Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-05-31
CHAPTER Kill.

lated the FIRE; then he examined the
men. The machinist was dead so
were the two sailors; they were all
strangers to him. and none had spo-
ken or voluntarily moved after the
shots had killed them. George Ar
thur, partly immersed in water at
the bottom OF the cockpit, was
breathing painfully Dick lifted his
head, and sently-for this was Ma
bells CURED: Are you
badly hurt. sir? What can I do?"
rs - It - you. Diok?" gasped
George, family 'I-am-done for.
| think. ! got-it--in the back-the
back bone. I can't--move my--legs.
Can-you lift--me out of-the wa
ter. It smarts--oh, how-it smarts''
Dick lifted him bodily TO the tran
som seat In the cockpit, and pillowed
his head on small cork fender.
"Where-are-we -now?" asked
George, when his groans had ceased.
I'm the harbor. sir. I've beached
her over to the westward. Wen
have TO sneak ont later, when they've
stopped looking for us"
Yes. Try It. Be careful. II won't
matter to me. I'm going-fast, Dick"
His voice was certainly weaker.
Il hope not. sir. II you can hold
out until we get to surgeon"
He stopped, realizing the mockery
in his words.
Dick" said George. after an in
terval OF silence. Il want-yod-to
forgive me-if you can. for-that
matter -in-school."
oh. don't speak OF that. George
don't think OF II at all. Why. you
Strengthened II all out at the time"
Observation-Disclosures. To
please my--sister. Tell--me you
forgive-me.
Il do" answered Dick, tears
starting to hts eyes with all my
heart and soul ! do"
There was silence for q little.
then George spoke again.
"It-was the only thing-that
ever MISREPRESENTATION and me-
She always wanted-me-to write
to you; butt would not--not--
even-for her. Tell her-that I
did, will your Tell her that apollo
slzed--to you
Il will--when see her." an
swered Dick in a choked voice. "r'll
tell her, II you want me 20. But it
never mattered at all. George"
"Yes--it--did. I was a cur"
His breathing grew weaker and
weaker while Dick held his hand;
then he lifted his head few inches
and spoke clearly and distinctly.
prescience which comes to the dying.
Dick" he said, they were rig
cling In the log boom across the chan
mel. II means something "a torpe-
do attack on the fleet, perhaps. Run
the batteries and report this to the
admiral. 1t will make YOU. Then"
his head sank down. o-to-
Mabel. Be-good TONY sister"
He said no more; and Dick did not
know the moment when the way
ward spirit took flight He was
weeping convulsively, for the first
time since the day when little Bessie
Fleming's sympathy had broken him
down and humanized him.
But there was work to be done.
He was in a hostile harbor, with four
dead men and leaky steam launch.
Three plans flashed through his
mind, each fraught with danger He
could leave the launch 10 the Span
ish and the dead TO the buzzards,
climb the hill, and strike the coast
mile south; here. II not caught by
the Spaniards, he might attract the
attention of one OF the small craft Of
the fleet and be taken on Or. he
could skirt the beach to the east
ward, swim two channels of three
OF four hundreds yards width and,
II lucky, reach Guantanamo where
the ships coaled. or the army in the
hills to the northward. Or he could
patch mp the holes In the launch
make steam, and In the gray of the
morning, when the searchlight lifted
and FULL light OF day had not come
TO aid the gunners in their aim. he
could go out the way that he had
success In the first two plans than in
the last; but such success would
bring him only few congratulations
on his good luck In saving his life
On the other hand, the running Of
three batteries, the bringing out of
the body Of an officer, and the report
even tardy report-of the re-
NJ ho
had wished for-oppOrtunity, which
comes to but a favored few He might
die in the attempt, but then-her
brother had died. II he lived
through it, he would have recogni-
ton, honor, perhaps an
appointment to Annapolis. He saw
himself In uniform, commissioned
ofT1cer OF the United States navy-an
"offIcer and gentleman; and with
the tears yet undried on his face his
resolution was taken.
1t was about eleven o'clock, and
when the launch had grounded the
Obj tide, az he reasoned by an in
spection OF the beach, was about two
hours old. The water had flooded
the FIRE as the boat settled. and now
as the tide receded, It was dribbling
out through the shOtholes in the bot
tom. Dick dared not light lantern
he could only search along the b-t-
tom, plapS by plank. feeling VITA his
fingers, and stopping each hole as he
found It with \ plug Whitfield from a
swab handle. TSe boat lay heeled