Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1905-04-07

said D'ri, calmly.
Well, for two hours it was all
creeping and talking under the
breath. and here and there an
oath as some nervous chap frightened
the ropes of his resolution. Then sud-
denly, as we swung about, a murmur
went up and down the deck. We could
see with our naked eyes the men who
were to give us battle. Perry shouted
sternly to some gunners who thought
it high time to fire. Then word came:
there would be no firing until we got
close. Little gusts of music came chas-
ing over the water faint-footed to our
decks-a band playing Rule Britain
MIA" / was looking at a brig in the
line of the enemy when a bolt of fire
eaped out of hA and thick belches of
smoke rushed to her topsails. Then
something hit the sea near by a great
see chunks of the shattered lake sur
face fly up in nets of spray and fall
roaring on our deck. We were AL
drenched there at the bow gun. re-
member some of those water-drops had
the sting of hard-fung pebbles, but we
only bent our heads, waiting eagerly
for the word fire.
I'VE was tn ones at got spit on"
said gunner, looking at Dri.
Wish they'd let us holler back"
raid the latter, placidly. "Sick o. holdin'
in"
We kept tanning down upon the
enemy, now little more than a mile
away, signalling the feet to follow.
MY God! see there!" gunner
shouted.
The British line had turned into a
reeling, whirling ridge of smoke lift
ing over spurts of flame at the bottom.
We knew what was coming. Untried
in the perils of shot and shell, some
of my gunners stopped to cover under
the bulwarks.
Pull 'em out O. there" called. turn
ing to D'ri, who stood beside me.
The storm of iron hit us. A heavy
BALL crashed into the after bulwarks.
tearing them away and slamming over
gun and carriage, that slid space,
end of bovine whipped over US; a jib
dropped; brace fell crawling over my
shoulders like a big snake; the fore
mast went into splinters a few feet
above the decks its top falling over,
its canvas sagging in great folds. 1t
was all the work of a second. That
hasty flight of iron, coming out of
hn ial- of nj
had gone through hull and rigging in a
wink Of the eye. And a fine mess it
had made. Men lay scattered along
the deck, bleeding, yelling, struggling.
There were two lying near us with
blood squirting out Of their necks. One
rose upon a knee, choking horribly,
shaken with the last throes Of his
flooded heart, and reeled over. The
Scorpion Of our fleet had got her guns
in action; the little Ariel was also fir
ing. D'ri leaned over, shouting in my
ear.
Don't like tn way they re whalin'
Nv u.s." he said, his cheeks red with
anger.
Nor l." was my answer.
Don't like t stan here an dew
nuthin' but git licked" he went on.
"'T ain no way nat'ral."
Perry came hurrying forward.
"Fire!" he commanded, with quick
gesture, and we began to warm up our
big twenty-pounder there in the bow.
But the deadly scuds of iron kept fly
| ing over and upon our deck, bursting
| into awful showers of bolt and chain
and spike and hammerheads. We saw
shortly that our brig was badly out of
gear. She began to drift to leeward,
and being unable to aim at the enemy,
we could make no use of the bow
gun. Every brace and bowline cut
| away, her canvas torn to rags, her
| hull shot through, and half the men
| dead or wounded. she was, indeed, a
sorry sight. The Niagara went by on
the safe side of us, needless of our
plight. Perry stood near, cursing as
he looked off at her. Two of my gun
ners had been hurt by bursting can
lister. D'ri and picked them up, and
made for the cockpit. D'ri's man kept
| bowling and kicking. AS we hurried
along over the bloody deck, there came
mighty crash beside us and burst
of old iron that tumbled me to my
knees.
A cloud of smoke covered us. | felt
the man | bore struggle and then go
limp in my arms | felt my knees get
ting warm and wet. The smoke rose;
the tall, herculean back of D'ri was
just ahead of me. His sleeve had been
ripped away from shoulder to elbow
and spray of blood from his upper
arm was flying back upon me. His hat
crown had been torn off, and there was
a big rent in his trousers, but he kept
going. | saw my man had been killed
in my arms by piece of chain, buried
to its last link in his breast. l was SC
confused by the shock of it al