The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-04-26

young sailors looked forward full of | delight to the cruise. But it was de- creed that Peter Simple was to sail with a heavy heart after all. for his mother died before he joined the ship. Scarcely had this blow fallen before the family received the news that Lord Privilege had died. When the will was read 1t was found that he had not left | a penny to either Peter or his father, but had beaueathed to his son William everything beside the title and estates which, of course, descended to him by law.
 Peter Simple was far more disap- | pointed on his fathers account than on his own. He knew that his father. had not saved any money. and he griev- ed at thought of his sister Ellen. for whom there would be no provision now.
 He felt convinced that his uncle had robbed him of all chance of the estates by substituting child as being his own son: indeed. O'Brien had made in- l vestigation in Ireland and had discov- cred that his uncle had engaged a \ young married woman as servant there. and that a child had been born to her the same week in which a child was born to his aunt. Suddenly as he had arrived. his uncle had then returned I to England, and the young woman had left for India at the same time with her husband. who had enlisted. l It was quite impossible to trace the | couple Altogether the affair was so well covered up that there could be no certainty. Peters uncle. however, had learned of the inquiries, and had dis covered who had set them on foot, He hated Peter Simple and O'Brien from that moment. and lost no opportunity to harm them.
 | The Rattlesnake made a quick run of 1t to the West Indies, and soon was bowling up and down before the beau- tiful coast of Martinique, waiting to pick up a Frenchnnan. Several prizes had been taken. among them a shaver with more than 500 slaves, when they discovered a large privateering schoon- CT in the harbor of St .. Pierre. and de- clded to cut her ont that night.
 Their attempt was a dire failure. The privateer was ready for them. and after a bloody fight. which cost the 1 English half their men in killed and | wounded, they were beaten off and crawled away. To avoid the fire from the shore batteries they kept close un- der the land on their way out of the | harbor, Just as they were approach ing the harbor. entrance they spied a great vessel standing in under royals and Peter Simple snatched at the chance to come out with a prize after all. | Quietly he passed the word along the boats to lie on the oars and let her pass abreast Then they pulled swiftly for her quarter and boarded without a sound. They caught the crew at an. utter dtsadvantage. In | two minutes they had possession of her and were laying her head around to 1 take her.
 The breeze freshened as soon as they | had the enemy under matches. In half
 an hour they were beating toward | sea heading for the frigate. They l found that their prize was not a harm l less merchant ship but a Bordeaux prt- l vateer of fourteen guns and that she l had a number of French women aboard l who had come out to join their hus- l bands stationed at Martinique. l Peter decided at once to set the pas
 sengers on shore and though he more than suspected the men of being offi- cers, he informed them that they were
 free also and that he would send them all ashore before he cleared the har-
 bor entrance. .1
 When the women came on deck and went up to him to express their thanks Peter started back at the sight of one and stood speechless It was Celeste! She smiled and then burst Into tears as she held out her hands to him. She 1 told him that her father was now a | General and commanded in Martinique, | and Peter, .sholding her hands, forgot | the war and the ship. till his quarter master reported that the Rattlesnake was bearing down. Hastily the French neopla embarked, showering thanks on inc voung lieutenant and Peter stood at the rail and looked after Celeste till she disappeared.
 The French ship turned out to be
 magnificent prize. richly laden Ar | ter she had been taken into Barbados, | the Rattlesnake cruised into the Gulf | of Mexico. and one day made out three l French priVateers with three British merchantmen which they had captured. | o'Brien did not h esitate a moment, but
 sailed down on them as If he were a whole squadron. By clever handling he brought the Rattlesnake
 snake where she raked two of the privateers in the first exchange of shot | Then, he swung up between the two | ships and gave them 'broadsides that
 soon dismantIed them. leaving him | free to recapture the prizes, the third
 prtvateer having, made his escape
 Great was the delight of the men | at the successful exploit and still | greater was their joy when they dis | covered that the larger of the captur- l ed privateers was the very one that had given them so sad drubbing in St. Pierre.
 When they sailed into Barbados with their five prizes Peter received a sad letter from his sister. saying that their | father was quite broken and that she did not know what would become 1 of her if he should die, as he was in.
 capable of making any provision for her.
 "Never mind" said o'Rrien when he
 saw the lettr. ITO whom is 1t I am
 indebted for this brig and for my pro- motion but to you--snd for all the
 prize money which. by the head of St. Patrick, amounts to a very decent sum? Make yourself quite easy about