Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-05-20

passed. But once past her. the Leda
had I'd come back into the WlHu 70
keep out of shoal water Inc ma
neuever brought her on the starpoafd
side of the Frenchman and the trim
little frigate seemed to heel right over
under the crashing broadside which
burst from the gaping ports "A mo-
ment later her topmen were sWarmlhg
aloft to set her topsails and royals,
and she strove to cross the Chores
bows and rake her again. The French
captain, however, brought his frigate's
head around and the two rode side by
side within easy pistol shot, pouring
broadsides into each other in one OF
those murderous dues which. could
charts with blood.
In that heavy tropical air, with so
faint breeze, the smoke formed
thick haze around the two YES
sells, from which the topmasts only
protruded. Neither could see anything
of its enemy save the throbs of 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 lit
tile red lines, We're pouring in their vol
leys, but neither they nor the sealnen
gunners could see what effect their fire
was having. Nor. indeed, could they
tell how far they We're suffering them
selves, for, standing at gun, one
coulc but hazily see that upon the
! right and 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 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 sud-
denly restraining himself, What have
we lost, Mr.. Wharton?'
Our maintopsail and our gaff, sir
1 where's the fiag?"
4 Gone overheard. sir"
They'll think we've struck! Lash
a boats ensign on the starboard arm
of the mizzen cross backyard"
Eyes, sir"
round shot dashed the pinnacle to
pieces between them. A second shot
knocked two marines into q bloody
palpitating mass. For a moment the
smoke rose and the English captain
4 saw that his adversary's heavier metal
was producing horrible effect. The
/ Leda was shattered wreck.
/ Her deck was strewn with corpses.
Several of her portfolios We're
knocked into one, and one of her eigh-
/ teen FOUNDER guns had been thrown
right back on to her breech and pointed
straight up at the sky. The thin line OF
marines still loaded and fired. but hall
the guns were silent, and their crews
We're piled thickly around them.
Stand by TO repel barders!" yelled
! the captain.
"Cutlasses, lads, cutlasses!" roared
4 Wharton.
/ Hold your volley till they touch!'
cried the captain of marines.
The huge loom Of the Frenchmar
was seen bursting thru the smoke
Thick clusters of boarders hung upor
her sides and shrouds. A final broad
side leaped from her ports, and the
mainmast of the Leda, swapping shor,
off few feet above the deck, spur
4 into the air and crashed down upor
the port guns, killing ten men ano
putting the whole battery out of ac-
ton An instant later the two ships
scraped together, and the starboard
anchor of the Gloire caught the mizzen
chains of the Leda upon the port side
! With a yell the black swarm Of board
/ ers steadied themselves for spring
i But their feet were never to reach
that blood-stained deck. From some
lwhere there came a well-aimed whit
of grape, and another and another
i The English marines and seamen, wait
ing with cutlass and musket behind
the silent guns, saw with amazenen'
the dark masses thinning and shreddine
laway. At the same time the por'
broadside of. the Frenchman burst into
a roar.
CLEAR away the wreck" roared the
captain. What the devil are they fir.
ing at?"
Get the guns clear!" painted the
lieutenant. We'll do them yet, boys!'
The wreckage was torn and hacked
and splintered until first one gun ant
then another roared into action again
The Frenchman's anchor had been Gu
away and the Leda had worked hersel
free from that fatal hug. But now sud
denly there was scurry up the STROUD!
of the Gloire and a hundred English
men were shouting themselves hoarse
!. They're running! They're running
They're running!"
And it was true. The Frenchmar
had ceased to fire, and was intent onl,
on clapping on every sail that he coult
carry. But that shouting hundred
could not claim it all as their own
!, AS the smoke cleared it was not difti.
cult to see the reason. The ships hae
gained the mouth of the estuary dur
ing the fight, and there, about foul
miles out to sea, was the Leda's con.
sort bearing down under full sail t.
the sound of the guns. Captain d,
Milon had done his part for one day
and presently the Gloire was DRAWN;
off swiftly to the north, while the Dido
was bowling along at her skirts, rat
; Ting away with her bow uhasers, unit
, a headland hid them both from view
But the Leda lay sorely stricken
with her mainmast gone, her bulwark:
shattered, her miZzentopmast and gaf
, gone away, her sails like a beggar.
rags and hundred of her crew deat
; and wounded. Close beside her mas:
of wreckage flated upon the waves. l
was the sternpost of a mangled yes.
sci, and across it, in white letters on ;
black ground, was printed, THE Slap
ping Sal"