Rensselaer Republican, Volume 24, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 June 1892 — CAST UP BY THE SEA. [ARTICLE]

CAST UP BY THE SEA.

CHAPTER IX.—Continued. ’‘Ha, le scarce Francois!” ex--claimed Leoutine, who had, in liie meantime, attached the deserted boat to the lugger's stern. ‘‘Ha, le miserable!” she cried; “this is a retard for my love!” . Two or three shots were now fired? by the French crew, but without other results than to alarm the ship ■of wat: the drum beat to quarters, lights were seen at her pouts, a tremendous flash was accompanied by the report of A cannon as she fired an alarm-gun; this was quickly answered by a shot from a battery ■above th eto w n.. < , ' ■ ; ■ The bells of the church and the prison rang wildly, as shot after shot was fired from the battery, and the alarm spread like wild-fire throughout the port. In themeau time, while the fight had been hot upon the Polly’s decks, Captain Dupuis, who had been asleep ■when the vessel wris first boarded, now rushed up from the cabin, and, meeting Paul, he fired a pistol within a few ieet of his chest; fortunately, at tljat moment Paul was in the act of raising his musket and the ball loHgcd within the tough walnut stock; the next instant the weapon fell with a crash upon Dupuis’ skull, who reeled backward, and, stumbling against the low bulwarks, h c fell Dick Stone, with his musket in one hand,tjjat he had not yet discharged, was now.stauding at the helm. The English crew bad gained the arms from the rack, and several shots were fired as they drove the French toward the bows of the lugger, fol I lowing them qp with the bayonet. Many of the Frenct overboard. calling loudly to the man-of-war for assistance, and those down below were already helpless?, as the • companion ladder was guarded by, two armed men. The surprise was complete; Leontine had haukd her boat alongside, and had climbed on board: the cable was cut and the Sails were let loose, but the danger had increased. The French crew who had jumped overboard called to the corvette to fire and sink the lugger. This theyhad -hi therto been afraid to do, as their own countrymen were on board. A blue light was now burnt upon the deck of the corvette, and distinctly illumined- the scene just as the sails of the Polly filled, as her head turned from the severed cable, and she met the full force of the gale from the the shore. In an instant

she leant over, and as the water rippled from her bows and the boom was slacked off she started like a wild duck frightened from its nest. “Hurrah! hurrah! hurrah!” rang three hearty British cheers as the clipper lugger glideci’rapidly through the dark water and passed the rible broadside of the corvette within fifty or sixty yards. But hardly had the Polly cleared the deadly row of guns, when, a flash! and the shock seemed to sweep her deck as the dense smoke rolled across her in the midst of the roar of a twenty-four pounder fired from the last gun of the tier: A terrible crash almost immediately TbtTbtiM tho shot, and the rope that attached the boat to the stern of the,lugger suddenly dangled loosely in the water, as the shot had dashed the boat to atoms; for- ■ tunately the Polly had just passed the fatal line of fire. Another wild “Hurrah!” replied to the unsuccessful gun, as the lugger, released from the. boat s weight, seemed to fly still quicker through the water.

“Take the helm for a moment,” said Dick to sailor by his side, and running amidships he called upon Paul: “Give a hand, captain, and awe’ll get the Long Tom round In an Instant Paul puthis powerful shoulder to the long six-pounder that worked on a pivot, and together, with joint exertions, they trained the gun upon the stern windows of the corvette. Dick Stone had just beforehand lighted his pipe when standing at the helm, and as the long gun bore upon its object, he suddenly pushed Paul upon one side and emptied his fiery bowl upon the touch hole. Bang! went-the gun, as the six pound shot crashed through the cabin windows of the corvette and through the various bulkheads, rak-

