Gilpin observer., 1899-04-27
An Eton Boy.


milo" (half-past nine), replied the pos
SCISSOR of my gold watch, which he
consulted with considerable compla-
cency.
"Maldita" growled the others, knit
ting their brows. for the dusk was
rapidly becoming darkness, and they
had no desire for killing us, If we
could be made profitable. 1 have often
thought since that had Tom actually
procured and returned with the requir-
ed ransom of $500, they would have
pocketeG it and then killed us both
me most certainly. as they seemed to
have other views for poor Tom in the
Southern States.
1--WE have had a long spell of this"
said he, in a low voice. Il am going
to escape, If l can"
Escape! but how?"
II don't know exactly how yet; but
we must first have our lashings cast
off,"
would to heaven they were, Tom.
My hands are so swollen and my
wrists SO cut and benumbed that my
arms are well-nigh powerless," I
''Sit with me here, in the shadow of
this angle of rock; and now, as the
darkness is fairly set in, shall soon
make you free"
By rapid and skillful application
of his strong teeth to the cord, which
bound my wrists, he untwisted the
knot and freed my hands; and then in
the suddenly-given luxury of being
able to stretch my arms, l almost for
got the necessity for concealing the
fact that I was now unbound.
1 soon found an opportunity for un
tying Toms fetters. Then we kept
our hands clasped before us, waited
and hoped-we scarcely knew for what
while in the further end Of this in
ner cave, our detainers sat sullenly
smoking, and, by the dim lantern light,
making up cigaritos from their tobacco
pouches and those little rice-paper
books which are now procurable nearly
everywhere.
From the conversation Of our captors
I could gather that our brig. the Eu-
genie, was visible at anchor in the
roadstead Of Santa Cruz, mile or SO
distant.
Three Of these Spaniards had placed
their muskets against the wall OF rock
and seemed disposed to doze off to
sleep.
Close by us lay the plank which
crossed that dread ventana, like the in
fernal bridge of Poulsherro, which the
Mahommedans believe crosses the sea
of fire that on the day Of doom shall
separate Good from Evil. Tom and l
looked at 1t and exchanged glances OF
intelligence from time to time, but
the attempt TO rush across might prove
doubly fatal to one or both. A slip
of the foot would hurl us into eternity;
and If the passage were achieved we
would be exposed to the fire of those
we fed from and met by that of the
armed man at the mouth of the
grotto.
Thus our position and its perils were
somewhat complicated.
Suddenly the distant report OF
piece of ordnance, coming from the
seaward, made us look up and list
en-.
eel ruido que hcce ol canon" (the
crack of gum, exclaimed Spaniard,
scrambling up to the lower end of
the fissure in the arch of the grotto.
and looking out.
I'VE all know that well enough; but
what does it mean?" asked the other.
The English brig at the anchorage
has fred 1t. l see light glittering on
her deck; and now away 1t goes up to
the foremast head"
'It is the Eugenie. Master Rodney"
whispered Tom.
"Can the captain be about to sail to-
highland without us?" said /. with
growing dismay.
mo; but he is impatient for us to
come off. He knows well what n tar
nal slippery set of imps these Jack
Spaniards are, and has shown light
and fired n gun as a hint for us to
look sharp"
"Companero," said one OF the Span
iards to the other. who was looking
out, "are you sure that It is the Eng
lish brig and not ours?"
"Yes: but by st. Paul! there Is a
light burning now on the Castle de
Santa Cruz; SO our craft had better get
her sweeps out and put to sea, even
without us. Can the Senor Goberna-
dor have smelt n rat?" e.
This announcement, though we knew
not what II referred to, had an evident
effect on our captors, who were proba-
bly, part OF slaver's crew; for they
all scrambled UP to the opening in the
rocks to look out.
"Now, now is the time to slip our
cables and run. Follow mel" said
Tom Lambourne. in hoarse but de-
termined whisper, as he sprang for