The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-06-21

might hdUe picked up a doll.
Just in time. A sleepy fellow had just
poked out his head and was gaping
with astonishment at what he saw.
With the impulse Of the moment Hen
rietta popped the small end Of the nickel
plated revolver fairly into his open
mouth, and the man tumbled back
whence he had come, yelling murder at
the top Of his voice.
As no less than three other voices
were heard asking, "What the blazes
is up9" there was no time for daw-
ding. Over went the hatch. On went
the two hasps over their corresponding
staples And then, to make sure thai no
hard negro skull repeated the Cain
Laversha trick and burst the hatch up
from below. they lugged over a heavy
Hedge anchor on to the top Of it and
added about score of fathoms Of chain
cable.swhich happened to be ranged on
deck, till that small entrance way to
the depths below was buried under fully
half ton of rusty iron.
As they were in the middle Of this
handiwork sharp yell of pain came
from astern. Guthrie sang out to ask II
Cain wanted any help. The farmer
bawled back, deliberately enough, that
Ae was all right; that they were to go
ON with what they were doing till it
was finished, and then to come and see
something "cur'o
So when the forecastle was secured
they went and found Cain sitting
tquarely on corner of the after sky.
light. The other corner of the lid was
cockled up and, peering down through
the gloom, Guthrie made out something
white and round. 1t was the head Of
the old mulatto whose eloquence had
fred the others and who had proposed
that they should leave no living wit
nesses of their villainy.
"Nipped un like ratten l. gin"
quoth Cain, with chuckle.
The mulatto had been making dash
for the deck through the skylight and
had got caught by the sudden sitting
down Of 30 stone of flesh. That was
what the yell of pain had meant.
It was an uncomfortable position, no
doubt, but there was no time then for
moralizing about the appropriateness
of the retribution. Some one was pound.
ing vigorously from within at the fold
ing doors of the companion. The fel.
lows would be ont again in another
minute If they were not stopped.
"Sharp here, Henrietta! We must
take them as they come outl" cried
Guthrie.
He looked round for a handspike or
something heavy with which to hit the
first head that got through the splinter.
ed door, but his eye lighted on an OBJ
ject which made him change his mind.
1t was huge barrel, with saw
horse lying beside it and some sawed
wood. The barrel was full and not easy
to move, but with frantic efforts the
two Eurekas managed to get it over
on to its bilge and roll it athwart the
entrance Of the companionway just as
one of the panels splintered out COM
pletely. Then they got the sawhorse
and laid it on its side, checking the
barrel with it so effectually that no
force from within could dislodge it.
After this was done they gave them.
selves a moments rest to decide what
was to be done next, for events had
moved so quickly and in such an unex-
pected course during the last few
crowded minutes that there had been
no time to form any definite plan Of
action. Now that the schooner's people
were Gagged there was no immediate
hurry, but the interval during which
they might hope to keep the negroes
out Of the action must necessarily be
short. The furious assaults which were
being made upon their various barri-
cades from the inside told them that.
But in the meantime Guthrie thought
that something more might be done in
the way of retaliation and SO cast about
for way of doing it,
Cain Laversha was still sitting COM
placently on the end Of the skylight,
holding the old mulatto's head in its
trap. He was enjoying the situation
thoroughly and looked as though he
would be quite happy to sit there till IL
was time to go, away for his next meal.
But the unwonted excitement Of few
minutes back seemed to be producing a
reaction-in fact, the farmer looked
decidedly plethoric.
Henrietta went aft to the tafrail.
The whaleboat was riding to slack
painter astern. The woman drew her