Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1899-03-31


| casing cracked.
| turned back to the others, and we ate
| the balance of our meal in silence, even the
| girl feeling the growing nearness of the end
| and glancing furtively at each mans face in
| turn.
/ / think we sat in this state of depression
for much more than an hour, or long after
we had finished eating, and each face Was
well-nigh lost in the darkness. The window
| being open, no light was made, and, as there
was not breath of wind, the stiffness was
| only broken by the sounds of night life with
| out. There was a faint simmer of moon
| light on the floor which barely gave form to
| those at the table, but the only sign of ami
nation existing within doors was the glow.
ing of our three pipes as we men sat and
sucked away, each respecting the thoughts
of the others.
| At length Burt spoke. II am bound to
confess that darkness looms ahead" he be-
gan, "and if make suggestion, it is not
to hint that you should take hopeless
| chance in order that may be rid of you.
Could you do aught with boat? have one
| concealed that might be made ready in an
hour"
| The spell of silence and inactivity was
broken, for the girl left her chair and
stepped softly to the window as | replied:
81 have thought of boats, but only for the
| Hudson side. Could we go far and not be
| picked up by another such sneaking devil of
patrol as saw yonder? Whittier shall we
| go? say we, for we it must be. have
cast my lot with the others
| He made no answer, and rose and joined
the girl (whom could hardly yet think Of
as girl at the window. But now the as
pect of nature had changed, and the fair
picture had seen below but a short time
| before was blurred as breath blurs a cold
| pane. With the quick alteration possible in
| this region and at this season, within the
| hour the night had grown damp, and light,
low fog hung over the river and its banks,
! SO shallow, so still, and so silvery in the
/, CLEAR moonlight that it was as though
| quiet nundation had engulfed the land and
| ton from which viewed it, | looked down
upon it as one looks down upon the sea from
+, low headland. \ billowy fullness lifted
| here and there, slow moving and majestic,
but over its vast extent the line betwixt fog
and clear air was sharply drawn. No moon
track cut across this fleecy ocean, no sharp
ripple broke its surface, and q breeze would
have wrecked its strange beauty in second
The trees rose through the vapor, clear at
| their tops but invisible at their bases, and
one dead sycamore stood strongly out
against the light like the masts and rigging
of a sunken ship. Its similarity struck me.
As my eye caught it, like flash of light
ming an idea shot into my brain and my
pipe snapped off at my teeth as / bit
! through the stem in the intensity of my
| feeling. With a cry l sprang for Ames, and
! gripping him by the shoulders with force
that made him cry out, l said, or rather
shouted:
Il have it! 1 have it! Now is the time!
Will you follow me and take monstrous
chance? Look, man! Mark the fog! We
will to the boat-drift for the Phantom
cut her cable and trust to the ebb and God
above to carry us past the feet"
{ "The phantom! For the love of God,
what phantom? Are you suddenly daft,
Thorndyke, that you see ghosts?" was the
vehment return of the youth, as with a
violent twist he tried to free himself from
my grasp.
f'n.Nay, man, no ghost!" I cried, betwi3t
laugh and a sob, so high was my nervous ex-
tItement. ""My ship-the schooner Phan-
toml Have I not, told you? She lies but a
mile below on a straight drift. See, man,
see!" said ], hurryng him to the window.
alhe fog will be our guard! Once away,
we are safe! 'Tis death TO bide here when
such mask stands ready for our use! We
are yet alive! We-are not spent! Will you
| risk the outcome? Let us not stand here
aud see those scarlet devils hem us in like a
! ring of fire! Better strange in the sweet
brine beneath the vessels keel than be
jerked into the next world by means of
/ rope! Never shall they dance me! How
now? Shall we sink or swim together in
! the venture!"
I was beside myself with excitement AS
poured out in disjointed sentences, caught
now all standing, and l had released him
from my hold With bound he gained the
side of his sister, who had stood like
statue as my plan was unfolding, and taking
her Hand, be said:
h"Gertrude, Gertrude! do you follow
him? TITS a grand opening; It's like call
! to life! am for it! We have no home, and
| can lose Id more than is already lost if we
iemain here, Will you cast your lot with
| him-with us-and risk the danger which
can be no greater beyond than in this place?
Come, Ghorndyke, make it clear; show her
It's the last resort. desperate though it be"
There was no need Of argument, however,
for With one hand in that of her brother
and the other stretched toward me, she sim
ply answered. II dare all you dare! Have
| yet failed?" and stood with lifted head and
untremhling form as she spoke the words.
Out of sheer respect and admiration for
| the heroism of this girl, felt like bending
my knee even as knight bends before his
sovereign, but the practical mind of Burt
put period to any possibility of mock
| heroics, for that individual asked in the
calmest of tones:
as your ship still where she has been? Is
she deserted, or, at least, is she not
guarded!
| Three days ago not gasket had been
| touched since the broad arrow was painted
on her bow" answered. ....By night she IS
guarded BY single man, but that troubled
me less than. would fly On q hot day He
| has seen his last sun if he thwarts me. / care
| not for one man nor three if / can but guide
| my approach. From aught ! have seen
and have watched her well-nothing has
been done to her, naught carried away. She
was thought fit to go on an errand to Piget.
only wanting in men, arms. and provisionsj
/ even the fresh water slowed forward may
hs good!"
ARMS and provisions you can have,
They are even now in the barn room." no an,
swered slowly and in strapg contrast to my
excited speech. "But, be continued. as he
closed the shutters, blocked the windows,
and lighted the candle, might you not
overshoot your vessel in the fog, or run inta
some Of the anchored feet when once
, adrift| ~,