Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1899-10-05

I
tDat. The attacking party had boarded !.
from either side, yet not an eye had seen he:
cast herself into the sea. There was NOR,
than this to make me doubtful For he,
| brothers. sake she had sacrificed herself be-
fore Clinton, yet on my hand was placed
her last kiss. Had she left the world thus
without word to him, without warning to
NE? 1t was unnatural, unholy; it was mon.
s1rous to think of, and yet The possible
solution of the riddle as it drove into my
brain had scarce time to find Judgment be-
fore it was put to flight by the voice of Bel
Gen, which seemed to come from directly
overhead, his words showing that the con-
| tinuance of my present safety was not as
slred.
Think you that dingy could be hauled
aboard and repaired? Twas neat shot,
and the ball seems to have cleft her like
fnifc"
$50 it looks" came an answer, "but III
warrant you'll find her full of assures The
work will barely repay the trouble Better
cut her adrift. If wind comes, the wreck
will drag like sea anchor You might give
attention to the quarter boat yonder, and
get the hatch aboard"
"The hatch, yes" Belden returned; ''but
the boat is stove badly. Curses on the rebel;
be has cost us ten men in all, and only to
give us the slip! IT'S small wonder Louns.
bury has the shakes at thought Of him.
Think of the nerve"
Damn hm!" was the retort. "Wnat
about the schooner? Lounsbury wants to
take her in. There's nothing gone but the
foretopmast, and with three men he could
work her if the captain consents. In the
face of our being short-handed, the idea is
not bad if the villain can be trusted"
Hell scarce run off with the schooner"
answered Belden, "and lead is no tempta.,
ton, though I'd be shy of trusting him with
anything more valuable. 1 know him of
cd. He was scavenger to Clinton, and to
Howe before him. Here, lad, cut away that
painter
The last words were an order probably
given to>a sailor, for presently l heard the
splash of the severed line. At the same
nomcnt boat swept by, and from the few
words l could gather guessed the Irish sur
geon had arrived and gone aboard.
After that more boats passed and re.
passed as time dragged on, and finally the
bulk Of the vessels captors returned to their
own schooner, for, saving now and then
the sound of a single man tramping the
deck, the stiffness was unbroken.
|
heard the final order to cut the tie binding
my refuge to the schooner. l gave no
| thought to what might come Of my beng
adrift on the broad ocean. Beyond each
moment as it came and went l seemed to
Rave no interest. The future was blank,
nor need consider it so long as the wind
held off, for in the calm the dingy and
schooner would not part company, and I'M
til darkness fell l would be compelled to
remain in my present pinched quarters.
Hooded as | was, up to the present my
hearing had been my only sense brought into
play, but with the departure of the last boat
load of men l used my eyes for the first time.
The interior of the shelter under which
| hung was lighted almost entirely from be-
low, and delicate greenish blue tint played
over the planks and ribs of the wreck.
| Shielded from direct light overhead, the
shell gave all the effects of water telescope,
for, on turning my eyes downward, my
sight pierced the ocean for fathom after
fathom, the color of the depths growing
from the most tender blue to clear and
then dark green, showing me that the bot
tom lay beyond vision and far below. 1t was
only by turning to the hole in the keel that
| could guess the hour, nor was it long be-
fore the sun had set and darkness came on
apace. BY the natural attraction of float.
ing bodies, the boat had drawn near the
schooner, and, as they struck and crunched
together, heard the voice of the surgeon as
he left the cabin and came on deck.
"Well, by the powers, l suppose must
obey orders. If the boy is moved, he dies
that's hat-an' by me soul, he may 60, spite
O me skill! l must bide here the night,
aust I? Ay, well; send aboard couple O
bottles, Belden, or, by the piper, III mutiny.
Why should dirty rebel be worth more
than our men? Is Scammell to bide with
me?"
mo-" answered Belden; "he's sent for by
the captain. III fix the liquor, McCary.
Now, Mr.. Lounsbury, you have heard your
instructions. Follow us as soon as the wind
rises; you will have it ere long-the glass
Las fallen. We will stand near you. Are
YOU ready, Scammell?'
There was suppressed conversation after
this, and then another boat put away. In
perhaps an hour it returned and was hoist
Cd to thu davits, and then again there was
silence-a deep, broodng silence, such as is
only known in a night calm on the sea.
AS have said, l had given no thought to
the future or what consequence my present
situation might entail should the schooner
follow her captor. But as the darkness
dcepened and a chill due to my protracted
that, except for having pat myself beyond
the sight OF my enemies, had accomplished
nothing True it was that might have laid
course ere this, for had hung unmolested
FOR number of hours; but, instead of turn
ing to my own interests had let my brain
play over the mystery of the disappearance
of Miss King. What this portended l had
failed to dwell upon. Knowing that for
| myself there remained nothing to do but
stay where was until chance should open
! a way for me to gain the shore or mischance
deliver me a prisoner or send me to the
bottom, 1 had racked my fancy for solu-
ton of the one question regarding the lady.
As a reward for this constant effort, had
nit upon what thought to be the correct
answer to the puzzle, but to verify it had
been thus far beyond possibility. Now the
darkness, the warning chill, and my general
uncertainty brought me up with a round
turn, and gave attention solely to my own
affairs.
Further than that l must leave my shell
ter and gain the schooner, could not pro-
coed in laying my line of action. To use
the wreck as a support and push the I'M
manageable thing for an uncertain number
of miles to the Long Island coast would re-
suit, in my present condition, in collapse
AID DEATH 1t did not take me long to de-
termine that my only hope lay in the nearby
schooner; fororn hope at best, for the at.
Tempt to beard her would Immediately place
my life in jeopardy. Nor would 1 have
turned thought to her had I not over
heard that she would be manned by Louns-
bury and three hands only. This handful
Of men (the doctor counting as nothing in