Owingsville outlook. [volume] (Owingsville, Ky.) 1879-192?, 1898-11-10

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and you ask nv whyl For Gods mercy,
Mr.. Hands, that's why"
Ispoke with little heat. thinking OF
the bloody dirk he had hidden in hi.
pocket. and designed, in his i'll thoughts,
TO end me with. lie, for his part, took a
great draught of the wine. and spoke
with the most unusual solemnity.
For 30 year." he said. I've sailed
the seas, aud seen good and bad. better
and worse, fair weather and foul. pro.
visions running out. knives going, and
what not. Well, now. tell you. never
seen good come o goodness yet. Him
as strikes first is my fancy; dead men
don't bite; them's my Nicws-amcn, SO
be il. And now, you look here" he add.
ed. suddenly changing his tone, we've
had about enough of this foolery. The
tides made good enough 10y now. You
just take my orders, Cap'n Hawkins, and
well sail slap in and he done with it,"
All told, we had scarce two miles To
run; but the navigation was delicate,
the entrance 20 this northern anchor
age was not only narrow and shoal, but
lay east and west, So that the schooner
must he nicely handled TO bc got in.
| think was a good, prompt suhaltern.
and | am very sure that Hands was an
excellent pilot; for we went about, and
lodged in, shaving the banks, with a
certainty and a nratness that were n
pleasure To behold.
Scarcely had we passed the head be.
fore the land closed around us. The
shores of North inlet were as thickly
wooded as those Of the southern an
chorage; but the space was longer and
narrower, and more like, what in truth
il W :, the estuary of river. Right be
fore us, at the southern end, we saw
the wreck of n ship in the last stages
of dilapidation. IL had been a great
vessel of three masts, but had lain so
long exposed to the injuries of the
weather. that it was hung about with
great webs of dripping sca-weed. and
on the deck of il shore bushes had
taken root, and now ilourished thick
with flowers. Ii was a sad sight, but II
showed MS that the anchorage was
calm.
"Now," said Hands, look there:
there's pet bit for to beach a ship in.
Fine fiat sand, never catspaw, trees all
around of it, and flowers a-blowing
like a garding on that old ship"
And once beached," inquired, how
shall we get her of again."
"Why, So" he replied: 'you take a
line ashore there on the other side al
low water; take a turn about one O
them big pines; bring it back, take e
turn round the capstan, and lie to for
the tide. Come high water, all hands
take a pull upon the line, and off she
comes as sweet as natur'. And now.
boy, you stand by. We're near the hi:
now, and she's too much way on her.
Starboard n little - so-steady-star
board - larboard a little steady
steady"
So he issued his commands. which |
breathlessly obeyed; till, all of a sud
den, he cried: "Now, my hearty, luff!"
And | put the helm hard up, and the
"IIispaniola" swung round rapidly, and
ran stem on for the lowwooded shore.
The excitement of these last man
euycrs had somewhat interfered with
the watch | had kept hitherto. sharply
enough, upon the cockswain. Even
then ! was still so much interested.
waiting for the ship to touch, that |
had quite forgot the peril that hung
over my head, and stood craning over
the starboard bulwarks and watching
the ripnlas Snrao ,l;nr ,,iJa l,.fnra ,l,,,
bows. | might have fallen without "A
struggle for my life, had not sudden
disquietude seized upon me, and made
me turn my head. Perhaps had heard
creak. or seen his shadow moving
with the tail of my eye; perhaps il Mas
an instinct like cats, but, sure
enough, when looked round, there was
Hands, already halfway toward me,
with the dirk in his right hand.
We must both have cried out aloud
when our eyes met; but while mine
was the shrill cry of terror, his was q
roar of fury like a charging bulls. Al
the same instant he threw himself for
ward, and leaped sideways toward the
bows. AS | did SO | left hold of the
tiller, which sprung sharp 10 leeward;
and ! think this saved my life, for il
struck Hands across the chest, and
stopped him, for the moment, dead.
Before he could recover was safe
out of the corner where he had trapped
me. with all the deck TO dodge about.
just forward of the mainmast |
topped, drew pistol from my pocket,
drew a cool aim, though he had alrcad =
turned and was once more coming di-
rectly after me, and drew the trigger.
The hammer fell, but there followed
neither flash nor sound; the printing
was useless with seawater. | cursed
myself for my neglect. Why had not
!, long before, reprinted and reloaded
my only weapon? Then I should net
have been, as now, mere fleeing sheep
before this butcher.
Wounded as he was. il was wonderful
how fast he could move, his grizzled
hair tumbling over his face, ana his
face itself rs red MS red ensign
with his haste and fury. | had nc
time TO try my other pistol, nor, in
deed. much inclination, for | was sure
il was useless. One thing saw plain
ly; L must not simply retreat before
him, or he would speedily hold me
boxed in the bows, as a moment since
he had so nearly boxed me in the stern.
Once so caught, and nine or ten riches
of the blood-stained dirk would ne
my last experience on this side of eter-
nifty. placed my palms against tho
mainmast. which was of goodish big
ness, and waited. every nerve upon the
stretch.
Seeing that / meant to dodge, he also
paused, and a moment or two passed In
feints on his part, and corresponding
movements upon mine. 1t was such n
game as ! had often played at home
about the rocks of Black Hill cove;
but never before, you may be sure,
with such a wildly beating heart as
now. Still, as | say, it was boys
game, and l thought could hold my
own at 1t against an elderly seaman
with a wounded thigh Indeed. my
courage had begun to rise so high tina,
allowed myself few darting thoughts
on what would be the end of the affair;
and while saw certainly that could
spin il out for long, l saw no hope of
any ultimate Escape.