The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1879-07-12

nktuQe 70 the conversation that we are
now having, on to make use Of it in any
way to the disadvantage Of myself or
others Z
Well, = said I, / promise. Now,
where ID this cussed dynamite
One moment, captain. There is
still time and to spare, now, since you
have listened to reason, and must prove
70 You that though / once hardened to
the whisper Of the devil, Irepented, and
would have undone the mischief if /
could. This ship Is insured in London
never mind where and how-for huge
sum, and have been employed to sink
her. I brought the machinery, set to
this very day tfor you have made the
voyage quicker than was thought possi-
ble), down to Liverpool IN small port
snanteau which was sent on board the
night before she sailed. 1t was stipu-
lation that / should sail with you to see
that nothing interfered with the execu-
tion Of the plan. But I swear to you, no
sooner did I touch the deck than I re-
pented. wanted the package placed in
my own cabin ask your own man if it
was not so-in order that [ might have
some opportunity of getting it thrown
overheard IN the course of the voyage.
They had already, however, put it be-
low where, indeed, it was intended to
gowith the other baggage. It's asmall
portmanteau of bullock S hide, and they
might as well have let me have it In my
cabin
The dread had passed away from the
mans voice directly / had given my
promise that no harm should happen to
him. He had doubtless every confidence
in the clock-work machinery, but that, of
course, was not my case.
Come up on deck, you scoundrel,
cried I, and identify this internal thing.
81 set twenty men to work at once to
bring up the luggage on the deck, which,
since we had not yet even sighted land,
/ astoishend them not little.
Quick, quick, my good fellows;
there will be extra grog for you,' / said,
If you turn the things out within the
hour.
'sThe passengers who had not been
across the water before, thought it a
| natural thing enough perhaps, but my
officers imagined I had gone demented.
There stood with this Yankee tailor las
he looked like) by my side, who, though
he affected to be quite unconcerned,
kept sharp eye on everything that came
up, and was to let me know by nod
when we got to the drafted thing. The
luggage of Cunarder is no joke in point
OF quantity, but in quality it varies more
4 perhaps than any similar collection tc
be found anywhere else. There were
arls belonging to fine ladies, large
| enough to go to sea in; chests that con
tanned clothes and tools of emigrants
dapper portmanteaus of gentlemen tour
ing for pleasure; bags of carpet-baggers
that had no other luggage nor property
on earth; hampers full of English fare tc
astound the natives of New York; anc
photograph cases smelling of nasty stuff
for twenty feet round EN-.
j won golden opinions from the To-
dies, through my being SO very particu
lar, and calling out, Gently, gently
handle 'em smart, my men, but be care
full not to shake 'em, which of course
was put down to my carefulness of theil
precious possessions, whereas | was
thinking of the dangers of dynamite,
which explodes, you know, by concus-
sion. That blessed portmanteau, as il
happened, was of the bottom of ala
NANCY, Unlocking thing enough, and,
though small, rs heavy as lead. Now,
| just throw that overheard, my fine fell
lows, said I, will you, and be very
careful not to knock it against the bull
| warks.'
Nobody, of course, questions the or
ders of ships captain when at sea-and
over it went with splash; but saw the
first mate look at the second with an ex-
preston that conveyed hes mad as
clearly as if he had given words to it
It was this circumstance, combined with
the sense of complete security from the
awful peril that had threatened us, thai
for the first time put it into my mind
that ] had been made the victim of 8
hoax. If it had been so, / verify be
lieve ! should have thrown the little
tailor after his portmanteau; but when
called to mind the face of the fellow
when he first came into my cabin,
could not quite believe that. However
took an opportunity of speaking tc
him once more alone. Look here, said
/, you unmitigated thief and villain
there's one point In your story that want
clearing up. Your life is not very valu
able, it is true, but daresay you your
self put very fancy price upon it, and
that being so, how could you take per
sonal charge of q machine that, accord
ing to your own account, was to blow III
all to splinters-how comes it, mean
that you were on board with it your
self !?
Well, captain, he replied, you see
I'm poor man, and the money was /
good round sum; and, as / told you, m,
employer insisted on my seeing the thing
was going right with my own eyes; ther,
was risk, of course, but the fact is, ar
rangements had been made for meeting
me IN this very latitude. The man in tn,
boat whom we took on board was on thu
lookout for me, and it was agreed SHOULD
take me off the ship
What! did he know about the dyna
mite, too ? broke out; is it possible
that there was third villain, beside yo,
and your employer?
Well, yes, captain, I'm afraid ther,
was, but you can't touch him, you know
without touching me, and you hav,
passed your word that I shall not b,
harmed Besides, you must remembel
that ] might have got off and clean away
leaving you all to bust up, if it had no
been for the extreme deicacy of my con
science
There was q sly smile about the fel
lows mouth for which / could havt
wrung his neck, but for the safe conduc
had given him; his whole manner n.
well as the expression of his face hat
changed, now he had got his way; ant
instead of villain who had repented o
a great crime, he looked more like sue
cessful schemer.
However, the dynamite was over
board, thank heaven; we were nearing
land, and had other things to tall
about.
/ When we were still some way from
the awrhor, we were met by polio,
Il boat, the chief officer of which demanded
to be taken on board to speak with me.
j s Hullo!' said, when we were in th'
i cabin together; mo extraordinary bust
ness, / hope? There is no numbering
Englishman among my passengers, i
there2
"sWell, no." he answered. but Ty'
reason to believe there's citizen of th,
United States who would neither stick o
murder nor anything else.
Then / thought of the dynamite, o
course, and rejoiced that the villain hao
been discovered without any betrayal 0
his secret on my part.
You have warrant for his appre
hension, [ conclude?'
"'Well, no, Captain, that's just m,
difficulty; for | don't know which man