The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1900-02-23
CHAPTER XXu-CoyrryUrD,

CHAPTER XXII-CoNTIyUE
Ny conjecture had been right. The girl
was lying betWiEt the combings Of the
galley and the butt OF the splintered top
mast, a position allowing her enough air to
prevent suhOc1tlOn, at the same time partly
protecting her from the weight Of the stuff
piled over her. She lay on her face, and
across her thighs, pinning her fast, was a
small end OF the broken t0psail yard. Her
cheek and neck, with the hand that lay
along the spar, were covered with blood, and
blood stained the planking of the deck about
her.
I lost no time in feeling for life, as the
gr0au had ted me lie still existed. Cutting
.he lantern from the hoop, 1 slung it on
my arm and, lifting the girl, strobe toward
the cabin, now IN the strangest state OF
mind that had ever possessed me. IF I
moved quickly with my body, my brain out
paced IL. As / look back at il, the passage
from the foremost 10 the companion way
was a long one, though il was comFassed in
twice ten steps. ia the time IL took me 10
traverse II ] lived over the five days / had
known tins lass, and felt them to have been
as many years. i suddenly knew the source
Of my daring, which had grown with the
time until al that moment / was ready 10
face the devil himself, and knew, too for
whom Dc was meant. / now knew that my
head had not been playing over the mystery
Cf her disappearance because IL was mvs-
terv, but because this girl had usurped all
ether interests. ] was now aware that my
resolve % board the schooner was not so
much 10 recapture the prize Though that
/ !
str0ng) as 10 overhaul the wreck Of the
toretopmast IN quest Of Gertrude King, and
see her again dead or alive. gave no name
% al this; / raised 10 fine points anert the.
strength or weakness OF my feeling, nor did
the word love cross my mind. l only
knew that alive / had found her, and that
one day she might know had saved her
from both death and her enemies. In a
puraiind fashion II was all the reward /
looked for. and IL seemed reward enough.
II I was not fairly subducd by the beauty
and herOism of tins girl, my pity for her
carried me far on the way, and though bur
b, sea-r0ughened, and a man 20 boot, in this
case of need / felt that for tenderness could
pIt myself against the gentlest woman who
ever made sick bed a dream OF pleasure.
Beyond getting at the extent Of her in
Iurles j determined not 70 let the now
sODered surgeon lift a finger. When ]
brought my burden down the companion
way he was placing a wet compress on the
boys wound, his management Of this IN the
darkness speaking loudly Of his skill. Ny
pllslner was evidently past being surprised,
lor be did little but give a gTunt As BE saw
ne bear her IN; but when / told him the new
p1telt was q girl, and the sister Of Ames,
L. l.
only after i mentioned her name and he
remembered the former passenger Of the
Spike that he showed real interest, and as he
examined her for injuries 1 heard him grum-
DE the name Of Scanned beneath his
breath.
Pending the outcome Of his search 1 went
on deck. Although a nearly fun moon was
be1ind the clouds, the night was unusually
dark The roll Of the schooner was growing
heavier. Il caused a rafting q blocks
overhead, and jerking Of the foresail boom
on I-s traveller until Il sounded as though
the deck must be ripped up. There was
su-elness 10 the sea that BODIED mischief,
but the cause OF IL was still at a distance.
BetUIXt the clashing Of blocks alCft, the
kicking Of the ruddor, the mad clank OF the
boom travellers and the excited tattoo of
the reeling points, there was sufficient fuss
10 az once tell a seaman that the present
condition of calm would rot be protTacted.
HE look OF the sky was enough for me (for
beyond the immediate vicinity Of the moon
pot OF tar could not have been blacker),
and DO the momentary intervals Of partial
silence that cnsued as the schooner bal
anced on the tops Of the surges / thought
i could hear Q faint moan far above the
truck, as though an unseen and troubled
spirit was winging through the depths OF
space al0ft. The horizon had drawn close to
the vessel, and the repelling blackness Of the
water sent a chill through me as l consid-
cred what might have been my plight had
the schooner sailed, leaving me on the
bread ocean with no support but the fral
shell OF the dingy. 4 sudden GOODNESS had
settled from above, though not a breath Of
wlnd had come with It, and, though there
was nothing TO be distinctly marked through
the heavy gloom enveloping the schooner,
there existed IN the surrounding elements
a menacing something which, like an IL
visible monitor, sent 10 me an Inartlcuiate
warning.
The change had been rapid. Plainly
enough I scented the vague threat Of the
weather and set about % meet the outbreak
Winding me that I was both captain and
crew, with the extra weight of having on
my hands three prisoners ID the torecastle
and a shaly enc in the cabin, saw that fit
came on 10 blow had more than sufficient
work cut cut for one pair Of fists Deter
mined then TO take time by the forelock and