The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-04-02

derness of six-mule teams hauling quar-
| termaster's supplies, ambulances bringing
away wounded men to the hospitals. car
riages containing officers and their fami-
| lies, and delivery wagons of every kind.
| The confusion oppressed the women more
than anything else they had seen. The yells
| imprecations and quarrels Of the strug-
| Cling teamsters seemed to them to sur
pass all the depths of total depravity
that they had ever read of or heard about,
and Mrs. Klegg found herself wondering
why, if Sodom and Gomorrah could perish
under a shower of fire, that these men
We're spared.
Capt James Ellison, A. Q. NJ, was on
the lookout for them, and took Serg't
Ammon one side and said:
Il think that we can work it all
right, Scott. You skip around with your
ladies over to the right and go up the
gangplank into the cabin when you see
me working over to that saloon with the
| Captain. Take them right into room No.
4, which you will find open, and let them
lock the door and not show themselves
until we are well down the riyer--prob-
ably not until morning. | will fight it out
with McTwigg."
Serg't Ammon did this when he saw
| his partner steering the Captain off for a
| jigger of Scotch whisky, and, though the
sailors scowled as he led the ladies into
the caDlN lie pdlu no ATTENTION 10 tlitIi,
got his charges safely into the stateroOm,
deposited their carpetbags with them, and,
bidding them adieu and good luck, left
them to lock their doors and remain quiet
until further Developments.
Capt. Ellison detained Capt. McTwigg
in the saloon until he got Il visit and a
wink from the Sergeant that it was all
right and then allowed the Captain to 90
his ways. as well pleased with himself
and the world as he always was when he
had surrounded half pint, more or less,
of the smoky, throat-burning Scotch u.s.
quebaugh.
1t was the first time in their lives that
the ladies had been confined to such mar
row quarters, which seemed hardly so
commodiOus as the closets at home, and
with so much less of the limitless fresh
air to which they had always been accus-
toned; but the stirring view from their
little window and the novelty of their sit
uation engrossed their attention to the eX-
clusiOn of all else. In an hour or two
the boat cast off, turned her PROV down
the broad stream of the historic Potomac,
and began blowing her way toward her
destination. AS she started the trampling
ed orders. mingled with some profanity
and the shrieks of the steam whistle as
the decks were cleaned up and the ship
put in shape for her sea voyage, filled the
women with wonder and alarm.
"Oh, N.Y." shiyered Annabel, what can
they be doing? Are they fighting among
themselves, or are some wicked men try |
ing to tear the ship down? Wonder if any
of them men we have seen are the pirates |
that we read about?"
Nonsense, Annabel," answered Maria, |
superiority, as she was accustomed to treat |
her pretty little sister-in-law. mo pirates |
ON this boat. Capt Ellison wouldn't al |
low it. Serg't Ammon said he was an
Indiana man. and very nice, and what
little saw of him made me believe it."
But there are pirates on the Potomac"
persisted Annabel 1--WE read of them
somewhere. They're not likely to do any.
thing to keep us from getting to 81, are
they?"
1.-The Lord is with us here, as every
where" murmured Mrs. Klegg, as the DIN,
yells and crashing reached their climax.
I'VE can never get beyond His love and
care" !
Bother the piratesi Nonsense, Anna
BEL" calculated Maria. 81 wish we could
get out of this stuffy little box into the
open air and see what's going on. I'm
half smOthering."
entered, cap in hand, closing the door be-
hind him. ''The old shippers so busy
getting his ship to rights for the trip out
side the Capes," he said, after the saluta-
tons and inquiry as to their comfort,
that he hasn't time to think yet about
who's aboard. Let me see that order from
the President II
Maria produced it from somewhere in
The bosom of her gown, and the Captain
read it with satisfaction.
That's all right-just as Scott said it |,
was. It'll knock the wind out of old
Sandy McTwigg when flash it up be- l
lore his eyes. But I'd rather not have
he row with him before We pass Fort {
and are out Of reach of superior !
'fiicers and telegraphs. He's a catanker-
Jus old cuss and hates to be beaten. We'll