The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-12-09


about johnson and new plans being dis
cussed. Rest assured, sir, they'll make
some move to get possession of the bark,
and it won't be long delayed either"
"Just my idea, and we must make
ready for them!''
The cabin was left just as we had de-
Tended it, but we battened down the
matches and scuttles so that there was
no getting below. When we came to in
spect the convict's cages, we found
nothing of them left. They had zen
completely torn away aud the material
flung overheard. Had we succeeded in
putting down the mutiny we should
have had no place in which to safely
hold our prisoners The fellows had
made fearful waste of such provisions
and stuff as they could get at, and as
we looked about we wondered that they
had not fired or scuttled the ship in
their desperation.
When night came down, a double
watch was set on board. Haskell and
Miss Foster took the bow aud Mary
and l the stern. and the men who lay
down in the cabin had their weapons
handy for sudden call. 1t was quiet,
starlight night, and the beach was so
near that had any of the mutineers ap-
peared we should have made them out.
From o'clock to midnight 1 was
alone with Mary for the first time since
/ came to know her name. There was
no doubt of my love for her, and she
had as good as told me that she returned
it, and yet must tell you that l was
more upset for the first hour than when
the mutineers rushed us. AS matter
of fact, we were no company for each
other. and if the dear girl hadn't cor
rectly judged my feelings and felt sorry
for me doubt if / should have opened
my mouth during the four hours watch.
never yet heard of man who was
content with simply knowing that a
woman loved him. He wants to assure
her of his love and exact a promise of
marriage. That's exactly what wanted
to do-to tell Mary that thought she
was the dearest, incest girl in all this
world and ask her to make me the
proudest, happiest man by giving me
her hand in marriage. She could read
my mind, the witch, and she kept me
on the ragged edge for an hour or more
before she suddenly asked:
"Mr. Tompkins, do you think we
shall get safe away?'
II am hopeful Of it now" replied,
"but few days ago 1t was Ralph
| instead of Mr.. Tompkins.
"And it's Ralph now," she said az
she gave me her hand to hold, but
looked away in that coy, shy way which
we expect to find in girl, and which
| we consider such a charn.
"I'll speak to the father tomorrow,
said as soon as dared trust my voice
to say anything, and as she did not pull
her hand away knew that it was al
right between us, and felt that joyfu
that wanted 30 stand up and shout.
AS to how people make love on lan'
l have no knowledge, but I'm tellin,
you in my plain, sailorlike way how
we made love on shipboard in that bit o
bay, with may Zap half hundred desper
ate villains hidden in the bushes not
stones throw away. There was no vow
ing that was ready to die for her, AM
she didn't declare that was the braves
and noblest man OH earth. / know
loved her with all my heart, and ha'
she not loved me she would not hav
placed her future in my keeping. w
just quietly accepted each other for bet
ter or for worse, and If / can't weav
much of "a romance into it you'll hav
to accept it without.
We heard nothing whatever of tn
mutineers during my watch or up {
midnight. We had been relieved abou
half an hour, and the ship was as quie
as "a graveyard, when the tide began {
come in. This swung the head OF tn
bark to the sea and her stern within
about ID yards of the bushes. If tn
mutineers had plan for that night,
would soon unfold itself. The idea wa
that they would creep down throug
the bushes to the edge of the water an
quietly swim off TO us, hoping to fin
our vigilance relaxed. A dozen stroke
would bring swimmer alongside.
There were four persons in the secon
watch, as there had been in the first
and while they kept eyes and ears ope
they suddenly discovered three monste
sharks moving lazily around the vessel
They were of the species known as tn
hammer head, and there is no fiercer no
more disgusting inhabitant of the Sc
unless it be the octopus By and b
the sharks remained stationary, as If O
guard. / said the four people wer
watching and listening, and yet but 70
those sharks terrible calamity Nigh
have happened. Some Is or 20 of tn
mutineers took Co the water to board TIA
bark over her bows. and whatever nois
they might have made was drowned i
the grating of her chain cable in tn
iron hawse hole as she swung to tn
tide. But none Of them reached her
The first one had not yet laid hands o.
her chains when one of the shark
seized him, and three seconds later th
other two had selected victims Their
were three fearful shrieks, "a chorus @
shouts and great splashing, and nj
Sas over before any one FROM the cabi
<ould get on deck The surviving mu
tineers stood on the beach and curses