Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1903-02-06
w wynuAM COUNTY REFoRMER FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1908

| ions OF their approach, being s1ii' Una"
| IN the deadest slumber. The sun nnu
drooped below the tree tops, ana airenuS
the night noises of the forest were pesin'
ning-the rattle Of crickets ana toaus 49,
the trees, the grunting OF the buiiirogs AZ
the swamp the dry rustic of the jar LIES
and the warm hum of the never sieepins
MOSQUITO In the darker tree aisies 'heis
commenced the brief light snappines y.
1reflies, and in the black shadowea water
of the bayous were other phosphorescehe
CLOVIS, like these only coming from 'no
eyes of some prowling alligator. :,
| The sloop ran down her jibtopsaii' anu
es the iron hanks screamed along the stay
a negro trotted nimbly out along the nas
bowsprit top to secure the sail III its gas
kets. The wind was dropping WIN 'no
sun. and because the current raced "'a"
fully down the blight where the STRANDED
steamer was lying the sloop maze pue q
fathom or SO to the good by every ooaru
across the river. The one eyed man danced
barefoot tattoo of fury ON the iioor poarus
of the cockpit at this slowness, ana ms
loose limbed partner, who still spra"ieu
on the cabin roof, chuckled win easy
amusement. But the breeze held iohe
enough for their purpose. They ran up
above the stet mer, and the stream grouha
their planking against the rust s'reaheu
iron. A pair Of davit falls hung down'
with the block weed covered In Win wa
ter, and overhauling one OF these tney
made 1t fast round the bits. Inen,
swarming up the other fall, the whoie
five of them gained the bridge deck apoVe
| Instinctively when once their feet were
on the warm gray planks each man, Diack
and white, handled his weapon READY 10
fight any one, as might be demanded Oh
him, but no one appeared to seek eAplah"-
ton of their presence, and from staring
about them they took to staring at one
another rather foolishly. II one has been
expecting a brisk game of murder, ana
one meets with empty silence, 1t rather
spoils the sequence OF ideas.
| Come to think Of 1t" said Hank In an
oppressive whisper, ''if there'd been an
anchor watch, They'd have hailed us before
we got this far. bet the old mans asleep
| In the oharthouse. 'Twouldn't be bad
Idea to bottle him.
| He battered across the deck, right hand
inside his shirt bosom, pistol gripped IN
that, and peered In through the open door.
The place was tenanted by no living thing
larger than flies and cockroaches. he
| drew back half scared by the eerlness OF
1t, and then reckoning his mates headed
| them down the companion ladder, tread
1 Ing like stage conspirator. AT the toot'
two doors opened; one into the alleyway,
which was empty, the other into the man
cabin, on the floor of which Kettle had
been deposited by the donkeyman. But IN
the eliminating spasm of his cramp the
little captain had rolled away out OF sight
under the table, and SO to oil appearance
this place was deserted also.
The men peered about them and ran
aft, poking their noses in pantry and gal
lery and engine room. Coming back
through the alleyway, they searched the
two mates rooms and found them empty,
and going out on the iron foredeck found
the forecastle deserted also. Then they
gathered round that gaping rent where
the forehatch had been In curious wonder,
examining the crumpled plates which
were yellow with new rust and pointing
out to one another the twisted stanchions
and splintered debris below. And at this
they were engaged when the sun took its
final dive beneath the waters OF the Mex
lean gulf to westward, and the tropical
darkness mapped down upon them ike
/ the shutting of n box.
Hank" said the one eyed man, this
gets me. What in hades have they been
doing to this blame steamboat, and for why
have they aua gug gone Oft and left herr
"Euclid'n out of my line sah Hanf
ornoularly.
"Oh, yoa blank putty heedl" retorted
his friend, "th. think"
You tire me. If they aren't here, theJ
aren't P'raps they've gone OF and tote1
the Doodle to cache. P'raps it's left here
aboard, and If il is guess we shall lind II
when we want it. What I'm on for now'E
grub. l hain't had Christian meal fol-
three months thanks to this new sheriff
bustling after us, and I'm about sick Of
mullet and sweet potatoes. But please
our buck, we'll raid their storerooms herr
and fix up a regular hotel supper for to
night. That's me. Now come along, fell
lers. ~
The negroes chuckled and crowed, ca
pering like children, and went of witt
the tall man toward the galley, and Mutt,
after an Intellectual attempt to speak,
which threw him into paroxysm OF fury,
presently followed them.
The feast was sui generis. They found
grease, baking powder and -four and madt
doughnuts, they hotted three tins OF JUL
enne soup, they baked "A great mass OF sail
pork on bedding of white beans, they
made stew of preserved potatoes, Aus
tralian mutton and pate de foie gras, ano
as a chef 'nuvre one of the negroes turned
out some crisp three cornered tartlots
stuffed with strawberry jam. Then Hank
with a lamp in one hand, cylinder OF
plates in the other and a whole armory o.
knives and forks bristling from his peck
cts, battered off to the main cabin to lay
the table
At the doorway he stopped, gaping, ant
because the instinct of the much huntee
made his right hand slip round to n Ger
tain back pocket the plates went to thu
ground with crash. In the swivel chair
at the head of the table was huddied
mana small man with a cold cigar bit
ten tight between his teeth, man 81
grimy with coal dust that Hank couldn'
have sworn whether the short peakee
beard which rested on his chest was blacl
or red or prussian blue.
"Oh, don't you trouble to be polite,
said the man in the chair. I'm mighty
glad to see any one who can talk or use {
pair of hands, Here he lifted his nose
and snuffed the air like a hound. is thai
supper you re cooking9"
Il reckon"
Found anything to wash 1t dowr
With"
There were dozen bottles of beer
but we wanted those between whites, anc
guess they're drunk"
There should havo been more, but
suppose my lousy steward has necked
L. t.yhf