Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1899-02-10
{ DICK RODNEY;
Or. The Adventures of
An Eton Boy.
BY JAMES GRANT.

BY JAN rs CIR ANT.

posed her crew. became for the time
the lions and oracles of the smoking
room and porch OF the uncovered tav-
ern. where it was tacitly agreed hat
nothing could be said about Lord Dun
can. or the licking he gave these
Dutch ,ub5ers off the Texel," in our
srandfathers' days.
| had never seen Dutch craft be-
fore: thus the quaint aspect of this
schooner. with her deep waist. her bow
and stern which were so clumsy in
their form and strength. SO exactly
alike. and tilted up till she resembled
Il cheese cut in half-her leeboards, her
brown. oak planks, all bright with var
nish and her little cabin windows en-
circled by alternate stripes OF red,
green and white paint, all made her,
10 me. a source of wonder; and | was
daily on board. having obtained free
entry. after the bestOwa! of some
schnaps ii. g., gin and water) upon the
captain. Jan van ZeervOgel, who told
me many strange tale of the North
sea. for ne was a pleasant and COM
municative old fellow, having, as he
told NE. wife and children, who kept
his farm on the isle of Wolfersdyck,
near South Beveland while he tempted
the dangers of the ocean to dispose of
its agricultural produce.
One night. while the schooner was
still on the Sridiron. but when her re-
pairs were nearly completed, L was
with him in the little dungeon which
I he called his cabin; darkness had set
in. and the hour was late-iater than
| ought to have been abroad-for we
kept early hours at the rectOry; but
the novelty Of the situation, the old
! Dutchmdn's stories. the fumes of mis-
meerschaum. and the effect of some
peaches. which he gave me from a
large gall pot wherein his wife had
preserved them in brandy. rendered
me careless as TO how the time passed.
After 4 while l proposed to leave the
schooner and return home: but Capt.
ZeervOgel said that as he intended to
sleep that night on board, and as the
crew were all ashore, he begged that |
would have the kindness to remain in
| the caoin FOR a few minutes until he
returned from the little tavern where
i they were located, as he had some or
ders 10 give.
I The tide will rise higher tonight
than usual he added. Il must have
/ the schooner made more secure by adj
! ditional warps. else there is no know
/ ING what may happen"
could not in courtesy refuse, though
+, in 10 way disposed to remain in that
. gloomy little cabin, but he trimmed
/ he lamp anew. as if to make the place
more CHEEKY and. without waiting for
! an answer. went on deck I heard him
descend the side ladder; and. as he
passed away. stumbling among the
logs and chips of the little dockyard,
=! | had the unpleasant conviction of be-
! ing alone.
/ NV watch told me it was row the
/ time for supper and prayers at the rec
! tory. from which / had been too long
! absent Then a vague emotion OF
! alarm came over me, as ! expected eV-
j erv instant to hear some unaccounta-
/ BILE sound. or to see something that
+ might terrify me; so, to gather Dutch
J courage" | very unwisely took one
! or TWO more of Captain Zeervogels
peaches. which. as already stated. were
preserved in brandy, and consequently
were more potent in effect than the
! spirit itself.
Dearly did pay the penalty of that
act OF indiscretiOn,
! [ listened intently. but heard no
sound indicative of the captains re-
! turn Once there seemed to come a
cry from Il distance. My head began
/ to swim and my eyelids to droop. The
+ fumes OF ZeervOgel's long pipe, which
/ perry AIDED and made closer the atmOs-
phere of the little cabin. together with
the effect Of the peaches. proved too
much for me.
] started TO reach the companion lad
| der and ascend on deck: but my limbs
/ seemed 10 become pOwerlesS-to yield
under me, and | fell into n drowsy
doZe, with my head and arms on the
cabin table.
| The captain never returned; and long
! after | asceftained that the poor man
] had been knocked down by some IN
ruly 'nayyies, that the cry | heard
had been his, that he had been robbed
and left senseless in the street Of the
village, while | lay asleep in the cabin
Of the empty schooner, with the flood
tide rising rapidly about her.
CHAPTER III.
How | Got Adrift
Ind hppn aSIepn nonri,r four honr-