The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-02-18

creep - up close 70 me, and taking Oh his
as ady," .ys I. "Dont let's try that till
We CO try nothing else. There are men asleep
nears who have not eaten the dragged cakes
The rate Captain y light and active-snd if
The GA slips on his mouth, We are al done for.
Al e % his head, Short, with my jacket ready
IN my >ands. When I'm there, do you lead
the w. with your mates, and step gently into
the p. tico, over his body. Every minute of
your s re is precious, on account of making
the r. n. Leave the rest of the men TO get
the v ben and children over, and leave me to
gag hee if he stirs while We are getting out"
- axe hands on it, Davis" says Short,
gettin 80 his feet "a team of horses wouldn't
have jagged me out first if you hadn't said
thas sSout the rafts"
it bit" says l. till speak to Mr.. Kit
/ ct3tled hack into the room, taking care to
keep d Of the way Of the stones in the mid
die of y and asked Mr.. Kitten how long it
would a before the druggsd cxkes acted on
the nS outside Who had eaten them He
said ~ ought to wait another quarter of an
hour, make quite sure. At the Same time
Mr.. Mdtey whispered in my ear to let him pass
over t, : Pirate Captains body, alone, with the
DANCE. 1ns man Of our company Sergeant
DrooGk know how TO deal With mad peo-
ple," gs he. 81 have persuaded the Sergeant
that 10 20 10 quiet, and If he steps carefully,
can him TO escape from Tom Packer,
whom Sc is beginning to lock on as his keeper.
He haS been as steaithy and quiet as cat
ever si.ce-and will answer for him till we
get to be river side.r
WhSs relief it was to hear thatl was
turnin, round to get back to Short, when q
hand 1ached me lightly.
II kase heard you talking" whispered Miss
Maryou3 and will prepare all in my room
for the risk We must now run. Robert, the
chips e2y, whom the children are so fond of,
shall Esp rs to persuade them, once more.
that wsSare going to play game. If you can
get ons Of the torches from the tent, and pass
It IN & &c, it may prevent some of us from
stumbIig. Don't be afraid of the women and
childrs Davis. They shall not endanger the
brave en- who are saving them.
LET her at once to get the torch. The
Pirate aptain was still fast asleep as stole
on tipt ], into the hall, and took il from the
tent. hen I returned, and gave it to Miss
Maryos her sisters little deaf and dumb boy
saw me and, slipping between rs, caught tight
hold of me of my hands. Having been used
to ridin on my shoulders for so many days, he
had tai a fancy to me and, when tried to
put hin away, he only chung the tighter, and
began j murmur in his helpless dumb way.
Slight !, the noise was which the poor little
fellow ould make, We all dreaded it. His
mother ~rang her hands in despair when she
heard m; and Mr.. Fisher whispered to me
for Hes ems sake to quiet the child, and humor
him at ~ cost. Immediately took him up
| in my & ms, and went back to Short.
"Slil him on my back" says /, Gas you
sung Il little girl on your own the first day
OF the ,rch. / want both my hands, and the
child W ~ be quiet away from me.n
Shorf did as asked him in two minutes
As soof as he had finished, Mr.. Macy passed
the wo' !, on to me, that the quarter of an hour
was mp that it was time to try the experiment
with ID Aooce and that it was necessary for Nc
ell to hsApor him by feiening sleep. We obeyed.
LOOKUP sout of the corner of my eye, l saw Mr..
Macy ske the mad Sergeant's arm, point
ing tigk BY Mr.. Macy, Drooce stepped as
lightly - woman, with as bright and wicked
q look oacunning as ever saw in any human
eyes. Ttey crossed the hall-Mr. Macy point
ed to tho Pirate Captain, and whispered, Hush!"
the Serf can't initiated the action, and repeated
the Wort then the two stepped over his body,
(Drooce cautiously raising his feet the highest
and dig ppeared through tie portico. We
waited hear if there was any noise or con-
fusion. Not sound.
l got OPP, and Short handed me his Jacket
for the ag. The child, having been startled
from hit sleep BY the light of the torch, when
brougt it in, had fallen off again, already,
on my aoulder. SNOW for it." says /, and
stole our into the hail.
l stop ed at the tent, went in, and took the
first kni l could End there. With the weapon
between ny teeth, with the little innocent asleep
on my BOULDER, with the jacket held ready
in both ands, kneeled down on one knee at
the Pre- Captains head, and fixed my eyes
steadily q his ugly sleeping face.
The ulors came out FIRST, with their shoes
in their Stands. No sound of footsteps from
any one Of them. No movement in the ugly
face as ,ey passed over it.
The y 3men and children were ready next
Robert, Sse ships boy, lifted the children over
most Of Shem holding their little hands over
their m ,ths, to keep from lauphinp-so we'll
had Rob IT persuaded them that we were only
playing game. The women passed next, all
Is light = air, after them, in obedience to q
sign frcN me, my comrades of the Marines
holding seir shoes in their hands, as the sailors
had dor, before them. So far, not word had
been sPt gen, not q mistake had been made
80 far, IT change of any sort had passed
over the Pirate Captains face.
Thers sere left now in the hall, besides nv.
self and ne child on my back, only Mr.. Fisher
and Mr.. ?ordsge. Mr.. Pordagel Up to that
moment the risk and excitement of the time,
had no once thought of him.
was orced to think of him now, though
and With anything but q friendly feeling.
AT Ia. sight of the Pirate Captain, asleep
across th way out, the unfortunate mischievous
old simpF ton tossed up his head, and folded
his arms, snd was on the point of breaking out
loud int a spoken document of some kind,
when Mr. Fisher wisely and quickly clapped
hand owe his mouth
Cows nment dispatches outside" whispers
Mr.. Fish y, in IN agony. /" Secret service
Forty-nit reports from headquarters, all wait
ing for u half a mile of. I'll show you the
way, sir. Don't wake that man there, who is
asleep; .ye must know nothing about it-he
represent the Public"
Mr.. Pc aage suddenly looked very knowing,
and huge satisfied with himself. he followed
Mr.. Fish, to within foot of the Pirate Cap.
tain's boz then stopped short.
SLOW many reports 2" he asked, very anx
iously.
"Fort, ,ine," said Mr.. Fisher. "Come
along, ai< and step clean over the Public,
whatever on do"
Mr.. Pc ,age instantly stepped over, a. jaunti.
ly as if was going to dance. At the mo-
ment of ,is crossing, hanging rag of his
cursed, sless, unfortunate, limp Diplomatic
coat ton. led the Pirate Captains forehead,
and woke aim.
drew ,ack softly, with the child still asleep
on my sh nlder, into the black shadow of the
Vail oeh ID me. At the instant when the
rirate ,tain awoke, had been looking at
Mr.. Fore ge, .and had consequently lost the
chance o applying the gag to his mouth sud.
denly, at 90 right time. -, -
On rot ing np, he turned his face inwards,
towards prisoner room. If he had turned