Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-06-25

enough to capture IL. In case they were unsuccessful Talbot was to re- port himself to the commissioners at Paris as military secretary until fur ther orders, and Seymour was to com mand the Ranger when Jones should get better ship in France
 The Ranger was a small sloop of war, corvet of perhaps 800 tons, with raised poop and a topgallant forecastle, built at Portsmouth, N. H.; new ship and one of the first of those built especially for naval pur- poses. She was originally intended for twenty-six guns, but the number, through the wisdom of her captain. who had fathomed the qualifications of the ship, had been reduced to eight cen, four long twelves and the rest six pounders and smaller, with one long eighteen forward. She had been some days in commission, and the effect of Jones' iron discipline was already ap- parent in the absence of confusion and in the cleanness and order of the ship. The vessel had been very popu- lar with the good people of Philadel- phia, her commander and officers like wise, many of the latter, like Sey- mour, being natives of the town, and a constant stream of visitors had in- spected her at all permitted hours. The presence of these visitors, of course, including many ladies, coupled with an inherent vanity and love of finery and neatness on the part of the captain-and, to do him justice, his ap- preciation of the necessity for order and neatness-had caused him to maintain his ship in tho handsomest possible trim, and he had not scrupled to employ his private fortune to beau tify the vessel in many small ways, the details of which would have es- capped any eye but that of a seaman, though the general results were ap- parent.
 That general appearance which should always distinguish trim and well ordered vessel of war from the clumsy and disorderly trader was due entirely to his efforts. The crew, as we have seen, had chafed under the unusual restraints of this stern disci- pline, but they were unable, as, in- deed in the last resort they would have been unwilling, to oppose it. Some of the older men, too, and some of those who had sailed with Jones in his already famous cruises, held out the hope of large prize money, and, what was better with many of them, the chance of blow at the enemy. if any of her cruisers of Anything like equal force appeared--a chance sure to come about in tho frequented waters of the English channel.
 The crew of an American man-of- war at that period, at least the native portion of 1t, always in overwhelming majority, was of much higher class than the general run of seafaring men, Among those in the Ranger were sev- eral who had been mates of merchant men Bentley again among the mum ber-men of some education and able to serve their country as officers with credit, had the navy been increased as it should have been. and whose subor- dinate positions only indicated their intense patriotism. The low and de graded element which sometimes is such source of mischief and disaster in ships crews was conspicuous by its absence. The reputation of Captain Jones as disciplinarian was very well known among sailors generally, and only his reputation as 8 fighter and q successful prize talker would have en abled him to assemble the remarkable crew to which he had spoken and which was to back him up so gallantly in many desperate undertakings and wonderful sea fights of this and his succeeding phenomenal cruise.
 Seymour had rapidly recovered from his wounds under Madam Talhot's careful nursing and ministrations, and when his orders reached him he had been. ready, accompanied by Philip Wilton and Bentley. to join his ship at once.
 He still carried the blood stained handkerchief, and many and many al time had laid 1t, with its initials, "K w." embroidered by her own hand upon his lips This was not his only treasure. however Tn a wallet. in the