Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1893-08-04

the COloneFs untimely deathl'
lie shuffed vigorously Two or three
times at 4 bottle Of salts he had drawn
from one of his vest pockets, and which
instantly diffused pungent and restor-
ative odor throughout the apartment,
and then resumed:
GAS you have so readily and intelli-
gently surmised my dear Mr. Moreland,
those 'outaws of Calcutta are. indeed
the authors Of the C0lone's murder. He
reached Cape Town in due course, after
very remarkable run, and came to
anchor in Table Bay. The hour of our
arrival was rather late-almost mid
night, in fact-and the Colonel accord
ingly decided not to go ashore or let any
one else do so until the following morn
ing"
Kadd nodded bfeathlesslt, to signify
that he was not losing word of the
narration.
"Ho~ can adequately describe what
followed" continued Hillington, with
a sigh, resorting again to his salts. "We
had not been at our anchorage half an
hour when we were suddenly boarded
and assailed by swarm of assassins.
Worst calamity Of all, we discovered that
several of these reprobates had smuggled
themselves into our crew. Taken by
surprise, betrayed, outmatched and over
towered. what could we do? We were
Simply annihilatedl The Colonel was
one Of the first to be murdered. He fell
Just as was stricken down senseless at
his feet. and we were thrown overheard
together"
Radd groaned in horror.
"Fortunately the cold water revived
me. and / struck out for the shore, see
ing that the yacht was already in the
hands of the pirates. | dare say you
have read enough to be aware of the
confguration of Table Bay. We had an
chored we'll out toward Robbins Island,
the wind being northwest and buster
ing. sd as to be in a position to pull out
In case it came OH to blow. 1t was owing
to our being anchored so far out that
our battle was not overheard in Cape
Town, and it was owing to the direction
of the wind that / was able, after an
hours desperate swim, to reach the
shore as the sole survivor of our people. }"
Gas the sole survivor" repeated Radd
Moreland. "How very, very singular"
aOh. not at all! Those cut-throats who
had smuggled themselves aboard the
Yacht as seamen instantly turned, you
see. on all who stood by the Colonel. in
cluding myself. 1t was not fight, but
a massacre"
"But how came the pirates in Cape
Town ahead of you?" pursued Radd.'
"How? They had stolen one OF the
fastest steamers in Calcutta, and pursued
us, arriving near Cape Town three days
ahead of us, so that they were looking
for us at the moment of our arrival"
aYou say they waited for you near
Cape Town, Mr. Hillington. Didn't they
anchor in Table Bay?"
"No, sir"
"And those ships which were anchored
In Table Bay at the moment of the fight,
aid they not come to the rescue or hear
or see anything?"
The East Indian stirred uneasily,
while q strange flash invaded his face.
every, very few ships were In port, J"
he then said, with barely visible hesi-
fancy, and none of them sent assistance
In time to be of the least use to us, it was
all so sudden-such startling surprlse!"
"And the Colonels yacht, sir?"
"The pirates carried it off with them"
narrated Hillington, "and with it went
every dollar of the Colonel's two millions,
and also those six valuable trunks filled
with costly presents and personal effects
he was bringing home with himl Could
any disaster be more sweeping, my dear
Mr.. Moreland2 TO lose life, fortune and
ship at one fell swoop-how dreadful! OF
course | raised the town, after reaching
the shore, and prolonged search was
made for the pirates, as also for the Col
onel's body, but in vain"
Once more the East Indian resorted
theoretically to his bottle of salts, while
Radd shivered in wondering amaze at
these horrifying revelations.