Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1899-06-15

Cufse the Stunteu coward! ana IS not !
Thorndyke caught? or-or-the girl OF her
brotherg'
Nay, but peg worse Thorndyke has
Drained Lowney, whom We must know, and
then escaped, God knows how, being mixed
up with a Quaker at STRIKERS tavern on the
road Stryker was arrested, but afterward
let go, for he was not thought to have had
finger in the pie. As for the boy an girl,
naught has been seen O. them-not a smell
and there We have all know. They say
the girl is in the woods t. tile north, but
she may ha' gone to Heaven by his"
what? what?" said Scammell starting
up, but sinking back with a curse as he
placed his hand on his bandaged head. I'm
the woods! Known to be there and not
taken! Are We all cursed babies on the
trail? Fore God, you are right! was
fool to fly at a shadow! I'll back to Gin
ton and plead fever to explain my absence.
I'll back with you this night. The first tale
told is the best! Is it not known whose
name she mentioned to Chnton!"
"Nay, man, she gave no name that ] can
find Clinton but suspicioned We. Go to
him, an yer not fool, while bide here
the while. What made We pick this spot to
hide in?' he continued, oarelessly passing
his hand over the smooth woodwork of the
bulkhead.
Because twas right beneath their noses,
and the guard was in my pay. In faith,
Lounsbury," he went on, with something
like relief in the easing away of his body and
the long breath he took while he laid his
hand on the brace of pistols sticking in his
belt, there was another reason, one with
money"
"Ah what?" interrupted the other, sud
denly Withdrawing his wandering hand and
bending eagerly forward.
GAY, the reward, you know; I'm nigh
done up for cash. That and revenge, for,
mind you, | thought that Thorndyke might
take it into his head to come aboard his own
ship, thinking, like me, it was the least
likely place to be searched His paper gave
me the idea. / hoped to lie by here until
the trouble blew over, or roll in the glory
Of taking the hound if he came He is equal
to attempting a surprise, but | was ready
for him The guard is none too bright; had
you not better step up and take look
aboutY And with this he patted the
cleaning pistol stocks and looked toward
the companion way.
There will be no guard to meet him this
night answered Lounsbury with laugh
which also betokened relief Il let him go
till sunrise, and his musket lies fog-soaked
on the deck, the ass Ye have the vapors
We be safe enough. The fog lies like fleece,
but-but-"
'iiut what, you fool?" was the irritable
rejoinder.
Il meant twas a new thought, that O.
rho ohauaa ~ HE Na'a, md 10
ye ashore with the guard when he gets back,
and Ill bde here against Thorndyke's
boarding the schooner"
For a moment or two there was silence,
and during it | fancied ! could trace the
working of the minds of both; Scammell's
bent on the probable result of delivering
himself to Clinton, and Lounsbury's on the
dawning chance to get his finger on my gold
still safe in the bulkhead Presently the
cavalryman smote his knee with his fist and
broke out:
My God! why-why did i not spit the
fellow while / had the chance two days
since, or shoot him? Why did not know
him for a spy? 'Twould have saved all this!
Is there no trace of him."
None since he passed the lines an put
Lowney to sleep. They tell me he killed the
green sentinel with his fist. Faith, my head
aches at the thought o him, an We may
thank God the ever was cracked, else
twas your skull that broke an not the
pitcher. BY the powers above, | begin to
fear him, an ye-"
shut up" was the ungracious answer
Hand out the bottle and help me get on
deck for air. hate this hole! have been
buried three days." And with this Seam
nell struggled into sitting position, reach
ing out his hand for the dram Lounsbury
was already pouring.
Now that had these two at a saber's
length, il went against me to think of their
coming on deck and possibly spelling the
plans had already Matched in their behalf
Slipping from my cover crawled oyer the
cabin house and got to the door There
was lock on it, but the key had long since
gone and had been used to make a shift
Of fastening the companion by paddock,
hasp, and staple. As felt oyer it missed
the paddock, though hasp and staple were
still intact. While fumbling for my knife
to use as bolt, in the light from the cabin
window / caught the CLINT of a musket w.
ing along the deck under the tarpaulin, and,
quickly unshipping its bayonet, thrust the
steel through the iron loop, and the two be-
low were prisoners. There was another door
in the cabin, but it opened into a small space,
or tween decks" and knew a mass of
lead had been piled aft and against it to
give the vessel proper trim, so that mode
Of egress was blocked.
My scheme was simple enough. | would
now 60 the whole pace and take with me a
couple OF prisoners, and if | failed | would
be no worse off than before in any event
there would be sudden ending to my diff
culties if was to be taken, and the kidnap-
ing would not hasten my final swing.
Still unshod and silent, made my way
forward, and with some difficulty, owing to
the darkness and need OF stealth, the scow
was emptied of her load, and at last we three
stood on the deck. So far all had gone well
My next move was to away the ground
tackle, leaving the boats painter still be
layed to the cable. As the last strand part
ed and the schooner shot away, leaving the
scow still fast, fancied the astonishment
Of the guard on finding the Phantom had
dwindled to a rusty, mRd-spattered con
trivance but peg removed from raft
As the schooner gathered force and fed,
now broadside to the ebb, told in whispers
what | had found and what done. ] was
well aware that not many minutes would
elapse before those below would discover
something out of gear Between the COW
cred headlights and the fog they could have
no notion that the schooner was free, for the
water was as fiat as ice, there being no more
apparent motion now than before. Unless
we fouled something, they could make no
guess at what had happened, but the door
would bother them, and in all likelihood
they would end in an attempt at breaking
il down
To balk this l led the way aft, bidding
Ames be spokesman if it came to words, and
40 act as he saw fit if it came to blows.
Placing Mistress Gertrude on the top of the
house, and 50 out Of harms way, Ames and
bent cur ears to the door, though kept
my eye open for what might at any minute
pOnfront us fran oalt the danths of tha fag