The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1903-10-09

upon Hln Will pardlyZlnS SHOCK. AS
soon as she fired she began to fall off,
and it was a minute OF two before she
came up near enough to fire again,
but when she did the shot flew scream
ing through our rigging, cutting several
ropes and tearing a hole in the lower
part of our main topsail. The skipper
had turned deadly pale and leaned
heavily against the rail, but as he saw
her coming up for a third shot he
gasped out the words:
Put her about, Menzies! l insist up
on it, Put her about, say!'
"Na, ma, captain. Pit her aboot yer
sell, gin ye want her SUNK" was the
cool reply. "Ah dinna mind fecht,
but it's nae part O. ma duty tae throw
the ship ava because ye're frightened"
This open defiance seemed to arouse
the skipper as perhaps nothing else
would have done, for he made a quick
step forward at the very moment our
pursuer fired her third shot 1t was
better aimed than the others and struck
the rail close behind him, shattering it
to q hundred pieces, one of which
struck the captain in the head as he
was in the very act of ordering the
mate below He fell without cry, and
Menzies bent over him for an instant.
Then he Strengthened himself and look
ed around had sprung up the steps
to- help with the skipper, but he quietly
waved me back.
"Ye medina mind him the noo," he
said. He's faur beyant help, Am
thinkin'." Then he stood as if in deep
thought for half minute, his eyes TAX
ing in first the Crusader and then the
two schooners. At last he turned
sharply to the steersman and gave him
the order to bring the ship up into the
wind. Both the second mate and I
stared at him silently, too much sur
prised to ask any questions, even if
the expression of his face hadn't for
hidden it. But in fact he seemed a diff
ferent man from the moment when the
fall Of the skipper had placed him in
command. His rough manner had be-
come masterful decision. Even the
angular lines of his face and figure had
developed a new force and 4 rough dig
nifty that were impressive. Two or
three quick, peremptory orders to the
crew followed that to the man at the
wheel, and before l could understand
what was being done he had brought
her head to the wind and laid her to.
Good heavens! Was he going to sur
render without an effort?
1t seemed so, and the question broke
ment across the wounded body of the
skipper, whose suggestion he had treat
ed so contemptuously not ten minutes
before.
"Na, ma, SIR" he answered grimly;
"A'll no be sayin' that a'tegither, but
Am thinkin' there's naething to be got
by gettin' blawn tae bits. Please the
Lord, We'll hae bit fecht fort yet"
Next moment he ordered two of the
men to carry the captain below. There
was something even more cool and de-
liberate than usual in his way of speak
ing, which certainly had an effect on
the sailors. who when the firing first
began seemed inclined to become de-
moraliZed. Now his clear, hard tones
seemed to act on the men like tonic,
and they sprang to carry out each or
der as it was given in way that show
ed renewed confidence both in their
commander and themselves. They lift
ed the skipper's body from the deck
and proceeded to carry it below.
Menzies turned to the second mate.
yell see him pit dacently in his
horth nv To hI1f hn fnS
time aboot it. All be wantin' We here
the noo," he said
Perhaps Menzies' action in lying to
had surprised our pursuers, too, for
the schooner wasted no more shot upon
us, but, f1attening the sails against the
mast once more, headed for us directly
Menzies eyed her for second or two
with hard cynical look on his face
as he noticed that so far his tactics had
resulted as he had expected. Then he
turned away with a sound that was
almost like a chuckle, remarking for
my benefit:
''Weel, Am thinkin' it's efter sun
doom, onyway, sac it IL no be unbe-
comm tae haul doom that bit ensign.
If the Lord pleases, it may cen gle
the deevils a the mair confidence"
He called a sailor and gave the order,
which was instantly obeyed. and then,
casting another look at the schooner,
which looked gray in the fading light,
he descended to the main deck with
the same heavy, deliberate step he
would have used in walking the deck
in calm.
l had often seen what discipline can
do in moments of emergency and dan
ger, but that was my first experience
of the effect of purely personal char
acter. l felt it myself, and could see
how it told upon every man of the
crew as soon as he came into contact
with it. Something of the cool, cynical
determination of the man seemed to
enter into each one he spoke to, and
in less than five minutes he had set
each to work in his preparation for de-
fense. There were four guns on deck,
and these he had cleared away and
loaded with a miscellaneous assort-
ment of odds and ends instead of ball,
while he took a special interest in the
fifth one on the forecastle, which he
loaded himself. The guns and ammu-
milton were served out under his in
spection, and each of the crew was
provided with a cutlass, Menzies him.
self selecting the largest among them.
The men worked with a will, and the
mate appeared to be everywhere at
once and to direct everybody, though