Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1903-06-05

UOl. l-ltn lNht eVAil AA NaAs
"Oh. YOU won't muster your crew.
eh?" sneered the lieutenant. 1T is rs
we suspected-too many British de
serters aboard Well, I'll soon weed
them out without your help. Here.
You Yankees, muster at the mast"
Had the crew been backed by the
captain they would have refused 10
line up on the deck; but. receiving no
encouragement from him to resist, they
shambled aft TO the mainmast and got
I'm line. They were six able seamen,
the mate and cook not being included
I'm the muster. The lieutenant I'M
pressed five ont Of the six.
II was an outrage to make his bloco
ooil. and yet Captain Bldeford realized
that he was helpless. There was force
enough behind the officer to back him
up in whatever he wished to do. The
men looked appealngly at the captain,
but he turned away in sorrow and de-
spair.
For the last ten minutes Mary Bide-
ford had been watching the sky ana
the British man-of- war and had been
seemingly oblivious of what was going
on beside her. She now turned to the
captain and quietly said:
Jest sort Of carclessly squint into
the southeast and tell me what you
see"
"By gosh, but it's an oxeye squall
or I'm no sailorw whispered Abner
after look
That's what II is. and they see 1t
aboard the frigate and have run up
flag of warnin The men in the boat
can't see it. as they are on the wrong
side. and the officer Is too busy with
his conceit. II we can hold our men
ten minits. we can save them. You 60
and talk TO the mate and post him up,
and I'll have few words with the of
ficer"
The officer was not averse to an ar
gument while waiting. and Mary took
care TO keep him interested by allow
ing him 10 do most OF the talking. She
was seeking To gain nine or ten min
utcs. and she succeeded. Then three
things happened all at once-the i'm
pressed men appeared on deck with
their bags. the frigate fred a gun. and
the squall came roaring down like an
angry lion.
II was n miracle that the brig was
To lccward until her yardarns dipped.
and only the loss OF n portion OF her
sails saved her from laundering out OF
hand In ten seconds daylight was
turned into semidarkness. and there
were shouts of terror and despair from
every soul on deck Ii seemed long
FIVE minutes before the Dolphin lifted
herself out Of the foam and went fly
ing away before the wind. and as she
started the boat which had been along
side with the three marines and -four
sailors In II was seen floating bottom.
up.
When the brig had been made snug
Captain Bidcford looked about him
Mary was just freeing herself from th,
laShings which had saved her from -
ing overheard. and not a man Of the
crew had been lost. What seemed lile
retribution had ovorJaken the others
however. The three marines had dis
appeared, and the lieutenant lay amOnc
the spare spars in au unconscious col
dition. No one looked for the mau-of
war. While the fury of the squad.
was spent after half an hour. it was
followed by "a brecze which ran th,
Dolphin below the horizon.
"Waal, Abner," said Mary when
things had been Strengthened ont and
the unconscious officer had been re
moved to the cabin FOR treatment
"mebbe you'll believe in Providence
after this"