The record-union., 1898-01-28
ATTACKED BY STOWAWAYS.

nj thONAS III OtOUHVHiS VI
LAY, ay, shipmates, know it is my
turn now, so hold up while get wind" ;"
said old Jack Caswell, as we lay be-
Gained off st. Verne one sultry day in
August, and to pass away the time that
hung rather heavily on our hands were
engaged in story telling.
Let me see'' he began, after mo-
ment's reflection, sit was in the season
of SO that hired under old Captain
Warrenton, who run a schooner on the
coasts of the gulf. She was a small
craft, of not more than $50 tons burden,
and on the trip l am speaking OF was
loaded at Mobile with a cargo for New
Orleans.
Besides the skipper and myself, then
a lad Of only fifteen, there was but one
hand a sailor named Ned Allen.
There was great excitement in Mobile
at the time over the escape of a couple
of villains from jail, who had been re-
Gently captured and were waiting trial
for murder. Ruell Victor and Dennis
Lorne had killed as many as half doz-
en- persons. to say nothing of other
crimes without number of which they
We're guilty.
THE authorities did their best to re-
capture them, but no trace of the des-
peradoes could be found, and the day
we left port $1,000 reward was offered
for them, or one-half the sum for either
OF them.
I'VE had a fair wind for a start, and
ran down the bay. standing off between
the Dauphin and the point about t.
About that time 1 had occasion to go
into the forepeak to get some rope yarn.
Now, we had no forecastle parted off
from the hold as there was room enough
for all in the cabin, and We had this
stowaway in between the bows, where
we chucked away our old trumpery.
II was hard at work unlacing a piece
of rope for the yarns when I thought 1
heard a noise among the boxes in the
hold Listening a moment with my ear
close to the bulkhead l knew someone
was there.
"Prety soon I heard man speak, and
then another answered him
II soon learned that our fellow-pas-
sengers were none other than Ruell Vic
tor and Dennis Lorne, the desperadoes
who had escaped from the Mobile JAIL
They had got provisions enough to live
on a day or two, and We're planning to
put to sea. They were armed, and what
frightened me the most, they had hired
Ned Allen to help them.
THE Captain was a big, brave man,
but he trembled when I told my story.
I'm a moment. however, the Captain
asked if I thought could carry a steady
hand in a tight fix, and, telling him 1
could, for knew our lives were depend
ing on 1t, his eyes flashed as he said:
"'Good, my boy. If you don't fail me
we Will fix the scoundrels or my name
isn't Joe Warrenton. Keep up your cour-
age, do as I say, and 81 800 are yours
Seeing Allen coming up the compan-
ionway at that moment, Warrenton mo-
toned for me to take the helm and hur-
ried to meet the sailor just as he gained
the deck.
Before the traitor saw what was
coming, the Captain seized him by the
throat and bore the wretch to the deck
without an outcry escaping from his
lips.
Getting a piece Of tarred rope and
some bunting, We gagged and bound the
ruffian in few moments
There, said Captain Warrenton,
triumphantly, our way is clear. But
these other scamps viii be moving soon,
so we must be ready for them
While the matches were on we knew
the villains only way of escape was
through the forepeak, and as the boards
OF the bulkhead We're thin they could
easily force a way through. The Cap
tain got a couple Of heavy handspikes
for our weapons, and we were ready for
action on the part Of our foes.
ilorm irsa osbqo ceger warwlgt he's
soon after dark the skipper said he
heard them removing a board from the
bulkhead. He had cautiously crawled
forward behind the bits by the bow
spirit, weapon in hand, and now motion
ed to me to leave the helm and join him.
The tiller was lashed so that all was safe
in that quarter.
Pretty soon a couple of human heads
came into sight, and then the villains
stood upon the deck not more than four
feet from wheye we We're.
The Captain touched me, and knew
the time for action had come.
Il seemed to possess ten times my or
dinary strength. had nerved myself so,
ana you may believe put all my power
into g blow. However, the villain saw
me in season TO partially dodge 1t, so
that IL fell upon his shoulder. and the
next knew Ice had sprung upon me.
But my second clip fetched him. and
as he fell Warrenton turned to help me,
he having fixed his man at a single
stroke.
In spite of their threats and entreat-
ies we put back to port and gave tlrem
up to the authorities. receiving the re-
ward OF s.. 900. which the Captain shar-
ed with me.
Ned Allen received his just punish
rnent. while both Of the others afterward
expiated their crimes on the gallows."-
New York News.
NoNfor,-yss Rfapd Caffoa 2Sp 3