The Republican journal., 1913-01-30

him and said, as he saluted, II believe
, there is something moving out of thu
harbor, sir"
81 think so; it is one of the small iror
clads which the Confederates have beer
long building. Go and report to the ex.
ecutive officer"
"Aye, aye, sir" was the reply.
The man went by the small hatchway
: down the iron ladder, through the turret
and alorg the main deck to the ward
room. The executive and the captain
FASTENED to the turret deck, looked
through the glasses at the suspicious Oh
iect, and the former said to Lieutenant
Tallman, "Signal the Patapsco, The
enemy is approaching call the crew te
general quarters, order the engineer tc
stir up the fires quickly, and prepare to
slip the cable"
"Aye, aye SIR" replied Tallman,
walking to the tube and the signal bells
and giving the necessary orders, while
the quartermaster prepared and hoisted
the signal lanterns.
Supper was over and the men were
smoking and EARNING on the lower deck,
when the rough clatter of the boat
SWANS rattle sounded and everyone
rushed to his station. The executive,
the captain, the quartermaster and a
helmsman went into the pilot-house.
Tallman rushed to the turret, where the
two guns crew had assembled under En-
sign Careswell; the cable was slipped
and the little monitor moved slowly
towards Sumter, as the Patapsco steam
ed nearer to Moultrie. This manoeuvre
had been pre- arranged in order to force
any vessel to pass between them in the
channel, so that they could attack her on
opposite sides.
A solid shot crashed against the turret
of the Nahant and fell to the deck, caus-
ing the men within to stagger and to rub
their singing ears. The enemy's skilled
gunners had begun the battle. The tur
ret revoIved, the Y ankee crew was eager
to answer the message of defiance.
"Where is the powder monkey? He is
always present whenever we have gun
play" said the captain of the fifteen
inch gun, annoyed at the absence of SO
important member of the crew.
Il don't know | haven't seen him this
A.
and seemed sleepy. There is his bucket
on the hook, - replied the first sponger,
as he placed the long shafted sponge on
the deck beside the great gun.
Swing back the gun-port shutter!
Man the side tackles and run the gun
outr' ordered Lieutenant Tallman, as he
fingered and adjusted the gun-sight.
The great smoothbore gun was run out
until it's muzzle was adjacent to the
opening in the turret; tae latter revolved
and rumbled until the gun was pointed
towards the Confederate craft, and the
captain inserted primer in the vent and
stepped back with the lock-string in his
hand. The lieutenant corrected the
elevation and the lateral position of the
gun, approved the captains aiming and
shouted, "Firei"
There was sharp report; puff of fire
and smoke from the vent, but no roar
ing below of the big gun. 1t had missed
fire, and the black craft and Moultrie
were sending a storm of shot and shell
against the iron walls of both n onitors.
The Patapsco was firing rapidly at the
fort and the black craft.
"Hang the luck! What's the matter
now? Try another primer, Captain, and
l will sight her again. Probably the
cartridge is damp" said Tallman, annoy
ed and Disguised.
Just then muffied scream was heard
and the first loader held up his hand and
listened. A shriller yell seemed to come
from the gun-port, as if someone had
been wounded outside of the turret. The
gun was run in and the men gathered
about it's muzzle and looked through the
port hole. They were suddenly pushed
aside by pair of familiar shoes at the
muzzle of the gun; these were followed
by slender legs, which the men seized
and pulled until the remainder of the
terrified, trembling powder-monkey was
la nded amongst them. A great shout
and boisterous laughter greeted his ad-
vent, and danger and duty were for a
few moments forgotten.
'You young rascal Take your bucket
and perform your duty! We will attend
to your case after the battle" yelled
Tallman sternly, turning his back to hide
a smile.
The fifteen-inch was soon firing solid
shot; the Patapsco was in the smoke of
battle on the other side of the Confeder-
ate craft, which was wasting ammuni-
ton against the turrets, denting them
like lady's thimble. But she could not
long endure the unequal contest and sud-
denly turned around and steamed back
to safety in Charleston.
The attack had purpose. During its
height the blockade-runner Fox, crept
l