Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1889-12-20

himself good dool if it was carried out.D
We'll, here again. he aud Touch were of a
| mind; and 10y their joint procurement, the
anchor was 40 sooner down than the whole
crew went of ON a srena of drunkenness in
dcscrihablc BY afternoon we were a mere
shipful Of luuuticul persons, throwing Of
things overheard bowling of different songs
at tho same time quawcing aud falling to-
gether and then forgetting our quarres to
embrace. Ballantrac had hidden me drinl,
nothing and feign drunkenness rs ! valued
my life; aud ] have never passed a day SO
wearsomely, lying the best part OF tho tirno
upon the forecastle and watching the swamps
and thickots by which our little basin was
entirely surrounded for the eye. A little
after dusk, Ballantrae stumbled up to my
side, feigned to fall, with II drunken laugh.
and before he got his feet again, whispered
to me to "recl down into the cabin aud seem
| to fail asleep upon a locker, for there would
| be need of me soonn
| did as was told and coming into tho
| cabln, where 1t was quite dark, let MYSELF
! fell on the first locker There was a man
! there already; by the way he stirred and
threw me Off, l could not think be was much
| IN liquor; and yet when / had found another
! place, he seemed to continue to sleep on. NJ
! heart now beat very hard, for l saw soma
! desperate matter was in act Pressntly
! down came Bauantrae, lighted the lann.
| looked about the cabin, nodded as II pleasad
and on deck again without word. peered
out from between my fingers, and saw thero
were three Of us sumbering, or feigninz to
slumber, on the lockers; myself, one Dutton
and one Grady, both resolute men. On deck
! the rest were got to pitch Of revelry quite
beyond the bounds Of what Is human, SO
that no reasonable name can describe tho
4l,svv I
many drunken bout IN nly time, many on
board that very "Serah,s but never any
thing the least like this, which made mo
early suppose the liquor had been tampered
with 1t was q long while before these yella
| and bowls died out into sort Of miserable
moaning, and then to silence, and it seemed
long while after that, before Ballantras
came down again, this time with Teach upon
his heels. The latter cursed ct the sight al
us three upon the lockers.
"Tut," says Ballantrae, "you might fire
pistol at their ears. You know what stun
they have been swallowing"
There was hatch in the cabin floor, and
under that the richest part of the booty was
stored against the day Of division 1t fasten-
ed with a ring and three padlocls, the kevs
for greater security being divided; one 70
Teach, one to Balantrae and one to the mate.
a man called Hammond. Yet was amazad
to see they were now oil IN the one hand, and
yet more amazed Still looking through my
tiDgers to observe Ballantrae and Teach
bring up several packets, four OF them IN all
very carefully made up and with loop fos
carriage.
"And now" says Teach, ''let US be golng.r
zone word, savs Bellantrae, ~ have dis
covered there is another man besides your.
self that knows private path across the
swamp. And it seems it is shorter than
yours
Teach cried out in that case they were un.
done.
II do not know that" says Ballantrae,
'For there are several other circumstance
with which l must acquaint you First Of
all, there is no bullet in your pistols, which
If you remember) l was kind enough to load
for both of us this morning Secondly, as
there is some one else who knows passage,
you must think it highly improbable l should
saddle myself with lunatic like you. Third
", these gentlemen (who need no longer pre-
tend to be asleep are those Of my party, aud
will now proceed TO gag and bind you to the
mast; and when your men awaken III they
ever do awake after the drugs we have
mingled in their liquor am sure they will
be SO oblging as to deliver you, and you will
have no difficulty dare say, to explain the
business of the keys
Not word said Teach, but looked at US
like frightened baby as we gagged and
bound him.
NOV you see, you moou-caf,N says Ball
lantrae, why we make four packets Here
tofors you nave been called Capt Teach, but
l 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 a skif apd left that ship
behind us rs silent the grave, only for the
moaning Of some of the drunkards. There
was fog about breast high on the waters, 80
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 little way from the ship
when it began to come gray, and the birds
to fly abroad upon the water. All of a sud-
den Dutton clapped down upon his hams ard
whispered us TO be silent for our lives and
heaIken. Sure enough we heard a little faint
creal of oars upon one hand, and then again,
and further Off, a creak of oars upon the
other 1t was clear we had been sighted
yesterday in the morning; here We're the
cruisers boats TO cut us out; here we weIe
defenseless in their very midst. sure, never
were poor souls more pcrilously placed, and
as we lay there on our oars, praying God the
mist might hold, the sweat poured trom ay
brow Presently we heard one OF the boats,
where we might have thrown biscuit in her.
"Softy, men, we heard an officer whisper;
and narveled they could not hear the drum
ming of my heart.
Never mind the path says Ballantrae,
1--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 thst our only safety. But
heaven guided US; we touched ground at
thickat. scrambled ASHORE with our treasure,
and having no other way of concealment,
and the mist beginning already 10 tighten,
hove down the sldR and let her sink We
we're still but new under cover when the sun
rose, and at tho same time, from the midst Of
the basin, great shouting Of seamen sprung
ND. and we knew the Sarah was being board
ed. heard afterward tue officer that took
her got great honor, and it's true tps APP
nroach was creditably managed but think