Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1877-01-19

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volverr re and is in the act of striking
a ma >ahen the whisper SAYS, "Hush, its
me, Dick. Don't say a word; don't light q
match. Hush! Is there q man named
Phil Wood in your crowd ?"
eyes, a fireman; but he deserted last
week" The captain whispers too.
Have you got specious aboard?"
sSpecious? Oh, specie you mean"
"Wot's that?'
"Money."
II thought so! Well, Cap'n. Phil Wood
and five more is after that there speclous,
and they's all ard now"
"Good God! Why didn't you tell me
before?" gasps the captain.
"P1iceman chevied me, 'cos I'd got a
bundle that the lady give me. Took it
away, he did, and locked me up: explains
the Bat but [ got out"
Son board now, do you say ?" asks the
captain.
eyes, and at work too. Listen!" s
What the captain hears sends him out
: Of his berth with a spring.
"Fire that" he Says, thrusting a pistol
into Dick IS hand, and run forward shouts
ing help as loud as you can scream" Then
he darts out on deck.
And no time to spare! The thieves have
overpowered and gagged the man On
watch, have cut round the fastenings of
the hatch leading to the specie room, and
already Two boxes are out and ready for
spiriting away.
Dick does as be was told. and then rush
es back. Four of the thieves are on deck,
firing at the captain, who has lodged be-
hind the cabin skylight, and is shooting
steadily. Dick has five shots left, and
these he discharges II after the other,
with his eyes shut, as fast as he can pull
trigger. It is a brisk affair while it lasts :;
which is until the chief officer. doctor,
steward, and some others (aroused by
Dicks shouts and the firing) come upon
scene. Then such of the thieves as can do
SO, jump overboard-for their retreat for
ward is cut off. Three remain: one-the
iCduCI -utt(ta 0IOGuCl Will LIE Uu1Sl SPl1u.
tered, and a third with several balls in nom
vital parts of his body.
The first thing done is to release poor
Mr.. Andrews, whom they find still insensi-
BILE from the blow on the head which had
| put him hors du combat. By this time the
police have come, and are searching the
ship, lest others of the thieves might be
hiding.
"What's that in the wheel-house ?" says
the chief officer; ''bring a light here. All!
it's another of them turn him over. Oh I!
Lord. Captain, look here! Here's graft
tude! If it isn't that id Rat that the
"My God" cries the captain "Iforgot
| all about him F! Is he hurt ?H
s'Shot right through the body, and serve
him right" is Mans6eld's reply. 1t struck
the speaker "silly, as he afterward said,
to see the skipper fall down on his knees
beside the Rat, lift his head upon his
shoulder, and in a voice hoarse with emo
ton say, fare you hurt, Dick ? Oh, Dick
Are you bad, my boy DON'T start, I'm
your friend, the captain, Dick-speak to
me!'
SIS the p'lice gone ?" he means.
"They shan't hurt you, Dick; no one
shall. Oh, Doctor, come and attend this
poor brave little fellow. Any drop of his
blood is worth more than the lives of those
%scoundrels. Do your best for him, and
send for all the surgeons in the city if
they can help poor Dick! Poor little faith
full chap!"
The wounded thieves. are carried off to
the charity hospital by the police. Dick is
taken to the captains cabin, and placed in
his bed. The ships doctor does his very
| best for him. The most famous surgeon
in the city comes and looks grave. Cap
tain Gilbert never leaves him.
"Sayw Dicks voice has become very
low and tremulous) twas that there money
yourn ?"
mo but it was in my charge"
"You'd q got hell if you'd a lost it, eh?"
81 shonld have been ruined"
'She wouldn't ha' liked that"
"She? Who do you mean, my boy 2"
1.-THE lady-her as you was good to-"
The captain turned aside, and tried hard
to swallow something which had never
passed his lips.
"Was it for her sake" he asked, ssthat
you did this ?"
"She sed she'd hate to have anything bad
come to you," replies the Rat, Zoos you
was good to her when she was sick. Two
nights ago 1 heard Phil Wood and his
crowd talking about robblng a ship of
specious. They sed they was going to 'tice
all the men ashore with drink, and there'd
be only one man forward besides the cap'n.
There was to ha' bin one put at the cap'n's
door to knock him on the head if he came
out. l didn't know for sartin it was your
| ship, and I was a-coming to ask if you had
specious when the policeman cheyied me-"
"Who was it that shot you ?"
"Don't know. When [ see the p'llce I
crawled to where you found me. I was
skeard they'd think I belonged to t'other
crowd"
The Rat is skin and bone, and nervous
| as a cat. He has lost more blood than he
could spare from that slighter wound on
his arm. He has no constitution to fall
back upon, and to hold him up while Ma
ture fights the shock and the fever which
follow his more grievous hurt. G%rievous,
indeed! though the ball did not quite pass