The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-04-07
CHAPTER XXVI

Christmas. Nor before the spring. came. It grew flercer and famed in land along the frontiers. On sea the fighting approached the fantastic. Almost without a navy the United States was holding her own, doing 1t by means of a few well-managed war sloops (you might count them on your fingers) and those little pri- vateers that were pouring out of every American port to sting the proud British Navy like swarm of waspS.
 On the day that Polly's son was born in her fathers house in Con- necticut, the clipper Gray Gull was having 8 reckless try at an armed British merchantmen al- most twice her size.
 The Gull was not without ex- perience. Several times during the winter she had intercepted West Indianmen coming up from Jamaica and had crippled them considerably; but always other ships in the English convoy had driven of the fragile clipper be- fore she could take her prize.
 The question of money became acute to the Gull's officers. The unpaid crew was loyal, cheerfully foregoing pay; but the matter of procuring food for 75 hearty men was a problem that kept Cabell and Jerry awake and scheming roinht VxThnr1 thpU should have been sleeping.
 "I'd not have expected my father to be so pig-headed about this" Cabell said.
 Soon after getting his letter of marque from President Madison he had asked his father for $5,0O0 with which to finance his cruise. He asked 1t by land post from Wilmington, since Boston was in accessible by water at the time. The letter that came in answer was violent and scathing.
 "You exceeded yourself when You bought the clipper on my authority. I will pay for it since the debt is made, but I will not subsidize it nor give you another ship if you lose that one. do not hold with MT. Madison's war and I wish to keep out of it. I insist that my son keep out of it. These insults we have had from England had better be ignored than fought over ."
 Cabeu had replied by requesting bis fathers lawyer to send him at once a small inheritance he had had from 8 relatives estate since ! am of age and the money IS mine" This amount was trans ferred to him at Wilmington bank and 1t was now almost spent.
 It was during their stop at Will mington that Jerry and Cabell had the recipe for taking a British merchantmen which they were now about to put into practice:
 "You cut out your ship after dark" a reckless young Carolinian told them. Don't attack the first brig you see. She's apt to be the lookout. Wait for a straggler. When you've picked your laggard. sail around her and cut her from the pack. Then take her" There followed advice more explicit from the young man who sailed a Baltimore clipper as light as the Gull and who was not troubled with New England caution. He had already taken four prizes, he said, and had divided the spells among gratified crew.
 That May day when Polly's son was crying his first cries, the Gray Gull was cruising off the coast of northern France, boldly attempt ing to spy out 8 convoy of home coming merchantmen from foreign waters.
 Toward evening a fleet was spied by the lookouts. At this news Jerry climbed the ratlines to see how many sail there were and how well protected. He climbed down to confer with Cabell. He had counted more than a score, he said, with what appeared to be two men of war conveying the fleet.
 They decided to wear ship anc sail west to avoid being detected we're not worth chasing" Jerry pointed out, "but if they see us following, one of the frigates vii rake us. Do you agree?"
 Cabell did and ordered the mar at the wheel to port helm. They put out into the Atlantic, deter mined to withdraw from sight as il making westward passage.
 A feeling of elation seized then all. Not a man among them but wished for action and a streak O luck. So far, the Gray Gull hac not jutified her letter of marqut as a privateer. If she had stunt the English Navy, it was a ner'
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