The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-08-30

ness to hide what was going on.
 Raoul needed no more. In an tnstapt
 he was out of the port. and, guided
 by Ithuei, he dropped softly into tne
 yawi The American followed. Gnita
 tossed a cloak over them where they
 lay on the bottom. The yawl defuy rowed by her uncle. sheered on ana Tn
 The escape was discovered almost
 at once as a sentry had been posted with orders to watch the prisoner closely. The yawi had hardly dropped astern before the noise Of the ooat- falls was heard as boat after boat dropped from the ship amid nurFisa
 orders. Soon oars were sounding m to guide the refugees than to alarn them.
 They had mufied their own ears hastily and now rowed calmly along in the wake of the searching sailors
 til they neared land. when suddeniy several gigs seemd to come towafd them at Frightening velocity, Lustiiy as the privateersnen rowed they couia not hope 70 outrow the weli-manned gigs: but at this moment. when all seemed lost. Ghita's uncle steered sud- denly straight at some perpendtcuiar elifs. Raoul thought the craft was about to be smashed. when it gilded intc q gretto and ia 2 & n1omsn, n,, sdss,ble isy ls search.
 The iandfail could not have been
 better, for 1t was not only near Ghitas
 home, but also nesr the spot where Le
 Feu-Follet was to look for her cap
 tain. Az soon as the sailor had seen his sweetheart to her house, he re- turned and put out again with Bolt. Before dawn they were on the iuggers deck.
 A favoring wind was blowing and the privateer had little trouble to evade the British cruisers. knowing. as he did. where they lay. As soon as the vessel had made her ofiing. he retired to rest. The aaa was tranquil. The wind was steady, and in that sea- son could be depended on ahseiuteiy.
 There was little occasion for watchful- ness on Le-Feu-Follet that night,
 The result was that the ofiicef of the deck fell Into bliseful state Of dream
 mess that might as well have been
 sleep. ffa was startled out of it just
 before dawn by the cry of his helms
 men. But 1t was too late. Le ksn-
 Foilet rose on heavy ground swell.
 settled down with shock and stop
 ped. tight on a cradle of rock.
 Raoui was on deck in . moment. AS
 he appeared the guilty officer cast
 himself Into the sea and sank. Raoul
 hardly looked He ordered the sails
 dows and the pumps sounded. Then
 light. he sent . boats crew away to
 seize her. while the rest of the men
 were set to work lightening the ship of It's armament ana ballast.
 Thus. by the time the sunlight shcne
 on the sea and betrayed their plight
 to the people on shore. Raoul Ward retrieving the disaster. A kedge an- chor was carried out to deep watsr and men began work to heaye the vessel off In the meantime, as he
 knew that the British cruisers would
 hear of his predicament before he
 could get his guns hack on Le Feu- Toilet, he prepared to fight them on
 where he was. Some ruins on the
 rocky islet on which they had struck offered him a spot for . battery, and there he planted most of the guns as fast az they were taken out of the
 lusger to tighten her,
 By this time the captured felucca
 was alongside of the rock and more oarronades were placed aboard of her These preparations were completed be- fore the privateer began to move in answer to the strain that the men
 ware putting on the hawser. She stirred, slipped and suddenly shot of into deep water. rolling nearly deck
 under for want of ballast.
 While she was still rocking the first British boats appeared around the cape at the entrance to the bay. Ward saw that there were three launehes.
 mounting earrondaes, and four boats containing small arm men only. They had some distance to go before they could come to close quarters. Tn
 that time the lusty privateer's crew, which consisted of more than sixty ! men, managed to get two guns in place on Le-Feu- Follet. and even some of ! her ballast. though not enough to | make Aer steady enough for fighting. l She was moored near the felucea in such 6 manner that the guns of both vessels combined would command the | a annroaeh fn fha land hattery vhiiA