Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1895-07-25
CHAPTER XVI

CHAPTER XVI
When the knocking ceased at Kisseck' s
| and MonR's footsteps were heard to turn
away, Corteen and Killip knelt on the floor
and felt the body of the master and knew
that he was dead
Lets get off anyway" said one; "let's
away to sea, as the gel said. The fac's is
agen us ALL"
Maybe the man was right" said the
other "It's like enough she's got the Cas-
tie Rushen fellows behind her, and they'll
be ON us quick Come, bear o hand"
Their voices sounded hollow. They lifted
Kisseck on to their shoulders A thin red
stream was flowing from his breast. Cor
teen picked up cap from the floor and
stanched the blood 1t was Danny's cap
and as they passed out 1t fell again in the
porch.
door to let them pass. He had watched
their movements with big wide eyes They
went by him without word. When they
were gone, he followed them mechanically
scarcely knowing what he did With bare
head, and the pistol still hanging in his
rigid hand, he stepped out into the night
1t was very dark now. They could see
nothing save the glow of the fire burning
furiously over the Poolvash. And only the
sharp crackle of the kindling gorse' and
the deep moan of the distant sea could they
hear. They took the low path back to the
Lockjaw, where they had left the boats
They body was heavy, their steps were un.
certain in the darkness, and their capture
seemed imminent. AS they passed the
mouth of the old pit, Corteen proposed to
throw the body into 1t. Killip assented, but
Danny, who had not uttered word or sound
until now, cried, "No. no. mol" Then
they hurried along.
When they reached the Lockjaw, they
descended to the bay. got into one of the
boats and pushed off The other boat-the
police boat that Danny had brought from
the castle-they pulled into midstream and
there sent 1t adrift. 1t ran ashore at the
next food tide, two miles farther up the
shore When they got clear outside of the
two streams that flow round the head, they
we're amazed to find the Benny -chree
bearing down on them in the uncertain
light. What had happened was this:
On running down the lamp that was
put up on the ruined end of the pier the
two men who had charge Of the fishing
boat had lain to and staid aboard for some
minutes Davy Cain and Tommy Tear
having effected their purpose ashore, had
stolen away from their simple companions
and were standing on the quay. The two
couples Of men were exchanging words in
eager whispers when they heard shouts
from the castle. Whats thatp kisseck' 4
voicep" NO" Something has gone
wrong. Let us set sail and away" ST
they stood out again to sea, passing close
by the Castle rock: They now realized
that the voice they had remembered was
the voice of Kinvig. That was enough to
tell them that mischief had been brewing
They rounded the island and saw the fire
over the head of the Lockjaw. They filled
away and kept the boat off to her course
Soon they saw the dingy athwart their
hawse and pulled to. Corteen and Killip
lifted the body Of Kisssck into the fishing
boat, and Danny Fayle, all but as silent
and rigid, was pulled up after it. AS the
lad was dragged over the gllnwale the pis-
tol dropped from his hand and fell with
splash into the sea. A word Of explanation
ensued, and once more they were standing
out to sea, with their dread freight of hor-
ror and crime The wind was fresh out
side. 1t was on their starboard quarter as
they now made for the north. They saw
the fire burning to 1eeward 1t sent a
long, red, sinuous track of light across the
black water that flowed between them and
the land Danny stood forward, never
speaking, never spoken to, gazing fixedly
ut that sinuous track To his affrighted
senses it was as the serpent of guilt that
kept trailing behind him. When they were
we'll away, and the men had time to COM
prehend in it's awful fullness what had
occurred, they stood together aft and whis-
pered They had placed the body of the
master by the hatchways, and again and
again they turned their heads toward it in
the darkness. 1t was as though the body
might even yet stand up in their midst,
and any man at any moment might find it
face to face with him, eye to eye. The Ger
tainty that it was dead had not taken hold
of all of them 1t still bled, and one of
the crew, Quilleash, an old man reputed
to possess a charm to stop blood, knelt
down beside Kisseck and whispered in his
ear.
"A few good words can do no harm any
way" said Tear, and even Davy Cain was
too much aghast to jeer at the superstition.
"Sanguis name in te, sicut Christus Sc"
whispered the old man in his native tongue
into the deaf ear, and then followed a wild
command to the blood to cease flowing in
the name of the three godly men who
came to Rome Christ. Peter and Paul
The blood stopped indeed. But "Cham-
arroo as clagh" said the old man, looking
up, as dead as stone.
Danny stood and looked on in silence
His spirit seemed to be gone, as though 1t
could awake to life again only in another
world
When death was certain, the men began
60 mourn over Kisseck and recount their
memories concerning him.
Well, Bills cruise is up, poor fellow.
and a rael good skipper anyway"
Poor Bill What's that it's sayin-'He
who makes ditch for another may fall
into it himselfp "
None spoke to Danny. A kind of awe
fell on them in their dealings with the
lad They let him alone. 1t was as If he
had been the instrument in greater hands.
He hadn't a lazy bone in him, hadn't
Bill Aw, WELL God will be aisy on the
poor chap"
You have to summer and winter man
before you know him. And leave it to me
to know Kisseck. I've shared work, shared
meat with him this many year. !"
And fine big chap, and as straight as
the backbone Of o herrin. Aw, well,
well, well"
Still, for sure, Bill made man toe the
mark. I'm thinkin, poor chap, he's got
summat to answer for anyway. Well, well,
every man must go to the mill with his
own sack"