Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1907-07-19
The P1underers
BY C :. cUTLIFFE HYNE.
BY c. J. cUTLlFFE HYNE.

Win every Toll. AaOtner naSn OF ilgnt-
ming blazed out overhead, painting
white the shaft of the hatch and show
ing at its foot a muddy sea of water
full of floating straws and barrel slaves
and litter. Cambel was out of sight.
and the lower hold was afioat almost
to its deck beam. But presently the
explorer returned, swimming rather
than walking, as another flash showed
them. and he leaped to the battens
With the haste of a man who knows
that the waste OF moments may well
cost human lives. The men clustered
about him round eyed as he gained the
deck for a word of what he had seen,
but he brushed through them roughly
and made for aft. Il seemed to them
that no spoken sentence could have
given a worse report of what had be-
fallen than this mute action. The fell
lows knew that officers always MAKE
the best Of everything If there is a
best to be made, and so the silence was
terribly suggestive.
At the same moment, as If to IN
firm their worst fears, the steamer
took a heavy sea clean yer her fore
castle head, and above the din of the
water as II came ~cascading down into
Of: She's sinking!" Her bottoms
blown Quit" She's settling by the
head!-
Yelling these tidings, the men
scampered back to the bridge deck,
where, saving for the few driven off to
set the miZzen topsail, all the rest of
the steamers complement were collect
ed.
She's settling by the head! It's
making a clean breach over her this
minute! She'll be down with us IL we
don't look quick"
Then another voice cried: Let the
foul old tramp go to hell by herself!
She shan't drown me, for me while
she's got a boat thatll swim. Come
along boys whereupon a mixed half
dozen Of deck hands and iremen made
a rush for the foot Of the upper bridge
ladder.
AT the head of that ladder stood Cap
tain Kettle, grinning like a tortured
fiend. The crew were acting precisely
as it had been planned that they should
act. They were doing what a labor
iously formed plot had compelled them
TO do. But at that moment the cap-
tain's weakness for battle nearly got
the better of him and was within an
ace Of making him attempt to upset
the entire apple cart. The idea of his
men, the despised all nation rabble
whom he had browbeaten into subjec-
ton all across the broad Atlantic, TAX
ing the initiative into their own hands
now, was too much for him to swallow
in a single dose. Sooner than submit
he would have ruined everything ten
times over. Consequently he drew on
the first man who advanced UP the lad
der and his eyes lit up with the steady
p~assionless glare Of slaughter.
The fellow was brave enough, des-
perate, too, as a man could be, but
upon certain death he hesitated to add
vance. Indeed when Kettle, coming
down the ladder himself, thrust him
f%uriously back he retreated to the
bridge deck, as did those who were
with him.
But the other men of that worthy
crew had no mind to be tprannized
over any longer when the steamer was
m~omentarily settling down under their
feet and drowning was an immediate
question. BY the funnel stays and by
n another's backs they swarmed on
to the top of the fiddle, and thence
gaining the BOAT platforms set about
cutting adrift the grimy awnings with
their knives and clearing away the
tackles and falls. They shipped I'D
ders and fitted the plugs, n one or
two with more forethought than their
frightened fellows shouldersd the boats
water breakers and took them aft TO
where the condenser tap gave upon the
lower deck.
Kettle did not interfere. He had held
the bridge deck ladders against all
corners and in some cranky way felt
that his honor was unsmirched. But
he gave no help, no hint, no further
order, n surveyed the scene with
folded arms and q soul thin smile. Pat
rick Cambel, being moved by a differ
ent set of feelings, acted more hui
namely.
'FrNa Ia time man - he cr,n1 n,rt nnnlxv
IF you will be towards and leave the
ship. / don't think she'll sink-at any
rate not yet
The men had knocked away the
checks, boisted the boats and swung
the davits cupboard.
Keep your heads, you trembling
Idiots. Pass a painter forward before
you begin to lower and don't lower IN
til you've victuaIed the boats. You've
at least $50 mile run before you can
make Charlotte harbor which is your
best port with this wind blowing, and
as like as not you'll miss your road
when you get inshore among the keys
and reefs and be a week getting there"
a few Of the men. seeing the forco
of this, ran below and raided the gal
lery and the stewards storeroom Of
what they could lay hands upon But
they only brought up one load of tins.
49, - - q ga i'EN Nlbt Okl1CI -
in their terror should go without them.
So they bundled their gIeanings pell-
nell onto the floor gratings, and with
a dozen men In each the boats began
to lower away. When they touched the
water, the falls were let go to over
haul as they chose, and Their unlocked.
The boats rode by their painters.
swooping on one sea up TO the level of
the bridge deck, diving twenty feet
down in the nex trough and lying in
great danger OF being stove to pieces.
A mar in each was standing by the
painter. Others were getting out the
oars.
Where's the donkeyman?" cried
some one.
And Mr.. Cambel?"
And the skipper"
"Oh, in the other boat
Then cast off. We've got all. and
we must be clear Of the old ship before
she founders. or she'll take US down
90"
The painters were slipped, and from
either beam the steamers lifeboats di-.
Verged under the backing impulse OF
their oars. Out OF sight of one another
they dropped astern, and each picking
a favorable chance they Slowed round
In a pother of spray. Then they stepped
their masts, and then, one under a lib
and the other under a close reefed lug,
they drove away before the wind. leav-
inc he - - 49,