Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1917-08-31

now flying Agra, split one of the car
ronades in two and killed a Lascar,
and made hole in the foresail; this
done, he hoisted his mainsail again in
q trice, sent his wounded below, flung
his dead overheard, to the horror Of
their foes, and came after the flying
ship, yawning and firing his bow cfas-
ers. The ship was silent. Size had no
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 flat on the fore
castle. He also compelled Kenealy and
Fullalove to come down out of harms
way, no wiser on the smooth-bore
question than when they went up.
The great patient ship ran environed
by her-fore; one destroyer right in her
course, another in her wake, following
her with yells of vengeance and pound
ing away at her-but no reply.
Suddenly the yells Of the pirates on
both sides ceased, and there was mo-
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 patient
but tremendous man. 1t was not
only to rake the fresh schooner he
had put his ship before the wind, but
also by a double, daring, master
stroke to hurl his monster ship bodily
on the other. Without 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 a new one,
when they saw the huge ship bearing
down in full sail. Nothing easier than
to slip out of her way could they get
the foresail to draw; but the time was
short, the deadly intention manifest,
the coming destruction swift. After
that solemn silence came a storm or
cries and curses, as their Scamen went
to work to fit the yard and raise the
sail, while their fighting men seized
their matchloclss and trained the guns.
They were we'll commanded by an he
roic able villain. Astern the cOnsort
Numbered, but the Agra's response was
a dead silence more awful than broad
sides.
For then was seen with what ma
iesty the enduring Anglo-SaXon fights.
One of that indomitable race on the
gangway, one at the foremost, two at
the wheel, conncd and steered the
great ship down on a hundred match
locks. and grinning broadside, just
as they would have conned and steered
her into a British harbor.
"Starboard !" said Dodd, in a deep
calm voice, with motion Of his hand.
"Starboard it is"
The pirate wriggled ahead little.
The man forward made a silent signal
to DOdd.
"Port!" said Dodd quietly.
sport it is"
But at this critical moment the pi-
rate stern sent mischievous shot, and
knocked one of the men to atoms at
the helm.
Dodd waved his hand without
word, and another man rose from the
deck and took his place in silence, and
laid his unshaking hand on the wheel
stained with the mans warm blood
whose place he took.
The high ship was now scarce 60
yards distant, she seemed to know, she
reared her lofty figurehead with great
awful shoots into the air.
But now the painting pirates got
their new foresail hoisted with a JOY
full shout; it drew, the schooner gath
cred way, and their furious consort
close on the Agra's heels just then
scourged her deck with grape.
"Port!" said Dodd, calmly.
49,. sport it u.s."
The giant prov darted at the escap-
ing pirate. That acre of coming cam
vas took the wind out Of the swift
schooner's foresail, it tapped; oh, then
she was doomed! Crash! The
Indiaman's cut-water in thick smoke
beat in the schooner's broadSide; down
went her masts to leeward like fishing
rods whipping the water, there was
horrible shrieking yell, wild forms
leaped off on the Agra, and were
hacked to pieces almost ere they
reached the deck-surge, a chasm in
the ear filled with an instant rush of
engulfing waves, q long, awful, graf
ing, grinding noise, never to be forgot
ten in this world, all along under the
ships keel-and the fearful majestic
monster passed on over the blank she
had made, with pale crew standing
silent and awestruck on her deck;
cluster of wild heads and staring eye
balls bobbing like corks in her foam
ing wake, sole relic of the blotted-out
destroyer and a wounded man stagger-
ing on the gangway, with hands up
lifted and staring eyes.