Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-01-08
"Bosh." shouted Hapsey.


lowed Trollope and Davenire were
detained by a loud shout from the wheel.
az say" bawled Mr.. Burn, swinging
his stout shape of the sposes, "are You
beegars going to break out the gold?"
yes
81 must have hand in that Job"
| cried Burn.
'There are too many CT u.s." ex-
claimed Davenire in a low voice Of dis
gust
"Hi, there! One of your sailors lay aft
to the wheel for spell. D'you hear:"
sang out Trollope to the two seamen,
who were close together coiling ropes
over pins.
The Danes posture was instantane-
ously mutinous 1t is wonderful with
| what eloquence q sailor can express his
feelings with his figure. With a silent
| swing of the head Inc can raise the dark
est of the passions aft! he can be
| speechlessly insolent to the very tempta-
tion of murder. William hung back n
moment, then came along ON sturdy
legs and took the wheel.
Nothing OF, my lad" said Mr..
Burn in cheerful, oozy voice, and he
| bowied forward, gaining the quarter
deck by tie steps i'll a couple Of jumps.
Captain Trollope descended with cold
| dignity.
You'll find it tight jam of wool, +"
said he, land no machinery to lift it
with. Or with those matches anyway. {"
The ten gathered about the main
hatch. 1t was moment awful with ex-
| pectation. suspense and crowding sensa-
tons. They lifted the tarpauling and
raised the hatch cover, and all drew to
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.
Its down there somewhere" said
Hankey, anu 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"
shouted Hankey. eff it IS anywhere, it's
| behind here
Dayeniro 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
q sort of bul.:head OF fresh white plank
| soliGly affixed TO floor. 1t Looked as
| the men saw it, a bulkhead. Hanl.ey
| dropped Oh his knees and crawled into
| the gloom. In minute he shouted. His
shout rang loud and triumphant
Its all right, bullies! Just as Poole
| described it. It's no bulkbead, but big
| locker. There's no door. You'll havo to
| break it open. Fetch Misunderstanding
| the right sort of tools along"
Weston and Caldwell handed down
axes. hatchets, heavy hammer and
other tools. and Davenire crawIed with
them 10 Hankey. Troilcpe regained the
| deck end stood at the eCEe of the hatch,
| where he might command tine ship, but
where, too, he was able to see what
| passed below. The rest of the fellows
stood in Il body or the wool, watching,
q middle Of seven staring men, wild
with eagerness, torn with impatierce.
LET fly. Mark" bawled Burn, and
crash at the instant bounded the sharp
iron in Daycnire's mighty grip. Indeed
| they had nc choice. Tine 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
plarking like deck, protected by heavy
| iron clamps 1t the corners of the square
and by fias iron bars screwed to the
wood. Behind and On either hand rose
the wool, Jam of CHASTITY dull bales as
far aft rs 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 withstooi the resistless hurri-
cane blows dealt by the excited men.
The chips few, the planks crashed, the
seams yawned, cracked, and with iron
hand Dayenire pried them open. BY
the time the two men had beaten cut
the foremost bulkhead they were ex-
hausted. Davenire swaying by the arm
of Eankey, both as they stood in their
shirts drenched as though they had lust
been hooked out Of the sea, peered into
the gloomy hollow their axes had re-
vealed. and both beheld a number Of
large chests Of different sizes packed one
on top of another and secured by chains.
There it is plain enough" gasped
Hankey. Let the others come and look.
1 must drink or die"
He crawled into the light of day. fol.
lowed by Davenire, who, merely saving
to the others, lyon can see il for your.
self. ;" pulled himself on to the deck.
Then he aud 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 jog was indeed unbound.
ed. In those chests lay fortune for ev-
cry rogue Of them all.
| Eight Of them squeezed in the marrow.
passage to look, and Eankey and Day.
enire. coming out Of the cuddy refresh
ed, stood at the edge of the hatch loos.
ing down, still breathing deep and hard.
Troilope crawled into the full glow of
I 4 r.