The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-03-17
Ill.

Redshaw fingered aboard the smack
after Lottie Sanderson and Armstrong
had gone.
He sat on deck smoking his short
clay pipe and looking yearningly to
seaward. AS soon as it was fairly dusk,
however, he began to bestir himself,
lighted a ships lantern. and collected
together a few articles needful for a
short sea trip. These articles he car
ried on board a skiff almost alongside.
Then he loosened the ropes, adjusted
the oars noselessly and glided out of
the harbor into the open sea. He now
hoisted sail and turned his boats head
in the direction of Saltwin Sands.
The wind has freshened andAhe skiff
rose and fell and ran forward over the
dark waters with increasing speed. At
first the clouds overhead were dense
and lowering, but scarce had Redshaw
got clear of the harbor when the night
showed signs of Frightening, and the
curious moon occasionally looked down
| upon the little craft out of black
| ragged clouds.
The CLEAN lit up Redshaw's face, re-
vealing a look of intense greed. Once
or twice the man glanced over his
shoulder like one who half breads pur-
suit; but his more frequent look was
directed to seaward with an untiring
search.
An hour-two hours went by. when
faint ray of light fell athwart the
water a short distance ahead.
At the same instant Redshaw sprang
| to his feet and peered eagerly over the
bow. Presently the boats keel grated
| upon a sandbank, bringing the skiff to
| gradual stop. The man found him.
! self in two feet of water, and with his
seaman's knowledge of the bearings
| there was no reason to doubt that his
| boat had ran upon the sandbank for
which he had designedly steered.
1t was low tide, and the moment he
| had made the skiff secure, he began to
| wade through the surf toward the light
which now glimmered hard by. He
soon grew convinced that it came from
ships cabin. Suddenly he stopped.
wait bit!"
He pulled a bowie knife from his
pocket, opened the dagger-shaped blade,
and clinched the handle between his
teeth. Then he stepped forward with
| look of purpose. The light soon
proved to be one that came from a
| cabin window on the pirt side of an
old tugboat. Redshaw caught at bit
of rope, and hauled himself hand over
hand up the boats side until he could
peer into the cabin.
A strange sight met his glance. The
| light of swing lamp fell upon small,
wrinkled man in pilot cap.
He stood in water up to his knees,
| and he laughed with a shivering sort
| of laugh, and plunged his hands into
| the water and fished up handfuls of
| sovereigns that glittered the more
| through being wet The old skicper
| gloated over each handful, as he flung
! the coins with a clinking sound upon
a shelf in a cupboard, on a level with
his head
| Redshaw clung to the rope, staring
like one spell bound at the weird figure.
| Then he climbed nolselessly on deck,
| and crept round to the cabin door.
He found it open. With stealthy tread
he descended the ladder, the bowie
knife now behind his back, tightly
clutched in his right hand, a villainous
look in his eyes.
But OF sudden-at the very moment
that Redshaw crouched down with in
tent to make his spring-the grim old
mariner fixed his glittering eye fear
lessly upon him.
The man paused, once more complete
ly aghast, deprived of all volition.
All! You've come, have you-come
10 claim Tiny gold?" cried the skip
per as he shivered and laughed again.
mo, mol bayn't dead vet, mate. The
tides been and turned, just in the
nick o time. 1t were a-washing clean
over the deck at nightfall, when |
sent that ERE bottle adrift, and ]
thought as how was a drowned man.
But it's been running out ever since
the tide has, mate-running out, till
It's give me the chance to touch my
gold-touch it once more!"
He broke into wilder ut OF shiver-
ing laughter now, and bending down.