A Young Nelson.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 5, 8 December 1869, Page 1 (Supplement)

A Young Nelson.

“ Carambo ! Quo insolencia !" The words were uttered by a lovely woman, whoso Hushed cheek, flashing eye, and knitted brow spoke, even more than the words, the indignation which filled her breast. She was the young wife of Commodore Coe, the commander of the small navy of the state of Monte Video. The lady was Spanish by birth, as well as in feelings ; and the cause of her anger was the sight of a ship which had been for two days standing off and on before the harbour, using every signal of insult and defiance to induce the ship of Commodore Coe come out and fight him. This the latter could not do for two reasons—the first was illness, which confined him to his cot; the second, that he had not one third of a crew, not even men sufficient to man his guns. At the moment when she uttered the words which commence this tale, Brown, the Admiral of the Buenos Ayres ship, had hoisted a flag at his gaff, whereon was embroidered, in legible letters —“ Coe, the Coward.” This was more than his noble wife could stand—for she well knew her husband’s truth and valour. After gazing an instant at the flag, she raised her jewelled hand, and taking from her finger a diamond ring of great value, she cried to the officers and men who stood around her on the deck—■ “ I will give this diamond to any man who will bring me yonder flag !” For a moment there was no response : the men looked at their officers—the officers glanced at each other, —but volunteers for so desperate a service seemed scarce. “ What! is there not one of all your number dares the trial 1 Is my husband’s ship, then, indeed manned by cowards 1” exclaimed the lady, while her beautiful Up curled with scorn, and her flashing eye sparkled with the fire, of contempt. A young officer—an Englishman—who had been recently appointed, stepped for ward and said—- “ I was only waiting for rny seniors to speak, senora. Had any of them volunteered, I should have begged to accompan f him: as it is, I pledge myself to bring you yonder flag before the sun rises, or die in the attempt! But I ask not your jewel as a prize for my success: one tress of your glossy hair shall be ray reward.” “ You shall have both, brave bov,” replied the lady ; and her cold look of scorn changed into a sweet smile, as she asked his name. “It is Cochrane Bennett, senora,” replied the youth ; and he blushed under her earnest gaze. He was slim, but well formed ; looked very young, but in his dark blue eye and compressed lip, an observer could read one whose manhood was not made by years alone. The sun was setting behind a bank of slowly-rising clouds, which threatened darkness and a storm. The moment that his services were accepted, young Bennett turned to the crew, and, as he glanced over them, said—- “ I want six men to man the whale-boat that hangs at the after davits." Struck by his gallantry, nearly one-half of the crew stepped aft: now that they had a leader, volunteers were plentiful. Bennett glanced his eye over them, and in a few moments selected six whom he knew to be both daring and firm : they were British sailors. “ Go, sharpen your cutlasses," said he ; “ I shall not have a musket or pistol in the boat. If we fight, it must be steel to steel and breast to breast—for we must succeed or die!” The men answered only by a look, for they were of that class whose motto is “Deeds, not Words !” They hurried below to obey his orders while others proceeded, by his direction, to muffle the oars of the boat, and to put a sail and water into it. One half-hour later, the sky was covered with clouds, and darkness had set in. Bennett had been careful to take the compass course of the enemy's ship when the last light of the dying day gave the opportunity, and by this alone he hoped to find her. At this time, the lady was on deck, standing by the binnacle-light, regarding the preparations of the little party, who were- about to- push off. At the moment the boat’s crow cried out all was ready for a start, the young leader came aft to the side of the Sonora, and taking from his. neck a

