Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1901-02-07

caring little for the morrow, ate and
drank to repletion, and, stretching
himself upon the timbers, was soon
fast asleep. The moonbeams played on
his face and cleaned on his strong,
white teeth until he looked uglier and
fiercer than ever.
There he lay at my mercy, and fin
gered the revolver, that I had con-
trived to keep dry, and crept nearer
trived to keep dry, and crept nearer
and nearer to him; but the peaceful
surroundings and the remembrance of
the terrible danger from which we had
just escaped, held me back, and let
him sleep on.
ate some of the provisions, and,
fearing lest my companion might fin
ish the rest at one sitting, filled my
pockets, and it was we'll that I did So
for. before the next evening the cask
was empty, and Sweeney hurled it in
to the sea with a curse.
ga We're here long, me boy" said hes
glaring at me, cts attn one another
We'll be. and faix. don't sintind to let
you make mincemate av me. and may
be 'twouldnt much matter if I finished
way to Maurice
The latter part of this truculent
speech was made soto voce. but if he
had known that I had heard and I'M
derstood we should have speedily Crap
pied.
I should have been no match for him
with Natures weapons, but my re-
volver gave me very decided adj
vantage, and his remarks but strength
ened my resolve to use. it freely as
soon as the right moment arrived. I
got no chance that night, for his sleep
was restless, and he lay as far away
from me as he could, and whenever l
moved he sat up and glared at me. The
next day, when the sun beat down up
on US, he drall the rest of the water.
and thirst came upon us apace, and all
traces Of humanity seemed to be leav-
ing us rapidly, and, but that he knew
I had the weapon and was watching
him keenly, he would have attacked
me. He sat aloof from me on the
empty water keg, at the far end of the
raft, and had I been sure of my aim
should have picked him off as he squat
ted there, and, taking out the revolver,
I showed it to him.
''It will be dark tonight" said, I'M
til the moon rises. If you. stir I shall
shoot
"Ah. what the deuce is the matther
wild YEP" he growled. "Shure, twas
meself stood up for We beyant, whin
they didn't want We to come on the
raft, an you never putin a hand to
make it. Arrah! throw away that pis-
til. 1t might go off an kill mel"
''That's just what mean it to do,
Mr. Sweeney" and when I called him
that his whole expression changed.
Sweeney! And where did We get
that name?'
Twas reckless now, and somehow I
blood were stirring more briskly, and
so I went on:
"Where did get it? Why, from your
foster-brother, Maurice. Where else?
All! you're poor tool, Jim Sweeney.
You couldn't manage matters with the
gentleman down there on the East
Coast, and now that you've found youl
man out here in Fiji, you're left alone
on raft with that mans son, and he
means to kill you. To perditioE with
you and your Ragged Thirteen!" I
cried. II know all about you. heard
every word at your meeting at Court
ney's. You found my father for me,
and I've sent him warning that you're
coming; but he won't want it, for, by
the God above us, you'll never see him
again!"
With a wild yell he sprang up and
rushed straight at me. I waited till he
was close upon me before I pulled the
trigger, No shot followed! He was so
near that I could see the look of aend-
ish joy upon his face, and he made SO
sure of clutching me that, when sud-
denly ducked, his impetus carried him
over me, and he fell into the sea. He
came to the surface in a second and
struck out for the raft and laid hold
upon it; but STOPPING down, I beat at
his fingers with the heavy end Of the
revolver, and when he let go for a
second. smote him with all my force
and the blow, landing on his temple,
stunned him, and his blood crimsoned
the water around. And I beat and
beat:t till had smitten him past recog-
milton, and at last I held him by one
hand and so finished the business that
when I let go he sank out of sight.
Thus by my hand persisted the man
who was really the most merciless
member of that merciless fraternity.
For while I was so mad with the
triumph that forgot everything else
forgot that I had slain a man, consti,
tuting myself judge and jury; forgot
that I was alone on the desolate ocean,
and that. as soon as the scanty store l
had secreted was exhausted must un.
less help came, go through the agonies
of thirst and hunger, and that the end
I had meted out to fellow creature
would be merciful in comparison to
that to which I must come. Then, the
look of agony on the mans pale face as
the blows rained upon him. came to
haunt me, and, a breeze springing up
as the sun set, I made shift to spread
out my coat, and so moved slowly
away.
Throughout that night and the next
day, and the night that followed, was
upon the deep, and then in the morn
ing, rising up before me and right in
the path in which the set of the tide
was taking me, could see the outlines