The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1881-09-16

Commodore" SAID Carter, with a
remarkable degree of carncstness in his
manner. sis tho oman turned IMP"
81 rather think so," said Tucker,
looking at tho compass. 'Look out.
look out. Carter! Why. man alive.
you're two points to the southland Of
your course"
'.Blow me! so l am" said the man,
bringing in the helm smartly aport
slut say. didn't you notice any thing
| peculiar about tho old 'oman?"
''Why, Dan. you seem greatly inter-
ested about her."
$50 | am, Commodore. an so i am
about tho collin. %. Wouldn't it DO
well for you and to overhaul itP"
''Pshaw! you're as scared Us Il child
in a graveyard"
mo, not q lit. just bark o bit.
That oman amt no oman"
Tho Commodore pronounced the
name of his satanic majesty in the most
emphatic hammer.
''It's the truth, Commodore--I pur-
tended there was a spider on her hair,
and l rubbed my hand agin' her face.
by Sam Hyde, if it wasn't as rough and
bearded as a holy-stone. You see. she
told me az how I'd let the boom jibe if
l didn't look out. l knowed there was
no oman there, and s % | tried her.
Call somebody to the wheel, and let's
go and look at thai coffin"
The Commodore was thunderstruck
by what he had heard, but, with a calm
presence of mind that made him what
he was, he set cOolly to thinking. In II
fow minutes he called one of the men
aft to relieve Carter, and then went
down to look after his passenger. The
latter had turned in, and seemed to be
sleeping. Turner returned, and took
Carter one side.
mo noise, now, Carter; follow me,
as though nothing had happened"
"Sartin."
The two approached tho main hatch.
and stopped to raise it, when Dams
hand touched a small ball that seemed
to have been pinned up under tho
break of the hatch.
''It's a ball of twine," said he.
'.DOn't touch it, but run and get q
lantern" replied tucker.
Carter sprang to obey, and when he
returned a number of the men had
| gathered about the spot. The hatch
was raised, and the Commodore care
fully picked up the ball of twine, and
found that it was made fast to some
| thing below. He descended to the
| hold, and there he found that the Irvine
| ran in beneath the lid of the coffin. He
| had no doubt in his mind now that
| there was mischief boxed up below,
and sent Carter for something that
| might answer for a screwed. yer. The
man soon returned with q stout knife.
and the Commodore set to work. He
worked very carefully, keeping q bright
| lookout for the string.
At length the screws were out, and
| tho lid very carefully lifted from its
place.
"'Great Heavenw burst from tho lips
of tho Commodore.
'.By Sam Hyde:" dropped like a
thunderclap from the tongue of young
Dan.
God bless you. Danr said theCom-
modOre.
81 know'd it," muttered Dan.
The two men stood for q moment
and gazed into the coffin. There was
no dead man there, but in place there
| of was material for the death of q score.
| The coffin was filled with gunpowdcr
and Fleetwood; upon q light frame
work in the centre were arranged four
| pistols, all cooked, and the string en-
tering the coffin from without cOmmu-
nicated with the triggers of each.
The first movement of the Commo-
dore was to call for water. and when
it was brought he dashed three or
four bucketfuls into the Internal con-
trivance, and then he breathed more
freely.
mo, no." he uttered, a he leapcd
from the hold. 'No, no, my men. Do
nothing rashly; let me 60 into the cabin
first"
Commodore Tucker strobe into tho
cabin (; walking up to the bunk where
his passenger lay, and grasping hold
of the female dress, he dragged its
wearer out upon the floor. There was
a sharp resistance. and the passenger
drew q pistol, but it was quickly
knocked away; the gown came forth
from the remnants of calico and linen.
The fellow was assured that his whole
plot had been discovered, and ut length
he owned that ii had been his plan to
turn out in the course of the night and
get hold of the ball of Irvine ; then he
intended to have gone aft, carefully
%unwinding the string as he went along,
then to have got into the boat, cut the
falls, and, as the boat fell into the wa
ter. he would have pulled smartly up
on the Irvine.
"And l think you KNOW" he con-
tinued, with n wicked look, ''what
would have followed. All l can say is
that I'm sorry | didn't do it."
1t was with much difficulty that the
Commodore prevented his men from
killing the villain on the spot. He
proved TO be one of the enemy's Oil.
GERS, and he was to have a heavy re-
ward if he succeeded in destroying the
Commodore and his crew.
The prisoner was carried on deck,
and lashed to the m~ain-rigging.
''What a horrid death that villain
meant for usr' uttered Carter.
Eyes, he did," said Tucker, with a
shuddcr.
HE belongs to the same gang that's
been o Robin and burnin' the poor
folks houses on the eastern coast" said
one of tho mon.
'.Yes," said tho Commodore, with
a nervous twitch of the muscles about
his mouth.
A bitter curse from the prisoner now
broke on the air, and with clenched fist
the Commodore went below.
In the morning. when Tucker came
on deck. Seguin was in sight upon the
starboard bow. but when he looked for
| the n~risoner ha was vone-
Garter, where's the villain I dashed
here last nightP"
"Pm sure l don't know where no is
Commodore. Perhaps he jumped over
board"
The old Commodore looked sternly
in Carter's eyes, and he saw a twinkle
Of satisfaction cleaning there. He
hesitated q moment; then he turned
away. and muttered to himself:
"Well, well, l can't blame them. If
tho murderous villain has gone to his
death. he's only met q fate which he de-