Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-03-16

~~'' ~'oouCu lulO luC dILeT UulWNinoS
tearing them away and slamming over
gun and carriage, that slid space,
grinding the gunners under 1t. One
end Of a bowline whipped over us; jib
dropped; brace fell crawling over my
shoulders like big snake; the fore
mast went into splnters few feet
above the decks, its top falling over,
It's canvas sagging in great folds. II
was all the work of second. That
hasty flight of iron, coming out of
the L.r, thick as a flock of pigeons,
lad gone through hull and rigging in a
wink of the eye. And 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 t. was my answer.
Don't like t stan here an dew
nuthin' but it licked" he went on.
"'T ain no way trail
Perry came hurryins forward.
Fire" he commanded, with quick
gesture. and we began to warm up our
big twenty pounGer 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 spil and haInmerhcads. We saw
shortly that our brig was badly out of
gear. She began to drift to leewarti
and being unable to aim at the enemy
we could ma no use OF the bow
gun. Every oe and bovine cut
away, Ter canvas torn to rags, her
hull shot through. and half the men
dead or wounded, she was, indeed. Il
sorry sight. The Niagara went by on
the safe side of us. needless of our
plight. Perry stood near, cursing as
lie looked OFF at her. Two of my gun
ners had been hurt by bursting can
lister. D'vi 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 a burst
of ole iron that tumbled me to my
knees.
A cloud of smoke covered us. felt
the man | bore s,o.agle and then go
limp in my arms ! felt my knees get
ting warm and wet. The smoke rose
the tall, herculean back OF Dri was
just ahead of me. His sleeve had been
ripped away from shoulder to elbow,
and a spray of blood from his upper
arm was flying back upon me. His nat
crown had beer torn off, and there was
a big rent in his trousers. but he kept
gOins. saw my man had been killed
in my arms by piece of chain. buried
to its last link in his breast. l was SO
confused by the shock OF it all
that had not the sense to lay
him down, but followed D'ri to the
cockpit. He stumbled on the stairs
falling heavily with his burden. Then
l dropped my poor gunner and helped
them carry D'ri to table. where they
bade me lie down beside him.
1T is no time for jesting." said I,
with some dignity.
my dear fellow" the surgeon an
swered, your wound is no jest. You
are not fit for duty"
looked down at the big hole in my
trousers and the cut in my thigh, ol
which had known nothing until then
had no sooner seen it and the blood
than saw that also was in some neet
of repair, and lay down with Quicl
sense of faintness. My wound was nt
pretty thing to see. but was of little
consequence, a missile having torn tn,
surface only. was able to help Sur
geon Usher as he caught the severed
veins and bathed the bloody strand.
of muscle in 'D'ris arm. while another
dressed my thigh. That room wa!
full OF the wounded, some lying OF
the floor, some standing, some stretched
upon cots and tables. Every mOmen
they were crOwding down the cOmpan
ionway with others. The cannonadini
was now SO close and heavy that i
gave me an ache in the ears. but abov'
its quaking thunder l could hear thu
shrill cries Of men sinking to hast.
death in the grip Of pain. The bri:
was in sore distress, her timbers creak
ing. swapping. quivering, like one beinl
beaten to death, his bones cracking
his muscles pulping under heavy blows
We were above water-line there in tn
cockpit, We could feel her finch AM
stagger. On her side there came sud
denly crushing blow, as if some grea
hammer, swung far IN the sky, ha
come down upon her could hea
the split and break OF heavy tiInbers
could see splinters flying over me il
rush Of smoke. and the legs OF ma
60 humping on the beams above. The
came another crash Of timbers on tn
port side. l leaped off the table an
ran. limping. to the deck do not kno'
why; l was driven by some quick an
irresistible. impulse. l was near out G
my head, anyway, with the rage @
battle in me and no chance to fight
Well. suddenly, found myself stun
bling, with drawn saber, over heaps G
the hurt and dead there on GU
reeling deck. 1t was a horrible place
everything tipped over, man and gu
and mast and bulwark. The air wa
full of smoke, but near me l could Sc