The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-10-16
"Geoffrey Heathcote, Esq"
BY JOHN FINNiMoRE- tcopyright 1895, by S. 8. Mcclure Coz

ask, for l could see thai he wass a
sailor, and, as I fancied. a complete
] stranger to us. But he heard what I
lad TO say with much pleasure, and
tool me to q tavern to drink q glass
With him. Well, I frank many glasses,
Cor he wass paying for everything, and
III thought 10 wass only his kindness. In
deed. 1 wass very ignorant then, and
never thought there g such q thing
in the world as 1 wass soon to learn
about. Well said the sailor man, I
must so. You'll see me down to my
boat?'
".Ah. indeed l WILL I told him. for
I thought he wass the finest man in the
| world. Now 1 wass feeling pretty well
in the house, but when / came to the
fresh air l wass Just 80 drunk as pos
| Sible. The man had a ship lying out in
the bay. and s. boat was Visiting for
! him in 9 very quiet bend lying between
| the rivermoutS and the castle. / wass
in such q state h . It wass quite easy
to get me to SO out to the ship with
| them
There I had a glass of rum, and. in
deed. I remembered no more till the
next morning. and then we were miles
out in the sea. Well, l made a great
noise. but the captain he laughed and
said that when it wass time for him to
| go I wass TOO drunk to go ashore. SO he
| left me alone. But said he, i am put
ting into Aberteify his afternoon; you
can go ashore there
IT was quite satisfied with that. but
I saw no Aberteify that day: indeed. 1
wass too sick to see anything. The next
morning l wsss little better, n I
Well, he just laughed again n said
he had changed hi. mind about calling
| at that place, and I must go to Bristol
| with him now as that was the place
for the ship to stop next, and then I
could go where l liked
by his time I wass not easy In my
mind. But l wass very careful not to
look anxious, because I would spoil the
chance of getting away. That morning
the wind dropped, and the ship lay on
the water all day without moving. We
! were not very far from land. perhaps
it wasS two miles. perhaps not so
much. and the little white cottages on
| the hills OF Sir Benfro, that ISIS, in your
language. Pembrokeshire. looked very
| pleasant to my eyes. II the captain 8
wished to set me on o he could
nave done 1t very easily with that boat,
but he never made the offer, and I too
care not to aSk him. for / wished to
look so innocent as possible an6 willing
TO so TO Bristol u anywhere with them.
I knew quite well by now that if I
| made q noise they woul shut me up
somewhere and spoil all my chances.
Yet I could not understand what they
wanted with me.
That afternoon, having nothing to
do. they got TO the liquor and made
themselves very drunk They offered
me some, and I pretended TO drink with
them and be very merry. but I wass
careful 10 keep my wits. There wasS a
little boy on the ship and enc of the
drunken sailors waSs beating him and
beating him with a piece OF rope, just
for nothing at all.
We'll, I stopped that and kept the
boy by me. where he wass safe, and
lucky for ME / did. For that little boy
told me everything. He old me tina
the ship was going about picking up
people here and there, and taking them
TO Bristol TO sell them for slaves. Then
they were carried across the sea and
set to work in q far country under &
burning sun, and were beaten with
whips If they dared to grumble. Iss
that all true?"
Perfectly true, Ieuan." said I: true
as gospel"
And what else did the little boy tell
n1e2" cried Ieuan, grinding his teeth
furiously. This, this iss what he told
ne; that he had heard the captain say
10 the mate that he was to have twelve
Arthur, besides the price of me In Bris-
toL Iss that clear TO your"
Clear enough" said I. The thing
hangs together as straight as q string"
Well, I should think so,r snorted
Ieuan. II think that. indeed"
How did you come ciear??" 7 asked.
"Oh. my heart wass on fire." cried
Teuan, when I heard such things. The
sky was red instead OF blue before me,
but I kept very quiet and waited fo-
the darkness.
Il could swim we'll and the sea wsss
so smooth as a pool. Well, when it was
dark I crspt to the end OF the ship
where no one wass, and o OF all my
clothes, I slipped down 8 rope tina
wess hanging into the water, and SC
got into the sea without 3 sound;
though, indeed. they were too drunk in
the ship to trouble much about q nu;ss
# I had made it
There was q light il a house on a
hill. shining like q pretty star and
guiding me straight to the shore.
II vas g long. long time getting
there, for I was g SLOW swimmer
though I can swim far; but at last ]
put my feet down and felt the sand. All
how I ran that night
The stones cut my feet and the bush
es ore my naked body. but I ran and
ran, wishing for nothing but to leave
the sea and ship far behind me
The next morning I found myself
!, close 70 a little farm, and I went Jhers
10 beg food. ~ first the people wers
frightened and thought ! vass s mad
man But they were very good people
ard sorry for me when the heard al
my story, and they gave NE food and
: some clothes And now I wass safe
: and made my way back easily over III.
hills"
/ 4 very lucky end 10 yonr story
, IeEsn." said !. There Is many an;
} many 8 I working this day in III.
plantations, 1repaaned and deeoyed 8.
you were"
!: and shall / let the man escape VIII,
: did al this 70 ueE' cried Ieugn Gwyllt
No, no and he poured forth 3 de-c-
: torrent q words in his " tongue. il
which be could express his feeling
zclo-e easily
Ills oagbursI was deep rather thai
load. and Tas dying swav in sayag
l2Ctts-iEss when I laid my hand cl
MS arm "Loras, and many Of them
:, said !.
: \ confused t~ra1aplng had come I
T C2y ears and we listened snten1ly. :
rider pear round q corner Of IN