The Marshall republican., 1909-03-12

your book, n get a good word from
the chaplain, you will probably one
day be the husband of little Daphne,
but not of Lady Arabella; no nan
shall marry her while I live, that you
may be sure of; but when ! marry her,
you may be side-boy at my wedding"
I thought this speech very cruel OF
Giles Vernon, and believed that he
did not know what true love was, else
he could not so trihe with my feelings,
although there was In echo of earnest
ness in his intimation that he would
kill any man who aspired to marry
Lady Arabella.
We were three weeks in the Bay of
Biscay, th%rashing to windward under
topgallant sails, and expecting daily
and hourly to run across a French
man. We were hoping for It, because
we found the Ajax to be a very wealth.
both Capt. Guilford ara Sir Peter, who
had sailed in her before, knew ex-
actly how to handle her. And We
were to have our wish. For, M even
ing toward suntset, we sighted a
French ship of the line off our beam;
and by the time we had made her
out, a light French frigate was coming
down the wind, and in an hour we
were at it hammer and tongs with
both of them.
The Frenchmen thought they had
us. We heard afterward that a prize
crew was already told off to take us
into Corunna, but no man or boy on
the Ajax dreamed Of giving up the
ship.
The Ajax was cleared for action in
eleven minutes; and, with four ensigns
flying, we headed for the ship of the
line, which was waiting for us, with
her topsails shivering. The Ajax had
been lately coppered, and. with all
sail to royals set, legged it at a lively
gait, in spite of the heavy sea, which
occasionally caused our lower.deck
guns to roll their noses in the water.
AS we wallowed toward the ship of
the line, which was the incompatible,
the frigate, the Xantippe, was maneuv-
ering for a position on our starboard
quarter to rake us. Seeing this, the
Ajax came up a little into the wind,
which brought our broadside to bear
directly on the Xantippe. and she
hedged off a little.
The steadiness, GOODNESS, and pre-
cision with which the ship was ham
died ~astonished my young mind. 1
knew very well that II we were de-.
feated Sir Peter Hawkshaw would
stand no show of leniency, for there
was no doubt that, owing to our new
copper, we could easily have outsailed
the Frenchmen; but Sir Peter pre-.
ferred to Outright them, even against
desperate odds.
The officers and men had entire con.
fdence In Sir Peter and in the ship,
and went into action with the hearth.
est goodwill imaginable. The people
were amused by two powder monkeys
coming to blows In the magazine
passage over which one would be en-.
titled to the larger share Of prize
money. The gayety Of the men was
contagious. Every mans face wore a
grin; and when the word was given to
Sohc III thC ioyuicp hhu 'pCuu uo"h tuC
yards. furl all staysails and the flying
lib, they literally rushed into the rig.
cling with ar AYE, aye, sir" that
seemed to shake the deck.
The admiral, who had been on the
bridge. left 1t and went below. Pres
emily he I'M up. He was In his best
uniform, with a gold-hilted sword, mis-
order of the Bath on his breast, and
he wore a cooked hat. AS he passed
me, Mr.. Buxton, who was stepping
along briskly, said:
Pardon me, Sir Peter, but a French
musket wants no better target than
a cooked hat"
"Sir," replied Sir Peter, II have al
ways fought in a cooked hat and silk
stockings as hecOmes n gentleman