Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1899-06-16

Ducket; another moment and the cTaIt
would have been preached to-" *
He must have crept behind the
longboat and got into the forecastle,"
suggested Carlton.
III bring him up with round turn
for playing this trick" grumbled Lam
bourne
HUSH" said l, as a strange sound
fell upon my ear.
what is IT." asked the others. lis
tening.
IA cry-did you not hear it,"
''No-nonsense!' said they, together.
1T was cry that came from some
whore" ;S
Il did hear something" said Will
White; bat it was sheave creaking
in block aloft. ! think
"No, no." said Il, pausing by the
capstan, rs = terrible foreboding seized
me; at came from the cabin"
There is no one there but the Cap
tain, Hislop, and the boy Bill, who
sleeps in the steerage, and they are
all three sound enough by this time, :"
said Lambourne.
"But the sound was from the cab
in," Iypersisted. fastening aft.
At that moment another cry, loud
and piteous-a cry that sank into a
hoarse moan, echoed through the brig,
piercing the nights dull ear" and
ringing high above the welter Of the
sea alongside, the bubble at the stem
and stern. or the hum Of the wind
through the taut rigging.
We all rushed aft to the companion,
and at that instant Antonio sprang up
the cabin stair. By the clear splendor
Of the tropical moonlight we could see
that his usually swarthy visage was
pale as death, while his black eyes
blazed like two burning Goals. He
grasped his unsheathed knife the blade
Of which, as well as his hands and
clothes, were covered with blood!
Ny heart grew sick with vague ap-
prehension, and my first thought was
for weapon; but none was near.
What have you been about. you
rascally picaroon- why did you
leave the wheel :" shouted Lambourne,
becoming greatly excited: "the masts
might have gone by the board-what
DEVILS work have you been after be-
low 2"
Then the dark Spanish creole
grinned, as the blood dripped from his
hands on the white and moonlit deck.
KNOCK him down with handspike,
Carlton" added Lambourne, who could
not leave the wheel; knock him
down-the shark-faced swab!'
4 On hearing this, Antonio drew from
his breast revolver pistol, one of a
pair which we knew always hung
loaded in Weston's cabin, and fred
straight at the head Of Carlton-who
lodged the shot, which killed the sea-
man named VIII White, who stood be-
hind him.
The ball pierced the brain Of the
poor fellow. who bounded convulsive-.
~ nearly three feet from the deck; he
fell heavily on his face and never
moved again. for he was dead-dead
as stone.
In its suddenness this terrible deed
paralyzed us with horror, not unmixed
with fear, as we were all unarmed and
completely in the power Of this Span
ish demon, the report Of whose pistol
brought all the startled crew tumbling
over each other out Of the forecastle.
AHA, maldita! Santos y Angeles
said the Spaniard, waving the pistol.
the muzEle Of which yet smoked, to-.
ward VI in half circle, % . warning
for all to stand back; did you think
to run your rigs upon me? am An
tonic d Cubano, and don't value you
al q rops's-end or rotten castano.
% you shall ind. am now the cap
tain Of this ship, and shall force you
all to obey me, or else here he swore
one OF those sonorous and blasphem-
Gus oaths which run 50 glibly from Z
Spanish tongue-"I win shoot you all
In succession, till I am the last man
left on board; and when / am tired Of
the ship can burn or scuttle her. Do
you understand all this 7"
Dead silence followed this strange
address, the half Of which was scarce
" understood BY our men, a. it was
said In Spanish. 3 N
'.'Basta!" (avast) see that you do
understand" he resumed "and now
begin by obedience. Throw this car
rion-this bestia muerta overheard"
But perceiving how We all shrank
hack ii. J. il:s. .3l5s
Overheard with him!'' he added,
brutally kicking the inanimate body
Of poor Will White; ''or demonio. I
shalt send the first who disobeys me
70 keep him company
He grasped me BY the hand-his
hateful clutch was firm as smiths
wise and then he leveled his pistol at
the head Of Ned Carlton.
For moment the latter stood irres-
dilute. and then, seeing the black miz-
sle OF tho revolver within foot OF
his head, he muttered . deep maledic-
tion. stamped his foot with rage on the
deck, and said &. s
Mr.. Rodney. bear q hand with me
% slaunch this murdered man this
pocrs fellow overboar z.
Obsy ~ thundsred Antonio.
sS Like one ms dream 81 bsntS ovsf the
Id man; o. vince ~ flcs tla1
1yS0 AAd re1azD1 NJ ~ nFteAt moon.1
llG ~ ehl1 II I. -