Nappanee Advance-News, Volume 14, Number 33, Nappanee, Elkhart County, 3 November 1892 — Page 3

William WeSTAL.i_[Copyright, 1891, by J. B. Lipplncott Company, and Published by Special Arrangement.]

CHAPTER L BTHE8 THE year 1798 there happened, judged by its consequences, the most important event of my life. I was taken prisoner by the French. This was the way of it: The Sylph, a smart forty-gun frigate, of which I was first lieutcnant, had been cruising in the narrow seas and off the northern coast of France, captur- ' merchantmen en- ' gaging his warships, chasing and cutting out his privateers, and generally giving him all the trouble she could, in the which, as her captain was young, enterprising and. daring, and well seconded by his officers and crew, she was very successful. On a winter day, early in the year, Le Bonnet Rouge, a thirty-gun brig, ■which we had chased a whole afternoon, succeeded in evading us and anchoring under the guns of a battery at the mouth of the Seine. On this, Oapt. Wharton, who could not bear to be balked, decided to cut her out. But before the feat could be attempted it was necessary to take bearings and soundings, reconnoitre the battery, and ascertain the strength and position of several gun-boats and armed luggers which, as we knew, were lying in the Sci^e. For this service I volunteered, and suggested a means whereby it might be accomplished. I The plan I proposed was to capture a fishing-smack, of which there were plenty about, disguise myself and two or three of our fellows in the fishermen’s clothing, and then sail up the river in broad daylight, making our ol>servations at leisure. 1 spoke French so fluently and, as I flattered myself, so correctly that if any questions were asked I felt pretty sure that I should be able to answer them without exciting suspicion. Capt. Wharton approved, the fishingboat was captured, and, taking with me a quartermaster and two A.B.’s whom I could thoroughly trust—all as well as myself rigged up in the fishermen's togs—l sailed up the Heine as far as llonfleur, then stood over to Harlleur, making my observations and taking all the bearings I needed. As I ran between Le Bonnet Rouge and the battery, the better to note them both, one of the brig's officers, a man with a fierce red face and still redder hair, whom I took to be her captain, hailed us and asked whether we had seen aught of the Sylph. I said that we had Seen her a few hours previously outside the bay, sailing nor’west-by-north under a press of canvas. This seemed to satisfy the gentleman, and, though he looked hard at me, as if there was something either In my appearance or in my accent which piqued his curiosity, he let me pass without further questioning. At nightfall we reached the Sylph, which had been standing off and on during our cruise. After making my report I told the captain that in my opinion it would be quite impossible to cut out Le Bonnet Rouge by main force. I thought, however, that she might be taken by stratagem, which I explained, and which after some discussion it was resolved to adopt, so soon as the wind should be in the right quarter. My plan was to take the long boat, with twenty picked men, row up the river after sunset, run alongside the brig and get aboard of her by pretending that we belonged to La Lionne (one of the gunboats), overpower the watch on the deck, batten down the hatches, slip the cables and then make sail for the bay, where, all being well, we should fall in with the Sylph and get help to secure our prisoners. I calculated that the gunners In the fort, though they might guess what had happened, would not open fire on the brig for fear of hurting their own people, and once fairly under way we could bid defiance to both gunboats and luggers. A few nights later, the conditions as to wind and tide being favorable, we set out, and two hours after leaving the Sylph were under the brig's starboard quarter. My men, who had received their orders beforehand and knew exactly what to do, made fast the boat, and I boarded the vessel by the rope ladder which hung over the bulwarks. "Who goes there?" asked the officer of the watch. “Friend, from La Lionne,” I answered. “From La Lionnel And what do you want?” “The captain has sent me with a very Important message; and here la a let* ter.” >• ■ £ “M. le Capltaine Dufour is'ashore. He shall have the letter when he returns lint what want all these men? And, ma fol, they are—” Before the offioer could finish his sentence he was prune on the deck, and in a trice every other man of the watch waa In the same position and securely pinioned. The hatches had been bat-

