The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-08-30
B1 Jkl1E5 FTNIfIOI COP{R

wing and Wing. is one of the nov els that Cooper wrote after that period in his career when he embroiIed him. self in feuds and suits in his own Europe with his doughty battles to prove the perfection of democracy as against royalty. For i've years the Rspers; perioaieaas nsSsn and sts law S S9urts or hlows. When peace was declared he was well beyond his 5oth year. Then he amazed and delighted the world with Two Admirals" and Wing and Wing and ten other novels.
 Toward the close of fine August day in 1798 fairy-like craft came steering toward Forty Farrajo in the Island of Eiba, which was to become famous in after years as the residence of Emperor Napoleon. She was a three-masted lug ger. spreading an enormous width of canvas as she came down wing-and- wing. with sail flaming on each side like the heavy pinons of a sea-fow1.
 Had her immense canvas not betray- cd her, she would have deceived even sea-farfng eyes into believing her much smaller than she really as, for she had low hull painted black and relieved only by a single and almost impercep- tible line of red beneath her channels. while her waist was so deep that noth- Ing was visible above it except at in- tervais the cap of some mariner taller than usual.
 The people of Forty rerra3o. always in fear of corsairs. received her suspi- ciousiy and fired couple of shots across her bow. in answer to which the stranger broke out the friendly English colors. He anchored close to the town. but in such position that none of the guns of the fort could be brought to bear on him. Then the cap- tain landed and made q visit of cer. sinony to the vice-governor of the is- land.
 The sailor was a tall. athletic man of about 2s. He was attired in an un- dress naval uniform. which he wore with smart air. His eyes were coal black. his skin swarthy and his chin was hidden by beard as black as his hair and eyes. His face was eIassically perfect. and might have served as the model for an antique medal. Although he looked So decidedly un-EnsIish, he introduced himself as Captain Smith of the English war lugger wing-and Wing; and the simple vice2governor, who had only a vague idea that Eng. land was an island something larger than Elba. accepted his statement with out question. Had he known a little about the unnusical language of Brit annia he would have observed that the stranger called himself "Jaques Sheet" and pronounced the name of his vessel as "ze ving-and-ving..
 Captain Jaques Sheet" was. in truth. Raou1 Ward. and his lugger was the celebrated French privater, Le Ecu Follet. She had earned her name, which meant will O the wisp. so thor oughly that ali of Lord Nelson's cap- tafns were on the lookout for her, for she irritated the Admiral moro than many French frigate did. Hardly a day passed without bringing news Of a daring and successful attack on ship ping almost under the guns of the British heef. yet though some of the fastest cruisers had seen the lugger under the lees. the marine jack o' ian- tern had vanished to windward like . wrath again and again.
 To lay his vessel in the trap of the little port which was visited frequently by British cruisers was an act so dar- Ing that only an Ward would hsvs done it. Even he had gone little be- yond hls usual effronteTy. but he had an excellent excuse In the object that had brought him, which was to see f$hItta. Caraccioli who was waiting In the little port for sailing opportunity for her home.
 Though Ghitta was not beautiful. her face was so winning and attractive. and suffused with so radiant and noble a character. that many men less reck- less than Raoul Ward might have been willing to risk their necks for an op' portunfty to see her. ,
 RaouI was desperately in love with her and the girl had confessed her afYection to him. but he was true son of the mad French Republic that defied not only the institutions of man. but the institutions of God. He be- lieved neither in a church nor diety' while Ghita was devout Cathollc. Dkep and true though her love was, she refused steadfastly to marry him.
 He had ventured in to press his suit once more. Alarmed though she was at the danger of her lover. she refused again. While he was with her bus tie in the harbor attracted their at. tention. They saw the shape Of a taii shin approaching slowly before light air. When che had come within learue of the port the privateers keen eyes saw that she mounted thirteen guns to A broadside A few secends afterward she broke out the French ensign from her gan.
 Raoul was in doubt for a few mo- ments, but luckily for him he had an officer aboard, Ithuel Bolt, q native of New Hampshire, who recognized the arrival, with an eye sharpened by hateful recollections. as the British trigate Proserpine He had been pressed" aboard of her some years before and had deserted after being hogged because he refused to fight un- der British colors.
 The appearance of the frigate was the signal for manning the guns of the battery. The pieces were loaded and trained on her when suddenly the French colors ran down and the Brit ish ensign took it's place The lugger promptly showed the same fas. The Proserpine' fetched in nearer and be- gan 10 slEnal. The pri4Ateersmen. ae- customed to expediertz. replied with out hesitation. but managed to do 1t SO clumsily that the pennants were too tangled to be read,
 Raoul warned the Vice-Governor that the stranger was without doubt a, Frenchman about to attack the port and volunteered to sail out and lure him to sea The people believed him and permitted him to clear from his moorinEs and stand across the harbor under their guns. The wind that barely moved the frigate gave the lueger abundant headway. She slip ped away under the promontory to windward, and though the Kings ship made chase it was hopeless from the first. In an hour the lugger had dis appeared and the cruiser came about and sailed in the opposite direction down the coast.
 The next day the Wing-and-Wing appeared again and anchored in her former position as if nothing had hap pened. Captain Raoul had prevailed on Ghita to come aboard with her un- cle and let him take her home, and he felt certain that the frigate would not return.
 Captain Cuffe of the Proserpine was