The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-03-01
SAL -

Not much sea ROOM Mr. Wharton" remarked
the captain.
u have fought actions in less SIR"
I'VE must keep distance and trust to our gun
merry. She is very heavily manned, and if she got
alongside we might find ourselves in trouble
IL the shakoes of soldiers aboard of her.
Two companies of light infantry from Martinique.
Now nave her. hard aporL and let her have 10 as
we cross her stern!"
The keen eyes Of The little commander had seen
the surface ripple, which told of passing breeze
He had used it to dart across the big Frenchman
and to rake her with every gun he passed. But
past her the Leda had TO come back into the
wind TO keep shOal water The maneuver
brought her on the starboard side of the Frenchman
and the trim little frgate seemed to heel fright
under the crashing broadside which burst from the
sWarming aloft to set her tOpsails and royals and
She strove to cross the GIoires bows and rake her
again. The French captain, however. brought his
frigates head round. and the rode side by side
within easy pistol shot pouring b-Oadsides into each
other in one of those numerous duels which. could
they all be recorded, would motue our charts with
I'm that heavy tropical air. with so faint breeze.
the smoke formed thick haze around the two YES
sells, from which the opmass only protruded Neither
could anything of its enemy save The throbs on
trained and fired into a dense wall of NapOr. On the
poop and the forecaste the marines, i'm two little red
lines were pouring IN thelr Eoleys Dut hellhef ,nt
nor the seamen gunners could see what effect their
fire having. Nor. indeed could they tell how far
they were suHerng themselves IoI slandlng AT gun
could but haZiy that upon the right and the
left. But above the roar of the cannon came the
sharper sound or the piping shoI lle ciasnlhs on
rven planks and the occasional heavy thud spar or
paced up and down the line of guns Whlle captain
Johnson famed the smoke away with his cooked hat
and peered eagerly out.
Joined him. Then suddenly restraining himself
what have we lost Mr. wharton
"Our maintopsaH yard and our gah, sir
Where's the hag?
Gone overheard. SIR"
They'll think we've struck. Lash boats en-
sign the st2rboard arm o. the mizzen cross jack
yes. sir"
A round shot dashed the pinnacle to pieces be-
tween us A second shot knocked two marines into
bloody. palptatng mass For moment tne smoke
rose and the English captain that his adversary
heavier metal producing horrible eject. Inc
Leda was a shattered wreck. Her deck was streWn
into one and one of her Contemporaries guns had
been thrown right back on to her breech ana pointed
loaded and fired but half the guns were silent. ana
their crews We're piled thickly around them.
stand by to repel boardersl" yelled the captain
s.CufIasses lads cutlassesI" roared Wharton
Hold your voley till they touch cried the cap
tain of marines.
The huge loom Of the Frenchman was seen burst
Ing through the smoke. Thick clusters OF boarders
hung upon her sides and shrOuds. A final broadslde
leaped from her ports and the mainmast Of ne eda
swapping short OFF a few feet above the deck, spun
into the air and crashed down upon the port guns.
killing ten men and putting the whole battery out or
action An instant later the two ships scraped to-
eether and the starbOard bower anchor OF the Goife
caught the mzzen chains OF the Leda upon the port
side. With a yell the black swarm of Doarders stead
Bnf their feet were never TO reach that blood
stained deck. From somewhere there came a well
aimed Whit of grape. and another and another. Inc
English marines and seamer waiting WIN culless emu
musket behind the silent guns. saw with engagement
tbe dark masses thinning and shredding aWas. AT
the same time the port broadslde Of the frenehmeh
"Clear awav the wreck" roared the captain.
'sVhat the devil they firing att
Get the guns clear" painted the lieutenant.
wen do them yet bOys
The wreckage was torn and hacked End spiin-
tered until first one gun and then another roared INTO
action again The Frenchman's anchor had been cut
9rVav and the Leda had worked herself free from
tbaf fafal hug But now suddenly there was seurry
.Ip the shrouds of the Goire and hundred English
men were shouting themselves hoafse ihey re rum
ninof They're running They re running.
And Ii was true The FTenchman had ceased 20
fire and was intent only upon cappng on every san
mat lac could carry But that shouting 100 could NOT
claim II an as their own. AS the smoke cleared u
was not difficult TO see the reason. The snlps mac
fhare about four miles out To sea. was The Leua
oonsort bearing down under FUN sail 90 the sound OF