Marcy the Blockade Runner

out of harm's way; that her bow was swinging around so that she would pass by within less than a hundred feet of the schooner; that the oars had been dropped overboard, and were dragging

, for he stood erect in the stern-sheets with a boat-cloak around him. "We'll send canister and rifle balls int

grasp wildly at the empty air for a moment, and then disappear over the side of the launch. In an instant all was confusion among the blue-jackets. The coxswain, who of course was left

and a boom there, but never cutting a stay or halliard. If a topmast had gone by the board, or a sail come down by the run, the schooner would have been quite at the mercy of the launch; for the latter could have carried her by boarding, or taken a position astern and peppered the Hattie with shrapnel until Captain Beardsley would have been

er his wits. "Lay for'ard some of us and cut away this useless canvas. The Hattie ain't catched yet, doggone it all

you want to leave it to port," said Marcy, taking his stand beside the ma

he done it just in the nick of time. The killin

wasn't killed!"

st blockader on this coast tumbled into the drink i

k he was too surpri

I seen the jib flying in the wind and the rail ripped

red Marcy. "The captain must have been hit all over; but I was struc

ght. Sing out when ever you see one, and I will stay here and ta

t she could not be heard, and as there was no flame shooting out of her smoke-stack, she could not be seen; but she was still on top of the water, and eager to do mischief. While Marcy was moving his glass around try

and that he's as full of fight as ever. Well, let him bang away, if he wants to. He can't

ollow in our w

s? We'll dodge him easy enough after we get into

ng. If that fellow astern don't catch us, he will surely find and pull up the buoys, and then we can't follow the channel except by sending a boat on ahead with a lead-line. That might do when we were going out, but

od them, and just then Beardsley came up, having s

rcy," said he. "It's a matter of li

"I took particular pains to remember the order in which they were put out. Where are you hurt, Capta

t. "Something hit me ker-whallop on this side, and the deck took me ker-chunk on the other; and I'll bet there ain't a spot on ar

on the deck, but the worst hurt I got was right here. And I declare, there's

claimed the p

d Marcy, feeling of the bunch to which he had referred. "It d

sand dunes. Another and another followed at short intervals, and then the firing ceased. The launch h

at the launch was no longer following in the schooner's wake. "Now, where's that good-looking son of mine who fired the lucky shot that tumbled

m in no measured terms. Marcy could not help acknowledging to himself that their escape was owing entirely to the

s cabin, from which he presently issued to pass the word for Marcy Gray. When the boy descended the ladder he found the first mate and two foremast hands there besides the captain; and on t

ng to do?" he ask

ied the captain cheerfully. The name that Marcy had given to the b

es. Marcy had read of a whaling captain, one of whose men was jerked overboard from his boat by a wounded whale, dragged for six hundred feet or more through the water with frightful speed, and who was finally released by his leg giving way to the strain. The captain saw that that leg must be attended to or the man would die. H

wait until we get to New

t shet of 'em somehow, and that will take time. If we don't 'tend to your arm now, it may be so bad when the doctor sees it that he can't do nothing with it without half killing of you. Take off his coat and vest, men; and Morgan, you roll up his sl

asked Marcy, who was so delighted at the thou

ce open for you, never fear. Just see that, now. Ain't that a pretty looking arm for a

to a slight nod from the captain, seized Marcy around the chest under his arms, the mate by a movement equally quick grasped his left wrist, and both began pulling in opposite directions with all their strength, while Beardsley passed his huge rough hands up and down over the "bunch" unt

of them bandages and hand it over here. Pretty rough way of getting to go home, but better than none at all, and

came alongside to tow her up to the city. This time there were plenty of cheers to welcome her, the first coming from the working parties who were building the fortifications, and the next from the soldie

dsley's agent, as he sprang over the rail and seized the captain's hand. "The Ha

't have nothing to fight with. But the schooner ran

he worst frightened man in the crew. However, Beardsley was not as badly hurt as he thought he was. When he came to make an examination of his injuries, all he could f

t?" continue

a little, but not enough to growl

now and hunt up a surgeon,

settled before the captain became too deeply interested in his narrative to listen to him. There was little to detain him in Newbern. On the way up the river Beardsley had given

or your dunnage, don't forget them little messages I give you for the folks at home, no

mber it all, and the c

od in the bow and piloted us through Crooked Inlet as slick as falling off a log; and there was his arm broken all the while, and hanging by his side as limp as a piece o

disgusted; but as it was, he was quite willing that Beardsley

hake hands with a dozen or more who wanted to know when and where he got hurt and who did it, and all about it. "I should really like to see the inside of the letters the captain gave me to hand to

its doorposts, Marcy entered and asked where he could find somebody to t

less than five minutes," said the man who sto

ed down," re

ocked y

Yan

y! Bul

; Crooke

d like a seafaring man. Wh

attie. She used to be

he Mary Hollins?" exclaimed the surgeon, giving M

boy, while the doctor was helping him off with

t North long ago. We didn'

e not prison

xchanged; and if they do, and we find it out, they will stand a fine chance of being strung up. You've got a pret

rd Plymouth. And he isn't a doc

that it is not quite as straight as I thought it was. It sticks out a little on this side, and your arm will always

cy, "and so the captain has given me leave to go ho

sudden to have lost all interest in Marcy and his injured arm. "I will do it up again

he surgeon charged him a good round price for his trouble, as well as for the little bottle of tonic he wrapped up for him; and when he went to th

after a running fight with the Yankees. Had two men s

ked when she sees me with my arm in a sling," was what he

elessly. He had become accustomed to the sight of wounded men since the

shot was what brought us through. It wasn't a blockader, either, but a launch; and if you want to see what she did to

wo who were wounded, I reckon," said

e you did not tax me a cent for it," Marcy re

we run the line if we did? We think as much of the brave boys who are standing between us and Lincol

n it to the master of the Mary Hollins. He found that Captain Beardsley had gone ashore with his agent, and as Marcy had already said good-bye to him, it was not necessary that he should waste any valuable time in hunting him up. He took a hasty leave of his shipmates, hired a darkey to carry his luggage

"but all the same I take it for granted that i

ey did it," a

ct that the Yankees outnumbered us two

t hesitate to say that I am glad of it. One howitzer is as much as I care to face. I got

e as much use to the Confederacy as the soldiers. We shall be dependent upon foreign governments for many t

Run, and consequently could not have got his injury there. He kept his ears open all the way, and was gratified to learn that the Confederates had not followed up their victory, that they were not in Washington, and that there

ce their usual dimensions when he saw his young master with his arm in a sling, and without waiting to learn the extent of his injuries, he broke out

hot on the Hattie and las' night I

he attention of all the people on the platform by your loud talking? I wa

enty pounds, for he knew it would get to his mother's ears if he did; and that his injuries were by no means serious; the old slave was not satisfied, but continued to scold

Morris, opening and shutting the carriage door with a bang,