worth. Everybody
have turpentine ball ready to throw
! whenever he sees a good chance. Don't
be afraid. Go right up to her. They have
no arms aboard. and only sick soldiers"
The little fOtilla soon came moving
slowly over the water, and though the
first hiss of steam came from below, it
was certain the vessel could not move be-
fore the rascals reached her. As the boats
approached the ship, some of the men in
them began firing muskets and revolvers
whenever they could see head above the
bulwarks. The impetuous DR.. Brookes
could not restrain himself, but emptied his
revolver at those approaching the star
. board side, and while he was slowly re-
loading the old-fashioned Colt they swept
up to close quarters and attempted to
throw their fire balls in through the bulls
eyes.
Maria had anticipated this danger, and
led the other women in a rush to close
all the bulseyes on that side. The fire
|; balls which fell on deck were promptly
caught by Pete and Sandy, who skipped
. from one part of the deck to the other
} with iron rods, and threw them into the
water on the other side.
A fatboat which contained eight or 10
men, and was being polled along slowly,
made for the larboard side of the ship,
which had been overlooked in the prepar-
ations. ST saw that the most danger
was to be apprehended from it, and with
Shorty s assistance. tried to lift small an
, chor lying on the deck to the top of thebul-
, wark 1t would have been easy work for
both if they were in health, but now they
strained at it until Maria peering above
, the deck to see how things were going
| L - tIr,,, N,,I rx-,f
her strong hands gave them the required
help to lift the anchor to the top and
poise it there. The fiatboat touched the
/ side of the ship and was being pushed
= along toward the ladder when it came
r directly under the anchor.
'Let her co." said 81, and down it
crashed upon the heads of the men and
+ through the bottom of the boat.
r Col. Billings, with his usual cunning,
saw that the main defense was on the
larboard side, and directed his boat to go
r around to the side which had no defend
, ers. He made several attempts to throw
} fire balls on to the deck or through the
. bullseyes without much success, and then
directed one Of the men to throw up
= rope with a hook on the end to catch the
! bulwark, for them to climb up. The
noise attracted the attention of Sam LET
ferts, who had been preparing the Engi-
! to the boiler. He ran to the side of the
ship, looked over, saw the men gathering
around the rope. dropped the nozzle and
the hose over the side, and just above
their heads, and whistled to the fireman
below the signal to turn on the steam.
The signal was instantly obeyed. A
, mighty scalding blast dashed out the noz-
, zle with cloud of burning vapor that ap-
; peared to literally cook the men exposed,
and they fell into the bottom of the boat
which drifted off.
81 guess we've got steam enough to
! turn over the screw now," chuckled Sam,
. as he saw the terrible evidence of the
force of the blast. :I'll run down and
start her up. We're all right now, Andy"
he yelled to the First Mate. We'll get
out with her in n hurry, Good-by, you
whelps," he continued, shaking his fist at
the writhing men in the boat. THAT isn't
anything to the hotter place. you'll be in
tonight"
To be continued)