Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-04-27
..Less'n two hours, Missy Pete whis-


'sSholy, missy. FL dem wont leebe,
gravely. s'Lay 1owi she's a-comin'r'
Again the pair nestled lew in the
straw, Pete backing the slxif slowly as
he lay fat along the gunwale, watching
the second transport pass. Again the
signal-ights, again the answers of the
anchored transports. Then through
the gloom the boatman's trained sight
took in three huge black hulls beyond
the channel, their positions fixing on
his brain.
The second steamer had passed, the
third not yet in sight; and the skiff,
Pete judged, had drifted down half
mile.
''Now, bossy," he said. simply, ives
gwine ter cross da chainil, sholy. Den
We'll resk de transputs, fur wunsti Pull
long an slow!''
Again the slziff few over the water,
headed straight for Virginia. Across
the channel, well into the slack below,
and wel-Pete hoped-below the an
chored ships, he glanced over his Shout
der. With that glance the black lifted
his oar, Evans stroke spinning the
boats head upstream, as he caught the
quick whisper:
lift, bossy! Left 'er drift! Kiver,
quiclSy''
For either had the darkness made Pete
miscalculate the drift, or Evans quicker
stroke had headed the boat diagonally
across, not straight. For-not twenty
yards ahead-into the eyes Pete conf
IDENTIFY turned, CLEANED the stern-light
of a vessel, it's height proving her a big
one. Then, as he spoke and turned, he
glanced below, and dim1y through the
gloom shonc the lights of second!
No time for speculation now. They
We're almost beneath the towering hull
well within hail or easy pistol-range!
Only careless security, or untried ears,
had failed to catch the plash of oars,
the breathless trio waiting for a hail.
probably a volley. But neither came;
and silence as of death covered what
might have been a phantom ship.
Meanwhile, the slzif, in slack form
the current, began to drift slowly to-
wards the second light; and Pete, low
crouched in the stern, noiselessly shipped
his paddle and turned her head shore
ward.
Intuitively the others had stretched
in the hay, drawing the oilcloths well
over them, breathlessly expecting the
whirr of bullet or the glare of ben
COLA.
Flat on the water, no head showing
above her sides, the light craft an
swered well the feather of Pete's strong,
slow wrist. Inch by inch she bore
away, passed under the dim-looming
stern, almost grazing the still blades of
the propeller. But, spite of the blacks
strength, the sliff drifted fast; and he
dared not quicken his paddle, fearing
noise. For now on his quick ear
sounded the dull tramp of the deck
watch on the second transport, and the
dim CLEAN of her consort's stern-ight
fell on the low black skif drifting be-
tween twin dangers! So the steersman
let her swing closer in, beyond the
light, almost too close,-before he
softly turned her shoreward.
For high above him doomed the sec
ond bow; and biscuit dropping from
it had fallen in the skif. And the muf-
fed tread above now sounded clear even
to the two beneath the oil-cloths. But
to neither of the three did thought of
capture come, the reckless daring of the
boy relying on his tried, trust-to-luck
theory, the calmer courage of the girl
upheld by nearness to the goal she
gro crouched quiet and cool, his body
motionless, his strong wrist barely feel
ing the noiseless paddle.
Under the very nose of the tall ship
drifted the slziff, quick-turned into the
gloomy shadow of her great sides, car
ried slowly downward by the slack.
They were through the barrier, the
enemy we'll behind them! They were
| safe And Pete, turning the boats head
| to shore, wore away cautiously, but
| faster. Just then, out from the black
| shadow astern, came the calls: ''BOat
astern, sir!"-''Where away?''-''Port
! quarter, sir!'-so rapidly as to merge in
| one.
All three could hear the officer run
aft, and his gruff reply, as he lowered
his night-glass:
Nonsense, Keefe! see nothing"
| No time to lose now! Quicker, but
still noiselessly, the brawny black wrist
] twisted the paddle, the boat answering
as a live thing and gliding swiftly
away, but not before the ghostly blue
bengal-light cleaned ominous across
the water. And just within its radius,
scarcely visible, foatcd on the low,
black boat.
''There she lays, sirl'' the watch cried,
pointing.
| ''Pshaw, man! that's only an old log.
But give her a shot, anyway"
Pete heard the shrill hiss of bullet
close above his head, and a splash as it
struck the water well beyond. But he
did not even vince; and no sound OF
movement showed the dim, log-hke OBJ
ject floating there to be anything more
suspicious.
But at the shot the first ship flashed
her lights, and, still beyond, the third
answered the signal, lighting the water
so brightly that the boat-gliding swift
| ly almost out of radius now-showed
clearly. And, with the sight, rifles
cracked from the nearest ship, bullets
cutting the water all around, and one
striking dull into the stern of the bold
| blocllade-runner. Then, rearing his
tall form as the boat glided again be
yond the lights, Pete swung his oar
crying:
clay low, missy!-Row, bossy, row.
Another volley came, some bullets
Kissing very near, as Evan bent to his
oar and cried. cheerily:
''Pull, Petei It's run or hang, now!'
To BE CONTINUED.