The daily Alaskan., 1910-10-17

down. when. not daring to risk strlk' ing something by going farther. he an- ehored again.
 When darkness fell the Semmes was still in her originai position. while the Mary Blake was half mile away from where Croeky Dixon supposed she was. During the night Captain Archer thought it expedlent to inform both bis crew and hls passengers of the danger. If the schooner he had seen was a pirate. as soon as the fog lifted he would come for them. And if 1t did not soon lift he might not wait for Il to 60 so. The captain therefore directed that not 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 to 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 thelT fortitude in the morning.
 No change ln 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 be 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.
 It was about 4 o'clock in the 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 a moan lest the sound should betray them. Captain Archer leaned over the bulwarks. listening in- tently. What arms there were aboard had been brought up and placed on deck, with the intention that if board ed the men would sell their lives as dearly as possible, but as to making a successful defense, 1t 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, put bis finger on his lips to enjoin silence.
 All could hear the sound of oars working slowly. indicating to the ex- periencCd ears of Captain Archer that a boat was towing some craft larger than itself. Then there was Q sound of an oar slipping from a rowlock. Some greenhorn had caught a crab." The next instant there came over the water frightful oaths and the crack of a pistol. Crocky had first sworn at and then shot the man who had slip ped his oar.
 This was quite enough to indicate to those on the Mary Blake the awful fate in store for them in case they were found by the pirate. The men drew long breaths. The women put wraps about the chIldren's heads, fear ing that they might cry. Not Q sound escaped, and in a few minutes 1t was evident that the pirates had missed them.
 But 1t was not to be expected that the search was ended. Crocky would continue it as long as the fog lasted, and when 1t lifted they would be at bis mercy. Many were the prayers whispered that Providence might in- terpose between them and the horrors awaiting them. All now hoped that the fog would continue, that the expected massacre or walking of the plank, whichever 1t might be. should be de ferred as long as possible. Then, too, the longer the fog lasted the more hope that something might occur to change the situation.
 There were no further indications of the presence of the pirate for an hour. The fog was getting thinner, and 1t was plain that it might at any mo ment be possible to distinguish through 1t objects at fair distance. Then came another terror for those aboard the Mary Blake. The sound of oars was again heard, this time more rapid, indicating that they were not towing. Then through the dissipating mist was seen a boat pulled by six oarsmen. As soon as they espied the Mary Blake they set up blood cur ding shout Resting on their oars, they began to look about them for the Semmes. which they had evidently left in the prosecution of their search.
 And now with the suddenness of up lifting fogs this one vanished, giving place to bright sunshine. The rowboat was a cables length from the Mary Blake, the Semmes was half mile beyond the rowboat, and two miles above ras a ship coming down with the tide, which had just turned A light breeze filled her sails. But the most gladdening sight of all was the