Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1899-04-07

| OF the largest Jumps OF lead which in my |
| hurry could light upon, and. drawing them |
to the deck, placed them at different points |
near the rail, that they might come handy
i to drop into and stave any boat that came
close alongside. This done, / reprinted all
was loaded, and from the after davit quietly
lowered the dingy, that, if worse came to
worse, it might be possible to escape by
our getting into her and disappearing. Then
] waited.
l had worked with feverish haste, know
ing that the outcome of this episode with
the Ajax would terminate for good or evil
in a mighty short time Once they ran off
our track we would be comparatively safe,
| though, to lessen this possibility, I sur.
missed that they would themselves be
guided by the drift, only using their oars
| that they might make their speed greater
than that of the schooner. By SO following
they might hope to overtake us, and doubt
less would have done so only we were now at
| the point where the rush of the Hudson
meets that of the Sound river, and the rips
and whirlpools formed by the mingling of
these waters off and below Nutten's island
were constantly creating counter streams
and cross currents that shifted and spun
with the minutes, ever changing and never
at rest save at the brief intervals of slack
water on the turning of the tides
Beyond the gurgling and rushing of the
stream not a sound could / now hear,
though once or twice was sure caught
the humping of oars in their tholes and
heard voices of men. But if did, they went
wide of US, for the minutes swung into half
an hour at least. and the half hour into
whole one, yet nothing of the boats from
the Ajax did see.
And now l took deep breath and moved,
for during this time of terrible suspense we
on deck had barely stirred. Not sound
had come from below, nor had an attempt
to uncover the windows been made, and
yet knew one man had broken nose from
musket butt, and both must be pressed
for want of air. Mistress Gertrude still sat
on the cabin top, and crouched low near the
companion door, with pistol in hand, was
her brother.
As patient as was this girl, she was human
flesh. and delicate bit of femininity at that
The cabin top could not be made perma.
nent quarters for her, and, though believe
she would have collapsed from sheer exhaus.
ton ere offering word of complaint, it was
an uncalled-for sacrifice for her to remain
longer unsheltered and seated on bare, hard
planking Up to the present comfort had
not been considered. but now that imme-
diate danger was past, turned my thoughts
to the young lady, and cast about for a re-
treat to which she might retire. Save the
hold or the forecastle, no spot was avail
able, and either would be repugnant to one
of her fastidious tastes. Still, shelter she
must have; l would see to it presently, but
now | became more than curious to know
, what devilment was meant by the continued
trilo - Il
the cabin.
1t struck me that the quiet, coupled with
what had gone before, might bear mighty
significance, and going softly to a corner of
the tarpaulin, | quickly threw it up and
looked in The light was out. Drawing
back out of range l called Scammell by
name, and then Lounshury, but received no
reply. Putting the threat of death in my
demand for an answer, l still received moth
ing in return; so clamberng to the cabin
top, l laid my ear above a headlight to
catch a sound of movement within, but had
hardly taken my position when both nose
and lungs were assailed by such mixed
stencil of burned powder, lamp SCOT, rum
and foulness in general as to almost turn
my stomach, though it at once cleared up the
mystery.
Here, now, was my threat to stihe them
carried out better than knew. Dragging
off the tarpaulin, pushed away the hatch
cover, drew the bayonet from the staple
forced back the companion slide and en-
tered. The first thing did was to stumble
over mans body on the floor, and then
l turned and got to the deck, for the air in
the cabin was more than l could at once
fetched the galley lantern and went down
| ho nahi al =
heavy blue mist, and the sulphurous fume:
, We're choking. Lounsbury lay on the lool
, with his face covered with blood, apparent
" dead, both eyes being swollen and hi
S countenance blackened beyond recognition
His companion sat on the cushioned tran
n som, damned into corner betwixt bertl
4 and the bulkhead. He was unconscious
;. und, with his tongue hanging out, wa
\ breathing feebly. Physically he was alive
but, through liquor and foul air, was ~
q dead drunk that nothing could have rouset
v him. Three empty brandy bottles la,
e about, together with Scammells saber,
e broken sword, pistols and tobacco pipes
!. while on the table, the cotton cover of whicl
t was burned to ashes, We're the remains Of
l. leathern powder pouch rent by explosion.
" No wonder they had succumbed. Ii
: their tipsiness, or through the carelessnes
d of desperation, they had fired their ammuni
D ton, the amount not having been suficien
d to cause more than the mufled blow an,
IS fash I had heard and seen on the instan
of our being hailed by the Ajax. This, wit
lie the smoke of the previous firing, togethe
Is with the heat and closeness of the quarters
II had created smudge and foulness in whic
q none but drunkard could have lived
d minute. They had evidently been deep i
d some scheme to blow open the forward doc
1t (Which showed signs Of attack when
lie spark from pipe caused the plot to haras
e. the plotters. Lounsbury had been the chic
" sufferer, and thus was accounted for hi
r. blackened face and his cry for air and wate
s. However, it could not have hit my tur
III better had l laid the train of events mysel
lie nor was it long before had the two lyir
re on the deck and knew the cabin was swee
ne en;ng and would soon be a fit retreat fc
he Miss King. Neither was it long before
m discovered that Lounsbury was not as dea
Q. as he was drunk, though hardly as far gor
ut in liquor as Scammell, who could have bee
st pitched over the rail and passed to the ne,
es world without the slightest inconvenien,
I'd to himself. And more's the pity twas NJ
he done.
m Like bags of dunnage took them by the
collars, hauling them amidships, and the
i'd clapped the wrists and legs of both in
"a irons, articles which in those days stot
m somewhat ahead of the medicine chest
wv Importance, and frequently in use. With
L 1 rl,1I e 1