Tensas gazette., 1911-10-13

IL was only an hour since they has
ascertained, beyond the shadow of (
doubt, that Jeanne was not aboard tn.
Aurora. Until Tom had recovered
consciousness. the others had enter
tanned little doubt that she was safely
hidden somewhere about the ship.
Cayley's warning, together with the
confession of the Portuguese, Miguel
had caused them to steal alongside
the Aurora as silently as possible. Not
a word had been spoken by any of the
| party, and the sound of the rising
wind had drowned the creak of theil
oars. Half dozen well-armed mer
had stolen aboard over the, bows tc
reconnoiter
Making out the unfamiliar figures
of the Walrus people on deck, and
knowing that they had fight on their
hands. they had worked their way, un-
observed, to a position amidships
Here, under cover of brisk revolver.
fire, they had made It possible for the
rest of their party to get aboard
The Walrus people. several of whom
were below, came tumbling up ON
deck at the sound of firing. and their
whole party entrenched itself in the
after-deck house. They had found
! arms OF various sorts aboard the Au-
rora, and made a spirited resistance
before they we're finally overpowere
The Aurora's people, under the cool
headed command of Warner and the
elder Fanshaw. had proceeded in a
brisk. scientific. military style that
had spared them many serious casual
ties. There we're a number OF flesh
wounds when II was over, and one or
two of more serious nature. None
Of them had been killed
The Walrus people, however, had
not surrendered until their plight was
wholly desperate. Only five of them
were left alive, and two Of these were
mortally wounded when the struggle
ceased.
The uninjured were heavily ironed
and locked up In the steerage. All
the wounded-friends and foes alike
were turned over to the care OF the
yachts surgeon and a couple OF volun-
teer assistants from among the crew.
Altogether, 1t was two or three hours
after the Aurora's people had regained
undisputed possession of the yacht be-
fore it was possible to form any def
mite idea of what had happened. In
the excitement and the necessity of
everybody doing two or three things
at once. Tom Fanshaw and his serious
plight were not discovered. until he
himself. having partly regained con-
sciousness. uttered a low moan for
help, which was heard by a chance
passerby.
The gale, which had been raging all
this while. had gone screaming by
unheeded, and it was not until dawn
that the Mortified conquerors of the
yacht discovered that there was no
land in sight.
It was several hours after that, not,
indeed, until the captain had worked
out their reckoning from an observa-
tion, before they realized that they
were 100 miles away from their
anchorage Of the previous evening.
and that their return was hopeless.
Old Mr. Fanshaw gave his arm to
his son, helped him down from the
bridge and thence to the now deserted
smoking room, forward. Tom sub
mitted to be led blindly along, and did
not demur when his father halted be-
side a big leather sofa and told him
to lie down upon it. Since that mo-
mentary outburst Of his upon the
bridge, the young man had been un-
naturally calm. His muscles, as he
lay there now upon the sofa, seemed
relaxed; his eyes were fixed. almost
dull
Through a long silence his father
sat there watching him, but there was
no dawn of corresponding calmness
In his face. 1t had aged whole years
over night
It's strange to me-" he said, that
we ever recovered possession of this
yacht at all, let alone that we were
able to recover It without It costing
US the life of a single man. This gang
must have had leader. and clever
one. They way he maneuvered his
men to keep them out OF sight while
he drew away first one party and then
the other from the yacht was a piece
OF masterly strategy. He worked It
out perfectly in every detail. He got
possession Of the yacht without losing
man. without even firing shot that
might give the alarm. And even with
the warning we had and with the
help OF the fog. don't see how we
defeated man like that. His success
must have gone to his head and made
him mad"
He was probably killed in the first
volley our people fired when they got
aboard" said Tom duly. HE alone
could have accounted for half a dozen
Of you. II he'd ever had chances
giant like that"
"A gianti"
Il think he must. have been the
leader" said Tom. He was the first
man to come aboard. certainly"
But what makes you call him
giant?'
Because he literary was. He
struck me down with Just one blow.
and as he raised his arm to strike
saw that his shoulder-cap was above
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