Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-02-07

compromise you. What passes here will
go 70 further without your permission"
"Well, was going to say as / am sorry
| to say that the sNiobe' did not get fair
play"
You mean that she got foul play'"
ST do"
at feared as much. But is it merely a
| case of suspicion, or do you know some
thinRP
81 know something. Leastways, if see
| Ing is knowing, do; but l cannot say az
anybody told me anything"
Seeing is better than hearing in mat
ter of this sort. WHAT did you see?"
well, we had a fine run across, made
good weather all the way out, and after
touching at st Thomas, the course was
/ shaped for Cuba. Later on it blew three
parts of a gale Of wind but nothing at all
TO hurt; everything was made snug, and it
was over in few hours Well, the morn
| ing after, was going below after my spell
| at the wheel in the second night-watch,
when who should see coming up out OF
the hold but the captain, with an anger In
one hand and lantern in the other. /
! said nothing, of course, and though when
i 4
/ tered, and skunk away to his cabin, l did
not think much of it-just then. But
when the bo'sun told me next day as we
had sprung leak, began to put two and
| two together. Because the ship didn't
ought to have sprung a leak; she had done
nothing to make her 81 ring leak. But 1t
was not for me to say anything, and held
my tongue"
L.
SUPPOSED"
Il tried. Well, she sprung a leak-least-
ways, they said she did-and the leak
gained on US. The carpenter, he could do
no good; so the pumps was rugged and we
pumped and pumped for nigh on a week,
but the more we pumped the more water
she seemed to make, and at last she got SC
low down that the captain said that having
done our duty by the ship, we must now
look to ourselves. So the boats were got
out, and the captain, who was the last to
leave the deck, came into the dingey and
ordered the others to shove off They were
on the starboard side, we on the port. He
had hardly given the order when she gave
list to starboard that nearly barred her
heel, lay for moment on her beam-ends,
and then went bodily down. AS she heeled
4 L
four big holes in her hull, every one of 'em
spouting water.'
WHO was in the dingey besides your
self?"
"The captain, the carpenter, and another
A. B."
did nobody else see the holes?"
mo. All the other boats was lying of
on the starboard side of her."
'After that you went away?"
eyes; we were not more than fifty miles
from the coast of Cuba, and we made land
before morning"
''Who do you suppose were the captains
confederates? | mean who, besides him
self, do you think was concerned in this
vile plot to sink the Ship"
''The carpenter and the first officer.
"And the other sailor who was in the
dingey with you-what has become OF
him?'
"Alec Tobin9 Where he is just now
cannot say; but he shipped at Cuba aboard
a UNCONVENTIONAL ship"
'.Well, Mr.. Bolsover, | am very much
obliged for this information; it is very inn
portant. l said I would keep your secret,
| but think | shall have to mention the
matter to our directors. The information
would be of no use to me else. However,
that need not trouble you. You shall be
| protected, whatever comes"
"That is all | want, sir"
And rewarded. In the meantime, take
| this"-Otfering him a sovereign.
| Not for me, thank you, sir. If was tC
take money for my information it wouldn't
look right. You have only my word fol
this ERE, and man shouldn'ttake pay fol-
telling the truth"
"You are an honest fellow, Bolsover-as
honest as you look. If you won't accept
money, must try to show my gratitude in
some other way. 1t was very good of you
to come to me. How did you happen to
know my name, might ask2"
"Oh, / have seen you afore, sir. YoU
may be remember breaEfasting with Cap
tain Peyton aboard the DIANA one morn
ing when she lay in the Huskisson 0ock9'
81 remember it very we'll"
"Well, | was one of his crew, and heard
him speak Of you afterward, and say a.
you knew Iloyd's Register off by heart
and | heard Captain Deep, of the 'Niobe,
tell the first officer one day as the ship was
insured in the Oriental and Occidental, SC
it seemed sort of natural as / should come
to you"
al am glad you did. Yes, know Cap
tain Peyton very well. A man of the RICH
sort, he is"
And a first-rate sailor. He knows hi
business he does. You were saying jus
now as you would like to do something TO
me. Well, | should like nothing bette
than to sail with him again; and if yol
would speak to him, he'd may be give M,
berth as bo'sun or quarter-master.
know a bo'sun's duty as well as any man
sir"
"pll do that with pleasure, Bolsover, as
soon as Captain Peyton comes home; ani
that won't be long / think. The Diana
Is sixty days out from Montevideo, and il
pretty sure to be here by the end of thu
month. You had better leave me your ad
dress, and then ] can communicate will
you about that or the other matter"
/ handed him pen, and he put down hi
address in sprawling but sufficient.
legible hand. AS he bent his arm, hi
coat-sleeve (Which was none of the longest
ran up little, and barred his wrist, show
ing a strange device in blue ink; ship il
full sail, above which was taUtooed a name
Santa Anna" and below, date, "1744. !"
should have liked to ask what it al
meant, but as time was going on, and m.
letters were still to write, | refrained, littl
thinking how much the device portendeC
nor how strangely the mystery which la.
behind it was destined to affect my for
tunes.
Then we shook hands, and Bolsoyer wen
away and left me to my thoughts.
CHAPTER II.-MR BRANDYMAN.
/, was right, then: there had been fou
: play. Captain Deep had committed tn