Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1904-06-14

| I'm blest If I like this orderin' bust
| ness" said one griZZled seaman. ''They
said he was hard on orders, but what
I shipped for wcs prize money an q
| chance to get lick ut them bloody
| Britishers. not fer to clean brasswOrls
an scrape spars an flemish down an
| holystone decks, which he won't let
| us spit terbacker on. | don't call this
no fghtin' for liberty. not by durn
| sight"
"Shut up. Bill" replied another.
you've got to obey orders. This
yere amt no old tea wagon, no fishin'
boat, you old sco" Lam..'r; it's wes-
sel-O'-war, an may never see Nam
tucket again If the old man. using
| merchantman' expression. "ain't goin'
to be captain of the old hooker while
he's in it, IN if you call this hard
work an grpwl ut this kind of dis
syplin'-well. all l got to say, you'd
ouehter been on tile old Radnor.
Curse the lIritish devils.' he cried,
grinding his heel in the deck. I'D
give twenty years of my life to he
alongside her in Il ship half her size;
yes. even in this one, an | tell you
yon's the man to put her there, If he
gets chance. Amt that so, mates:'
"Ayc, aye. Jack, It's true came
deep toned chorus of approval.
Besides" went on the forecastle
orator, I'VE all know'd wot kind Of a
officer he is. !'ightin' and prize money
| is wot we all want, and here's where
well git ii. you'll see, eh, mates:
"Aye. aye: Jnck's right, Bill.
"Then blow the dissyplin', say l. Ih
take orders from man wot amt
afraid o. noth:n'. wot hates the red rag
we knows Of wot won't send me
where lie won't go himself Fightin'
and prize money, he's our man. Be
sides, wot's the use o kickin': We got
to do it: were bound BY them articles
or war we signed" continued this deep
sea philosopher Now. pass me my
can O grog, Tom. Pm dry as a cod.
Here's to America, and hang the Brit
ish, too," continued this sea lawyer,
drinking his toast amid shouts of ap-
proval from the men.
Left to himself, Seymour, after the
men had received their grog and other
necessary duties had been attended to-,
turned the deck over to Lieutenant
Wallingford, whose watch it was with
Philip Wilton, and, descending the
poop deck ladder, disappeared through
the same door which had received the
two officers into the cabin.
Three weeks had elapsed since the
raid upon the Wilton place, and the
scene had shifted from Virginia to the
sea, or rather to the great bay which
gives entrance to it from the De!a-
ware river. 1t was clear cold day In
the early part of December, and the
American Continental ship Ranger had
Just left her moorings off Philadelphia,
with orders to proceed to English wa
tiers, stopping at Brest to receive the
orders of the commissioners In Paris,
and then, in case no better ship could
be found, to ravage the English chan
mel and coast as warning that ike
processes on the part of England on
our own shores should not 90 unpun-
ished.
John Paul Jones, who had already
given evidence, not only Of that desper-
ate courage and unyielding tenaclty
which had marked him as among the
most notable of sea officers the world
has seen-lacking nothing but Oppor-
tunity to have eQualsd, II not sur
passed, q Nelson-but Of cOnsummate
seamanship and great executive ability
az we'll had been appointed to COM
mand the ship. Before proceeding ON
the mission, however, an important un-
dertaking mad been allotted to him.
The commissioners had sent word
from France, by fast sailing armed
packet, of the near departure OF u
transport from England called the Mel
iish. laden with 1000 muskets, twenty
tieldpieces, powder and other NUM-
tons of war and 10000 suits of winter
clothes destined for the army that was
assembling ut Halifax and Quebec for
the invasion Of the colonies by way OF
the st. Lawrence river and Lake
Champlain.
Congress had transmitted the letter
from France to Captain Jones with d.
rections that he endeavor to intercept
and capture this transport. The desti-
tuition Of the American army at this
period of the war was frightful. De-
void Of clothes, arms, provisions,
powder-everything, in fact, which Is
apparently vital to the existence OF an
army; continually beaten, menaced by
confident, well equipped and disci-
plined enemy in overwhelming force.
and before whom they had been habit
ually retreating, they were only held
together by the indOmitable will and
heroic resolution Of one man, George
Washington. The fortunes OF the
| colonies were never ut lower eDD
than at that moment, and there was
apparently nothing further to look for
| ward to but a continuation OF the dis
integration until the end came. The
meager resources Of the lax confeder'
acy were already strained to the ut,
most, and the capture Of a ship laden
as this one was reported to be would
be of incalculable service. Clothes and
shoes to cover the nakedness OF the
soldiery and protect them from the In
clemency Of the winter, now fast ap-
preaching. and arms to put In their
hands, by means of which they could
assume the offensive and attack the
enemy, or at least defend themselves
Thnf