Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1908-04-16
CHAPTER ~vI.-coNT1NUED.

might. 1 Want to start-to start al
once, do you hear"
The captain shook his head and said
slnggishly tlat it was impossible
splitting on the deck. he ground his
heel ~leisurely round a knothole. Inn
possible" he repeated. 1T would moi
be senmanship to start in a fog. When
me fog lifts. we win go. Twill be
at Leigh tonight. whether we go now
or go when the fog lifts"
A Leigh"
THAT is u, madam"
And when will you go from Leigh"
she cried Indignantly.
!Daybreak tomorrow" he answered.
You leave Ii to me. MISTRESS" he
continued! in a tone OF rough patron
age. and you will see your good man
before you expec, It,"
but. man." she exclaimed, tremb-
lins with impotent rage. did not Mas
ter Bertram engage you to bring me
across whenever I might be ready?
Aye. and pay you handsomely for it,
Did he not. sirrah?"
ITO be sure. to be sure." replied the
giant unmoved. Using seainanship
and not going to sea in u fog, IL it
please you."
1T does not please me-" she re-
torted. And why stay at Leigh?"
He looked up at the rigging, then
down at the deck. He set his heel in
the knothole and ground it round
again. Then he looked at his question:
err with a broad smile. Well. mis-
tress. for a Very good reason. 1t is
you. Only" added this careful keeper
Of Il secret, The bade me not tell any
one.'
h uttered a low cry. which might
have been an echo OF her baby's zoo
ing and convulsively clasped the child
more tightly to her. II is at Leigh"
she murmered. flushing and trembling,
another woman altogether. Even her
voice was wonderfully changed. He
Is really at Leigh. you say?'
To be sure!" replied the captain
with a portentous wink and a mys-
FERROUS roll of the head. He is there
safe enough! Safe enough. you may
nes your handsome face to a rush
light. And we will be there tonight"
She started up with a wild gesture.
For a nj she had sat down on
q cask standing beside her and for
gotten u peril and the probability
n we might never see Leigh at ali.
NOW. have said. she started up. NO,
no" she cried, struggling for breath
and u~tterance. "Oh. no. no! Let us
SO at once. We must start at once!"
Her voice was hysterical In it's sud
den anxiety and terror as the con-
sclousness of our position rolled back
iiel. captain, uSlen, l1Sten!"
she pleaded. Let us start now, and
my husband will give you double. I
Will promise you double whatever he
said IL you will chance the fog"
think all who heard her were
moved. save the captain only. He
rubbed his head and grinned. Slow
ana heavy. he saw nothing in her
to get to her man. He did mo- weigh
her promise at a groat. She was but
q And being a foreigner he
did not perceive a certain air of breed
Ing which might have Influenced a ma
tiye. He was one Of those men against
whose stupidity Father Carey used to
say the gods fight in vain. When he
answered good %nasuredly: mo. no,
mistress. 1t is impossible. It would not
be seamanship." I felt that we might
as we'll try to stop the ebbing tide
as move him from his position.
The feeling was a maddening one.
n special peril which menaced my
they feared pursuit. and I had every
a to fear 1t for myself. Yet at
any moment. out OF the fog which en-
circled us so closely that we could
barely see the raft below. and the shore
at all. might come the tramp Of hurrying
neet ana the stern hail of the law. It
was maddentng to think of this and
to know that we had only to cast
or a rope OF two In order to escape
and to know also that we we're abso-
lutely helpless.
expected that Mistress Bertram.
brave as she had shown herself, would
burst Into a passion Of rage and tears.
But apparently she had one hope left.
She looked at me.
tried to think-to think hard. Alas.
I seemed only able to listen. An hour
q gone by since we parted from the
rascal IN the court. and we might ex-
pect him to appear at any moment
vengeful and exultant. with a posse at
his back. Yet l tried hard to think.
and the fog presently suggested a pos
eiDle course. Look here l said sud
denly speaking for the first time. III
you 90 not start until the fog lifts,
ashore and return presently"
That 10 as you please" he
i~ndifferently.
What do you Think" / said turn
ing 70 my companions with as much
carelessness as I could command. "Had
we not better do that?"
Mistress Bertram did no understand
but in her despair she obeyeds the mo-
ton of my hand and mechanically
walked to the side. The younger wom-
an followed more slowly. SO that I mad
to speak to her with some curtness.
bidding her make haste. for 1 was in
Whelp and the Lion wharf. It had
struck mo that. IL the ship were not
to leave at once. we were nowwhere In
90 much danger a on board. At iaree
In the fog we might escape detection
for . time. Our pursuers might a. well
look for q needle In q haystack a seek
w through It when once We were clear
Of the wharf. And this was not fhe
end Of my idea but for the present.
Il was enough. Therefore / took up
Mistress Ann very short. Come. (
said. BE quick! Let me help YOU"
my impatience when at the foot Of the
ladder she thanked me nraffilx- H ~