Troy weekly news. (Troy, Idaho) 1897-1933, 1906-05-18

peIdlely 0eleTHllueu TO DTdNe lnc HTe u
the watch. The MoOcher, close at the
giants heels, flung himself upon the
nearest soldier, and, grasping his wrist,
struggled for the cutlass. A brawny,
bull-necked fellow next him dashed his
clinched fist into the soldiers face. and
the man. maddened by the blow, let go
the cutless. and. drawing his pistol. shot
his new assailant through the head. 1t
was this second shot that aroused Maui
rice Frere
As the young lieutenant sprang out
upon the desck. he saw by the position of
the guard that others had been more
mindful of the safety of the ship than
he. There was. however no time for ex-
plana ton, for. as he reached the hatch
way. he was met by the ascending giant
who uttered a hideous cry at the sight
of this unexpected adversary. and, too
close to strike him, locked him in his
arms. The two men went down togeth
er. The guard on the quarterback dar-
ed not fire at the two bodies that, twined
about each other, rolled across the deck
and for moment Mr.. Frere's cherished
existence hung upon the slenderest
thread imaginable.
and brains of his unfortunate comrade,
lad already set his foot upon the low
est step of the ladder, when the cutlass
was dashed from his hand by a blow
from dubbed frelock. and he was
dragged roughly backward. AS he fell
upon the deck, he saw the Crow spring
out of the mass of prisoners who had
been. an instant before, struggling with
the guard. and, gaining the cleared space
at the bottom of the ladder, hold up his
hands. as though to shield himself from
blow. The confusion had become sud
denly stilled, and upon the group be-
fore the barricade had fallen that mys-
terious silence which had perplexed the
inmates of the prison
They were not perplexed for long
The two soldiers who, with the assist
ance of Pine. had forced to the door of
the prison, rapidly unbolted trap door
in the barricade and at a signal from
Nickers, three men ran the loaded how
itzer from its sinister shelter, and, train
Ing the deadly muzzle to a level with
the opening in the barricade. stood ready
to fire.
Surrender" cried Vickers. in voice
from which all humanity" had vanish
ed. Surrender. and give up your ring
leaders. or I'll blow you to piecesr'
There was no tremor in his voice. and
though he stood, with Pine by his side,
at the very mouth of the leveled can
non. the mutineers perceived. with that
acuteness which imminent danger brings
to the most stolid of brains. that. did
they hesitate an instant, he would keen
his word. There was an awful moment
of silence, broken only by a skurrying
noise in the prison, as though family
of rats, disturbed at flour cask. were
scampering to .ne ships side for shell
ter.
The entrapped men looked up the
hatchway, but the guard had already
closed in upon 1t. and some of the ships
crew were peering down upon them. Els
cape was hopeless.
"One minutew cried Vickers. conf
dent that one second would be enough
zone minute to go quietly. Or
Surrender, mates!" shrieked some I'M
known wretch from out of the darkness
of the prison. ''Do you want to be the
death of us?'
Jenny Netch feeling, by that curious
sympathy which nerN GUS natures DOS
sess, that his comrades wished him TO
act as spokesman, raised his shrill tones.
I'VE surrender" he said. IFS no use
getting our brains blown out" And.
raising his hands, he obeyed the motion
of Vickers' finger. and led the way to-
ward the barrack.
Bring the irons forward therer,
shouted Nickers. Fastening from his ner
ilous position; and before the last man
had filed past the still smoking match.
the clink of hammers announced that tbe
Crow had resumed those letters which
had been knocked off his dainty limbs
month previously in the Bay of Biscov.
In another moment the trap door was
closed. the howitzer rumbled back to ire
clearings. aud the prison breathed again.
In the meantime, a scene almost as
exciting had taken place on the upper
deck. Gabbett, with the blind fury
which the consciousness of failure brings
to such brute-like natures, had seized
Frere by the throat, determined TO put
an end to at least one of his enemies
But desperate though he was. and with
all the advantage of weight and strength
upon his side, he found the young lien
tenant more formidable adversary than
he had anticipated.
Maurice Frere was no coward. Taken
by surprise as he was. he did not lose
his presence of mind. The convict was
so close upon him that there was no
time to strike, but, as he was forced
backward, he succeeded in crookinr his
and thrust one hand into his collar
Over and over they rolled. the bewil.
dered sentry not daring to fire. until the
ships side brought them up with violent
jerk, and Frere realized that Gabbett
was below him. Pressing with all tbe
might of his muscles, he strove to resist
the leverage which the giant was applv-
ing to turn him over, but he might 40
well have pushed against a stone wau