Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1906-05-25
By MARCUS CLARKE

seemed the most ordinary occurrence in
the world. Suddenly, however, they no.
ticed change of expression in the sullen
face Of their commander. Frere, sitting
in the stern-sheets, with his face to the
Osprey, had observed a peculiar appear
ance on her decks. The bulwarks were
every now and then topped by strange
figures, who disappeared as suddenly as
they came, and a faint murmur of voices
toated across the intervening sea. Pres
emily the report of another musket-shot
echoed among the hills, and something
dark fell from the side of the vessel
into the water. Frere, with mingled
alarm and Indignation, sprung to his
feet, and, shading his eyes with his hand,
looked toward the brig. The soldiers,
resting on their oars, initiated his ges-
ture, and the whale-boat, thus thrown
out of trim, rocked from side to side
dangerously. A moments anxious pause,
and then another musket-shot, followed
by woman's shrill scream, explained
all. The prisoners had seized the brig!
Give wayw cried Frere pale with rage
and apprehension, and the soldiers, real
lied at once the full terror of their po-
sotion, forced the heavy whale-boat
through the water as fast as the one
miserable pair of oars could take her.
Mr.. Bates, affected by the insidious
influence of The hour, and lulled into
sense of false security, had gone below
to tell his little playmate that she would
soon be on her way to the Hobart Town
OF which she had heard SO much, and,
taking advantage of his absence, the SOL
rI 30 h.
| to hear the prisoners singing. He found
the ten together, in high good humor
While he listened James Lesly, William
Cheshire, William, Russen, John Fair
and James Barker slipped to the hatch
way and got upon deck. Barker reached
the aft-hatchway as the soldier who was
on guard turned to complete his walk,
and passing his arm round his neck,
| pulled him down before he could utter
a cry. In the confusion of the moment
the man loosed his grasp of the musket
to grapple with his unseen antagonist,
and Fair, snatching up the weapon,
swore to blow out his brains if he raised
a hnger. Seeing the sentry thus Sc
cured, Cheshire leaped down the after
hatchway, and passed up the muskets
from the arm-racks to Lesly and Russen.
There were three muskets In addition
to the one taken from the sentry, and
Barker, leaving his prisoner in charge
OF Fair, seized one of them and ran to
the companion-ladder. Russen, left un-
armed by this maneuver, appeared to
know his own duty. He came back to
the forecastle, and passing behind the
listening soldier, touched the singer on
the shoulder. This was the appointed
signal, and John Rex, suddenly termin-
atlng his song with a laugh, presented
his fist in the face of the gaping Grimes.
mo noise" he cried; "the briggs ours"
and ere Grimes could reply he was seized
by Lyon and Riley and bound securely.
Come on, lads" says Rex, land pass
the prisoner down here. We've got her
time time, I'll go bal!" In obedience to
this order, the now gagged sentry was
flung down the fore-hatchway and the
hatch secured "Stand on the hatch
way, Porter" cries Rex again. "and if
those fellows come up knock 'em down
with a handspike. Lesly and Russen,
forward to the companion-ladder! Lyon,
keep lookout for the boat, and if she
comes too near, fre!'
AS he spoke the report of the first
musket rang out. Barker had apparent
ly fired up the companion-hatchway
When Mr.. Bates had gone below, he
found Sylvia curled up on the cushions
of the stateroom, reading. "Well,
missyT he said, well soon be on our
way to papa"
Sylvia answered by asking a question
altogether foreign to the subject. "Mr.
Bates" said she, pushing the hair out
of her blue eyes, whats a coracle?"
"a which ?" asked Mr.. Baaes.
"a coracle. C-o-r-a-cle," said she,
spelling it slowly. 81 want to know"
The bewildered Bates shook his head.
Never heard of one, missy" said he
bending over the book. "What does il
sayT
The Ancient Britons,'" said Sylvia
reading gravely, "'were little better thar
| barbarians. They painted their bodie.
with woad-that's blue stuff, you know
Mr.. Bates-'and seated in their light cor
. acles of skin stretched upon slender
wooden frames, must have presented 9
wild and savage appearance
"Well," said Bates, 81 think it's a car
( riage, missy. A sort of pheayton, a.
g they call It,"
A Sylvia, hardly satisfied, returned t.
2 the book. 1t was a little, mean-lookin,
e volume-a "Child's History of England
e and after perusing it while will
knitted brows, she burst into a childisl
h laugh.
t why, my dear Mr.. Batesv she cried
f waving the history above her head Ii
s triumph, what a pair of geese we are
l. A carriage! Oh, you silly man! It's
r boatw
e as itT" said Mr.. Bates, in admira ito,
1t Of the intelligence of his companion
e "Who'd ha' thought that now?" and h
was about to laugh also, when, raisin
his eyes, he saw in the open doorwa,
the fiDnre of lanes Rarknr with q mus