Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-08-27

lard. who was wounded. 1--WE can do
no more!"
what. gentlemen" cried Jones,
would you have me strike to a drop
of water and bit of fire? Up, De
Chamilnrd! Here, doctor, help me get
this gun over"
The surgeon hesitated. looked around
again. and. not liking the appearance
of things about him, turned and ran
below. Not to his station. for that
was under water. His mates had been
killed. He wandered up and down
the decks, doing what he could-which
was but little-for the wounded where
they lay. Assisted by two or three of
the seamen, with his own hands Jones
dragged one Of the 0 FOUNDERS from
the disengaged side Of the deck across
to the starboard side TO take the place
of dismonnted one; and. while the
heavy battery Of the Scraps continued
its unavailing fire below, these three
small guns under his personal direc-
ton concentrated their fire upon the
mainmast of the Scraps.
The fortuitous position Of the Amer
leans in the enemy's tops enabled them
to pour perfect rain of small arm fire
upon the spar deck of the Scraps
with little possibility OF effective re-
turn. Man after man was shot down
by the side of the intrepid Pearson,
who. whatever his other hack Of quail
iiications, showed that he possessed
magnificent personal courage. until he
remained practically alone upon the
deck alone and as yet undaunted.
1t is impossible to describe the scene.
II is not within the power of words to
portray the situation, after over two
hours Of The most fri&htful and deter
ever in such condition. No battle that
was ever fought was like it. The
decks were covered with dead and dy-
ing. Bands of men in different direc-
tons were fighting the fires. The smoke
in lowering clouds hung heavily over
the ships, for the wind had died and
there was scarcely enough to blow it
away. The pale moonlight mingled
with the red glare from the flames
and threw an added touch of lurid
ghastliness trembling over the smoke
wrapt sea. From below came the
steady roar Of the Scraps guns, from
above the continuous cracking of the
Richards small arms. The noises
blended in hideous diapason of do
struction which rose to an offended
heaven in the horrid discOrd Of an in
formal region. The prisoners, still I'M
der the influence of their terror, toilcd
at the clanking pumps. The water
gushcd redly from the bleeding Soup
pcrs. Order, tactics, discipline, had
been forgotten. Men glared with blood
shot eyes, set their teeth beneath foa m
faxed lips and fought where they stood
fought in frenzy against whatever
came to hand, whether it was the Eng
lish ship or the roaring flames or the
Rushing waters. They rocked nothing
of consequences. In their frantic bat
tie lust they beat upon the sides of
the other ship with their bare hands
and bloody knuckles and knew not
what they did. Their breath came
quick and short. The red of battle
was before their vision They had but
one thought-slay, kill. One would
have said that the brute instinct was
uppermost in every heart But in
scenes of this kind it is not the great
est brute that wins, but the grea test
soul. and the one man who still pre-
served his calmness in this orgy of
war was the man to win the battle
Jones.
The Alliance had repeated her pre-
vioUs performance, but the men had
| been worked to such n pitch that they
never needed her. Many of item did
not know of it. Both ships We're
thoroughly beaten. 1t was a question
as to which would realize it first, who
would first surrender. Nay. there was
no question whatever of Jones' sur
no question of Jones surrender under
any circumstances whatsoever. Pear
son would give up under some condi
| lions. and those had at last arrived
| That was the essential difference be
tween the two men. 1t was radical.