tened down, and a gun run on each to prevent the people below from breaking out. All this took only a few minntes, the watch, fortunately for ns, being very weak and half asleep; but when the prisoners recovered from their surprise they became so noisy and abusive that 1 had to threaten to knock them on the head. This pacified them. But their comrades under hatches, now fnliy aware of what had happened, were making a terrible uproar, shouting to the people at the fort: “Les Anglaisl les Anglais! Anons! a nous!” and discharging mnskets and pistols from the ports. Two or three of them jumped Into the sea and swam ashore. But we were too busy making sail and slipping cables to heed the hubbub. “Let those shout who win,” I said, as the canvas filled and the ship paid off. “Only give me an hour of this breeze, and they may all go to the deuce.’’ Bang went all the guns in the fort; a shot flew across our bows; alarm-bells rang ashore; rockets careered athwart

lIE WAS PHONE ON TIIE DECK. the sky; and by the light of the moon (which just then rose above a cloudbank) we could seethe luggers anil gunboats making sail. ''Never mind, sir,” said the quartermaster at the wheel, “we've got the heels of them; and if they overhaul us I’ll be—” The words were hardly out of the man's mouth when the wind dropped, and if the tide hail not been running strong we should have had no steeringway. This was like to prove fatal to our enterprise, for, though the enemy could no more sail without wind than ourselves, they had sweeps and small boats, and as we were only a handful, and all the brig’s ammunition was under hatches, we could offer no effective resistance. Two boats, filled with soldiers, were already pulling off from the fort. Ilow I prayed for a wind! And it came, but, as ill luck would have it, from the wrong quarter. As taking the brig out of the river was now out of the question, I resolved to do the next best thing—run her ashore. So, after throwing overboard all her guns except those in the hatches, we put the ship about and steered straight for the nearest land; bnt before we could reach it Le Bonnet Rouge grounded on a sand bank with a shock that made her shiver from stem to stern; the main mast snapped like a stick, and, as the top hamper came down with a run, the Frenchmen below, thinking their last hour was come, set up a yell that might have been heard a mile off. I ordered the brig's launch to be lowered, but she was hardly loosed from the tackles when one of the luggers and half a dozen boats came alongside; at the same time the brig's crew swarmed out of the port holes, and we were attacked by a force that outnumbered us ten to one. After a hot fight of five minutes, during which time as many of my men were killed and wounded, we were overpowered and compelled to surrender. All of ns who were not hors de combat were taken to Havre de Grace and lodged in the town prison. Capt. Wharton, getting wind of what had happened, sent in a cartel (forwarding at the same time my clothes and some money) with a proposal to exchange me for a French lieutenant whom he had captured a few days previously; but the authorities' of the port, having meanwhile communicated with the directory and received orders to send me to Paris, refused. They had taken it into their heads that we were acting In concert with the royalists, and that the cutting out of Le Bonnet Rouge was to have been the signal for a general rising. In no other way could they explain the temerity of twenty men In a long boat attacking a heavily-armed brig, Anchored under the guns of a fort, and within pistol shot of half a dozen gunboats and armed luggers. I was taken before the port captain and a jnge de paix and closely questioned as to the designs of the royalists and my part in the supposed conspiracy. But, as I knew nothing of the designs in question, and the conspiracy was purely imaginary, they naturally got but little out of me, A few days afterwards I was sent to Paris In a post chaise, under so strong an escort as to render escape out of the question. Two gendarmes with couksd hats and half-cocked pistols sat opposite me all the way, and two fully-armed dragoons rode alongside. Hut it was by no means an unpleasant journey. Being regarded as a prisons* Ml Importance, I farad wall and

