The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1917-06-16

The ship rushed down the wind
leaving the schooner staggered and al
abroad. But not for long; the rirHt
wore and fired his bow chaSerS AT tn
now flying Agra, split one of the car
ronades in two and killed a La>c1r
and made a hole In the foreSail; thi!
done, he hOistcd his mainSail again il
a trice, sent his wounded below, tlunz
his dead overheard. to the horror oi
their foes, and came after the flying
ship, yawning and firing his bow chas
ers. The ship was silent. She had nc
shot to throw away. Not only did she
take these blows like a coward, but
all signs Of life disappeared on her ex-
cept two men at the wheel and the
captain ON the main gangway.
Dodd had ordered the crew out of
the rigging, armed them with cut
lasses, and laid them fiat on the fore
castle. He also compelled kenealy and
FullalOve to come down out of harms
way, no wiser on the smOOtll-bOre
question than when they went up,
The great patient ship ran envirts II
| by her fore; one destroyer right il Or
course, another in her wake. fFlGM lg
her with yelIs of vengeance anF Gy&f-
ing away at her-hut no reEIk
Suddenly the yellS of the$ oii
both sides ceased, and there ~ 90
ment of dead silence on the sea. :
Yet nothing fresh had happened.
Yes, this had happened; the pirates
to windward, and the pirates to lee
ward, of the Agra. had found out at
one and the same moment that the
merchant captain they had dashed and
bullied and tortured was a patient
but tremendous man. 1t was not
only to rake the fresh schooner he
had put his ship before the wind. but
also by double, daring, MASTER
stroke to huri his monster ship bodily
on the other. Without a foresail she
could never get out of his way. Her
crew had stopped the leak and cut
away and unshipped the broken fore
mast, and were stepping q new one
when they saw the huge ship bearing
down in full SAIL Nothing easier than
10 slip out of her way could they get
the f0reSaii to draw; but the time was
snort, the deadly intention manifest.
the coming destruction swift. After
that solemn silence came a storm of
cries ana curses, as their seamen went
TO work to tit the yard and raise the
san While their fighting men seized
thelr matchlocks and trained the Guns
Ihey We're well commanded bv an ba.
rolc able villain. Astern the consor+
numbered but the Agra's response was
dead silence more awful than broad.
sides.
for then was seen with what ma
lestv the enduring Anglo-Saxon fights
one of that in(fomitable race on +ho
5ahs"aS, one at the foremost, two at
NE wheel, conned and steered tho
great snip down on hundred match.
oohS' ana grinning broadside. inst
IS they would have conned and stoerod
Ter into British harbor.
Starboard" said Dodd !, s
aim voice, with a motion of his hand
"Starboard it is"
- ne pirate wrggled ahead little
he man forward made a silent siono.
O DOdd slSHdi
port :" said Dodd quietly.
sport it is"
but at this critical monep+ a.,
'.'N 1'o,h sent miscellaneous Shot ,nd
hocked one of the men 10 aton,s 80
he helm. "tolils at
i11''' waved his hand without
'oIo' alh another man rose fro,, ~
eeh ana took his place in siIenon aa
lia ms lnShaking hand on tba ,., ,''i1
. = win the mans warm hIood
nose place he took. ''0'o
The high ship was now soo
araS distant, she seemed 70 tnnn 10
1ared ner lofty figurehead with ,r s
"itl shoots into the air
But now the painting n;r,.
;, sh nv~ ioresall hoisted with a low.
IL shout; it drew, the schooner :" 10y 10y
'eu way and their furious conson.
' Use vi 'he Agra's heels Just than
'"urged her deck with grape
Port y said Dodd, calmly
port 1t Isl
Inc giant Prov darted at tbo oso,,
g pirate. That acre of comine sap cap
IS TOOK the wind out of tho su,,s.
foresail, 1t tapped; oh tbon
he was doomed! O.. ,.ien
'dlamans cut-water in thick sn,aI.e
'at IN the schooner's broadside. down
ent her masts to leeward like fisbina-
'ds whipping the water, there wos
'rrlDle shrieking yell, wild forns
aped off on the Agra, and woro
lcked to pieces almost ere tbou
ached the deck-surge, a chasm ~
e ear filled with an instant rush ne
lgulnng waves, long, awful, graf,
g grinding noise, never to be forgot.
Ii In this world, all along under the
Ups keel-and the fearful maiestjc
nnster passed on over the blank she
"a made with pale crew standing
ent and awestruck on her deck.
lister or wild heads and staring eve
lis bobbing like corks in her foam
wake, sole relic of the blotted-out
s'royer and wounded man Singer
on the gangway, with hands nm
ted and staring eyeA