The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1907-09-20

muttered, straining his eyes to pierce
the cloud that enveloped them.
A catspaw of a breeze stirred the
fog, the schooner heeled over, and a,
boom creaked.
did you hear that, si1?" a voice ex-
claimed excitedly upon the guard
ship. There is ship very cIose-I
can hear the movement of her through
the waterl"
The men aboard the Laughing Lass
scarcely dared to breathe. In the
very air was strain of intense light
ening. A sail tapped and drew tight
with a short snap.
you were right, lieutenant-there
isl" another voice said hurriedly. Get
the men to their stations-and make
no noise"
Capt. Rockhill realized that in a
few minutes more an alarm would be
sounded, and the whole fleet know that
a blockade runner or a confederate
cruiser was trying to slip through the
Gordon. He touched his chief officer
on the shoulder.
Get the long boat over, as quick
as you can, and without a sound" he
whispered. There was not the slight
est splash to announce when this had
been done.
Get that dog that followed me on
board the other day." was Capt. Rock
hills next command. Put him in the
boat with a fresh beef bone, and cut
the boat loose"
Three minutes later this had been
done. The dog had been carefully muz-
zled when the Laughing Lass slipped
her cable, but now the muzzle was re-
moved, and he was left gnawing con
tentedly upon the bone. The breeze,
though still light, was now, steady, and
the schooner was gliding silently for
ward at a rate Of perhaps three knots
an hour From the Slight sounds
heard the man-of-war was now evil
IDENTIFY astern, little on the port.
Load with grape-double charges"
was order distinctly audible, followed
by the sound of gunners working
about their artillery
The dog, which had been cut adrift
in the longboat and which was now
several hundred yards astern, had, as
Capt. Rockhill expected, been gnaw-
ing contentedly upon his bone for sew
eral minutes before he realized that he
was alone. Then the loneliness of
the fog-shrouded waters struck into
his heart, and he howled mournfully.
again and again
"They arc right alongside Ship
ahoy! Heave to or we will sink you!"
an officer on the guardship shouted.
The only reply was the delighted
yelping Of the dog at the sound of a
human voice.
ANSWER or we fire." was the next
shout. The next instant there was
the roar of a gun, and fash of fame
glimmered family in the fog. Anoth-
er and another gun crashed, all the
shots being directed toward the sound
of the dogs bowls, far to the stern
Of the Laughing Lass.
From the next guardship a rocket
sped upward then from the next and
the next, and then the sea was faint
ly illuminated by light being burned
by the ship which the schooner had
SO narrowly missed. The light must
have disclosed to them the longboat,
empty save for dog, for the firing
ceased Instead there came the sound
of her engines as she got under way.
The wind was now blowing stif1y.
and every sail aboard the Laughing
Lass was drawing as she sped away
toward the open sea. When the gray
dawn broke and the fog had been dis
sipated by the rising sun not even a
trail Of smoke was to be seen upon the
horizon The blockade runner had
slipped safely through.-New York
Times.