The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-09-10

Both SHIPS were, or course heele,
to the wind, but lie These, being t,
windward, was forced to fight her le
battery; and the main-de ports. a,
she lay over under the furious gale
were SO close TO the waves that th,
waters splashed and rippled over tn,
port -sills with every roll 1t was rec!i.
less trifling with the deadliest Of
perils, but that be could do so indi.
Gated the emotions animating the SOU
or the French captain. Grafton. be-
Ing to leeward, fought his windward
guns, and the inclination of the shin
lifted his own main-deck battery 1T
tie farther above the water. Still, his
own position was also dangerous In the
extreme.
Hawke had opened his main-decll
ports. but It was in the stiller waters
OIL the bay that he had done so. Graf
ton and de Kersaint were yet off the
Cardinals, the very toughest, stormiest
position in the melee taking place all
about them. Their action was mad
ness; yet. If the Frenchman did il in
| his overwhelming desire to crush the
man who had stolen his bride and
now rolled along under his lee. the
Eng!ishman could do no less than meet
him
simultaneously the two br0adsides
roared out. Again and again, as the
ships swept on, they poured a torrent
every gun that bore. The firing upon
both sides was fast and furious, but
the English, with the advantage OF
the weather battery, proved the better
Sunners. Many Of the shot from the
French ship struck the water and
glanced over the English ship, but the
steady broadside from the Torbay
made deadly havoc on the magnif-
cent French liner. Yet her offensive
Dowers seemed undiminished, and she
fought on. The Torbay. too, soon be-
gan TO show evidences of the terrific
pounding she was receiving, Both
ships were filed with dead and wound
ed men and were much cut up allow
and aloft
Grafton fought TO win his wife, to
serve his country TO avenge the shat
tering of the little Boxer five years |
before. and with no bitterness in his |
heart De Kerssint fought not only |
for the honor OF France, but with |
Jealous rage in his heart TO kill the |
man who stood between him and his |
hopes. Neither would he denied |
They drew nearer TO each other. De |
Kersaint resolved to resort to a coup
de main Grafton also at last made
mp his MAD that he would have to
carry the opposing ship by boarding,
which was quite in consonance with
his desire. He had even gone so far
as to call his boarders away. when
, sud- len sqaall struck the two ships.
For the moment the wind blew hlrr-
-icane.
The two vessels heeled suddenly UNI
Ter the terrific impact, going over and
,ver under the irresistible pressure
until they lay almost upon their
,eam-ends De Kersaint put the helm
" lie Thesee hard down at once. But
he did not respond. The water
ushed in her open ports. She began
o settle like stone. righting slowly {
IS she went down. The Torbay was /,
carcely in better condition, On Me {
eturn roll TO windward the water be- ,
an to rush In her main-deck ports l
lso S
Close the main-deck ports" shout {
a Grafton. as he saw tile French shin I
cling so fast, his first impulse being !
D save his own ship. Lively. for @
iods sake!" The peril OF the ship C
las reflected in bis voice. d
The men below sprang TO the port ,
hutters and in spite of the fact that I
he water was already sweeping in,
y superhuman efforts they got them q
osed, but not until the ship had i
cen half filled. She lay like a soddcn a
,g in the waves. six feet of water in p
ie hold The gun fire had ceased in y
antly. 4
Meantime. what Of lie These? 2
Grafton stood in the darkcning even q
u Dn the tdll Va HIS OWN snip ana -
AIRED at his rival. She was sinking a
silence. No human power could a
aep her sfoat Before his eyes the 6
ater was streaming through the open
,rts ard gushing in through her h
ven sides II had come so suddenly
az there was scarcely time for those a.
low to reach the spar-deck. which
rs yet swaIming with men. where r.
as Anne? o God. was she below
ill?-abandoned! lost.
A little group still stood ON the II
Iarter nearest him. There was lie N
nrsaint. the bold captain. by his a
ie & young man. his head bound W
out with blood-spattered cloth. bis Dc
"a hanging useless by his ade. II M
As de Wire. There wa the mar vi
lis. too. tall. spare. imperturbsble Ia
ever There vas old Jesn-Renaad 81
aegering aft. and. in his arms-GOd n
Heaven. a woman. The faithful 81
J Breton paced her on the rail and n
ID her there erect The stop Of
90.