The Marshall republican., 1909-03-12

self literally with some altar OF rose,
which | had bought in Portsmouth.
Sir Peter, putting his fingers to his
nose, shifted the altar of rose, and,
speedily identifying me, he surveyed
me calmly all over, while ! blushed
and found myself unable to stand still
under his searching gaze. When he
spoke, however, it was in words of
praise.
Nephew, you have the right idea.
It is a holiday when we meet the enc
my, and officers should dress accord.
ingly."
MIR. Buxton, who was standing e
sneaked off a little. He had on an
old coat, such as | had never seen
him wear, and had removed his stock
and tied a red silk handkerchief
around his neck. He certainly did not
look quite the gentleman. The In
domptable, being then about half a
mile distant, bore up and fired a shot
to windward, which was an invitation
to come on and take a licking or give
one. The Ajax was not misled into
the rashness Of coming on, with the
Xantippe hanging on her quarter, but
luf1ng up suddenly--for she answered
her helm beautifully-she brought the
frigate directly under her guns; and
that fetched the incompatible as fast
as she could trot. The Ajax opened
the ball with one Of her long twenty
tours, Sir Peter himself sighting and
pointing the gun; and Immediately
after the whole %broadside roared out.
Had 1t struck the frigate full, it would
have SEN her to the bottom; but by
hauling quickly by the wind, she only
received about half the discharge.
That, however, vas terrible. Her
mizzenmast was cut of, and hung over
her side in a mass of torn rigging; her
mainmast was wounded; and 1t was
plain that orr broadside had killed
and wounded many men, and had dis
mounted several guns. Her wheel,
however, was uninjured, and in an in
conceivably short time the wreck OF
the mast had been cut away; and
wearing, with the wind In her favor,
she got into a raking position on our
port quarter, and gave us a broadside
that raked us from stern to stem.
The savage which dwells in man
had made me perfectly Indifferent to
the loss Of life on the French ship; but
when a man dropped dead at my side,
l fell into a passion OF rage, and, !
must honestly admit, OF fear. My sta
ton was amidships. and I recalled,
with a dreadful sinking OF the heart,
that 1t was commonly known as the
slaughter house, from the execution
generally done there.
l looked down and saw the mans
blood soaking into the sand. with
which the deck was plentifully
strewed, and !, Richard Glyn, longed
to desert my station and run below.
But as / turned, ! caught sight OF Giles
Vernon, a little distance away from
me. He was smiling and waving his
hat, and he cried out:
See, boys! the big 'un is coming
to take her punishment! Huzza!"
The incompatible had then sp-
preached to within a quarter of a mile.
and as a heavy sea was kicked up by
the wind, and all three OF the ships
we're rolling extremely, she lutfed up
to deliver her broadside; and at that
moment three laundering cheers broke
from the 900 threats on the Ajax. and
they were instantly answered by a
cheer as great from the F~renchman.
Owing to the sharp roll, most Of the
French shot went a little too high, Just
above the heads OF the marines, who
were drawn up In the waist OF the
ship. My paroxysm OF fear still held
me, but when / saw these men, with
the one proud word Gibraltar" writ
ten on their hats, standing steadily, as
II at parade. in the midst OF the hur-
ricane OF IRE, the men as cool as their
officers, shame seized me for my cow.
ardice; from that on. l gradually mas
tered my alarms. l here mention a
strange thing; as long as l was a
coward at heart, l was also a villain;
for II one single shot could have sent
the F~renchman's body TO the sea and
his soul to hell, ! would have fired that
shot. But when l was released from
the nightmare OF fear. q feeling Of
mercy stole into nv gouI. 4 beran 10