Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1900-06-06

SHoL from the natcn, L saw ne was an Ordl-
nary seaman-a regulation man-9f wars
man-from his light pumps to his oiled and
eelskin-cased pigtail curling clear of the
collar of his shirt. With light remark to
his fellows, he seated himself on the top
step of the ladder leading down, and, rest
ing his elbows on his knees and his chin
on his clinched hands, started to palaver
with those below, probably enjoying 10 the
fullest extent the contrast in the discipline
of the two vessels.
His action was glaring piece of marine
carelessness but it both saved his life and
opened TO me way to act. Now, with the
dazzle of light full in his face, he might lift
his head yet fail to see me, and, as the
time was ripe, l felt for the foot ropes and
silently slid to the heel of the bowsprit.
Once there, ! crept to the cathead, aud from
there with a spring l reached the fore
castle opening behind the unsuspecting
sailor. With sudden push | sent him
headong on to his fellows, and then quick
ly closed the doors, slid the hatch cover, fas
tened it, and for the third time | had made
the Phantom's forward quarters prison.
! There was now little time to spare, for /
knew the rumpus that would come would
attract the cabin, and it behooved me to get
command OF that ere Lounsbury could act
on the offensive. Snatching a Delaying pin
from it's ring on the mast, | ran to the galley,
but found it dark and deserted. From there
| hurried aft, and, without the precaution
| of peeping through window, presented my
self at the open door of the companion way.
| / knew not what | would find, but was far
| from expecting the sight that met my eyes.
| The lantern swinging from its beam had
| been trimmed and washed, and cast strong
| light over the interior. Though no one was
at the table, it showed that a makeshift
| meal had been sent from the Sprlte, for on
| the Phantom there were now no means of
| cooking, as pots, kettles and table gear had
| gone the way of my instruments. In
bunk, the curtains of which were flung wide,
| and at the side of which stood a bucket of
water, lay Ames, his face like chalk and his
| eyes closed, but whether in death CT sleep
i could not tell. On transom locker at the
| other side of the cabin sprawled the doctor,
| somewhat more than tipsy, his head rolling
| TO and fro with the plunge of the vessel,
while in his hand was a bloody rag or
| bandage He was vainly trying to reach
| bottle and glass that stood near him on the
| floor, the heave of the schooner throwing
| him off his balance at each attempt to raise
| himself At the extreme end of the COM
| partment was Lounsbury on his knees work
| ing at the bulkhead with carpenters chisel
and calking mallet. Ignoring the presence
! of the drunken surgeon, he had torn away
| half the casing to the partition, and had
| finally struck upon my hidden gold, which
now lay plain to my eye as to his. For
| this, and probably for this alone, he had
/ once attempted to betray me, threatened my
! life, and well-nigh lost his own. He had
| guarded the secret as well as /, and now,
after months of waiting, hard fare, and
| harder blows, he doubtless felt full meas
! ure of sordid pleasure as my little hoard lay
uncovered before him. And not so little,
either. Five hundred pounds would make
him nassing rich rmong his fellows.
Though his face was from me, its exulta-
ton seemed to strike through him and shine
from his back. l could almost see the dry;
greedy grin and close set of his ragged teeth
as he laid his hand on the bag to Judge its
worth by lifting. With the inborn sus-
picion of the eyerfearful thief OF miser, he
threw cautious look over his shoulder, and
as he did so his eyes met mine.
once saw laughing man shot clean
| through the heart, and the sudden change of
his expression as death seized him, was ap-
| palling; but it was nothing to the swift al
| teration that came over the face of Louns-
| bury as that villain recognized me. Crouched
| low at the top of the companion way, with
| one foot on the steps and the other on deck,
/ remained immoyable as / witnessed the
effect of my sudden appearance. Without
| shifting his position, the wretch held his
head craned over his left shoulder, his jaw
| dropped, and his small, piglike eyes opened
| to their farthest extent, glaring at me as
| though their owner was in trance His
| face was too blackened and weatherbe
| to allow of change of color, but pallor and
fright were plain in his very attitude Not a
| sound or movement was made by either of
us as we thus faced each other, and the
surgeon, marking nothing amiss, still made
| desperate though ludicrous bobs toward the
| liquor on the floor.
| Perhaps for a minute Lounsbury held his
position, and then with a slow, snakelike
motion, his eyes still fixed on mine he
| twisted till his back was to the buikhead,
where, extending his arms against the wood
work, he fiattened himself as though try
ing to shrink through the partition, horror
and dread written over his swollen and re-
| pulsive features
| 1t had never been in my mind to play a
| part, but it was plain that to this ignorant
and superstitious man / was nothing less
than veritable spirit of the dead Indeed,
| the glistening of my dripping clothes, the
| plastered hair on my head, unshaven, and
with the paleness of long immersion on my
face, these, with the probable glitter of ex-
| citement in my eyes, all tended to make me
| uncanny IN appearance, especially my
! figure was backed by the absolute blackness
| of the night. Lounsbury had seen me in APP
| parent desperation plunge overheard, and
doubtless thought had been drifting faith
| oms deep below the Phantom's keel, yet in
! the hour of his success l had come to tor
ment him. Like Banquo's ghost-and ghost
1 was to him-I would not down.
The agony working in his mind would
soon find an outlet in some fashion, but it
stirred him in a way hardly expected. Still
piercing me with his glance, his broad chest
heaved spasmodically and his right hand
| gradually moved to the hilt of the cutlass
hanging on his left hip. Slowly, like a man
| asleep, he drew the blade, and with SLAYER
now running from the corners of his mouth,
he left the bulkhead and crept toward me.
Fascination ruled him. The pent-up energy
| of the man showed in his crouching, catlike
step as he ghded along the edge of the
table and into the space between it and the
foot of the ladder. Madness, murder, and
every evil famed from his eyes, and l knew
that now he or must die, though would
have mighty small qualms in killing him,
and had still smaller doubts as to which was
to be killed.
! Though was armed with naught but be-
laying pin, while he possessed sword, the
chances were more in my favor than in his.
| In the narrow passage of the companion, to