Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-08-10

EI5ASSN
He pickcd the man up oS ann one else
might hare pickCd up Il dOil.
Just in time. A sleepy fellow had just
poked ont 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 upT' 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 that no
hard negro skull repeated the Cain
Laversha trick and burst the hatch mp
from below, they lugged over heavy
kedge anchor on to the top of il and
added about score of fathoms of chain
cable which happened to be ranged on
deck, till that small entrance way to
the depths below was buried under fully
half a ton of rusty iron.
As they We're in the middle of this
handiwork a sharp yell of pain came
from astern. Guthrie sang out to ask if
Cain wanted any help The farmer
bawled back, deliberately enough, that
he wak 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 GUS. "
So when the forecastle was secured
they went and found Cain sitting
squarely 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 someshing
white and round. 1t was the head of
the old mulatto whose eloquonce had
fired the others and who had proposed
that they should leave no living wit
nesses of their villainy.
"Nipped un like a ratten i gin!"
| quoth Cain, with a chuckle
The mulatto had been making a dash
for the deck through the skylight and
had got caught by the sudden sitting
down of 20 stone of flesh. That was
what the yell of pain had meant.
1t was an uncomfortable position, no
doubt, but there was no time then for
moralizing about the appropriateness
| OF the retrlbutlOn. Some one was pound
ing vigorously from within at the fold
| ing doors of the companion. The fell
| lows would be out again in another
! Iov
"Sharp here, Henrietta We must
take them as they come out!" cried
! Guthrie
He looked round for handspike or
something heavy with which to hit the
! first head that got through the splinter
| ed door, but his eve lighted on an OBJ
! ject which made him change his mind
1t was huge barrel with a saw
J 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 ont 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 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 people
were Gagged there was no immediate
hurry, but the interval during which
they might hope to keep the negroes
ont 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 it
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 taffrail
The whaleboat was riding to slack
painter astern. The woman drew her
up and passed her along to the gang
way.
"We'd best be getting away now,
cir, I'm thinking, she said to Guthrie
at won't be healthy aboard this
schooner when the niggers get ont"
"Wait minute" answered the
young man. "We haven't finished our
job yet How long do You think it will
be before the vermin eat their way ont
again ?"
Happen an hour-happen less il they
nso axes But, asking pardon, sir is
there anything to gain by waiting to
see em get outf We can be half way
to the Eureka in the time, ana seeing