Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1900-06-29
By cnAUNcY G. HOTcHKIss
copyright. 1897. by D. Appleton & Co. All
rights reserved
CHAPTER XXv.-CoNT1NUED.

CHAPTER XXV.-CoNTNUED.
I looked sharply at the third man, ex-
pecting some word from him, but he shifted
his eye from mine, giving me something like
a sheer and struggling his bony shoulders,
but vouchsafng nothing IN the way of
words. He was a logged looking rascal,
with a broad, red scar across nose and
cheek, a saber slash without doubt. Raw
boned and light of weight, he looked like
sleeping cat as he Iolled against the up
right, his lack of brute strength probably
balanced by great activity.
"Come, lads!" said I, ignoring the attitude
of the silent man, "I'u be frank with you.
I'm Donald Thorndyke, of the American
forces. The schooner was taken by me sin
gle-handed, and the Sprite is beyond all
bearings. Lounsbury is overheard, there
are two sick in the cabin, and the surgeon is
at my mercy. So are you if you abide not
by the terms 1 offer. The schooner is in
danger, and unless you turn out tits like
you'll find the forecastle coffin. If make
no mistake, we're in for a watt that will
come nigh to blowing out of water if we
don't roll our spars out before. Get on deck
and work the schooner under my command
until we make Holmes Hole in the Vine
yard, an when you set foot ashore you are
free men. l have NO rations and no water.
The scuttle butt has launched itself over
board, and I am afraid of the supply in the
forehold. There's not chilling in it for any
of you, but tits fair way of escaping the
kings navy without DESERVING, for I'll put
you on parole. I tell you, lads, I'm a bad
one to foul, but you'll find l have an easy
helm and never miss stays if handled hon
estly. Now choose betwixt this hole and
the deck, and choose in hurry! If you are
to save neck and freedom, throw down your
waste"
The two who had spoken looked askant
each at the other, and the knife of the
original spokesman fell to the deck. AS the
hand of the Yankee sought the sheath the
| third man spoke, unfolding his arms and
scowling like thunder as he gave vent to his
words.
aye two be domned fools to be trustin'
rebel an runnin' yez head into tn moose.
| 6rearm is useless WI tn wet? 'Ee's in our
ands! Wot's to Under our takin' the craft
| an gettin' tn price that lies on the 'ead of
| this ere"
He got no further. I strobe up to him
and snapped my fingers in his face, then,
| thrusting my eyes close to his, thundered:
| "On deck with We, We blatherskite! I'll
see that We sing tune with old iron in it
ere sunrise tomorrow! On deck, tell vel"
Notwithstanding the din already exist
| ing in the forecastle, my voice rose far above
it, its violence and the suddenness of my
move making the man shrink back as though
| frightened. But he was not cowed. Gather
ing himself, he uttered a curse and sprang
| past me, placing himself 'twixt me and the
ladder; then whipping out his knife, he
called aloud to his companions:
''Take TIL CHANGE, lads, while yet we ave
i'm! Twill be tn maxim O. us, an it's
| fifty puns to each! Stand by, DULLES! we'll
make meat O. tn cussed spy!-Up, Larry,
an close the 'atch on i'm! I'll old the
| gangway."
His action and outspoken hostility was
| SO sudden as to take me by surprise, and,
had the others responded to his call, it
would surely have gone hard with me. But
instead of springing to the succor of their
| mate, they remained standing as though the
| quick shifting of the situation had for the
| moment dazed them. The earnestness of
| the fellows purpose showed in the rapid
change that came over his face. From a
sulky expression it had altered to one of
wide-awake ferocity, and the listless droop
of arms and shoulders given place to tense
muscles and rounded chest, through the
hairiness of which the Precipitation stood
out in beads.
Even with this menace before me could
but think what simple fool the man was.
Instead of quietly following my lead and
getting me at disadvantage, he had chosen
| to beard me against the odds of my cutlass
| and the lukewarmness of his mates. At the
same time, it was no case for argument, nor
| would it do to temporize an instant. Ere
the promise of reward for my capture or the
| easy chance to regain control of the schoon-
er could act upon the slowly moving minds
of the well-disposed seamen, had nipped
| the mutiny (if it could be SO called), and had
the ringleader begging for mercy.
Without drawing my cutlass, I advanced
upon the fellow as though to close with him.
mind me now that he was eft-handed, and,
as the fist holding the knife swayed aloft
/ and came down, seized its wrist and with
| violent turn whipped his elbow out of
joint as one twists the leg from well-cooked
fowl. As my hand stayed his he clutched
my throat with his right, but as his joint
i parted he gave a howl of agony, dropped the
knife and my collar at once, and sank to his
knees roaring like bull.
Physically the man had been no match
J for me, and might have hammered the