Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1890-01-10

gazing about on the busy scsne. Were
i tuEnin. out broa5s8ords as fast as they
+ kin be made by any one.
do you think you can have them all
/ ready by tomorrow night?"
Oh, yes, his eyes cleaning with ear
/ nest enthusiasm. Why don't ye see
I how easy it's dOue?"
/ STOPPING, old Jack took from s heap of
( cast-aWay irons at his feet a soythe blade
! He plunged it into the forge, which was
t glowing with heat.
Capt. Alton watched him with no little
/ interest Every moment the ring Of ham
! mers and flying sparks filed the shops.
/ A youth stood ct each bellows handle,
/ pumping away.
Old Jack seized pair OF tOngs, and
/ standing by the forge took hold of the
/ scythe blade, pulled it this way and that,
/ pushed 1t further into the glowing heat,
! and finally jerked it out. 8 livid fame.
He threw 1t upon an anvil, and seizing
/ a hammer soon made the sparks fly like
! chsH from a threshing floor
1t was only few minutes until that bit
( Of broken scythe-blade began to take new
/ shape. From being a simple, innocent
/ instrument OF agriculture, 1t rapidly grew
/ to be an instrument of war.
It's easy done when a Teller once gifts
/ the hang o. 1t. said J Jack, as he flung
/ down the new-made cUt1ass among a pile
/ OF others. THE boys about here are git
] tin the hang o. the thing now purity well
/ ye kin better believe.
The ring of hammers went on. The
( scene was brisk and animating one.
! For a moment Griffith felt enthused with
/ the thought that they would soon be ready
/ to board the man war.
Dye see this2" said old Jack, Selling
an iron bar. Nov jist watch how quick
! 1 kin make cutlass out o. this.
He plunged it end first into the glowing
/ nd Fbn c+C Ia ~
/ hand on the bellows handle began to work
| the powerful instrument. The roaring
/ fame curled about the iron. Tt was glow
/ ing hot when Jack Ratchet with his
! tongs jerked it from the forge to the
/ anvil.
! Three or four hammers began hammer
/ ing it and old Jack held it, deity turning
/ it about as blow after blow fell upon it;
/ and gradually the bar of iron took shape
/ and bFOadsWOrd grew out of it.
/ It's quickly done, said Jack, tossing
| it away. The carpenter has only to put
! the handles on EN-, and they're ready to
( be ground"
They are busy at that now" said the
! deserter of the XenOphOn to our hero.
| Would you like to go into that depart
ment and see the carpenters at WOrk?"
/ I would"
They went out to the carpenters shop,
/ where were a score of men and BOYS at
/ work under the carpenter.
The handles were somewhat rude, It's
! true, yet they were stout, serviceabIe
| blades.
Henry, do you think they will all be
ready by tomorrow night?" Captain Al
ton asked the carpenter.
Yes; believe We will have enough
ready, anyway"
Can you complete your work Tonight"
| NO, but we Can work all day tO-mOr-
| row. You see, there is no fire or smoke
/ in this to tell the man-o'-war what We are
That is so.
Wen work day'n night till it's done.
They're grindin' EN- out there in the next
shed"
Griffith, still accompanied by the de-
! serter of the XenOphOn, FASTENED out to
the next shed. Here fifteen or twenty
grindstOnes of various sizes were being
/ turned.by sleepy-eyed boys, while hands
| which had held the scythe- blade upon
the rolling stone now held the blade of
war.
1t was quite gratifying to the young
commander to see the heap of bright
blades growing larger.
There were cutlasses of every size and
! almost Of every make in that heap.
Taken as a whole, they were formidable
/ looking weapons of warfare.
Mr.. Burnett examined them with crit
zeal eye, and pronounced them excellent.
They are rude swords" he said to our
hero. They are rough workmanship,
and will be used by rough hands, and do
rough work.
At this moment Captain Alton saw Mrs.
Ratchet passing the door, and haiIing
! her, asked how Captain GatreI was.
He's very pOrely, Griff. tell ye, he's
very porely.
Does the doctor think there is any
| hopes of his recovery"
mo, Griff not one bit. Why, I tell We,
l. - l. l.
can't last much longer eff he don't git
/ better.
docs the doctor think he will live
/ many days?"
Don't know, answered Mrs. Hatchet.
Hes jest liable to go at any time.
4 hope may be able to call and see
DO come, GriF. right soon. Eff We
don't come right soon yell never see him
alive agin'
"Is he cOnsciOus?"
Not much o. the time. Sometimes he
wakes up and talks right bright fur bit,
/ an then he all of a sudding loses his rea-
son, an goes off to wanderin' agin'. He
woke up bout two hours ago an asked
| fur Ola.
Has he learned Of her abductiOn?"
That is well. See to it, Mrs. Hatchet,
that no one tells him. He must have
nothing to worry or excite him.
That's jist what the Doctor says. He
says he's gOin' to hev infrmatiOn o. the
brain bad. Pieces o that ar shell what
basted, it seems, went into his brain"
Il want to see him during one Of his
lucid intervals, for there is much that I
want to ak with him about
@I wish you could, Grif, fur thar's
somethin' awful on his mind. Eff ye could
hear him sometimes when the pain is in
his head ravin' the way he raves, ye'd
find yer hair Almost Easin' of yer head.
What does he rave about mostIy?"
@Ships an'--stOrms. He talks O. black
nights an angry seas, and says the waves
1 fryb EFa frs