The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1900-04-05
CHAPTER XvII.--CoNrrxrrp

/ though 30 lessen this possibility, / sur.
missed that they would themselves he
I suded by the drift, only using their oars
| that they nigh, make their speed greater
/ than that oi the schooner, by 80 following
| they might hope 20 oycrtaso vs., and doubt.
/ ices would have done SO only we were now az
| the point where the rush 0i the Hudson
| ilcrts that OF the Sound river, aud the rips
| and whirlp0ols formed By the miuFlug ol
| these waters of aud below Nu,tous island
we're constantly creating counter streams
and cross currents that shifted and spun
/ with the minu,cs, ever changing and never
| a, rest save al the brief intervals Of slack
water on the turning OF the tides.
Beyond the gurghng and rushing Of the
stream not q sound could ! now hear,
though once or twice ! was sure ! caught
the humping OF oars 10 thrr tholcs and
heard voices Of men, But Il dad, they went
vide OF u.s. for the minutes swung into half
an hour at lcast. and the half hour into a
whole one yet nothing Of the boats from
the Ajax did sec.
And now ! took a deep breath aud moved.
Tor GurlGg this time of ierrihi, suspense We
IN deck had barely stirred No, a sound
had come from below nor had au attempt
to uncover the window. been made. aud
yet knew one man bad % broken nos. from
a muskci butt and both must hp pressed
for want Of AIR Mlslrcss Gertrude stlIl sat
on the cabin top aud cTnugGcl .Hw near the
companion door, wlh pistol BOO hand, was
bel brother.
As patient az was this alI. she was human
flesh. and delicate hlt o, iamluiuity AZ that
Tie cabin top could not br made pcrma.
rsnt quarters for her, and, though believe
she would have collapsed from sheer ryh3us-
tion ere offering q word OF complaint, ii was
au uucall,i-iur sacrifice for hrr i1 remain
longer uushcligrJd and seated 0D bare, hard
plaukiug Up TO the pfrs,u, comfort bad
no, been considered. but now that Immc.
date danger was past, turned my thoughts
10 the youHs lady, and cast about Tor a re.
treat Go which shc might retire Save the
bold or the iury,asl,y. ua spot was avail
able and either would o., r,pGEn8ui TO one
oi her iaEtidi0us tastes, ~tl,l, shelter she
must have, ! would .ec 90 Il presently, but
H0w ! became more than curious 'u know
what dcvimcnt was meant hy the continued
silence Of the two desperate men Gagged IN
the cabin.
Il struck me that the quiet. coupled with
what had gone before might bear a mighty
significance, and going softly 60 a corner of
the arpauiu, quickly threw It up and
looked IN. The light was out Drawing
hack out Of range ! called Seammcl hy
name, aud then louusbury. bot received mo
reply Putting the threat OF death IN my
demand for an answer. still received moth
ing in return, 90 cambcrng 10 the cabin
top, | laid my ear above dead hight 20
catch a sound oi movement within, INA, had
hardly taken my position when both nose
and lungs were hssailCd hy such a mixed
stencil Of burned powder. lamp SCOT, rum
and fouluesl in general as Co almost turn
my stomach, though It ht once cleared W the
mystery
Here, now, was my threat 60 stile them
carried ont better than ! knew. Dragging
of The tarpaulln, ! pushed away the hatch
cover, drew the blyouct from the staple.
forced back the companion slide and en-
tered. The frs, thing did was 90 stumble
over 4 mans body on the floor. aud then
| turned aud F0t 90 the deck. iog the air in
the cabin was more than | could at once
endure Letting the place clear Tor little,
] fetched the galley lantern and weW down
once more The cabin was yet filed with
heavy blue mist, and the sulphurous fumes
were choking. Louhsbury lay on the Aoor
With bic face covered with blood, apparent
ly dead. both eyes being swollen and his
eouutsnanoe blaekened beyond recognition,
His companion sat on the cushioned tran.
som, jammed into = corner bctwiKt berth
and the hulkhsad. lie was unconscious,
and, with his tongue hanging out, was
breathing foeby Physically he was alive
but, through liquor aud foul ait. was 80
dead drunk that nothing could have reused
him Three empty brandy bottles lay
about, together with Scammcll's sabcr, a
broken sword, pistols and tobacco pipes,
while on che table, the cotton cover of which
was burned to ashes, were the remains of
leathrrn powder pouch rent by explosion.
No wonder they had succumbcd In
their tipsiness, or through the carelCssness
o. desperation, they had fired their ammuni-
tion, the amount not having been sufficient
to cause more than the muiilcd blow and
fash | had heard and seen on the instant
Of our being hailed by the Ajax. This with
the smoke of the previous firing, together
with the heat and closencss Of the quarters,
had created a smudgc and foulness IN which
none bu, a drunksrd could have lived a
minute. They had evidently been deep in
some scheme to blow open the forward door
(which showed signs Of attack when a
spark from pipe caused the plot to hafass
the plotters. Lounsbury had been the chief
sufferer, and thus was accounted for his
blackcntd face and bis cry for air and water.
However, It could not have hit my turn
better had ] laid the train OF events myself,
nOf was It long before | had the two lying
90 the deck and knew the cabin was sweet.
tn!ng and would soon be iit retreat for
Mss King Neither was It long before
discovered that Lounsbury was not as dead
as he was drunk. though hardly a. far gone
In liquor az Scammcll, who could have been
pitched over the rail and passed to the next
world without the slightest Inconvenience
to himself. And mores the pity twas not
done
Lihs bngs Of dunnagc took them by their
collars, hauling them amAdships, and then
| eiArp+d 4he wrists and legs Of both into
irons, articles which In those days stood
somewhat ahead Of tho medicine chest in
Importance, and frequently in use With
mingled feeling Of pity, hatred, and disgust,
] soused the sots with bucket Of salt water,
and then left them for Nature to bring to
life. As l moved aft caught the freshness
Of small. early morning breeze, and felt
that ere long the protecting blanket Of fog
would be rolled away. Much would have
given for knowledge OF our exact where
abouta, bat ss this was impossible. nothing
remained but 10 prepare the schooner for
sailing as soon a. We could get our bearings.
Twas small job to cast of the Raskets aud
get loose the keadxails ready for hosting,
bot another matter for Ames and myself
alone to TEE the hsayy canvas Of the main
| aud forcsails 10 their mast heads | was
fearful that tho rafting blocks and rurtling
Of the great cloths might herald our situa.
tion. bat nothing came Of ID, and after deal
Of hauling We got something like slack
set TO the saiis which for months had been
miIdswing against their booma,
Gradually iividncss came over the fog,
and, 40 the light If the coming day strength.
ensd, Il showed the nist driving across us
] like wsds OF smoke. Al the light broadened
I went 10 the binnacie 10 see how we we're
| heading. bat found lha compass gone from
] II and 4warnlosetat Atsgngnrad thai ali