Rocky Ford enterprise., 1899-06-08

ing him; and in this way. after e1-
amining his pistols. he reposed every
night afterward while on board.
by lingo! I thought the killing O.
them birds would lead to bad luck
somehow" said Henry Warren. an
old foremast man, with a reproachful
glance at me, as he threw the two al
batrosses overheard.
We now held solemn conference to
meet the emergency which was certain
to come anon. and to consider the best
culprit.
Whoever goes nigh him in the
cabin. either by the door or the sky
light. risks being stabbed or shot,"
said Tattooed Tom; $50 we must go to
work some other way, shipmates. and
that other way must be considered"
1--WE might close and batten the sky
light and companionway. and then
starve or smoke him out" suggested
one OF the crew, Francis Probart, our
carpenter.
"Smoke him out?" echoed Tom.
Eyes, as we do rats
"By what?"
"Fill bucket with spun yarn and
creased flax, with sulphur and bilge-
water-ain't that the medical COM
pound for rats?"
Nonsense" said Tom; "you would
burn the ship"
"As he has often threatened to do"
said Carlton, "and may do yet"
A most extraordinary scheme was
proposed by one man-that we should
launch the longboat, throw into her
some bags of bread and ganG-casks of
water, unship the compass. double
bank the oars. and shove OF for the
coast Of South America, after scuttling
the brig and leaving Antonio to his
fate.
We were in a horrible state Of per-
plexity, and I seemed to see constantly
before me the gashed bodies Of my
two kind, brave and hospitable friends
Captain Weston and Marc Hislop-
lying in their berths dead and un-
avenged, with their destroyer beside
them!
We had the capstan-bars. and with
these 1t was proposed to assail him
had the carpenters tools. among
which n hand-saw, an auger, an adze
and hatchet, made very available
weapons. and these, with the old cut
lass and harpoons which figured on
the night we crossed the line, were
speedily appropriated. l was armed
with heavy claw-hammer. and. vow
ing firmly to stand by each other. we
resolved to lynch Antonio the mo-
ment he came out of his den.
While we were thus employed In
devising the means OF punishment, the
dark shadows of night passed away;
the morning sun came up in his trop-
ical splendor. and the blue waves Of
the southern sea rolled around us In
light, but not sail was visible on
their vast expanse.
The crew seemed pale and excited.
as they might we'll be. and with buck
| cts OF water we cleansed the deck
| from the blood that stained 1t.
The morning advanced Into noon.
| and the vessel was steered her due
course, for the wind was still fair. Ned
| Carlton was at the wheel. and the men
were all grouped forward. when sud
denly Antonio appeared on deck with
a knife in his sash and revolver In
each hand.
He was so pale that his olive face
seemed almost a pea-green. and n
black crust upon his cruel lips showed
the extent OF his potations in the
| cabin. He glanced into the pinnacle.
| and perceiving that the brig was still
being steered her old course, he cried.
in n hcarse voice:
"Hombres. allegarse. Ia cuesta!"
(men, bear toward the land) and
| pointing to the direction In which he
knew the vast continent of South Am
erica-from which We were probably
four or five hundred miles distant
must be, he added orders In English to
shape the briggs course due west. and
| stamped his right foot on the deck to
| give his words additional force.
ITO be continued)