Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-12-16
,pyrisht, ,sul, By D. Applston & Co., New York.

Gated the emotions animating the soul
of the French captain. Grafton, be-
ing to leeward, fought his windward
guns, and the inclination Of the ship
lifted his own main-deck battery lit
tie farther above the water. Still, his
own position was also dangerous In the
extreme.
Hawke had opened his main-deck
ports, but it was in the stiller waters
of the bay that he had done so. Graf
ton and de Kersaint we e yet OF the
Cardinals, the very roug. est, stormiest
position in the melee ts ling place all
about them. Their act On was mad
ness; yet, If the Frenchnan did 1t in
his overwhelming desire to crush the
man who had stolen his bride, and
now rolled along under his lee, the
Englishman could do no less than meet
him.
simultaneously the two broadsides
roared out. Again and again, as the
ships swept on, they poured a torrent
of destruction upon each other from
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
gunners. 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 magnifi-
cent French liner. Yet her offensive
powers seemed undiminished, and she
Tough. on. The Torbay, too, soon be-
gan to show evidences of the terrific
pounding she was receiving. Both
ships were filled 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 Kersaint fought not only
for the honor of France, but with a
jealous rage in his heart to kill the
man who stood between him and his
hopes. Neither would be denied.
They drew nearer to each other. De
Kersaint resolved to resort to coup
de main. Grafton also at last made
up his mind 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
sudden squall struck the two ships.
For the moment the wind blew hur-
ricane.
The two vessels heeled suddenly un-
der the terrific impact, going over and
over under the irresistible pressure
until they lay almost upon their
beam-ends. De Kersaint put the helm
of LIE Thesee hard down at once. But
she did not respond. The water
rushed in her open ports. She began
to settle like a stone, righting slowly
as she went down. The Torbay was
scarcely in better condition. On the
return roll to windward the water be-
gan to rush in her main-deck ports
also.
CLOSE the main-deck ports!" shout
ed Grafton, as he saw the French ship
going so fast, his first impulse being
to save his own ship. Lively, for
Gods sake!" The peril Of the ship
was reflected in his voice.
The men below sprang to the port
shutters, and in spite OF the fact that
the water was already sweeping in,
by superhuman efforts they got them
closed, but not until the ship had
been half filled. She lay like sodden
log in the waves, six feet of water in
the hold. The gun fire had ceased in
stantly.
Meantime, what of lie Thesee?
Grafton stood in the darkening even
ing on the rail of his own ship and
stared at his rival. She was sinking
in silence. Nc human power could
keep her afioat Before his eyes the
water was streaming through the open
ports and gushing in through her
riven sides. 1t had come so suddenly
that there was scarcely time for those
below to reach the spar-deck, which
was yet swarming with men. Where
was Anne? o God, vas she below
still?-abandoned! lost!
A little group still stood on the
quarter nearest him. There was de
Kersaint, the bold ca 9tain; by his
side young man, his head bound
about with blood-spati cred cloth, his