The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1906-06-08

lect, huu, buhulnB Hlb eyes Will LIE hnuu,
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 a woman's shrill scream, explained |
all. The prisoners had seized the brig! |
"Give wayp 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 a
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
der not on guard went to the forecastle
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
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 IL he raised
finger. 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-
ating 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, ladsr' says Rex, "and pass
the prisoner down here. We've got her
time time, I'll go bailr 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 handspike. Lesly and Russen,
forward to the companion-ladder! Lyon,
keep a lockout for the boat, and if she
| comes too near, fire"
AS he spoke the report of the first
musket rang out. Barker had apparent
ly fred up the companion-hatchway.
When Mr.. Bates had gone below, he
found Sylvia curled up on the cushions
of the stateroom, reading. "Well,
missy?' he said, swell 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-c-l-e," said she,
spelling it slowly. II want to know"
The bewildered Bates shook his head.
Never heard Of one. Missy" said he,
bending over the book. "What does II
sayr
The Ancient Britons,'" said Sylvia,
reading gravely, "'were little better than
barbarians. They painted their bodies
with woad'-thats blue stuff, you know
Mr.. Bates-'and seated in their light cor.
,acles of skin stretched upon slender
wooden frames, must have presented q
Wild and savage appearance"
| "Well." said Bates, II think it's car
rage. missy. A sort of pheayton, a.
they call It."
Sylvia, hardly satisfied, returned ts
the book. 1t was a little, mean-loekins
volume-a "Child's History of England
and after perusing 1t a while with
knitted brows, she burst into a childish
laugh.
why, my dear Mr.. Batesv' she cried
waving the history above her head II
triumph, what a pair of geese we are
A carriage! Oh. you silly man! It's 4
boatr'
'Is II" said Mr.. Bates, in admira tior
Of the intelligence of his companion
who'd ha' thought that nowT and h,
was about to laugh also, when, raisin,
his eyes, he saw in the open doorwa,
the figure Of James Barker, with a mus
ket In his hand.
"Hallol What's this? What do 70,
do here, sir?
"Sorry to disturb yer" says the con
! vict. with a grin, ''but you must com
, along O. me. Mr.. Bates"
Bates, at once comprehending tina
some terrible misfortune had occurred
: did not lose his presence Of mind. On
. of the cushions Of the couch was unde
/ his right hand, and snatching 1t up, h
flung 1t across the little cabin full Il
the face Of the escaped prisoner. TIL
soft mass struck the man with fore
sufficient to blind him for an instant
The musket exploded harmlessly in tn
air: and, ere the astonished Barker coul
recover his footing, Bates had hurle
him out of the cabin, and, crying ''Mut
nyP' locked the cabin-door on the inside
! The noise brought out Mrs. Vickers fror
her berth, and the poor little student O
. English history ran into her arms.
"It's a muttny, ma'am," said Bate.
: go back to your cabin and lock tn
/ door. Those bloody Williams have rise
, on usi Maybe 1t amt so bad as
looks; I've got my pistols with me, an
q Mr.. Frere'n hear the shot anywa,