Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1897-03-16
NUMBER II.

Don't forget the compasses and some
matches, Ralph, and have a last look at
the firearms. You see, am oil ready to
60 with you?"
looked at her in amazement Idon't
say that she had on a full suit Of her
fathers clothes, but it was pretty near
il. | realized that she must feel embar-
rassed, and that only her love for me
had brought il about, and so / looked
in any other direction as replied:
'See here, girl, but do you realize
the peril Of this expedition? Ben john
son would like nothing better than to
capture us both at once. think he'd
almost give up all ideas Of possessing
the Hindu il he had us in his hands!'
"Yes, Ralph, know the danger, she
quietly replied. ''lt will be greater TO
you alone than with me, and 80 shall
20. Take along u revolver for the cap
tain, and it would bo well il Haskell
remained in the boat after we have
landed, Us We may come back in great
haste "
To tell you the trath, was glad to
have company. | should rather have
had one Of the men, Of course, could
one have been spared, and il made me
tremble TO think we might BE- playing
into Johnson's hands With the three Of
Us prisoners the people left aboard the
bark could not hold out against him u
day. Wasn't il brave of my sweetheart
to volunteer to accompany me-aye, 20
insist on IL in spite Of my objections?
want you 10 praise her a bit for that. IL
you bad stood on that lonely beach with
Us and looked into the dark forest and
realized the peril as we did, know you
would call hSr heroine. For all We
knew, dozen of the mutineers might
be lying concealed in the bushes not 30
feet away. was not nearly so confident
Of success after landing and standing
face TO face with the difficulties. Sailor
though was, and ever using the COM
pass for my guiding star ] should have
overlooked il on this occasion and been
lost in the bush before We had gone 200
feet but for Mary
After few whispered words to Has
kell, who was to remain in the boat un-
til we returned or daylight came, took
the lead, and We pushed into the woods.
1t rained little, and the wind was
gusty, and once under the trees II was
so dark that we had 10 feel our way. /
fattered myself that we were keeping
true course, but at the end Of quarter
of an hour Mary suggested that we take
look at the compass. We got down
close TO the ground and struck match,
and, to my surprise, we were bearing
northwest instead Of due north. After
that we consulted the compass every
few minutes, but Were good hour and
half making our way TO the clearing.
We were within 30 feet Of the tents be-
fore we got sight Of the fires, which the
rain had almost extinguished. We crept
closer and listened, bat not sound
came from the mutineers. Putting her
mouth close 20 my ear, Mary whispered:
Now. Ralph, you made ont four
tents or shelters here. The captain is
certainly in one Of them. II any one
was on guard over him, there would be
q better fire. We shall find him fast
bound in one Of the rear shelters. Let
me take the lead from this out, and re-
member, if we are surprised, we must
open fire on them and try aud cut the
captains bonds and put pistol IN his
hands.
Would you believe that l, who had
planned the expedition and intended to
go alone and had taken the lead thus
far, should give way to girl at the
most critical point and take second
place? And yet that is the very thing
! did. IL seemed TO be- matter OF
course. won admit that was fright
ened, but my nerves were strung up and
my heart humping away like trip
hammer, and I'm sure ] was the more
Illustrated Of the two. Mary moved 10
the right, passed within ten feet Of the
large tent, in which We heard the
sleepers snoring and signing, and pres.
emily stopped before a smaller one The
sides were made Of brush, and the roof
was tarpaulin. Certain smells indicat-
ed that it was the cookbouse When sat.
isiied on this point. We passed along &c
the third structure. This was also q
rude affair, but there were men asleep
inside.
IL WAS so dark that when we stood in
the door and peered around we could
not make out thing. There might be
half a dozen men in there, and Captain
Clark might be one Of them, but how
were We to ascertain? Ny heart went
down like "a luihp of lead as | realized
the difficulties, and l whispered to
Mary:
"We have made the trip for nothing.
How are we to find the captain III the
darkness"
"We must take some risks" she
whispered in reply. II am going to
strike match AID have a look. II we
raise all alarm. the first idea Of the men
will be to rush cut. We must fire on
them and drive them into the woods,
trusting they will leave the captain be.
hind.
That was the proper way 10 do 1t, but
! should never have thought Of it. mol
Had | been alone / should have turned
back at this point. feeling that the diff
cultes were too great for me to sur
mount. | handed Mary couple Of
matches, made ready TO open fire, and
she moved inside and struck light. As
she held the blazing match up / counted
eight men isaps of brush and
leaves they b.. hered for beds, and
right in the coL,-r Of them, bound hand
and foot, was Captain Clark. He was
wide awake and raised his head to look
ut us.
tell you, and felt it to my shame,
though l stood guard and had the
guns to carry, Mary stepped right over
those sleeping men, cut the prisoner q
bonds with knife l gave her, and then
helped him up and held him on his feet
until the blood circulated and he could
use his limbs. They came out hand in
hand, the captain took the rifle handed
him, and we made our way back to the
beach without word having been
spoken OH the way. The captain did
not even know who we were. 1t was
not until we were safely aboard that he
knew, and not until we were back that
it was generally known Mary and I had
been absent. 1t was joyful reunion,
you may be sure. Captain Clark had
suffered no injury or privation, but he
had been made to realize the desperate
mood the men were in, and that many