was treated with great respect. I made friends with my companions, who were very good fellows, and saw more of la belle France than I had ever seen before. - - CHAPTER It On my arrival at Paris I was taken to the Abbaye, an ancient building, now, I believe, no more. After breakfasting with the governor and his daughter, the former of whom was very polite and the latter very pretty, I was shown into the common room, a room, as I afterwards learned, of terrible memories, for here, in the September massacres, scores of men and women were, slaughtered like sheep. During the reign of terror it was a vestibule of death, thronged continually with prisoners on their way to the scaffold, whose places, as fast as the doomed of the day were dragged to the guillotine, were taken by fresh victims. Its aspect was somber and depressing; the walls were grimy, the long windows strongly barred, and hero and there on the floor conld be discerned dark stains as of blood. In this room were five or six men, on* of whom came forward to greet me. He was a man of about my own height —that is to say, a little over middle height—bnt slightly built, and with a pale worn face and dark expressive eyes. “Good morning, sir,” he said, making a low bow. “Good morning, sir,” I answered, also making a low bow. “You are English—if I may jndge by your uniform and your accent.” “Not exactly. But English is my mother tongue, and I am a subject of King George, and hold a commission in his navy.” “Scottish or Irish, then; It comes to the same thing. Pray excuse my seeming inquisitiveness. Bnt, as we are a very small commnnity here, and it is well to be on friendly terms, I have been deputed to act as master of ceremonies and introduce you to our socicty. But, first of all, allow me to introduce myself. Before the revolution I was Chevalier de Gex, captain in the royal regimebt of Languedoc; now they call me Citizen Gex, and I am a prisoner of tSe republic.” “And I am Mark Roy, first lieutenant of his Britannic majesty’s ship Sylph, and a prisoner of war.” “Good! Now I shall have the honor of introducing you to our fellow captives.” When we were done with our introductions and a few more questions had been asked and answered, the chevalier, putting his arm within mine, asked me in very passable English to take a walk with him. “Where?” I asked. “Here. This room is exactly forty paces long and thirty paces wide—not bad for a prison. We can stretch our legs and wag our tongues at the same time. What say you?” “I am entirely at your service. How well you speak English!” “Yes; 1 know English. It would be strange if I did not, seeing that I have lived several years in London; and if I had been wise I should be there still.” “Yon are likely to be a prisoner some time, then?” “My faith, I wish I was! lam much more likely to lose my head.” “Lose your head! I thought the reign of terror was over.” ”So it is, except for the class to which I belong. 1 am a returned emigrant, and returned emigrants receive little mercy.” “Did you know this before you left London?” “Surely. But I had a purpose, and London is not gay, and teaching yonng ladies and gentlemen the French language at a guinea a quarter ia neither lucrative nor amusing.” "Better than having your head sliced off, though. ” "Well, lam not so very sure. To he moneyless icl has is almost as bad as being headless, and I was often very moneyless in that sacre London. It was to replenish my purse that I pnt my head into the lion’s mouth. Yon are an officer and a gentleman, Mr, Roy?” This observation, or question, apropos of nothing, sounding mighty like an impertinence, made me stare. “I am certainly an officer, and, I hope, also a gentleman,” I answered, coldly. “Pardon me, I pray you,” said the chevalier, earnestly. “It was an unnecessary question—almost impertinent, indeed. English officers always are gentlemen; the one implies the

I WAS TAKEN TO THE ABBAYE. other. And your face is enough. lean read faces, and in yours I read high courage, honor and sincerity. You are just the man to lead a boarding party or stand by a friend to the death." This time I merely bqwed. I did not like these extravagant compliments; and when a man begins by buttering you up he generally ends by asking a favor. “You are surprised that 1, an utter stranger, should address yon thus,” continued De Gsx, after a short pause. “Bnt necessity has no law. I stand In sore need of a friend, and among the men to whom you were just now Introduced there Is none thut I dare trust At least one of them—that smiling rascal with the slightly-booked nose— ls a mouton, a police spy, end the other* are aobodlee. You will us-

dergtand why 1 need a friend When I tell you that I am nnder sentence of death.” “Under sentence of death! Ia it then so bad as that? I thought you only feared —” “Feared! Do I look as If I were afraid?" asked the chevalier, haughtily. “I beg your pardon. I should have said apprehended. At the same time, though I have faced death pretty often and may have to do so again, I frankly confess that if I were going to be beheaded I should be afraid.” “Well, Ido not like it. Bnt it would ill become a De Gex not to meet his fate with sang froid, and I would rather perish a thousand times than give these canaille the satisfaction of thinking they hod made me afraid. The worst of it is that I know not when I am to die. 1 may be A-ouse<j from my sleep before to-morrow’s dawn and told

