The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-04-08

fore e was discovered In the dark
ness. The watch, however, must not
have been on the alert as h Amer
can boat managed to escape Wltnou'
apparently being observed. This nee
essitated steering a course far away
from the direct one which led to
place OF rendezvous with tne
'Suwanee.
daylight found tho Americans IN
the shoal waters OF the Gays fuIly
twenty miles from their ship and safe
ty, The breeze had died out n
there was a CLASSY sea. The ropic
sun rose In a cloudless sky, and It's
penetrating rays soon began to tell
upon the energy OF those at the oars
Keeping a sharp lookout for two pa
troll sloops hat were known 10 cruise
in those shallow waters, the boat con
tinued to wind its way through the
MANY little islands covered with a
thick growth of mangrove trees. Sud
denly, the masts of the W sloops were
sighted right ahead above the tops
Of the mangrove trees. The were
quietly lying at anchor in a little cove
behind an island. The dropping spirits
Of the men. brought on by the long
and tiresome pull at the oars were In
stantly revived into expectant ANNA
ton. Every Jack Of them was filed
Will q OCSlIc ! y I6AAb AatAAOA IAoAA 49,
away. Apparently. the Spaniards had
not yet discovered the approach OF
the boat, causing the odds against IT
to be somewhat counter-balanced by
the possibility Of surprise. At n
rate, this chance was taken, and the
decision made to attack nj take them
by boarding. Pulling cautiously
around the point Of the island, the
Americans opened a vigorous fire upon
the first sloop which was captured.
Leaving some men to cut her cable
| and take her out to sea. the Ameri-
| cans headed for the other sloOp about
a hundred yards away. Strange to
| say, her decks seemed deserted, which
made it appear that her crew., seeing
the fate Of the other craft, had made
better preparations for receiving the
attacking party by taking be-
hind hatch-coverings and bulwarks.
This looked ominous. but it was too
late to turn back; so the attacking
party went on with redoubled efforts
to get alongside as quickly as possible,
keeping up 4 rapid fire in the mean
time. Suddenly a man vas seen to
rush on deck from below. T1e hest
tated a moment and then Ook a
plunge into the water to leeward and
swan for the shore which was close
aboard. He was q large fat man, and
the splash he made reached high
above the sides Of the sloop. This
caused a peal Of laughter among the
Americans, not only because Of the
ludicrous performance Of the IA
Spaniard, but also because the tense
strain on their nerves was broken
Expecting to receive a volley OF Mau
ser bullets from rifiemen they coul(
not see. they were Witnesses, instead
/ to the spectacle OF a fat man trying
to fly without wings. Who would no
: have felt joyous under the sam
> circumstances? The Cuban PHO
knew him.. He was the captain II
command. When it was sure that h
: was the only man on the sloop tn
: last seer he was crawling from tn
!. water into the chaparal OF mangrov
. trees on the beach. It Is hoped tina
he wa unhurt, but there was no tim
to investigate.
e 1.-THE woods were full OF Spaniard!
n and one could not be sure hat the
h had not 80 far recovered from thei
4 fright as to return and open fire froE
the dense cover Of the chaparal nea
at hand. There was no time to los
l. The sloop was gotten underway an
taken out while a desultory fire Wa
l. kept up on the woods, just Is a RI
IL IN AZ W N\SF ~
the run. After rejoining the fir,
n prize outside it became apparent WI
l. the second sl0op attacked had no OF
m on board but the captain. It ":
Is breakfast time. and all the crew Ia
gone to the other sloon to fnduls
n in their morning meal. This VS.
evidenced from the large number
n men seen on her deck when the a
IN tack was made, and from finding VI
II, preached a large pot of rice and mu
n ton stew as well as a large tin
re steaming coffee. AS the America
Of expected to return to their ship befo
O. morning no provisions other than hal
ne tack had been provided, and cons
81 Quently this Spanish breakfast Wi
r. steaming coffee was most welcome
he them after a night and half a day
ed unnecessary vigilance and toll. A
RI other source Of satisfaction to the
az was the capture of q complete hell
il, graph signal outfit whose signal flash
had been observed the night befo
-. 49,