Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-03-11

ne nad leo us 10, Ine good SOU! ana one
of the six forecastle hands was little
| better.
There's man." said Capt. Smollett,
nodding toward him, new to this
work. He came nigh>hand fainting,
doctor, when he heard the cry. An
other touch of the rudder and that man
would join u.s."
told my plan to the captain, and be-
tween us we settled on the details of its
accomplishment.
We put old Redruth in the gallery
between the cabin and the forecastle,
with three or four loaded muskets and
mattress for protection. Hunter
brought the boat round under the
stern port, and Joyce and set to work
loading her with powder tins, muskets,
bags of biscuits, kegs of pork, a cask
of cognac and my invaluable medicine
| chest.
In the meantime the squire and the
captain stayed on deck, and the latter
hailed the coclswain, who was the
principal man on board.
"Mr. Hands," he said, there are two
of us with brace of pistols each. If
any one of you six make a signal of any
description, that mans dead"
They We're good deal taken aback;
and after a little consultation, one and
all tumbled down the fore companion,
thinking, no doubt, to take us on the
rear. But when they saw Redruth
waiting for them in the spared gal
lery, they went about ship at once, and
a head popped out on deck.
down, dog!" cries the captain.
And the head popped back again; and
we heard no more, for the time, of these
six very faint-hearted seamen.
By this time, tumbling things in as
they came, we had the jollyboat loaded
rs much as we dared. Joyce and
got out through the stern port and we
made for shore again as fast as our
| oars could take us.
This second trip fairly aroused the
watchers along the shore. "Lillibul-
lero" was dropped again, and just be-
fore we lost sight of them behind the
little point one of them whipped
ashore and disappeared. 1 had half a
mind to change my plans and destroy
and the others might be close at hand,
and all might very well be lost by try
ing for too much.
| We had soon touched land in the
some place before we set the provi-
sion in the block-house. All three made
the first journey, heavily laden. and
tossed our stores over the palisade.
Then, leaving Joyce to guard them
one man, to be sure, but with half a
dozen muskets-Hunter and / returned
to the jolly-boat, and loaded ourselves
once more. So we proceeded without
pausing to take breath, till the whole
cargo was bestowed, when the two serv-
ants took up their position in the
block-house, and l, with all my power,
sculled back to the Hispaniola.
That we should have risked a second
boat load seems more daring than it
really was. They had the advantage
of numbers, of course, but we had the
advantage of arms. Not one of the men
ashore had a musket, and before they
could get within range for pistol-shoot-
ing, we fattered ourselves we coull be
able to give good account Of half
dozen at least.
The squire was waiting for me at
the stern window, all his faintness gone
from him. He caught the painter and
made it fast, and we fell to loading the
boat for our very lives. Pork, powder
and biscuit was the cargo, with only a
musket and cutlass apiece for squire
and me and Redruth and the captain.
The rest of the arms and powder We're
dropped overheard in two fathoms and
half of water, so that we could see
the bright steel shining far below us
in the sun, on the clear, sandy bottom
By this time the tide was beginning
to ebb, and the ship was swinging
around to her anchor. Voices were
heard hallooing in the direction of the
two gigs; and though this treasured us
for Joyce and Hunter, who were well to
the eastward, it warned our party to
be OFF.
1 Redruth retreated from his place in
the gallery and dropped into the boat,
which we had brought round to the
ships counter, to be handler for Capt.
1 Smollett.
], "Now, men," said he, "do you hear
me?"
There was no answer from the fore
castle.
"It's to you, Abraham Gray-it's to
! you am speaking"
!, Still no reply.
Gray" resumed Mr.. Smollett, little
louder, 81 am leaving this ship, and ]
order you to follow your captain. ]
know you are good man at bottom,
and dare say not one of the lot of
you's as bad as he makes out. have
my watch here i'll my hand; give you
80 seconds to join me in"
There was pause.
"Come, my fine fellow" continued
the captain, don't hang so long in
stays. I'm risking my life, and the
lives of these good gentlemen, every
second"
, There was sudden scuff1e, a sound
! of blows, and out burst Abraham Gray
with a knife cut on the side of the cheek,
and came running to the captain, like a
dog to the whistle.
) "I'm with you, sir" said he.
And the next moment he and the cap
tain had dropped aboard of us, and VIC
had showed off and given way.
We were clear out of the ship, but
!. not yet ashore in our stockade.
(To be continued)
Gong down Hill