Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1891-07-03
THE BIG oUICKSAND.

"Fdpa. / don't like tho way those mon
huddlc together forward. They are up &c
some mischief, you can depend upon it,
Nonsense, Ella; %nonsensef" cried blun
old Captain Myers; and he pushed back
the broad brimmcd straw has which pro
tected his head from TIE fierce tropical
san. ''The crew is all right, and by
shutdown. If this breeze holds, wen be at
the mouth Of the Colorado"
Perhaps you know best, papa" said
the captains pretty daughter; but }
Jelicve they are plotting mutiny or some
other dreadful thing, and Mr.. Ed
wards"-
"Humphr growlinsly interrupted the
captain, and he scowled darkly. ITS
from Frank Edwards then that you get
these false ideas about my crew."
Nothing Of the kind, papar' protested
Ella, although she blushed rosily. 1T
was | who FIRST noticed the queer actions
Of the men, and called his attention to
the 1-atter. lie said he would suggest
to you
"Well, | don't want his suggcstions!"
beloved the captain. I'm commander
Of the Peerless, and have sailed these
waters long enough to know my bust
hess. These things are all in your imag-
f%nation, and don't thank frank Ed
wards for encouraging you in hbeling
my most excellent crew even by
thought
Having thus delivered himself the cap
tain turned on his heel and entered the
cabin, while Ella, with another direful
look toward the sullen faced crew,
Eeaved q deep sigh and sank into a
CHAIR which the first mate Of the Peer
less, handsome Frank Edwards, had
placed for her on the poopdeck beneath
an %improvised awning that had been
stretched to shelter her from the rays of
the burning eun.
Her face frightened presently, when a
quiet step sounded on the deck, and the
mate stood beside her.
"What did he sayy' he asked in an
eager whisper.
silly girls foolish fancy. and stalked into
the cabin, red with anger, when | men
toned your name"
Il feared as much" said the young
man sadly. "He - blind to the daily
vaccinations of these copper faced ras-
calls, and it is no use giving him advice
They were plotting mischief before
we were out of sight OF Gueymas.
That scar faced sounded, Manuel
Dsac..3, has learned that we have a
.orr, ~ arms, ammunition and general
fe troops at Fort Yuma, and
e has excited his cupidity.
ekor.ssol frr to- far ~ Gnu
.l-ci-co island he met IN agent Of the
10 gents, arI was promised a liberal
sun Is he would capture the vessel and
turn IL AID the cargo yer to them.
"Ho docs not know that I overheard
him plotting.
IF he did he woull be cowardly and
desperate enough TO knock me on the
head with a beltying pin some dark
night"
"Oh, Frank. cried Ella, and her beau
tiful face paled with apprehension. "DC
be careful and watchful-for my sake!"
IL will!' was his response. land a.
your father win not take the p%recautior
to checlmate any move these rufian.
may make / will perfect my plans S,
that we can escape from the bark in cas-,
Rosario and his men mutiny and seizi
her"
"And papay' faltered Ella.
'rll force him 60 go with Us. Eov
don't worry, dear heart, for feel abb,
10 o p with these rascals when the TIM
for action comes"
They were in the upper Gulf of Cali
fornia, where it nnrrows to meet tn
waters of the Colorado river.
The bark Peerless, Of which Elias IA
Their was captain ana owner. was loade,
with arms and ammunition and othe
supplies for the United States troops a
Fort Yuma.
All but two Of the original crew ship
ped in New York had died Of the yellow
fever. which broke ont with terrible vir
ulence shortly after they passed Cap
st. Lucas and entered the gulf.
The captain had managed to get hi
vessel into Guayinas, and there the twI
remaining members Of his crew had de
serted.
In consequence he was obliged to shiI
a native crew and employ Manuel Ro
sario, an ex-pearl diver who, unknown
to him, WAS implicated in a revolution
then in progress o. the peninsula, TO en-
list the requisite number of men.
Rosario had got together a band Of a
blOodthlrsty ruiians as it was possible L
find, and had no difficulty in inducing
them 10 leud willing acquiescence L
all his %neiariOus schemes.
He boldly planned TO make Captain
Myers, the captains daughter. Ella, an,
tie mate, Frank Edwards, prisoners
seize the vessel and run it into a seclud
ed hsrbOr between the head Of San Fran
cisco island and the mouth Of the Colo
RADIO river.
Here he would be joined by q party o
the insurgents, who would loot the yes
sci, after which IT would be broken up.
The tides on the Gulf Of California
are gigantic, the rise and fall Of tn
water averaging seventy-fye feet.
Rosario knew that they woulds ente
the mouth Of the Colorado river tina
night. and as the tide was particular.
swift at that point the bark would b
securely anchored during the ebb am
fsW o. the tremendous current.
This he resolved should be the tim