The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1926-07-09

SWereu. but snail nave TO pay
somewhat for my Quixotic promise to
you, Robert, to spare her crew. Ho
Coupeau, pass the word that the prize
must not be pierced betwixt wind
and water. I would bring down
spar or two at the beginning of the
action, but concentrate your fire upon
her decks"
"Oui, m'sieu'"
"But what Of ODonnell and his
daughter" / exclaimed. ION a shot
swept deck!"
Tut, tut. my boy! You concern
yourself needlessly. 'Tis risky bust
ness and cannot be otherwise. What
part do you and Peter purpose to play
in the actionT'
was about to answer hotly that
we would have naught to do with
piracy when Peter said
Maybe we better go aboardt der
Spaniard and catch der little gal,
ia"
"An excellent idea," returned my
great-uncle, looking expectantly at me.
81 shall lead the boarders myself, and
in the confusion 1 may be hard put
to 1t, single-handed, to direct the
fighting and save the O'Donnells from
injury. If you two"
well do It." / said ungraciously.
Then / nodded to the white ensign
at the main peak.
"Will you fight under false colors?"
"They are not false" he retorted
with frightened lips. "We fight for
England today"
England and Flint and Long John
Silver and Bill Bones and Martin and
Coupeau and"
Myself? Perhaps. But If those
you have named share in the rewards
of victory It's that England may profit
thereby and the Good Cause triumph.
What doth it matter, If King James
return to London"
"What indeedY I echoed sarcas-
tically, yet impressed against my will
by his deadly earnestness.
A white puff of smoke jetted from
our fo'csle, and cracking explosion
smote our ears. Coupeau had fired
the first shot from one Of the chase
guns. long eighteens, beautiful bronze
pieces of prodigious range. Invelun-
tarily we all focused our eyes upon
the treasure ship, and a cheer from
the gun-crews applauded the Tapping
rent that showed in the bulge Of the
Spaniard's foretopsl.
EXCELLENT murmured my great
uncle.
The Santissima Trinidad staggered
for an instant like a man who has
been struck Unexpectedly by one he
supposed to be a friend. Then she
yawned TO give us a full view Of her
colors; and as she yawned, broaden
ing the target, Coupeau fired again.
Twas a low shot, fred as the James
dropped into the trough betwixt two
waves. and all we could see Of 1t
was that apparently it plowed into
the waist.
The Spaniard fired gun to leeward
and put over his helm, aiming to
cross our bows and head up for Santo
Domingo. Plainly he did not know
what to make Of the incident. To
all appearances the Royal James was
a kings ship. She showed the Eng
lish naval ensign. So he evidently
decided that hostilities must have
broken out between the two countries,
and in obedience to his sailing orders
endeavored to avoid a fight and make
for the nearest fortified Spanish port.
But the James sailed two feet to
the treasure ships one; and splen-
didly handled, we overhauled her
within a glass of the first shot. In
the meantime Coupeau kept pecking
away at her, and as we came within
range of our main battery her foretop-
mast crashed, covering her fo'csle with
tangle of top-hamper.
This was too much for her people,
and she put up her helm, brought her
entire battery to bear and let fly at
us with all her starboard metal.
Twas a poorly managed salvO, yet
| three or four round-shot swished
| across our decks, and an eighteen
FOUNDER smashed couple Of men to
jelly Just for'ard of the poop.
Coupeau, working like a mailman
with his chase guns, was firing both
together, laid on the same target, and
now he succeeded in cutting down the
foremost about twenty feet from the
deck, sending the heavy spar and bill
lowing canvas a-tumbling after the
fallen topmast. The bulk OF the
| wreckage fell oversize, dragging the
Santissima Trinidad down by the
head and forming a sea-anchor to
| held her stationary.
! My great-uncle smiled with grim
satisfaction.
"Ho, Saunders !" he hailed the
second mate. who was stationed amid
| ships. "Rig grappling-irons on the
larboard bulwarks. Wen round the
Spaniard as he lies. Let go your
broadside, Coupeauw
The gunner ran to the open main
hatch and beloved the order down
to the gun-deck. The planks seemed
to spring under our feet. A thun-
derous series Of detonations shook the
James whole nbric. The smoke
clouds were first driven away, then
thickened to an impalpable mist, and
the acrid stencil Of saltpeter and
birthstone was choking in the nos
trils. had wavery glimpse Of 8
vast gilded figurehead, heap of torn
canvas and rigging.
We headed UP into the wind with
much creaking Of yards and Stating
of sails, and 1 heard family clamor
of wailing outcries from the smoke
bank that masked the Santissima
Trinidad. Almost at once our broad