The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-06-18
THE NEWS DEMOCRATS DAILY STORY
To be published in daily instalments on this page
--THE
SQUADRON
A THRILLING TALE OF ADVENTURE
BY HARRY COLLINGwOOD
CHAPTER IV.-Continued.

Having ascertained from IL that we had
amongst the cargo several bolts OF can
Vas, a large quantity OF new rope four
cases of watches and jewelry. and a dozen
eases OF beads. he first ordered me, in
broken English To inform him where
these articles were slowed. and then
had the matches stripped off and the cargo
reused on deck until he could get a them,
When the beads. rope. canvas and other
matters that he took a fancy 10, amount
Ing 10 sixboat-loads. had been transferred
10 the brig. he Informed me that must
point out TO him the spot where had
concealed the money which he knew TO
be on board. Now II so happened that
i had no money on board: my owners are
,lreadfully suspicious people. and will not
tntrust anybody with a shilling more than
they can help-and many a good 50-pound
note has missed it's way into their pockets
through their over-cautiousness; but
tlatS neither here nor there. Well. |
cid the fellow we had no money on
bt ard. whereupon he whipped out his
watch and told me out loud, so that all
hands could hear. that he would give us
five minutes in which 10 make up our
minds whether we would hand over the
cash or not; and II we decided not TO do
sc he would at the end OF that time set
fiie 10 the ship and leave us all TO burn
ir her. And that's just exactly what
he did"
He actually set fire TO the shp!" said
j. But Of course he cast you all adrift
first. and gave YOU at least a chance 10
save your lives?"
I'm tell you what he did" replied the
merchant skipper. when the ive min
utes had expired he called for lantern.
and, when he had got It. went round
and examined each mans lashings with
MS own eyes and hands. so as to make
sure that we were all secure TO his salts
faction. Then he ordered half a dozen
bales of cotton goods TO be cut open and
strewed about the cabin; poured oil tur-
pentine and tar over them: did the same
down In the forecastle; and then capsized
cask OF tar and can OF turpentine
over the most inflammable goods he could
put his hand upon down In the main
hatchway had the bottoms OF all the
boats knocked out: took away all the
oars, and then set fire to the shin for
ward, aft and In midships: after which he
wished us all warm Journey into the
next world, and went deliberately down
the side into his boat The brig stood
by us until we were fairly in flames fore
and aft, and then filed away on the star
BOARD tack under all the canvas she couId
show TO 1t, leaving us there to perish mis-
erably."
And how did you manage to effect
your escape after all?" / inquired
wen, SIR the skipper replied. thu
ship-as you may imagine. with cargo
such as we had on board-burned like n
torch. In less than FIVE minutes after
the pirates had showed off from our sido
the flames were darting up through the
companion, hatchway and forescuttls
and in quarter OF an hour she was ali
ablaze. Luckily for us. the shin left
to herself had paid off before the wind
and the hames were therefore blown for
ard but the deck upon which we were w.
ing soon became so hot as TO be quite
unbearabe; we were literally beginning 10
roast alive. and were I'm momentarv ex-
pectation that the deck would fall I'm and
drop US helpleSsly into the raging furnace
below. At last, driven to despera tion nv
the torture Of mind and body from which
was suffering. | managed to roll over
on my other side: and there. within m
men OF my mouth, was n mans hands
dashed. like my own, firmly behind his
back. and bis ankles drawn close IN 70
them. The idea seized me 10 trv and
gnaw through his lashlngs and so free
him, when, Of course, ne would soon no
able TO cast us adrift I'm return I shot,ted
to him what / intended to do. and then
set to work with my teeth upon his bonds
gnawing away for dear life. When NV
teeth hrst came into contact with the firm
"A
TO do it-at least not In time to save us-
but man never knows what he can 40
until he tries In earnest. as I did tben.
and I actually succeeded. and I'm n Few
minutes. too. I'm eating my way through
one turn OF the lashings.
The man then strained and tugged nm
oil be managed to free himslf. after which
II was the work OF n few minutes only 20
liberate the rest OF us. We then hastily
collected together such materials ss we
could first lay our hands on, and with
them constructed the raft of which Won
took us. II was terribly crazy affair.
but we had no time TO make a better one
And OF course. as the ship was by that
time a mass OF fire. fore and aft. IL was
impossible for us To secure an atom 81
provisions OF any kind. or single drop
OF water"
What a story OF iendlsh crueityp' I
DO you think he was a Frenchman?"
Yes. sir. ! believe he was. although he
CALCULATED when Richards had finished
his story. by the by suddenly added.
moved by an impulse which could neith-
or analyze nor account for. 'of what ma