Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-01-25

denly, as we swung about, a murmu
 went up and down the deck. We coul,
 see with our naked eyes the men wh,
 were'to give us battle. Perry shoute,
 sternly to some gunners who though
 it high time to fire. Then word came
 there would be no firing until We go
 close. Little gusts of music came chas
 ing over the water faint-footed to oul
 decks-a band playing Rule Britan nia." was looking at brig in the
 line of the enemy when a bolt of fire
 leaped out of her and thick belches oi smoke rushed to her topsails. Then something hit the sea near by a great hissing 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.
 We was tn ones at got spit on,' said a gunner, looking at D'ri. Wish they'd let us holler back" said the latter, placidly. Sick O holdin' in."
 We kept flaming down upon the enemy. now little more than 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 Dri, 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 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 second. That nasty flight of iron, coming out of the ;-v.r. thick as a flock of pigeons, had gone through hull and rigging in 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 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' uv us," 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 natral."
 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, 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 gum ners had been hurt by bursting can ister. D'ri and I 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 a mighty crash beside us and a burst of old iron that tumbled me to my knees.
 A cloud of smoke covered us. felt the man I bore struggle and then go limp in my arms I 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 a spray of blood from his upper arm was flying back upon me. His hat crown had been torn off. and there was big rent in his trousers. but he kept going. I 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 I had n9t the sense to lay him down. but followed D'ri to the cockpit. He stumbled on the stairs. falling heavily with his burden. Then I dropped my poor gunner and helped them carry D'ri to table. where they bade me lie down beside him.
 Tt is no time for testing" 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. of which I had known nothing until then. had no sooner seen il and the blOcd than l saw that [ also was in some need of repair. and lay down with a quick