FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122  
123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   >>   >|  
p's guns, or else mounted the rusty old dogs lying at the foot of the first fort. In their eagerness they fired with no discretion. The shot fell short; they did not the slightest damage. Paul's men laughed aloud, and fired their pistols in the air. Not a splinter was made, not a drop of blood spilled throughout the affair. The intentional harmlessness of the result, as to human life, was only equalled by the desperate courage of the deed. It formed, doubtless, one feature of the compassionate contempt of Paul towards the town, that he took such paternal care of their lives and limbs. Had it been possible to have landed a few hours earlier not a ship nor a house could have escaped. But it was the lesson, not the loss, that told. As it was, enough damage had been done to demonstrate--as Paul had declared to the wise man of Paris--that the disasters caused by the wanton fires and assaults on the American coasts, could be easily brought home to the enemy's doors. Though, indeed, if the retaliators were headed by Paul Jones, the satisfaction would not be equal to the insult, being abated by the magnanimity of a chivalrous, however unprincipled a foe. CHAPTER XVII. THEY CALL AT THE EARL OF SELKIRK'S, AND AFTERWARDS FIGHT THE SHIP-OF-WAR DRAKE. The Ranger now stood over the Solway Frith for the Scottish shore, and at noon on the same day, Paul, with twelve men, including two officers and Israel, landed on St. Mary's Isle, one of the seats of the Earl of Selkirk. In three consecutive days this elemental warrior either entered the harbors or landed on the shores of each of the Three Kingdoms. The morning was fair and clear. St. Mary's Isle lay shimmering in the sun. The light crust of snow had melted, revealing the tender grass and sweet buds of spring mantling the sides of the cliffs. At once, upon advancing with his party towards the house, Paul augured ill for his project from the loneliness of the spot. No being was seen. But cocking his bonnet at a jaunty angle, he continued his way. Stationing the men silently round about the house, fallowed by Israel, he announced his presence at the porch. A gray-headed domestic at length responded. "Is the Earl within?" "He is in Edinburgh, sir." "Ah--sure?--Is your lady within?" "Yes, sir--who shall I say it is?" "A gentleman who calls to pay his respects. Here, take my card." And he handed the man his name, as a private gentleman, superb
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122  
123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

landed

 

headed

 

gentleman

 
damage
 
Israel
 

shimmering

 
Solway
 

tender

 

revealing

 

Scottish


melted
 

morning

 

including

 

twelve

 

consecutive

 
officers
 

Selkirk

 

elemental

 

warrior

 
Kingdoms

shores

 
entered
 

harbors

 

loneliness

 

Edinburgh

 

domestic

 

length

 
responded
 

handed

 

private


superb

 

respects

 

presence

 

announced

 

augured

 

project

 

advancing

 

mantling

 

cliffs

 

silently


Stationing

 

fallowed

 

continued

 

cocking

 

bonnet

 

jaunty

 
spring
 

magnanimity

 

equalled

 

desperate