The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1907-02-09

sun fell upon the place, and reflected from
| It as from a mirror of gold. There was
no longer any doubt; we were pursued
| by the nameless ship.
What are you going to do, skipper ?"
asked Roderick, as gloom fell upon the
three of US; and we stood together, each
man afraid to tell the others all he
| thought.
What am I going to do?" said he.
| I'm going to see the boats cleared, and
all hands in the stoke-hole that have the
| right there" and then he sang out,
Stand BY" and the men swarmed up
| from below, and heard the order to clear
| the boats.
| They had all the grit Of the old sea-
| dogs in them. The thought of brush-up
put dash and daring into them they had
the boats cleared, the water barrels filled,
and the life-belts free, with an activity
that was remarkable. Then they stood to
watch the oncoming of the nameless ship
| and when we hoisted our ensign they
| burst again into hOarse roar Of applause
which rolled across the water waste, and
must have sounded as a Wanting mockery
to the men behind the walls of metal. But
they answered us in turn, running up an
ensign, and a cry came from all of us
as we saw it's color, for 1t was the blue
satire on a white ground.
Russian, or I'm blind" said the skip
per, for the nameless ship, which five days
ago showed her heels under the Gillian
mask, now made straight towards us in
Russian guise.
| I turned my eyes away to the crimson
arch which marked the huns decline;
looked again to the east, whence black
harbingers of night hung low upon the
darkened sea 1 searched the horizon in
every quarter, but it lay barren Of ships,
and soon the last light would leave us,
and with the ebb of day there was no Sc
curity against an enemy whose intentions
were no longer disguised. 1 say no longer
disguised. The skipper pointed to the
mast on the nameless ship, where the Rus
sian ensign had hung ten minutes before.
1t was there no longer the black flag took
its place.
Pirates! ~ said the skipper; and then
he whistled long and loud and shrilly as
man who has solved a sum. Gentle
men, l said would resign this ship at
New York; with your permission I will
/
wherever you 60"
He shook our hands heartily, as though
the discovery of our purpose had uncloud-
ed his mind. But we had no time for full
er understanding, for at that moment the
air itself seemed torn apart by a great
concushion, and a shell burst in the
water no more than fifty yards ahead of
us. Old Dan fired his gun into the air
with great shout. Yet we knew that
all this was the cheapest bravado; and
when the skipper touched the bell to stop
our engines, l was sure that he was wise.
The great vessel rode still some quarter
Of mile away from us; but the glass
showed me the men upon her decks, and
conspicuous amongst them l saw the form
of Captain Black standing by the steam
steering gear. Soon their launch was
making for us. The boat came so near
that could see the faces in It; and three
Of the five recognized, for l had seen
them in Paris. The man who was in COM
mand was the fellow Roaring John -
and when he was within hail he stood and
bawled:
what ship?"
my ship!' roared back the skipper,
again looking at the mist-clouds, and my
heart gave bound when read his pur-
pose; we were drifting into them.
"And who may you be?" bawled the fel.
low again, growing more insolent with ev-
cry advance.
I'm one that'll give you the best hiding
you ever had, if you'll step up here a
minute !" yelled the skipper. You're com.
ing aboard, are you? And which Of you
shall I have the pleasure of kicking first p
"Oh, you're funny, amt you, and pref.
ty with your jaw. But it's me that you'll
have the pleasing Of speaking to, and right
quick, my mate, oh, you bet !" said Roar.
ing John.
I'm that case" said the skipper, with
his calmness well at zero lin that case
you, Dan! introduce yourself to the gen
tleman.
Dams reply was instantaneous. He
had up with his shot gun, and the lons
rufian, who had reached forward with
his boat hook. got the dose full in his
face. At the same moment the skinner
called Fire !" and the heavy crack of the
rifles and the sharp report of the pistols
rang out together. The very launch itself
seemed to reel under the volley.
Full steam ahead!" roared Captain
York, az the nameless ship replied with
q shell that grazed our chart room. Then,
shaking his fist to the warship, he almost
screamed: "Bested for a parcel Of cut
throats r.
There was no doubt about It at all.
HE moment the yacht answered to the
screw the fog rolled round Us like sheet,
In thick wet clouds, steaming damp on
the decks; and twenty yards ahead or
astern OF NJ you could not zee the long
waves themselves. Shot after shot Missed
and splashed ahead of us, behind Us now
dull. heavy. yet penetrating, and we knew
that the ship lay close on our track :. then
farther OF and deadened, and We hoped
that she had lost N.
When left the bridge It was midnight.
was soaked to the skin and nigh frozen,
and the water ran even from my hair :
but hot hand was put into mine a. I
entered the cabin, and then thousand
questions rained upon me.
i "Tu tell you by-and-by, Mary. Were
You very much afraid?"
II was q bit afraid, little
bitl Lob, I nursed Paolo he's dying. =
i The man truly hay almost ct deaths
door; but his delirium had passed: and