The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-04-20

thievin' paws. lieutenant. and escort
the young lady to the boat. she is in
bad company. but we'll be lenient with
her. as she is quite young
''Susy was about four years old. and
she looked pretty badly scare at Ben s
fierce looks and deep voice. SO she
chung TO me.
'.Bv tho time we got back to Strong
hold Island with our prisoners, the
wind commenced BLOWN pretty fresh.
".Look here. let's have the trial
over, and be gettin' back home.' !
says Don't you see that big. black
cloud, Ben. over in the south? We're
in for storm, TIM afraid
First thing know. Ben has me by
the nape of the neck. and sings out:
.Mutiny! Til iron you. sir. calm me
out of my name. I'll try you after I've
settled with the prisoners. Bring them
up. and you, sir. stand aside until your
sentence is pronounced
IL could see from the captains looks
at the big. black cloud that was sailin'
up. that he wasn't quite easy in his
own mind. and thai he was goin' to
make short work of the trial.
"'Prisoner.' he shouts. you were
caught in the very act of stealin'.'
81 fought pirates was bound to
steal says Nathan, lookin' scared.
''You were not a pirate. sir. You
were a common thief, and. and--of
course. you must be punished. You
rascal. you eat up all our goose. Now
choose your manner of death! Will
you be shot or decapitatod?
Nathan looked at the big pistol and
shook, for Ben made believe too well.
He didn't know what decapitated
meant. but he thought it couldn't be
as bad rs the pistol.
"'I thinks I'd raider be decaptered,'
he said.
".No, sir. the axe is not ready. and
the pistols. Kneel down! One. two.
three
"Then l thought the whole island
was blowed up. The captain. he tum-
bled down backwards. and his heels
quivered up in the air. Nathan was
rollin' over and over. and screechin'.
"Oh. I'm dead. I'm shot. Oh,
nanny"
Poor little Susy was holdin' on to
my legs, and screamin' at the top of
her voice. Ben seemed to come to
himself in a minute. but he was that
pale and trembled so, he couldn't stand
on his feet.
90 Nolanr he says. go and see if
Nathan is badly hurt If he is. I'll
drown myself. Who dreamed there
could be load in an old pistol that's
been kickin' underfoot for twenty
years. Go right off
Il went, but when l saw Nathan's
head all covered with blood. turned
so sick l thought I'd faint. But l
found out that only the tip of his ear
was shot of, though how he wasn't
killed outright l can't imagine for the
life of me.
80 Marse Nolan.i is kill?' he groan-
ed. is my brains all sho,ted out? Take
me to my NANNY. want to see her
fore dies
".You're not hurt much I said.
Just little piece of your ear I'll
wash it and tie it up. and it'll stop
bleedin' directly. l guess. But let's
get out of this and go home!'
eyes groaned Ben. Just let me
get out of this COMPOUNDED scrape. and
youth never catch me playin' pirate or
any thing else again. l might have
killed him dead. / might have shot
Susy,' and then he shivered rs if he had
a chill.
I'VE hurried to the boat for the storm
was rising, but what with all we had
gone through. 1 was that shaky and
let the rope slip through
m fingers. and first thing we knew.
IT,. wind had whirled the boat from
tic shore. I ran in the water after
l., but was soon ont of my depth.
and drownin', for l couldn't swim a
stroke.
'.Ben. who can swim. dragged me
ont somehow. and when come to N.Y.
self they were standin' over me with
such awful scared, dirty faces. that it
would have been funny if it hadn't
been so terrible. As for Ben, what
with his exertions in playin' pirate.
and shootin' Nathan. and pullin' me
out of the water, he was just tuckered
out. 1nevcr saw such smeared. pale
lookin' face in my life. and there was
Nathan a-blubberin' and his ear bleed
in, and poor Susy sobbin'.
How are We goin' to get OFF, says
Ben. Look ut that boat bobbin'
against the other shore. We may
boiler till doomsday, and nobody'll
hear us.
"'Oh. I'll bleed to def. I'll bleed to
def" cried poor Nathan. 1t did look
rs though he would bleed to death.
sure enough. So Ben. he tears up his
shirt and makes bandages, and as we
had taken down the flags when we
reached the island. We tied his MANI
my's red skirt over his head, and then.
you know. we couldn't see the blood,
which was great comfort
I'VE all hollered together, as loud as
we cord. hop.g some one might hear
Us. brit by that time the storm burst |
npon "a. and we had to lie down fat in
he BIZ les. the wind was so high. The
-ain "ured till wo thought that we'd |
De dr." Sned. but We wrapped Susy up
IN MI cashmere dress. and kept some |
If the water from her.