Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1878-06-08

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THANK ye.'
"Thank We kindly, ma'am, y says Dick.
1t was the first polite speech he had
ever utte:ed, and heaven knows where
he picked it up.
The party remained on board till about
. o'clock. aud by the time it had broken
up every one had forgotten about the
KAT )" but as Mrs. Austen was crossing
the levee be ran up, much to the annoy
ance of her companion, who had enough
Ut him.
IL say says the Rat, "do you like
him?" with chuck of his thumb tow
ard the steamer.
"Captain GILBERT"
.Yes-is he your Teller ?''
"Get out, you scamp" cries the gentle
man, Indignantly. 81
LET him speak, Fred" the lady pleads.
"No, Dick, am married, and this is nv
husband; but Captain Gilbert is our
kind friend. / crossed with him once,
and he was very good to me when was
sick"
WAS you ever sick ?" asks Dick in
credulously.
"Often. So can answer your cues.
ton, and say that do like the captain
very much"
"You'd hate for anything to happen to
him ~
"Why of course-to him or any one."
Wot, to me?
Indeed l would. my poor boy. o
Fred, see how wistful he looks. Maynt
give him some of Charlcys left-off
things? l have a little boy at home"
she goes on, seeing astnnishment in her
husbands eye. "about your size"
"Does he get chickens to eat?" asks
the Rat.
"Yes."
Every day?'
mo, not every day." she answers,
smiling; it is we'll she does qualify her
reply, tor Dicks credulity was not yet
sufficiently elastic to bear such marvel
as boy about his size, who had chick
ems every day,
So they babe him follow them, and
more wonders were i'm store for him. He
sees Charley. He was taken up to the
lady'S own room where the promised
things were produced and tried on over
his own rags. He gazed about him be-
wildered. and some dim sense of shame
stole over him as he saw his own reflec-
ton in the mirror.
"Mayn't put 'em on now % he asks,
as the things are selected. -
"Better not" says the lady. Put them
ca in the morning. Come here again
about 10 o'clock, and we will see what
we can do for you
He submits, and goes down very re-
luctantly, with two whole suits of Char
ley's left-off clothes bundled up i'm a
large handkerchief. and fifty cents In his
pocket, As soon as the hall door closes
alter him the brute instincts of secrecy
and evasion pull his jelly-bag hat over
his eyes and send him off at a run.
Captain Gilbert spends the evening
with his agent, and then returns to the
boat about ii o'clock.
.'SOrry to say, sir" begins the chief
officer, 'that most of the men are on
shore"
"Without leave ?"
A shrug of the shoulders is his only
answer.
Whose watch is it?'' .a
| MIR. Andrews"
"Send hlm here.''
SLOWS thil, Mr.. Andrews. asks the
captain, angrily.
ATS not my fault sir. They don't go
over the gangway. They crawl over
the side and into the beams of the wharf.
It's impossible to stop them"
J The captain knows New Orleans, and,
being just man, had no more to say. 1t
is very provoking. He is going to sail
TO morrow, and these men will come on
/ board either drunk or stupid from fleet
of drink, Some of them, perhaps, will
not come at all.
| The weather for the last few days has
been oppressively hot, and now there is
hope of rain. The sky is dark and low.
and the faint evening breeze has gone
down. The captain has gone down to
his cabin, and tries to read, but the mos
quitoes won't let him.sso he gets into bed.
tucks in his bar, and sleeps the sleep OF
tired man.
Something makes him conscious that
Two bells Il o'clOck) is striking. Then
he hears a whisper, 'Cap'n. Cap'nr
revolver ready. and i'm the act of striking
match. when the whisper says. "Hush!
It's me- Dick. Don't say a word; don't
light match. Hush, Is there man
named Phil Woods i'm your crowd ?"
Yes, fireman; but lie deserted last
week." the captain whispers back
"Have you got any speciOus aboard ?"
"SpeciOus?" Oh, specie you mean."
"Wot's that?'
Money"
81 thought so. Well, Cap'u, Phil
Wood and five more are after that there
specious, aud they are aboard now"
Good God! why didn't you tell me
before p gasps the captain.
''Pliceman cheved me, COS I'd got a
bundle that the lady gave me. He took
1t away, he did, and locked me up," ex-
claimed Dick. "but got out"
"On board now, do you sly ?' asks the
captain.
Yes and at work. to. Listen!"
Whit the captain hears sends him out
of his berth with spring.
"Fire that" he says, thrusting pistol
into Dicks hand, land run forward
shouting for help as loud as you can
scream" Then he darts out on deck.
And no time to spare! The thieves
have overpewered and gagged the man
on watch, have cut round the fastenings
Oh the hatch leading to the special room.
and already two boxes are out and ready
for spiriting away 1t is brisk affair
while it lasts; which is until the chief
officer. doctor, steward, and some others
aroused by Dick shouts and the firing,
come upon the scene. Then such of the
thieves as can do so jump OverbOard-for
their retreat forward is cut off. Three
remain; one, the leader, dead, another
with his thigh splintered. and a third
with several balls in his body.
The first thing they do is to release
poor Mr.. Andrews. whom they find still
insensible from blow on the head. By
this time the police have come, and are
searching the ship. lest others of the
| thieves miUht hp hidinO
whats that i'm the wheel-house p
says the chief officer; "bring light here.
All! it's another of them. Turn him
over Oh, Lord! captain, look here.