Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1904-01-29

the three guns, but poor little Payne
had hung GRIM: to his post. One 10y
one the men of til" guarding squad
had been picked of by stray shots
until there WAS none left hut lie and
the master at arms. Several Shot from
the British had entered below the Wa
ter line of the Richard. and she was
making water fast There was nearly
four feet Of water in the hold then,
and it was rising The prisoners he
low were in n wild state of terror. I'M
precautions, curses, appeals. had come
up through the gratings over the
hatchway, to which the young man
had turned a deaf ear.
To the other dangers of the battle
fire now added its devastating touch.
In fact, both SHIPS were atlame in sew
cral places. The burning gun wads
had lodged in the chains and other in
tossing, serpentlike torches threw
their hot light over the scene of ter
ror. AS the smoke drifted down the
hatchway the prisoners in the hold
could stand it no longer. There was
a sudden rush below toward the open
Ing. The gratings were splintered and
broken by the thrust Of piece Of tim
Der. A head or two appeared in the
clear. Hands clutched ut the comb
ings.
Back" shouted Payne. trying to
steady his bOyish voice.
NO" shouted the first prisoner furi-
ously, clutching desperately at the
combing. while he was being lifted up
in the arms of the men below. Dye
think We'll stay here and be drowned
like rats In Il holeT
With white lips and sinking heart
the boy thrust his pistol full into the
mans face, and with trembling fin
ger pulled the trigger. He did the like
to the next man with second pistol.
To seize the musket Of dead marine
and point 1t at the third was the work
Of a second. Awed by this resolution
and the promptitude Of his action tho
other prisoners fell back for the time.
The sweat stood out on the forehead
of the young midshipman. He had
shot a man-two men-in cold bloodl
1t seemed like murder But he had
done his duty. The words Of the cap
tain rang In his ear: keep them
down.
1t was hot on the berth deck. The
smoke poured in thick, suffocating
clouds between decks. The wavering
reflections from the flames on every
side accumulated the horror. Bands
Of men fitted by ghostlike here and
there, with buckets Of water, striving
to fight the flames. Lances of light
leaped across the deck from the pro-
truding muzzles Of the guns on the
Scraps, piercing the gloomy darkness
with angry flashes. Bullets, grape.
splinters Of timber. solid shot, bits Of
torn humanity, whistled past his head.
He was wild, crazy. The hugeness Of
the tragedy about him oppressed him
direfully. There was weight in his
bosom. a choking in his throat. The
bitter. acrid taste Of the burned pow
der was in his mouth. The sickening
smell Of reeking blood pervaded his
being. He longed to throw down his
weapon and fly-anyw where, to get q
respite from the internal demand upon
him. But he was a sailor. the son Of
a race Of fighters. He held on. The
deep roar Of the guns above him told
him that the battle was still going on.
Suddenly out Of the smoke appeared
the burly form Of the carpenter,
wounded, blotched with red and gray,
leaping forward, crying in terror
stricken accents:
"We're sinking! We're sinking! -Four
feet Of water in the holdr'
The gunner and his mates, apparent
ly equally terrified. came running
from the magazines as they caught the
contagion OF the moment. They sprans
to the gun deck and thence to the
spar deck. repeating the carpenters
cry: Were sinking! We're sinkingi
Quarter! Quarterr'
I'VE must release the prisonersr'
cried the master at arms, turning to-
ward the little officer.
mot while 1 liver said Payne reso-
lutely, all his courage coming back to
him In moment
1.-The ship is sinking. The battle 10
lost. Make wayw returned the burly
master at arms. springing toward the
hatchway.
"Backw cried the midshipman fierce
ly. pointing his musket at him. The
boys blood was up now. Here they
stay. and here we stay! The orders
Of the captain
He never finished his words. A grape
shot struck him fair in the forehead.
The master at arms tore open the
hatch cover.
ION deckw he cried. 1.-THE ship u
sinking!"
In panic terror, crowding and tram
pling upon each other like a mob of
wild beasts! the maddened prisoners
scrambled up the hatchway and, yell
ing like animals, ran pellmell for the
gun deck. The body of the brave mid
shipman was spurned. crushed and
broken beneath their feet as ts~-- -
A. -