Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1904-11-17

ready to leap. Dropped on hsr deck 1T
once with loud cheers. a sharp voiley
from the few marines left ON the flig-
ate checked them for a moment, but
they gathered themselves together at
once and, CALAMITY led. sprang aft,
handling their pistols and pixies and
waving their cutlasses. Mason was
shot In a moment by Hollins' pistol,
B~eauchamp was cut in two by q ire
mendous sweep of the arm of h
mighty Bentley, and the combat be-
came at one general. Slowly, but
surely, the Americans were pressed
back, the gangways were cleared. the
quarter deck was gained. One by u
the brave defenders had fallen. The
battle was about over when Seymour
noticed a man running out in the fore
yard of the Yarmouth with q hand
grenade. He raised his pistol and
fired. The man fell, but another reso-
lutely started to follow him.
Bentley and a few other men and n
or two officers and a midshipman were
all who were able to bear arms now.
"Goodby, Mr.. Seymour cried Bent
ley, waving his hand and setting his
back against the rail nearest to the
Yarmouth, which had slowly swung
parallel to the Randolph and had been
dashed there. The old man vas COW
cred with blood from two or three
wounds, but still undaunted. Two or
three men made a rush at him, but he
held them at bay, no man caring to
come within sweep of that mighty arm
which had already lone so much, when
a bullet from above struck him, and he
fell over backward on the rail mortally
wounded.
and fired II at the second man, who
had nearly reached the foreyard arm.
Less successful this time, he missed
the man, who threw his grenade down
the hatchway. Seymour tainted from
loss of blood.
"Back, men! Back to the ship, all
you Y~armouths!' cried Captain Vincent
as he saw the lighted grenade, which
exploded and ignited a little heap of
cartridges left by a dead powder boy
before the magazine. Alas! There
was no one there TO check or stop the
flames, The English sailors sprang
back and up the sides and through the
ports of their ship with frantic haste.
The lashings were being rapidly cut by
them and the braces handled.
"Come aboard, men. while you cam
cried Captain Vincent to the Ameyi-
cans. Your ships aire! You can do
no more; you'll blow UP in a moment!"
The little handful of Americans were
left alone on their ship. The only Off
Ger still standing lifted his sword and
shook it impotently at the Yarmouth in
reply; the rest did not stir. The smoke
of battle had now settled away, and
the whole CHASTITY scene was revealed.
A woman's cry rang out fraught with
agony, Seymour, SEYMOUR and again
was her cry UNDECIDED; her lover could
not hear. She cried again, and then,
with a frightful roar and crash, the
Randolph blew up.
"a sail coming down fast-the little
brig, sir" reported the officer of the
deck to Captain Vincent. "Shall we
come about and give him a broad
slider"
"No, no; we dare % handle the
braces yet-not until the gear and spars
have been well overhauled."
'Shall we use the stern chasers then,
sirY"
The Yarmouth had left the scene of
the explosion some distance away by
this time, but she was still within easy
gunshot. Captain Vincent earnestly
examined the brig. AS he looked she
came up to the wind. hove to, and
dropped a boat In the water. There
was a bit Of spar still floating there.
The captain saw that three or four men
were clinging to 1t.
"No; she's ON an errand Of mercy.
There are men in the water on that
topmast there. Let her go free" he
said generously. We've done enough
today to satisfy any reasonable man."
The colonel grasped his hand warmly
and thanked him. The little brig pick
ed up her boat, swung her main yard
and filed away again on the port tack
In the wake Of the rest of the little
| ofhdhAOh, INV q uhCdu. lhCH, VII
~derstanding the forbearance of the big
ship, she fired a u to leeward and
dipped her ensign in salute.
The force of the explosion had
thrown Seymour from his advanta-
geous position aft far out into the wa
ter and away from the sinking ship.
The contact with cold water recalled
him to his senses at once, and, with
the natural instinct Of man for life, he
struck out as well as he might, consid-
ering his broken leg and wounded arm
and weakened state. There was a
piece of a mast with the top still on it
floating near by. He struggled gallant
ly to make it. Twas no use; he could
do no more; closing his eyes, he sank
down in the dark water. But help was
near. A hand grasped him by his long
hair and drew him up. One Of his
men, ~unwounded fortunately, had saved
him. The two men presently reached
the bit Of wreck. The sailor scrambled
up on ii anu by a great effort drew his
captain by his side. Two more men