The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-01-08

her ear hut the ''vash of the wave" on the
yacht's side mt her head, and the drip,
drip Of the rain on deck. But stay! that
that rippics 40 close to her. IL is ton
muttled To he OARS; all the same there il
q di.tinct splash, and a sort of jar on the
her sense of hearing seems to becOnas
p~reternaturally sh~arpened; she hears a
footstep, soft as velvet, ON the deck, right
would come on hoard. let alone the party
who, headed by the captain, had go e
Now she hears more footsteps, and then
oh! what is il that il going on:-there
comes - lew deep Rrowl from Cheviot, n
growl that ends i'm an odd kind Of 0,lrgle,
and a noise of something heavy falling.
Light steps seem to cross the deck and
the keyhole Of her door shines the faintest
thinner of light; i'm one moment she -
out of her berth and at her door alas! il
ever they are. have got their at her mercy.
For IL few minutes thc poor child feels
utterly confused, and then all Of sudden
her SENSES return tai her; she rolls herself
in u long, dark boat-cloak that il hanging
on n hook. puts out her light. and eau
the door and looks out.
There is u little bit of passage bctwcen
her and thu. main cabin. from which
comes "a dim light: ~ faint clash of metal
can be heard, but neither voice nor sound.
The compartment adder is between the
pitch dark. while thcrc is always TIM.
friendly shelter OF one or two unused
cabin doors.
he caught like "a rat in IL trap: or shall
she crawl along the passage make. "a dash
for the companion, and get on deck some
how tn give the alarm to the sailors" She
elects To attempt the latter.
Three steps and she il cr~ouching at the
loon. On the foor, with his back to the
door, orc man knccls. and she sees HIM
filling an empty bag with all the yachts
ill.,. H. H..
room is open. and another bc~etlc-browesl
and brawny Italian rItfian has his hands
ON "a heap of sovcrcirns, the broken cash.
box being ON the floor AT his feet. A third
man IL i'm the main cabin. He il stand
ing beside an open drawer. his head
partly turned away from the door. but
Madgc feels lac is the greatest danger. and
hat at any moment he may look round.
As she stands there her eye falls on the
cabin door. She can almost touch il. If
she did hut reach il. could she lock them
VI, Would "if" IT.. ' hsy s ;"rm! ~t She hs knows AS ns,Hi n,i
easily be rusty; But Nladge Hepburn is
wild border strain runs hotly in her veins.
As she made up her mind, she acted.
Concealmcnt was now of ne use; she
sprang at the door. and as she did so the
third man turned and saw her. Two
steps and he was across the room, but
one second had -utiiced for Madge. The
door banged tn; the key was stiff indeed.
but terror gave her fingers "A strength she
did not know they possessed. and before
the burglar actually touched the door
handle the bolt shot home. A vollcy of
Italian oaths. "a blow which all but
knocked "a panel out of the door followed.
but Madge seemed as If she had wings To
her feet. She flew on deck. and now:
What Is that which falls on her ears but
the blessed sound of oars: But alas,
What il that black form that at the sam.
moment she sees stretched on the deck.
and what il the dark stream that stains
its surface: She does not know. Her
eyes are dim: her senses fail her: and
when BERTHE Hepburn jumps on board the
first thing he secs is his pretty Madge i'm
u dead faint at his feet lying across the
lifeless body of poor Chcviot.
The noise the three rufIians make i'm
the cabin soon gives him the clew tn
what has happened. and before poor
Madge has recovered her senses "a free
fight has taken place. and il the Italian
gentlemen were "a good deal knocked
about by the English sailors. they de-
served double as much as they got. and
the vi%cs-consul made il his business to see
they got II i'm the long run.
In soIne mysterious manner these sea
robbers had discovered that the owner
and "A good many of the crew of the Cor
morant had gone ashore, and they
thought they would have il all their own
way on board. The last thing that they
looked for was that "A mere. girl should
.up and bar the door, in their fac, s.
The DUssU.