Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1905-02-25

under all plain sail on the port tack
heading due west, the voice of the
lookout on the main royal yard foate6
down to the deck in that hail which is
always thrilling at see and was :dou
bly, so in this instance:
"Sail, hop
Motioning to the officer of the deck
Jones himself replied in his powerful
voice:
"Where away?"
"Broad off the lee beam, sir"
"Can you make her out?''
'No sir; not yet"
"Well, keep your eye lifting, my
man, and sing out when you do. Mr..
Simpson," he said, turning to the Off
; Ger of the deck, 'let her go off a cou-
pie of points,
aye, aye. sir. Up with the helm,
quartermaster, reund in the weather
braces, rise tacks and Sheets
The speed of the ship going free was
materially increased at once, and in a
! few moments the lookout once more
| hailed the deck:
II can make her out now, sir.''
"What is it,"
"a ship, sir-aye, and there is anoth-
er one with her, and third. 1 can't
tell what she is, sir. The first one
looks like large ship"
"Mr. Wallingford, take the glass and
60 up the crosstrees and see what you
make of them, SIR" said the captain.
civ. ho
ant, springing into the main rigging
and rapidly ascending to the cross
trees, glass in hand.
''Gentlemen, we will have a nearer
look at these gentry" continued the
captain, glancing back at the officers,
who had all come up from below,
while the men, equally interested,
were crowding on the forecastle and
gazing eagerly in the direction of the
reported sails, which were not yet Wis
ible from the deck.
ION deck, thereY'
"Aye, aye! What is it?"
81 can make out five ships, and two
briggs, and schooner and some other
sails just rising, all close hauled on
the port tack l think there are more
of them, sir, but 1 can't say yet We
are rapidly drawing on them and shall
be able to make them out in a minute.
think it is convoy or a fleet"
'"That will do, Mr.. Wallingford Lay
down on deck, sir. Give the glass to
the man on the royal yard, though, be-
fore you come. Who is hep
sit is me, sir-Jack Thompson"
"Keep bright lookout then, Thomp-
son, and if yon's an enemy's feet or
convoy it means a glass Of grog and
guinea for you when your watch is
over"
"Thankee, sirr' cried the delighted
seaman.
"Mr. Wallingford, could you make
anything out of the size of the ships?'
"One of them / should say was a
large ship, a frigate or ship Of the line
possibly. The others were too far off,"
sit can't be feet" replied Captain
Jones. "There are not so many Of |
the enemy's ships together in these
waters, if we are correctly informed.
l suspect it must be lot of merchant
men and transports conveyed by two
or three men-of-war. Now is our op-
portunity, gentlemen" he continued,
his eyes sparkling with delight They
are apparently beating in for Halifax.
and probably the Mellish, our trans
port, will be among them. We will
pay them a visit tonight in any event.
wouldn't let them pass by without a
bow or two if they were feet of two
lockers"
Apparently this reckless bravado en-
irely suited the ships company, for
)ne of the men who had heard the
doughty captains speech called for
hree cheers, which were given with a
will
"Aye, that's a fine, hearty crew and
ull of fight Call on all hands, Mr..
simpson"
This was more or less a perfunctory
'rder, since every man from the jack
'f-the-dust to the captain was already
N deck
"Mr. Seymour" said Jones to the
irst lieutenant, who had taken the |
rumpet at the call Of all hands, 1--WE
must dress for the ball, and our best
isguise for the present will be that of
merchantmen. l don't suppose that
be English imagine that we have a
hip afloat in these waters, and posi-
ly they can't see us against this cloud
ank in this twilight, as we can see !
hem against the setting sun; but we
7ill be on the safe side for the few .
1oments of daylight left u.s. They I
lay be looking at us over there, so
re will hoist the English flag at
nee, and, as we are nearing them {
little too rapidly, better brazil up the /
pre- and main sails and take in the G
oyals and the fore and mizzen topgal- 6
mt sails for the present and slack off
ne running gear. Then beat to quar-
FRS and have the guns run in and dou-
Ie shotted, close the ports and have \
le arms distributed; clear the fore =
astle, too, except Of two or three men, =
nd bid everybody observe the strictest b
uiet. especially when we get in among =
le convoy =, he continued rapidly.
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