The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1903-11-11

OF them! 1 distrust them greatly, yet
they must be tried"
"Aye, aye, sir. Thank you, Sir" SAID
the young midshipmap, delighted at
being thus distinguished.
"Mr. Caswcll," he added, turning to
the largest and oldest, you will take
charge of the forecastle. Mr.. Fan
ming, l contide the maintop to you. The
rest of you will command the several
divisions in the main batteries and the
other tops. Now, young gentlemen,
before you go to your stations / would
| take you by the hand. And So lifting
his cooked hat r~cyerently, an example
| all present followed, "mNy God guard
the right!' There was Il suspicious
moisture in some of the eyes looking
upon the captain, but the midshipmen
| would have died rather than permit
an actual tear to be seen.
'Illree cheers for Commodore Jones
| and the bully Richard!' at last shouted
Payne, breaking the insupportable 81
lcncc. The little party, somewhat for
| gctful of discipline for the moment,
crowded around their captain, shaking
him by the hand, and turned away.
They had come up to the quarter deck
| a rolllcking set of boys. They returned
from it n group OF grave eyed men.
what n splendid set OF Youngsters"
said Jones to himself as he watched
them spring lightly toward their sta
tions. Then he turned toward the
sailing master. "Mr. Stacey, take the
deck for Il few moments and hold on
as we are. Ali" he said, pausing with
his foot on the ladder rs he SAW the
Pallas, Il much swifter Sailcr than the
Richard, rushing by on the starboard
side with every breadth of canvas
| drawing, heading for the smaller of
the two English ships before them,
"thero goes tho Pallas. Cottineau at
least is n brave man. L shall re-
member him. Come, Dale" AS he
stopped down the ladder n hearty cheer
rang out from the passing frigate
which, without order, vas Justify re-
turned from the Richard, and then the
two officers walked through the bat
terics.
The sun had set for some time, and
night had long since fallen over the
sea. The lighthouse on Marlborough
head was sending out q great beam OF
warning from that jutting point. Far
on the horizon Il silvcry brightness had
| spread itself in the heavens, bespcak-
ing the harvest moon, the FURNISHED
rim Of which ever before sunset had
leapcd into being on the edge of the
water. Lights twinlilcd here and there
on the English ships before them and
crowned the hills of the distant town
IDII .,,4,.~
lighted between decks on the Richard,
the yellow pickering radiance from
which was reflected from the sincwy,
half naked, sweat covered bodies Of
the stalwart men ut their quarters rs
the captain walked through the crew.
1t was n varied asscmblagc OF about
300 men which manned the guns and
filed the tops. Tho crew had been
made up in France out OF such ma
terlals as came to hand. There We're
about scvcnty-fvc tried and true
American Scamcn, most of them vet
Grams of many a hard fight and bold
adventure. These commanded the diff
fercnt guns and filled the more i'm
portaut stations. There were, per-
haps, $50 veteran French soldiers
old artillcrists-some of whom had
volunteered at the guns. A few
Of the most expert marksmen among
them were stationed in the tops,
but the greater portion was divided
into two large bodies drawn up on
the quarter deck and f~orccastlc. The
balance of the crew had been gathered
from the rifrranf of all nations. Perhaps
n tougher, rougher, harder, more des-
pcratc body of men never fought in Il
ship. They had but one ~virtue-they
would fight.
Only n rcsolutc hand ard an indomi-
table will like that of Jones had ever
held the motley crowd in any kind OF