Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-12-15
CHAPTER II.
THE SMASHING OF THE BRIG.

GTa9ton slewed himself about on his heel and rapidly took in the situation.
 @Ard a Frenchman, by heaven!" he roa-5d ''No English ship has bows like that! Break out the stuns'Is, MT. stanhope, we may need them present. ly.
 At the same instant they were seen from tho ship of the line.
 ."Shfp ahoy! What ship is that?' came up the wind from the French ves- sel.
 sven soon show you, said Graft on, under his breath. Man the port battery, lads! Jump lively! We must escape if we can!"
 The two ships were sailing at right angles to each other now, one going free and the other just coming by the wind on the port tack. They were so near each other that the men clustered forward on the top-gallant forecastle of the French ship could easily be made out. The fog was going as if by magic.
 Stand byi' roared Grafton, as they passed square1y across the French mans bow 'Fire!''
 The eight six-pounders on the port eide of the brig saiuted the liner with an impudent broadside.
 hard up with the helm!" shouted Grafton. Hands by the weather braces! Flow the spanker-sheets Lively, lads!''
 Before the men on the ship of the line had recovered from the astonish- ment inspired by Grafton's audacity. the Boxer swung around and ran of free, again heading toward Ushant. For few moments there was no little confusion on the French ship. Her jfE-stay had been cut, the sail unsup- ported was dragging in the water. Rents appeared in the foresail, and parted shrouds here and there showed that tho welI-aimed discharge had done good service, although 1t had no effect on the heavy scant1ing and tirn- bers of the liner. But no material damage, of course, had been or could be effected by the six-pound guns of a little 3Oo-ton brig against French "A. Still, the confusion consequent upon her intrepid attack enabled the brig to gain considerable lead. It was necessary for him to get some distance away from his pursuer before Grafton could come bH the wind again, in orr der to weather the western point of Ushant; which, to anticipate, he pres- entity succeeded in doing.
 Tn short time, however painfully short for the pursued-the liner. emu lating the movements of the English cruiser, got the wind on her quarter and commenced bowling along after the brig. Her nimbIe crew had set sail after sail on her lofty spars, and she swept along in the bright sunny morning a towering and splendid pic- ture of sea power and sea beauty. She had been wonderfully well handled for a Frenchman, and the evolutions were as smartly done as they could have been by crack English crew-then the best sailors in the world. And as the English brig, having run free as long as she dared, at last bore up, her gigantic pursuer promptly did the same.
 They may talk as they please about the frog-eaters not being seamen,' z BmlQ JnG yOuA1E OA4COLb GOA~ gregated about him on the quarter deck: "the man that handles that ship doesn't need to take lessons from any, body. Wheel, there! Edge up into the wind, will you? See how she follows us, gentlemen! She gains on us hand over fist! See how she comes down! Bring up the dispatches, MT. Stan hope, and have them ready to heaye overheard: they mustn't get them if we are capturedl An! They're giving us a taste of their metal at last. Steady now, keep her up to itl Luf her hard!"
 As he spoke tke Iine-of-battle ship suddenly waved, a puff of smoke broke out forward as her bow-chaser bore and a shot from 32-pounder came hurtling through the air at the brig. Fortunately 1t missed her.
 "Ehall we make any reply, sir?''' asked stanhope
 Nonsense!" replied Grafton. eve haven't a gun on board that could carry half the distance. No. hold on as we are. ! don't think she'll fire