The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1907-11-08

"My uncle had gone away the day
before for a three days fishing trip
down the bay. He was beyond COM
munication by wire. There was no
one at the shipyards with authority to
receive money and release a vessel,
so there was no chance that since my
departure that morning the Virginia
people had paid up and rightfully
come into the possession of their prop
erty. It was plain that crooked work
was afoot.
But what was l to do-alone and,
since my cartridges were gone, I'M
armed? Ny first thought was that l
could only hurry up the river to the
village, give the alarm, and start a
party of constables in a gasoline
launch after the rascals. But l saw
if did this, the tug would have time
to get it's prize out on the bay and
disappear before the fastest launch in
the village could appear upon the
scene.
"Then / remembered the draw of the
railroad bridge through which the tug
and the schooner must pass, two and
a half miles down the river. If
could reach the bridge first and have
the draSy-tender, whom | knew, hold
the draw shut, the schooner could
not be taken from the river.
while / hesitated, the schooner
had come on and passed me. had
seen three men on her deck-one for
ward, one amidships, and one at the
wheel; and / was sure that the man
amidships had noticed me, lying there
close to shore in my canoe. To turn
the canoe about now and attempt to
get ahead of the tug would surely
create suspicion as to my purpose.
'sThere were extended marshes con-
timing dangerous sinks on each side
of the river at this point, and re-
allied that if landed and tried on
foot to beat the tug to the draw,
should have to make long detours to
avoid being mired, and should have
little chance of succeeding. decided
to stick to the canoe and follow at
safe distance in the rear of the schoon-
err, seeking an opportunity to slip past
when the moon should be obscured by
some of the patches of thick vapor
still floating overhead.
Accordingly, I swung the light
craft about and glided silently after
the schooner, near the shore and a
hundred yards behind. Now that I
was looking down the river, / could
see the signal-lights on the bridge
glowing in the distance. 1t was easy
| for me to keep pace with the tug.
.'But time passed, the moon refused
| to hide itself, and the two vessels
slipped down the river, nearer and
| nearer the bridge, so swiftly that !
began to feel anxious. Finally, how
ever, when the draw was little more
than mile away, large cloud drift
! ed across the moon, and / urged the
canoe forward as fast as / could.
81 came even with the stern of the
! schooner forty yards away, and was
| forging swiftly on to the front when
| the moon suddenly shone out brightly
through rift in the cloud, and be-
| trayed me to the men on board.
"a voice from amidships sang out
sharply:
What's your hurry, young fellow?
| Hadn't you better drop back a bit?
II knew now that had really to
/ deal with gang of scoundrels, and
that they had OWNED my intention
in attempting to steal past them.
'But / did not take the hint. In
stead, l did foolish thing. / bent
forward and tried to paddle harder
than ever.
swift was the action on the part
not taken more than three strokes be.
fore there came the flash and crack
of a revolver, and bullet whistled
over my head. Then in quick success
sion several more shots rang out; the
leaden missiles sang round me like
spiteful hornets; the paddle dropped
from my hand. heard three bullets
strike PUNK! PUNK! PUNK! into the
canoe just beyond the middle.
1.-The next instant Guess sprang up
with an agonized death-yelp, and the
sudden lunge of the stricken dog, aid
ed by an involuntary movement of my
own, upset the canoe. spilled out
sprawling into the water, and as l did
so, another bullet plowed a burrow
through the flesh of my left arm, leav
ing singing, smarting wound.
However, / was able to right my
self quickly, and with a few strokes
reach the shore. crawled cautious
! ly up the low bank until was hidden
by the high grass. No more shots
were fired.
Il don't know whether the rutfians
on the schooner saw me emerge from
the water or not. At any rate, dc
not suppose that they wanted to add
murder to their crime. think that
they had simply tried to frighten me
away.
when had made my way through