Willmar tribune., 1899-06-21

ing toward the scupper, "and when did this
happen? Let us come by the papers,"
"Yonder fellow is Donald Thorndyke, the
master till l overcame him." l answered.
Il shipped as mate. If you will go below we
can come by the whole matter" I replied,
rot caring to extend my yarn with the negro
within hearing. 'Or, better, we can take
what we there find and 60 aboard before
your captain, where the whole matter may
be boiled down at one sitting"
"Twould be saving of time, certainly"
he answered, "but We'll hear the yarn while
the schooner is being searched; of course.
you understand the Importance of the form. y
And he turned to a sea corporal and gave
him the necessary orders. Now, sir, am
at your SERVICE he said, crossing the deck
toward the cabin companion. Hesitating
there, he seemed to hang in the wind for an
instant, and then strode over to the body
did you shoot him." he asked, as he bent
over the PROSTATE form.
NAY, I struck him." answered.
Faith, then,' he returned, sizing me up
with side glance, "I'd sooner take the
chance of bullet than blow from that fist
it you struck in earnest! Did he wing you
at the onset?"
"Nay, nay; twas niger striving to knife
me in the back. Let's below Mayhap We
have doctor aboard who will fix up bad
cut"
Through all this l was conscious of the eve
OF Scammell fixed on me. Whether or not he
was suspicious of me, or whether he was still
boiling under the dressing had given him,
there were no means of telling. I saw plain
ly, the resentment he made little effort to
conceal, and felt that had made an enemy
who would be mighty glad to cross swords
with me on the slightest provocation. He
was % or 80 in years, or about my own age,
and was under me not two inches in stature,
which is speaking we'll for him, as l stood
three inches above six feet, unshod. By
weight and Drawn well overmatched him
las did most men), especially in the latter
quality of physique; but he made typical
dragon officer, and would be formidable
antagonist in any field.
l might hope for little mercy if ever fell
into the power of this man, for mercy was a
quality which, strained or unstrained, he
and his fellows had naught to do with This
| made sure of on getting into the cabin,
where in course of conversation it turned
out that he was a captain in De Lancys
Loyal Legion, body of tory cavalry half
freebooters and half in the regular service.
l had heard of them, as who has not? Be.
twixt New York and Philadelphia and the
country surrounding both places they were
a terror, the malignancy equaling if not
surprising the rapacity of Tryon himself.
Itoh hoH 70 ot I l. i
there, that there might be one less blood
sucker above ground, but policy held me from
committing an act which probably would
have at once wrought ruin to my plans and
left my poor mother without son. was,
therefore, bound to treat him with civility
which | did when a word to him was neces-
sary, but l fancy we each knew the other
was but skipping over the thin ice of polite
ness.
Being, as it were, in the enemy's lines,
followed the bent of the lieutenant, and
laughed loudly and long over the puzzle.
ment (as he called it) into which the Phan.
tom had led them. drank to the king and
damned the rebels; told story of being
free lance under elastic instructions from
Sir Henry Clinton, and how l had taken
the vessel by killing Captain Thorndyke and
besting the crew. In short, | put myself
into my mates former place as nearly as was
possible, following his coarse manner and
uncouth language, exhibiting the rough and
ready character beftting fellow of his
breeding.
But, beyond Sir Henry's signature, never
a line did | show them or tell the nature OF
my orders; and that for the best reasons, for
knew little of the business myself, not hav.
ing had the opportunity to more than scan
the papers [ had taken from the body
The regular clearance discovered the
schooner to be Yankee trader. There wa;
Il Yankee sailor captured and Yankee cap
tain dead, and why should there be susp
clons?-and there were none in the mind OF
the licutenant; but of his friend, the dra
COON, who had come aboard for bit of dan
gerous play land had nigh achieved hl!
wish), l was not so sure.
In my turn at questioning I found that the
enemy was the Sprite, an American capture
RENTED and renamed, one of the last o
Howe's fleet as Bloomsbury had surmlsed) }
hearing two passengers beside her usual cor,
plement Of men, and bound for. New Yorl
to meet General Clinton, then on his over
land trip from Philadelphia to that city.
Now we had been sitting below for upward
of an hour, drinking my rum and maxim;
game of the rebels on land and sea (thougl
once, when spoke of John Paul Jones,
saw l was on dangerous ground, and Delayed
my tongue, cursing the liquor for havin!
loosed i), when the companion way wa
darkened by marine, who, jerking a sa
lutte, said, with scarcely controlled grim
eve have another prisoner, sir"
"Anothcr!' exclaimed the lieutenant
starting up and giving me stern look
"What's the meaning Of this, Lounsbury
Are you dealing fairly?"
was as surprised as he, and had no an
swer to make but before my confusion be
came manifest the marine again spoke
'Tis the dead man come to life sir w
were flushing him an the deck, an twas tn
| water as fetched him, SIR"
"Glad am It's no worse" said the office
| with laugh. II feared l smelled trick
| L.
| &3az6;&|ys'EZI6 4 q