The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1896-07-16

DC aDOuU nalI past IL voice CLOSE De-
side us, which l knew for Joe Groves,
though could see no one but us four,
Jack by my side and Moll bound close
to her husband, says:
"All goes well?"
eyes; all goes WE'LL" says l. where
upon he gives cry like the croak of q
frog, and his comrades steal up almost
unseen and unheard, save that each as
he came whispered his name, as Spinl1s,
Davis, Lee, Best, etc. till their number
was all told. Then Groves, who was
clearly chosen their captain, calls Spinks,
Lee and Best to stand with them and
bids the others and us to stand back
against the canes till we are called. So
we do'his bidding and fall back to the
growth of canes, whence we could but
dinly make out the mass of the rock for
the darkness, and there waited, breath
less, listening for the sound of oars.
But these Moors, for better pretense of
secrecy, had mufled their oars, SO that
we knew not they were at hand until
we heard Haroun's voice, speaking low.
"Englishmen, are you there?" asks
he.
AYE, we four" whispers Groves in
reply.
Then we hear them wade into the wa
ter and get into the boat with whisper
| ing of Haroun where they are to dispose
| themselves, and so forth. After that 81
lence for about ten minutes, and no
sound but the ceaseless rain until we
next hear Groves voice.
Davis, Negus," whispers he, on
which two of our number leave us and
go out to the boat to replace Haroun
and that other Moor, who, in the man.
ner of the Turks, had been strangled
and cast overheard.
And now follows much longer pc
riod of silence, but at length that comes
to an end, and we hear Groves voice
again whispering us to come. AT the
first sound of his voice his three COM
rades rush forward, but Groves, recog
nizing them, says hoarsely: Back, ev
cry one of you but those 1 called, or I'll
brain you There's room but for six in
the boat, and those who helped us shall
go first, as | ordered. The rest must
wait their time. ="
So these fellows, who would have
ousted us, give way, grumbling, and
Mr.. Goodwin carrying Moll to the boat
Dawson and waded in after him, and
so, with great gratitude, take our places
as Groves directs. We being in, he and
his mate lay to their oars and pull out
to the felucca guided by the lanthorn
on her bulwarks
Having put us aboard safely, Groves
and his mate fetch the three fellows that
remained ashore, and now all being en-
barked they abandon the small boat,
slip the anchor and get out their long
sweeps, all in desperate haste, for that
absence of wind, which l at first took to
be a blessing, appeared now to be a
curse, and our main hope Of escape lay
in pulling far out to sea before Mohand
discovered the trick put upon him and
gave chase All night long we toiled
with most savage energy, dividing our
number into two patches, so that one
might go to the oars as the other tired,
turn and turn about. Not one of us but
did his utmost--nay, even Moll would
stand by her husband and strain like any
man at this work. But for all our labor
Algiers was yet in sight when the break
Of day gave us light to see it. Then was
every eye searching the waters for sign
of sail, be it to save or to undo us.
Sail saw we none, but about 8 O'Clock
Groves, scanning the waters over against
Algiers, perceived something which he
took to be galley. Nor We're we kept
long in uncertainty, for by 10 it was OBJ
vious to us all, showing that it had
: gained considerably upon us in spite OF
our frantic exertions, which convinced us
that this was Mohand, and that he had
discovered us with the help of spy.
glass maybe.
At the prospect of being overtaken and
carried back to slavery sort of mad
ness possessed those at the oars, first oal
pulling with such fury of violence
that it snapped at the rowlock and was
of no further use. Still we made good
progress, but what could we with three
oars do against the galley which maybe
was mounted with dozen?
Some were for cutting down the mast
and throwing spars, sails and every use
less thing overheard to tighten our ship
but Groves would not hear Of this, see
ing by start in the rain that breeze
was to be expected, and, surely enough
the rain presently smote us on the cheek
smartly, whereupon Groves ran up oul
sail, which, to our infinite delight, did
presently swell out fairly, careening us
SO that the oar ON t'other side was use.
less.
But that which favored us favored
also our enemies, and shortly after we
saw two sails 60 up to match our one
Then Groves called a council of us and
his fellows, and his advice was this
That ere the galley drew nigh enough
for our number to be sighted he and his
fellows should bestow themselves away
in the stern cabin and lie there with
such arms of knives and spikes as they
had brought with them ready to their
hands, and that, ON Mohand boarding
us with his men, we four should Iet..