Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1903-12-03
CHAPTER |

. A STERN CHASE ON A LEE SHORE.
THE wind Is freshening. We gain
upon her easily. think, sir"
Decidedly. This Is our best point
of sailing and our best wind too We
cant be going less than 10 knots"
said the captain, looking critically
over the bows at the water racing
alongside.
81 can almost make out, the name
on her stern now with the naked eye"
replied the other, staring hard ahead
through the drift and spray.
Have you a glass there, Mr. o.
Neill?" asked the captain.
Yes. sir: here IT u.s." answered that
gentleman. handing him a long old
( fashioned. cumbrous brass telescope,
which he at once adjusted and focused
on the ship they were chasing.
All" said the elder of the two
speakers. small. slender man, stand
/ ing lightly poised on the tOpgallant
fOrecastle with the careless confidence
of a vetaHn seaman as he examined
/ the chase through the glass which the
taller and younger officer handed him.
Il can read 1t plainly with this. The
! M-a-i-d-MaidstOne, a trader evident
| ly, as | see no gun ports nor anything
that betOkens an armament" He ran
the tubes of the glass into each other
and handed II back, remarking, AT
this rate we shall have her in short
time"
, She is a fast one, though" replied
the other It's no small task for any
thing ahOat to show us her heels for
so long time Let me see: It was
six bells in the morning watch when
we raised her, was II not, sir?"
Yes, it's rather remarkable going
for a merchant vessel, but we have the
heels of her and will get her soon I'M
less she goes to the bottom on those
reefs round the Lands End yonder.
It's a nasty place to be tearing through
in that wild way" he added thought
fully.
Shall ] give her a shot, sir, from
the starboard bow chaser"
Not just yet; 1t would be useless, as
we are not quite within range, and
she would pay no heed besides, we
shall have her without II, ard tbs hard
ly worth while wasting a shot upon her
at present"
The brief conversation took place
forward from the foTecastle of the
American Continental ship Ranger, be-
tween her captain. John Paul Jones,
and her first lieutenant, one Barry o.
Neil, marquis de RiChmont. sometime
officer In the navy of his most Chris
tian majesty the king of France o.
Nell was the son Of marshal Of
France. an Irish gentleman of high
birth and position, who had gone out
as a mere lad with the young Stuart
In the '4j, and whose property had
been cOnfiscated and himself attained
and sentenced TO death for high tTea-
son. Fortunately he had escaped TO
the continent, and had entered the
service of the king Of France, where,
through his extraordinary ability and
courage, he had risen TO exalted sta
ton and great wealth He had al
ways continued more or less of con-
srlratOr In the cause of the royal
Stuarts, however, and his son. follow
ing in his footsteps. had been mixed
mp in every reasonable IaCObite en-
terprise which had been undertaken,
and was under the same han Of the
British throne as was his father
When Paul Jones in the historic
ship Ranger came to France, O'Neill,
moved by a spirit of adventure and his
ever present desire to strike a blow at
King George, received permission to
enter the American service TEMPORARY
ly, with several other French officers.
The Ranger was already some days out
on her successful cruise, when, early
on a morning in the month of April in
the year l77S, they had sighted a ship
trying to beat around the Lands End
Sail had at once been made in chase
and the stranger was now almost with
IN the grasp Of the American pursu-
ers.
IT seems to me, sir" said O'Nell to
the captain, that unless She goes
about presently she won't weather that
long reef over beyond her, where those
Lreakers are
Aye" said Jones land II she goes
about, she's our, and He paused
IgniNcantly.
If not. sire"
She's Gods" added the captain sol
cmnly,