The Canadian Brothers; Or, The Prophecy Fulfilled: A Tale of the Late American War — CompleteRichardson, Major (John)
History
The Canadian Brothers; Or, The Prophecy Fulfilled: A Tale of the Late American War — Complete
Richardson, Major (John)
United States -- History -- War of 1812 -- Fiction; War stories
The minds of all were more or less influenced by these
doubts, bat that of Henry Grantham was especially disturbed.
From the first appearance of the gun boat, his spirits
had resumed their usual tone, for he had looked upon the
fleeing bark as the certain prize of his brother, whose
conquest was to afford the flattest denial to the
insinuation that had been breathed against him. Moreover,
his youthful pride bad exulted in the reflection that
the first halo of victory would play around the brow of
one for whom he could have made every personal sacrifice;
and now, to have those fair anticipations clouded at the
very moment when he was expecting their fullest
accomplishment, was almost unendurable. He felt, also,
that, although his resolution was thus made to stand
prominently forth, the prudence of his brother would
assuredly be called in question, for having given chase
with so inferior a force, when a single gun fired into
his enemy must have sunk her. In the impatience of his
feelings, the excited young soldier could not refrain
from adding his own censure of the imprudence, exclaiming
as he played hit foot nervously upon the ground: "Why
the devil did he not fire and sink her, instead of
following in that nutshell?"
While he was yet giving utterance to his disappointment,
a hasty exclamation met his ear, from the chieftain at
his side, who, placing one hand on the shoulder of the
officer with a familiar and meaning grasp, pointed, with
the forefinger of the other, in the direction in which
the boats had disappeared. Before Grantham's eye could
follow, an exulting yell from the distant masses of
Indians announced an advantage that was soon made obvious
to all. The small dark boat of the pursuing party was
now seen issuing from behind the point, and pulling slowly
towards the gun boat. In due course of a minute or two
afterwards appeared the American, evidently following in
the wake of the former, and attached by a tow line to
her stem. The yell pealed forth by the Indians, when the
second boat came in view, was deafening in the extreme;
and every thing became commotion along the bank, while
the little fleet of canoes, which still lay resting on
the beach, put off one after the other to the scene of
action.
Meanwhile, both objects had gained the side of the gun
boat, which, favored by a partial shifting of the wind,
now pursued her course down the river with expanded sails.
Attached to her stern, and following at quarter cable
distance, was to be seen her prize, from which the
prisoners had been removed, while above the American flag
was hoisted, in all the pride of a first conquest, the
Union-Jack of England.
Informed of the success which had crowned the enterprise
of their officer, the crews of the several vessels in
the harbour swelled the crowd assembled on the bank near
the fort, to which point curiosity and a feeling of
interest had moreover brought many of the town's people,
so that the scene finally became one of great animation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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