The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-11-06

Joy, SIR" said he Left this party to row
you across"
u can do without him." said Gordon
"rve found another man to do that job"
CHAPTER xxx.
CAPTURED.
The long visaged driver expostulated.
"Mr Kavanagh engaged this man, SIR"
said he, "and he'd been here, only he's just
gone down to see that his boat was all
right"
"That's licr' cried the waterman Cor
don had found. "Why, him and his mates
were in the Dog and Duck when this gent
| came in, and he'd "a seed him il he'd gone
in the Jug department stead Of the bar
side. Sides, who are your he added COM
batively, holding his lantern In the others
| face. you amt no licensed waterman
| you amt nobody Of these parts. Why, you
amt nothin but bloomin furriner, as can't
asst for drop O. beer in plain Englishp'
anyhow" said Gordon decisively, 81
shall take the man I've engaged. He's more
| likely to get through this fog than a man
who doesn't know the river WE'LL" and
| turning to me he would have persuaded
me to return to the carriage and go no
| further, but resolutely refused to accede
| to this proposal, feeling that the least
could do was to stand BY him to the last.
| "You will wait here till we return" said
Gordon to the driver as he gave me his arm.
| The man, evidently disconnected by the
unlocked for turn of affairs, responded with
a sullen nod. looked around for the con-
| federate, but he had disappeared.
The waterman. carrying the lantern, de-
scended to the waters edge with swing
ing gait, and we followed at his heels.
4 Then he left us to fetch his boat. disen-
| gagged my hand from Gordons arm that he
might be free to defend himself in case Of
attack, my reason being swayed by con-
fiicting feelings. Anything might happen,
knew not what Would these men, baked
In the design to get Gordon into their boat,
] attempt to seize him now' 1t was posi-
| BILE, but it seemed to me more probable
that in view of an alarm being raised by
the waterman they would follow us to Fer
| ryboat stairs and make the attempt nearer
to the Joy, where they might have the
| assistance of Putty or any other agents en-
ployed in the affair. Nevertheless every
sense was on the alert to catch a sign of
movement in the still darkness that sur
rounded us. ..
The lantern bobbed up and down as the
boatman scrambled from boat to boat until
he reached his wherry and pulled into the
shore. We got into the boat and seated
ourselves in the stern. The waterman set
the lantern at our feet and pushed off.
"The light amt no manner o. good to
me-" he explained. "Tve got to feel my
way acrost The tides a-runnin out about
three-quarters, and shall know by the wash
Of 1t pretty well whether my boats right
for the JOY"
mot much danger Of being fouled by
anything tonight" Gordon remarked.
mo, sir; there amt nothin but the police
boat movin tonight and no craft lying in
the Pool betwixt this and Doggets' crick !"
Nevertheless before we had gone q couple
of yards we ran into something-what it
was could not be discovered, for by the time
Peter Mech had lifted up the lantern
nothing could be seen either ahead or along
side OF us.
II lay it's them dangnation furriners
a-foulin us out of spite. II it had been a
Englishman, he'd "a swore at us like a
man"
He replaced the lantern and took the oars
again. For some time he rowed in silence;
then, after pause, he growled out some
particularly strong words in an undertone
and pulled with one oar only.s The mutter-
ing ceased, and he laid himself to both ours
with redoubled vigor. Presently he paused
again, and with another outburst of forcible
expressions tugged at one oar viciously.
|
havior he said, in reply to Gordon's question:
Whats the matter, masteri Why. this
is the most mysterious thing ever knowed.
keeps on a-draggin and a-draggin of her
up, and 1t pears like as IL she KEEP on a-gon
down. l can't get any way on her any
hows. And we ought to be right over by
this time. You don't see ne'er glimmer
of light, do your"
"It's as black as the deuce all round"
well, we're bound to get the way on her
now IL Gibbs is ebbs," he muttered as he la
bored at the single oar. Then, after pull
ing in silence for a minute or two, mister,
1t don't seem to you like as if you heerd
anything but my oar a-goin, do itf"
mo"
"That's good un too. Bother me II /
don't think ] can smell that taller ship
a-lnyin of Doggets' crick. Cuss me If It
amt taller too. Here, look at this" he
cried suddenly, after leaning over the side
and dipping his hand in the water. Were
a-goin qIicker than the tide"