Run Upon The Blockade

We were lying in New Yurk H;irbor, just betwist (jovernor's Island and the Battery, when the fleet that ohaeed the old Constitution bo hard was blockading the cbannels at both end of Long Island, keeping sueh a sharp look-out along shore with their irigates and tenders that not a craft dare stir out of her anohorage. Thia made me as cross as an English maa-o'-war's-man on 6hort rationa; for I was lying in port, feeding a crew, keeping my oraft on expense, and all that; and it didn't , suit my free-born naturo to be cooped up like a stray pig in a strange pen, when 1 knew money was lo be made on ■ blue water, if I eould reach it. So one day I mustered the crew aft, and ipttQ thëm off a bit of a speech ; told 'ern that it was all humbug í'or us to lie ; there doing nothing, and asked 'em if they would stand by me to the last if I would run the blockade; telling 'em at the same time that I intended to let Q the craft sink before she nhoukl be captured ; that the stars and stnpes shoulcl never come down from the schooner's truck whüo she floated above water. The crew gave me three cheers, and tlnit was all the answer I wanted ; so I gave orders to restow the hold. clean up the ars, and get everything ready for sea. I intended to take the first nor'-nesi wind and dark night, and try the run, I didn't have long to wnit before the night and wvster carne. It was indeed a fine niglit fcr my worls. The I wind came fitfully off the land in suualls, ; the heavy clouds that tumbled ..long betweon the stars and the eiirth inade everythipg as dark as the middle of a t: r buoket, and the raio came down as il the caulliing of the sky all feil out. Boen after the darkness had got fairly settled I called all hands and reefed our Baila dowo enug then roused up the anchor and cot under vvay. I net the rnain-sail, erase reuled fore-t"p-s;nl and jib, and wilh the wind on niy starboard quarier, stood down the hay, steering by compass and soundings. It was uncomuionly dark, and once in a while the quall would sweep down the by, beüying out our scantyfciils, and bending the creaking spars over the bows, while the craft quivered üke a dry leal in the autumnal blast. ; We 6howed no light, and kept as uiet as a mouse when the cat is in its cioity, as we neared Saady Hook, foj we knevv thajt the tenders of' the fleet would lie cloae in under the land, so aa to make a lee, as also to keep a look out for coasters, or the like of ua, who might take tho advantage of the vveather, and try to give themtho slip. We kopt on very well till we were clear of the point of the Honk, and wero stretching out over the middlo groutid a Hule undor three-fathotn jouñdings wlien I, who was standing for'urd by the heel of the bowsprit, wilh a ni'ghtgluss in my hand, trying to send my eyes ahead into the darkness, suddeuly caught glmpse of a dark object, close aboard and and direotly ahead of ua. I had scaroely sung out, "Hard a-port your helm !" to the steersman, when luffing up itl the wind a little, we pasaed eloso alongside of a laree schooner., wh'uili was lying to on the olï-sh re taak, with oloee-reefed fore-sail set. As wo awtspt past hor, I saw at once that sho was b rnan-o'-war, and at the same timo bfer officer of the deck hailed us : " Schooner alioy 1 AVho are you ? Heaveto, or I'Jl fire into you." I was corapletely thrown aback by this sudden moeting, that I forgot to answer him, and on we swiftly swept in the darkBeas, without even giving him a light to show wheru we were. lint he was pretty good at gucssing, for within four or livo minutes a shot carne whizzing along, not moro thah forty or tiftv fatnoma lo leeward of us and then we'could see lights glancing abo ut hor decks, and all hands was called, and we knew hé was making sail in chase. " Light ho I" sung out a raan from aloft, and theu in an instant added : " Lishts aliead, and on both bows, Sir!" ïhen before tho worde ware out of thü topmun's mouth, rny firet lieutenant sung out from the quarter-deok, ''Lights on tne weather quurter and bearn, Captain Bowline !" 