The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1880-06-18

y
and stating my suspicious to the Cap
tain. We at once rushed forward, fol-
lowed 10y several of the guard, and just
rs we reached the ferecastle who should
make his appearance but Barker.
The old man yelled mt him: What
are you doing down there? Speak up
what are you skirking below for when
all hands were called for duty ?"
- was Sick" growled the scoundrel,
"and could not go aloft.
know it," said the skipper. ST be
bound you are up to some deviltry. Mr..
Steeraway, just keep your eye on him
till come back.
cay, NY, sir" responded.
BY this time all hands had come down
from aloft
The Captain soon returned and stated
that he could find nothing out of the
way but L was convinced in my own
mind that something was out of the way.
So the old man gave me leave to go be-
low and satisfy myself. / could find
nothing, but at the same time was far
from being satisfied. 1 asked why was
Barker, of all others, down below? We
told the crew of our suspicious, and or
dered them to keep a lookout on Bar
ker's movements
As the night came on, the guard was
relieved and cautioned by the sergeant
to be on the alert. 1t seemed kind of
queer to me that the convicts remained
SO quiet, for beyond low conversation
their voices were scarcely audible, but 7
thought afterward that probably they in
tended to get good nights rest, and
preferred to keep still.
/ lay awake some time after turning
III but my eyes finally grew heavy, and
| was in the land of dreams--away off
i'll Boston. My mother came up to my
room Il was still III my dreams) to tuck
i'll the bed-clothes. L felt her gentle
touch on the blankets but why did she
place her hand over my mouth /
opened my eyes to see the reason.
The glittering blade of sheath knife
was held before them. L knew the rea-
son then pretty quick, assure you, for
Barker held it,
"Now, Steeraway," says he, "you
just keep quiet, and you won't be hurt.
Open your mouth and you won't know
what hurt you
L knew that any movement on my
part would be my death warrant.
"Will you keep quiet If L take my
hand from your mouth?"
L nodded my head in the affirmative,
and his hand was removed. "Now,
Steeraway," says he, II am going to
tie you and put a little stopper in your
mouth. / won't hurt you, for know
how to do these things"
He evidently did, for 1 was very soon
bound hand and foot, a gag placed in
my mouth, and your humble servant was
rendered as useless as dead man. The
convict then left me and disappeared. L
had not been alone more than ten min
utes, when l heard voice near the berth
head say, "All right"
In moment more, light draught of
air entered my stateroom, and it smelt
strongl ~ of pent-up air-a sort of convict
odor, so to speak.
The bulkhead had been removed and
! the cabin was soon crowded with prison.
ers. Not a sound did they make, for
! their irons were off, and the thought
flashed quickly upon me our ship is i'll
their hands, may the Lord have mercy
on our crew.
Silently they went up the cabin stairs;
then | heard a quick rushing sound
shouts, yells, curses, then few shots in
quick succession several splashes near
my cabin headlight more shouts and
yells.
"Down with them Now or never !"
No Van Dieman's for us Down with
them "
In vain L heard several voices plead
ing for mercy. But those men knew no
/ IL Il.
ceased, then the quick, hurried tramp of
feet overhead. Presently step de-
sends the stairs, the rope binding me
was cut, the gag torn from my mouth,
and Il grutf voice said
Come, Steeraway, you are wanted
on deck. Lively, now"
/ came to the conclusion that it was
useless to deliberate, and obeyed the
order at once. 1t was not necessary for
me to ask what the matter was L knew
that well enough, at glance.
Barker-that scoundrel Barker-was
an escaped convict, and had shipped on
board the Marathon for the purpose of
aiding his friends, and, from the appear
ance of things, he had succeeded beyond
his utmost expectations. AS / emerged
from the cabin, L was greeted with
Here he is" by several of the striped
jacket gentry. "Now, Steeraway, we
want you to mind and do just as we tell
you or what Joe Gosshawk, the
Captain, tells you-and you won't be
hurt; but if you don't, why overheard
you go. We know you can navigate
now which is it, sharks dinner or obey
orders '"
OF course didn't want to ease the APP
petite of the iet-tinned wolves that were
swimming around the ship. So 1 told
them would do all they wished but
wanted to know what had become of the
Captain and crew.
YOU'D better swim after them and
ask 'em what's done with 'em all ex~
cept that cussed first mate, Bolter, and
we can't get no track of him, blast him"
said Gosshawk, the recognized leader.
uttered silent prayer that Bolter
might be safe, slowed away somewhere
out of their clutches.
"Well Steeraway," says Gosshawk,
"where are we?"
About aiUbfy ,nilac from, Won Dia- !