The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-11-20
OosgnSend Brod7.
& Co0prss. 1900 By CHARLES scRIBwER.s SONS


boom or artillery reverberating across
the water told that their consort had
joined in battle with the Scarborough.
Why were they so slow? Suddenly, in
the midst of the silence. broken only
by the soft sigh of the summer wind
through the top hamper, the splashing
of the bluff bows as they forced them,
selves through the ripping water,
came the sound of a hail from the
English ship, the words of which were
indistinguishable.
II don't understand you,' cried
Jones, then he turned to the quarter
master and said softly:
"Over with the helm! Hard a-star-
boardr' AS the wheel was put over
by the skillful hands of the quarter
master and his mate the great ship
swung slowly to port and rounded to
off the port bow of the English ship.
The Englishman hailed again.
This is the United States ship Bon
Homme Richard" shouted Paul Jones
in reply. at the top of his voice, spring
ing up on the rail the while. Stand
byw A culver and shiver went through
the ship from her tops to her very
vitals. Fire.
Streams of light leaped out in the
once from the sides of the Richard
only to be met and brushed away by a
broadside which had been delivered no
less promptly from the English ship.
Groans and curses and yells and cheers
rose from the blood stained decks upon
CHASTITY wounds or lay contorted in
hideous death where they had fallen,
for at close range both broadsides had
done fearful execution.
The desperate men ran the huge
guns in and out and loaded them with
Gus cannonade upon their foes. The
roar of the great guns drowned every
other sound as the two ships sailed
side by side in bitter conflict, but the
trained ear of the American captain
had detected another sound coincident
tale of disaster When the logger
heads had been applied to the printing
Of two of the IS Founders they had ex-
ploded with terrific conclusion, killing
and wounding nearly every man of
their crews.
McCollin, who commanded the bat
terry, was struck by a piece of iron and
received dreadful wound. He re-
manned at his post, however, clinging
tenaciously to a broken stanchion for
a moment until he recovered him.
self little. AS the frightened and
appalled, men shrank away from the
remaining gun of the battery, not yet
discharged in view Of the dreadful ex-
plosion. he seized the hot iron from
the dead hand of the captain of No. l
gun, and setting his lips grimly stag
gered over to the last cannon.
Don't do it. sirp' hoarsely cried the
old boatswain's mate who served under
him. sit III blow up with We, as the
others ha' donev' There was no reply.
McCollin was beyond words. With set
lips and grim face. in silence he wa
vered on before the awestruck men.
With tottering steps he reached the
gun and applied the iron. There was
a binding roar and the gun whirled in
board in rapid recoil from the force of
the discharge.
LOAD it again." said the gasping
boy, striving to stop the blood with his
hand against his side. Before the men
who. inspired by such heroism. had
sprung eagerly forward, could reach
the piece. an 10 pound shot from the
Scraps lower deck struck it fair and
square on the trunnion and dismount-
ed it, That battery was useless. The
explosion had made gaping hole
in the side of the Richard, through
which the red lighted side of the Sera-
pis but short distance away could
be seen plainly. The deck above and
below was badly shattered by the
blowing up of the guns.
All the men alive of this division"
said McCollin thickly, will find places
at the divisions on the gun deck. We
can do nothing more here. Goodby.
Payne"
A few moments later a powder black
ened. blood stained. white faced, des-
perate little figure appeared out Of the
smoke before the captain.
"McCollin. you herer' he cried stern
ly. why are you not with your bat
terry, sirr'
"L have to report, SIR" said the boy,
grasping the rail with one hand to
keep from falling while he saluted
with the other. that two of the berth
deck guns blew up. sir. and the other
was dismOunted. Have you any orders
FOR me. sirY'
''Too bsd"' cried Jones' Orders
but you are wounded"
At this moment round shot struck
the lad fair in the chest. With his
hand still at salute he was whirled
across the deck and thrown against the
taffrail, a broken mass of what had
been humanity.
Good heaven! exclaimed the cap
tain. staring and almost losing his iron
nerve at this double shock-the loss of
khe battery and the death of the mid
shipman. "Poor ladI A hero"
The ships We're nearer now. The
rifles Of the Frenchmen were cracking
and the fire from the great guns was
continuous. The Richard had drawn
well ahead. and fearful that the Sera-
pis would cross his stern and rake,
Jones now shivered his headsails, threw
his aftersails aback. checked the way
of his own ship, and the Scraps, firing
madly into the smoke, drew ahead OF
the Richard. Jones then put his helm
up to try to cross her stern and rake
The quick handling of the Englisb ShiI