1 clambered aloft, and took a look with my glass, and saw that we were eompletely hemmed in, A circle ol light surrounded us, i.llof whioh I knew carne irom the enemy a siiipping, and u crown tho whole, and maka a bad fix worde, tbe ruscal wliom I liad passed but a Rioraenl beíore, eommeoo d throwing up uignkl-rockets to show where our BohooBef was. As my gla.is swept arpuod that eircle of iights I thodght that I'd got inyself in u bad scrape, and wished iVuii) the Iowermö8t locker of my eart that my little crait was back at her old mooriugs, for the prospect of hard knocks and no priüe money was not particularly brilhant ju-t at that moment. Jiut I duteriniiied togel, clear if I could and burrying down to the dück; made the crew set the to'-gallanl ga il and square sail. Theu 1 had a light run up at eacli tnastbaad, as the schooner astern of me had already done, so as to deceife the ships abead oí rae, which lay iu suuh a position thatl munt pass close by tbem, The fellow ..stern now knew me by my bearings. and he soon showed, by the changü iu bis beariugs and the inotion oí' bis lights, as they swung to-aod-iro from bis bending spars, tbat ho was following iu my wake under a press oí' sail. He kept cont.nually sendiug up rockets and blue lights, and I mitotea as near ly as po.-isible oach signal that he mude, ior I knew tbat if the heavy ships outside oí me once smelt the rat, and found out who I was, a single broadside would be dose enough for my poor littie sohooner. Appareotly exasperated at our good imitatioD, the eruit astern y a wed from her course and fired u couple oi' shots at us, but as we puid do attention to her hannleee shots, and she only lost ground by Êriog, shu itopped it and proased on in olíase. We too cracküd on evei'V thread of canvasa which our craf't wot'ld bear, knovving that every thiog depended on passing the ships outsido without reoeivmg a ñro trom them. Once more I took my glass and went forvvard to piek the bedt spot to pass their line. Just ahead of us ware two lighta pretty close together, which I thought, from the heiehts at which they hung, might be suspended ÍV.in tho gutfrt of lrigates or corvettes, and I made up ny inind to run buldly under the stern of the rearmostof them, and try to pass aaiyself otf as one of their tenders, knowiog that nothing but a etratagem could save me. So, still showing similar signáis to those of the schooner astern, I held my course. In a few minutes we neared the stenimost ship, and then I saw by her lïghted ports that she was a three-decker liueo'-battle 6hip. I rockon I was a link skeered, just then, but I tlidn't teil tny men so, and iliey seemed to be as eool as white bears on an iceberg. As wo carne within liail oí tlie ty.four, a gruíf Ënglish vuice shouted tbrough a trumpet : " Schooner ahoy ! Is that tho Nereide ?" "Thank God, for that Lint!" thought I, as I aoswered : "Ay, ay, Sir!" " What's iu t.ho win'l?" ho again hailed. " Your Bignal-offloer must bo drunk; we can't underataad you. phiin youreelfl" i " I'ir. n chase of a bloody villain oí ] a Yankee, thut is trying to run tbc blockade !" shouted I. " üh ! very well !" he answered : " I hope vou'll catch the sneaking suullion IV " So do I, and keep bitn after he is caught; but 'hopos' areslippery tilinga, as thu oíd woman Baid oí the eel uhich Bhe wms skinQWg, when gh lost tbera ()Vcrioi;l(l !" Anothei1 moment and wo were beyond his huil, and, oqtside of the line of ships, bowling off at tbe rate of eleven or twelve knots. In a few minutes we doused evéry Hght, then altered our course four points to tbe southward, and were in a few rnoments liiddcn from the enemy by the dárkuess. I soon stiw the pureuing schooner run under the stern of the Boventy i'onr, ' and thrti, by thu nuw signáis made, knew ut bnce tii'at rny stratugem had been dutected. Die aeventy four fired guns, and at once the lighls ol the wholu line coaitnenced changing j bearings, aod I eaw that a general I chase had been ordered. I didnt cure now, however, i'or I knew tbat my little eraft had the heels of 'em, and with the I darkness to aul me, I feit assured of esoape. Before day broke, T was away down off the Capes of Delaware, with ever-y thing astern oí me hull-dowD, and as I shapod my cour.se ior tbo West Lidies, I laaghed to think that tho Bnglwbmaa'a " Hope" had proved so slippery I"