The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-09-06
CHAPTER II.
A DESPERATE STRUGGLE FOR Libel

who went by the name Ol Illley, 10 carry ANY
off to China, for which service the Colonel
promised to give the Captain the brig and ten
thousand dollars, IN case tile bog RoDer came
bdck. Hiley was a murderer, whose real name
was Sprouts, and Colonel Nichols knew it,
And Colonel Nichols had robbed Mrs. Lester, |
and now wanted to rob his nephew and have |
him murdered and Hiley knew that and re-
solved that Ally Bell should never see Nor
foil, again.
''Where is the lad?" he asked as he and |
Colonel Nichols finished drinking success to |
their nefarious schemes, to which the Colonel |
replied
He should be here at this very moment.
All, hear his step on deck now! Here he
comes! !"
Even as he spoke Ally Bell came hurrying
into the cabin, his face flushed with pleasure
BILE excitement.
I'm Just in time to see you off, Captain
Hiley, he said not noticing the guilty looks
of the conspirators THE wind is fair, and
the crew anxious. A good voyage to you,
Captain. Bring me some rare shells when you
return. They are for a little girls cabinet
and must be pretty"
"Aye, aye, Mr.. Allen, responded the Cap
tain, heartily. ''Didn't you see my collection
of shells in yonder state-room? No? You
are welcome to your choice of them all, sir.
He advanced and flung open the state-room
! door.
| Ally bent forward and looked in.
With quick thrust, Hiey pushed him into
the little room, and hurriedly locked the door.
| With an exultant smile Colonel Nichols said
| adieu, and went ashore.
| The next minute the hurried trampling of
feet was blended with the songs of the stout
seamen, as the brig moved slowly from the
| wharf towards the sea.
Ally's first thought, on finding himself shut
up in Captain Hiley's state-room, was that the
two men were joking-merely intending to
| scare him little, and then let him out; but
he soon discovered that the Qutcbstep- the
brig was SO named-had left her wharf and
was standing down the Elizabeth river to-
wards the ocean,
The truth flashed upon him s
II see it all y he cried, leaping to his feet
"Hiley is taking me to sea with him Cap
tain Hiley!" he shouted, pounding on the
wall, ''open the door, this minute! Let me
out, or it will be bad for yon!'
| No reply was made to him-no attention
paid to his C ries
He saw that he was fast. ......
For moment he was stunned by the knowl-
| edge of his situation.
Then he drew up his slight, boyish figure
proudly, his eyes flashing defiance.
The thing for me to do, he mused, ''is to
help myself A boy who can't fight his own
way will never be a mani"
q "AiAStA
he usually carried a supply, he lighted the
candle in its box at one end of the state
| room.
81 see," he mentally commented, looking
around in the light thus furnished; "heres a
whole dray-load of boxes and bundles. And
here's a cannon, too, added Ally-''a small
one, which is expected no doubt, to bring a
big price from those simple natives in the
South Sea-"
81 can use this thing" thought the boy,
with kindling eyes II have plenty of powder
in my pocket J"
He had bought this powder just before he
came aboard Of the brig, for the experiments
he had promised to show Amy that very
evening.
Without more ado, Ally set at work loading
and firing the little cannon as rapidly as pos
sible smashing the door, and calling out for
everybody to keep out of the way. The cap
tain and crew were frantic with fear, as there
| was large quantity of powder in the state
room, and the prospect was that the ship
would be blown to atoms. Having filled the
state-room and cabin with smoke Ally seized
one of the Captains revolvers, burst open the
shattered door, rushed upon deck, and leaped
r into the river.
) Thunder and lightning J" cried Hiley,
startled beyond expression" 'After that
e boy all of you Satan himself is in him
t A hundred dollars to the man who first puts 8
0 hand upon HIM .|
f With a yell, as of bloodhounds, half-a-
Y dozen of Hiley's men splashed into the river,
/, melted by the promise of money, and sprane
: to the pursuit, while Hiley, hastily lowering
9 boat, rowed after his men, whom he soor
overlook, one after another, and ordered into
e the boat. They then pulled on after Ally
e who had distanced the men while they were
n in the water, but who could not compete
e with the boat. Arriving at an old sunkeI
schooner, a long way from the shore, the boy
climbed upon the topmast, and looked bacl
. at Hiley who was rapidly approaching. The
y captain felt sure of his prey, and was telling
his men how to seize the boy, when Ally sud
d denly fell from the topmast, as if shot, an(
/. Immediately sank from sight. .l .
:, Thunder and lightning }" cried Hiley
she's gone !"
:. "Gone!" echoed all the men in chorus.
eyes. gone !" and Hiley sprang to his feet
e bending forward II saw him go! He fel
e back into the water, and went down like
bullet, without the least cry Pull for you
Y, lives - O. ..l-J -.2 H.- ~
el The men obeyed The boat was quick,
ID beside the topmast But no trace OF the bo.
70 could be found . ST.
Is sIll take my Bible oath, said Hiley, ''tha
the young salamander has not gone toward
;. the nearest shore or any other cramp o
1t a shark has took him .u-.l,.,
ID The eyes of the scheming villain lit u
- strangely, almost sayagely.
u ''And such being the fact, men, ADDED pc
N ''we may as well give up the search
The men resumed their oars, the Oaptal
in | the tiller and the boat returned IN silence
O. the brig, qoiM Ally clingi1ag Q1fetIg 10 HeSt9I'
- Il Il. s...kp pf hQ Kyaf