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

some holes appeared in the fOresail
this one interchange was quite in favor
of the ship.
But the lessons made the enemy
more cautious; he crept nearer, but
steered so adrOitly, now right astern,
now on the quarter, that the ship
could seldom bring more than one car
ronade to bear, while he raked her
fore and aft with grape and ball.
In this alarming situation, Dodd
kept as many of the men below as
possible; but for all he could do four
were killed and seven wounded.
Fullalove's word came too true; it
was the swordfish and the whale.
AT last, when the ship was cloven
with shot, and peppered with grape,
the channel opened; in five minutes
more he could put her dead before the
wind.
No. The pirate, on whose side luck
had been from the first, got half a
broadside to bear at long musket shot,
killed a midshipman by Dodd's side,
cut away two Of the Agra's mizzen
shrouds,' wounded the gaff, and cut
the jib away; down fell that powerful
sail into the water and dragged across
the ships forefoot, stopping her way
to the open sea she painted for; the
mates groaned, the crew cheered
stoutly, as British tars do in any great
disaster; the pirates yelled with fero-
cious triumph, like the devils they
looked.
But most human events, even calam-
tiles, have two sides. The Agra being
brought almost to Standstill, the
pirate forged ahead against his will,
and the combat took a new and ter
rible form. The elephant gun popped,
and the rifle cracked, in the Agra's
mizzen top, and the man at the pirates
helm jumped into the air and fell
dead; both theorists claimed him.
Then the three carronades peppered
him holly, and he hurled an iron
shower back with fatal effect. Then
at last the long 1S-pounders on the
gun deck got word in. The old Miller
was not the man to miss a vessel
alongside in quiet sea he sent two
round shots clean through him, the
third splintered his bulwark and swept
across his deck.
''HiS maStS! fire at his masts J"
roared Dodd to Monk, through his
trumpet; he then got the jib clear
and made what sail he could without
40 Ut o11 fh0 hn
This kept the vessels nearly along
side a few minutes, and the fight
was hot as fire. The pirate now for
the first time hoisted his flag. 1t was
black as ink. His crew yelled as it
rose; the Britons, instead of quailing,
cheered with fierce derisiOn, the pi-
rates wild crew of yellow Malays,
black chinless Papuans, and bronzed
Portuguese, served their side guns,
12-pounders, well and with ferocious
cries; the white Britons, drunk with
battle now, naked to the waist,
grimed with powder and spotted like
leopards with blood, their own and
their mates, replied with loud I'M
daunted cheers, and deadly hail OF
grape from the quarterback; while
the master gunner and his mates,
loading with rapidity the mixed
races opposed could not rival, hulled
the schooner well between wind and
water, and then. fired chain shots at
her masts, as ordered, and began to
play the mischief with her shrouds
and rigging. Meantime, Fullalove and
Kenealy, aided by Vespian, who
loaded, were quietly butchering the
pirate crew two a minute, and hoped
to settle the question they were fight
ing for; smooth bore versus rifle. but
unluckily neither fired once without
killing, so "there was nothing proven"
The pirate, bold as he was, get sick
of fair fighting first; he hoisted his
mainsail and drew rapidly ahead,
with a slight bearing to the windward,
and dismounted a carronade and stove
in the ships quarter-boat, by way of
parting kick.
The men hurled a contemptuous
cheer after him; they thought they
had beaten him off. But Dodd knew
better. He was but retiring little
WY to make a more deadly attack