Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1900-02-14

what the devil has come to you?" vo-
cifeF@ted.
"Well, we'll Delay all an drop the cur
tain," he continued, setting his back against
the rail and jerking his thumb over his
shoulder. eye may be captain, but twill
soon be captain o nothing-d'ye see?-
savin', of course, ye come to farms with
that, an that?" he went on easily, turning
and pointing to three sails that were well
up on the horizon.
Then something of the matter came to me
at once. That they were British ships
we'll knew, for the French were not yet due
to arrive, and American privateers moved
not in hocks. In wonder at my mates ac
tions and words, l had not marked this ris-
ing danger, but at glance saw that escape
by flight was useless, as the oncoming YES
sells were spreading out from east to south
and rapidly sailing down ON a fresh wind,
which they were evidently bringing with
them. To pass through them unnoticed was
unhoped for; to be chased was to proclaim
my character
Lounsbury was no coward, / knew; but
that he was traitor to me, or mad, had
small doubt. His manner and words heat
ed my temper, but now that l must have
recourse to deception, / let him bide the
while, and turned attention toward get
ting out of the danger bearing down from
windward. Putting curb on my temper,
l said
"You will get up the British ensign and
hold the course. We will clear them yet"
I And with this l turned toward the COM
panion.
Now, whether he feared was about to
arm myself, and preferring to take me as
| stood (Which was more than most men
dare attempt), or whether his plans were
| ripe for action, / know not; but he inter-
| posed his square figure betwixt me and
the door, and with mighty patronizing air,
spake thus:
Faith, captain, l had no call to harrow
We, seeing the game is in my own two hands;
but list a bit, and we may yet be comrades
again. No matter how / know, but [ do
know We look to cozen yonder ships by false
papers, seeing It's impossible to dodge them
as they have the weather gauge of We an
We are in the blight of the land Now what
use might be yer papers should l see fit
to damn We as rebel with cargo of rebel
lead consigned to rebels? About as much
sarvice as rabbits tail to in hytime.
| Ye be a man O. sense an have little liking,
| take it, for taste O either Cunningham
! (the British provost marshal at New York;
or one O. the prison hulks, an We can escape
them both if my standing by We will help,
by just handing over the bit O gold We have
snugged away below"
The shock of this demand with the knowl-
edge of what might lay in store for me
caused me to lose thought of all else save
how the fellow had gotten SO familiar with
my private affairs, and to this day have
never entirely fathomed it. And it was
here 1 was clutched by fear of the danger
i E., loo y,IoY,
we're rendered valueless by the scoundrel
| had too easily taken on trust | cannot
account for his insight, save that he had
probed my locker when was absent (this
fact being plain enough, and had in some
mysterious way come at the fact that
possessed treasure which, by search, he
had discovered hidden somewhere beyond
his reach. Be this as it may, saw that
my secret was no longer mine alone.
1t is very possible my emotion showed
in the face, and he, nightly astray in guess