Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-11-01

must 90, ne S81Q, In tones drm vet
tender. My duty calls me there. My
love for you demands that should go
and defend YOU"
Yes child, said the old sailor, whom
she had long loved and looked upon
as her father, don't be a drag on his
duty. The port is IN danger and it's his
place to set all sail and scud afore the
wind till he reaches the land sharks who
threaten the trouble.
But Griffith, Griffith, she said speak
ing very quick and seeming almost suhO-
Gated. There is something about which
I wanted to speak. I did not know
never knew until heard tonight"
Never mind the revelation, dearest,
said the young American, quickly. 1t
shall in no way affect our betrOthal.
What care I If you are a sea waif, you are
as lovely to me as ever. 1 cannot be
happy without you; you shall } ct be my
wife.
lie clasped her but g single moment
and was gone. Down that hillside, now
grown slippery from the rain which still
fell in torrents, he hurried.
Ola stood at the window trying to catch
a glimpse OF her lover as he fastened
down to where a great crowd of the VII
layers stood. For u few moments all was
pitchy darkness, and the driving storm
and roar of the ocean prevented her hear
ing his retreating footsteps. Then q
fash Of lightning IIumined the entire
hillside with the light of day, and she saw
the form of the young officer as he ran
sword in hand down the hill
Our hero reached the excited group of
villagers, and their flaming torches and
lanterns revealed standing in their midst,
two men who wore the uniform of British
sailors. Simon was doing all he could to
keep down excitement, and beyond
doubt 1t was his GOODNESS that saved the
lives of the sailors.
What does all this mean, Hatchet?"
the Captain demanded Of the blacksmith,
who was the first man he CHANGED to meet.
wy GriH, yer here, old boy; well,
I'm glad ye come, " said the blacksmith
in an excited manner, beating the breach
of his mUsket upon the wel-sOaked earth.
What is 1t, speak out?"
Dye see them two sailors?" the smith
asked.
Yes. Where did they come frOm?"
I brought 'em in, said Ratchet, boast
| fully. Me Il ST Cole were on picket
out thar on the hill n all was dark as a
stack O. black cats-cOuldn't see nothing,
when all of a sudden thar come a flash o
lightning. We shot at 'em but missed,
an then charged EN- an they surrendered
! an come in wi US"
Where are they frOm2"
dun know. Spec they're spies, an we
Orter hang 'em right up.
Don't they give any account of their
BGlN6Bg
yes" said Ratchet, still greatly ex-
! cited. They say they are deserters from
that ship called the Tenny-stOne or Jenny
Stone or some SIGH name"
~Oh, the man Of-War, the XenophOn. 7
viii see them; they may be all right,
said the young officer, elb0wing his way
through the crowd to. where the sailors
stood, calmly gazing on the crowd of ez-
cited villagers, farmers and impromptu
| soldiers. The Captain knew that a great
many American sailors who had been i'm
/ pressed into the British service were de-
! sorting and coming over into the American
I army and navy. These might be trying
| to do the same.
who are your" he asked, approaching
] the oldest and taIlest Of the sailors, who
! stood calmly among the almost furious
/ Americans with his arms folded across his
/ breast.
| Il am James Burnett, deserter from
/ his Britannia Maiesty's man-O'-war, the
/ XenOphCn, was the answer In clear, dis
[ tinct voice.
And this man with you'll" asked the
! young American. fayorably impressed
! with the honest, candid manner and tone
| Of the stranger.
He is my shiPmate, Henry Dawes, Of
! Bangor, Maine.
why did you desert the Xenophon?"
/ Because we did not wish to fight our
| own country.
/ "Then YOU are AmericBnsF"
Eve are, was the answer, with no little
/ degree of pride.
At Captain Atoms request Burnett gave
| an account of his escape and its cause.
/ He stated that he had been for fifteen
years in the British navy, having been
! impressed into 1t, and never able to make
his escape. That Henry Dawes had been
impressed four Years before. That they
| had become almost recOncied to their
/ fate, when war with America was de-
/ cIared, and they resolved the first OppOr-
! tunity to desert. The opportunity came
/ four nights ago. During the midWatch
they had thrown the sentry overheard,
! and rescue him, had escaped under a ire
/ of mUsketry from the marines.
| 1t was near noon when they landed on a
long stretch Of sandy beach Twice that
/ day they had almost run into Major
/ Bridges troops, who had been landed the
day before their desertion, and after nu-
merOus adventures had reached ManOa an
| hour ago.
| The story was reasonable and was told
! in a straightforward way which carried
/ conviction with it, and yet, while there
/ was possibility of a doubt, Griffith felt
! that he could not give entire credence to
| it, The lives and liberties of these peO-
| pie whom he had come to protect were in
| his hand, and demanded the utmost care.
Your story IS very reasonable" he
said to the sailor, and I am inclined to
believe it, but for the present you must
consider yourselves prisoners. You shall
be prisoners of war and treated we'll, until
we are convinced beyond a doubt that you
are really deserters.
The sailors looked a little disappointed
for a moment, and then the man called
Burnet said:
"When the man-O'-war heaves to to
lombard you we want to lend a hand in
A-T-
you viii be treated as prisoners o war, if
we are taken We viii be hung at the yard
arm.
The r,r-ianr,ars LA taI-sr To TIA IN I'D