ing her from stem to stern. •‘Hurrah*’’ again shouted the crew, who like true British sailors were ready for any fight without reckoning the odds when dnce the cannon began to speak, while Pau^aad'several men sponged and reloaded the long gun,as the corvette hadlovrered several boats to give chase. “Hurrah for the saucy Polly, shouted Paul, as he and Dick now trained the gun upon the leading boat: but at that moment they turned the sharp headland of the rocky island, and both the coryette and her" boats were obscured from their view. It was blowing hard,but the water in the bay was perfectly smooth, as the wind was directly off the shore, and the Polly flew like a racehorse toward the open sea. In a few minUtes she the last headland and rushed at foaming speed over the long swell of the Atlantic, With the gale fairly on her quarter there was nothing that could toudh the Polly. There was no fear of a chase, although the heavy booming of the alarm guns could still be heard in the distance. ■*- Three Frenchmen had ■ been killed in the fight, and their bodies, which now lay on deck, were thrown overboard: two were prisoners down below: the remainder of the crew had escaped by jumping overboard, with the exception of the treacherous Cap-

BY SIR SAMUEL W. BAKER.

tain Dupuis, who had sunk when knocked down by Paul. Dick Stone was now at the helm; his pipe was well alight; and could his features have been distinguished in the dark, they would have been seen to wear an unusually cheerful expression as he said to Paul, “It woulnn’t have been purlite of ua .to leave the Mounseers without a salute and without my pipe we couldn’t have fired the g-un. It’s a wonderful thing is a pipe! Ain’t it, captain?'' ““Nor’ nor east is the’course,Dick,” replied Paul, who was at that moment thinking of his wife, and the happiness it would be to-meet her on thy following day; at the same time he was anxious lest any misfortune should have occurred during his long absence. . “Nor’ nor’ east it is, captain,” replied Dick withasailor's promptitude, “but I can’t help larfing when I think of Captain.Doopwee, who has . put a cargo on board the Polly all for nothing, and has got knocked on the head into the bargain. Well, sarve him;right; sarve him right,” continued Dick, musingly; “he was a very purlite Varmint—too purlite to be honest, by a long chalk.” After this curt biographical menioir of the late Captain Dupuis, bpplied himself to his pipe' and kept xhe Pollycourse N. N. E. While Paul and Dick Stone were upon Deck, I/eontine was lying upon a cot within qabin; the excite- 1 ment of the day had nearly worn her out,' and. despite the uneasy movement of the vessel, which tried her more severely than any danger, she fell asleep in the, uniform of a private in the French chasseurs, and she dreamed happily that her brother Victor was released. ....

CHAPTER X. ’ At daybreak on the following morning, the gale that had moderated during the last hour, suddenlychanged its quarter, and, chopping round, it blew directly from the north. The lugger bad run at stffch speed throughout the night that the high cliffs of Corn wall were now distinctly visible; and Paul, who had, not yet slept, f eltthe bittern ess- df disappointment as the head wind noW checked their way, and the Polly, instead of rushing swiftly toward home, was forced to tack. Dick Stone had steered so carefully that he had exactly made the right point, and shotly after sunrise Paul’s heart beat doubly quick as he described, with the telescope, a speck in the distance which he knew to be his white cottage on the cliff. The time went wearily, as the lugger, closehauled to the wind, made each successive tack, but the cottage grew larger as they gradually,approached, 'and Paul fancied that perhaps his wife might by this time have descried the well-known Polly, and that she would be waiting to receive him with ioy upon his arrival. “I'll tell you what, captain,” exclaimed Dick Stone, suddenly; “we mustn't forget the cargo; if we can run it through it will be a pretty haul, but we must keep a sharp lookout for the revenue" cruisers now we it-be saferi to stand off a little and wait tilPclark? Paul’s heart yearned for home, and instead of adopting this cool advice he determined to press on Mr another hour against the head wind, until they should be within easy distance of the coast, when he would be able to run in and land the cargo after sunset. Accordingly they stood ou the same tack, and as the lugger worked well to windward, they gradually neared the shore.

