The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1900-02-24

lOOheu dt II anu |eACuauSeu BldnCeS OF
intelligence from time to time. but
the attempt to rush across might prove
doubly fatal to one or both. A slip
of the foot would hurl us into eternity;
and If the passage were achieved we
would be exposed to the fire of those
we fed from and met by hat of the
armed man at the mouth of the
grotto.
Thus u position and it's perils we're
somewhat complicated.
Suddenly the distant report of a
piece of ordnance, coming from the
seward, made us look up and list
en-.
lei ruido u hace ell canon" (the
crack of a gum, exclaimed a Spaniard.
scrambling up to the lower end Of
the fissure in the arch of the grotto.
and looking out.
w all know that we'll enough: but
what does it mean" asked the other.
The English brig at the anchorage
has fired it. l see a light glitterins on
her deck; and now away it goes I'D to
the foremost head"
1T is the Eugene, Master Rodney"
whispered Tom.
Can the captain be about to sail To-
highland without us?" said l, with
growing dismay.
mo-; but he is impatient for us tn
come off, He knows well what a tar
nal slippery set OF imps these Jack
Spantards are, and has shown a light
and fired a gun as a hint for us to
look sharp"
"~Companero," said one of the Span
iards to the other, who was looking
out, "are o sure that it is the Eng
fish brig and not ours?"
Yes; but by st. Paul! there is a
light burning now on the Castle de
Santa Cruz; SO our craft had better get
her sweeps out and put to sea, even
without us. Can the Senior Goberna-
dor nave smelt a rat?'
iii announcement, though we knew
not wha 10 referred to, had an evident
effect on our captors, who were proba-
bly, part of a slaver's crew; for they
all scrambled up to the opening in the
rocks to look out.
Now, now is the time to slim our
cables and run. Follow mel" said
Tom Lambourne, in a hoarse but de-
termined whisper, as he sprang for
ward, snatched up two of the muskets
and rushed across the plank, tripping
as lightly as he would have done along
a boom or yard, though it crossed a
gulf SO terrible.
Less steadily, but not less RAPIDLY.
you may be assured-yet with a frozen
heart-I followed him, and his hard.
tarry hand was ready to grasp mine
and dragged me forward into safety.
while with a violent kick he tossed the
plank away, and surging, down it went
into the black gulf we had crossed.
1t vanished in a moment, and M
sound ever assembled, for it seemed IN
have fallen into a pit that was as dark
as it was bottomless.
Take this musket, and see that
you can use it, sir" said Tom, as an
emotion of bravado seized him. "And
so, you, Spanish greenhorns!" he
shouted, you thought to sell me for
a niger to the Yankees, did you?
Whoop! hurrah!"
A volley of Spanish oaths followed
this rash outburst, which drew their
attention at once upon us. Some
rushed to the dark brink, and paused,
I suppose, for neither Tom nor l
could see distinctly, as there was a
double explosion which filed the cav
ern with echoes like those of rolling
thunder, and a momentary glare oil
smoky light, while two musket balls
whistled past us, and I felt one, like
a hot cinder, as it grazed my left ear.
Then came an Aibacete knife, which
was hurled by NJ erring hand, for .
wounded Toms right knee.
"Gire them a shot, Mr.. Rodney"
SAID he. %furiously: "Ill reserve nv fire
By a rapid and skillful application
of his strong teeth to the cord, which
bound my wrists, he UNFINISHED the
knot and freed my hands; and then in
the suddenly-given luxury Of being
able to stretch my arms, l almost for
got the necessity for ~concealing the
fact that | was now unbound.
l soon found an opportunity for I'M
tying Toms letters. Then we kept
our gands clasped before us, waited
and ~hoped-we scarcely knew for what
while in the further end of this in
ner cave, our detainers sat s~ullenly
smoking, and, by the dim lantern light,
making up cigaritos from their tobacco
pouches and those little rice-paper
books which are now p%rocurable nearly
everywhere.
From the conversation of our captors
l could gather that our brig, the Eu-
genie, was visible at anchor in the
roadstead of Santa Cruz, a mile or SO
distant.
Three of these Spaniards had placed
their muskets against the wall of rock
and seemed disposed to doze off to
sleep.
for the sentry-and here he is, al
ready"
And just as the eighth fellow, who
was on the watch. alarmed by the fir
ing, came rushing in with his piece
at full cock, Tom fired at him.
Saints and angels!" yelled the
Spaniard as he bounded into the air
and then fell fiat on his face, where he
lay beating the earth with his feet
and hands.
"Firei frai hactar po3,o- sa,