The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1875-06-26
BIRDS OF PREY
FOR LOVE AND GOLD.
BY WELDON }. COBB, JR.
CHAPTER XII.
SYDNEY.

| ont 60 down nat do you mean
sir mutiny
| mo, Cap'en, you know me better than
that. I've sailed with you many a long
voyage. and you know | never dlsobeyed
an order. or earned a dose Of the cat o nine
tails. | won't 90 down IN the hold for
love or money, and that settles it. 1"
Captain Scott. on the deck of the Shoot
ing Star, ten days out from port, stood
aghast. He had ordered Tom. Anderson,
the second mate, to go down into the hold
and bring up new cask Of water. To his
amazement the man had refused.
''lou won't 20 II he said. why noti''
''Because, Cap Ell, the hold is haunted "
Haunted " cried Captain Scott. You
lubher you, haunted with what p
IL dunno, CaPe'n, but know that it's
haunted.
He turned 10 Cecil Esmond as he spoke.
Cecil had recovered from has fever few
days previously, and Was able to be out
upon the deck. He sat in a chair by the
side Of the vessel, pale and weak, and
looked up from his gloomy reverie
There Is some foundation for the
mans words. he said with a faint smile
II suppose It is only his superstition but
1t seems for some time past, since we
sailed, there have issued from the hold
strange noises. The man Judges from this
that the vessel is haunted -
Captain Scott laughed most heartily at
the mans fears
u forgive your insubordination, An
dersou, he said. 'Open the matches and
Ill soon ferret out this ghost of yours.
He was about to descend as the matches
we're opened. but started back as a man
ascended the stairs leading from the hold
below and sprang Oh the deck-a man
pale, with wild eyes, who turned his face
to the bright sunlight with sigh Of pleas
ure, and then, weak and trembling. stood
by the rail Of the vessel with downcast
gaze, the captain and crew looking at him
curiously and in amazement.
1.-The ghost cried the captain, ''and
pretty human one too. Well, young
man, explain yourself.
The young man was silent for a moment,
then, IN feeble tone of voice he said
II am fugitive from Justice, he said,
''an escaped prisoner Ny offence was be-
ing in the way OF a man who procured my
arrest in order to remove me from his
path. may as well be truthful with you.
You can take me back to England if you
like
'How came you in the hold r. asked
the captain.
81 hid myself there during the loading
of the vessel. | have managed to get
enough to eat in the hold but am weak
still. | almost suffocated | made all the
noise | could but no one seemed to hear
| me.
| By the solicitation of Cecil Esmond, or
Raym ond, as he was known to the captain
and crew, the man was removed to his cab
in and given a comfortable meal.
Captain Scott was friendly disposed to-
wards the man.
al could put him on board of some pass
ing vessel and send him home as q cap
tured prisoner, but he would probably be
sent to Australia, anyhow, so Ill let him
stay and work his passage"
But the man was too thoroughly enfee
bled by his long confinement and semi
starvation in the hold Of the vessel to
work, and Cecil paid his regular fare as a
passenger to the captain, an act which won
not a little upon the sympathies of the
young fugitive, and quite a warm friend
ship between the twain was the result o.
the act The young man, who gave his
name as Edgar Werner, was unremittinG
in his attendance upon his kind DensiOner
to whom he read, talked and performed
many little acts Of kindness during his con
valescence.
Often, during the sweet summer nights
the two newly made friends would sit or
the deck and converse long into the
night, gazing. meanwhile, at the calm wa
ters below. They conversed on every
| allnAfnn 10 aonh NJ fhor'
personal history The man, Edgar Yer
ner, was a quiet, gGntlemanly person, but
there sometimes flashed from his eyes q
light which bespoke a remembrance Of the
eventful past to which he never referred.
Sydney, Australia, the destination ol
the Shooting Star, was, at the time of ouI
story, a town containing a large floating
population. The motley assemblage o.
convicts, miners and land-sharks Of the
very worst description, rendered it an un
enviable place Of abode except to the man
who could meet the rough with a rough
word and the shining blade of knife
Law and order were unknown, and q rude
ly organized vigilance committee was th'
only court of appeals. The gambling dem
and drinking saloons of the lowest order
were most common. and the arrival of the
Shooting Star, with the mail, was the sig
nal for grand Outpouring Of the mixed
masses of the populace at the wharf. Ce
ell Esmond and Edgar Werner, by taci
kind of agreement kept together, and bid
ding Captain Scott and the crew farewell
they repaired to q hotel and were soor
thereafter esconced in as comfortable q
room as the place afforded. The long ses
VOYAGE was now over, and they took lont
refreshing sleep before they decided to de
termine upon their future plans.
Since the fight from London Cecil Es
mond retained his disguise. He was saf'
now, he thought, for who knew him IL
SYDNEY and his first move was to CLOTH
himself in . new apparel, also providing
for his companion in the same way. Th'
town Of Sydney afforded sufficient In
ducement for tour through its precincts
and upon the evening Of the day follow
ing the arrival of the two friends and fugi
tives, they set out for tour through tn
town.
They had mot proceeded far on thei
travels before they were attracted TO
large crowd gathered around two men WIN
were engaged in nm angry altercation
The larger Of the twain, q heavy, burl,
man, was in the oct Of striking his adver
mry, whose size and prOweas were consid