The San Francisco call., 1908-08-23

head in defiance. not having yet learned
that valor is not always strength
On the night of March "a the eNeava-
tion of the rampant began. and, as the
officers had expected proved compare
lively easy BY the 21st they could
pass readily through the tunnel they
had made which was wide enough 10
admit the passage of two men at once,
crawling on all fours-
Mr.Porter and Roger and Dicky were
among the laborers in the early part or
the night and at Il o'clock. their stint
of work being done. they retired TO
their pallets. Neither Dicky nor Roger
could close his eyes. but both lay awake
quivering with suppressed excitement
and with the knowledge that at any
moment they might be notified the
rampant was cut through and the crisis
was at hand. Dicky's eyes, wide and
bright, watched the great bars of moon
light on the stone floor. and he ran the
risk of stern rebuke from Mr. Porter
by stealing to the window and peeplnS
out. Mr.. Porter was overcome with
WEAKNESS after labOring at the wall
during the early part of the night and
had fallen into a heavier sleep than
usual. Dicky, therefore, without awak-
ening Mr.. Porter. was able to climb
up and peer through the iron bars
The harbor. the forts. the town and
the castle all lay sleeping under great
SOlOen mOOHs ana tut uccp SiAChSC u
the night was only broken by the occa-
sional cry of the sentry:
"All is well. Great is Allahr'-the
solemn and impressive call of the Mo-
hammedan-
And, OH joy and rapture. there in
the harbor, scarcely 400 yards away,
was a beautiful little French schooner.
rugged in a manner familiar 10 the
Americans and one which they could
readily handle
The schooner had got in after sunset
and as the early part of the night was
dark and lowering, her arrival was not
known until the night sky cleared and
the moon flooded the harbor and town
with radiance.
The shock of joy at seeing the
schooner. with her sharp, beautiful out
lines. her towering masts and her gen
eral air of efficiency, was SO great tnat
Dicky was in an ecstasy Of delight
He slipped across the room to MI
Porters bed and wakened him by
touch. Without word Mr.. Porter,
whose wits never seemed to sleep, rose
and followed Dicky TO the window
He examined the beautiful schooner,
clearly outlined in the beautiful moon
light, and then whispered:
French, 1 judge
At the same moment that Dicky OBJ
served the schooner the last stone had
been removed. and through the open
ing those in the middle apartment had
also seen the newly arrived ship. She
was at once recognized as French or
English. If French, so much the bet
ter as il was known that the great
Napoleon, then first consul of France.
took a profound interest in the fate
of the imprisoned Americans and had
directed French vessels to do every
thing possible for the assistance Of the
Philadelphia's crew.
Pu ffroa oxrorxr u,idshirr,ao wa
awake and had got noiselessly on his
feet. and the next moment the door
leading into the older officers apart
ment was silently opened and Totten.
raising his hand, gave the signal that
the hour had come A thrill of Joy
agitated the heart of each OF the mid
shipmen who were to make the des-
perate venture, and they lined up be-
hind Totten and Mr.. Porter. each Civ
ing a hand clasp TO his comrades who
remained behind Just Mr.. Porter,
facing them, gave the silent order to
march a laundering crash resounded.
as if the whole castle were tumbling
about their ears. Then a sudden wild
cry rose on the outside. There was
much running 10 and fro and a general
alarm was sounded which brought out
the whole garrison. The rampant over
the tunnel had fallen in with a ter
rifle roar and reverberatiOn. It was
some minutes before the suspicious Of
the TripoHtans were excited against
the prisoners, and in that time, by
almost superhunIan efforts, the stones
were carried back and thrown into the
debris, and the aperture was closed
AS soon as the key was heard turn
ing in the great locks of brass and
iron on the door of the sailors quar-
ters a great uproar was raised within,
headed by Bulge. A fierce fight was
inaugurated, every man pounding his
hpinqr n RET
and scuffling fiercely over the floor. 1t
was 10 minutes before the guard was
able to queH the disturbance-10
precious minutes to Captain cambridge
and his officers in the inner room. who
worked for their lives TO replace the
last stones.
On the midshipmen's side similar
entrance had been made by the guard.
who discovered a terrific scrimmage in
progress among the midshipmen-
/ Dicky Falconer and Roger Thorne were
o1 struggling fieFcely at the door. while
= half dozen of the other midshipmen
'e We're apparently trying to drag them
i apart and Mr.. Porter was laying about
Re him right and left with perfect i'm
al partiality-
le Totten improved on the original
Id plan by seizing one of the big jugs
es of water brought by Salvatore Desio,
ir and pretending to dash it on the two
principal combatants. Dicky and Roger.
n managed to throw it full in the face
rs of the Tripolitan officer of the guard.
l. Then came a universal scramble. in
is which water jugs were emptied and
D. smashed against the stone floor. avoid
lg ing the heads of the Americans. but
A. laying two or three of the Tripoiitans
sr low
While the officers of the guard were
ID struggling TO get TO the inner apart
tn ment Captain Bainbridge appeared at
" the door. He sternly demanded order.
Id and the midshipmen lined up and stood
r at attention Then Captain Balm
le bridge. standing in the open door of
re the officers quarters. coolly inquired
d. of the Tripolitan officer the cause of
to the terrible crash they had just heard.
IS Part of the rampart has fallen in. "
IN replied the TripoIitan with oriental
$ brevity. -and your officers and men
it have been most disorderly. Such con-
1e duct will not be allowed Remember
ct you are in Tripoli.'
he IfffionIf 1aA