Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1924-10-20

! The Slglt or Lldt great Ieu sup
with her gilt beak-head and open
ports swinging broadside on must
have given check to Riya! rs soar
ing exultation. Yet before he could
move TO give an order before he
/ could well resolve what ORDER to
I give. a volcano Of fire and metal
burst upon him from the buc-
cancers, and his decks were swept
/ by the murderous scythe Of the
I broadside. The Arabella held to
/ her course. giving place to the
Elizabeth, which following close
( ly, executed the same manoeuyre.
/ And then whilst still the French
men were confused, panic-stricken
by an attack that took them so
utterly by surprise. the Arabella
mad gone about. and was returning
/ in her tracks, presenting now her
larboard guns. and loosiug her sec
ond broadside in the wake Of the
first. Came yet another broadside
from the Elizabeth and then the
Arabella's trumpeter sent a call
across the water. which Hagthorpe
perfectly understood
"On, now, jeremy" cried Blood.
stand by there! Prepare to
boardl Hayton the crap
nels." Briskly he explained him
self to his two guests. Boarding
is our only chance here We are
too heavily outgunned.'
OF this the fullest demonstration
followed quickly The Frenchmen
having recovered their wits at last,
both ships swung broadside on,
and concentrating upon the Ara
bella as the nearer and heavier and
therefore more Immediately dang
erous Of their two opponents.
volleyed upon her jointly at almost
the same moment. The Arabella
rocked and staggered under that
terrific hammering. For a mo-
ment she seemed to hesitate, then
she plunged forward with a gaping
hole forward. that was only just
above the water-line. Meanwhile,
the Frenchmen going about gave
the like reception to the Elizabeth
The Arabella, indifferently served
by the wind. pressed forward to
come to grips But before she
could accomplish her object the
Victoriause had loaded her star
board guns again. ana pounded her
advancing enemy with a second
broadsidc at close quarters. Amid
the thunder Of cannon, the rending
OF timbers. and the screams OF
MANNED men. the half-wrecked Ara
bella plunged and reeled into the
cloud of smoke that concealed her
prey. and then from Hayton went
up the cry that she was going
down by the head The blue and
gold flank of the Victorieuse doomed
through the smoke But even as
Blood caught that enheartening
glimpse he perceived. too how
sluggish now was their advance.
They must sink before Q ,hey
reached her But they had not yet
completely failed Hayton him
self. and score Of sturdy rcgues
whom his whistle had summoned,
were e~auching for shelter amid
the wroakage OF the forecaste
with grapnels ready. Within
seven or eight yards Of the Vic
torieuse, when their way seemed
spent, and their forward deck al
ready awash under the eyes OF the
ieering. cheering Frenchmon.
those men leapt up and forward,
and hurled their grapnels across
/ the chasm OF the four they flung,
two reached the Frenchman's
decks. and fastened there Uuhe--
itatingly all threw themselves
upon the chain of one Of those
grapnels, neglecling the other and
heaved upon it with an their might
to warp the ships together. Blood
sent out his voice in clarion call:
"Musketeers to the prowt"
Fifty Of them dashed forward
instantly, and from the ruins Of
the forecastle they blazed over the
heads Of Hayton's mon, moving
down the French soldiers who. nm
able to dislodse the irons, firmly
held where they had deeply bitten
into the timbeys of the Victoriausc,
were themselves preparing to FIRE
unon the Erapnel crew
Starboard to starboard the two
ships swung against each other
with a Earring thud The advance
guard Of boarders. a hundred
strong, we're ordered to the poop,
grapnel-men were posted AMI
prompt to obey Blood's command at
the very moment of impact As a
result. the laundering Arabeua
was literally kept a1oat by the
half-dozen grapnels that in an in
slant moored her firmly to the
Victorieuse,
Led now by Blood himself they
launched themselves upon the
French like hounds upon the stag
they have brought to bay For
fully half-an-hour that battle ragged
aboard the Frenchman The
French resisted stubbornly, and
they had the advantage OF num-
bers to encourage them But for
all their stubborn valor, they end
ed by being pressed back and back
across the decks that were danger
ously canted TO starboard by tho
pull Of the water-logged Arabella.
The buccaneers fought with the
! desperate fury Of men who know