The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1894-09-07

LuS bAy uuu ClOuuGu over luIS III |
the afternoon, and night, gloomy and |
foreboding, settled down on the
schooner.
"The very elements seem to be in
sympathy with this cursed business"
said the captain, when it began to
grow SO dark in the cabin that we
could hardly make out each others
faces, "and 1 feel as if the jig was
about up with\me."
AS soon as the last streak of day
had disappeared, the captain, revolver
in hand, mounted the companion-lad-
der and stole softly on deck. I fol-
lowed him part way, but stopped, ac-
cording to his directions, and stood
with my head and shoulder above the
companion-way, ready, in case of en-
Urgency, to lend assistance that might
lie in my power.
1 never looked into blacker night
The mir was soft and mild, and ftful
gusts of wind dashed few cooling
rain-drops against my face, as held
on to my revolver and tried to keep
the receding form of the captain in
view. But he disappeared almost in
stantly, and, owing to the whistle of
the wind in the rigging, the groaning
of the masts and the cracking of the
yard-arms, l could not hear his foot.
steps after he had gone half dozen
PAGES. He carried no lantern, but
several lights glimmered fore and
aft, dancing and shifting unsteadily
about, like veritable will-o'- the wisps.
None, however, were near the main
hatchway, the place Of meeting
Anxiously l waited five, ten, fifteen
minutes, as nearly as 1 could reckon
time, but neither sight nor sound
> brought intelligence of the captain.
At last 1 could bear the suspense no
longer, and [ began to wolk slowly
along toward the bow. When I
thought | had reached the location of
the hatchway, and was on the point Of
coming to halt, struck my foot
against something and fell--the
planks of the deck seeming to open
and engulf me.
! While still descending through space
! realized what had happened-the
hatchway had been opened and 1 had
fallen into the hold. A second later ]
found myself lying between two bag:
of wheat, more frightened than hurt
and with the fumes of chloroform al
most suAicating me. Before trying t.
rise discovered that l was not il
total darkness, and that dim ligh-
, came from somewhere. but not from
} above, was sure. Presently muf
fed groan reached me from the direc
tion of the stern, and on looking owe:
my shoulder I saw the stopping form
of man outlined by the rays of
lantern in front of him, about twenty
feet away.
I gained my feet with some Difficult
ty and was about to step forward
: when the ship gave lurch and I wa
thrown lengthwise against the hull
Before l could stand up again, tn
bent form assumed an upright postum
and I recognized the big Dane. Nut
tering incoherently, he picked up TIN
Iantern and started toward the plac,
where 1 had first fallen, of to my left
Whether it was fear, the shocl
caused by striking the hull, or the eff
fects of the chloroform that kept m
from trying to get up, I am not pre-
pared to say, but I did not attempt t.
move hand or foot.
J AS the light drew near, 1 discovere
9 a rope dangling from the deck Whel
the Dane drew near this rope, he de
/ posted his lantern beside him, rubbe
| his big hard hands together with
D loud, rasping noise, and laughed
low, fendish sort of chuckle, who
: fairly chilled my blood. A momen
later his merriment subsidized, and tax
@ ing hold of the rope with one hand
S he picked up the lantern with tn
It other. 1 expected to see him ruD hi
!, arm through the handle of the lan
f tern and 60, hand over hand, throug
v the hatchway, but he was in no hurr
, and began to talk in harsh under
Q tone.
e 80 far so good, King Qvistgard,
I he said. "a million pounds of dis
t monds sewed up in sacks of silk, an
1 oil my own. Oh, what a royal pres
e ent for my ebony princess. Fiftee
g days more and I shall reign 81
d preme. The two mates an
). the captain are now my roy
subjects, and tomorrow night IL
|. passenger will join them. Then CONF
b. me hearties, Hutton and the lit
e Welshman, and so on down the list
n Ha, ha, ha, hal"
Ie Never until that awful moment hu
1t heard the blood-curdling laugh of
If maniac, but recognized it as quick
I { 1, II - =