The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-03-13
( DICK RODNEY;
Or The Adventures Of
An EtOn Boy.
b. RY JAMES GRANT.

BY JAMES GRANT.

we're Iound in their berths. one on tho |
starpoard, and the other on the mort
sue OF the cabin. But what of tbat9
l buried them off the point Of Santa
Oruz' and there they sleep sound
enough believe me. each with a couple
Vi cold shot at his heels. Here is the
KEY OF the companion hatch, and take
my revolver with you, for picaros are
pretty common hereabouts.'
Thanks, Hislop,' said I; but how
am | to get on board?
Scull over to her in the punt that
IS moored beside the quay. When on
BOARD make yourself quite at home. for
the agent and left plenty of grog. beef.
biscuits and tobacco in the cabin. On
the morrow I'll overhaul you, in the
forenoon watch. Till then, good-by;'
ana before l could say anything more
old Jack was gone. and I found NY
self alone on the stone mole, with the
key Of the polacca's companion in my
hand.
There seemed nothing for me but
to accept the temporary home thus Of
fered; so, in the hope that it might lead
to something better. stepped into the
light punt, cast loose the painter, and
after few minutes vigorous sculling
found myself on the lonely deck of the
silent polacca.
Her canvass was unbent; most of
the running rigging had also been
taken off her and slowed away-so her
tall and taper spars stood markedly up
from the straight flush deck, with a
sharp rake aft.
Thick banks of dark-blue clouds
were coming heavily up from the Gulf
of Florida. The air was hot and sui
| phurous; some drops of rain, warm
and broad as doubloons, began to
/ splash upon the deck and to make
circles on the sea; while at the far
edge of the horizon a narrow streak of
bright moonlight, against which the
waves were seen chasing each other,
1 glittered through the flying scud, the
bottom Of which was uplifted in the
ofing, like a dark curtain that was bat
tered and rent.
"Then a fash Of red lightning, tip
ping the waves with fire, shone, but to
4 be replaced by instant darkness, and all
became black chaos to seaward, saw
where a pale-green beacon burned
steadily at Santa Cruz, on the western
side Of the bay.
'These signs prognosticated a rough
night, but I was glad to perceive that
the polacca was well moored at stem
and stern; so I unlocked the compan-
ion door and descended, not without {
shudder. into the dark and cold cabin
where the dead men had been found
and where all was silence and gloom
81 struck a lucifer match; my teetl
chartered; and while cropping about fol
a candle, to make myself comfortable
for the night, I began to wish had re
NAMED on shore.
81 found ship-lantern with the flag
end of a candle in it. and this, whel
LIGHTED, enabled me to take q surve!
of the cabin; which stood on the tabl
and when looking about, found m.
ewes wander so necessarily to the sid
berths in which the dead Spaniard
had been found. that at last Amos
fancled their pale sharp profles AM
rigid figures were visible in the flick
ering light Of the candle.
Come said I, Sam Weston-thi
will never do! Are you man, or hav
YOU become a child again?
another applications long one
too-to the rum jar, and I wrappe
some bunting, a rug, and a pea-jacke
that lay on the locker, round me, an
Law down on the cabin floor to sleep
and scarcely had l stretched mysel
there when the candle fared up, and
after casting some strange kaleido
scopic figures on the beams overhead
through the perforated lantern-top-
went out!
81 was in total darkness now, bu
more awake than ever.
"I felt as if in a great floating coffir
hnt heard no sound except the gurgl
Of the sea under the counter, or tn
smash of the stern warp, as it whip
, ned the water occasionally.
81 kept my eyes closed resolutelS
and determined, perforce, to sleep, an
not TO wake till morning; but still
could not help thinking of the two poo
fellows who had died in the berth
of that cold, dark, and silent cabin an
had been tossed to and fro so Ion
unon the sea before they receive
Christian burial.
(which had died frst-the man
tbe larboard, or he in the starboar
berth? Why we're they thus aoar
, doned? What had they said to eac
other? What messages had they ser
N wife. to father, or mother? VIVA
tale of love to repeat--of guilt to re
: veal-messages given by the dead I
the dead and never delivered!
! These thoughts crowded upon m
tin almost imagined the dead me
Law there still, and that they mign
rise up and give their last messages I
me. .no,,
Then heard a sound in the foreholt
T. made my blood curdle! Was
caused by rats? Perhaps they had fe
ON the dead Spaniards and now wer
come 10 take a nibble at me. Rat
were bad enough, but ghosts wer
worse | took third and last pull
ri w. -. cold NV nrQVers owe