Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1890-04-25
"Yes. but what do ,ou make of

asked.
lie pondered few moments,
and then said: 81 think the con.
victs have taken the ship"
$50 do l." was my rejOinder.
AS 1 thus spoke 1 walked # to
where my first mate stood by IT, e
wheel, and dra vIng him to one
side, l told him my fears. He
leaped upon the rail and gazed
upon our nelghbOr, and when he
reached the deck again he was of
my opinion.
"It must be sO," he said. "What
shall we do Z"
That was the question. Wnat
shall we DO? The ship had now
come TO within a half of a mile,
and all doabts respecting her
idenlty we're ut an end. knew
tha, she was the Dorset, aud, Of
course, felt confldent that the con
victs must by some means have
gained possession.
"She didn't have the best cFrw
that ever vas.u remarked Lee,
nervlously. 81 knew some of her
men, and they we're as precious a
set of scamps as ever breathed."
This made the matter worse
still. Of my whole crew | could
muster but 80 men, counting the
three able passengers, having set
five men on shore at st. Helena
sick with fever, and being unable
at the time to make their places
GOOD. Ou board the Dorset there
would be the three-and.thirly con-
victs. and, in all probability, a
great part OF the crew-perhapS
40 men in all. What shall we do Z
To let the ship pass on under such
circumstances seemed hardly the
thing for an Englishman, and to
engage with such regenade crew
was sheer madness. asked my
officers what they thought, and
they thought just as l did. | ex
planned the matter to my three
passengers, aud they would help
me fthey colld be assured they
would be of my any use.
But during all this time the
ship in question had been nearing
us, we having steered so as to
speak with her, and now she was
not more than two cables length
distant upon our lee bow.
"Ship ahOy" shouted through
my trumpet.
"Hallow came from the other
ship.
"What ship is that 2"
"The Ben Franklin" answered
the same voice, the owner Of which
wore a Scotch cap and red shirt.
oWhcre are you bound Z"
"To Naw York"
"Belong there ?"
eyes"
At this moment she had ranged
ahead far enough so that [ could
see sue had the American flag at
her peak, which had been before
bldden by her canvas. There
were certainly forty men leaning
over her rail, and l knew at once
that we could not easily overcome
them. At that moment, had my
ship been near enough, l coulc
have jumped on board and engag
ed them single-handed. What haC
become of poor Harry Bumstead
thought I, and the few men wh'
might have remained faithful t
him?
While these thoughts aud
thousand others were wildly rash
ing though my mind, the Dorse
passed on. knew it was my ole
, friend, tor all the lies they hat
told In answer to my questions
had no thought of conjecture OF
3 the sub ect; b u
a that the ship was the Dorset
knew lust as we'll as I should hav
I known my own brothers. AS tn
ship passed on l saw a face at on
r OF the quarter windows. l seize
2 a glass and levelled it. 1t was Oh
face OF Harry Bumstead, as fate
! And he waved hankerchl'
4 toward ne with the most ffauil
4 gesticulatiOns.
n The sense Of pain Was juSt slhl
- ing INTO my whole soll, "h9n "
+ idea flashed across my mine ihi
q caused me 70 fairly leap from III
teet. All was now hope and bust
I N my brain, md as soon possible
got my wits into working orfer.
70 "Put the ship upon her coait
again." OIL dered.
~ awe can do nothing J" s'
N Beckett, lnterroGative'y.
"Wait," said /, IN return. .
7 isn't too late yet"
;s "But-
" "Stop. Wait uutil have sha
ad ont a plap. and then you sh