Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-02-03


"You know, of course, we've got the
captain"
eyes"
"Well, what do you propose to do
about it?''
"What can we do?"
"You can save his life and all others
il you have got proper sense. Come
ashore, bring whatever you want, and
we'll give you up the captain and go
away in the bark. We've talked it over
with the captain, and the word he sends
by me is for you to do 1t. ;"
"And if we refuse?" / asked.
"Then you'll find his head lying right
where my feet stand when daylight
comes tomorrow.
told him that the proposition had
come so suddenly that we were not pre-
Dared to give an offhand answer; that.
while we were willing to make great
sacrifice to save the captains life, l
could not speak for the passengers. l
talked very civilly, as you may guess,
and the point i gained was the one l
had in sight from the first. johnson
agreed to wait until the next morning
for our decision and gave me his word
of "honor" that the captain should be
we'll treated in the meantime. As to
our giving up the bark and going
ashore, the matter could not be consid.
cred for q moment. Had a knife been
held at Captain CLARK g throat he would
have advised against it. Not one of US
would have been permitted to live to
tell the story. Once we were out OF the
way the fellows would have had little
to fear from pursuit
had a plan, to work under cover OF
darkness, which I hoped might turn out
successfully. but for obvious reasons l
kept it secret as long as possible. l had
been aloft so often that believed I
could find my way to the mutineers'
camp on the darkest night, and pro-
posed going there alone and making an
attempt to free the captain and bring
him back with me. I had as yet told no
one, when Mary Williams came to me
and said:
"Ralph, know what you have plan
ned to do, but you must not 60 alone
You believe you can find your way
through the forest without help, but you
cannot. You must get the bearings by
compass, and tonight you must have a
compass with you. The captain is likely
to have been hurt and may need help to
get along if rescued. I shall go with
you'll
When heard the good girl speaking
after that fashion, I was speechless with
surprise, but after bit pulled myself
together and answered her that we could
spare no men, and, as for taking a
woman on such perilous jaunt, it was
not to be thought of.
"But Ishall go with you'll" she stoutly
persisted 81 will take one of the re-
volvers and small compass, and you
can arm yourself with the fowling piece
and another revolver. If worst comes to
worst, believe the two of us will be a
match for the whole gang, as they have
no firearms. 1t is needless for you to
raise objections, for if you go I goP'
"But your clothes?" I persitsed.
"Why, Mary, the dress would be torn
off your back before we had crept half
a cables length"
II shall arrange about that, sir; so
90 ahead and make your plansl"
There was girl Of sense and courage
for you-a real English girl-who might
cry out at the sight of a mouse in her
own chamber, but who could be a real
heroine when the OCCASION demanded. /
pretended to yield, but at 8 o'clock that
night, when had one of the boats softly
dropped into the water and Haskell was
ready to pull me ashore, Mary came aft
and whispered to me:
Don't forget the compasses and some
matches, Ralph, and have last look at
the firearms. You see, am all ready to
go with you?'
I looked at her in amazement. don't
say that she had on full suit of her
fathers clothes, but it was pretty near
it. realized that she must feel embar'
rassed and that only her love for me
had brought it 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. I think he'd
almost give up all ideas of possessing
the Hindu if he had US in his handsl''
eyes, Ralph, know the danger" she
quietly replied. "It will be greater tc
you alone than with me, and so l shall
20. Take along a revolver for the cap.
tain, and it would be we'll if Haskell
remained in the boat after we have
landed, as we may come back in great
| haste"
To tell you the truth, was glad tc
have company. I SHOULD rather have
had one of the men, of course, could
one have been spared, and it made me
tremble to think we might be playing
into Johnson's 8 hands. With the three Of
us prisoners the people left aboard the
bark could not hold out against him Il
day. Wasn't it brave of my sweetheart
to volunteer to accompany me-aye, tc
insist on it in spite of my objections?
want you to praise her bit for that. II
you had stood Oh that lonely beach with
us and looked into the dark forest and
realized the peril as we did, know you
would call her a heroine. For all we
knew, a dozen of the mutineers might
be lying concealed in the bushes not ~
feet away. was not nearly so confident
of success after landing and standing
face to face with the difficulties. Sailor
though 1 was, and ever using the com
pass for my guiding star, should have
| ouerlonkad IL on this occasion and been