The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-08-16

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murder, but they needed head. /
became the head. plotted every
thing, as we'll as helped them execute
And we're quite successful, you see. "
Crawford, faint and wounded as he
was, seemed to be struck as never be-
fore with the extent of the mans de-
pravity. He looked at him with hor-
ror and loathing.
"You appear very much shocked, {"
pursued Hunter. "Weu, you may
look as you like and think what you
please; but you're going to die right
there where you are
"Coward-miscreant cried Craw-
ford. ''Would you murder sorely
wounded man who has fallen in de-
Tense of his friendp"
"You use rather harsh TERMS" re-
piled Hunter, concealing the triumph
of his revenge under his sneering man.
ner. "But I'll tell you just what Pm
going to do, and then you can call it
what name you please. Here have the
gold that our highly-esteemed friend,
the late Captain Willis, brought with
him from Havana. It's no very great
sum-that is, in comparison with what
he secreted in the cellar of the old
house in Provincetown; but it will take
me comfortably there, and keep me
until | can mature and carry out a
plan to get that treasure. For I'll have
it-by George, I'll have it! You see,
know the Captains secret. 1 suspect
ed something of the kind there in
Provincetown, and I coaxed him to
take me on this voyage, that might
discover his secret. What dye think
of me now?"
"You are devil" Crawford said.
"Thank you. Take some more
water; l want to keep you alive till I
can tell you what I mean to do. You
are the man who came between me and
Helen Willis. Here you are, dying a
miserable death, while am going back
to gain the Captains treasure and win
his daughter. Ha-how does that pict-
ure strike you?"
"God will never permit such villainy
to triumph Crawford said, family
but firmly. 81 tell you now, you will
be overtaken and punished. Helen
Willis is not for you!-not for you!
Dear Nellie! God help us both!-but
she's not for your
"She's certainly not for your Hunter
retorted. He came close to Crawford,
he even knelt over him and glowered
upon him.
II did not finish telling you what I
meant to do. It will be convent ent,
and think prudent, for me to destroy
all the evidence of this little affair.
Dead men tell no tales, you know, and
think l can tell story about it that
will be believed. 1 shall fire the vessel;
I shall destroy you and all of those
drunken beasts below that are still
alive. / shall wade ashore, reach Mas
sau some time tomorrow, take the
first steamer for New York, and the
rest is easy. So farewell, Mr.. Craw-
ford! You'll begin to think you'd bet
ter died in Cuba"
He delayed no longer. Taking up
his bags of gold, he hurried forward
and down into the hold. He remained
there at least twenty minutes. When
he came up again he went to the bow,
fastened rope about the bowsprit,
and let himself down into the water.
1t was hardly knee-deep. He waded
ashore with his treasure under his
arms He paused moment on the
low bank to take a farewell look at the
bark and the motionless bodies on her
deck, plainly defined by the moonlight
Then he disappeared.
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| The night wore on; the moon mount
ed higher in the heavens. All was pro-
foundly silent and quiet about the YES
sci and the adjacent waters; and land. !
Henry Crawford lay prone on his
back, his head pillowed on the body of
poor, faithful Hardy. Somewhat re-
vived by the water, he was still too
weak to rise, or even sit up. He lay
thus quietly; his eyes-ah, how exqui-
site is the mockery of circumstances
fixed on the North Star.
He could not measure time; in the
agony and WEAKNESS of his awful situa-
ton, an hour might have been week
This man was cast in an heroic
mold; in him were the blood and the
nerve to perform any great action that
occasion brought in his way.
/ So he was not one to despair. He
had never despaired, however appar-
emily hopeless the situation! Perhaps
he came nearer to it that night than
ever before.
For, while he lay there among the
dead, abandoned to perish, with
aching wounds and strength drained
away, he became conscious of strong
smell of smoke.
Soon the pungent scent of burning
tobacco was plainly to be perceived.
A thread of smoke assembled from
the companion-way The whole for
ward deck presently smoked from
every seam.
Soon great volume Of thick black
smoke poured out. A long tongue of
tire leaned na;-jt caught the. s6rouds