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

81; him. he guard is none too b. mt; had |
"cu not better step up and take look |
about?" And with this he patted the |
cleaning pistol stocks and looked toward |
the companion way.
There will be no guard to meet him this |
night" answered Lounsbury with laugh |
which also betokened relief. Il let him go |
till sunrise, and his musket lies fog-soaked
on the deck, the ass! le have the vapors |
We be safe enough. The fog lies like fleece,
but-but-"
But what, you fool?. was the irritable
rejoinder.
81 meant twas new thought, that O
the chance O his coming. Ne'er mind Go
We ashore with the guard when he gets back,
and I'll bide here against Thorndyke's
boarding the schooner"
For a moment or two there was silence,
and during it | fancied l could trace the
working of the minds of both; Scammell's
bent on the probable result of delivering
himself to Clinton, and Lounsbury's on the
dawning chance to get his finger on my gold
still safe in the bulkhead. Presently the
cavalryman smote his knee with his fist and
broke OUT
"My God! why-why did I not spit the
!! fellow while l had the chance two days
since. or shoot him? Why did l not know
him for spy? 'Twould have saved all this!
Is there no trace of him."
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 We may
thank God the ever was cracked, else
twas your skull that broke an not the
pitcher. By the powers above, begin to
fear him, an ye-"
Shut up!" was the ungracious answer.
"1land out the bottle and help me get on
deck for air. l hate this hole! 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 l had these two at saber's
length, it went against me to think of their
coming on deck and possibly spelling the
plans | had already Matched in their behalf.
Slipping from my cover, ! crawled over the
cabin house and got to the door. There
was lock on it, but the key had long since
| gone and had been used to make shift
of fastening the companion by paddock,
hasp, and staple. AS felt over it missed
| the paddock, though hasp and staple were
| to use as bolt, in the light from the cabin
l
| ing along the deck under the tarpaulin, 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 it opened into small space,
or tween decks" and knew mass of
lead had been piled aft and against it to
| give the vessel proper trim, so that mode
of egress was blocked.
I My scheme was simple enough. / would
now go the whole pace and take with me a
couple of prisoners, and if / failed would
| be no worse off than before. In any event
there would be sudden ending to my diff
culties If was to be taken, and the kidnap-
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 at last we three
stood on the deck: So far all had gone we'll.
| My next move was to away the ground
tackle, leaving the boats painter still be-
layed to the cable. AS the last strand part
ed and the schooner shot away, leaving the
scow still fast, fanced the establishment
CT the guard on finding the Phantom had
dwindled to rusty, mud-spattered con-
trivance but peg removed from raft.
As the schooner gathered force and fled,
now broadside to the ebb, told in whispers
what l had found and what done. l 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
i water was as fiat as ice, there being no more
apparent motion now than before. Unless
we fouled something, they could make no
,H,N Lol .L,,N H.
would bother them, and in all likelihood
they would end in an attempt at breaking
it down.
To balk this led the way aft, bidding
Ames be spokesman if it 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 to 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 hand was placed on
the fastening, and the door ratified in the
forcble shaking it received. Its failure to
open was followed by round oath, and
we plainly heard the voice of Scammell sug-
costing that it be broken down. After q
parley betwixt 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 q
sword. This | could not see, but felt the
steel with my hand, and, thinking the stu
alton had better be known at once, picked
up the musket and with blow of it's stock
broke the protruding weapon close to the
panel.
To the two below this was the first in
timation that aught was going wrong, ano
tteir CONSERVATION must have made fine
show. Possibly ten seconds elapsed befor,
they recovered from their surprise, anc
then the voice of Lounsbury demanded
who's on the deck?" but on receiving nc
answer, the panels were assaulted with
force that wel-nigh sprung them from thei
frames. Now l 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 tn
United Colonies, and demand the surren
der of your arms! If you force the com
panion, it will mean death to both; you ar
outnumbered."
"Who are you?" came from within, thi
time from Scammell.
"Call me the ghost of Donald Thorndyke
if you will, but pass out your arms"
which | laughed outright, despite the stu
alton.
The laugh must have Ieen heard by Their
and my locality fairly well marked, for ther
came a volley of curses, and then throug
the door two pistol shots in quick success
sion.
1t was fortunate that was we'll at tn
side of the Communion else the assault WOul