Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1904-08-16

| binary beauty, and showing by every
external look and action a noble, gen
erous soul He is called Paul Laroon
Not far off stand three more persons
conversing together The tallest of the
| three-he with the black hair and eyes,
and the thin, satanic-looking lips, is
John Langley, the first lieutenant He
is not iye-and-thirty. The next, who is
of medium size and only peculiar on ac-
count of the light, faxen hair, and large,
yellowish eyes, which sometimes have a
pure green shade, is Philip Storms, the
second lieutenant. The third is a short,
/ stumpy man, broad and heavy in his
build, with elephantine motion. His
] head is large, and covered with coarse
gray hair, and BIZ eyes are quick and
keen. He is me oldest man on board,
being in the neighborhood of sixty years
of age. and is the gunner of the brig
His name is Ben Marion. The men look
| to their captain for orders, and when
! he is cool and assured they are the same
but when the pinch comes, and a few
well-directed shots can help them out of
a scrape, all eyes are turned to old Ben
| Marion, for well do they know that he
alone can handle that long gun with a
sure skill.
Paul, spoke the captain, turning to
his youthful companion, I'VE shall reach
our retreat ere long. Were you not
thinking of the same thingY"
There was a strange tinge of irony
or perhaps of bitterness in these last
words, and the dark-faced man gazed
into the Others eyes as he spoke.
Il was thinking of reaching the shore
once more" answered the youth in low,
i but steady tones.
But weren't you thinking of any par
ticular point on shore, Ell? And perhaps
you were thinking of some particular
person you would like to see?"
Il was thinking of a variety of
things" answered Paul; "but know of
nothing particular that was uppermost.''
How would you like to see our little
Mary? asked the captain, speaking very
| low-almost in a Yhisper-and ewing
his companion sharply.
The youth started with a quick emo
ton, and for an instant his eyes drop
ped; but he collected himself as quickly
as before, and then looking up again
into his interlocutor's face, he replied !:
Il should like to see her very much"
'Of course" responded Laroon. ITS
natural you should" And thus speaking
he started toward the gangway, where
some of the men were weaving a mat
Paul watched him as he walked away,
and troubled expression came upon
| his face.
what does he mean?" said he to linn
| self. And after some moments of
thought, he mentally added, 'only to
| tease me, that's all"
| Shortly after this the boatswain mined
to dinner. Paul quartered in the cabin
and was the surgeon of the brig. Some
years before there had been an old man
on board. who had serred in that capac-
| ity. and as he grew aged and feeble he
wished to spend the evening of his life
on shore. Laroon granted his request
on condition that he would procure a
| good surgeon to take his place. Paul
| had already gained much experience in
helping the old surgeon manage the sick
| and wounded. So the old man agreed to
take Paul in hand and teach him all the
mysteries of the craft, and Laroon CON
scented. The youth soon became expert
in his new profession, and at the present
time he had been two years in charge of
| the sick
Dinner was eaten. and when the cap
tain returned to the deck he found that
the breeze had freshened. He was stand
ing by the pinnacle watching the COM
pass, when the lookout at the crosstrees
reported q sail. In in instant all was
life and hustle on board the brig, and the
captain sprang for his glass and FASTENED
| forward.
"Fore-topgallant-ma there! Where
away"
Three points on the starboard bow. "
keep your eye on her. Here, Storms,
lay aloft with the glass and help the
| lookout"
The second lieutenant took the glass
and went aloft, and then the captain
returned to the wheel, where Paul was
standing by the side of the helmsman.
"Wen, Paul, what do you think has
| turned up now" said le.
Perhaps a merchantmen" replied the
youth, with a shudder.
"Mayhap it is, and mayhap it isn't.
| We are in the latitude of such craft; but
there's another kind of chap cruising
about these waters"
"a Russian cruiser. you mean?"
Eyes. How would you like to meet
one?'
pied the youth, without the least show
of discomposure.
| THAT is true; but we might not reach
| Silver Bay. How would you like thatW
| A quick shudder ran through Paurs
frame, but there was more of indigna-
ton in his look than Of fear. and at the
end of a single moment he replied, with a
| half-sarcastic smile:
Wen think of Silver Bay after we
have made ourselves sure of reaching
/ it."
"Well spoken, my son." cried the cap
tain: and then he turned away.
'Sonr' whispered the youth to him
/ self, as he watched the movements Of
! tie dark man. II do not believe that
man is my father! / never believed it.
| His blood never flowed in these veins.
But whose blood does flow there?"
At this question Paul always stopped.
| He asked it of himself very often, but
no answer ever came.
Halo at this moment came from
! the second mate. who was standing aloft
with his glass. Its square-rigsed
craft, and standing towards us"
For fifteen minutes the captain paced
tile quarter deck in silence. and at the
/ end of that time Mr.. storms reported
that the strange sail was a ship, and
TO all appearances a man-of-war.
Very WE'LL returned Laroon, per-
fectly calm. Wen find out her mettle
before we show our stern. Benz"
The old gunner moved quickly forward
and touched his hat.
'You had better get old Saladin in or
der. and bring up some of your pills"
The long gun had been christened by
/ the name of the renowned Saracenic
sultan. snd ere long il was Invested Of
its tarpaulin. and the shot box by its
side was filed. The gun was loaded,
and the bah driven snugly home, and
then Ben Morton sat down upon the rail-
way and waited further orders. At the
end of half an hour the second heuten-
ant came down and reported that the
stranger was a Russian sloop-of-war.
.S.an3 hx 70 take in the SfaroNard