The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-08-28
side, Florence Harris

said N''
Don you COZ back, Edmund, until you
Luster."
,,,d lJ gano .er his promise, and a lew min
u,eS i,',' ne boat showed of, and we rapidly
t,ra nc hulk, which had acquired such a
81 d. p,' e Interest JUS all.
-escott in addition to his revolver, had
> fall Italian dagger, which | observed him
aandle rs il TO assure himself that it was re.
liable Then, as he replaced it, he remarked
to me;
"Theres no telling whats inside that mass
of lumber, and this may be the weapon | need,
after all
Arriving at the craft, after short consul
| tatioa, it was agreed that the four oarsmen,
the uaate and myself, should remain behind
while Backstay Bob and Edmund Prescott
should explore the hulk.
| As it was morally certain that some dread
| full danger menaced all who entered the cabin,
and as l WAS q good'for-nothing, I needed no
! more urging than the mate in my position.
| Prescott went first holding his pistol in one
hand and a lantern III the other, while Bob
closely followed with his cutlass. We saw
them descend the hatchway. All was still,
and then l heard the single exclamation IRON
Prescott:
ooh, my God!"
This was followed by terrible roar, q
quick succession Of pistol.shots, a fierce strug-
| gle and then all WAS still again. The next
moment both Prescott and Backstay Bob
emerged to view, covered from head to foot
with blood
Come aboard" said they. "The danger
| is over
The next instant we were on deck. rush
ed to the hole and gazed down. Merciiul
heaven! What did beholds
| BY the dim light of the lantern we beheld
the mangled body of Captain Lustcr The
there was scarcely semblance of humanity
In the remains before US. Near him was the
gaunt, terrible form Of an expiring Bengal
tiger, killed by the bullets, cHtlass, and dag
ger of Prescott and Backstay Bob
The two latter, on entering the cabin first
saw the mutlated body of Captain Luster
A low growl warned them of danger, and as
Prescott turned his gaze, he saw the tiger
crouching, and in the very act of springing
Dropping his lantern, he fired his revolver;
and, as the terrible animal bore him to the
floor, he drew his dagger and stabbed MIN
again and again. The needle-pOinted instru-
ment reached his heart, which, united with
the slashing blows Of Backstay Bob, settled
his hash before he could intlict any material
injury.
| We now made a critical examination of the
place. 4 number of human bones strewed
the floor, and several articles of wearing APP
parel, which seemed to indicate that the place
had been tcnanted by human beings of oppo
site sexes, who had probably been torn to
pieces by the famished tiger. The room was
long and low, extending the whole length Of
the vessel, and having at either extremity
massive iron chain, terminating in heavy
| ring at one end, the other being fastened by
a strong staple TO beam in the vessels side.
The brute had a chain attached to his neck,
and had been confined to one corner of the
room by a delicate iron ring, which had been
pat there to be broken. Over the center OF
the room was written something in an Indian
dialect, which was pronounced by the mate
| who had spent several years in Indla) to
read:
81 have sought have found that which
| | sought--vengeance."
Carefully removing the body OF the captain
to the little boat we scuttled the mysterious
craft, and saw it sink to the bottom of the
ocean. Shortly after the captain was wrap
ped III his wnding,sheet and followed.
The strange, awful tale regarding the old
craft we never learned. 1t ever remained to
us all an unveiled mystery of the sea.