Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1882-11-16

be dark, so that | was ANXIOUS 10 lell
IL e skipper what I had discovered. "
"As | came up from The fore. peak,
he was at the helm, while Allen was
at the main sheet. | guess | must
have looked l;t.le startled, though
l tried to appear calm, for as | went
aft he asked me what was up; but |
only shook my head, aaying | didn't
feel very well, not daring to say any
more for fear Of arousing Allen
Il saw captain Warrenton mis-
trusted something, for he seemed nn-
easy; and pretty soon he sent Allen
into the cabin for something, and ask
ed me again what the trouble was,
wi en- | told him all"
"The captain was a big, brave man,
but be trembled when I told my sto-
ry."
"If we should pnt back to nort it
would arouse the villains and they
would make short work Of ua, and, as
it was, our show was small one.
"In a moment, however, the cap
tain asked if | thought | could carry
q steady hand in A tiyht fix; and tell.
ing him | could, for knew our lives
were depending on it, his eyes flashed
as he said
"'Good, my bov | Ii you don't fail
me, we will flax the scounirsls. or my
name isn't Joe Warrenton. Keep up
your courage, do as | say, and fifteen
hundred dollars are yours.
The captain was a Powerful man,
and, now that he understood he game
knew the 1esperadoes would have
a hard fight to carry out their pnr-
pose If Allen only had been all
right We should have stood an even
chance .hcn"h We had no firearms
aboard, v
Seeing allen coming mp the COM
nlnon way at that moment, Warren
ton mot;oned for me to take the helm,
and hurried to ,neet the sailor ust as
he gained he deck"
Before the traitor saw what was
coming the captain seized him by the
throat and bore the wretch to tie deck
inst as if he had been a child, without
any oa,cry escaping his lips,
"Gethnga piece Of tarred rore and
some bunting we gagged and bound
the tuflian in few moments.
"'Tnere, said captain Warreaton,
our way is clear. But these other
scamps will be moving soon, SO we
must be ready fer them.
"Wti.e the matches were on we
knew the villains on J way Of escape
was through the fore peak, and as the
boards of the bulkhead were thin they
would easily force way through.
The cargo was so slowed that they
could not reach the cabin bulkhead
and they could not force the matches,
80 that we felt confident tLat that
would be their course
"As it was then time that they
might be moving and the wind was so
we had it on our beam, thus leaving
but little to 40 for the sails, the cap
tain got couple Of heavy handSrikes
for our weapons, ard we wero ready
for action on the part Of our foes
"Soon after dark the skipper said
he heard them removing G board from
the bnlkhead.' -
Captain Warronton mad cautious
ly crawIed forward behind the bits,
by the bow-sprlt, weapon in hand, and
now motioned me to leave the helm
and Join him. The tiler was lashed
so that all in tha. quarter was safe,
The night vas starlight and just
light enough for our purpose"
u had barely time to reach the
bits which I had done in silence,
when the scoundrels were mo7ing in
the rubbish in the forepeak."
"Pretty soon a couple Of human
heads came in sight, and then the vii
lians stood upor deck not four feet
from where we ware"
The captain touched me, and l
knew the time for action had come.
"Whio the raacals stood for an in
stant as if trying to see where we
were, we sprung upon them"
"T ener1e1 to ~ossess fen times my