The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-03-01

S|utlheScot lhosl 5cutlassesl" foAted
wharton
"sIoid your vollsy Till they touohlo cr,ed
the captain OF marines h,
The huge loom 81 the Brenchr1an wss
seen bursting through the smoke rh,ct
clusters OF boardcrs hung upon hcr s,d.s
and shrouds. A nnai broadsids leaped
from her ports. and the naininast OF the
Leda, snap ping short of q few feet above
the dock, spun into the air ana crashed
down upon the port guns, killing ten mon
and quitting the whoie battery out Of az.
tion. An instant later two ships scraped
together. and the starboard bower an.
Choir OF the Gioire caught the raissen
chairs OF tho Leua upon tho port Side.
with q yell tho black swarm Of boarders
steadled themselves for q spring. 5
But their feet were never to reach thAt
blood-Btalned deck. From somewhere
there came = well-aimed whtff Of grape
and another and another. The English
marines and senmen. waiting with cut.
lnssea and 1nuHket boi!nd tho silent Rllr,s.
saw with nnazemcnt the dark masses
thinning and shreddlng away. 1T tho
same time tho port broadsidc Of the
Frenchtnan burst into roar. ~ f,
Clear away tho wreckl''roared thu
ca ptnin. What tho devil arc they firing
nt7 SN5. q 4 a 'j7-5i
Get the guns clenr' painted the 5lleu-
tenant. Well do them yet boysl"sBjj Il III
no wreckago was torn and hacked and
splinteicd until frst one gun and then
mother roared Into action again. Ths
Frcnchnan's anchor had been cut away
and tho Leda had worked herself fres
from that fatal hug, But now suddenly
there was q scurry up the shrouds OF the
Gloire, and hundred Englishmcn were
shouting themselves hoarsc: They're
running! They 70 running I, @ 81
And 1t was true Tho B.renchman l,nd
ceased to IRE. ana was intent only upon
2clapptng on every sail that no could car;
ry. But that shouting hundred could not
claim 1t oil as their own. AS the smoke
cleared It WAS not difficult to see tho rca-
con. The ships had gained the mouth
OF the estuary during the fight. and there,
about four miles out to sea, was tho
Leda S. consort bearing down under full
sail to the sound OF the guns. Captain
da Milon had dono his part for one day.
and presently tho GloIre was drawing Off
swiftlys 10 the north. while the Dido was
bowling along at her eldrts, rafting away
with her bow chasers. until a headland
hid them both from view. 81
But the Leda lay sorcly stricken, With
her main1nast gone, her bulW'arks shat.
tered. her mizzentopmast and gar gone
away, h or sails ike bcggar's rags and
a hundred Of her crew dead and wound
ed. Close beside her q mass OF wreckagss
foated upon the waves. It was thu!
gternpost OF a. n,angled vessel. and across
It. in white letters on a black ground,
was printed "The slapping Sal.
by tho Lord! It was the brig tha1
eaved us " cried Mr.. Wharton. Hud-
son brought her into action with the
Frenchman and was blown out OF tho
water byta broadsideT. 3 N ~
The little captain turned ION his heel
and paced up and down the deck. Al.5
ready his crew were plugging the shot
holes. .knotting and splicing and mendins.
Whom h Q came back tho lieutenant saw
q kottening Of the stern lines about his
eyes and mou TIL i! 81 Y y Ne a H 483 IA
Arc they all gone g. 81 M $ III d 3
~. 3Ss every man. They must havo sunk
with tho wreck IN 5y55s " 3S5f x. sS.a
Tho two officers looked down at the
sinister name and at tho stump OF wreck
ago which noated Into the dlscolored wa.
ter Something Diack washed to and fra
beside splintered gan and tangle Of
halliards. 1t was tho outra geous ensign,
and near It q scarlet cap was f1oating. M
| 3s55'1Ie was villain.bu he was a Briton...
said the captain. at last. .'He lived llks
q dog, but, by God, no died like a mani