THE CHEVALIER'S BTORT. that my last hour is%>me, or they may let me live a month. Bnt you are wondering why I tell you this. It is not merely to enlist your symp thy: It Is something much more practical. I told you that I hail been in London. I was there with my mother and sister, and though we all worked —when we could find anything to do—we found life so hard that I resolved to return to France and make an effort to recover a treasure which belonged to my family. (TO BE CONTINUED. I TIRED OF LIFE IN FRANCE. Many I-eople Apparently Believe That Life Is Not Worth Living. France is one of the most prosperous countries in the world. Her people, however, seem to be arriving at the conclusion that life is not worth living. The vital statistics for the French republic for 1890, recently published, show that during that year there were more deaths than births, the number of births being 888,059, and the number of deaths 870,505. The death rate in a nation rarely equals the birth rate, and the present condition of France, therefore, is attracting considerable attention. According to the Omaha WorldHerald one cause for this unusual condition of things was undoubtedly the grip, which ravaged France, as it did every nation in the civilized world; bnt even that extraordinary cause does not account for the discrepancy between births and deaths. The death rate is high, but even that does not attract so much attention as the fact that the birth rate is very low. The same statistics report a large decrease in the nunfber of marriages and a large increase in the number of divorces. The average size of families In France has been growing less and less year by year, and that fact, taken In connection with the others, seems to indicate as much as anything can that the French people have reached the conclusion that life is not worth the living and that “marriage is a failure.” Thu Professor Wasn't In Error. Prof. Truman Henry Safford of Williams college is one of the most remarkable lightning calculators now living. A gentleman who had heard of his power and wished to test it said to‘him one day: “I have a little problem for yon. Prof. Safford. I was bom August 15, 1852, at Bln the afternoon. This Is June 20, 1883, and It is just 8 o’clock. Now can you tell me my age In seconds?” The great man frowned, bent his head and began to walk rapidly up and down, twisting his mustache and clasping and unclasping his hands in his nervous way. After a moment or so he returned the answer, which was somewhere in the billions. The gentleman prodneed a paper containing the problem worked out, and said, with a superior smile: “Well, professor, I'll give you credit for great genius, hut you're several thousand out.” The pitpfessor stretched out his hand for the paper, and, running over the calculation, said, contemptuously: “Humph! You’ve left out the leapyears.”—Boston Traveller. Let Her Sob. First Farmer—You say yon can’t take forty dollars for that cow? Second Farmer—Can't do It. “Bnt yesterday you told me you'd sell her for forty dollars.” “I know I did, but I’ll have to back out.” “What’s the matter?” “You see that cow belongs to my wife, and she says she will sob herself Into hysterics if I sell her. It would break her heart.” “AH right—lt's no trade.” “I say. 7 ’ “Well, what Is It?” “Make It forty-five dollar* and we’Q let her sob."—Texas Siftings. Treasure Trove of Spanish Dollars. An odd discovery has been node on a coral reef in the Coral sea. off the north of Queensland. This is a treasure trove of five thousand dollars’ worth of Spanish silver dollars, dated from the opening of the century, and a cannon, now removed to the Thursday Island museum. The dollars were found stuck together in clusters, some much corroded, others in good condition. Probably some Spanish ship making for-Manila (which, by the way, ia almost always spelt Incorrectly in England with two I'n), was blown southward and wracked. Another suggestion lea ten ship on the way to China.—Pall Matt Budget

FARM AND GARDEN. PLENTY OP LIGHT. Mm Kxe.ll.ut House for a Flock of Ott Dozen Hena. One of the most essential things to a poultry bouse is the window. Plenty of light makes a house irxifortable, and, as fowls detest darknr „s, too much light cannot be given. The illnstration represents a building IS feet long, 8 feet wide, S feet high in front and 8 feet high at the rear, the roof covered with tarred felt or any other waterproof material. Two large windows, each 40x70 inches, give light, they being placed near together at the southwest corner of the roosting apartment Two doors are shown, one entering the roosting apartment on the left and the other the feed

