The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-08-10
coprrirht. 1901, By D. Appleton 1 Co, Now York.


off a bit more, now. | think we've
enough offing to weather Ushant, with
something to spare, and | want mon
sieur to get well to windward of us.
Stanhope, yon's a noble ship We
can Outright these Frenchmen, but we
cant outbuild them. The best ships
in our navy are those captured from
King Louis
whats the use of our bothering to
build ships ii the French will build
them for us?" asked the matter-of-
fact and practical Stanhope. "All
we've got to do Is to go out and take
EN-"
1--WE won't take that one, though"
'No, sir, we won't" answered Stan
hope, signing over the gloomy pros
pect
"a wish to God we had the old Tor
| bay under us, then we'd not show yon
| fellow our heels but our teeth, hey,
Stanhope?' exclaimed the captain
| cay, sir; and with old Hawke in
command"
mo, man." answered the young cap
tain promptly; I'D want to command
! her myself | warrant that, with you
to second me, we would give a good ac-
, count Of the gentleman yonder. See
how he overhauls u.s. II he should
yaw now and give us a broadside, | am
afraid it would be all over with us.
Look, how he is eating up to wind
ward of us too! What tub this Isl"
"Ay. he slips along like yacht.
We've no show at all. It's all up with
us, I'm afraid answered Stanhope,
81 don't quite give up the game yet
Well have one more try at run
presently. If he does the right thing,
then we're lost: II not, | think Wen
make it,
You can count on seaman like
the man handling that ship doing the
right thing, sure"
yes, fear SO. Still we can but
try!"
Meanwhile old Jabez had been steer
ing the brig with consummate seaman
ship. With every appearance of en-
deavoring ia. hold her close TO the
wind, be had skillfully allowed her to
fall off, little by little, until she was
quite. perceptibly to leeward of the
French ship. Grafton judged that now
or never things were opportune for his
daring attempt.
Send the men to the starboard bat
terry, Mr.. Stanhope," he said quietly,
as he realized that he had approached
the supreme moment, and 1t was about
time to try his coup, or give over the
attempt and give up the ship. Get
The stuns'ls ready for setting and sec
that the gear is all clear. want smart
work from the sail-trimmers, now!
Slocum, stand by that helm and mind
the orders. bid the men train their
gums aft, Stanhope, and fire when
give the word. Now, then. Up with
the helm! Oyer with II! Hard-a
weather! Tend the after-braces,
Hands ready! Round in forward
1atten in the head-sheets, So. Stand
by with the starboard battery. Now!
Fire! Let her have it, men! Sway
away with those stuns'ls. Steady with
the helm! Qniek, for Gods sake
Well done, ALL"
Once more the eight six-pounders
harlxed out. In a cloud of her own
smoke the Boxer rounded on her heel
again. bringing the wind aft again,
darted away at right angles to her |
former course. Covered with stunsls
allow and aloft, she leaped along at
great pace, gaining distance with every |
Were they to succeed in es-
Gaping?
But the captain OF the liner had fore
seen the skillful endeavor. A less
able seaman might have attempted to |
emulate the Engishman's motions and |
on the briggs heels; a less
thoughtful commander would not have
been ready for the only move which |
would have stopped the daring ma |
neuver. With proper Judgment, he
oh ose to crush the audacious English
man with his mighty battery.
In spite of the promptness with |
which Grafton's order had been carried
cut. and the advantage gained there
by. the brig was still within easy |
range of all but the ligbtnst guns of |
the French ship. Since the weather
was mild. it permitted the lower deck /
ports to be opened and. her heaviest /
gins to be used. AS the Boxer pre-
sented her stern to her huge antagon.
list. the latter was suddenly wreatned /
with fire and smoke. The thunderous
roar of her discharge could have been /
heard for miles. Her captain took no |
chance. every gun that bore was dis
charged at the doomed vessel.
A tempest of iron came hurting |
aboard the brig. She was like an egg
shell under trip-hammer. From a
rim and saucy little vessel she was
reduced in the twinkling of an eve to
4 wreck. The main-mast was carried 1
away few feet above the deck. the /