Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1906-11-16

day I found myself unable to sleep and
went above at daybreak TO see the white
hulls OF the American war vessels mile
away and the Black Anchor boat few
caole-lengths ahead of them. Paolo was
on the bridge. l heard Dan the other
side OF the skylight, and he was holding
lofth with much fine phrase to Roderick S
eog, Belle. | called him to me, and had
IL out with him there and then.
WHAT'S in the wind now, DAN" / ask
ed, that you're preaching to the dog?
Is there any more nonsense amongst the
men forward?"
There's a good deal of talk-maybe
more than there should be-
And what do they talk about? Tell
me straight Dam
wen, I've got nothing for my part,
to hide away, and I don't know as they
should have; but you know this ship is
dead mans."
WHO told you that stuff?'
Plaln yarns, Mister Mark, is best told
IN the fo'castle. | feel more like a father
to you gentlemen than if l was nat'ral
born to it; and this l do say-what's
this trip mean? what's in yer papers?
and why amt it the pleasure vige we
struck flag for? Where's it going to
end? says the second mate to the men
what is yer wages TO. takin' yer lives
where they shouldn't be took?' And what
follows why, white-livered jawings. and
this man afeard to go here, and that man
afeared to go there, and the Old One
loIe e
We was took false and the other half,
Why not bout ship and home asain|
No, and you amt done with it, not by a
long day, and you won't have done with
1t until you drop anchor in Yankee land
II ever you do drop anchor there which
take leave to give no word upon
Its a curious state of things. You
mean to say, suppose, that there's ter
ror amongst them-plain terror, and moth
ing else?'
cay, sure ~
Then it remains for us to face them"
| went to bed at 10 o'clock, and for an
hour or two | slept with deep forgetful-
ness. At what hour Dan awoke me l
cannot tell. He shook me twice in the
effort, he said, and when l would have
turned up the electric light. he seized my
hand roughly, muttering in a great whis-
Per. Hold steady" | knew then that
mischief was afoat and asked him what
to do.
Crawl above" he said, "and lie low
adeck; - and he went up the companion
ladder when l got my flannels and rubber
| shod shoes upon me. But at the topmost
step he stood awhile, and then he fell fiat
on his hands, and backed again down the
stairway, so that he came almost on top
of me; but | saw what prompted his ac-
| ton, for, as he moved. there was shadow
| thrown from the deck light down to where
| we lay; and then a man stepped upon the
stair and descended slowly, his feet naked,
| but in his hand an iron bar for he had
no other weapon. At the sight of him,
We had backed to the foot of the stair
way; and. as the man crept down, we lay
still Swiftly and silently he entered The
! place; and, going to my cabin door. he
slipped a wedge under it, serving the OH
er doors around the big cabin in the same
way. The success seemed to please him ::
he chuckled softly. ana came again to
! the ladder. where with a quick motion,
! Dan brought his pistol butt full upon the
| fellows forehead. and he went do Nn Ike
| dead thing at the foot of the swiHG g
| table.
There we left him. after we had bound
! his hands with my scarf; and with a hur-
.ried knock got Roderick from his berth.
He, in turn, aroused his sister, and in five
| minutes we all stood in the big saloon and
discussed our plan.
Dams whispered tale was tbs. The
watch was Paolo's, who had persuaded
! four stokers and six of the forward hands
| to his opinion. These mcr, the dupes of
the second officer. had determined on this
much-that the voyage to New York
should be stopped abruptly. We. being
! locked in our cabins, were to have no
voice in the affair; or, if walked, then we
| should be knocked on the head, and so
| quieted to reason.
1t was a desperate endeavor, wrought
of fear: but at that moment the true
hands of the fo'castle were battened down.
| and Dan. who had seen the thing coming,
ESCAPED only by his foresight. That night
he had felt danger, and had wrapped him
! self nm in a tarpauin, and lain concealed
| on deck.
As it was, Paolo stood at the door Of
the SHIPPERS room there were three men
Guarding the fo'castle. and five at the
| foot of the hurricane ueck. One man we
had settled with; but we were three, and
aioht men stood between us and the true
hands.
ITO be continued)