The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-12-12
HGTS WHAT ICAll. GOOD
DISCIPLINE, LAUGHED BORnUMcLIrE


with Jack Burgoyne and am here in
consequence on parole, can testify. Let
the wine pass, sir, that is more than
your countrymen would let us do at Sar-
atoga.''
Down with all traitors and success to
the British arms" said the Colonel, land
as to those ships OF a suspicious nature
which have been reported off the coast,
am informed that they are lost-at least.
they have disappeared, and the position
In which they were known to have lain
was such that there was no hope Of their
escape Well, well, rebel ships though
they were, it is sad to think of misguided
creatures being drowned in the midst of
their evil courses. 1 sincerely hope that
that unfortunate boy. my kinsman, young
Edward Griffith. was not among the Of
ficers of those ships. His father was an
admiral sir, in His Majesty's service,
and brave fellow and my friend But
IL Edward was there-if he was there In
that wild storm of last highland he
persisted, why. sir. can only say 1t adds
to my sorrow that he should have died
in a bad cause
The two mysterious vessels which had
occasioned so much trepidation along the
northeast coast OF England was one a
frigate and the other a schooner Of war.
They had been cruising up and down for
several days, and finally the smaller OF
the ships had run so close to the shore
and dropped her anchor In such posi-
ton that all the seamen who dwelt along
the coast doubted her ability to get out
: again should a storm arise. From the
schooner a small boat had gone Off to the
shora under instruction from Captain
Munson. who commanded the frigate.
that a man known as the pilot should be
taken off. This pilot was to answer to a
certain challenge consisting of the words,
| what water have we here?" Mr.. Barn
stable. first officer of the frigate, had
been sent to the schooner by Captain
Munson for the express purpose or TAX
| ,nv the boat ashore. meeting and bring
ing off the pilot Mr.. Griffith, who COM
manded the Ariel did not really relish
! this putting of q superior over him when
| dutv seemed so simple But the idea Of
| cantain Munson seemed to be that the
| pilot must at all hazards and at any risk
| be brought off, and that no precaution
| was too great to take for the accomplish
| ment of this purpose.
Mr.. Barnstable had climbed the wind
ing and -perilous path which led from
the narrow beach to the top of the cliffs
and was looking about for the man he
SI16danlv q
saw a figure, apparently that of a boy
| clad in seafaring costume, spring out OF
a clump of bushes, and Mr.. Barnstable
| cr,ed. Hold there, young man. You
| seen to come with too much caution or
too little. Pray what water have we
| here7'
musical laugh replied, and then,
"Whv. I should say we had the German
| ocean,"
| You are merry out OF season, young
/ man." retorted Barnstable. At that mo-
ment a voice behind the officer cried out,
."Then there are two of them"
II was the voice of Long Tom Cot
fin six feet three, the man whose har-
| poon was renowned from Monomoy to
Muskoget among his native islands, and
| whose prowess as a hunter Of whales had
made him famous before he Joined the
| young navy of the young republic. On
| board the schooner Coffin worked
| swivel gun of large calibre for those
| DAYS. mounted forward and SO situated
| that it could be trained to both port and
starboard. But through the prowess of
| the Nantucket man in training and fight
| ing his gun he gave the name of Long
| Tom to that particular piece of ordnance.
Long Tom never trusted himself ashore
/ or anoat without hts trusty harpoon. And
now as Long Tom sazed from the youth
full person with whom BarnstablS was
in conversation to the figure Of z slim
but vigorous young man, dressed IN tha