Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1904-08-01

trim and tighten her, the bulwarks and
rails were partly cut away, and as a
final resort the maintop mast studding
sail was set; but the boom broke at the
iron, and the whole thing went adrift
in few moments. Talbot, anxious to
do something, suggested the novel ex-
pedient of breaking out fiedpiece
the quarter deck to use as stern
chaser This had been done, but the
frigate was. yet too far away for IL to
be of any service.
In spite of all these efforts they were
Icing overhauled slowly. but Seymour
still held on and did not despair
There was one chance of escape. Right
before them, not half league away,
lay long shoal known as Georges
shoal. extending several leagues across
the path of the two ships. Through
the middle of this dangerous shoal
there existed a channel. narrow and
tortuous. hut still practicable for ships
Of certain size. He was familiar
with its windings, as was Bentley, as
they both had examined 1t carefully in
the previous summer with view to
just such contingency as now oc-
Cured. The Mellish was a large and
clumsy ship, heavily laden and draw
ing much water: but he felt confident
that he could take her through the
pass. At any rate, the attempt was
worth making. and II he did fail It
would be better 10 wreck her, he
thought, than allow her to be recap
tured. The English captain either
knew or did not know of the shoal and
the channel. II he knew 1t, he would
have to make a long detour, for In no
case would the depth of water in the
pass permit heavy ship, as was the
pursuing vessel. to follow them, and,
aided by the darkness rapidly closing
down, the Mellish would be enabled to
escape.
If the English captain were a new
with the existence of the shoal, as was
most likely-well. then he was apt to
lost his ship and all on board of her
| II he chased too far and too hard. The
problem resolved itself into this: II
the Mellsh could maintain her distance
from the pursuer until II was necessary
to come by the wind for short tack
and still have sufficient space and time
left to enable her to run up to the
mouth of the channel without being
sunk or forced TO strike by the bat
teiles OF the frigate, they might escape;
II not--God help them all! thought
Seymour desperately; for in that event
he resolved to run the vessel on the
rocky edge of the shoal at the pass
mouth and sink her.
They were rapidly drawing down
upon the shoat at the poipt from which
they must come by the wind. on the
starboard tack. Some faraway lights
on Cape Cod had Just been lighted,
which enabled Seymour to get his
bearing exactly. He had talked the
situation over quietly with Bentley,
and they had not yet lost hope of es-
Gaping. The men had worked hard
and faithfully, carrying out the vari-
GUS orders and tightening ship, and
now, having done all. some few were
wing about the deck resting, while the
remainder hung over the rails gazing
at their pursuer. One of the men, the
sea philosopher Thompson of the
Rangers crew, finally went aft to the
quarter deck to old Bentley, who was
privileged to stand there under the cir
cumstances, and asked II he might
have a look through the glass for
moment at the frigate.
CONTINUED Tomorrow