Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1908-04-11
rHAPTER NI.-CONTIN UED.

Never mind my baggage, she an
swered imperiousy. Il have made 9TH
or arrangements for 1t. Two or three
! things l know came on board last
night / want 10 start--to start at
once, do you hear?'
The captain shook his head and said
slugglshly that IT was impossible
Splitting on the deck, ne ground his
beel leisurely round knothole. I'm
possible" he repeated. 1T would not
he seamanship 10 start in a fog. When
the fog lifts, we will go. Twill be
all the same tomorrow. We shall lie
at Leigh tonight, whether We go now
or go when the fog lifts"
AT Leigh"
THAT is IL, madam"
And when will you go from Leigh"
she cried Indignantly.
"DaybreaE 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 expect 1t
"Rut, man." she exclaimed, tremb-
ling with impotent rage, did not Mas
ter Bertram engage you to bring me
across whenever / 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 seamanship
and not going to sea in fog. il it
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 IL round
again. Then he looked at his question
er with a broad smile. We'll. mis-
tress. for 4 very good reason. II is
there your good man is waiting for
you. Only" added this careful keeper
OF secret. he bade me not tell any
one"
She uttered a low cry. which might
have been an echo OF her baby's COO
ing and convulsively clasped the child
more tightly to her. He is at Leigh"
she murmered, flushing and trembling,
another woman altogether. Even her
voice was wonderfully changed. He
Is really at Leigh, you say"
ITO be sure!" replied the captain
with a portentous wink and mys-
terlOus roll of the head. He il there
safe enough! Safe enough, you may
bet your handsome face to a rush
light. And we will be there tonight"
She started up with a wild gesture.
For moment she had sat down on
a Cask standing beside her and for
gotten our peril and the probability
that we might never see Leigh at all.
Now, have said, she started up NO,
no." she cried, struggling for breath
and utteranCe. s"Oh. no, no. Let us
so at once. We must start at once!"
Her voice was hystercal in Its sud-
den anxiety and terror as the con-
seriousness OF our position rolled back
upon her. captain, listen, listen"
she pleaded. Let us start now. and
my husband will give you double
will promise you double whatever he
said If you viii chance the fog"
think all who heard her were
moved. sav" the captain only. He
rubbed his head and grinned. Slow
and heavy, he saw nothing in her
prayer save the freak of - woman wild
to get to her man. He did not weigh
her promise at a groat. She was but
a woman And being a foreigner he
did not perceive a certain air of breed
ing which might have Influenced a ma
dive. lie was one of those men against
whose stupidity Father Carey used to
say the gods fight In vain. When ne
| answered good naturedly: mo. no,
mistress. 1t Is impossible 1t would not
be seamanship," | felt that we might
rs well try to stop the ebbing tide
rs move him from his position.
The feeling was maddening one,
The special peril which menaCed my
companions / did not know. but | knew
| they feared pursuit, and | had every
reason 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
feet and the stern hail OF the law. 1t
was maddening to think OF this and
to know that We had only to cast
| Off "A rope or two in order to escape
! and to know also that We were abso-
! lutely helpless.
| expected that Mistress Bertram,
! brave as she had shown herself. would
| burst into passion of rage and tears
But apparently she had one hope left
/ She looked at me.
tried to think-to think hard. Alas
| seemed only able to listen. An hour
had 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 / tried hard To think
and the fog presently suggested a pos
sible course. Look here" J said sud
, denly speaking for the first time, III
you do not start until the fog lifts
captain. we may as well breakfast
ashore and return presently"
That Is as you please" he answered
! indifTerently.
| What do you think" | said turn
| ing to my companions with as much
| carelessnpss as | could command. Had
! we not better do that?"
! Mistress Bertram did not understand
but in her despair she obeyed the mo-
! ton Of my hand and mechanically
! walked to the side. The younger wOm-
an followed more slowly, so that ] had
! to speak to her with some curtness
! bidding her make haste. for l was In
{ n fever until we were clear OF the
! Whelp and the Lion wharf. 1t had
! struck me that. If the ship were not
! to leave at once, we were nowhere in
! so much danger as on board At large
in the fog we might escape detection
! for time. Our pursuers might as well
| look for a needle in haystaCk as seek
us through IL when once we were clear
! of the wharf And this was not the
/ end of my idea. But for the present
| II was enough. Therefore / took ur
Mistress Anne very short. Come"
said be quick! Let me help you"
She obeyed and I was ashamed OF
my impatience when at the foot OF the
! ladder she thanked me prettily. 1t was
! almost with good cheer in my voice and
a rebound of spirits that | explained as
! | hurried my companions across the
! raft what my plan was.
| The moment We were ashore | fell
safer. The fog swallowed us up quick
| as the bible says. The very hull of tht
! ship vanished from sight before We
! had gone half a dozen PAGES. ! haC
never seen u London fog before. and tC
me II seemed portentious and providen
! tial-a marvel as great as the crimson
| hail which fell in the London gardens
10 mark her majesty's accession.
Yet after all. without my happ!
thought, the fog would have availed III
little. We had scarcely gone a scor,
Of yards before the cautious tread o
several people Fastening down the
strand toward the wharf struck my
ear. They were proceeding in silence
and we might not have noticed thei
approach II the foremost had not by
! nhance tripped and fallen. whereupor
ope laughed and another swore. witt
| aIwarning hand | grasped my compan
ioIls' arms and hurried them forward
| some PAGES until ! felt sure that ou
figures could not be seen through tn,