Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1905-03-30

member some of those water-drOps had
the sting of hard-flung pebbles, but we
only bent our heads, waiting eagerly
for the word fire.
1--WE was tn ones at got spit on"
said gunner, looking at D'ri.
Wish they'd let us holler back"
said the latter, placidly. Sick O. Eoldin'
in"
We kept tanning down upon the
enemy, now little more than a mile
away, signalling the fleet 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 a space,
grinding the gunners under it. One
end Of bowline whipped over us; jib
dropped; brace fell crawling over my
shoulders like big snake; the fore
mast went into Splinters a few feet
above the decks, it's 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
the air, thick as a flock of pigeons,
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
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. Dri 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 |, was my answer.
Don't like { 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 70 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'Ti and | picked them up, and
made for the cockpit. D'ri's man kept
bowling and kicking. AS we hurried
oiolAo 'Ntl Nnt bIOONy hCNN, llltIt Nsil illlG
a mighty crash beside us and a hdrst
of old iron that tumbled me to any
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
in q ahaa1 of mo Ji- Sla ho
ripped away from shoulder to elbow,
and a 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 | 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
| dropped my poor gunner and helped
them carry D'ri to a table, where they
bade me lie down beside him.
1T is no time for jesting," said |,
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, of
which had known nothing until then.
| had no sooner seen it and the blood
than | saw that also was in some need
of repair, and lay down with a quick
sense of faintness My wound was no
pretty thing to see but was of little
consequence, a missile having torn the
surface only. | was able to help Sur
Seon Usher as he caught the severed
veins and bathed the bloody strands
of muscle in 'D'ris arm. while another
dressed my thigh That room was
full of the wounded, some lying on
the floor, some standing, some stretched
upon cots and tables. Every moment
they were crowding down the compan-
iOpWaV with others The cannonoJino o.