The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1906-06-08

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 way! 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 insidous
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
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 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
OIL Fair, seized one of them and ran to
the companion-ladder. Russen, left I'M
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 BALL" In obedience to
this order, the now gagged sentry was
hung 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 dow
with handspike. Lesly and Russen.
forward to the companion-ladder! Lyon.
keep lookout for the boat, and if she
comes too near, frev'
AS he spoke the report of the first
musket rang out. Barker had apparent
iy 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, "we'll 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-le," 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 it
sayT
" The Ancient Britons,'" said Sylvia
reading gravely, "'were little better than
barbarians. They painted their bodies
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 a
wild and savage appearance
well" said Bates, II think it's a car
rage, missy. A sort of pheayton, as
they call it."
Sylvia, hardly satisfied, returned to
the book. 1t was a little, mean-lookinp
volume-a "Child's History of England"
and after perusing it a while with
knitted brows, she burst into a childish
laugh.
"Why, my dear Mr.. Batesr' she cried.
waving the history above her head in
triumph, what pair of geese we are!
A carriage! Oh, you silly man! It's a
boatv'
us it?" said Mr.. Bates, in admiration
of the intelligence Of his companion.
who'd ha' thought that now?" and be
was about to laugh also, when. raising
his eyes, he saw in the open DOORWAY
the figure of James Barker, with a mus
ket in his hand.
Halo! What's this? What do YOU
do here, sir?'
"Sorry to disturb YER" says the con-
vict. with a grin, 'but you must come
along O. me, Mr.. Bates"
Bates, at once comprehending that
some terrible misfortune had occurred,
did not lose his presence of mind. One
OF the cushions of the couch was under
his right hand, and snatching it up, he
flung it across the little cabin full in
the face of the escaped prisoner. The
sort mass struck the man with force
sufficient to blind him for an instant.
The musket exploded harmlessly in the
air; and, ere the astonished Barker could
recover his footing, Bates had hurled
him out Of the cabin, and, crying Mutt
ny! locked the cabin-door on the inside
The noise brought out Mrs. Vickers from
her berth, and the poor little student Of
English history ran into her arms.
Its a mut!ny, ma'am," said Bates
Go back to your cabin and lock the
door. Those bloody Williams have risen
on us! Maybe it amt so bad as it
looks; I've got my pistols with me, and