Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-08-20
Silver HoRDE
BY REX BEACH,
Copyright, 1909, BY Harper s,Brothers
frrrApT,p vyTII !

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Observation-Disclosures
(CHAPTER xvIII.-Continued.)
! Instantly wild cry of rage ana de-
fiance rose from the clothed rigging
and upper works of The Bedford Cas-
tie. Down the fishermen swarmed,
ready to overflow the sides OF the
ship, but, with sharp order to George.
Boyd ran up the gang-plank and
rushed along the rail to commanding
position In the path of his men, where,
drawing his revolver, he roared at
them to keep back, threatening the
first to go ashore. His lungs were
bursting from his sprint, and 1t was
with difficulty that his voice rose
above the turmoil, but he presented
such figure Of determination that
the men paused, and then the steam
ship whistle interrupted oppOrtunely,
with deafening blast.
The dozen men who had been sling
ing freight on the dock, FASTENED up
the gang-plank or climbed the tenders,
while the signakman chung to the HIT
ing tackle, and, at the piping cry OF his
whistle, was swung aloft out OF the
very arms of the rioters.
Above, on the flying bridge, Captain
Peasley was believing orders; quar-
termaster was running up the iron
steps to the pilot house; on deck tho
sailors were fighting their way to
their posts through the ranks OF the
raging fishermen and the shrieking
confusion of the orientals; the last
men aboard, with "Heave Ho!" In
unison, slid the gang.plank upward and
out of reach. The neighboring roofs.
lately so black, were emptying now.
the onlookers Fastening to join In the
attack.
Big George alone remained upon the
wharf AS he saw the rush coming ne
had ordered hts men to abandon their
load; then he ran to the after-mooring
and, taking slack from deck hand,
cast it off, Back up the dock he Went
to the forward hawser, where, at q
signal, he did the same, moving. to-
ward the last, without Excessive hurry,
as if in spirit of bravado. The ship
was clear, and he had not cut a haW-
ser. He had done his work; all but a
ton or two Of the cargo was slowed.
There was no longer cause for delay.
! Get aboard! Are you mad?" Elmer
son shouted, but the cry never reached
him. Back he came slowly. in front of
the press, secure in his tremendous
strength, defiance In his every move, a
smouldering challenge In his eyes;
and noting that gigantic frame with It's
suuare-hewn, flaming face, not one OF
his enemies dared oppose him. But az
he passed they yapped and snarled and
iostled at his heels, hungry to rend
4 him and only lacking courage.
/ AS yet the ship, although throbbing
to the first pulsations of her engines,
lay snug along the piling, but grad
ually her stern swung off and wedge
of clearance showed. Almost imper-
ceptibly she drew back and rubbed
against the timbers. A fender began to
squeeze and complain. The dock plank
! ing creaked Sixty seconds more and
she would be out Of arms reach, and
still George made no haste. Again
Boyd shouted at him, and with one
farewell glover over his shoulder the
big fellow mounted a pile, stretched
his arms upward to the bulwarks, and
swung himself lightly aboard.
Even yet Emerson's anxiety was OF
the keenest; for, notwithstanding the
stress of these dragging moments, ne
had not forgotten Fraser, the vaga-
bond, the morally twisted rascal, to
! whose courage and resourcefulness he
owed SO much. He strained his eyes
/ for a glimpse OF the fellow, at
the same time dreading the sight
of a uniform. Would the ship
never get under way and out
Of Mailing distance? If those officers
had discovered their mistake, they
might yet have time to stop him. He
vowed desperately that he would not
let them, not If he had to take The
Bedford Castle to sea with gun at
the back of her helmsman. He made
his way hurriedly to the bridge, where
he hastily explained to Captain Peas
ley his evasion Of the officers: and
here he found Cherry, her face flushed,
her eyes sparkling with excitement,
| but far too wise to speak to him In his
present state Of mind.
/ A scattered shower Of missiles came
aboard as the strikers kept pace with
1 the steamer to the end Of the slip, eX-
1 citing the fishermen, who had again
mounted the rigging, to simian
frenzy. Oaths, insults and jeers were
hurled back and forth; but as the big
steamer gathered momentum and slid
/ cut Of her berth, they grew gradually
1 more indistinct, until at last they be-
came muffled, broken, and meaning
less Even then the rival ranks con-
tinued to volley profanely at each
other while the captain, with hand on
the histle-rope, blew haunting blasts;
nor did the fishermen descend from
their perches until the forms Of the
dock had blurred together and the city
lay massed in the distance, tier upon
tier, against the gorgeous sky.
CHAPTER XIX.
In Which Mutiny is Threatened.
| Even after they were miles down the
sound, Boyd remained at his post.
sweeping the waters astern In an an
xious search for some swift harbor
craft, the appearance Of which would