The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1906-05-18


way, he was met by the ascending giant,
OF this unexpected adversary. and, too
close to strike him, locked him In his
arms. The two men went down togeth-
er. The guard on the quarterback dar-
ed not fire at the two bodies that, twined
about each other, rolled across the deck,
and for a moment Mr.. Frere's cherished
existence hung upon the, slenderest
thread imaginable.
The Moocher, spattered with the blood
and brains Of his unfortunate comrade,
lad already set his foot upon the low
est step Of the ladder, when the cutlass
was dashed from his hand by a blow
from a dubbed 6relock, and he was
dragged roughly backward. As he fell
upon the deck, he saw the Grow spring
out of the mass of prisoners who had
been, an instant before, struggling with
the guard, and, gaining the cleared space
at the bottom of the ladder, hold up his
hands, as though to shield himself from
a blow. The confusion had become sud-
denly stilled, and upon the group be-
fore the barricade had fallen that mys-
FERROUS silence which had perplexed the
inmates of the prison.
They were not perplexed for long.
The two soldiers who, with the assist
ance of Pine, had forced to the door of
the prison, rapidly unbolted trap door
in the barricade and, at a signal from
Vickers, three men ran the loaded how
itzer from its sinister shelter, and, train
Ing the deadly muzzle to a level with
the opening in the barricade, stood ready
to fire.
Surrender cried Vickers, In a voice
from which all humanity" had vanish
ed. Surrender, and give up your ring
leaders, or I'll blow you to pieces?'
There was no tremor in his voice, and
though he stood, with Pine by his side,
at the very mouth of the leveled can
non, the mutineers perceived, with that
acuteness which imminent danger brings
to the most stolid Of brains, that, did
they hesitate an instant, he would keep
his word. There was an awful moment
of silence, broken only by a skurrying
noise In the prison, as though family
Of rats, disturbed at a -four cask, were
scampering to the ships side for shell
ter.
The entrapped men looked up the
hatchway, but the guard had already
closed in upon 1t, and some Of the ships
crew were peering down upon them. rs
cape was hopeless.
"One minute" cried Vickers, conf
dent that one second would be enough
zone minute to 60 quietly, Or"
Surrender. mates" shrieked some I'M
known wretch from out Of the darkness
of the prison. ''Do you want to be the
death of us?''
Jenny Vetch feeling, by that curious
sympathy which nery GUS natures pos
sess, that his comrades wished him to
act as spokesman, raised his shrill tones.
1--WE surrender" he said. cts no use
getting our brains blown out" And,
raising his hands. he obeyed the motion
Of Vickers' finger, and led the way to-
ward the barrack.
Bring the irons forward there!'
shouted Vickers, Fastening from his per.
ilous position;Nan before the last man
had hled past the still smoking match
the clink of hammers announced that the
Grow had resumed those letters which
had been knocked of his dainty limbs a
month previously In the Bay of Biscay
In another moment the trap door was
closed, the howitzer rumbled back to its
clearings, and the prison breathed again
In the meantime, scene almost as
exciting had taken place on the upper
deck. Gabbett, with the blind fury
which the consciousness of failure bring.
to such brute-like natures, had seized
Frere by the throat, determined to pu
an end to at least one Of his enemies
But desperate though he was, and will
all the advantage of weight and strength
upon his side, he found the young lieu
tenant more formidable adversary thar
he had anticipated.
Maurice Frere was no coward. Take,
by surprise as he was, he did net los,
his presence Of mind. The convict wa
SO close upon him that there was n,
time to strike, but, as he was force,
backward. he succeeded in crooking hi
and thrust one hand into his collar
Over and over they rolled, the Devil
dered sentry not daring to fire, until tn
| ships side brought them up with violen
jerk, and Frere realized that Gabhet
was below him. Pressing with all tn
might Of his muscles, he strove to rests
| the leverage which the giant was apply
| ing to turn him over. but he might a
well have pushed against a stone wal
With his eyes protruding, and ever
sinew strained to its utmost, he wa
slowly forced round, he felt Gabbett re-
leasing his grasp, in order to draw bac
and aim at him an effectual blow. Dis
engaging his left hand, Frere suddenl
allowed himself to sink, and then dra
ing up his right knee, struck Gabbet
beneath the jaw. and. as the huge hea
was forced backward by the blow. d ash
ed his fist into the brawny throat. TIL
giant reeled backward, and. falling O
his hands and knees was in an instan
surrounded by sailors.
Authority was almost instantly tr
umphant on the upper and lower deck,
The mutiny was over.
CHAPTER x.
A shock was felt all through the yes
sci, and Pine. who had been watchin
L h. Il L.. Il Al