Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1900-05-30
CHAPTER Xxx.
THE SHELL OF THE pINGY.

Never was my love of life or the GER
tainty of my saving it greater than when 1
shot beneath the surface of the ocean. Like
plummet l went down, the air bubbles I
carried with me roaring in my ears like a
cataract. AS / lost the impetus of the dive
| turned and looked up. Having gone over
at the starboard quarter, was almost under
the stern, and the clear green of the water
magnifed the great shadowy hull of the
schooner as she stretched forward into
seeming infnity. Like blot on the sill
very surface above me lay the overturned
dingy, still held to the vessel by its painter,
and in her lay my salvation.
With fey vigorous strokes l swan un-
der it, and, regulating my rise as best I
could, came to the surface within the shell
of the wrecked boat. The move had been
successful. If the trick was unsuspected, /
was safe. Letting go my pent breath in a
blast, l thanked God for His sudden inter-
vention, and prayed that His hand be not re-
Tdoved from me.
Settled low as was the overturned dingy,
my head barely cleared her bottom, but that
was sufficient. Sustaining my position by
a light hold on the thwart, that my weight
should not prevent the regular and natural
roll of the wreck, with nerves now tuned to
their highest pitch, / hung and awaited de-
velopments. The hole in the boats bottom
furnished me with air, and, to my astonish-
nient, this vent in the hollow which now
sheltered me gave to my retreat the char
acter of a trumpet, and every sound was
magnifed, though its quality was changed
to the deep sonorous roar such as one hears
come from the heart of conch held to the
ear. 1t was an indistinct babble of cries and
oaths that first greeted me. and from the
few words could disentangle / guessed that
the whole host had rushed to the schooner's
side in the hope that would rise. Had l
still courted death, / might easily have met
with it by means of bullet through my
mead, for through the confused humming
or voices l distinctly heard the sharp click
ing of gunlocks, and knew that had l ap.
reared l would have been made a target for
a score of muskets.
The sound of voices decreased as the mo-
ments flew, and when at last it seemed GER
tain that had gone to the bottom, there
came general awakening, and a sharp or
Ger was given to search the hull, strike the
flag, and hoist the British ensign. The
clicking of boot heels and the rafting of
arms were more distinct than words, but
the marines had barely scattered to obey the
last commands when, above all else, heard
an unknown voice:
Overhaul that carrion, and then pitch it
overboard!'
This l knew must refer to the body of
my poor friend, but before l could realize
the necessity of the order thus brutishly
gwen, as clear as the order itself rose the
voice of Scammell:
Look, look, Belden! Damn me, bat l
thought l had brought down buzzard in
missing the hawk, when, after ALL l have
struck but peg lower than Thorndyke him
self! By the crime of Judas, wish it had
been the other way! If this young, old
broad-brim be not Beverly Ames, I'll lose
Fifty pounds to any one of you! Quick, man!
See, he is net deadi Fore God, but mayhap
be can yet give us some news of his sister!
Overheard he goes not! Dead or alive, he
must be taken to Clinton, else your COM
mission is in danger! Know you not that
he is connected with Mrs. Badely? Send off
for help! Is not that long legged Irshman
yet aboard you?"
Here a number of voices joined in and
turned to confused roar all words at once
following. In the space of few minutes l
heard boat putting away from the side, the
thud of oars in the water making jar on my
| car drums almost painful. For time there
reigned comparative silence, and then came
what was doubtless a marines report.
"The hold is clear of all life, sir. Nawthin'
cleaned out barrin' some arms an the cap
tain's old Clothes"
Flows this, Scammell?" said Belden, evi-
IDENTIFY turning to that officer 1--WE saw
three men aboard, and but two are ac-
counted for. Thorndyke has gone to hell
ever the side, and this lad of yours is like to
join him by another route! Where's the
thirdw
There was no third" came the sharp
response. Two it was that smothered us
below. know of none other! no more does
I.ounsbury"
Nay" said that worthy, speaking for
the first time, and with a thick burr to his
speech, there was never more than four
legs to the lot. Mayhap that giant split
h.sself in two for the sake O. looks-there
was enough O. him. Thank God for his loss!
would ne'er sleep easy again KNOWN him
elive."
Here words fell to a murmur until Louns-
bury again spoke, evidently addressing him.
self to the one who was in authority on
board:
Now 1 take it, leftenant, that by rights
this craft is mine"
Yours, We toasted mug!" demanded the
unknown voice. "What mean ye?"
''Ay, only be right o prize, mean," was
the answer. Twas who first laid hand
on her, an got split skull for my pains,
an not a damn sovereign to help heal it,
neither so much glory as shines from the
Luttons O. yer coat. Prize be cussed! Now,
il yer capting wills TO let me take her into
rort-as came nigh doing awhile agone-
twill 60 far to put me right with the ad-
miralty an get me a job, mayhap, like that
lost through Thorndyke takin' my name,
damn his soul Dye sect"
"Ay, l see, We sweep! And is that all?
No prize money!"
cay, all, all. Only to sail her home; no
more"
mo more, eh? Ye are a cursed deep
villain, but I'll touch the captain on it. Go
get the CRIME from your face and look less
like a toad. Had he seen you, twas no
wcnder Thorndyke launched himself over
the rail. What now, Scammell? Does the
lad still lve?"