The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-03-15

head round, and the two rode side by
side within easy pistol shot, pouring
broadsides into each other in one of
those murderous duels which, could they
ali be recorded, would mottle our charts
with blood
In that heavy tropical air, with so faint
q breeze. the smoke formed a thick haze
around the two vessels, from which the
topmasts only protruded. Neither could
see anything of it's enemy save the
throbs or fire in the darkness, and the
guns were sponged and trained and fired
into a dense wall of vapor. On the poop
and the forecastle the marines, in two
little red lines, were pouring in their
volleys, but neither they nor the seamen
gunners could see what effect their fire
was having. Nor, indeed, could they tell
how far they were suffering themselves,
for, standing al a gun, one could but
hazily see that upon the right and the
left. But above the roar of the cannon
came the sharper sound of the piping
shot, the crashing of riven planks and
the occasional heavy thud as spar or
block came hurting onto the deck. The
lieutenant paced up and down the line
of the guns while Captain Johnson
famed the smoke away with his cooked
hat and peered eagerly out.
This is rare, Bobby" said he, as the
lieutenant joined him Then suddenly
restraining himself, what have we lost,
Mr. Wharton"
Our maintopsail yard and our gaff,
sir"
where's the hag?'
Gone overheard, sir"
They'll think we've struck! Lash a
boats ensign on the starboard arm of
the mizzen cross backyard"
YES, sir"
A round shot dashed the pinnacle to
pieces between US. A second shot knock
ed two marines into a bloody. palpitat-
ing mass. For a moment the sinoA%
rose. and the English captain saw that
his adversary's heavier metal was pro-
ducing a horrible effect The Leda was
shattered wreck. Her deck was strewn
with corpses. Several of her portfolios
were knocked into one, and one of her
eighteen FOUNDER guns had been thrown
right back on to her breech and pointed
straight up to the sky. The thin line
of marines still loaded and fired, but
half the guns were silent, and their
crews We're piled thickly around them.
STAND by to repel boarders" yelled
the captain.
"Cutlasses, lad, cutlassesn" roared
Wharton.
Hold your volley till they touch!"
cried the captain of marines
The huge loom of the Frenchman was
seen bursting through the smoke. Thick
clusters Of boarders hung upon her sides
and shrouds. A final broadsde leaped
from her ports, and the mainmast of the
Leda, swapping short off a few feet above
the deck, spun into the air and crashed
down upon the port guns, killing ten men
and putting the whole battery out of ac-
ton. An instant later the two ships
scraped together, and the starboard
bower anchor Of the Gloire caught the
mzzen chains of the Leda upon the
port side. With yell the black swarm |
of boarders steadied themselves for a
spring.
But their feet were never % reach that |
blood-staSned deck From somewhere |
there came a we'll aimed Whit of grape, |
and another and another. The English |
marines and seamen, waiting with cut
lass and musket behind the silent guns, |
saw with amazement the dark masses |
thinning and shredding away Al the |
same time the port broadside Of the |
Frenchmen burst into roar.
Clear away the wreck" roared the
captain. what the devil are they firing |
at?'
Get the guns clear" painted the lieu
tenant Wen do them yet, boys!"
The wreckage was torn and hacked and
splintered until first one gun ana then
another roared into action again. The
Frenchman's anchor had been cut away
and the Leda had worked herself free
from that fatal hug. But now suddenly
there was a scurry up the shrouds OF
the Gloire, and a hundred Englishmen
were shouting themselves hoarse:
They're running! They're running!
They're running"
And it was true. The Frenchman had
ceased to fire, and was intent only upon
clapping on every sail that she could
carry But that shouting hundred could
not claim it all as their own. AS the
smoke cleared it was not difficult to see
the reason The ships had gained the
mouth of the estuary during the fight,
and there, about four miles out to sea,
was the Ledas consort bearing down
under sail to the sound of the guns.
Captain de Million had done his part for
one day and presently the Gloire was
drawing off swiftly to the north, while
the Dido was bowling along at her
skirts, rafting away with her bow
chasers, until headland hid them both
from view
But the Leda lay sorely stricken, with
her mainmast gone, her bulwarks shat
tered her mizzentopmast and gafi gone
away, her sails like "a beggar's rags and
a hundred of her crew dead and wound
ed Close beside her a mass of wreck
age floated upon the waves. 1t was the
sternpost of a mangled vessel, and
across it, in white letters on a black
ground was printed The Shaping
Sal"
by the Lord! 1t was the brig that
saved u.s." cried Mr.. Wharton. Hudson
brought her into action with the French
man and was blown out of the water
by broadside!'
The little captain turned on his heel
and paced up and down the deck. Already
his crew were plugging the shot holes,
knotting and splicing and mending. When
he came back the lieutenant saw soft