The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1907-03-02
CHAPTER XVII.-(Continued.)

ne rolled in his chair like great Wounueu
beast but when he saw that l was un-
moved, he fell quiet again, and said IN a
low, coaxing voice:
"Dons compel me, lad.s to do what
have meant not to do. You're mere lor
good or i'll. These men are nothing TO
you: they're lazy hogs that the world S
well rid of-let 'em die, and save your
own carcass. You've been here days now
the first man that ever lived among US
without signing our papers. You We
straight notion that my hands agen Eu-
rope, and, for the matter OF that. aseh
the world, too; those that share with me
shall swing with me. 1t isn't OF my ask
ing that you're amongst us, or that you
took I'D the work Of Hall, who put the
first nail in his coffin that night he came
to my bed at Spezia. | saw him there,
though he thought me sleeping and that
night | wrote death against his name, as
i wrote it against yours when you entered
my room in Paris. There's reasons why
I've broken my word in your case, though
you'll never know 'em; but there's no
reason why you shouldn't swear to go
through it with me. There's my papers.
olSu eli HOW, VI you iiS q W.
an hour on the clock"
He leaned over his writing table and
put into my hands a rough sheet OF parch-
ment. But my eyes were dImmed Win
the restless excitement of the situation.
The silence of the room was terrible to
bear; it was as though l struggled for
life while already in the tomb. My
thoughts went hurriedly to Europe, to my
home, to my friends. l took heart for
step which was the last mad design of a
driven man.
"Gve me the pen; ~ said suddenly.
He put the pen into my hands. and
leaned back with a chuckle of satisfac-
ton; but the movement cost him the
game | clutched his pistol with light
ming grasp, and covered him with it.
eff you raise a finger I'll shoot you like
a dog" l cried.
Then the man, who was no craven. sat
motionless in his chair, and his face might
have been cut from marble.
"If you raise your voice to call out, or
If anyone comes to this room, you die
where you sit," said.
"Boy, you're the first that's bested
Black" he said I'm caught like rat
In the hole. What do We want? Name
1t, and I'll know how we stand! !"
81 want my life-now that l refuse to
sign that paper. You can give the order
that no mans to lay a finger on me, and
you will?'
He thought a moment, looking straigt
down the barrel of the Colt. Then he
said:
"Yes. can't avoid that-Ill give you
that"
"And my liberty on the first occasion
Offering"
"No." he replied very slowly and stern
ly; they'd tear me to pieces"
There was no doubt that he had right
in this. l put the pistol down; then l
offered him my hand, and he jumped up
from his seat, grasping it with great
clutch.
you're a sound plank of a boy"
The sound of firing. rapid and oft re-
peated came to us from the shore of the
cove below. He went to his window and
l saw the whole bay lit with silver light
from full-risen moon, and the distant
peaks as grim beacons above land of
rest. Out on the snow there was hum
CRY crowd of starving souls, crying for
bread: and those to whom they cried an
swered them with their muskets, dyeing the
glitterng white with many a red stream.
"For heavens sake, help those men, if
you have anything but the instincts of a
brute in you!" l cried.
There was a pause before he answered
me. Then he snatched a rifle from q
case and said:
''Take that pistol and come on. There's
blood to let"
l followed him down the passage to the
beach, where he blew a whistle sharp
and shrill.
''That'll wake 'em Oh the ship" he ex-
planned. "I'm not afeard of these, but
there's fighting to be done-now don't
show till you're wanted"
He advanced towards the snow plain
and sang out:
"John, you there, Dick-hands to quar-
tiers, do you hear me? Move right quick,
or I'll move you"
They put down their arms from their
shoulders in blank amazement, and list
ened to him as he went on:
There's enough down for one night, l
reckon, and I'm not going to be kept
awake by your firing"
They came round him slowly and sulk-
lily, and he drove them to the big houses
with fine round phrases. l lurked near
him, but an American saw me and cried
'Say, Cap'en, hev ye took to adoptin'
that boy ez ye seems 30 fond OFF,
"Shut your jaw, or I'll shut It fol
your replied Black. "Is the boy your
AFFAIR.""
Il calcerlate, an some of us wishes to
know particler if he's signed or no."
"Oh, you want to know, do you? Let
them as makes complaint step right here. y
Only four joined the leader; but the
Captain suddenly snatched my revolver
from me. and fired four shots: and for
each shot man dropped dead on the
beach; but the American stood untouched
The appalling brutality of the action
seemed to awe the rest of the crew. They
stood motionless. dumb with their rage
but when they recovered themselves they
rushed upon us with wild ferocity.
heard a shout from the water and. look
ing there, l saw Doctor Osbart in tn.
launch: and there was q Maxim gun II
the bows Of her.
"Clear that beach ~ roared Black n
awful naaaion md in~+eutIv :. - -