Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1899-03-23

me present: rreedom was woiin rl6fe
+ fortune. and even that might not, IN the end,
/ be lost; so, throwing the belt overheard l
/ placed the papers carefully in my pocket and
/ went forward.
| The pistol dropped from aloft | found on
/ the deck, and with it in my hand sid back
| the hatch cover of the foreeastle and called
| 10 the black to come up. This he did, blink
| ing nightly as he struck the strong light,
when, clapping the weapon TO his ear, l
swore / would blow his brains out, and, II
necessary, follow him to the ends OF the
world to do it, if he breathed word OF my
ever having been master OF the Phantom.
The fellow was bound to be a source of
anxiety to me as long as he had the power
10 speak, but could not well murder him
outright. Fortunately, his patois was well
nigh unintelligible TO ears unframed to the
dialect of the southern negro, and, II my plan
worked he would ere long meet his deserts
IN one of the British prison hulks, the nor
rible reputation of which was now wide
spread / have small doubt that he thought
he was coming to his death when ordered
him UP. for, like the slave he had once been,
he cringed and writhed at my feet, begging
FOR his life in a manner both disgusting and
pitiful Yet, for all his gratitude at my
promise to spare him on condition OF his 81
lence, / felt that, were it IN his power, ne
would have knitted me as stood. l had no
fear that he knew of my hidden gold, Louns-
bury having been far too shrewd to take Tor
bartners men of the character of the crew,
he probably having seduced them with
promises of some ready cash, backed with
visions of prize money and the high favor
Of British officers. had a warrant for thus
believing for my mate had suddenly lowered
his voice as he referred to the treasure be-
low, in all likelihood for the purpose of con
ceaIing from the man at the wheel its pres
ence on board the schooner.
To the fellow at my feet, whose name, /
now mind me, was ''Stofe" probably cor
ruption of Christopher), / made no prom
Use for the future, only saying would hold
my hand for the present, and then or
dered him to take in the jib and staysail,
that the Phantom might lay in the wind and
meet her fate as soon as possible.
Indeed, | had expected ere this to have
had shot acorss my bows and another one
into me for not obeying the hint of the first
an action which had so far been impossible.
| fancied land afterward found | was right
they were nonplussed at the queer seaman
ship displayed by the drunken progress of
the Phantom. 1t had been thought, may
hap, that as but two men showed on our
deck, we had host below, and that, in the
disguise of simple trader we were intend
ing to delude them and lay them aboard
with little ceremony; or, failing in this, were
adopting some uneouth mode of warfare on
the sea, as strange to them as is the Indian
land method to the European regular.
1t was with feeling akin to shame that
when the forward halyards were let go had
the negro bend the Stars and Stripes to the
ensign halyard, placing the flag union down
and under the flaming bunting of the enc
my These were hoisted to the mainpeak,
and thus | had set a sign of surrender before
surrender was called for, but as part of my
plan it became hard necessity.