Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 959 — page 8: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

S On the way back, Decatur told Laurie that, shortly after he had started, a Sicilian captain had come aboard the ship inquiring for him (Laurie), and, on being informed of where he had gone and under what circumstances, assur- ed Decatur that his friends were in danger. That was enough for the impetuous command- er, and, throwing duty, discipline and every. thing else to the winds, he set off with a dozen men and six carriages in pursuit of his friends. ‘* We were misdirec twice, or we would have overhauled you long before; and just at the inn we meta parcel of thieving scoundrels who undertook to stop us—part of the same band you were dealing with, limagine, At all events, they were shouting something like Apol- lo! Apollo!” ‘‘ The same gang, Steve,” said Laurie, smiling faintly. ‘‘ Anything from the com—” Laurie had fainted from loss of blood, being wounded, as was afterward: discovered, in no less than thirteen places, As soon as he found Laurie needed immediate medical aid, Decatur drew a pistol, and, using Harry as an interpreter. informed the coachman that his friend was hurt and needed a doctor, and further, that his (the driver’s) life depended on his quickness in finding one. It is needless to say that this persuasive argu- ment caused the driver to do his best to reach the nearest village where he knewa doctor could be found, CHAPTER XI. OFF FOR TRIPOLI, A WEEK elapsed before Laurie felt anything like his former self, and that he did so at all was, under the mercy of God, owing to the dwarf, who saved him from the doctor, sum- moned to attend him, Aside from the wounds he had received from swords and knives, Laurie had several times been struck in the head, and having bandaged the more serious cuts, the doctor decided that the bruises were the cause of Laurie’s trouble. ‘* He is suffering from the shock produced by these blows,” said the doctor, pointing to the bruises on Laurie’s head, ‘‘ but the science of phlebotomy will soon relieve and restore him.” The doctor had just made this cheerful an- nouncement, and having bared Laurie’s arm, desired Decatur to hold the basin for him, when the dwarf entered. ‘* Here, what are you doing?” he roared on seeing the lance, the bared arm, and the basin. **T am about to bleed the patient and re- lieve—” began the doctor. ** And relieve him of his life!” interrupted the little giant, snatching the lance from the doctor, and the basin from Decatur. Then addressing the latter, he continued: ‘*This man (Laurie) has been using his Me to shield others in the worst stabbing soirec’ ever took part in, and must have bled like a stuck pig. Now, do you want to finish him?” » This was in English, but the doctor understood although he could not speak very well, “But, sir-a, the scienco of phlebotomy teaches—” began the doctor, **Robbery and murder!” interrupted the dwarf, flinging, a heavy purse on the table, and drawing the long knife: ; ** i'l) draw from you a pint for every dro from him (Laurie)! ‘ake your choi oO as say and be paid, or attompt to do as you propose, and be puucturod!” ‘won tho dwarf explained to Decatur that he was a physicion, and as the doctor preferred pa to puncture, ho decided to follow tho dwarf’s ‘directions. The dwarf—who gave his name as Thomas ap. Jones, his birthplace as Wales, and his profes- sion that of a surgeon—proved a ve doc- tor, eo had Laurie on his feet at the end of a week, Jones, himself, submitted bis wounds to the doctor, while oe and Harry were cared for by the surgeon of the Enterprise. The affair naturally created considerable comment on thecharacter and quality of Ameri- cans as fighters, and certainly did not lessen them in the estimation of friends or enemies, The commodore, meantime, had been flying about, making the Constitution travel in lively style, visiting Tunis to quiet the Bey, thence to alta, back again to Syracuse, again. to Malta and Tunis, then tc .iaples to borrow gunboats and bomb vessels (in wwhich hc succeeded), and thence to Messina, vith an order from the King of the Twe ‘sicilies for the vessels, with which he returned to ‘syracuse. This wavall ee oe much important - negotiation, and the introduction of the Bey of o> We its 24 ae Ue ' » a oh “ os 6 we ‘brig, two schooners and two large hi . oe os : j ' yy - } ’ q ‘% ot) ere a, | — J by rh ‘ ox - a * id vit *, ‘ ane) ™ eT 7 \ mde oi | . ' “he. 4 The Four Commanders, Tunis—before the Ist day of June, 1804—the Constitution arriving at Syracuse on (the then undreamt of) Decoration Day, and it required a a man of his untiring, tremendous energy to do it. The commodore was not through, however, for on bis arrival he ordered Decatur to prepare to sail next day, and leaving the Sicilian vessels to be altered and equipped, started next morning for Tripoli, to treat for the liberation of the officers and crew of the Philadelphia. The Bashaw was in no humor to deal with and sending supplies to Captain Bainbridge and bis people, the commodore proceeded to Tunis being advised that the ruler of that state needed looking after, and Preble’s appearance, with the Enterprise and Argus in company, having pro- duced the desired effect, the commodore, after transacting a great deal of business, returned to Syracuse, and five days later (July 26, 1804) set sail, with all the force he could collect, for Tripoli, All this is simply to show the nervous, ener- getic temperament of Preble (and no ship of the same size was ever more actively eps than the Constitution), and to excuse, if necessary, his only fauit—temper, On the 25th of July, 1804, Commodore Preble found himself before Tripoli with one frigate, three brigs, two bomb vessels and six gunboats —able to bear on the castle, batteries, etc., at once, twenty-eight heavy and twenty light guns, while the Bashaw’s batteries, behind solid masonry, ‘mounted 118 guns—most of them heavy—and as for troops, he had about 25,000 at his command. Afloat, the Bashaw had nineteen opt, a eys. s will give the reader some idea of the odds against Commodore Preble, and his reason for consenting to the desperate enterprise afterward set afoot. Immediately on the arrival of the American vessels, the wind began to blow fresh from the northward, and the whole squadron was com- pelled to weigh and claw off-shore. At one time it blew so violently as to take the Constitu- tion’s reefed canvas out of the bolt-ropes, and, had not the wind hauled and made the coast a weather shore, there would have been little fare for the miserable craft obtained from icily, Owning to these disadvantages, it was August 3d before Commodore Preble got again in front of Tripoli, and, during the interim, the Bashaw had sent two divisions of gunboats outside of a line of rocks that stretches from the little en- trance of the harbor, quite near the galley mole, for a mile diagonally to seaward, All this reef was within complete protection of the fire of the batteries, Preble did not anchor, but, laying his own ship’s head about a league off-shore, signaled for everything to pass within hail, and as each ves- sel passed, issued his orders, e Constitution then wore round and steod in toward the town, leading the whole squadron. Half an hour later the commodore gave the signal to engage, everything advanced, the gun- boats covered by the light cruisers, and the bomb vessels began to throw shells, The bat- teries replied, and then the smaller craft on both sides joined in. Decatur and Somers, who had charge of the American gunboats, were ordered to attack the division of the enemy lying near the main en- trance to the harbor. The Tripolitan division consisted of six large gunboats, while Decatur’s division consisted of three light gunboats—small boats of about twenty-five tons, Never intended to copo with such heavy craft a8 was now —— to them. Somers’s division of three boats was of the same caliber, but even these failed to support Decatur, being too far leeward to fetch the main entrance, except one, and that only replaced one of Decatur, which, failing to get to wind- ward, joined Somers and young Bainbridge in attacking those nearest, Seeing the others would be unable to join him, Decatur pushed on with his three gunboats— much to the surprise of the Tripolitans, who ex- pected nothing closer than mile-range cannon- ading; but they were quickly undeceived, and the six gunboats backed oy the forts and shore batteries were boarded by three of the miserable craft borrowed from Naples. Each of the American boats captured the boat it ongaged—or, rather, the one boarded, for all were ongaged—and the others, being driven in behind tho rocks, retreated with their prizes. It was most gcllant, daring work, and the prizes were captured only after a fierce, bloody conflict, the result being that Decatur for the . si er < dua ~) bs » Ay ‘ , e' ee ae exe “eer ne ee =| 4 es rat ry > i a Se git _ “Te ray) - * - 7 “” 4 “ ni ed Z (o€ . | | ‘ a nets uo A , b \ _ 4 ' 4 hit 2 2s . oS second time proved that, hand to hand, the Christian was the better man. Laurie and Spence, acting under Decatur had, with their young commander, perform process, as did Somers and (young) Bain- ridge, although the latter were not successful in capturing any of the enemy’s craft, It had been a desperate and remarkable con- flict, and, while it was going on, the Constitu- tion stood in, deliberately shortening sail, as if enteiing a friendly port, and kept up a con- stant fire until Decatur was ready to with- draw, when the commodore hauled off, and aneny Cees with all his force beyond range of shot. The commodore had been so actively engaged that he had not observed all the difficulties with which Decatur had to contend, nor the supreme- ly gallant manner in which he had overcome them. Others, however, had, and Decatur was the center of observation when he a peared on the quarter-deck of Old Ironsides to report, he young commander was still in fightin gear, armed to the teeth, his face blacken with powder, and his breast covered with blood that had flowed from a wound received during the taking—with his own hand, it might almost be said—of one of the prizes, Approaching in a quiet way, Decatur an- nounced: ‘* Well, commodore, I have brought you out three of the gunboats.” The commodore acknowledged this informa- tion of the result of the speaker’s gallant work by seizing him with both hands by the collar, and shaking him violently, as one would an of- fending boy, crying bitterly: ** Ay, sir, why did you not bring me more ?” This on the quarter-deck of a man-of-war, and to a man who had shortly before been per- forming prodigies of courage and skill in the face of tremendous odds! Decatur’s hand flew to the dirk in his bosom, while bis eyes blazed, but the moment the com- modore ceased speaking, he had turned and dis- appeared in his own cabin, and moreover the influence of rank in military professions is tre- mendous, It was a dangerous moment, however, for Decatur ordered bis boat, and was about to quit the ship, but the other commanders crowd- ed around, and entreated him to be calm, and above all not to leave the Constitution, Somers, Stewart and Laurie—all of Decatur’s old messmates surrounded him, and he was still in suspense, when a message came: ‘*Commodore Preble wishes to see Captain Decatur below!” This, of course, was nothing less than an or- der, and after a momentary hesitation, Decatur went below, the expression of his face, and the character of the two men, now about to come together, causing much uneasiness, _ In a few minutes this uneasy feeling—among the crew as well as officers—grew 80 great that Somers, making a pretext of desiring to have the boy Harry with him, descended to the cabin. He found the commodore and Decatur sitting within a few feet of each other, both silent, and both in tears! Somers slipped back on deck unnoticed, and shortly afterward the commodore and Decatur came up, chatting about the day’s work. CHAPTER XII, A DESPERATE VENTURE. WARNED by the first day’s experience, the litan gunboats did not venture outside the reef, and finally got s0 shy that they would re- tire as soon as the American boats got within musket-range. this provented wi close work for several days, during which Captain Chauncey arrived with the John Adams and information that an- other squadron was on its way to join him, The Bashaw was now more inclined to treat, and dropped from a thousand dollars a man, ransom, and the customary tribute, to five hun- dred dollars a man and no tribute. Whilo the negotiations which this offer pro- ducod wero in progress, the commodore took advantage of the informal truce to order Deca- tur to reconnoiter as close a8 was prudent, ‘his was a rather discretionary order to give &man who ane rere in deeds of the wildest daring, and the feeling through the squadron is best expressed in Laurie’s comment: ‘Prudent! Thecommodore must have forgot- ten whom he was talking to, Why, if Steve takes the notion now, he’s liable to visit the Bashaw himself.” “Do I have asked Spence, a chance to accompany you?” { ; a ’ b 7 ies 5 val oe ree | ' w , ' ; Ld ath” + ée > Twig a Ps “ : r < . , ‘ “4 tf» 4 7 ; ay" i ‘ts ' a) ay ' \ : “ ; oe ; : 4 DOKS.CONn? a ™ HH Vs _ ' —— . : : : : a = ee oe is ; f \