Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-12-09

and handicapped by the entanglng net
their arms rendered useless, the Eng
lishmen went down in squirming,
crushing heap.
Unlike the fondling of an infant by
its mother was the measure metet
unto them When thoroughly subducd
they were ingenlously tied with the
short warps and further secured with
the wreckage of the table and handy
beach drift.
"Think nobody heard of the declara.
ton of war but you. do yea? Captain
Zeke called back to his discounted foe
as he marshaled his men to the boats.
"If the Betsy Ann wasn't SO near full
I'd swap ships with ye. Come, hurry
up, boys, and catch those boats.'
The briggs boats, each with its keep
er sculling homeward for dear life,
were quickly overhauled, the men cap
tured and the boats stove and set
adrift.
The Betsy AIMS cook, shrewd old
spouter, got his clew from the minia-
ture naval action with the boats. He
hauled in the slip rope, set the courses
and had her headed for blue water be-
fore the boats arrived. AS the old
lady swashed across the briggs stern
Captain Zeke hailed his friend the
MILDLY, who had been left in charge:
"Hey, sonny! When your sailing
master gets back ask him how he
likes Yankee sauce with kangaroo
/ tall"
The youngster had heard Of that
tide which, taken at the flood leads
on to fortune" Surmising that this
might be 1t, he hastily dispatched a
cutter ashore and was soundly berated
by his irate captain for not having
sent the pinnace also. He then re-
membered that ito err is human,
Before the Betsy AIMS topgallant
sails were set the Grampus was after
her with every rag drawing. The brig
was gaining like swordfish on por-
poise, and Captain Zeke's craw was
full of large and exceedingly sharp
fshhsoks They were running dead be-
fore the wind, which enabled Arm
strong to syaw" from side to side and
fire on the defenseless whaler. A thir-
ty-two pound shot cut Captain Zeke's
own boat in two, leaving the ends dan
Cling pathetically from the davits. A
quick CLEAN of recollection displaced
the angry glare with which he regard
ed the wreck. He dived below and re-
turned with a chart containing the dis
coveries he had made on those lazy
boating trips. He took n hasty, but
careful, cross bearing, made rapid
mental calculation and kept away two
points and half. Then he watched
his vicious, feet footed pursuer will
increased anxiety. II now Armstrong
would only make the moves he had SC
4 carefully planned for him! &
The supply of wood Amos had laid II
was being rapidly augmented by spin
tiers from the bulwarks and spare
spars, when the thirty-two spoke again
and the entire stock was rendered un
available by the demolition of the gal
ley. Carefully Captain Zeke conned hi
vessel, Turing the brig upon the course
he had designed her to take US though
she had been under his orders. One
by one the wrinkles smoothed out Of
his brow and the strained look in his
eyes changed to triumphant glitter
When the brig waved to fire the shot
Il that raked the pots and kettles he leap
ed upon the skylight, swung his Ole
straw hat at arms length and yelled
like boy killing snakes.
The fading smoke showed the brig
stationary, her fore foot high ont OF
water and with a heavy starboard lis'
which bared her copper, the copper
= -Ar4astrong had said he should. dish
to the turn of the biige.
This was. Captain Zeke's chance. He
hauled out his bowlines and went te
4. windward, keeping an eye on the brig
4 She was harmless. her port battery
star gazing, the starboard looking to
ward the coral beds. All her fighting
men were in the boat, straining to pull
her off.
j. The old man hoisted his flag, squared
away and ran down to her. keeping the
weather gauge. He ran us close as he
dared for the rock. His ensign snap
ped defiantly above his head. Leaning
/ far out, he hailed the arnica bandaged
one on the briggs quarter deck:
/ "Hey, don't We wisht ye had u.s.
Good chance to scrub yer copper, Mr.
II -er-- err What's-namew
Then, wheeling inboard: "Por
braces! Sharp up, Amos! Lively, men
lively! Down hellum! There, dowI
!, with it-hard DOWN. &
, Ponderously the Betsy Ann luffed
around the briggs bow and waded like
i! an avenging CULVER among her boats
The sound Of rending wood and British
!, oaths was mingled under her bow as
, her chore done, she bobbed serenely Of
. to windward.
A battered figure in disheveled blue
struggled frantically with the brig'l
stern chaser. A puff Of smoke and {
round shot splashed harmlessly on thu
whaler's weather quarter. Captain
Zeke shook hard brown fist ut til,
helpless brig md exclaimed, "Hanl