Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1906-12-07
CHAPTER XX.-(Continued.)

5cending the ladder. AT the edge of the |
hole l could see the faces of several
members of the crew and caught the |
CLEAN of drawn knives. Evidently they |
did not trust us.
When it was over, we followed Blake |
up the ladder and waited quietly while
he laid out Graden's revolver and our
few belongings on the flap of central
table behind which the captain was
standing. A short speech by the worthy,
and the Irishman began again:
''The skipper wud have We know" he
said, addressing Graden with a growing
dignity that would have been comic
enough at a less unfortunate moment,
that ye stand accused iv carrying off the
ould gint yonder and committin' burg
larry on his person. Fwhat do ye say
to that, sorrr'
''It is absolutely untrue"
"Wan for him, thin. But Dim to ask
ye how ye account fer tn possession
iv that pocket-bOok the skipper is holding
so loving in his hand. He says that
there's close on five hundred pounds in
ut. Is ut yoursT
"NO-it belongs to the old gentleman"
"The mischief it does Then how did We
come by ut?"
l feel certain that if my cousin
could have told his story directly to the
captain, the honesty of his manner and
the simplicity of his narration would
have had effect. But this pleading at
secondhand was a sorry business. From
his long pauses and facial contortions
/ soon gathered that Blake was not the
linz iJt fhat he oIo., r.
the version which the captain received
from him must have been something
astounding. The tale was scarcely con-
cluded when the captain raised his hand,
and the hounderings of the interpreter
ceased abruptly.
Thus was his decision translated. He
would touch at Southampton, where the
case could be fought out in the English
courts. In the meanwhile, as the evil
'dence was overwhelmingly against us,
we should be placed in irons and con-
fined in the cabin where we then were.
he was just man. Angry though |
was at the time, l have come to think
he did the right thing. The harmless
appearance of Marnac, his ability to
plead his cause, our obvious endeavor to
keep him from communicating with the
crew, our possession of so valuable
pocketbook belonging to him-no, we
cannot blame the captain if he decided in
his favor.
To attempt resistance would have been
absurd. The men about us carried
knives, and the butt of heavy revolver
showed warningly from the captains
pocket For the first time in either of
our lives the handouts snapped at our
wrists. They moved out one by one; the
door was closed and barred upon us. In
another three minutes we were both
asleep. Our ill-fortune, the doings of
our worst enemy, the irons at our wrists
we forgot them all in the dead, still
sleep that Nature grants to the very
weary.
1t was Blake who woke us with our
midday meal He was in his most talk
ative mood. Guilty or innocent, it made
small difference to him, after he had de-
cided upon the fact of our gentiity.
He was agog with the manner of Mar
macs escape from us. The lad who was
servant to the captain had been down
In the lazarette, and from pure curiosity
had poked up the trap in the cabin floor
w I'LL pIOhlocS VI LlOuey, MdTudC uuu
persuaded the youngster to guide him to
the captain. In their haste they had for
gotten to close the trap and grating be-
hind them, though they had secured those
at the head of the second ladder. Mar
nae had waited in the captains room
while the lad went forward to find his
master. 1t was doubtless their interview
that Graden had observed from the
bridge When the supposed victim of
our plot had told his story, they had
armed themselves and come to arrest us,
calling the Irshman and two more of the
crew in case Of resistance. They had
found us below-a source of delight to
the Portuguese sailors, who had a healthy
terror of Englishmen; and the rest we
, knew.
"Come, my man." said my cousin after
he had concluded, ''for yourself, now
do you believe us guiltyW
"Faith, sorr, tits quare business en-
toirely," he answered, scratching his red
pole ndecisively. "For whether 'tis you
or the ould gintleman that they'll lay
by the heels in Southampton Water, it's
not fer me to be after saying. Sure tits
wan Of the two-which is all Oh knows"
"Now, listen to me, Tim Blake" said
my cousin. "My name is, as told you,
Sir Henry Graden, and am rich man.
/ am not asking you to neglect your duty,
which is to keep us in; but If you will
have an eye to the door so as to keep
that old gentleman out, there'll be five
and twenty pounds in your pocket"
Whatever the Irishman may have
thought of our characters, there was no
doubt as to his belief In the genuine ma
ture of the offer. He beamed upon us
with childlike jublation that was quite
comic In its enthusiasm.
"Indade, sorr, indade, and 1 will" he
cried.
"Have you the keyT
II have, sorr Wud your honor like