- end_line
- 3933
- extracted_at
- 2026-01-30T20:48:05.590Z
- extracted_by
- structure-extraction-lambda
- start_line
- 3891
- text
- Loosening him suddenly, Israel hurled him from him against the
bulwarks. That instant another report was heard, followed by the savage
hail—“You down sail at last, do ye? I’m a good mind to sink ye for your
scurvy trick. Pull down that dirty rag there, astern!”
With a loud huzza, Israel hauled down the flag with one hand, while
with the other he helped the now slowly gliding craft from falling off
before the wind.
In a few moments a boat was alongside. As its commander stepped to the
deck he stumbled against the body of the first officer, which, owing to
the sudden slant of the cutter in coming to the wind, had rolled
against the side near the gangway. As he came aft he heard the moan of
the other officer, where he lay under the mizzen shrouds.
“What is all this?” demanded the stranger of Israel.
“It means that I am a Yankee impressed into the king’s service, and for
their pains I have taken the cutter.”
Giving vent to his surprise, the officer looked narrowly at the body by
the shrouds, and said, “This man is as good as dead, but we will take
him to Captain Paul as a witness in your behalf.”
“Captain Paul?—Paul Jones?” cried Israel.
“The same.”
“I thought so. I thought that was his voice hailing. It was Captain
Paul’s voice that somehow put me up to this deed.”
“Captain Paul is the devil for putting men up to be tigers. But where
are the rest of the crew?”
“Overboard.”
“What?” cried the officer; “come on board the Ranger. Captain Paul will
use you for a broadside.”
Taking the moaning man along with them, and leaving the cutter
untenanted by any living soul, the boat now left her for the enemy’s
ship. But ere they reached it the man had expired.
- title
- Chunk 2