Morris tribune., 1905-04-29

man IOpSali, Cne guns are TO De nred
Bid the gun captains to train on the
portholes of the second tier of guns
Mind. no order to fire will be giveI
except the words, Stand by to back
the main topsail' The men are to fire
at the word 'topsail' Do you under
stand? Tell the division officers tc
hold up their hands as sign that they
understand as you pass along, so that
can see them. Lively now! Quarter
master, stand by to haul down that
flag and show our colors at the first
shot
The frigate was now rapidly drawing
near the ship Of the line until, at the
moment the officer hailed. the two
ships were nearly alongside Of each
other. The awful disparity between
their sizes was now painfully apparent
''Ship ahoy! Ahoy the frigate!' came
down a second time in long, hollow
tones through the trumpet from the
officer balancing himself on the Var
mouths rail by holding on to a back
stay. Why don't you answer?"
'Ahoy the ship" replied Seymour at
last through his own trumpet What
ship is that?"
His Britannia majesty's ship of the
line Yarmouth, Captain Vincent. Who
are you? Answer or I will fire.
The flying boom of the Randolph
was just pointing past the Yarmouth's
quarter, and the two ships were abreast
of each other. Now. if ever, was the
time for action.
This is the American Continental
ship Randolph, Captain Seymour"
cried the latter through the trumpet in
voice heard in every part of the ship
Of the line
AT least two hearts in the Yarmouth
were powerfully affected by that an
nouncement. Katharine's leaped with
in her bosom at the sound of her low
ers voice and beat madly while she
reveled in thought in his close proxim
ity, and then, as she noticed again the
fearful odds with which he was appar
emily about to contend, her heart sank
into the depths once more. In one sec
ond she thrilled with pride, quivered
with love, trembled with despair. He
was there-he was hers-he would be
killed. She gripped the rail hard and
ciinched her teeth to keep from
screaming aloud his name, while her
gaze strained out upon his handsome
figure. Pride, love, death-an epitome
Of human life in that feeting moment
all were hers!
On the main deck of the frigate the
name carried CONSERVATION to Lieuten-
ant Lord Desborough. SO Seymour
was alive again. Was that the end
of my lords chance? No. JOY! The
rebel was under the guns of the battle
ship! Never, vowed the lieutenant,
should guns be better served than
those under his command Unless the
man surrendered, he was doomed. So
he spoke eagerly to his men, bidding
them take good aim and waste no shot,
never doubling the inevitable issue.
These thoughts took but moment
however. Beauchamp, who had done
the talking, now stepped aft to Captain
Fincent's side and replied to Seymour's
hail by calling out:
''Do you strike, sir?'
"Yes, yes, Of course; that's what we
came down here for. Well strike fast
enough" was the answer.
A broad smile lighted up Captain
Vincent's face. He turned to the colo
mel, laughing, and said with scarcely
Veiled Sneer:
81 told you they were not up to it.
The cad! He might have fired one shot
at least for the honor of his flag, don't
You see?"
The colonel, with a sinking heart,
could not see at all. CoWardice in Sey-
mour, in any officer was a thing he
could not understand. The world
turned black before Katharine. What!
Strike without a blow? Was this her
hero? Rather death than a coward.
In spite Of her faith in her lover, as
she heard what appeared to be pusil-
luminous offer Of surrender, Desbor-
ough's' chances took a sudden bound
upward, while that gentleman cursed |
the cowardice of his enemy and rival,
which would deprive him Of pleasing
opportunity of blowing him out Of the |
water Most of the men at the differ
ent guns relaxed their eager watchful- !
ness, while sneers and jeers at the
Yankee went up on all sides. J
"Heave to, them" continued Beau
champ peremptorily and with much
disgust, sand send boat aboard"
'Aye aye, sir''
Oh. it was true then; he was going
tO surrender tamely without
'fStand byw There was note of prep
aration in the words in spite of Sey
monr's effort to give them the ordinary
antonation Of commonplace order, d
note which had so much meaning to
Katharines sensitive ear that her
heart stopped it's beating for moment
aB she waited for the next word. 1t
came with a roar of defiance. "Back the
main topsail" But the braces were
kept fast, and the unexpected hap
Dened. In an instant sheets of fame
shot out from the muzzles of the black