The Tomahawk., 1917-05-31

ment, lay the destroyer, buffetlng anu
wriggling-like q heron on the water
with it's long wing broken-an utter
cripple.
The victorious crew raised a stun
ming cheer.
"Silence!" roared Dodd, with his
trumpet. Gail hands make SAIL"
He set his courses, bent new jib,
and stood out to windward close
hauled, in hopes to make a good OIL
ing, and then put his ship dead before
the wind, which was now rising to
stiff breeze. In doing this he crossed
the crippled pirates bows, within ~
yards, and sore was the temptation to
rake him; but his ammunition being
short, and his danger being imminent
from the other pirate, he had the self
command to resist the great tempta-
ton.
He hailed the mizzen top: "Can
you two hinder them from firing that
gun?"
II rather think we can," said
Fullalove, "eh, colonel?"~ and tapped
his long rifle.
The ship no sooner crossed the
schooner's bows than Malay ran for
ward with linstock. Pop went the
colonel's ready carbine, and the Ma
lay fell over dead, and the instock
flew out of his hand. A tall POrtu-
guese, with movement OF rage
snatched it up, and darted to the gun,
the Yankee rifle cracked, but a mo-
ment too late. Bang went the pirates
bow-chaser, and crashed into the Ag-
ra's side, and passed nearly through
her.
Eye missed him! Ye missed him."
cried the rival theorist, joyfully. lie
was mistaken; the smoke cleared, and
there was the pirate captain leaning
wounded against the mainmast with
a Yankee bullet in his shoulder, and
his crew uttering yells Of dismay and
vengeance. They jumped, and ragged,
and brandished their knives, and made
horrid gesticulations of revenge; and
the white eyeballs of the Malays and
Papuans glittered fiendishly; and the
wounded captain raised his sound arm
and had signal hoisted to his con-
sort, and she bore up in chase, and
jamming her forelateen flat as board,
Law nearer the wind than the Agra
could, and sailed three feet to her two
besides. On this superiority being
made clear, the situation of the mer-
chant vessel, though not so utterly des-
perate as before Monk fred his lucky
shot, became pitiable enough. If she
ran before the wind, the fresh pirate
would cut her off; if she lay to wind
ward she might postpone the inevita-
BILE and fatal collision with a foe as
strong as that she had only escaped
by a rare piece Of luck, but this would
give the crippled pirate time to reft
and unite to destroy her. Add to this
the failing ammunition, and the
thinned crew.!
Dodd cast his eyes all round the
horizon for help. -
The sea was blank.
The bright sun was hidden now;
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 a way out Of them with such
a breeze as this is now, if we could but
see it!'
"Ay, it," groaned Sharpe.
Dodd unused again.
"About ship" said he, softly, like an
absent man.
GAY, ay, sir!"
"Steer due north !" 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
deck clear Of his broken masts and
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
jammed 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
- s.h IL &I1 ,1,{Y,