Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1899-10-05
CHAPTER XIX.-CoNr1NuEp.
By CHAUNCY 6. HOTcHKlSS

not u SIllIu arm udO OeeU urea ny LECH up
to this time, their determination to carry
the vessel by cold steel alone being apparent
all through the attack. As my eye ranged
over the circle of men that spread about us
and hemmed us to the taffrail (yet for all
their numbers were held off by the COM
lnand of their oficer), l saw many face
well known to me ashore, but not one ex-
pressing an atom of mercy. With watch
full look anticipated any possible onset,
and yet through all the pent vigor of tight
played beyond their lines and marked the
details of the surroundings.
| The broad ocean lay almost like glass save
for the regular heave that passed over it like
| wsve over the surface of molten metal
| OFF our starboard beam was an upturned
| boat floating lazily away, it probably having
been stove or capsized by the hatch I had
cast into it, and near it drifted the hatch
itself. On deck the fallen canvas covered the
vessel amidships, and aloft the ragged stump
Of the topmast, standing clear against the
dappled sky, looked like pine shivered by
lightning. A profound silence had fallen
where moment before had been din of
shouts and crashing timber-profound save
for dull humping forward, which l knew
mailing for release. The moment was near
at hand when l should pass my soul to its
Maker, and yet, though tie resolve was as
strong as ever, wavered, not in fear of the
next world, but dreading the terrible strug-
gle that would come when healthy body
like mine wrestles in the grip of suffocation.
II our captors could not be goaded into
shooting me, nothing was left but to cast
myself into the sea, and this l would not do
so long as the young Quaker stood at my
side.
\ sudden cry from the bow, soon followed
by the sound of metal striking metal, told
me that the prisoners We're out and being
freed from their irons. Belden, without
vouchsating to answer my defiance, hung
hesitating, evidently awaiting the arrival
of his superior to direct future movements.
Disarmed save for the bare steel in our
hands, we were an easy prey to him Lad our
deaths now been his object; but as there
had been no show of force after boarding us,
the peppery royalist, still smarting from the
disgrace under which had been the means
of placing him, felt sure of his ultimate tri-
umph over me, and, giving the order TO hold
u, where we stood, turned toward the point
of the disturbance forward and hurried off.
| was step in advance of Ames, who still
| leaned against the wheel, when heard his
| Voice in my ear.
"Theres fair chance for leap, Donald"
| lie whispered. ''The last tie is gone. Be
! thee ready?"
"Nay, lad" answered softly. eve are
not yet parted. l still hang to my oath. l
have seen nothing of Gertrude. Where can
| she be-"
''She is past the sight of this, thank God!"
| lie returned. "She is dead, man; dead and
gone, and we will soon follow her. l saw
her"
Again he was interrupted, this time by a
wild yell from the bow, and the man who ut
| tered it started aft chased by half dozen
marines. 1t was Scammell. With little
| upon him save shirt and his small clothes,
| he broke through the half circle that com
rassed us, hating just within its limits. He
| was a horrible object. His hair hung tan
gled over his shoulders; his eyes were fierce
| and bloodshot; his lace was distorted by
rage, and its pallor was startling. Without
| word of warning he called me vile name,
| and with an oath raised pistol he had
| probably snatched from some one and, level
| ing it at me, fired. The ball passed betwixt
my body and elbow without touching the
skin, but it struck Ames, who was just be-
| Find me. l heard deep groan as the youth
| fell to the deck, his head striking the plank
ing with heavy blow, and number of
hands sprang upon the Infatuated officer and
dragged him backward.
| 1t was done in an instant. The shock and
| suddenness of the attack came like thun.
| derbolt, and yet l retained my presence Of
mind. With my eye still fixed on my enc
| mics, stopped to one knee and felt for the
rand of my friend, calling on him to speak;
| but no sound came to my repeated appeal,
| and the hand I found gave no answering
| pressure. He was dead past doubt, and had
quickly joined his sister, who, in some man
| ner unknown to me, had gone before him.
1t was the eliminating wave of disaster,
and for the moment felt like sinking be-
| meath it. Within quarter hour by vlo-
| lence l had been bereft of my two COM
| panions, and thus was suddenly freed from
| my obligation to live. With none left for
| whom to combat, surrounded by triumphant
| enemies, and before me ruin in the shape of
| the moose, it was now my right, as well as
| considered duty, to preserve myself from the
| disgrace of being hanged as spy. 'Twould
| he but short struggle, moments Wild
| agony, perhaps, and then the end. l braced
| myself for the ordeal. Rising to my feet,
] gave last glance around, my eye taking in
the vast sweep of the sea, on deck the ma
,,nes still wrestling with the murderous
royalist, and, hurrying aft, Belden, followed
by Lounsbury. Then turning my thoughts
aloft, | had revelation, without the
slightest mental effort, without the slightest
bending of the mind toward any refuge this
side Of the great unknown, possible-?ay,
| probable-way of escape opened before me.
As the angel of the Lord at the last moment
called on Abraham to desist from the sacri-
fee of his son, so burst this light out Of
| thick darkness and showed me my work was
rot yet finished. More than willing was l to
grasp this more than chance. As though a
stone had been rolled from my chest, took
a deep breath, and quickly unloosing my
tclt, threw both cutlass and scabbard to the
deck, then turning, with stride reached
the rail and cast myself headlong into the
sea.
CHAPTER w