Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1899-05-09

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FREE-LANCE
BY cHAUNcy c. HoTcHKlss
Copyright, 1897, by D. Appleton e. Co All
rights reseryed)
SYNOPSIS.
Chapter I.-Donald Thorndyke. as cap
tain of the schooner Phantom, leaves Nor
folk for New London with q cargo of leao
Lounsbury, proves treacherous after they
get to sea and threatens to reveal the char
acter Of the captain and cargo to British
ships then in sight, and from which they
could not escape. Thorndyke strikes him
and renders him insensible. apparently
dead One Of the other two memb s,,s Of
bests him and throws him into the sea.
The other. negro. he scares into silence.
p par dead mate, and tell the English
has killed the captain and ali Of the crew
a9 Gha ss anf the boat he
tells his story, which hi, is believed BY the
dragon officer. Scanned. who is along.
While Thorndyke Is proving his tale.
Lounsbury shows signs of returning con-
British vessel to repeat his story to the
New York and there turned over to the
kings authorities. Thorndyke determines
to act the part of spy. and when possible
through the lines and deliver his
ih Ghapter fv1Thorndy y Ell mixes in fight
at an inn with young naval officer and
Chapter v.--scammell enters during the
progress Of the row and as. asks t. tai take 2
Thorndyke. Belden, the naval officer dis
covers that Thorndyke is the man he is
looking for, for Clinton, and stops the fight.
'g Ghapter Veiinton posepones the in
in in the meantime gives him papers S which
state he is to take the Phantom, still
in New York harbor, and go to Newport
with dispatches to the British general at
| that place.
Chapter VI1.-During great fire in New
York Thorndyke assists patriot spy to es-
Rex After retarn in st to his his quarters t rs
chaptep by Xss fHo Ras
| the identity of Thorndyke and comes to ar
rest him as a spy. He is armed only with
q pistol, and into the printing pan of this
to
and makes his way to Clinton's headquar-
tiers, where his real identity is not yet
cRapter Ix-clinton gives Thorndyke
his instructions and pass through the
| lines. Before leaving, girl. Gertrude King.
L
| be allowed to see her brother. Clinton in
| forms her that her brother was condemned
as spy. and while waiting for execution
was burned to death In the fire of the day
| before. She then demands pass outside
| the lines, proclaiming at the same time
her loyalty to America. Mrs. Badely, Clin-
| tons mistress. enters with the announce
| ment that the brother, instead of being
bpGERR spta has ssearPsd orders rborndvke
to arrest the girl, which he refuses to do.
but instead proclaims his own Identity,
gives s bh her his through the lines
He follows her and makes his way to the
picket lines, where he strikes and pre-
s1GRha apter kisf T fssoryd stops at the
Dove tavern for refreshments. The waiter
takes an unusual interest in him. While
| there British cavalryman and q card
days before, come in. He remains in the
GSste ans not aa aaRer enters the
ern and tells the cavalryman of girl he
has seen In the woods to the north. The
caYalryman leaves to find her. Thorndyke
Is seen by the sharper and fight ensues,
In which the Quaker kills the sharper as
a. body OF cayalrymen approach. allowing
Schap Mas19i and the Quake.
leave the inn and go to place of conceal
meet Miss King and Thorndyse, finds his
Quaker friend, Ames, is the girls half
ehape hs aei ho 81 their
ir ehap rae 21snTnorndyke proposes tina,
they slip down the river in boat to where
Fnara and ake Is to
Ghap 81 nss rea San' te phan
tom In safety and find Scamrnell and Louns.
ashore; The two men are imprisoned in
the cabin and the schooner cut loose and
Gp1eF to # Sgh hs f9g &c be
on British Warship, but the fog again
hides them. and they escape for the time
net9R CHAPTER ips e9 &pII1-rhey are pursued by
vessel they take to be the Sprite. Capture
seems certain when the wind suddenly dies
cnapter *, n.y. !. boat is sent from the
cor e.; and the schooner is boarded, In
Girl disappears. The small boat behind
the schooner has been overturned by shoi
from 1ISna the war vessel, and as last resort
cRapfer he fiaES the dingy rhorndyke
hears the plans made for the Sailing of The
charge. He also hears that Ames is MOI
dead. and surgeon is sent to care for him
'eGfh agp5 fe IS aS1 feTrhha succeeds !,
reaching the deck of the Phantom and i'm
prisoning. the three men of the crew III
has has fight with Lounsbury and kills him
me surgeon accepts parole and agrees t
1tf hapter WIG d s. so alys Sail
sci. Thorndyke finds Miss King still alive
He puts her under the Doctors care. 4
storm comes up and. single-handed, h,
Shap ter x&ifi@Thorndyke goes into tn,
cabin and drass the drunken doctor ont
the deck to sober. off The Phantom con
Chapter Xxi " ofaxy Imprisoned haa crew il
released to help man the schooner, and on,
Of them is swept off the deck into the ser ser