The Hope pioneer., 1899-05-25
the devil has come to you?" I vo.

"What the devil has come to you?' vo.
ciferated.
We'll, we'll Delay all an drop the cur.
tain,'' he continued, setting his back against
the rail and jerking his thumb over his
shoulder. "1e may be captain, but twill
soon be captain O nothing-d'ye sce?-
savn, of course, We come to tarms with
Jack Lounsbury. Do We mark that. an
that, an that?" he went on easily, turning
and pointing to three sails that were well
up on the horizon.
Then something of the matter came to me
at once. That they were British ships
| well knew, for the French were not yet due
| to arrive, and American privateers moved
not in l!ocks. In wonder at my mates ac-
tlons and words, l had not marked this ris-
ing danger, but at glance saw that escape
| by flight was useless, as the oncoming YES
sells We're spreading out from east to south
and rapidly sailing down on fresh wind,
which they were evidently bringing with
| them. To pass through them unnoticed was
unhoped for; to be chased was to proclaim
! my character.
| Lounsbury was no coward, knew; but
| that he was traitor to me, or mad, l had
small doubt. His manner and words heat
cd my temper, but now that must have
recourse to deception, let him bde the
While, and turned attention toward get
ting out of the danger bearing down from
wlndward Putting a curb on my temper,
l said:
You will get up the British ensign and
hold the course. We will clear them yet "
And with this I turned toward the COM
panion.
Now, whether he feared I was about to
arm myself, and prcferring to take me as
| stood (Which was more than most men
dare attempt), or whether his plans were
ripe for action, know not; but he inter-
posed his square figure betwiXt me and
the door, and with a mighty patronizing air,
spakc thus:
Faith, captain, I had no call to harrow
We, seeing the game is in my own two hands
but list bit, and we may vet be comrades
again. No matter how / know, but do
know We look to cozen yonder ships by false
papers, seeing It's impossible to dodge them
as they have the weather gauge of ye an
yc are in the blight OF the land. Now what
Use might be yer papers should I see fit
to damn ye as a rebel with cargo of rebel
lead consigned to rebels? About as much
savice as a rabbits tail to COW in hytime
He be man O sense an have little liking,
| take it, for taste o either Cunningham
| (the British provost marshal at New y ork)
or one O the prison hullls, an ye can escape
them both if my standing by We will help,
by just handing over the bit O gold ye have
snugged away below
The shock of this demand with the knowl-
edge of what might lay in store for me
caused me to lose thought of all else save
how the fellow had gotten so familiar with
my private affairs, and to this day have
never entirely fathomed it. And it was
here I was clutched by fear of the danger
bearing down on me, for my best-laid plans
were rendered valueless by the scoundrel
| had too easily taken on trust. I cannot
account for his insight, save that he had
probed my locker when was absent (this
fact being plain enough), and had in some
mysterious way come at the fact that l
possessed treasure which, by search, he
had discovered hidden somewhere beyond
his reach. Be this as it may, l saw that
my secret was no longer mine alone.
1t is very possible my emotion showed
in the face, and he, nightly astray in guess