Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1898-09-23

llt OluEI hlut NUulu ldlh WIN llt
prisoner without being observed.
was not slow to take the hint; and after
a shake Of the hand, Tom told me his
sad story. peeping through the little
loop like a postoffice clerk.
He had, 1t seems, waited and search
in vain for me after he got over his
revel until he was satisfied that l must
have gone to sea in the ship, when he
took charge Of the two stocks of cloth
ing, which were transferred to Scotch
Jocks hands for liquor and board.
"a few days we're sufficient to wear
out his welcome there.
"He was forced, after all, to ship in
the Tres Amigos, man-of-war, and the
landlord got the lions share of the ad
vance doubloon.
TON was soon convinced that the
Peruvian naval service was not what Il
had been described; and he as we'll as
several other English adventurers. wsre
heartily sick of their bargain, and de-
termined to back out of it at the first
opportunity.
so, having been sent inshore on
some sort Of spy service, under the
command of a young MILDLY, they took
charge of the boat themselves, put the
officer on the beach, and started down
the coast to leeward.
after many strange adventures and
dreadful sufferings they landed at the
Galapagos Islands, and, as might be
expected, they soon became scattered,
Joining different ships. Tom had been
L. HI g
time; and, feeling quite safe, had come
ashore in Payta, few days before,
from a coasting craft in which he was
employed tie had hardly landed when
he was recognized by one of the former
officers of the man-of-war. He was ar
rested and tried by hasty court-mar-
tial, where the little MILDLY himself was
brought forward, and, glad enough for
this chance for revenge, swore to Toms
identity.
"He was at once found guilty of hav-
ing mutined deposed his superior off,
Ger, laid violent hands upon him, and
turned him ashore in a hostile terri
tory He was sentenced to death.
Next Monday said he, L am to be
led out at sunrise, stood up in thet cor
ner there at the angle Of the wall, sand
shot by a platoon Of hese Cholo scare
crows.
you may imagine how congratn-
lated myself that I had been so sudden
ly led to think better Of our mad scheme
and to return to my duty on board the
Marion. But what could I say to com
fort my misguided shipmate? In three
days, for 1t was then Friday morning,
he would be put to death; there was
no hope of pardon or reprieve.
But the second mate, after hearing
my story, entered into the thing heart
ana soul. 1t was too bad to seen an old
shipmate made target of in that man
ner, he said, by a crowd of human mon
keys, like these Cholos; and by little
management and few dollars used in
bribes, he thought he might save Tom
from his fate and run him off the beach.
He went ashore with me the same even
ing, and we managed another interview
with the prisoner at his pigeon-hole,
and cheered him up with hope of de-
liverance, giving him some idea, too,
of our plan of affecting it, that lie
might be prepared to act in co-opera-
tion.
1--WE smuggled a coil of rope ashore
on Sunday, and concealed IL in a pile
of rubbish, convenient to the place
where it was to be used. We were
stirring early on the morning appoint
ed for the execution, and landed with
picked crew before daylight. No par
| ticular notice was taken of our move
ments, as we were supposed to have
been impelled by natural curiosity
to see the man shot; and we mingled
with the other spectators without sus-
picion, keeping always near each other,
however, and ready to communicate Oy
signals previously agreed upon.
1--WE saw Tom led forth from the
| guardhouse by file of the soldiers, and
marched across the yard to the place Of
execution. Here he stood up like man
who had nerVed himself to meet his
death without flinching; and, as he
braced himself against the mud wall IN
the corner, his calmness extorted ad-
miration from his jailers.
Sunrise was the time fixed for the
execution TO take place; but, with re-
finement of cruelty worthy of Peruvi.
ans, he had Deen brought out and led
to his post an hour before that time.
"This circumstance however, was Ia
vorable for our project, as 1t was now
Just on the gray of the morning, be-
tween daybreak and full daylight.
"The Cholo officer ana his file of men
withdrew to the other side of the yard,
after having a Ger having set poor Tom
after having set poor Tom up for a tar
get, as one might say. rhe firing party
had not yet come on the ground and
now was our time.
"The wall at the angle where the
condemned man stood was about nine
feet high, so that his guards had no
fear Of his being able to climb it, when
they fell back and left him there; but
they little dreamed what was going on
the other side OF 1t, We we're able tc
communicate in low tones through a
ehink or crack, and Tom, watching a
favorable opportunity. gave the word
in a whisper, Now
"At the signal, the rope. with bow
line knot of suitable size ready tied at
the end, was tossed silently over the
wall. In the dusky morning twilight,
this operation could not be seen by the
soldiers. or by the spectators who had
gathered on the opposite side Of the
inclosure. Tom, whose hands had been
left free, in difference to his own re-
quest, and sheer admiration OF his sup
posed courage to meet his fate like a
hero. slipped the bow line down over