San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-01-24

own Judgment. Did do right? Was l
reasonable, Captain Boldock? Is this
how frightened woman would actH"
"You should have gone straight to
the captain" said Boldock. at would
have been his duty to protect you. Why
shouldn't he have accepted your evil
dence? There was the robbery of the
arms chest. That alone would have JUS
titled him in acting upon what you had
overheard. "
"They must have known had listen.
ed" exclaimed Miss Mansel.
"Looks like it, certainly" exclaimed
the commander in deep and stormy
voice.
81 cannot guess what the hour was,
continued the young lady, growing
white with memory, "when l was star
tied by light knocking upon my cabin
door. / was wide awake-had been fe-
verishly wide awake. The least sound
sent chill through me. All the time l
was wondering whether the ship would
be seized that night, and what l should
do with my tremendous secret. When /
heard that knocking, called out: Who
is it? What do you want?' And voice
answered: Il am Trickle, the ships
steward, miss. The captain wishes to
see you Immediately in his cabin. ,
Somehow 1 instantly connected the sum
mons with what / had overheard, new
er rejecting that Captain Benson could
not know that l had the secret of the
gang. | jumped out Of bed. At that
moment l heard strange, wailing
noise upon the water. The portfolio was
open-the sound seemed infinitely dis.
tant. Wrapped myself up in dressing
gown and opened the door and was
grasped by the throat and gagged. l can
recollect being gagged and the misera.
BILE sensation of suffocation, but no
more until woke TO life here.
Miss Mansel ceased.
"This," said Commander Boldock,
sis the most astonishing thing that has
ever happened in my time at sea-"
He was proceeding when he observed
that the lady's eyes were filled with
tears, which ran down her cheeks. She
turned her face to the ships wall. Boil.
docks feeling heart Immediately saw
what was wanted, and, going to his
own cabin, he returned with a large
clean pocket handkerchief, which he
placed upon the bolster.
81 will send your clothes TO the gal
ley" said he, land they will be dried
and ready for you to put on before the
evening. We must then consider how
we are to manage in the way Of attire.
believe you are without shoes. There's
q man forward who shall make You a
pair Of canvas slippers. "
He bowed to her. She was sobbing at
the ships wall and too much affected
to look around. Picking up the gar
ments the poor young lady had been
brought aboard clothed in, Boldock
stepped on deck, where he found Mr..
Hardy walking in the sunshine and the
men forward getting their supper on
the forecastle, for now was come the
first of the two dog watches, the happy
ocean holiday hours of the pipe and the
song and the dance, when, if it be a
golden evening such as this, the fiddle
will strike 500 motions into the caper
loving leg and fetch songs Of rich senti-
ment, but rarely songs of the sea, from
the simple foremost hearts.
"Here, Mr.. Hardy" said the COM
mander in his deep, lamenting voice,
"pray call a hand aft and let him take
these shings to the galley. They should
be thoroughly dried in about an hour,
heyl The lady is in sad need of them,
sir. +"
Mr.. Hardy, after respectful leer TT
his commander, bawled for a sailor. A
man came along, took the clothes with
motionless face and went forward.
81 have been listening to an extraor-
binary story" said Boldock, beginning
to walk with the mate, and without
further words he told his companion all
he had heard.
Mr.. Hardy's leer was profound with
silent establishment.
"Why, then," cried he, when the
commander was done, ''that'll be the
bark with the great consignment of mug
gets. She was to have sailed a week aft
er we did; detained for want of men;
the old story, no doubt, sir. The lady
won't have fioated long, and the ship,
therefore, can't be far off,"
"There is nothing in sight from the
masthead, " said the commander.
"What an audacious-well, bless my
hearth exclaimed the mate, fetching a
deep breath. "Ten of 'em. felt, sir-I
felt that the finger of the pirate was in
it when / saw that she was gagged. "
"When the young lady has wiped her
tears and clothed herself" said the
commander, "she may be able to give
us some idea of the intentions Of the
scoundrels. Her memory's little thick.
I believe my memory would be thick
had been gagged, half suffocated and
flung overheard. 7"
"You will find, sir, said the mate
thoughtfully, "that the murderers car
ried her quickly to the main chains and
dropped her lightly into the water, that
the splash of the body shouldn't be
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