The diamond drill., 1899-08-12

cavalryman smote his knee with his fist and
broke OUT
my God! why--why did not spit the
| fellow while | had the chance two days
since, or shoot him. Why did not know
him for a spy! 'Twould have saved all this!
Is there no trace of himg"
None since he passed the lines an put
Lowney TO sleep. They tell me he killed the
green sentinel with his fist. Faith, my head
aches at the thought O him, an ye may
thank God the ever was cracked, else
twas your skull that broke an not the
pitcher. By the powers above. l begin TO
fear him, an ye-"
shut up!" was the ungracous answer.
"IIand out the bottle and help me get on
deck for air. hate this holel / have been
| buried three days." And with this Scam
nell struggled into a sitting position, reach
ing out his hand for the dram Lounsbury
was already pouring.
Now that had these two al a saber's
! length, il went against me 10 think OF their
coming on deck and possibly spelling the
| plans | had already hatched in their behalf.
Slipping from my cover, crawled over the
cabin house and got TO the door. There
was a lock on il, but the key had long since
gone and had been used 10 make a shift
of fastening the companion by paddock,
hasp, and staple. As felt over il missed
the paddock, though hasp and staple were
still intact. While fumbling for my knife
to use as bolt, in the light from the cabin
window ! caught the CLINT of musket "
ing along the deck under the tarpauin, and,
quickly unshipping its bayonet, thrust the
steel through the iron loop, and the two be-
! low were prisoners There was another door
in the cabin, but IL opened into a small space,
or tween decks, and | knew mass OF
lead had been piled aft and against it TO
give the vessel a proper trim, 50 that mode
OF egress was blocked.
Ny scheme was simple enough. | would
now 90 the whole pace and take with me a
couple Of prisoners, and ii failed | would
! be no worse of than before In any event
there would be a sudden ending TO my diff.
| culties il ! was TO be taken and the kdnap-
ing would not hasten my final swing.
Still unshod and silent, ! made my way
| forward, and with some difficulty, owing to
| the darkness and need of stealth, the scow
was emptied Of her load, and al last we three
stood on the deck. So far all had gone well
Ny next move was to away the ground
tackle, leaving the boats painter still be-
laycd to the cable As the last strand part
ed and the schooner shot away, leaving the
scow still fast, fancied the astonshment
| cl the guard on finding the Phantom had
| dwindled TO a rusty, mudspattered con
triyance but a peg removed from a raft
As the schooner gathered force and fled,
now broadside 20 the ebb, told in whispers
what | had found and what done. / was
well aware that not many minutes would
| elapse before those below would discover
something out of gear. Between the COW
cred headlights and the fog they could have
no notion that the schooner was free, for the
water was as fiat as ice, there being no more
apparent motion now than before. Unless
we fouled something, they could make no
guess at what had happened, but the door
would bother them, and in all likelihood
they would end in an attempt at breaking
il down.
To ballI this led the way aft, bidding
Ames be spokesman if il came TO words, and
TO act as he saw fit If it came to blows.
Placing Mistress Gertrude on the top Of the
house. and so out OF harms way, Ames and
| / bent our ears 10 the door, though kept
my eye open for what might at any minute
confront US from out the depths OF the fog.
We had not long TO wait ere hearing from
those within. for soon n hand was placed on
the fastening, and the door ratified IN the
forcible shaking il received. It's failure TO
/ open WIS AOlAONtl UA a iOAiln hdAHt anu
we plainly heard the voice of Scammcll sug.
costing that il be broken down. After a
parey betwxt them as TO what was the
probable cause OF the trouble, another at
tempt was made to force the door by shak-
ing, and then there was worked through the
joint OF the companion way the blade of a
sword. This | could not see but felt the
steel with my hand. and thinking the situ-
alton had better be known at once, picked
up the musket and with a blow OF its stock
broke the protrudng weapon close 70 the
panel.
TO the two below this was the first in.
timation that aught was going wrong, and
their CONSERVATION must have made fine
show Possibly ten seconds elapsed before
they recovered from their surprise, and
then the voice of Lounsbury demandcd
who's on the declSg" but on receiving no
answer, the panels were assaulted with o
force that wcll-nigh sprung them from their
frames Now | babe Ames speak, and,
placing his head conveniently near dead
light, he called OUT
Below there, Scammell and Lounsbury,
you two be prisoners in the name OF the
United Colonies, and | demand the surren.
der Of your arms! Ii you force the com.
panion, il win mean death TO both; you are
outnumbered
'Who are you?" came from within, this
time from Scammell
"Call me the ghost OF Donald Thorndyke,
il YOU will, but pass out your arms" AT
which / laughed outright despite the stu.
alton.
The laugh must have been heard by them
and my locality fairly well marked, for there
came a volcy OF curses, and then through
the door two pistol shots in quick success
sion.
II was fortunate that was well at the
side of the companion. else the assault would
have finished me- 1t showed the temper OF
my captvcs, as well as the necessity Tor pro-
lection against another similar attack, for
should it come to our getting of and using
the sails the helmsman would be in sore
danger OF being shot as he stood at the
wheel There were no window openings
IN the cabin fore or aft. and, save the door,
no possible weakness in the structure; but
this door exactly faced the holm and was in
danger OF being forced or so riddled with