Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1884-03-06

does who had escaped from the Mobile
Jail
From what they said, found that
they had crawled into the hold and
slowed themselves away SO we'll that
we had rot seen them when we had
finished loading. They had got provis-
ion enough to live on day or two, and
were planning to come on deck at dark,
Cverpower us and put TO sea. They
were armed, and, what frightened me
the most (for you must remember | was
only boy, though nearly as large as |
am now they had hired Ned Allen to
help them This would make them
three against the captain and myself.
AS they had been further aft when l
first came down, aud we're now getting
back to their old corner, felt that
they had not heard me, so l crept back
to the deck as quietly as possible.
"We were then leaving the light
house out of sight and it would soon
be dark, so that | was anxious to tell
the skipper what | had discovered.
LAS came up from the fore-peak he
was at the helm, while Allen was at
the main sheet. guess | must have
looked a little startled, though l tried
to appear calm, for as went aft he
asked me what was up /; but l only
shook my head, saying l didn't feel
very well, not daring to say any more
for fear of arousing Allen.
II saw Captain Warrenton mistrust-
ed something, for he seemed uneasy !;
and pretty soon he sent Allen into the
cabin for something, and asked again
what the trouble was, when told him
all.
"The captain was a big, brave man,
but he trembled when told my story.
'If we should put back for port it
would arouse the villains and they
would make short work Of US, and, as
it was, our show was small one.
SIN moment, however, the capt
ain asked if I thought / could carry
steady hand in tight fix and telling
him conld, for knew our lives were
depending on it, his eyes flashed as he
said
Good, my boy If you don't fail
me, we will flax the scoundrels, or my
name isn't Joe Warrenton. Keep up
your courage, do as l say, and fifteen
hundred dollars are yours"
1.-THE captain was powerful man,
and, now that he understood the game,
I knew the desperadoes would have a
hard fight to carry out their purposes.
If Allen only had been all right we
should have stood an even chance,
though We had no firearms aboard.
"Seeing Allen coming up the COM
panion way at that moment, Warren
ton motloned for me to take the helm,
and hurried to meet the sailor just as
he gained the deck.
"Before the traitor saw what was
coming. the captain seized him by the
throat and bore the wretch to the deck,
just as If he had been child, without
any outcry escaping his lips.
''Getting a piece of tarred rope and
some bunting we gagged and bound the
ruffian in few moments.
"There," said Captain Warrenton,
triumpantly, ''our way is clear. But
these other scamps will be moving soon
so we must be ready for them"
"While the matches were on we knew
the villains only way of escape was
the fore-reak, 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 hatches, so that we felt con-
fident that that would be their course.
Gas 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 do fer the sails, the cap
tain got couple of heavy hand-spikes
for our weapons, and we were ready
for action on the part of our foes.
''Soon after dark the skipper said he
heard them removing board from the
bulkhead.
"Captaln Warrenton had cautiously
crawled forward behind the bits by
The bow-sprit, weapon in hand, and
now motioned to me to leave the helm
and join him. The tiller was lashed so
that all was safe in that quarter.
''The night was starlight and just
light enough for our purpose.
81 had barely time to reach the bits
which l had done in silence, when the
acoundrels were moving in the rubbish
in the fore-peak.
"Pretty soon a couple of human
heads came into sight, and then the
villains stood upon deck not four feet
from where we were.
'The captain touched me, and knew
the time for action had come.
"While the rascals stood for an in