The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-06-30
@--THE
SLAVE SQUADRON
A THRILLING TALE OF ADVENTURE
BY HARRY COLLINGwOOD
CHAPTER VIII.

IN Ill.
however II was necessary 10 pass along
the deck of the sunken craft; and / was
Just climbing down the briggs side 10 do
so-the men having preceded me-when
the bulwarks to which / was clinging
suddenly burst outward the briggs hull
was rent open by a tremendous explosion
and, enveloped for an instant In a sheet
or binding flame, / felt myself whlrled
upwards and outwards for a considerable
distance, TO fall finally. stunned, scorched
and half-blinded, into the agitated waters
of tho creek. Moved more by instinct
than anything else at once struck out
mechanically for the shore. II was at
no great distance from me, and had al
most reached II when some object-proba-
bly, piece OF falling wreckage from tho
dlsmembered brig-struck me a violent
pio" on the back Of the bead, and know
no more.
CHAPTER TX.
DOOMED TO THE TORTURE
Consciousness at length began. slowly
ana with seeming reluctance. 10 return
10 me; and 80 exceedingly disagreeable
was the process, that IL could have
mad my own way Just then, I think ]
should have preferred to die. MY first
sensation was that OF excessive stiffness
In every part OF my body, with distract
ing headache. Then, as my nerves moro
AHAg ANNONtAtu iDtlT IQnctlOns. enSup0
burning fever which scorched my body
and sent the blood rushing through my
throbbing veins like a torrent OF molten
metal. And finally. as I made an unsIc-
cessful effort to move, became aware
hrst or all by sundry sharp smarting
sensations. that had been wounded in
three or four places; and secondly. by a
feeling OF severe compression about the
wrists and ankles, that / was bound-a
priSoner
With complete restoration to conscious
ness my sufferings rapidly grew more
acute; and at length, with a groan OF
exquisite agony, 1 opened my eyes and
looked about me.
Where was L?
Somewhere on shore evidently.
Oerhead was the deep brilliantly blue
sky, with the sun, almost in the zenith.
darting his burning beams directly down
upon my uncovered head and my up.
turned face. Turning my head aside to
escape the dazzling brightness which
smote upon my aching eyeballs with
sensation OF positive torture. discov-
cred that was lying in about the centre
of an extensive forest clearing OF nearly
circular shape and about 500 yards In d.
ameter, hemmed In on all sides by dense
growth Of jungle and forest trees, and
carpeted thickly with short verdant grass
Near me lay the apparently inanimate
body of poor Mr.. Smellie. bound hand
and foot, like myself and dotted about
here and there on the grass, mostly in
a sitting posture and also bound, were
some 10 or 30 negroes. who from their
wretched plight, j conJectured TO be sur
vivors from the sinkeh- slave schooner.
Turning my head in the opposite direc-
tion 1 discovered at a few yards dis
tance a party Of negroes. some so in num-
Der, much flner-looking and more ath-
letic men than those In bonds round about
me, who. from the weapons they bore,
at once concluded to be our captors. This
surmise was soon afterwards proved TO be
correct: for, upon the completion OF the
meal which they were busiily discussing
when I first made them out, they ap-
preached us. and with sufficiently sig
nihcant gestures gave us TO understand
that we must rise and march
The captive blacks rose to their feet
stolidly and without any apparent dlffi-
Guilty: but 80 far as 1 was concerned this
was an impossbility, my feet as well
as my hands being secured. One great
hulking black fellow. noticing that neither
Smellie nor showed any signs OF obedi-
ence. deliberately proceeded to prod US
here and there with the point OF his spear
Upon Smellie these delicate attentions
produced no erect NHtttNfTt ne eNluentlN
being either dead or insensIble; but they
aroused in me very lively feeling of
Indignation. under the influence OF which
| launched such vigorous kick at the
unreasonable darky's shins as made him
howl with pain and scnl~him hopping out
of range I'm double quick time-a proceed
ing which raised a hearty laugh ut his
expense among his companions. A mo-
ment later however. he returned, his
eyes sparkling with rage. and would have
transnxed me with the javelin he car
ried had not another OF the party in
terfered. BY the order OF this last In
dlvidual amelle and I were presently
raised from the ground, ana each borne
by two mon. were carried off In tho rear
~ the column OF captive blacks, our cap
tors taking up such positions along the
line on either side as effectually pre-
cluded all possibility OF escape.
Passing across the open space, we pres
entity plunged into the jungle. traversing
a bush-path just wide enough 20 allow
of two men walking abreast. / had not
much opportunity, however, for noting
INV OF the incidents OF our journey. for.
owing 20 the clumsy way In which I was
being carried. my wounds burst open
afresh. and l soon tainted from loss OF
blood.
ITO he Continued on Monday)