PMk 1. —POULTRY BOUSE WITH END WIBDOWS. room, the feed room being lighted by a window or transom over the door. The two rooms are separated by a lath partition. The roosts are arranged over a platform at the rear of the roostingroom, with the nests under the platform. Tne cost of the house, including labor, should not exceed $35. The ventilators, one at each end, are seen at 1 1 H.. They are circular holes 12 inches in diameter cut in each end of the house near the top, hut far enough from the front to clear the corner posts, and. as the matter of ventilation is important, the plan given may be worthy of notice. Fig. 2 gives a plan of a ventilator, as mentioned, they opening and closing by the slide N, which runs in grooved pieces nailed above and below the hole. To keep out rain and snow a

FIB. 9.— PLAN OF VENTILATOR FOR POULTRY HOUSE box 3 fitted over the hole, which has only three sides and a sloping top. The Sir enters at the bottom and passes np and through the hole in the side of the coop, as indicated by the arrows. Os course, the windows may be arranged differently if preferred, but if arranged as shown the fowls will have a light scratching place, while the roosts, being at the rear, will be out of the way of drafts of air from any sonree. The windows cannot be opened, but the door should remain open during the day. The window over the feed room should be arranged so as to be raised from the outside. Asa cheap, light and convenient poultry house for a flock of one dozen hens the plan is an excellent one.— Farm and Fireside. ABOUT FRUIT GROWING. SueeeM Reqnlrm Oontlsued DUi*en, Intelligence end Slyll. In riding through any part oi the country where fruit can be successfully grown, the contrast between fine crops and partial or entire failure may be frequently observed. One shows the effect of skill, the other the result of neglect On one hand, orchards aro loaded with fine crops of excellent frnit; on the other partly dead trees have nothing but small and scrubby apples. In small-fruit plantations weeds have had the ascendance; strawberpy patches are noted for tl\eir sickly and winter-killed appearance. The owners admit general disappointment and failure. But there are other owners who give a very different report Their small fruits and strawberries have escaped winter killing by carefully applied winter protection. Their rule has been to kill weeds “at whatever cost,” by never allowing them to grow. They have found the labor very small to destroy them with a steel rake or fine harrow passing every week before they come up, compared with the hard work to root out the rank mass when a foot high. In a neighborhood where both kinds of management prevailed, lived the owner of a hundredacre farm, a portion of which was devoted to fruit-raising generally. His trees hod generous cultivation; a large part of the manure made on the place was carefully applied broadcast to the fruit trees and to the small fruits. The result of this, long continued, wss that the annual sales from all ths different kinds amounted literally to thousands of dollars annnally. But this success required continued diligence, intelligence and skill.—Country Gentleman. DAIRY BUQQEBTIONB. Milk when first drawn contains animal odors, and these should be permitted to escape before the milk is shut up In close cans Dirt In the milk means bacteria In the milk, and that means Injury to hotter and to health. Keeft the adder and the hands of the milker clean 1# the non-paying cows are not eliminated from the dairy we may expeet tom plaint* against the profitableness of this excellent industry. There is a story going through the papers that the cow got sick because she drank bad-smalltng water from the barn cistern. TM cow wfU become sick If compelled to drink bad water. Why should eh# not?—Farmers' Votes.

