The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-12-29

with but a very general sense of his
i meaning
# While the Puritan seaman had been
talking his eyes had kept wandering
from the clouds to the Hopping sails
AMI back. Such wind as there was
| came in little short puffs, and the cam
vas either drew full or was absolutely
slack. The feecy shreds of cloud
above. however travelled swiftly
across the blue sky. 1t was on these
| that the captain fixed his gaze. and
| he watched them like man who is
working out a problem in his mind.
They were abreast of Honfeur now
and about half mile out from ii. All
was quiet on the curving quay and on
| the half moon fort, over which fioated
the white flag with the golden feur de
lis. The port lay on their quarter now.
and they were drawing away more
quickly as the breeze freshened. De
Catinat, glancing back, had almost
made up his mind that their fears
were quite groundless when they were
brought back in an instant.
Round the corner of the mole a great
dark boat dashed into view ringed
round with foam from her flying prov
and from the ten pairs of oars which
swung from either side of her. A
dainty white ensign dropped over her
stern, and in her bows the suns light
was caught by a heavy brass CARO-
made. The captain brought his glass
to bear upon them and whistled; then
he glanced up at the clouds once more.
Thirty men," said he, land they go
three PAGES to our two. You, sir, take
your blue coat off this deck or you'll
bring trouble upon US. The Lord will
look after his own if they'll only keep
from foolishness. Get these matches
off, Tomlinson. So. Where's Jim Sturt
and Hiram jefferson? Let them stand
by TO clap them on again when 1 whis
tie. Starboard: starboard. Keep her
as full as she'll draw Now. Amos,
and you, Tomlinson, come here until
have a word with you"
The three stood in consultation upon
the poop, glancing back at their pur-
suer. There could be no doubt that
the wind was freshening. 1t blew
briskly in their faces as they looked
back, but it was not steady yet, and
the boat was rapidly overhauling them.
Already they could see the faces of the
WI sat III tuc StCIh dld SIC
CLEAN Of the lighted linstock which
the gunner held in his hand.
"Hola!7 cried an officer In excellent
English. Lay her to or we fire.
who are you. and what do you
want?" shouted Ephraim Savage in a
voice that might have been heard from
the bank.
I'VE come in the kings name, and
we want a party of Huguenots from
Paris who came on board of your YES
sci at Rouen.''
Brace back the foreyard and lay her
tor shouted the captain. Drop lad
der over the side there and look smart.
So! Now we are ready for them"
The yard was swung round, and the
vessel lay quietly rising and falling on
the waves The boat dashed alongside,
her brass cannon trained upon the brig
antine, and her squad of marines with
their fingers upon their triggers ready
to open fire. They grinned and shrug-
ged their shoulders when they saw that |
their sole opponents were three unarm-
ed men upon the poop. The officer was
on deck in an instant, with his drawn |
sword in his hand.
"You stand here at the head Of the lad /
der, sergeant. Throw up a rope, and |
you can fix it to this stanchion. Keep |
awake down there and be all ready to
fire. You come with me. Corporal Lee
moline. Who is captain of this ship?"
81 am, sir" said Ephraim Savage |
"You have three Huguenots aboard"
Tut, tut. Huguenots, are they? l
thought they were very anxious to get /
away, but as long as they paid their
passage it was no business Of mine.
An old man, his young da@ ghter and
young fellow about your age in some
sort of livery"
I'm uniform, sir-the uniform of the
kings guard. Those are the folk
have come for"
'And you wish to take them backw
s.Most certainly"
1.-The old man is in his bunk asleep,
he maid is in a cabin below, and the
other is sleeping down the hold"
Sleeping, you say? We had best
surprise him.
But think you that you dare do it
alone? He has no arms. it is true, but
iC 10 a "Cli 6AC" yOuhS AViO"' fNhh
vou not have twenty men up from the
ooat?"
Some such thought had passed
through the officers head. but the cap
aims remark put him upon his mettle.
Come with me. corporal said he.
Down this ladder. you say"
Eyes, down the ladder and straight
n. He lies between those two cloth
,ales." Ephraim Savage looked up
With smile playing about the corners
f his grim mouth. The wind was
now in the rigging. and the
tags of the masts were humming like
wo harp strings. Amos Green
ounged beside the French sergeant
Who guarded the end of the rope lad
er, while Tomlinson. the mate. stood
With bucket of water In his hand
exchanging remarks in very bad
french with the crew of the boat be-
eath him
The officer made his way slowly
Iown the ladder which led into the
old. The corporal followed him, and
lad his chest level with the deck when
be other bad reached the bottom. 1t
nay have been something in Ephraim
'avage's face or it may have been the
loom around him which startled the