Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-07-22

I with Japanese goods for America. Be
sides her crew were 4 number of pas
sengers. including women and chill
dren. Captain Archer. a young man
VINO had been promoted from mate,
was her commander. He had recently
been married. and his wife was
aboard.
Now. the captain had been in these
waters before and knew its dangers.
AS soon as he espicd the low cut
schooner lying at anchor so quietly he
suspected her. This is why he Tislied
getting his ship aground on the rocks
before nightfall in order 10 make the
open sea. He had u pilot. but the air
was murky. and he was afraid of fog.
# the schooner were really n pirate
De might better sink his ship than fall
a prey 10 her. On the other hand. if
u fog came on it might conceal the
ship from the pirate.
While he was debating the chances
4 mist settled down which soon con
cealed the two vessels from each 9TH
err Dixon before the Mary Blake was
hidden had noted her position so that
be would be able to steer for her in
time TO accord with his interests.
Captain Archer. who had anchored.
seeing the necessity Of changing his
position, raised the anchor and permit
ted the tide 10 carry him half mile
down, when. not daring TO risk strik-
ing something by going farther. he an
chOred again.
When darkness fell the Semmes was
still in her original position. while the
Mary Blake was half a mile away
from where Crocky Dixon supposed
she was. During the night Captain
Archer thought it expedient to inform
both his crew and his passengers Of
the danger. II the schooner he had
seen was u pirate, as soon as the fog
lifted he would come for them. And
if it did not soon lift he might not wait
for it to do so. The captain therefore
directed that not a light should appear
on the ship and there should be no
noise aboard TO indicate to the pirates
that the two vessels were near each
other.
Not a person aboard the Mary Blake
slept that night except the children
who were too young 10 understand the
terrible danger that threatened them
The captain told them that there was
little danger of being attacked at
night and that they had better get
what rest they could. since they might
need all their fortitude I'm the morning
No change in the weather came with
the dawn. The fog remained. and
there was no wind. Dixon ordered
out a boats crew to pull the Semmes
toward where he had last seen the
Mary Blake. But the ship was not
where he had last seen her. Knowing
that since she could not have moved
up she must have moved down. he di-
rected the oarsmen to pull down
stream.
morning that officers, crew and passen-
gers of the Mary Blake-the passen-
gers herded together in groups on deck
caught the sound Of oars working in
rowlOcks. Every cheek blanched. The
women gathered their children in their
arms as if TO shield them. But no one
uttered even Il moan lest the sound
should betray them. Captain Archer
leaned over the buIwarlls, listening in
tently. What arms there were aboard
had been brought up and placed on
deck, with the intention that if board
ed the mon would sell their lives as
dearly as possible, but as to making a
successful defense, it was not consid-
cred. AS the sound grew more dis
tinct, indicating that the boat was ap-
preaching, the captain turned and, fac
ing the terror stricken people on deck,
Hs l. 70 tod,
silence.
All could hear the sound Of oars
working slowly. indicating TO the ex-
perienced ears of Captain Archer that
a boat was towing some craft larger
than itself. Then there was a sound
Of an oar slipping from rowlock.
Some greenhorn had caught a crab"
The next instant there came over the
water frightful oaths and the crack of