Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1900-02-03
( DICK RODNEY; !
Or. The Adventures of
; An Eton Boy.
} BY JAMES GRANT.
CO
BY JAMES GRANT.
OF her crew who remained

that two OF her crew who remained
on board
Were dead: yes. true enough. They
were found In their berths. one on the
starboard. and the other on the port |
SIDE OF the cabin. But what OF that? |
buried them of the point OF Santa |
Cruz, and there they sleep sound |
enough, believe me. each with a couple |
OF 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;'
and before ! could say anything more
old Jack was gone. and | found my
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 IL might lead
TO something better. ! stepped into the
light punt. cast loose the painter, and
found myself on the lonely deck OF the
silent polacea.
Her canvass was unbent; most of
, the running rigging had also been
, taken of 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
3 phurous; some drops OF rain. warm
and broad as doubloons. began to
, splash upon the deck and TO make
Q circles on the sea. while at the far
| edge Of the horizon narrow streak Of
Q bright moonlight. against which the
waves were seen chasing each other,
n glittered through the flying scud. the
' bottom Of which was uplifted in the
4 ofiing. like dark curtain that was bat
n tered and rent.
n Then fash OF red lightning, tip
II ping the waves with fire. shone, but TO
be replaced by instant darkness, and all
became black chaos to seward. saw
q where u pale-green beacon burned
+. steadily at Santa Cruz, on the western
: side OF the bay.
a These signs prognosticated rough
q night. but ] was glad TO perceive that
: the polacca was well moored at stem
n and stern: so unlocked the compan-
/, ion door and descended, not without ?
.s shudder into the dark and cold cabin
N where the dead men had been found
n and whore all was silence and gloom
> II struck q luclfer match; my teeth
h chartered: and while cropping abou, fol
! a candle. TO make myself comfortable
IN for the night, began to wish had re
10 manned on shore.
10 IL found ship-lantern with the flag
n end of candle In il. and this, whei
In lighted. enabled me TO take surve,
OF the cabin: which stood on the tabl'
"A and when looking about, found M
n eyes wander so necessarily to the sid
,r berths in which the dead Spaniard
40 had been found. that at last ] almos
10 fancied their pale sharp profles AM
ar rigid figures were visible In the lick
q, ering light OF the candle.
Come said |. Sam Weston-thi
will never do, Are you man, or hav
"A Won become child again?
Another application--a long one
too--to the rum jar, and | wrappe
some bunting. rug. and pea-jacke
that Law on the locker. round me, an
:, Iay down on the cabin floor to sleep
and scarcely had | stretched mysel
=. there when the candle flared up, anC
', after casting some strange kaleido
scopic figures on the beams overhead
through the perforated lantern-top-
nj went out!
81 was In total darkness now, bt
more awake than ever.
:. 81 felt as II in a great floating coffii
~ but heard no sound except the gurgl
'' Of the sea under the counter. or tn
splash OF the stern warp, as 1t whiI
~ ned the water occasionally.
~ II kept my eyes closed resolutel!
w. and determined. perforce, to sleep, an
e' not 10 wake till morning; but still
. could not help thinking OF the two poo
" fellows who had died in the bertf
/" OF that cold, dark, and silent cabin, an
~ had been tossed to and fro so Ion
upon the sea before they receive
"a Christian burial.
~ (which had died frst-the man
!" the larboard, or he In the starboal
~ berth? Why we're they thus aba'
'"' doued? What had they said to eae
!. other. What messages had they sci
w. TO wife, to father, or motheri Wh'
~. tale Of love to repeat--of guilt to r
ne y,al-messages given by the dead
va the dead. and never delivered!
=" These thoughts crowded upon n
". uu I almost imagined the dead me
'o Law there still, and that they mlg'
'e' rise up and give their last messages
~ me.
-, Then heard a sound in the forehol
"a II made my blood curdle! was
hAv ~