The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1900-03-29

I
| niy post. In uy expectancy and dread OF
kHew not what, the minutes seemed 10
lengthen 20 quarter hours. The white inni.
lie Of mist appeared thicker than ever, and
once or twiee ] faneied caught on my wet
cheek a cooling breath, as though the dead
cir was giving g first faint hcavs Of coming
activity. ! felt that the wind wac not far
| Of, and feared Il, but come what might
must now hold my course and drift into tree.
com or eternity
And eth no sound from the cabin sava
nov and then a cough, showing that the
| lungs Of the two were harried BY their owu
\ powder smoke. ! dared not explore the in.
| terror for fear OF being greeted by a shot,
and could only await some overt act 10 show
me what vas afoot. Suddenly from below
| there came a dull. jsrring thud. and the fog
| about the quarterback was lighted by
/ brilliant flash, apparently from beneath tho
/ tarpaulins while AZ onee following came the
voice og Lounshury calling for water aud
| 'Air. air, Tor the love oi God" Almost on
the instant, aud before | realized that s0me.
thing untowari bad happened below. ssem.
| ihgly from .hc muck directly overhead
hoarss voice shouted:
The deck. Rhogi There's a schooner
adrift aud almost on US! Did 20 see that
light"
"Ayi where away Ia shey' cane an an.
swer close al hand.
"On og. starboard bow sir; coming stern
| hrs, and no sail set. She's ike 20 foul us"
Can you make her outY"
'Naught bat the ioreysFd and topmasts
show above the fnz air."
What the devil can be the meaning Of
/ i;f' came the return, and then heard the
/ gcuiflo Of feet on the strangers deck, fol.
lowed By quick call;
Schooner ahoy' What bcho0ucr'a that"
Hitherto my policy had been silence. but
Eow Il instantly struck me that 10 pay no
Stteution 10 the hail would be but to pre-
| ripiiate ruin while yet there was a forl0rn
! hope II We came in collision. unless ! an.
Ewercd they would board us in the twinlslins
| ot an eye, while II VIC missed they would
lc suspicious and start q search. which,
| alind a. u would be. might end by their
| running across rs. Therefore at once sent
my voice back with all my power and with.
/ out the lsast hesitation;
"Ay, ay; we've parted q rhaeklC and are
losing ground. WI bring up In e couple Of
cables lepTths II wc clear You Stand By
to take blow What ships that"
His majesty sl0op-oi.war Ajax! What
tchooner'a that
THE sprite," ] returned ~ q venture,
that vessel being the only schooner I could
then call to mind. The answer hurled back
5t me was startling
'Ie lie! The Spute wcnt outside this
morning on patrol Come 10, Or I u sink ycl
Stand by for quArtcrs' On deck. the watch
be0w!' Then. evidently TO guard aloit;
Where away is she! Damn the fog'"
In the quick hustle. the shril rattle Of
the boatswain's whistle on the deck Of tho
enemy (which sound seemed 20 on the hat.
horl, and al that followed. heard no an.
swer to the call slot There was enough
close at hand. for from our own cabin there
came a bsdlam vt shouts that drowned the
"details Of the notes OF preparation made on
the Ajax
Treason! !-trcasoni Helpl-helpl IT'S
the Phantom cut out by the rebels 'Tm
the villain Thorudykc! We are prisoners 10
the oahini Board us, for Gods sake" and
matter Of th.s tenor Whirh crossed the water,
and was ns plain to the car Of the officer on
ihe adjacent vessel a. il was TO mine
And now for ms the game appeared TO be
played to the end. With faces evidently
pressed close to the open headlights Of the
cabin the two below had sent forth the
alarm and made tho mus past mcnding
From the Ajax came loud orders, aud just
ns caught the glimmer oi that vessels an.
choT light a. il swsp, los IN thick yellow
halo, there came the rattle of a drum beat.
ias 10 quarters, and it was at once followed
by similar hut faint alarm from some ship
anchored east and toward the Brookland
shore. Then We slipped into the darkness
again, and went whiTng on our way.
We had missed q collision, but hy a close
shave only az think there lay not two rods
bctwiXt me and the light ! had seer. Out
move had been exposed, and the only thing
gained by ~ was knowledge Of our speed
and whereabouts, The Ajax | knew had
hecn anchored for upward of @ month about
a mile below the grand battery" and tho
way her riding light had Aid by US be.
tokened the fact that just then W were NOV.
ing at the rate Of four or five miles an hour,
Therefore we were now Of Nuttcu'u j..
land, but the bulk OF the British feet still
ny below They were fairly close 10 tho
Staten Island shore, however. and there
would be small danger Of iouing them, the
tide always setting the igirway well into tho
center Of the Narruws But Of danger from
the forces below ! was not now thinking.
More fear had | OF the boats tha, would put
after ua from the vessel We had almost
loulsd, for a. We passed hc7 and the noises
on her deck faded in the distance heard
the dull clashiug Of tumbIing oars and the
sharp splash Of boat as il dropped from
the daviis into the water
As though to guide the enemy. ever and
anon there came a cry from our cabin-a
cry that shot into the quiet air like an alarm
gun and drove mc 30 madness. ] was now
~ one who, having broken through quick.
set. was carrying the thorna In his flesh
Danger hung over me ike a descending
bludgron, though instead Of covering be-
meath the coming blow Il set my blood on
fire. With a curse which must have caused
the Eir to shuddCr, | seized the muske,, and,
driving its butt through the nearest dead
light, felt the iron stock shoe crunch against
flesh and bone. There came from within
yell Of agony, and after silence, and then
spoke;
Another shout, ye villains. and III Gil
the cabin with flying balls Mind this, u
yOnder boats board as, before being taken
III Kill ye both! Ne are dealing with Don.
aid Thondyke, and now lie and stiile. and
may God have more mercy on ye than have
|, ye pawn OF the devill"
And with this cut away the scizing that
held the iarpaulin and rolled the heavy GOV.
erinR close 60 the windows, thus blocking all
ventilation below so long as this re.
NAMED undsturbcd It would mufile any
noise they might make, and, ] fancied,
sn0n bring them to terms from lack OF air.
-...:.:-- -..=:.:-= Asass lThn had thus far stuck to
hts post) in a voice which I took caro-
should be heard by the prisoners, ordered
him 10 fire into the compartment at the
first attempt they made 10 move the smoth-
sring cover. and then hurried forward to
prepare Tor being overhauied by the hoats.
Bcng en my own ship everything was
familiar, and easily got a lantern from the
galley and dropped into the hold, carrying
with me line. Here ] selected four or FIVE
Of the largest luinps Of lead which in my
hurry eotild light upon, and, drawing them
to the deck, placed shem at different points
near the rail, that they might come handy
TO drop into aud stave any boat that came
eiosq alongside. This done, reprimed all
firearms, even to the guards musket, which
was loaded. and from she after davil quietly
ioweMd the dingy. that, II worse came 10
worse, ii might be possible to eseape BY