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


bucket; another moment and the craft
would have been preached tor
He must have crept behind the
longboSt and got into the forecastle,"
suggested Carlton.
I'll bring him up with a round turn
for playing this trick" grumbled Lam
bourne. s&
Hush" said ], as a strange sound
fell upon my ear. @
q What is it," asked the Others. lis
tening.
"A cry-did you not hear IT."
mo -nonsense!" said they. together.
ut was cry that came from some
where" d st
I'd Il did hear something" said Will
White: bat it was a sheave creaking
In block aloft, / think"
No, no." said I, pausing by the
capstan, % Z terrible foreboding seized
me; - 1t came from the cabin"
There is no one there but the Cap
tain, Hislop, and the boy Bill, who
sleeps in the storage, and they are
all three sound enough by this time"
said Lambourne.
"But the sound was from the cab
In" I,persisted, fastening aft.
u 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 APP
prehension, and my first thought was
for weapon; but none was near.
What have you been about. you
rascally picaroon-and 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"
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!'
On hearing this, Antonio drew from
his breast a 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.
B 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, Us 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 Angelesw
said the spaniard, waving the pistol,
the muzEls Of which yet smoked, to-
ward W in half circle, ~ warning
for all to stand back; did you think
to run your rigs upon me? am An
tonic 81 Cubano, and don't value you
al q rops's-end or q rotten castano,
% you shall ind. am now the cap
tain Of this ship, and shall force you
al to obey me, or else" here he swore
one Of those sonorous and blasphem-
Gus oaths which run 50 slibly from 4
Spanish tongue will shoot you oil
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 oil this :"
Dead silence followed this strange
address, the half Of which was scarce
II understood BY our men, - it was
said in Spanish.
""Basta" (avast) I see that you do
understand" he resumed. "and now
begin by obedience. Throw this car
rion-this bestia muerta-overboard. J"
But perceiving how we all shrank
back / * s.E
"Overboard with him!" he added,
brutally kicking the inanimate body
Of poor Will White; "or demonio. !
shall send the hrst who disobeys me
70 keep him company.
He grasped me by the hand-his
hateful clutch was firm as smiths
vise-an then he leveled his pistol at
the head Of Ned Carlton. & /:
For a moment the latter stood irres-S
olute, and then, seeing the black muz-s
lie OF the revolver within q foot Of
his head, he muttered deep maledic-
tion, stamped his foot with rage on the
deck, and said Ss.5s
/ chr. Rodney, bear hand With me
70 launch this murdered manthis
poors fellow overheard! z,
ssoboy!! ~ sthundered Antonio.
Like oa6sin r 6rsann 4 ISN'T oySr thu
6ad nAn; u WlloGs 49, glnlt
11s96oAd roaaxoa ~ 81 hfiSnt noon
l16 4
II S