Paul’s eyes were riveted upon his cottage on the cliff, and he vainly endeavored, with the telescope, to descry some figure on the terrace that might resemble the form of Polly Grey. He could not distinguish more than the dwelling; even the terace was invisible in the distance. He now swept the line of the coast carefully with his glass, and presently be fixed upon some object with peculiar attention. “What do you see, captain?” inquired Dick, who had his suspicions. “A cutter bearing down upon us in full sail, with a spanking -breeze from the shore,” as he lowered hisglass. “Then we may make up our minds for another night at sea, ’ said Dick. "That’s a revenue cutter, t I’ll be bound; and if the wind is fair for her it’ll be fair for us when we ’bout ship and the Polly shows them her legs.” “Take the glass, Dick, and try to make her out whiie.’i’take the helm,” "said Paul, Saying which he handed the glass to Dick Stone-. For about a minute Dick peered steadily through the.glass; he then lowered it, and returning the instrument to Paul, he said: “They are steering so as to reach us on our next tack, so we’d better not come upon it, I'm thinking; there is no doubt about her: she’s a reve-

nue cutter, so the less the Polly sees of her the better. We’d better wear, captain, and we’ll run out of sight in an hour; nothing can touch the lugger going free.” Paul was quite of this opinion, and he decided immediately to alter the course and run S. W. with the wind on the quarter; he thus hoped to lose sight of the cutter, and should the wind change he would be able to return and run into Sandy Cove during the night. In an instant the order was obeyed, and the Polly, that had been thrashing'the crest of the waves as she had been pressed close to the wind, now bounded forward like a graybound slipped from the leash.

In less than an hour the cbast of Cornwall had disappeared, neither could a trace be discovered of the reventfe cutter; nevertheless Paul thought jt advisable to Continue on the same course, as the cutter might be still in chase. Accordingly the Polly was kept running toward the S. W. until about 3 o’clock p. m. At this time the wind slackened, and then, came puffs from various directions; the sails constantly flapped, angl in expectation of a change Paul determined to lie to. The Polly now rode easily with Per sails trimmed so as to keep her head to the sea. j She had been lying for about half an hour in this position, a waiting's change of wind that would enable her to turn to the north and perhaps reach Sandy Cove during the night, when a vessel was observed in the distance with a fair breeze from the southwest; she was coming along at. a rapid pace and had the advantage of the approaching southwest wind that had not yet reached the Polly. She was quickly made bqttobeq schooner of about one hundred and forty tons, and she neared the Polly to within a mile before the latter felt the breeze. “That’s a nice looking schooner,” said Paul, “and she has the Union Jack at he peak; what kind of a craft can she be?” “Well," said Dick, “she’s a pretty, smart looking thing as ever I saw; painted all black; raking masts; and the biggest mainsail for her size that eyerl set eyes'dn. She ain't a revenue cruiser, anyhow, and sheain’t a man-pf-War; but she looks too trim for-a merchantman; I’m blessed if I know what she is,” said Dick, as he gave the helm to a sailor and lighted his pipe, while he kept his eyes fixed on her. “I can’t see a man on board,'ssaid J?aul, who had been watching the fast-opproaching ship with the telescope; “but get the decks cleared, and have some cartridges ready for the Long Tom, and a match lighted; we may just as well be prepared. Call the men on deck, and let all be ready for action in case of necessity. ” Dick left the helm to a sailor, and in ten minutes’ time the entire crew of the Polly were on deck; the long gun was already loaded, and many rounds of amunition were stowed in readiness in a large chest. The men were at their places around the gun, while the remaining portion of the crew were thoroughly armed. Paul had stuck a brace of pistols in his belt, while a sharp cutlass lay near at hand. The breeze now reached the Polly in its full strength, but the suspicious schooner was within half a mile, and was sailing at a rate that would test the best powers of the lugger. T don't like the look of her,” said Paul; “we have the breeze now, and we may as well let the Polly take care of herself.” In an instant, the lugger came round to the wind, and in a few moments she was hurrying along at full speed toward the English coast, with the British flag at the mizzen. Hardly had the Polly altered her course than the Union Jack on board the schooner was run down and the French tricolor was seen flying in its place. This change was effected with great rapidity, and at the same time a dense puff of smoke from her bows was followed by the roar of a Abet

