The San Francisco call., 1908-08-23
A STORY Of NAVAL ADVENTURE
in the WAR with TRIPOLl :,
Il l1v Molly ELLIOT SEAWELL
u AUTHOR OF THE spRuCssTEY RCAAkeE
OF hlARSAC" (NEW YORK HERALD $4,000
PRIZE STORY)..A VIRGINIA CANALEER;'
scHLDREN o. DESTINY.'A"THE +
LAST DUCHESS OF BELGRADE~ Oh ETG.


Totten's warning was needed, for, in
spite of it, something like a gasp went
around among the midshipmen, which
in another moment would have broken
out into wild cheering. The next mo-
ment they saw in the darkness tongue
of flame run like a fiery serpent up the
Philadelphia's foremast and then, like
magic floods of fire. envelop the ship.
The red glare Illuminated the black
sky and the black water. Every spar
of the frigate stood forth in sharp out
line, and the flames, bursting from the
great black hull. made the frigate ap-
pear a ship of fire. The great masses
of fame revealed, as clear as daylight,
the harbor and the forts, which now be-
gan to thunder out a heavy cannonade.
The target was a large ketch lying un-
der the Philadelphia's blazing stern. In
it sat a solitary sailor as boat keeper,
who, unmindful of shot and she'll and
flames, proceeded to break out an
American flag from the stern of the
ketch. Meanwhile men from the burn
ing frigate were tumbling into the
ketch, seizing the long sweeps and
pulling out with powerful strokes into
the channel
BY this time a general alarm had
been raised on land and sea. Besides
the guns laundering from the forts. a
number of armed boats were pulling
across the harbor toward the ketch.
The Philadelphia guns, made red hot
by the flames, began to go off and the
Tripolitan boats dared not approach
the doomed frigate. The ketch, pro-
PEELED by the sturdy arms of the Amer
lean sailors, steadily increased the dis
tance between it and the pursuing Tri-
politan boats The light from the
burning frigate made the sea and sky
ablaze and shone full upon the figure of
a young officer standing up proudly,
with folded arms, at the head of the
ketch. This was Captain Stephen De-
catur, the hero of that nights immortal
enterprise. The shots from forts and
vessels splashed the water all over the
ketch, but not one managed to hit the
rapidly moving target. When well out
in the stream, however, as If acting
upon one impulse, every man stopped
rowing and, standing up in the ketch,
gave three laundering American cheers.
whose faint echo reached the ears of
their comrades in their stone prison.
Then all warning to the midshipmen
to be quiet was in vain. A cheer wild
and shrilL. burst from their young
throats. and it was answered by a
roar of voices from the sailors quar-
ters. Then from the officers quarters
came an echoing shout Dicky Fall
coner. almost beside himself with JOY,
seized Robert Thorne around the neck,
nearly choking him, while Roger
thumped Dicky in the back with all
the force of his strong fists. Suddenly
the door was burst open and in walked,
or rather rushed, Mr.. Porter. The
sight of the Philadelphias destruction
had been astounding enough to the
midshipmen. but they were still further
to be surprised by Mr.. Porter's ceasing
for the first and last time of his life
to be a martinez, and actually capering
around in his delight and rapture and
shouting:
The ship is gone, forever gonel No
rascal of Tripolitan will ever tread
) that deck again, nor will she ever
again wear that piratical flag! Hur-
rah! Hurrah."
The midshipmen, headed by Totten.
proceeded in their turn to astonish Mr..
Porter. and, rushing toward him.
seized him in their arms and carried
him around the room, bawling at the.
top of their lungs:
"Hurrah for Mr.. Porter Hurrah for
the Philadelphia. Hurrah for the
American flag"
Before Mr.. Porter could recover him
self Mr.. Maitland appeared at the door,
at which Mr.. Porter, suddenly becoh
ing the first Lieutenant again and chief
martinez OF the American navy, landed
upon his feet and every midshipman
stood at attention.
Il was about to say, gentlemen said
: Mr.. Porter. trying to assume his usual
voice. that Captain Bainbridge re-
quests your attendance, with that of
: the other officers. in his room, to give
SucH LdClS dS ne hHoWS cohSSiilih6 liiS
glorious nights work
Diclxy and the other midshipmen,
scarcely knowing whether they walked
3 on air or earth. passed into the cap
d tain's room.
: Captain Bainbridge. tall and COM
manding. with the old light of battle
in his eyes, spoke calmly, but with
t suppressed emotion:
: Gentlemen" he said. I'VE must first