Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1906-11-23


1t as from a mirror of gold. There was
no longer any doubt; we were pursued
by the nameless ship.
What are you going to do, skipper?''
asked Roderick, as gloom fell upon the
'hree OF us and we stood together, each
man afraid to tell the others all he
thought
What am 1 going to do?' said he.
gong to see the boats cleared, and
All hands IN the stoke-hole that have the
right there; and then he sang out,
stand by" and the men swarmed up
from below, and heard the order to clear
the boats.
1hey had all the grit of the old sea
dogs IN them. The thought of brush-up
put dash and daring into them; they had
the boats cleared, the water barrels filled,
ana the llfe-belts free, with an activity
That was remarkable. Then they stood to
watch the oncoming of the nameless ship
and when we hoisted our ensign they
burst again into hoarse roar of applause
which rolled across the water waste, and
must have sounded as Wanting mockery
| to the men behind the walls of metal But
they answered us in turn, running up an
ensign, and cry came from all of us
as we saw it's color, for it was the blue
satire on white ground
Russian, or I'm blind said the skip
| per, for the nameless ship, which five days
| ago showed her heels under the CHILEAN
mask, now made straight towards us in
| Russian guise.
l turned my eyes away to the crimson
arch which marked the huns decline;
looked again to the east whence black
| harbingers of night hung low upon the
darkened sea- [ searched the horizon in
every quarter, but it lay barren of ships,
and soon the last light would leave us,
and with the ebb of day there was no Sc
| curity against an enemy whose intentions
were no longer disguised. 1 say no longer
| disguised. The skipper pointed to the
mast on the nameless ship, where the Rus
| san ensign had hung ten minutes before.
| 1t was there no longer; the black flag took
| its place.
Pirates" said the skipper; and then
ne whistled long and loud and shrilly as
i man who has solved sum. Gentle
men, | said l would resign this ship at
| New York; with your permission l will
withdraw that. | will sail with you
wherever you go"
|
he discovery of our purpose had uncoud-
ID his mind. But we had no time for full
er understanding for at that moment the
air itself seemed torn apart by great
concushion, and a shell burst in the
water no more than fifty yards ahead of
us. Old Dan fired his gun into the air
with great shout. Yet we knew that
! all this was the cheapest bravado; and
| a. - A. L.
! our engines, | was sure that he was wise.
The great vessel rode still some quarter
! of a mile away from us but the glass
showed me the men upon her decks, and
| conspicuous amongst them l saw the form
of Captain Black standing by the steam
steering gear. Soon their launch was
making for us. The boat came so near
that | could see the faces in it; and three
of the five 1 recognized, for 1 had seen
them in Paris. The man who was in com
mand was the fellow Roaring John ;"
and when he was within hail he stood and
bawled
what ship?'
"My ship!" roared back the skipper,
again looking at the mist-clouds, and my
heart gave a bound when | read his pur-
pose: we were drifting into them.
and who may you be?" bawled the fell
low again, growing more insolent with ev
cry advance.
I'm one that'll give you the best hiding
Won ever had, if you'll step up here
minute !" yelled the skipper. You're COM
| ing aboard are you? And which of you
shall have the pleasure of kicking first?"
"Oh, you're funny, amt you, and pref
nv with your jaw. But it's me that you'll
have the pleasing of speaking to, and right
o,ick nv mate, oh, you bet" said Roar
ing John. =,
b;s calmness we'll at zero: ''in that case
Won, Dan! introduce yourself to the gen.
tleman.
Dams reply was instantaneous. He
| had M with his shot gun, and the long
rufiau. who had reached forward with
| his boat hook, got the dose full in his
faca At the same moment the skipper
called "Fire!" and the heavy crack of the
rifles and the sharp report OF the pistols
rang out together The very launch itself
seemed to reel under the volley.
Full steam ahead - roared Captain
| York. as the nameless ship replied with
a she'll that grazed our chart room. Ihen'
shaking his fist TO the warship, he almost
screamed "Bested for a parcel of cut
! threats !" :,
There was no doubt about 1t at an
The moment the yacht answered to the
screw the fog rolled round US like sheet'
in thick wet clouds, steaming damp on
| the decks; and twenty yards anead OF
astern of us you could not see the long
waves themselves. Shot after shot Missed
and splashed ahead of US, behind US now
duh. heavy. yet penetrating. and we knew
that the ship lay close on our track tnen
| farther off and deadened, and we hoped
that she had lost us.
When l left the bridge it was midnight
T was soaked to the skin and nlgn frozen
and the water ran even from my halr
hn4 hot hand was put into mine as |
suffered the cabin, and then a thousand
ouestlons rained upon me.
"1'n tell you by-and-by, Mary. were
| You very much afraid ,..,
II vas a bit afraid, Mark--a-a-little
! - ,orSad PaOlo--he'S dying.