The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-04-01
rhere were cnt1asses of sYery size and

i
hero. They are rough workmanship,
and will be used by rough hands, and do
rough work"
At this moment Captain Alton saw Mrs.
Hatchet passing the door, and hailing
her, asked how Captain Gatrell was.
He's yer, porely, Grif' 1 tell ye' he's
very porely."
Does the doctor think there is any
hopes of his recovery"
NO. Griff. not one bit. Why, tell We,
he's Just sInkln' all the time, an lie
can't last much longer eff he don't git
botter."
Does the doctor think he will live
many days?"
Don't know" answered Mrs. Hatchet.
He's jest liable to 60 at any time"
4 hope I may be able to call and see
him."
DO come, Grif, right soon. Eff ye
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 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?"
NO"
That is we'll. 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 tic
brain bad. Pieces O. that ar shell wns:
busted, it seems, went into his BRAIN"
"Iwant to see him during one of his
lucid intervals, for there is much that
want to talk with him about.
Il wish you could, Griff, 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 rasin' off yer head"
What does he rave about mostly?"
Ships an'...storms. He talks O black
nights an angry seas, and says the waves
are rollin' mountains high. He seems to
be on a srkin' ship, what never sinks,
an hears sich peals O. thunder, aud sees
sich flashes O. iightnin', that it sets the
ocean ablaze. Then he talks o great
explosion, O ship busts up, an is wreck
upon the rocks. He goes to it and fnds
bodies thar. Oh, Grif, it does q most
raise my hair on my head to hear him
tRlk. Jese eeem w NO ehoh 10y Oval oo
see it all"
Does he see any living people?"
Dun know. It's then he begins to tals
of Ola. He says she's his child yet, an
they sha'n't take her away from him."
Does he ever call her any other per-
sons child than his own?"
Sometimes he hints at it. He jest says
that they call her child O. the sea, but
she amt. She's his own child, and he
won't have it said that she's any one else's
child"
She hurried away to the Gattrell man
sion to her patient, and Capt. Alton s'ood
with his head bowed, gazing at the dark
ground.
Though it lacked several hours until
daylight, the village of Msnoa was all
awake and alive. People we're hurrying
hither and thither in every direction, and
the ring Of hammers, rasping of saws and
general cIatter of the mechanics tools,
would have made one think it was mid
day. ,
Xenophon, Il have heard a great deal
about this wounded sea captain. Is his
name not Gatrell?"
Yes"
What is his given name?'
John Gatrell."
I'm what business has he been on the
sea?"
Merchant business, think"
WAS he ever in the American navy?"
Perhaps he was during the Revolu-
tionarv war. I think he was on board
priyateer. He has been sailor all his
life."
Il wonder if it is my old shipmate,
John Gatrell, who sailed with me aboard
The Stormy Petrol. Doyou know whether
he was ever on q whaling voyage?
L do not know. / never hoard him
mention it"
IF it was he, it was many years ago,
when we were but boys. And now what
is this of what he raves?"
He rescued child from wreck, and
that seems to bear upon his mind
What was the name of the vessel
wrecked"
Il do not know"
Did he never tell you?"
mo, he knows not. The name wac de-
stroyed. The vessel was so broken up
that they could not tell what the name
was"
Il am sorry he does not know"
There was something so strange, so pa
thetic in the voice, tone, and manner Of
the deserter of the Yenophon that Cap
tain Alton paused and gazed at the
speaker in amaZement.
DO you know anything of this" he
asked.
No"
Still Griffith Alton was not satisfied.
Surely there was something in the man.
ner of the deserter which was strange
and unaccountable. Captain Alton knew
delicate to be mentioned.
At last Mr.. Burnett turned to our hero
and said:
Let US 60 in and watch them manu-
facture broadswords."
They turned about and went to the
blacksmith shop.
1T is very strange" thought Captain
Alton. There is something back of this.
Mr.. Burnett knows something of the
wounded sailor which he has not re-
vealed. What is it that he kaows?"
They entered the blacksmith shop. All
around them we're roaring FORCES. The
ring of hammers upon anvils, and the
fash of sparks in every direction at that
late hour of the night gave the place the
appearance of the Internal regions.
wall, Grif, we're a-turnin' 'em out
purity fast" said Jack Hatchet, who was
hammer;ng q bar of steel into broad
sword. We'll Lev ein al done afore
daylight.
It was with infinite satisfaction that
Captain Alton watched the pile OF iron
bars, scythes and reaping- hooks deereas-
ing, while the pile of brosdswords in
creased