The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1881-06-21

Dan, alone, never Joined in the gossip
below decks about the mystery.
One day a little incident occurred
plcions.
Just before nightfall, when passing
the after hatchway, in the covering of
which was slide that could be opened
and closed at will, Dan met DIR. Farnall
coming up, covered with dirt and dust.
There was an unsteady glare in his eyes.
He seized Dan by the shoulders.
Do you know where have been 2"
he said hoarsely.
i" In the lower bold, sir; among the
boxes"
What dye think is down there, boy
for you and all of us Death Death
But tell nobody nobody" He drop.
ped his hold and staggered on.
g Mad as March hare" muttered
Dan.
But half an hour later, DIR. Farnall
was seated at the supper table, gay, self
possessed, keeping the captain in roar
with his good stories.
About the middle of the second watch
that night, Dan turned out of his bunk.
The boy was really too anxious to sleep.
Death in the hold, eh? Death in
the hold Y'' he repeated to himself.
He did not dare go to the captain of
the crew with his story. Yet he was
sure that some peril was at hand. He
sat shivering for awhile, then pulled on
his clothes.
If Deaths in the hold, I'll find
him" :" he said
He CROPPED his way to the after hatch
had charge of the deck, was reclining
listlessly against the rail further aft,
where the hatchway was hid from view
by the cabin.
The slide was open. His heart beat
quick with excitement, but noiseless as
cat, Dan crept down to the lower deck
and then groped for the hatchway that
opened into the lower hold.
He was so certain that danger was
afoot, that he was not startled when he
saw faint reddish light, and found the
lower hatchway open.
The hold was not so closely slowed
but what one could move about in it
quite freely, and lowered himself care
full, Dan saw that the light came from
lantern, and that it cast a glare di-
rectly on the face of the passenger, who
was kneeling and working at something
on the floor.
SO that's the way Death looks,
hey ?" thought Dan. "He couldn't
well look worse" and he eyed the hag-
gard, CHASTITY face.
"What grating noise is that? 2" he
asked himself; and in the same instant
he sprang forward with cry of horror.
The passenger had an auger in his
hands, and a saw lay beside him.
He had bored hole through the side
of the vessel, below the water line, and
the water was already coming through.
The boy clutched Farnall, and shook
him like wild beast. "You are sink
ing the ship. Help helpW
The madman turned on him quietly.
Yes, we'll all go down together.
Don't make that outcry. Nobody can
hear you"
He had caught the boys wrists, and
held him with the unnatural strength
of the insane.
Nobody could hear him. Dan remem-
bered that, and became suddenly silent.
Horror and fear only made thought
more vivid.
Death was just at hand. There was
nobody to drive it back but himself, and
he was in the madman's hold.
He stared into the fierce CLASSY eyes
with an agony of hesitation. Farnall
laughed back at him.
81 thought of burning, but this is
quietest. 1 want to go calmly into the
great hereafter. We shall all go to-
gether ina few minutes" glancing at
the stream of water gushing out of the
opening.
"Oh, mother, motherI" cried the
shivering boy.
Wen all go together. Kings among
the ancients went across the Styx at
tended by the slaves slain on their
burial. will be followed by the Yam
kee captain and his crew."
A sudden flash lightened Dams eyes.
"Not by the captain" he said.
His own voica afarfIad hin, n xvae an