The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1917-06-07

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drops Of rain fell, and the wind was
beginning to sing, and the sea to rise
a little.
Gentlemen" said he, "let us kneel
down and pray for wisdom, in this sore
strait"
He and his officers kneeled on the
quarterback. When they rose, Dodd
stood rapt about minute; his great
thoughtful eye saw no more the en-
envy, the sea, nor anything external; it
was turned inward. His officers
looked at him in silence.
| Sharpe" said he. at last, "there
must be way out of them with such
a breeze as this is now, if we could but
see It'll"
SAY, if groaned Sharpe.
Dodd unused again.
"About ship!" said he, softly, like an
absent man.
cay, ay, sir!"
"Steer due north I" said he, still like
one whose mind was elsewhere.
While the ship was coming about
he gave minute orders to the mates
and the gunner, to insure cooperation
in the delicate and dangerous maneuv-
ers that were sure to be on hand.
The wind was w. N. W.; he was
standing north one pirate lay on his
| lee beam stopping a leak between
wind and water, and hacking the
~ ~ 1T 70 Y1d
yards. The other fresh, and thirsting
for the easy prey, came up to weather
on him and hang on his quarter, pirate
fashion.
When they were distant about ca
ble's length, the fresh pirate, to meet
the ships change of tactics, changed
his own, luffed up, and gave the ship
a broadside, well-aimed, but not de-
structive, the guns being loaded with
ball,
Dodd, instead of replying immedi-
ately, put his helm hard up and ran
under the pirates stern, while he was
iammed up in the wind, and with his
five 1S-pounders raked him fore and
aft, then paying off, gave him three
carronades crammed with grape and
canister, the almost simultaneous
discharge of eight guns made the ship
tremble and enveloped her in thick
smoke; loud shriekS and grOans were
heard from the schooner; the smoke
cleared, the pirates mainsail hung on
deck, his jib-boom was cut off like
carrot and the sail struggling; his fore
sail looked lace, lanes of dead and
wounded lay still or writhing on his
deck, and his lee scuppers ran blood
into the sea. Dodd squared his yards
and bore away.
The ship rushed down the wind,
leaving the schooner staggered and all
abroad. But not for long; the pirate
wore and fired his bow chasers at the
now flying Agra, split one of the car
ronades in two and killed a LaScar,
and made a hole in the foresail; this
done, he hOisted his mainsail again in
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 chas-
ers. The ship was silent. She 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
,asses, 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 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 q 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 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 a double, daring, master
stroke to hurl 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 We're 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 Oh
cries and curses, as their seamen went
to work to fit the yard and raise the
sail, while their fighting men seized
their matchlocks and trained the guns.
They were well commanded By an ne
roic able villain. Astern the consort
Numbered, but the Agra's response was
d dead silence more awful than broad
sides.
For then was seen with what ma
jesty the enduring Anglo-Saxon fights.
One of that indomitable race on the
gangway, one at the foremost, two at
the wheel, conned and steered the
great ship down on hundred match-