The Minneapolis journal., 1903-12-05
In the U'asp's $ Nest
BY CYRUS TOWNSEND BRADY.
Copyright, 1902, by Charles Scrbner's Sons.)
BY CYRUS TOWNSEND BRADY.
CHAPTER XIII.
..ro Sink, Burn and Destroy"

"To Sink Burn Destroy"
HE first few days out had found about half the crew
incapacitated by sea-sickness. Most of them had
never been on blue water before. The captain
ever had insisted applying the best
for that dire malady made them
Ihey were young, ambitious fairly well educated and
their progress wonderful:
Blakely possessed his in patience, headed
the vessel straight for the English channel where
felt sure they would have plenty to do, it the
most frequented water the globe. waged :
orders to sink, burn and destroy whatsoever
across private property, belonging to the enemy
Just what the enemy We're striving to do on our coast
Perhaps after all, such orders merciful in
the end, for in no way could the horrors of and
the vast drain the financial of Great
Britain be carried home to the great mass Of the
property, breaking up their commerce, running
their trade. You touch mans pocket, and he re-
spends instantly It's dollars pounds, gold silver
that make and that stop it, too.
1t had been great fun, 50 the youngsters in the
steerage and the green hands the had
thought when they first tried it, to sight vessel hull
down on the distant horizon, to bear chase
it, to keep it in sight thru long summer day, grad
ually overhauling it, in spite efforts to
escape and finally to bring to with shot the
bow.
Then there would be hasty examination to ascer-
tain it's value, and decide whether to
it and send it in to be condemned
neneht OF the capors or to do something else with it,
All this amusing, but when came to taking
poor peaceable merchant Sailors
ing them IN the hold of the Wasp while the prize
either scutted or burned, that was another thing.
It was not pleasant duty all, they hated
it. Yet they did it, since they to- thoroness
which bespoke their efficiency. there were some
bitter memories among the New Enganders of ravaged
sea coasts of American ships burned destroyed in
the same way to stir them
That kind of duty sickened little Boston He was
of fine, generous, high hstrung something
very noble in his SOUL and got used to that
phase of war. 1t not duty that any relished
but it had to be performed in retaliation English
ships were doing it on the American wherever
and whenever they could an incident in
the terrible of
Sometimes they chased ships of the enemy which
succeeded in escaping them often they over
hauled neutral vessels which, of course allowed
to go free. Boston always felt joy which he
would not have told to for his life, one
Of the hunted merchantmen succeeded in getting away.
That not often, however but it occurred enough
times to the of the the channel
OF fast and formidable American sloop- war be
circulated everywhere, especially among shipping
circles The rate of insurance raised at once and
vessels waited for of larger ships before ven
turing to leave port Meanwhile number of English
ships and frigates channel with orders
to look out for the saucy stranger
After they had been nearly two months sea, hav-
Ing DESTROYED many valuable merchant ships
teers of the English and provisions water were
running low and supplies getting Captain
ly determined to into L LOrient, France order
2 to supply his deficiencies in that neutral port.
From the captain down to the smallest powder
boy, the whole literally spelling for fight
They tired of chasing traders they wanted get
alongside a -Warship of the enemy, Of COM
parable to their
Just at dawn the lookous sweeping the seas from
the masthead reported sail away on
the lee beam. The hands up at once and
the Wasp headed the strangers, who were OBJ
served making sail in endeavor to escape.
They were both good goers apparently and seemed
to be holding their own with the American ship. Her
advantage, if any,, was very slight. Blakey, however
held in chase and the morning advanced he sud-
denly discovered three sail wind ward of him
# they all turned out to be he would have
than he barganed for his hands. However, he
did to pause before uncertainty.
If the ships in sight were armed, and of those
windwafd, at least appeared to be war;