The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-12-08

be need Of me soon"
did rs | was told, and coming into the
cabin, where II was quite dark, let myself
fall on the first locker. There was man
: there already; by the way be stirred and
threw me or. could not think he was much
IN liquor; and yet when had found another
place. be seemed to continue to sleep on. My
heart now beat very hard, for ! saw some
desperate matter was In act Presently
down came Ballantrae, lighted the lamp,
looked about the cabin, nodded as II pleased,
and on deck again without word. lpeered
out from between my fingers, and saw there
were three Of US slumbering, or feigning to
slumber, on the lockers; myself, one Dutton
and one Grady, both resolute men On deck
the rest were got TO a pitch OF revelry quite
beyond the bounds Of what Is human; 50
that no reasonable name can describe the
sounds they were now making. have heard
many drunken bout in my time, many on
board that very Sarah" but never any
thing the least like this, which made me
early suppose the liquor had been tempered
with. It was long while before these yells
and bowls died out into a sort OF miserable
moaning, and then to silence; and II seemed
a long while after that, before Ballantrae
came down again, this time with Teach upon
his heels. The latter cursed at the sight Of
us three upon the lockers
tut" says Ballantrae, "you might fire a
pistol at their ears. You know what stuff
thew have been swallowing"
There wasa hatch in the cabin floor, and
under that the richest part Of the. booty was
stored against the day Of division. IL fasten-
ed with a ring and three padlocks, the keys
for greater security being divided; one TO
Teach. one 10 Ballantrae and one 70 the mate,
a man called Hammond. Yet was amazed
TO see they were now all in the ono hand, and
vet more amazed still looking through my
| fingers 10 observe Ballantrae and Teach
bring up several packets, four Of them in all,
very carefully made up and with loop for
carriage.
"And now" says Teach, "let US be going
"One word" says Balantrae. Il have dis
covered there is another man besides your
self that knows a private path across the
swamp. And it seems 1t is shorter than
yours"
Teach cried out in that case they were un.
done.
81 do not know that" says Ballantrae
For there are several other circumstances
with which | must acquaint you. First Of
| all, there is no bullet in your pistols, which
If you rememberl was kind enough to load
for both Of us this morning. Secondly, n
there is some one else who knows a passage,
you must think it highly improbable | should
saddle myself with lunatic like you. Third
", these gentlemen who need no longer pre-
tend to be asleep are thos Of my party, and
will now proceed to gag and bind you TO the
mast; and when Your men awaken OF they
ever do awake after the drugs we have
mingled in their liquor am sure they will
be 50 obligng as TO deliver you, and YOU will
have no difficulty, dare say, to explain .te
business of the keys"
Not a word said Teach, but looked at Us
like a frightened baby as we gagged and
bound him.
Now you see, you moon-calf," says Bal
antrae, "why we make four packets Here
tofOre YOU have been called Capt. Teach, but
think YOU are now rather Capt Learn
That was our last word on board the Sarah,
we four with our four packets lowered our
selves softly into skiH and left thst ship
behind US as silent as the grave, only for the
moaning Of some Of the drunkards There
was fog about breast high on the waters, 50
that Dutton. who knew the passage, must
stand on his feet TO direct our rowing; and
this, as It forced US to row gently, was the
means of our deliverance.
We were yet but a little way from the ship
when it began to come gray, and the birds
to fy abroad upo- the water All Of a sud
den Dutton claT@S down upon bis hams and
whispered us TO be silent for our lives and
hearken. Sure enough we heard a little faint
creak Of oars upon one hand, and then again,
and further Off, creak Of oars upon the
other. IL was clear we had been sighted
yesterday in the morning; here were the
cruisers boats TO cut us out here we were
defenseless in their very midst. Sure, never
we're poor souls more perilously placed; and
az we lay there on our oars, praying God the
mist might hold, the sweat poured from my
brow Presently we heard one of the boats
where we might have thrown biscuit in her
Softly, men," we heard an officer whisper
and marveied they could not hear the drum
ming Of my heart.
Never mind the path" says Ballantrae,
we must get shelter anyhow let Us pull
straight ahead for the sides OF the basin"
This we did with the most anxious precau
ton, rowing, as best We could, upon our
hands, and steering at venture IN the fog
which was for all that our only safety. But
heaven guided us; we touched ground at a
tficket, scrambled ashore with our treasure
and having no other way Of conceament
and the mist beginning already 10 tighten,
hove down the skiff and let her sink. We
ft.l No
rcse, and at the same time, from the midst Of
the basin, great shouting of seamen sprung
up, ard we knew the Sarah was being board
cd. heard afterward the officer that took
her got great honor, and it's true the ap
preach was creditably managed, but think
he had an easy capture when no came 10
board.
was still blessing the saints for my escape,
when became aware we were in trouble OF
another kind We were here landed at ran
dom in a vast and dangerous swamp, and how
TO come at the path was a concern Of doubt,
fatigue and peril. Dutton, indeed, was Of
opinion we should wait rnti the ship was
gone and fish up the skiif, for any delay would
be more wise than to go blndly ahead in that
morass One went back accordingly to the
Dasin sue ana ipttIlhS through Tue lnlcheu
saw the fog already quite drunk up and Eng
lish colors flying on the Sarah, but no move
ment made TO get her under way.
Our situation was now very doubtful. The
swamp was an unhealthful place TO lnger in,
we had been 50 greedy 10 bring treasures that
we had brought but little food; il was highly
desirable, besides, that we should get clear OF
the neighborhood and into the settlements be
fore the news Of the capture went abroad;
and against all these considerations there was
only the peril Of the passage on the other side
| think it not wonderful we decided on the
active part
1t was already blistering hot when we SET
forth TO pass the marsh, or rather TO strike
the path, by compass. Dutton took the com
pass and one or other Of US three carried his
proportion OF the treasure; promise you he
kept sharp eye to his rear, for it was like
the mans soul that he must trust us with.
The thicket was as close as bush; the ground
very treacherOus, so that we often sunk in
the most terrifying manner, and must 60
round about; the heat, besides, was sitting,
the air singularly heavy, and the singing in
sects abounded in such myriads that each of
Us walked under his own cloud. 1t has often