The daily silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1903-1907, 1904-04-05
THE GRIP
or ~ !
Cyrus OotOnIend Brody, 5
Auxbor af"Cbs %oukbsrnsrs" I'm kbs cvoso'g Nest" Etc :
coeyrxs. 1900. sy CHARLES scRIBWERS SONS :
CotOn5end Brady,



"Shall I go to the batteries now. cap
tainY" asked the first lieutenant.
Eyes. l think you would better" an
swered Jones. stretching out his hand.
"Goodby. sir" said the other. grasp
ing 1t firmly.
"Goodby. God bless you. Richard"
said the older man. looking gravely at
his beloved subordinate.
"And you. SIR" returned Dale. with
nm unusual accent Of tender affection.
Then he turned and ran rapidly to his
station.
"Pass the word quickly" said Jones
TO young Brooks. "for the men to de-
liver their Ere promptly and together
when the word Is given. Not a gun Is
10 be discharged until the order. Aft
er that. as rapidly as possible"
Az the feet footed midshipman ran
along the decks a little murmur of ex-
element arose. There was a shifting
Of positions. Men sprang to their sta
tons. Hoarsc whispers came from
the gun captains as the ~smolderlng
matches or glowing loggerheads were
handed to them by their subordinates.
"Silence fore and aft the decksw
came the clear voice of the captain.
The murmurs died away as young
Brooks sprang up the ladder and re-
ported that everything was ready. Tbs
boy officers choked down something
that rose In their Threats as they walk
ed n%ervouslc up and down their divl-
Bfons. A fleeting thought they gave to
home. mother. hours OF play. so far
away. It was the first battle for many
Of them. Down on the berth deck In
Front Of the hatchway little Payne
looked to the printing of his pistols
and whispered q word or t. his
L..l. who stood with their muskets
pointing down through the gratings
covering the hatchway. He wished he
had been up on deck with the rest.
fighting a great gun or attached to the
side Of the captain. but the captain
had told him that the post of honor
and Importance was here. and here he
would stand. There. on the ~starboard
side. his young messmate and friend.
McCollin. gave another careful inspec-
kiOu W LIS tDACG oAo 40 pOdLdIio.
~ resolved to give such an ccoun
with them. II they did not burst, as
would decide the action.
Caswell and Mayrant were In the
forecastle to fight the two guns there.
Mr.. Mease. the purser. as brave a man
rs ever stepped a deck. though no
sailor. had charge Of the quarter deck
SIMS Sfaanu tho sailing nnncrar
stood aft by the wheel to assist in
working the ship. Brooks and De
Chamillard were OH the poop near
Jones. Tanning. with his DULLES in
the maintop. was anxiously wishing
that he. toe. might have d place In
the center of the conflict. the gun deck,
little knowing what decisive moment
was In store for him.
They were nearer now. well within
gun shot. yet there was no sound from
either ship. The tense expectancy OF
the moment was becoming unbearable
to the younger hands. What were the
captains OF the ships about? Why
didn't they fire? Away Off on the
horizon flashes of light and the deep
boom of artillery reverberuting across
the water told that their consort had
joined In battle with the Scarborough.
Why were they so slow? Suddenly. in
the midst OF the silence. broken only
by the soft sigh of the summer wind
through the top hamper. the %splashing
Of the bluff bows as they forced hem
selves through the ripping water.
came the sound Of q hail from the
English ship. the words of which were
indistinguishable.
Il don't understand you." cried
Jones. hen he turned to the quarter
master and said softly:
''Over with the helm! Hard a-star-
board!' As the wheel was put over
by the skillfui hands OF the quarter
master and his mate the great ship
swung slowly to port and rounded to
or the port bow of the English ship.
The Englishman hailed again.
This Is the United States ship Bon
Homme Richard" shouted Paul Jones
In reply. at the top Of his voice. spring
Ing up on the rail the while. stand
BY" A CULVER and SILVER went through
the ship from her tops to her very
vitals. "Fire!"
Streams OF light leaped out In the
darkness. Clouds Of smoke rose ct
once from the sides of the Richard
only to be met and brushed away by q
broadside which had been delivered 10
less promptly from the English ship.
Groans and curses and yells and cheers
rose from the blood stained decks upon
which men writhed In the agony of
CHASTITY wounds or lay contorted In
hideous death where they had fallen,
for ut close range both ~broadsides had
done fearful execution.
The desperate men ran the huge
guns In and out and loaded them with
frantic energy and kept up a continu.
Gus cannonade upon their foes. The
roa Of the great guns drowned every