Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1905-07-05

the ropes of his resolution. Then sud-
denly, as We swung about, 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
leaped out of her and thick belches of
smoke rushed to her topsails. Then
something hit the sea near by a great
Kissing slap, and we turned quickly to
see chunks of the shattered lake sur
face fly up in nets of spray and fall
roaring on our deck. We were all
drenched there at the bow gun. I re-
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. ~ = ~~-t%. .
1--WE was tn ones at got spit on"
said q gunner, looking at D'ri.
wish they'd let us holler back, :"
said the latter, placidly. "Sick O holdin'
in"
We kept tanning down upon the
enemy. now little more than a mile
away, signalling the fleet to follow.
my God! see there!" a gunner
shouted.
The British line had turned into q
Keeling, 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.t !, r..
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 a bowline whipped over us; a jib
dropped; a 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. It
was all the work of q second. That
hasty flight OF iron, coming out Of
the air, thick as A. flock OF pigeons,
had gone through hull and rigging in .
wink Of the eye. And q 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 knee, choking horribly,
shaken with the last throes Of his
flooded heart, and reeled over. The
Scorpion ofSour feet had got her gums
in action; the little Ariel was also FIR
ing. D'ri leaned over, shouting in my
ear. E*ss jsssE 5% $sset,ssE
Don't like tn way they re whalin'
nv u.s." he said, his cheeks red with
anger. -.. 81. ..; s:s... 4: \ .sa z:51
Nor Twas my answer. VI. =5s5 rs.
Don't like t. stan here an dew
nuthin' but git licked," he went on.
IT ain, no way nat'ral. 2 MI u
Perry came hurrying forward. 3
"Fire!" he commanded, with a quick
gesture, and we began to warm up our
big twenty FOUNDER 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 hammer heads. We saw
shortly that our brig was badly out Of
gear. She began to drift to leeward,
and being unable e ain. s. the enemy.