The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-01-19


Burn in cheerful, oozy voice. and h
bowled forward, gaining the quarte
deck by the steps in couple of jumps
Captain Trollope descended with colo
dignity.
you'll find it tight jam of wool,
said he, "and no machinery to lift j
with. Of with those matches anyway. ;
The ten gathered about the mair
hatch 1t was moment awful with ex
pectation, suspense and crowding sensa
tions. They lifted the tarpauling ant
raised the hatch cover, and all drew Il
the edge and stared with furious anx
iety. The wool came high, but not flush
with the hatch. A number of water
casks were slowed on top of it, athwart.
The men bobbed and peered.
"What did that fellow Poole say?'
exclaimed Burn.
cts down there somewhere, said
Hankey, and quick as lightning putting
his hands on the coamings he dropped
on to the wool. Johnson, Weston and
Masters followed.
Lends hand to shift these casks, -
~ -
behind here. "
Davenire jumped into the hold. The
casks were seized and rolled to leeward.
They had been the midship casks of the
row, and abaft them you would have
seen the shaft of the mainmast but for
sort of bulkhead Of fresh white plank
solidly affixed to floor. 1t looked as
the men saw it, bulkhead. Hankey
dropped on his knees and crawled into
the gloom. IN a minute he shouted. His
shout rang loud and triumphant.
cts all right, DULLES! just as Poole
described it. It's no bulkhead, but big
locker. There's no door. You'll have to
break it open. Fetch Misunderstanding
the = -ht sort Of tools along"
WestcI and Caldwell handed down
axes, hatchets, heavy hammer and
other tools. and Davenire crawled with
them TO Hankey. Trollope regained the
deck and stood at the edge of the hatch,
where he might command the ship, but
where, too, he was able to see what
passed below. The rest Of the fellows
stood in body on the wool, watching.
huddle of seven staring men, wild
with eagerness, torn with impatience.
"Let fly, Mark" bawled Burn, and
crash at the instant bounded the sharp
iron in Davenire's mighty grip Indeed
they had no choice. The wool rose above
the floor to which the bulkheads were
secured. They must split and hew and
hack to come at the inside. 1t was an
extraordinarily stout structure, the
planking like deck, protected by heavy
iron clamps at the corners of the square
and by fat iron bars screwed to the
wood. Behind and ON either hand rose
the wool, a jam of CHASTITY dull bales as
far aft as the steerage bulkhead. 1t was
all wool, saving that space under the
main hatch and that corridor created by
the men to the nugget locker.
Not the stout bottom of the ship her.
self sheathed with "a ounce metal could
long have withstood the resistless hurri-
cane blows dealt by the excited men.
The chips flew, the planks crashed, the
seams yawned, cracked, and with iron
hand Davenire pried them open. By
the time the two men had beaten out
the foremost bulkhead they were ex-
nausted. Davenire swaying by the arm
OF Hankey, both as they stood in their
shirts drenched as though they had just
been hooked ont of the sea, peered into
the gloop~y hollow their axes had re-
vealed, and both beheld a number of
large chests of different sizes packed one
o.. " of another and secured by chains.
"There It is plain enough" gGspod
HsH<.' "Les the others come end look.
mass drink or die. ~
He crawled into the light of day, fol-
lowed by Davenire, who, merely saying
to the others, "You can see it for your
self, pulled himself on to the deck.
Then he and Hankey went into the cud
dy for deep drink of brandy and wa
ter. AS they entered the door they heard
the sound of hurrahing in the hold.
The mems JOY was indeed unbound
ed. In those chests lay fortune for ev-
cry rogue of them all.
light Of them squeezed in the narrow
passage to look, and Hankey and Day.
enire, coming out Of the cuddy refresh
ed, stood at the edge of the hatch look
ing down, still breathing deep and hard.
Trollope crawled into the full glow of
day aud looked up at Davenire.
WELL" said this giant of the silver
chain, lis it all right?''
"The boxes sound hard as gold it.
self" answered Trollope. 1.-THE chains,
l expect, are padlocked to the floor, and
the wool blocks them. ("
"File 'emi File 'emr' roared Han.
key, and as quick in action as in idea
he ran into the forecastle, overhauled
the carpenters chest and returned with
a couple of heavy rasps, which he flung
to Trollope, who handed them in. Han
key then sat down, with his legs dan
Cling in the hatch.
They found the filing tough work in
that sweltering hold. Hand after hand
seized the rasps and drove the grit of
the iron with fresh blood and breath |
into the thick links
Captain Trollope went into the cuddy
to look at the clock. 1t was 30 minutes
to IL. He started and stepped quickly TO
Captain Benson's cabin, and taking the
II Il J..