The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-02-09

teen sail OF the kind 80 common u tne
Mediterranean. Antonio and the man i
had first spoken tn the might before were
busy slowing away. u miscellaneou: cargo
ash, which i Is to be hoped tastes better
stepped on hoard and was .howa my
ign the fore part Of the ship and close tn
the mast. ! entered il through - narrow,
a" ysn s,.aS' ayS ana %h e"T I not Q i !" tie b sn %s
] had tn bend almost. double, as II was
simply a square box about four feet high
mot lied when he made me understand
that ! should have tn rough u: In one
s sScs.ssk T"i ia q T "yer H. Furni,"r.. thers.
was none, there was "a horrid smell OF
bilge water about the whole. place, and
the only light came through the open
hatchway. Altogether "a most uninvitin9
place, hut. rejecting that IL was only for
one night and that. the weather being
time ON deck, I settled To sail with them,
and to be on board again at 5:D. now
were three separate ~hatchways. II the
middle one they. were storing away the
cargo. and one aft was used by. the crew.
time by looking into the different shop
windows. ] was much attracted by a gum
maker Tno aisp pn. sna. g, rrs, variety , "1
my head. but. while gazing AT these weal-
ois, the Thought suddenly struck me that,
was trusting myself. il might perhaps he
AS well tn have some weapon of defense
about me. True that i'm my travelling bag
l carried u life-preserver given me years
ago, which had slept there harmlcssly
ever since; but still "a revolver would be
walked into the shop, AMI after looking
several of them over. ended by ptIrcllas-
ing II small one, with "a packet of cart
ridges.
Inow went to- my hotel to pack mp my
traps. ] wished only to take what would
go into my travelling bag, so turned out
Vnuf HaIDS I'm min
so i came across the life prcscrver; /
was about tn chuck it aside when I thought
l might as well take IL, and replaced IL in
the bag.
My arrangements were soon complete.
! called the hotcl-keeper and told him |
was going away for two or three days and
proposed to leave the remainder of my
baggage i'm his charge. then dined, paid
my bill, and, bag i'm hand, stroiled down
All ON board was ready for sailing. Bar
tolo came mp at once and asked me for
advance, as he said they had to complete
some purchases before leaving.
A. d o'clock sharp we left the harbor.
with IL fair wind. IL was u beautiful even
ing, not u cloud was tai be seen, and soon
after dark u glorious moon rose out of the
sea. ! sat ON deck smoking my cigar and
being famed by the soft sea breeze.
The crew consisted of Bartoio, his
cousin; the tall man called Heppo and a
boy call eel Gig
For Italians they were not IA sociable
lot. ! tried several times tn get into con-
vcrsation, hut they seemed rather to avoid
me. and continually whispered to each
other i'm "a mysterious way. This some
What disamic,cd my mind; and ! could not
foolish thing in trusting myself tai their
tender mercies. No ONE new of my expe-
dition. ! had paid them i'm advance. and
they were sailing out of their course To
please me-. What was to prevent them
from numbering me and throwing me
overheard, and then continuing their reg
ular Journey without any one being the
wiser. 70
ann not nervous. nor do ! believe in
the more would these lugubrious thoughts
creep over me, until. feeling rather chilly.
! went down tn my cabin.
IL Looked an awful place az night, and
more like n vault than anything ! could
think OF. undid my bag and caught
ten until now. This somewhat rcassured
me. and / loaded it carefully. i then
these two friendly weapon by my side, I
lay down ON my bunk without undressing.
Looking up, ! could see the broad lam
moon shinging brightly on the white
sheet, AZ was perfectly still; and ! fam
Ia Sleep, leaving the third man at the
wheel and the hoy tn look out.
tossed about. hut could not sleep: the
more ] Thought il over the more risky did
my position seem, for, as I said before. no
one knew where I was.
had been lying down abo,t am hour
WV . Ftsk WV. VIZ WV hf.ts y
Elected on the sail. ! strained my eyes
and ears. They were talking i'm low tones,
but ! caught the words ..Dorme," then
''Sara presto tinito." What could this
mean, IL il did not refer tn me: They
were evidently preparing to murder me
i'm my sleep. and my worst fears were
about Ia be confirmed. A cold sweat row
cred my brow, and I seiz Il my revolver,
determined tn sell my life dearly. The
shadows had now moved away. All was
still. / stepped out of my bunk, and, taxi
ing my 1ife-prescrver in my right hand
and the revolver i'm my left, ] sat in "a
crotIching position tn await events.
oh, the agony of these moments!
could neither stand nor sit, and l dreaded
that before long ] should he seized with
cramp: yet il was imperative that I should
keep quite still if I wished to take my AS
sailaut at a disadvantage.
IL was not very long before the shadows
OF the sail again r~s.appearcd. and this time
l noticed that one of them was armed with
IA long kitchcn-knife. The thought of the
cold steel made me shudder and my heart
stopped beating for IA moment. ] felt my
revolver to assure myself that IL was all
right and then SAW that the hatchway was
darkcncd. I had no time for further
Thought. One of the men was coming
down the steps into my cabin. 1 could
see him distinctly, hut l was i'm the dark.
50 he was unable. to see me noticed "a
gleam of steel in his hand. and the seq
ond man was following close behind him.
Now was my time. ! brought back my
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