News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1910-11-23
CONTINUED
Copyright. 1909, by Harper q Brothers

and guilty to leave him. IL WOuldn'
desert a comrade for anything if thu
choice lay with me-"
"You did quite right" Cherry warm
ly assured him.
"'You see, | am not working for my
self. I am doing this for another"
1t was the girls turn to sigh softly
while the eyes she turned toward the
west were strangely sad and dreamy
1.-TWO hours more" he told her as
the ships bell sounded. "then I car
eat and sleep-and sing"
Captain Peasley was pacing the
bridge when later they breasted the
glare of Port Townsend and saw in
the distance the flashing searchIights
of the forts that guard the straits.
They saw him stop suddenly and
raise his night glasses. Boyd laid his
hand on Cherry's arm. Presently the
captain crossed to them and said:
"YOnder seems to be a launch max
ing out. See! I wonder what's up.
BY Jove! They're signaling"
The two boats were drawing together
rapidly, and soon those on the bridge
heard the faint but increasing patter
of a gasoline exhaust. Carrying the
same speed as the Bedford Castle, the
launch shortly came within hailing
distance. The cyclopean eye of the
ships searchlight blazed up, and the
next instant out from the gloom
Ieaped a little craft on the deck of
which man stood waving a lantern.
She held steadfastly to her course. and
a voice floated up to them:
"Ahoy! What ship?"
"The Bedford Castle, cannery tender.
for Bristol bay" Peasley shouted
back
The man on the launch relinquished
his lantern and, using both palms for
a funnel, cried more clearly now:
"Heave tot. We want to come
aboard"
With an exclamation of impatience,
the commanding officer stepped to the
telegraph, but Emerson forestalled
him.
"Wait. They're after me, captain; it's
the Port Townsend police. and if you
let them aboard they'll take me off,"
Turning, the skipper beloved:
''Who are your?
|'Police.
"What did tell you?" cried Emer-
son.
what do you want?"
lone of your passengers-Eme
Heave to. You're passing u.s."
'Thats bloody hard luck, Mr.. Emer-
son; l can't help myself" the captain
declared. But again Boyd blocked him
as he started for the telegraph.
81 won't stand it, sir It's a con-
spiracy to ruin me-"
But, my dear young man
Don't touch that instrument"
From the launch came cries of grow
ing vehemence, and a startled murmur
of voices rose from somewhere in the
darkness of the deck beneath
stand asidev Peasley ordered gruff-
ly. But the other held his ground
saying quietly:
81 warn you. l am desperate"
''Shall l stop her, sir?" the quarter
master asked from the shadows of the
wheelhouse.
"No!' Emerson commanded sharp
ly, and in the glow from the pinnacle
light they saw he had drawn his re-
volver, while on the instant up from
the void beneath heaved the massive !
figure of Big George Bait, behemoth. |
more colossal and threatening than |
ever in the dim light. He wrenched |
open the door and with one sweep of |
his hairy paw flung the helmsman !
from his post, painting.
"Keep her going, cap, or I'll run |
them down.
The launch was abreast of them !
now and skimming along so close that |
one might have tossed biscuit aboard
of her The sputter of the craft along |
side was now punctuated by volley |
of curses.
The police launch sheered off. and
the sound of her exhaust grew rapidly
fainter and fainter. But not until it
had wholly ceased did Big George give
over his post at the wheel. Even then
be went down the ladder reluctantly
and without a word of thanks, of ex-
PLANTATION or of apology. With him
this had been but a part of the days
work. He saw neither sentiment nor
humor in the episode.
From the crows nest of the Bedford
Castle a week later the lookout stared
down upon a white expanse that
stretched beyond the horizon. At dawn
they began their careful search, feeling
their way eastward through the open
lanes and tortuous passages that sep
a;ated the foes, now laying to for the
set of the fields TO clear a
bath before them, now stealing through
some narrow lead that opened into
freer waters.
Captain Peasley did all the navigat-
Ing in person, but eventually they were
hcmmed in so closely that for day
BDd a night they could do nothing but
drift with the pack. In time, how
ever, the winds opened a crevice
through which they retreated to follow