The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1898-06-03
the sending adrift of the captain and

| the sending adTift or the captain and
Mr.. Lancelot, If 1t was not necessary
to murder them to secure the treasure.
To stir from his hiding place at this
moment would mean death at the
hands Of those desperate men. And as
yet none Of them showed any Intention
of obeyfng Billings advice and "turn-
ing in."
| They examined their revolvers-for
every one of them seemed to be armed
and talked over the coming attack
upon the Chartered Company's treas
ure. Dick had almost made UP his
| mind to risk crawl along the floor to-
ward the companion ladder, and rush
thence upon deck when one of the des-
peradoes yawned. A yawn is more
contagious than yellow fever. Within
five minutes every man In the forecas-
| tie was showing evidences of weari-
ness. First one and then another
crawled to their hunks, and were pres
emily heard to slumber noisily. The ex-
ample spread until the last of the band
knocked the ashes out Of his pipe and
retired to rest. Soon all of them were
in the land Of Nod.
Cautiously Dick Harley peeped out
from under his tarpaulin. Then he ven
| tured forth and set one foot on the
| companion ladder.
who's thereT gruwfed a sailor
drowsily.
Dicks answer was to slip Us quickly
| and as noiselessly as his bruises would
allow up the ladder. At the head he lis
tened intently.
"Who was II, Billr' asked second
voice.
ut was that blamed cat, I'm think
In" replied the first speaker, and to
Dicks relief there was no pursuit.
Quickly he ran along the deck and
| mounted the bridge to where the skip
| per stood.
That night as the first mate of the
Only Son came up from his cabin with
revolver In his hip pocket and a grin
| on his face, he was met at the head Of
| the stairs by the captain and Mr..
| Lancelot. To his surprise both Of these
| gentlemen were armed, while behind
them he observed the despised stowa-
way, Dick Harley, with a naked cutlass
in his hand.
| VhE. yOu
will please throw up your hands. Your
little plot has been discovered. All,
thank. you" las he drew the pistol
out of Billings pocket, you may return
| now to your cabin and consider your
self prisoner"
''Wh-what is the meaning Of this,
sirT' sputtered the mate.
''The meaning, Mr.. Billings" put in
Lanceiot, SIS that this boy here heard
your whole delightful scheme to rob
| the Chartered Company of f250, 900 He
very promptly Informed the captain.
Your accomplices IN the forecastle were
captured in their hunks, and most Of
them have confessed everything"
| Billings looked at the speaker, then at
Dick Harley.
1.-THE stowawayF' he cried. "The
miserable little rat of a stowaway."
Eyes, Mr.. Biflings-the stowaway has
saved the Chartered Company of South
Africa f250,0O0 and q staunch, sea-
worthy ship. You win find that the
company knows how to be grateful"
And grateful, indeed, the company
proved itself to be. A month later
| (while Billings and his gang were
awaiting trial for attempted piracy IN
the Cape Town jaiD Dick Harley was
shaking his fathers wasted hand In the
new hospital at Salisbury. The sur
veyor's recovery from lingering fever
was greatly accelerated, you may be
sure, by the news that the Chartered
Company had rewarded by position Of
trust and honor the timely action Of
the quondam stowaway on the Only
| Son.-IItfca Globe