Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-12-01
DAILY SHORT STORY
A Surprise at Sea.
[Orisinal.1


women gossiping and watching the
children who were romping on the
heavy planks. One young fellow. n fine
specimen of man, was walking back
and forth. alternately taking his pipe
from his mouth and putting it back to
give a succession of rapid puffs.
Ned Chamberlin seems uneasy this
evening"
/ Hes expecting Rose Bickford from
Havana-they're engaged. you know
and that villainous picarOOn, the Mar
guerita, has been reported scurrying
about beyond the point there.
At the moment sloop rounded the
point mentioned and bore steadily up
to the wharf. When within hearing
distance. her master shouted:
''The Marguerite is chasing the IneZ.
We left them ten miles out, both be-
tcalmed. We caught Il breeze three
miles this side of them and got away"
All looked at Chamberlain, for all
knew that the girl he loved either had
fallen or would doubtless soon fall into
the hands of the pirate. lie sat down
on the top of one of the projecting
spiles of the pier and covered his face
with his hands. His nei@hborS thought
that lie was giving way TO his feelings.
This was not true-at least not for
long. He was forming a plan to save
the Inez
In another hour the Alice. the sloop
that had brought the news, sailed away
under command of Ned Chamberlin.
The moon. slightly past the fun, came
up out of the water. illuminating al
within the circle of the horizon. The
breeze began to- die away and bid fair
to cease altogether. This gave the hope
that the picaroon had not been able 10
move against the Inez The Alice with
in another two hours was hecalmed.
but not before Ned Chamberlin saw on
the horizon two ships in the doldrums
which he strongly suspected were the
ones lie sought. Ordering half Il dozen
men tn man n boat, he sent them ahead
to tow the sloop and while it was still
night placed her between the becalmed
ships.
At the first gray light in the east the
young captain brought his glass To bear
first on one. then the other. of his neigh
bors and soon made up his mind that
the one on his port was the Inez, the
other the Marguerite. Breathing Il sigh
of relief. he leaned against the taffrail,
folded his arms and waited.
What was he waiting for? There was
not Il gun oil his deck nor prOuuding
from portfolios below, but half a dozen
men were visible. and they were lounS-
ing about apparently waiting for Il
breeze. When the sun came up, there
was Il stirring aboard the picaroon,
while the crew of the Iuez raised every
sail to be ready 10 take advantage of
the first morning breeze. Vain hope!
No breeze came. Presently the plea
room assumed the appearance of a dad
dy lOnglegs, sweeps being thrust from
her sides. and she began To move. Ned
Chamberlin's only hope was that she
would stop by the way in her Journey
toward the IneZ to take the Sloop. In
this he was not disappointed The Mar
guerita was obliged to make a slight
angle to reach the sloop. and when Ned
saw that she was heading directly to-
ward him he seized basket standing
OH the deck and climbed the ratIines.
On came the pirate. her captain doubt
less laughing in his sleeve at the fool
who had pulled directly in his way dur
ing the night.
Ned Chamberlin kept his eye fixed on
the picaroon. and when lie saw the
graphing irons fixed to the port side
he concluded that they were making
ready to board on his starboard. Call
ing to the men on the deck below. he
ordered them to swing the gaff on
which he stood TO the starboard and
lash it. When the pirate came to with
in fifty feet and was slowly rounding
toward the sloop, Ned ran out to the
peak and. holding on to line. with his
left hand, began to swing with his
right ball on the end of rope in cir
Giles about his head. Presently letting
go the rope, il slipped through his fin
gers, and the globe landed on the pi-
rates deck There was an explosion.
the deck was ripped to pieces. and
three-quarters of the men on il were
blown to atoms. The shock dislodged
Chamberlin, who fell. fortunately es-
Gaping the side. into the water. whence
he was dragged back on to his vessel
The matches of the sloop were opened
and out rushed fifty men armed with
rifles and cutlasses, with the former of
which they shot every living man on
the picaroon.
On the Inez the captain, the crew
and the passengers watched the Mar
guerita approach the sloop. not doubt
ing that the latter would fall an easy
prey and that they would soon see her
crew walking the plank. after which
the pirates would turn their attention
to the IneZ There was scarcely Il
weapon aboard, and the ship rolled
helplessly in the long swells. Suddenly
there was a boom. and cloud of
smoke shot up from among the two
vessels-they could not at first tell
from which. but presently saw that
the sloop was unframed, while the
waist of the pirate showed great gap.
Puffs OF smoke appeared on the
SloOD'S deck growing loss frennanf till