Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1897-08-05

She turned her back }pon him Sand
went below. When shd reachedaAe
door of the S1donIeM\ fohnd Johnsf9e
5 s d ss11 1E IKE : time -
mo, no." he said; "Nour turn Nast
night: mine this morningl I've partfcp-
la1Eeusiness witaEca1taif Estcoure 10
||Fas 4sf1,fs,s 15$s should zs !:
wouid take us soYne tffna YETI -
She went to her cabin and the fong
day began to drag yearly on. -
R1ck. Ep X6e me eime was rackhs
kiskh Sad pe& find d sufe way of,ap-
1etAuS thaaaolo.&s-Aaas even at.fte
last moment, and at any cost to Him.
self. 1t was horrible to think that If hi
succeedTaNe wG9ld invoE I've Camilla in
'sh6NNp8 oqthe cq1SblRct. But he put
l}he &J{ue&ion oI4iskt{rniy from his
NRind. OF c1enched his teeth still more
doggedly when the thought forced it.
self upon him. Hessaw dearly enough
s 25N, las last p, possible ;i5as
came when they must either get leave
to take the Speedwell into the roads off
Jamestown for the night or be boarded
EN6eAfaHhHparty from one of the
!. dxpetr&Nrhe could manage to be on
deck at the decisive moment when the
guacd-boat came alongside, he might
give them some kind of warning before
shiF FV4Fs could silence him.
Hin c$Dnel had come in twice during
the HERRING to see if he had signed the
letter yer! on the second occasion Dick
had sS4atched the paper from his hands
and Rorn it into fragments. He now
sapp eSrsd for the t:;i1d time. bringing
"a Pres hiy-writ:en capy with him, which
he handed to tombstone.
This is my last visit" he said. II
shall leave Captain Estcourt to you
henceforward. 1t seems that my pres
,,-ssnce makes him unreasonable"
1T is you." said Dick, with an at
: tempt at diplomacy, who are unrea-
sonable, to keep me shut up below here.
Are you afraid that I shall swim
ashore?"
II am afraid that you might try" re-
piled the colonel. But I'll let you go
on deck after dinner If you will excuse
my taking my own precautions"
What precautions?
Putting some little constraint upon
your power Of movement"
"Call it irons at once!" interjected
Johnstone.
Dick flushed Indignantly, but glance
at the coloneTs face told him that the
interpreted ton was correct. Insulting
as the suggestion was, he could not af-
ford to refuse, for it was his one chance.
II accept" he said, shortly and the
colonel vent out.
After dinner Dick was taken on deck,
and the irons were brought. He sat
down while they were locked upon him.
The colonel stood a Snort distance of,
watching. When he saw that Dick was
helpless he came up.
"Now," he said 20 tombstone, stake
him down again. If you please"
Dick turned white with anger and
despair.
You don't mean that" he cried.
you can notv
Il promised you should come on
deck" replied the colonel "but think
am right in saying that no time was
mentioned. In my judgment you have
been long enough here already, and
you will pardon me for speaking plain
ly-the sooner you learn submission to
my judgment the more trouble you will
spare us ALL"
He made sign to tombstone, who
took Dick in his arms and swung him
lightly down the companion-hatch like
bundle Of hammocks. In two min
utes he was in his old seat at the end
Of the table in the saloon. with his
ankles fast to the chair, which In its
turn was screwed into the floor. For
long time he did not move. He had
little hope left now, but he steeled HIM
self to wait with patience, il any un-
foreseen chance might yet give him his
opportunity. The sunset gun was heard
from the shore; it grew rapidly dark.
tombstone entered to light the lamp;
in his hand was a heavy iron capstan
bar.
He laid it down upon the table. with
the letter beside 1t.
There's your choice" he said.
"All right" said Dick, stoutly I'm
ready but you'll all go. too, my man;
you're lost without me-"
Don't you fatter yourself" he said.
Dead or alive, you'll do our business
for u.s.
Dick was silent.
Look you here" said the other, "this
is the way of it, and II you don't un-
derstand 1t now, you'll never have the
chance again. The briggs standing IN
straight for Jamestown; she's not three
miles off at this moment; and the flag
ships lying ready for her just outside
the harbor. If you put your name to
that bit o. paper you're free man this
minute. You'll stand in with the rest
of US for prize-money, and the lass
that's worth 1t all, she's yours into tho
bargain. But If you're fool enough to be
obstinate-there' the colonel upon deck
there watching; when the guard-boat
comes, he gives me last signal-one-
two-and before three's out your neck's
broke, and you lying quiet In the hold.
Sad accident, gentlemen! An old friend