that “Sew above the masts of the Polly and plunged into theisea Some hundred yards ahead. ‘ ’That’s purliteness!” said Dick Stone; “that’s the Mounseer’s way of saying boong joor. I suspected this all along, but the Polly knows a word or two of French as well as she does; suppose we send the mounseer a message.” Paul had alrdy taken his stand by the long gun, which he now trained carefully upon the pursuing vessel. “Now, Dick,” said he, “give the frenchman a steady shot well into the rigging, and try to break one of his wings.” Dick squinted along the gun, and presently, as the Polly steadied herself before the wind, he touched the priming with the mateh. The brass gun rang with a loud report. All eyes watched eagerly for the effect as the strong breeze cleared the smoke for ward, in about two seconds the top-gallant mast of the schooner was seen to fall in two pieces, which dangled loosely in the rigging. “Well -done, Dick,” said Paul; “load away, my lads, and let me try my hand." “That’s my answer to the Frenchman,” who now puffed at his pipe. “Yer see, he very purlitely said in French* ‘Bong joor/ so I says, ‘Very well, I thank you; komprenny, Mounseer?” Dick Stone had hardly finished his sentence when a cloud of smoke shot from the schooner's bows As she fired a gun, and presently the ball struck the water within a few yards of the lugger, dashing the spray upon her deck. “They have the range now,” said Paul, as he sighted the-, gun with extreme caution, and quickly apSlied the match. A loud hurrah urst from the crew of the Polly as the schooner’s foretopmast suddenly broke off, in about its length, and was carried overboard by the force of the gale, as the shot struck fairly through its centre. : J “ghat’s ‘Bong swore’ to the Monseer !’“ exclaimed Dick; “we’ll now leave ’em to mend their stick as well as their manners.” At this moment another puff of smoke dashed from the schooner’s bows; the gun was fired almost at the same instant that the foretopmast came dow.n, and, as the French had obtained the exact range by the proceeding shots, the ball came screaming through the air with fatal precision, and striking the mizzen-mast of the Polly, about ten |eet above the dock, it cut it off like

a carrot, and then passed through* both the lug sails, and ricochted the sea. The spanker, together with the sail and a portion of the mast, fell overboard, and at once checked the Pdlly’s way. “Cut all adrift,’* said Paul, who at the same moment severed several ropes with his cutlass; “we can’t let them close- Clear away my lads!” and his men with great, alacrity hauled upon the sail and qut it off the spanker, allowing the wreck to float astern. . • ! In the meantime the schooner had likewise cleared herself, and she evidently gained upon the lugger, which severely felt the loss of her mizzenmast. Once more Paul fired the long gun, and the shot passed through the schooner's foresail, doing no serious damage.' Again the smoke issued from the schooner’s.bows, which had now decreased her distance to abopt six hundred yards, and luckily the shot flew too high, and missed its aim; but after a running fight of abaut a quarter of an hour, during which the Polly hulled her adversary twice, there could be no doubt that unless some lucky shotshould cripple the schooner’s speed, she would shortly succeed in bringing the Polly to close action,in which case there would be little chance for thd lugger against so powerful an enemy as the French privateer of six carronades and one long sixpounded bow-chaser. During this time the brave but helpless Leontine lay in the cabin utterly unable to stand; the misery of seasickness had quenched a spirit that nothing on land could have subdued, y There was an expression of stern determination on Paul’s face as he once more fire the gun, and the shot crashed into the boys of the schooner, that was now three hundred yards away. Paul threw off his coat and waistcoat, and turning up his shirt sleeves close to the shoulders, he ex-' posed a pair of arms with the muscles of Hercules; he then clutched his cutlass in his right hand, and whispered to Dick Stone, who prepared himself ia the same manner for the struggle. ' Paul turned to his men and said in a loud, clear voice, “Now, my lads, the Polly, has lost a leg, and it's of no use trying to -run. Let those who would like to return to a French prison lay down their arms At oncey but those Who are men follow me and rush on board the schooner as she closes. Leave one man at the helm, and fourteen fine fellows like yourselves will clear the Frenchman’s decks in five minutes. Three cheers for the Polly and Old England!” At these words a loud hurrah rose simultaneously from the—gallant crew, who at once diyested themselves of their qpper clothing; and, with pistols in their belts and sharpened cutlasses in their hands, they prepared for the desperate attempt of boarding the French schooner. “Let’s have another shot at her before we close,” said Dick Stone. “Luff a little,” cried Dick to the man at the helm; not too much; that’s it; now I’ve gat her.” At that moment the gun fired, and the shot once more entered the bows of the schooner. “Too low,” said Dick, discontentedly. “Reload and close with her,” said Paul. “Fire the„g.u»—as- -we"“tcrncli"

