The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1907-07-18
T he P1underers
BY c. .. cuTHFFE hyNE.


HYNE.
with every roll. Another Hash Of light
lining blazed out overhead, painting
white the shaft OF the hatch and show
Ing at It's foot q muddy sea OF water
full OF floating straws and barrel slaves
and the lower hold was aaoat 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
which made the stairway to overhead
with the haste Of a man who knows
n 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,
u he brushed through them roughly
and made for ait. 1t seemed to them
that no spoken sentence could have
given q worse report Of what had be-
fallen than this mute action. The fel-
lows knew that officers always make
the best OF everything IL there is a
best to be made, and 80 the silence was
terribly suggestive.
At h same moment, as II to con-
firm their worst fears, the steamer
took a heavy sea clean over her fore
castle head, and above the din Of the
water as 1t. came cascading down into
the lower deck there arose wild cries
Of: She's sinking!" "Her bottoms
blown out!" She's settling by the
headl"
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
/ m KING HN10op h~oo nh - No ~ 49,
minute! She'll be down with us if we
don't look quick"
Then another voice cried: LET the
Ioul old tramp go to hell by herself
She shan't drown me, for one, while
she's got a boat thatIl swim. Come
dozen of deck hands and aremea 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
iend. The crew We're acting precisely
as 1t had been planned that they should
act. They We're doing what a labor
iously formed plot had compelled them
10 do. But at that momen the cap
tafn'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 b~rowbeaten 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 mar 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 tprannized
over n 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 swarmed on
10 the top Of the fiddle, and thence
gaining he 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 foretheught thai 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
olded arms and a soul thin smile. Pat
rick Gamble, being moved by a differ
ent set OF feelings, acted more hui
namely.
Take time, men," he sung out cooly.
If you will be towards and leave the
ship. I don think she'll sink-at any
rate not yet
The men had knocked away the
chocks. hoisted 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 nm
til you've v%ictualed 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 ike as not you'll miss your road
when o get inshore anon the keys
ana reefS and be a week getting there"
A few of the men, seeing the force
OF this. ran below and raided the gal
lery and the stewards Storeroom of
what they could lay hands upon. But
they n brought up one load of tins.
Ihey We're frightened lest the Others
In their terror should go without them.
So they bundled their %gleanings 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 We're let go, to over
haul as they chose, and then 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 next trough and lying in
great danger Of being stove to pieces.
A man in each was standing by the
painter. Others were getting out the
oars.
Where's the donkeyman?s cried
some one.
And Mr.. Camhel?"
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
too"
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
4 nf1n fh1