Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1907-07-20
The Plunderers
c. cuTLFFE HYNE.


fallen than this mute action. The fell
lows knew that officers always make
the best Of everything If there Is a
best to bo made. and so the silence was
terribly suggestive.
At the same moment, as II TO con
firm their worst fears, the steamer
took heavy sea clean over her FORE
castle head, and above the din OF the
water as II came Cascading down into
the lower deck there arose wild cries
Of: She's sinking" Her bottom
blown OUT" She's settling by the
head"
Yelling these tidings. the men
sCamperei back to the bridge deck
where, saving for the few driven off 20
set the mizzen topsail, all the rest Of
the steamers complement were collect
ed.
shes settling by the head: It's
making a clean breach over her this
minute, ShcN be down with US if We
don't look quick"
Then another voice cried: Let the
foul old tramp go 10 hell by herself,
She shaut drown me, for one, while
she's got n boat thatN swim Come
along boys wbereupun % mixed half
dozen of deck hands and Gremcn made
rush for the foot Of the upper bridge
ladder.
At the head Of that ladder stood Cap
tain Kettle grInning like a tortured
tieud. The crew were acting precisely
as it had been planned that they should
act. They We're doing what a labor
iously formed plot had compelled them
to do. But at that moment the cap
tains 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
all kb Il.
whom he had browbeaten into subjeC-
tiOn all across the broad Atlantic TAX
ing the initiative into their own hands
now, was too much for him 10 swallow
In a single dose Sooner than submit
he would have ruined everything ton
times over. Consequently he drew ON
the first man who advanced up tho lad
der and his eyes lii up with the steady
paSsionless glare of slaughter
The fellow was brave enough. des-
perate, too, as a man could be but
upon certain death he hesitated to ad-
vance. Indeed when Kettle coming
down the ladder himself thrust him
furiously 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 tprunnized
over any longer when the steamer was
momentarily settling down under their
feet and drowning was an immediate
question. BY the funnel stays and by
one another's backs they swa rmed on
20 the top of the fiddle ANA thence
gaining the boat platforms set about
cutting adrift the grimy awnings with
their knives and clearing away the
tackles and falls. They shipped rud-
ders and fitted the plugs, and 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 az
comers and i'm some cranky way felt
that his honor was unsmirChed. But
he gave no help, no hint no further
order, and surveyed the scene with
folded arms and a sour thin smile. Pat
rick Cambel, being moved by a differ
ent set of feelings, acted more hu-
namely
Take time, men," he sung out Cooly.
IF you viii be towards and leave the
ship don't think she'll sink-at any
rate not yet"
The men had Knocked away the
ChoCks hOisted the boats and swung
the davits Outboard.
Keep your heads, you trembling
Idiots. Pass a painter forward before
you begin TO lower and don't lower un-
I'll you've viCtualed the boats You've
at least 100 mile run before you can
make Charlotte harbor which is yo1Ir
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.
\ few Of the men. seeing the force
Of this, ran below and raided the gal
leTy and the stewards StorerOom Of
n lR.aV# 2 14.v Il. IL.
they only brought up one load Of tins
They We're frightened lest the others
in their terror should go without them.
So they bundled their gleauings pell-
nell onto the floor gratings. and with
dozen men in each the boats began
10 lower away. When they touched the
water the falls were let go. TO over
haul as they chose. and then unlocked.
The boats rode by their painters,
swoOping on one sea up 10 the level OF
the bridge deck, diving twenty feet
down I'm the next trough and living in
great danger of being stove TO pieces
A man in each was standing by the
painter. Others We're getting out the
Where's the donkeyman?" cried
some one
And Mr.. CambeI?"
And the skipper"
"Oh IN the other boat"
Then cast OF We've got all. and
we must be clear OF the old ship before
she founders. or she'n take us down
too"
The painters were slipped. and from
either beam the steamers Hfehoats di-
verged under the backing impulse of
their cars. Out OF sight of one another
they dropped astern, and each picking
a favorable chance they slowed round
n d Bfs gf
their masts, and then, one under a jlb
and the other under . close reefed luz.
they drove away before the wind leav-
ing the setting of a course for after
consideration.
Steamer sailors are not used to small
boat sailing I'm a heavy sea. and II
takes them some time 10 wear down
the novelty of il. BY providence there
was the second mate in one an old
North set smacksman 10 take the till
er, and az able seaman from the same
school in the other boat who also was
competent to manage her. The boats
were built for the weather. but they
required handling, and excepting these
two men there We're none other up TO
the task. The rest trimmed ship. some
of them balling, some too frightened 20
do anything but cling on TO athwart,
these last from the frehclds mostly.
and with their compliments i'm this dan
ger and disorder the Port Edes' two
llfCooats drove away into the night
and the north northeast
Three men on the steamer from in
side the chart room watched the boats
so away and one Of them, the donkey
a I'M IzI.Il!l