The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-11-13

to the dangerous experiment. not
often resOrted to. of mounting six
Is Founders in ports pierced for
them on the berth deck. and of course
very near the water line. The guns
were all of an obsolete pattern and
much worn by use. the Is Founders
being especially bad; as dangerous,
in fact, to friends as foes. Bad as they
were, they were all be could obtain.
and. with characteristic determination.
Jones resolved to make the best of
them.
The ship herself was SO old and rot
ten that she was not even fit for an
ordinary merchant cruise. much less
prepared for the shocks of battle
Through an unfortunate combination
Of circumstances. all of her senior Off
GERS were absent except Dale, the first
lieutenant, Stacey, the sailing master,
and Mease, the purser. Among that
half of her crew who were soldiers
many had scarcely yet acquired their
"sea legs" and some of them were
actually seasick during the battle! The
Scraps, with which they were about
to engage and to which they were
rapidly drawing near, was brand
new. double banked frigate, mounting
fifty guns OH one uncovered and two
covered decks, twenty Is pound
ers, twenty 9s and ten G's. She
was manned by $50 we'll drilled able
seamen and commanded by one of the
host off in, ho LNnUliSh
was ably seconded by full quota Of
capable and experienced subordinates.
Pearson had no more doubt of Win
ming the victory than he had of the
rising of the sun next morning. Leav-
ing one factor out of q comparison of
the opposing forces, his confidence was
absolutely warranted But Jones had
no more doubt of winning the victory
than Pearson had. Pearson knew his
ship and his crew: Jones knew himself
He was the unconscious factor which
vitiated Pearson's conclusions. When
a man like the little Scotch American
captain makes up his mind to do a
thing there is only one thing to prevent
his doing it, and that is to remove the
man! Jones intended to conquer
There never was a man who had more
Of the spirit Of absolute determination,
Of unconquerable, unshakable, I'M
breakable pertinacity in continuing a
conflict, than he. He never knew when
he was beaten, perhaps because he
never was. There was something in
the sheer determined persistent pug
nacity of the man which absolutely
compelled success. He wrenched vic
tory from overwhelming odds, superior
force, fOrtuitouS chance everything
The men understood this too. There
Is nothing that your real hard bitten
daredevil, your imprudent rutfian, likes
so much as a man who is not afraid of
him and who will be his master Your
ruffian curses and sWearS at your man,
plots against him, rebels, mutinies,
conspires, and in the moment of action
follows him like devotee. The little
man standing at the break of the poop,
cool, calm, thoughtful, with his stu
dent face and somewhat poetic.
dreamy smile, did not look like the iron
handed, iron willed, indomitable mas
ter of the motley ruffian band which
had been dumped upon his deck
which he certainly was. With the
dainty manner of Frenchman, the
courteous Difference of gentleman
of the oldest and best school, the calm
ness of an ancient philosopher, there
was in his appearance no outward evil
dence of the tremendous qualities in
herent in the man save in the spar
king, flashing, piercing eye, which
plunged through and through those
upon whom its glances We're fastened
with the keenness of sword blade.
His men were wont to say that he
could look even a frigate into striking
her colors If given an opportunity.
The hardest ruffian cringed like a cur
before him, and this when he was
peaceful and quiet. When he grew
angry, which was rare, his passion was
like Washington's, blasting and appall-
ing. He was perfectly quiet now,
however, and he stood by Dale's side
at the break of the poop looking over
the bows of the ship toward the en-
envy.
Ito be Continued.)