The Cairo bulletin., 1904-12-10

Ga mat oilQ a oPaNNf
grinding the gunners under it. One
enc OF bowline whipped over us; jib
dropped; brace fell crawling over my
shoulders like big snake; the fore
mast went into splinters a few feet
= above the decks, its top falling over,
It's canvas sagging in great folds II
was all The work OF a second That
hasty flight of iron, coming out OF
the air thick as flock of pigeons,
he'd gone through huh and rigging in a
wink OF the eye And fine mess it
had made Men lay scattered along
he deck, bleeding yelling, struggling.
Tttre were TWO lying near us with
blood squirting out OF their necks. One
rose upon knee, choking horribly,
shaken with the last throes of his
flooded heart, and reeled over The
Scorpion OF our fleet had got her guns
in action; the little Ariel was also fir
ing. D'ri leaned over shouting in my
ear.
Don't like III way they re whalin'
nv us, he said. his cheeks red with
anger.
Nor |, was my answer.
Don't like t stan here an dew
nnthin' but git licked,' he went on.
II ain no way Hat'ral"
Perry came hurrying forward.
Fire! he commanded, with a quick
gesture, and we began to warm up our
big twenty FOUNDER there in the bow.
But the deadly scuds OF iron kept fly
Ing over and upon our deck, bursting
into awful showers Of bolt and chain
and spike and hammerheads We saw
shortly that our brig was badly out of
gear. She began to drift TO leeward
and being unable to aim at the enemy
we could make no use of the bow
gun. Every brace and bowline cut
away, her canvas torn to rags, her
hull shot through and half the men
dead or wounded, she was indeed, a
sorry sight. The Niagara went by on
the safe side of us, needless of our
plight Perry stood near, cursing as
he looked off at her, Two of my gum
ners had been hurt by bursting can
lister. D'ri and picked them up, and
made for the cockpit. D'ri's man Kept
bowling and kicking. AS we hurried
along over the. bloody deck, there came
mighty crash beside us and a burst
OF Old iron that tumbled me to my
knees.
A cloud of smoke covered us. felt
the man / bore struggle and then go
limp in my arms felt my knees get
rI,
the tall. herculean back of Dr was
just ahead of me. His sleeve had been
ripped away from shoulder to elbow
and spray of blood from his upper
arm was flying back upon me. His hat
crown had been torn off, and there was
& big rent in his trousers, but he kept
going. saw my man had been killed
in my arms by piece of chain, buried
to IT'S last link in his breast, ! was so
confused by the shock of ii all
that had not the sense to lay
him down. but followed Dri TO the
cockpit, He stumbled on the stairs,
falling heavily with his burden Then |
! dropped my poor gunner and helped |
them carry Dri to a table, where they |
Ddut ulc lic uOWll btHiut Aili
1T is no time for testing" said |,
with some dignity.
MY dear fellow" the surgeon an
swered, your wound is no jest You
are not fit for duty,
looked down at the big hole in nay |
trousers and the cut in my thigh. OF |
which had known nothing until then.
| had no sooner seen it and the blood !
than | saw that I also was in some need |
Of repair, and lay down with a quick |
sense of faintness. My wound was no
pretty thing to see but was of little |
consequence, missile having torn the
surface only. | was able TO help Sur
geon Usher as he caught the severed
veins and bathed the bloody strands
OF muscle in 'D'ri's arm. while another
dressed my thigh That room was
full of the wounded, some lying on
the floor some standing, some stretched
upon cots and tables Every moment
they were crowding down the eompan-
ionway with Others. The eannouading
was now so close and heavy that il
gave me an ache in the ears. but above
its quaking thunder | could hear the
shrill cries of men sinking TO hasty
death in the grip of pain. The brig
was in sore distress, her timbers creak-
ing. swapping, quiyering. like one being
beaten to death, his bones cracking,
his muscles pulping under heavy blows.
We were above water-line there in the
cockpit. we could feel her finch and
staggor On her side there came sud
denly crushing blow. as if some great
hammer. swung far IN the sky had
come down upon her. | could hear
The split and break of heavy timbers;
could see splinters flying over me 10
4 rush OF smoke. and the legs of man
90 humping on the beams above. Then
came another crash of timbers on the
port side. | leaped off the table and
ran, limping. TO the deck, do not know
why: | was driven by some quick and
irresistible impulse. | was near out of
my head. anyway with the rage of
battle in me and no chance TO fight.
Well suddenly. / found myself STUN
bling. with drawn saber. over heaps of
the hurt and dead there on our
reeking deck. 1t was a horrible place:
everything tipped over, man and gun
and mast and bulwarix Tho air was