miniature, he handed it and u letter to ' her, saying—- “ If I uin not on board at sunrise, lady, please to send the miniature and letter to its address," The lady looked at the portrait—it was the likeness of a young and beautiful girl. A tear filled the senora’s eyes, “ You need not go !” said she. “ No, you love—perchance arc loved. Your life is precious—l will not expose it,” “ This is my only sister, whom I almost adore,” interrupted the youth ; “ but one who would scorn me if I played the coward, or dishonoured- my name ! Send the letter and likeness to her if, I fall. Farewell till to-morrow, or for ever!" The lady was about to answer, and again entreat him to stay ; but ere she could speak he was over the bulwarks, and the boat had shoved off. “ Give way cheerily, men ! ‘ A long pull, a strong pull, and a pull altogether!’ ” said our young hero, in a low tone, as he left the ship’s side ; and he soon felt, by the trembling of the frail boat, that his orders were obeyed. The night wa» very dark. A calm was on the deep and in the air ; but it was portentous of a storm. A small binnaclelight and compass had been placed in the boat, and by these Bennett shaped his course—himself taking the tiller, and steering right out into the offing, regardless of the coming storm and rising clouds, keeping his eye steadily fixed on the compass ; knowing that if the vessel had remained hove-to at sunset, he must bo very near her. But he looked in vain to see her dark hull loom up in the gloom ; he looked in vain to see a light which might guide him to her. Admiral Brown was too old a fox to betray his position by lights. At this moment, when he was completely at a loss which way to steer, the dark clouds which had been gathering overhead, burst with a long, vivid flash of lightning, and a peal of deafening thunder ; but he heard not the thunder, he heeded not the rising storm. That flash of lightning had shown him the vessel, not one cable’s length from him. “ Steady, boys—steady,” he whispered, when the thunder ceased. “ I shall pull under her stern, and get on deck by the carved work and netting on her quarter.” The men pulled slowly and silently on, and as lie had well marked her position, the young officer found himself under the vessel’s stern. At this instant another flash of lightning illumined the sky and water ; and then, as he glanced up at the gaff where the flag had been hoisted, he saw that it was not there—it had been • hauled down. He paused, thought for a moment what could be done, and then formed his resolution. “ I shall go on board alone, men 1” said he. “ Keep the boat where she is. If the flag is where 1 think it is—in the admiral’s cabin—l will have it! If I am not back in five minutes, and you hear an alarm, shove off and go back to your ship, and tell them that Cochrane Bennett died like a man. You must be cautious! Reef the foresail, for the storm will be down upon us in ten minutes." All this was whispered to the men, who leaned forward to hear the orders which they dared not disobey, much as they wished to share their leader’s peril. Springing lightly from the boat, Bennett caught the quarter-nettings with his bands, and noiselessly ascended to the bulwarks. He could hear the regular tramp of the officer of the deck, who having already had everything reefed down for the blow, had nothing to do but to pace the deck ; it was so dark, however, that our hero could not see him* A second more, and the brave boy was down on the deck and at the cabin-dcor, which stood slightly open. He peeped through the narrow crack, and saw the red-faced old admiral seated at his round table, with two of his officers by his side, engaged over the contents of a square bottle, which looked very like those usually found to contain schnapps. A glance at a settee just to the left of the table showed the object of Ills enterprise. The flag for which lie had perilled life lay there, where it had been carelessly thrown- after it was hauled down. The young hero did not pause long to I consider what to do, but walked quietly into the cabin, and, taking off his cap very politely the admiral ami officers, said in a calm and oortcous manner to the former, —“ I am comQ to borrow this flag, to wear to-morrow, if yo;< phafiPisir !” “ Who the devu j 1 What do you . mean, i" cried Adr l own r an lie and

liia oflicera sprang to their foot. “ I am Midshipman Bennett, sir, of the Monte Yidean service," replied Cochrane, who had now seized the flag; “ and mean to carry this flag to Commodore Coo !" As he said this, he bounded to the cabin door, closely followed by a bullet from the admiral’s pistol, which grazed his ear; and ere the alarm became general, ho stood upon the tafirail of the vessel. “ Look out for me below,” he shouted, and flung himself into the sea without a moment’s hesitation. Hia boat’s crew recognised his voice : he was caught up in a moment, and dragged into the boat, while a volley of pistol-shots was poured at random by those above. The storm had now broken out, and the wind began to blow in fierce and fitful gusts. “Up foresail—be in a hurry, lads!” cried the young hero, as soon as he could draw breath after his ducking. The crew did so, and the next moment the little boat was flying on towards the harbour before the blast, like a sea-bird winging its way to its young one’s nest. The enemy opened a harmless fire of grape shot in the direction; but it only served to tell the anxious watchers on board Commodore Coe’s vessel that something had occurred. The latter, therefore, at once showed lights, and enabled our young hero to make a straight course for her. It was but, half-an-hour after the first gun had been fired by Admiral Brown’s vessel, when the boat of the young hero rounded to alongside his own ship. “ Have you captured the flag ?” inquired the senora, as Bennett bounded over the side. The only answer she received was the banner, wet as it was from the water, and cut in two places by the balls which had been fired at its captor. The lights of the vessel gleamed not so bright as did that lady’s eyes when she caught the noble youth in her arms, and kissed him again and again.