Willmar tribune., 1899-09-27

| II ON either side, yet not an eye had seen mel
cast herself into the sea. There was more
than this to make me doubtful. For her
brothers sake she had sacrificed herself be-
fore Clinton, yet on my aand was placed
her last kiss. Had she left the world thus
without word to him, without warning to
NE? 1t was unnatural, unholy; it was mon
s1rous to think of, and yet The possible
solution of the riddle as it drove into my
train had scarce time to find lodgment be-
fore it was put to flight by the voice of Bel
cen, which seemed to come from directly
overhead, his words showing that the con-
tinuance of my present safety was not as
srred
| "Think you that dingy could be hauled
aboard and repaired? Twas neat shot,
| and the ball seems to have cleft her like
Fpife."
$50 it looks" came an answer, but III
warrant you'll find her full of assures. The
work will barely repay the trouble. Better
| cut her adrift. If wind comes, the wreck
will drag like sea anchor. You might give
attention to the quarter boat yonder, and
get the hatch aboard"
'"The hatch, yes," Belden returned; "but
| the boat is stove badly. Curses on the rebel;
! be has cost us ten men in all, and only to
| give us the slip! IT'S small wonder Louns-
hury has the shakes at thought of him!
| Think of the nerve"
damn him!'' was the retort. "Waat
about the schooner? Lounsbury wants to
take her in. There's nothing gone but the
foretopmast, and with three men he could
work her if the captain consents. In the
face of our being short-handed, the idea is
| not bad if the villain can be trusted"
"He'll scarce run off with the schooner"
answered Belden, "and lead is no tempta-
ton, though I'd be shy of trusting him with
anything more valuable. | know him of
cid. He was scavenger to Clinton, and to
| Howe before him. Here, lad, cut away that
painter"
The last words were an order probably
given to a sailor, for presently heard the
| splash of the severed line. At the same
moment boat swept by, and from the few
words could gather guessed the Irish sur
geon had arrived and gone aboard.
After that more boats passed and re-
passed as time dragged on, and finally the
| bulk of the vessels captors returned to their
own schooner, for, saving now and then
! the sound of single man tramping the
| deck, the stiffness was unbroken.
1t was with mighty satisfaction that had
heard the final order to cut the tie binding
my refuge to the schooner. I gave no
thought to what might come of my beng
adrift on the broad ocean. Beyond each
moment as it came and went seemed to
Rave no interest. The future was blank,
nor need l consider it SO long as the wind
held off, for in the calm the dingy and
! schooner would not part company, and un-
til darkness fell would be compelled to
remain in my present pinched quarters.
Hooded as l was, up to the present my
hearing had been my only sense brought into
play, but with the departure of the last boat
load of men used my eyes for the first time
The interior of the shelter under which
| hung was lighted almost entirely from be-
low, and a delicate greenish-bue tint played
over the planks and ribs of the wreck.
Shielded from direct light overhead, the
shell gave all the effects of water telescope,
for, on turning my eyes downward, my
sight pierced the ocean for fathom after
fathom, the color of the depths growing
from the most tender blue to clear and
then dark green, showing me that the bot
tom lay beyond vision and far below. 1t was
cnly by turning to the hole in the keel that
| could guess the hour, nor was it long be-
fore the sun had set and darkness came on
apace. BY the natural attraction of float
ing bodies, the boat had drawn near the
schooner, and, as they struck and crunched
together, heard the voice of the surgeon as
| he left the cabin and came on deck.
"Well, by the powers, I suppose must
obey orders. If the boy is moved, he dies
that's fat-an' by me soul, he may go, spite
O me skill! l must bide here the night,
must I? Ay, we'll; send aboard couple O
bottles, Belden, or, by the piper, I'll mutiny.
H. -, II h.
| than our men? Is Scammell to bide with
me?"
NO." answered Belden; "he's sent for by
| the captain. I'll fix the liquor, McCary.
| Now, Mr.. Lounsbury, you have heard your
| instructions. Follow us as soon as the wind
rises; you will have it ere long-the glass
YOU ready, Scammell?"
| There was suppressed conversation after
| this, and then another boat put away. In
perhaps an hour it returned and was hoist
| cd to the davits, and then again there was
silence-a deep, brooding silence, such as is
only known in night calm on the sea-
AS l have said, I had given no thought to
the future or what consequence my present
situation might entail should the schooner
follow her captor. But as the darkness
deepened and chill due to my protracted
submerson struck to my bones, I realized
that, except for having put myself beyond
the sight of my enemies I had accomplished
nothing. True it was that might have laid
a course ere this, for had hung unmolested
FOR number of hours; but, instead of turn
ing to my OWE interests, had let my brain
play over the mystery of the disappearance
of Miss King. What this portended l had
| failed to dwell upon. Knowing that for
myself there remained nothing to do but
! stay where was until chance should open
way for me to gain the shore or mischance
deliver me prisoner or send me to the
bottom, l had racked my fancy for solu-
tion OF the one question regarding the lady.
AS reward for this constant effort, had
nit upon whGt l thought to be the correct
answer to the puzzle, but to verify it had
been thus far beyond possibility. Now the
darkness, the warning chill, and my general
uncertainty brought me up with round
turn, and l gave attention solely to my own
affairs.
Further than that must leave my shell.
ter and gain the schooner, I could not pro.
ceed in laying my line of action. To use
the wreck as a support and push the un.
manageable thing for an uncertain number
of miles to the Long Island coast would re.
suit, in my present condition, in collapse
ard death. 1t did not take me long to de-
termine that my only hope lay in the nearby
schooner; forlorn hope at best, for the at
tempt to board her would Immediately place
my life in jeopardy. Nor would 1 have
turned thought to her had l not over
beard that she would be manned by Louns
bury and three hands only. This handful
of men (the doctor counting as nothing in
my eyes), the calm, and the probable tota
lack of discipline which would follow the