CARE OF GRAPEVINES. What to Do to Prevent Me lf|isfssl' of Rot Next Tear. That the ravages of grape rot have net been as severe as formerly to soma sections is confirmed by the statement* of many prominent growers of grapes, bnt the reasons assigned vary, thcr majority of growers being inclined to the belief that the years 1891 and 1892 were unfavorable to the disease. ! Other growers affirm that the Use of Mo Bordeaux mixture has aided in preventing the ravages of the rot by destroying the spores tb a great extent. In some sections of New Jersey, however, there have been bnt few cases at the appearance of the rot on vines that were before attacked, although the vines had not 1 been sprayed with fungicides at any time. It is now considered a fact that tba rot may be prevented by the use of tho proper remedies, and the fact has been demonstrated by treating selected vines in vineyards that were affected. In all cases where the fungicides were used the disease was either eradicated or its effects mitigated, and it is also observed that by a vigorous treatment the disease may be so controlled as to do bnt little damage the succeeding season, which gives promise of its being entirely eradicated in a few years. The results of next year’s experiments will throw mnch additional light on the matter, as the dryness or dampness of the season controls the effects of ths rot to some extent. There are also varieties of grapes that are more exempt than others, such thick-skinned variety as the Ives seedling escaping attack, although growing in rows ad* joining varieties that were rotting rapidly. Prominent growers recommend that the work of preventing rot next year should begin daring the winter or even in the fall. The ground should be carefully raked over and the debris burned in order to destroy as many of the spores as possible, and lime should then be applied to the soil on the surface, the lime to remain until spring. It is suggested that the lime be slaked with boiling water until fine, and every square inch of the soil given a dusting of the lime. Early in the spring, before the buds appear and after the vines have been trimmed, the Bordeaux mixture should be applied to the vines; and it is claimed that the best results hare been obtained by this early treatment, especially if the Bordeaux mixture is applied in a thick condition (of the condition of ordinary whitewash) to the vines. The mixture should then bo applied at frequent times during the season. To prevent rot the spores must be destroyed or prevented from securing a lodgment on the vines or fruit, and the work of keeping down the disease jiext year should begin now. There should be no accumulations under the vines, as the grapes that have fallen have already carried with them the spores (seeds) for next year’s rot. It is trne that the spores cannot be completely destroyed, but vigorous and timely work, especially by a whole neighborhood, may result in securing at least a fair crop the next season with prospects of Improvement thereafter.—Troy (N. Y.) Times. FOR MUDDY GROUND. A Sled for Dragging Heavy Loads Over I’oor Honda. A mud boat is 'a sled with broad runners. It has many advantages over ths narrow runner sled, when there la bnt a small amount of snow, or after a thaw. The broad rnnnera pass over mudholes and slnshy places without cutting down. The accompanying illustration are from sketches sent ns by Richard Jones, of Franklin county, O. The runners are sawed from a log; a, bent at one end. Saw to the angla from one end, reverse, and saw from the other end. The part of the runner which rests on the ground should ha

AIT OHIO BUD BOAT. ten feet long, the other part, about two feet long with a rise of eight inches* The bonks are pinned or bolted. The nose piece is about eight inches wide and securely bolted. At each end fasten the grabs, b, for holding the brace chains, by which the tongue can he made rigid or flexible at will. Back chain should be fastened well forward on the tongae, and be about five links longer than Is needed for rigid bracing. With unhooked chains, the hinged tongue allows the sled to ha placed parallel with the log while the team la nearly at right angle* Black chains permit the sled to wind between stamps and through very crooked roods. With this sled two hones can haul enough logs to make one thousand feet at square timber. Straw or hay ean he hauled by inserting at the end of the bonks standard, e, on which side boerda are placed.—American Agriculturist. Megs la tha Feed Lot. A writer for ths Ohio Farmer says' “When hogs go into the feed tot, when their rooting will do no injury, all rings should be removed. We know men that fail In thslr efforts to fatten hogs, because men are Ignorant of the cause of the unhealthy condition eg their hogi. In the shipping tots a* on* railroad station we ones noticed e lot of bogs that wees out es condition. In looking for n cause, we found thut all had son noses, on scooeet of rings set too deep, with ths joint of the rings in the flash. Doubtless tba owner thought the greater pnnlshmeat he eould inflict sV. 1.14.- naAfAnflun |m wnnlil kaeal/to •*■B IWvlvr jllveffvvlvsl llv Wvlllli mwVw^Wr hln putt 11 rtf, and probtbljf totnwt At- ——A. A— • * •i)OD|0( a noi bon