Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1921-09-24
She's almost ready. sir"


seemed to come into the field Of bat
tie. Dyck Calhoun could see the strug-
gle going on. The two sets of enemy
ships had come TO close quarters. and
in some cases were locked in deadly
conflict. In other cases ships still
apart fired ut point-blank range, and
all the horrors Of slaughter were in
fun swing
From the square blue flag at the
hizzen topgaliant masthead of one OF
the British ships engaged. Dyck
realized that the admIrals own craft
was in some peril lie saw with salts
faction that the way lay open for the
Ariadne to hear down upon the French
snip, engaged with the admrars small
snip, and help to end the struggle sue
cesSfully for the British cause.
While still too far away for point
blank range, the Ariadnes guns be-
gan upon the French ships distinguish
able by their shape and their coors.
Before the first shot was fired, how
ever, Dyck made tour of the decks
and gave some word of cheer to the
men. The AriaGne lost no time In get
ting into the thick of the fight. The
Sealnen were stripped to the waist,
and black silk handkerchiefs were
tightly bound round their heads and
over their ears.
What the French thought of the
coming of the Ariadne was shown by
the reply they made presently to her
hrIng. The number Of French ships
in action was greater than the British
by six, and the Ariadne arrived Just
when she could be of greatest service.
The boldness of her seamanship, and
The favor of the wind, gave her an ad-
vantage which good fortune helped to
justify.
As She drew in upon the action, she
gave herself up to great danger; she
was coming in upon the rear Of the
French ships, and was ubject to fierce
attack To the French she seemed
Ike a fugitive warrior returning to
camp just when he was most needed,
as was indeed the case. Two Of her
shots settled one OF the enemy's ves-
sells; and before the others could con-
verge upon her, she had crawled slow
ly up against the of side of the French
admifalS ship. which wns closely en-
gagged with the Beatitude the British
flagship, on the other side.
The canister. chaln-shot and langrel
Of the French foe had caused much in
jury to the Ariadne. and her canvas
was in sore plight. Fifty Of her sea-
men had been killed, and a hundred
and fifty We're wounded by the time
She reached the stnrboard side Of tho
Aquilaine. She would have lost many
more We're it not that her onset de-
moralized the French gunners, while
the cheers Of the British sailors aboard
the Hcatitude gave confidence to their
mutiueer comrades.
On his own deck, Dyck watched the
progress Of the battle with the joy of
a natural fighter. lie had carried the
thing 10 an almost impossible success.
There had only been this IN his favor,
that his was an unexpected entrance
ship at least. He saw his hoarder5
struggle for the Aquitainc. He saw
them discharge their pistols. and then
resort TO the cutlass and the dagger:
and the marines bringing down their
victims from the masts Of the French
flagship.
Presently he heard the sayagely
buoyaut shouts Of the Bcauude men.
and lac realized that. by his coming.
the admiral Of the French fleet had
been obliged to yield UP his sword. aud
to signal to his ships such as could
to get away. That half Of them sue
ceedcd In doing so was due TO the fact
that the British feet had been heavily
handled in the fight end would have
been defeated had it not been for tho
0pportuue arrival Of the Ariadue
Never perhaps in he history of the
navy, had British ships clampod the
enemy as the Aqulta'ue was clamped
by tEo Heautude and the A~alue
Certain 81 is thnt NO admiral Of the
British fleet bad ever 20 perform two
such acts in ore day as receiving the
submission Of French admiral aud
Offering thanks Go The captain Of
British man If way whom. while
thanking ~ must ut once place IN
der arrest ae "a mltnaer
What MIGHT h4te Glanced fur'lrr TO
Dyrhs disadvantage con never Dr.
KNOWN hcaause there appeared an the