The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1894-01-18

May on deck. : was about to open
my cabin door and invite him to join
me n my unrest when the peculiar
nature OF his proceedings riveted
my attention. He looked timidly
around as if afraid Of attracting OBJ
servation. Then suddenly, as if as.
sIred that the coast was clear, he
walked rapidly toward the empty
water cask, on which he was accus-
toned to manufacture his model Of
the ship. Once more glancing eau
tiously about him, he then appl cd
his hands to the cask, and With Il
rapid movement lifted half the Top
bodily of.
NV establishment and excitement
were intense. Another hasty glance
around, and he put his hand down
into the cask, then quickly withdrew
it, holding in his grasp a small bag
which he Zap dly concealed in the
breast of his coat. He again took Il
hasty survey, and was about making
another dive into the strange recep-
tacle for hidden goods when he sud-
denly withdrew, having quickly
replaced the lid on the cask. In an
other moment the cause of his alarm
was made apparent, as a couple of
sailors passed him on their way to re-
lleve the man at the wheel.
When all was again quiet, for an
instant he seemed determined to re-
turn at once to the old Cask and no
doubt withdraw something more that
the interruption had prevented his
taking in the first place But sud-
denly changing his mind, he went
down the stairs that led from the
deck to the sleeping cabins
Scarcely had May disappeared when
another figure stealthi!y crossing the
deck met my anxious obse walton.
1t was the boatswain. l saw him
glance toward the stairs down which
May had taken his departure. He
then made directly for the cask. 1t
was now Obv Gus to me that the old
boatswain had been watching the
pleasant voyagcr.
Just as the OH sailor reached the
water cask Il heavy green sea struck
the ship to windward, neccssitating
the boatswain's holding on by the
ropes to keep his footing, and pre-
cisely at the same moment May ap-
ptared at the top of the cabin stairs.
The instant the ship stead Ell he :
self the old boatSwain commenced
his examination of the water cask.
For a moment only May stood gazing
at him with as evil a glance as ever
l saw With bound he vas upon
the sailor before he could protect
himself. l waited no longer. but
flung open my cabin door and sprang
to the rescue. In a few minutes we
had our pleasant friend in irons.
So you see he was the thief, after
all, hiding his knavcry under the
p%leaSantcst exterior ever met with.
The ann in which he had manu-
featured the top Of the water ca'k
was an ingenious piece OF carpentry.
In the interior of tn sides Of the
cask he had driven several nails
about two fe t from the top, on
which he had suspended, in wash
leather bags, the ;ewelry he had
stolen.
You may easily imagine the sur
prise evinced by the people on board
on discovering that the thief was the
man for whom each and every on, of
them entertained such regard.
Al the expiration Of three days
from the date of Mays detection we
Landed in Melbourne and of course |
handed him over to the pol &c, but
as no one cared to remain in the
town for the purpose Of prosecuting
The presiding magistrate SEN need
him to six months imprisonment
with hard labor.