her sides, not a moment before; and spring upon 'her decks with me under Cover of the smoke.” The schooner was now-within a hundred and fifty yards of them, -when the Polly luffed suddenly up, but, as her broadside became exposed a shot from the enemy’s bowchaser struck her fairly in the forecastle, and passing through the vessel, it killed both the unfortunate French prisoners who were sitting together on the cabin deck. A few moments later, as the schooner came up, the Polly luffed sharp up and ran as though attempting to cross her bows, then, suddenly falling off, the schooner passed her within a foot; and, the grappling irons being thrown into the forechains, the two vessels hung together. In the same instant Dick Stone fired the long gun as the muzzle almost touched her side; and, in the cloud.of smoke, he followed Paul, who sprang at the given signal into the lower rigging. The manaeuvre of the Polly had b'een so sudden and and the shock of the gun fired against the schooner’s side was so great, that her crew were taken almost by surprise as Paul’s powerful form appeared for an instant upon the bulwarks, 5 and quickly discharging a pistol, which killed the first man opposed to him, he leapt upon the deck, sword in hand, and without ing the fearful odds he slashed rigfit and left in all directions. Before the French crew had recovered from their surprise, Paul had cut down three men and wounded a fourth'"

Dick Stone.was the first to support him; and discharging a pistol with extreme coolness at the only man that he saw in uniform, he killed the captain of the privateer almost as soon as he set foot upon 7 her deck; dashing his empty pistol into the face of a sailor, which sent him staggering backward, he then rushed into the fight with his cutlass. Three of the Polly’s men jumped upon deck almost at the same instant; and had the entire crew been able to board, as origihally intended, although the schooner’s crew consisted of forty men, it would have been impossible to deny that the Polly might have had a chance of success. Unfortunately, as the crew were endeavoring to follow their impetuous leader, cne of the French sailors fired a carronade through the very port before which they swarmed up her sides. This sudden explosion killed two men and not only blew Several others bftck upon the Polly’s deck, but burst ‘ V - ' .s ■ ..J- ••

tbp grappling chains, and likewise I carried away the luggter's mainmast i dose by the board. The Polly, utterly disabled, now drifted away before the /md, and parted from the schooner with only five able men on board; five men were fighting like bull dogs on the schooner, while two men were killed by the shot, and three badly wound- . ed by the explosion. In the meantime, a sailor at the schooner’s masthead descried a large vefesel bearing down upon them in,full sail, and he immediately gave the alarm. In the heat of the fight, surrounded by tremendous odds, Paul had, by his immense strength, beaten back all who opposed him; he had. fired both his pistols with fatal effect, and, although wounded in several places, he fought with undiminished vigor, well seconded by J)ick Stone, and the only survivor of the three gallant fellows who had followed them on board; the others had fallen. Dashing his way through the opposing crew, he reached the quarter deck, and, felling with a blow of his left hand.,a man who stood upon the step of the raised deck, he quickly seized the stock-of an immense ship’s blunderbuss that was fixed by a pivot on the quarter deck rail. “Stand clear!” he shouted as Dick fought his way to the spot; but at the same moment Paul saw the last of his men shot through the head and fall. He hesitated no longer, and turning the heavy blunderbuss upon its pivot he fire'd it into the crowd on the main deck, only a few feet distant. About twenty bullets crashed from this one discharge into the middle of the enemy, and they fell like birds from a flock—some killed and several.badlV wounded. Had the Polly’s entire crew now been on deck one.gallant charge would have won the day, but Paul was alone; Dick Stone had just fallen to a shot fired from the maintop. '.“ 1... '• ~ " ——L (to be continued.)