The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-08-30

| of a lantern that was raised ana loW- cred fram the end of the Proserpine's gan as she swept around a headland. Two minutes afferward Le Feu-Foi- l let was gliding out of the harbor on | the other side, with Ghita and her uncle safely aboard. When daylight brought l it's usual calm the privateer lay about | four miles to windward of the frigate- Raoui paid little further attention to his baffled enemy. for 1t was impos- sibie that she could get near him when | the breeze started. and in the meantime | hs was quite safe. for it would have been madness to send q small boat ex- petition against him.
 The Englishmen, however were not idle. A boat sliped quietly away from i her and entered the harbor. Soon | afterward felucoa came out and stood across the bow of the warship. The | latter, still flying French coiors promptly lowered boats in chase | These soon gained the feiucca, which was barely crawling before the wind that was too light to stir the frigate or l even the lugger. The men on the | felucca, garped in the striped shirts l and caps of Italian sailors. betrayed | all signs of alarm and headed straight | toward the privateer. as if for protec- l ton.
 The ruse was we'll planned. Had Raoui not been positive that the frigate was British he would infailibly have l fallen into the trap by trying to lay | the felucca aboard and thus help his countrymen. Ithuei Bolt. however, swore more confidently than before that it was the Proserpine.
 for the unmasking, which came as soon as the felucca had drifted near enough to the lugger to shelter the advancing
 boats. Le Feu-Follet's sweeps were
 run out, she came around and poured five twelve -pounders. heavily loaded
 with canister, full into the smaller ves-
 sel At once the English boats dashed
 around her bow and stern and made for the fugger A shot from the leading launch brought her mainyard down by the run. A cheer arose from the
 on-coming enemy. But even as they
 came on breeze started up and Le Feu-Foliet spread her wings.
 The English, perceiving that their attempt had failed. sheered off. The lugger bore down on them, but chivalrously refrained from firing at
 the retreating boats. Instead, though the frignte was approaching with the
 freshening breeze, the privateer ran
 down to the lugger, laid him aboard, and having ascertained that no men
 were left on her. set her afire.
 By the time this was done the frigate had come nearly into gunshot.
 and the fitful wind died away again.
 leaving the long sea swell glassy with out a ripple.
 For some hours the enemies lay
 without motion. There was nothing to do except wait for the evening wind | for the British, brave as they were had no intention of sacrificing their men. I Suddenly. however, another breeze started. Tie privateer was ready for 1 it. but so was the frigate. As Le Feu- Toilet ran across her bows to gath eF
 way. Captain Cuffe knocked his ship round off For moment her broad
 side bore on the fleeing lugger. Every gun of the great starboard batteries
 went off at the instant. Twenty two
 round shot stormed through the little lugger's dainty rigging. The digger
 mast was cut in two like a reed. The
 mainmast was cracked. Six shots tore
 both lug-sails to rags. The Jib-stay
 Luckily for the Frenchman. the
 wind. though strong enough to give 1 the lugger way. had not sufficient power to strain the enfeebled rigging Her men were at work at once, replac- ing and strengthening wherever pos-
 sibie. The frigate bore astern. work | ing both bow guns. Raoul kept his ship immediately before her, thus diminishing the danger of shot strik- ing, as the bow guns of the cruiser could not readily shoot straight ahead Crippled as he was Captain Ward
 dared not stand chase too long, as a fresh breeze would be certain to test his spars with fatal results. He bore off and ran for the mouth of the Colo
 knowing that the shoals of that river
 would make an effectual bar to the frigate.
 There she goes. into the breakers 2, exclaimed Captain Cuffe when he saw the prtvateer head straight for a rocky promontory and apparently with her bow in the very curl of a breaker. But she went on as swiftly as before and by sunset anchored in the mouth of the river. while the Prosperine. distrustful ot the shoals. anchored two miles out side.
 The solemn, breathing stiffness of a starlit night succeeded. Both the eruis- CT and the privateer seemed wrapped in slumber Beside thes two. the only objects in sight were two coasters
 which had been stopped by the frigate and released, and were now crawling
 slowly into the river.
 Three hours passed thus Then Ith- uel Bolt called Raoul and pointed out to him the fact that one of the coasters. a felueca, had ben drifting down on the lugger for some time. though she had sufficient wind to cross her bows. They got a line of Sight on her by the Jip-stAN. ana soon satisfied themselves that instead of bearinR shead, which she should have done with that breeze. she was making no head way at all. though het sails were gent ly full, but was, on the contrary, drift ing down broadside with the tide.
 The privateers were satisfied at once that she had drags astern. Hardly had they assured themselves of thia before the vessel fell broad oR and came down on the lugSer's bow8s. An hands to re- pei boarders." yelled Raoul. spripging to the capstan. Tho felucca swung around and fell foul of rhs privafeer As her men thronged to the head to meet the expected attack. oars wore heard. pulled as if for life. Tue next instant flames burst from the telucca's open hatch. and in the glow tho Fsn gIIsh boats could be seen dartinE toward the sea.
 "A hrs-shiSl A nrs-ship." shouted the men. Raoul SpranR aboard the craft, which now resemblsd a floating torch. He tested his cable and found that. as he had supposed. the fire-ship had Erappled it. Immediately he passed down 1t as far as he could climb and fastened it to the felucea with a halt. hitch Tn half Q minute he was aboard again and ordering his men to veer out cable for their lives.
 The lugger took the cable that was given to her ct once. and rapidly reced. ed from the fire-ship. which was held ip her position by the luRRer's own an. chor. The Le Feu-FoIlat dropped astern, fathom after fathom. until sba lay more than q hundred yards distant from the fiery mass.
 The people of the Prosperin0 watched