The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-02-19
men in all that gloom.

men in all that gloom.
"Who goes there? Answer, or your life
shall pay the penalty!'' q stern voice
whispered in Ralph's ear, as q dozen
hands caught the gunwhale OF his canoe.
"All right, Weathersby: it is I, end
here is the girl. Miss-what the deuce
is her name? Any way. I have got her;
she has tainted, so lay her in the stern
sheets-so. Now am with you and
the Esmeralda is ours.' A #
1t was the launch coming up the river.
The two hours had elapsed, and Wealth
ersby was not the man to lose q moment
OF valuable time. Although burning
with Impotence to hear the details of his
friends adventure, there was no time
then to satisfy his curiosity.
The guns of the Esmeralda had been
loaded and run out in anticipation of an a.
tack, but the man of-war's men had not
been expected so soon. Witha cheer the
launch ran alongside; the blue jackets,
closely followed by the marines, swarmed
over the low rail; the slaves started to
their feet only to meet the fate they so
richly merlted, and in less than five nm
utes the beautiful but guilty vessel had
changed hands.
In the meanwhile how had it Jared with
Captain Jules Gaspardo2 At the first
note OF alarm, he had seized cut!ass
with the intention of heading
his men, but the surprise had
been 80 complete he saw at once hat ali
was lost. He then turned his, attention
to his own safety. Darling up the
wharf, ne leaped into the mango SWAMP.
closely followed, however, by Ralp Jack
Weathersby, and few of the searnen who
had been on the lookout for him.
Some burning brands were caught up
from fire the negroes had been using,
and holding them on high, the pursuing
party rapidly followed on the trail of the
spanlard, who was leaping from root to
root which formed a network beneath
his feet half submerged by the water of
the swamp: The fugitive had hoped to
escape IN; the dark reccsses of the Jungle,
but that hope was gone now. All he
could rely upon was to outstrip bis foes.
Shot after shot whistled about Kim as
he kept fearlessly on. The fellow seemed
to bear charmed life, while his sneering
laugh rang continuously in their ears.
1t was astonishing what speed the man
made as he sprang from one Welding
b"ugh to another, and Ralph, thoroughly
exhausted, was on the point of giving up
the chase, for the time at least, when Jack.
with convulsive grip of his arm. sud.
denly halted, at the same time exclaimino,
in an awe-struck whisper: =
For Gods sake, Ralph, halt! Look
theren' - ~ :
Entwined amid the profuse1 foliage Of
large mango tree, the shining scales and
sl1mpy folds Of an immense serpent were
revealed IN the rudy blaze of the torches.
1t was huge Demonstration, who,
alarmed at the noise and light, had raised
his head from the coil; and the ewes fam
ing with fires of hell, the jaws thrown
open to their widest extent, stood revealed
in all their frightful terror. .. -s.Gf
The Spaniard, his eyes fastened upon
the hldeous spectacle, stood as if fasci-
mated, his body thrown back, and hands
extended as If to ward, off the danger.
Arms he had none; the cutlass had long
since been thrown aside in his race for
liberty. ..".~. 49, 81 - -.
A sharn hiss rang through the swamp
as the threatening head of the reptile was
thrown back, the folds appeared to
wrlthe for moment, there was a flash of
the giltterlng scales, a yell of mortal ter
roF and distress as the Spaniard was
caught In that fatal embrace.
Faint with terror ana disgust, Ralph
gave the order to retreat out Of the infer
nal lurking place of the serpent. which
order was gladly obeyed by all. They
could nave coolly drove their cutlasses
through and through the Spaniard's body
without conjunction of conscience, but
such an awful death as he had met was
too much for their nerves. ~ -
With early day the Esmeralda was cot
under way, and before many hours was
lying under the guns of the corvette.
Ralph had carried out the command
er's instructions to the letter. Not a
prisoner had he taken. But the GIRL,
Miss Wlnne-how had she Jared while in
the pirates power2
Under the skilltul care of the surgeon,
she IN time recovered a portion Of her
former life and spirits,a and with shudder
related her tale OF suffering. Thanks to
the corvette's vigilance and energetic &C
ton, she had escaped from the Spaniard,
who had been given little or no leisure to
devote to his hapless captive. rFerocious
threats had escaped him, his temper ris-s
ing to pitch of madness when the part.
ing shot of the FREELY killed. the man
at the wheel, splintered the main boom,
and severely wounde himself in the head
with the flying debris of the spar. %s
But it was all ovor nou. tho o;r1 oo,,IS