Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1911-03-10

der to the bridge OAK and Gluten
ing there at the rope wh'ch opened tne
steamers siren. Good G>d! Wnat on
instant of suspense! Wers\ oe nres De.
w damped down, or was a. ere sleaL,
the boiler? One tremenA ous Pun
Ipon the rope had no answer No, ~
at all. Again, and again / jefKh, al.
cord back as though very despsA 'to ~
would sound the alarm which ssah> NC
summon my friends and save me fro !
the rabble. And the men bsf@A,
watched me aghast, their curiosity
oyerpowering them, their mouths
agape. SO that when the SIRENS blast
went echoing over the stiH sea at
last, you could have heard a football
on our decks or caught the meaning
Of a whispered message.
The men were ~dumfounded, l say.
and without idea. This / have ever
observed to be a habit among sea-
men when the news OF any great dis
aSter comes upon them or they are
taken unawares In al instant OF eHIer-
gency. No clown could look more child
ish then, or any Master Boldface laugh
a. focitshiy. There they were in a
group below me, some with their hands
thrust deep into their pockets, some
smoking idly; some looking into the
faces of their neighbors as though a
glance would answe the riddle of the
night. And while they stood, the siren
rOared a blast of defiance again, as
the voice OF a Minotaur of the deep,
warning and terrifying and not
to be resisted. Had 1 doubted
the vigilance OF my good comrades
upon the yacht, / could have doubted
ii no longer. White Wings answered
my signal almost instantly in a higher
note of defiance, in a shrill assent to-
that wild rof4 call, the orator meehan-
ical of honest friendship. And as she
answered, her siren seemed to put a
reproach upon me, saying. THE yacht
is here-all Is well-why nave you
doubted us?"
A deep silanna fell urcc The Dia-
mond Ship when this signal came re-
verberating over the waters. None OF
the amazed Seamen spoke a word or
made q movement for many minutes.
/ had already put my pistol into my
pocket n taken q cBgaret from my
case. If / wished the men to believe
that the hour of crisis had passed. I
was under no delusion at all myself.
For remember that / had gone up to
the bridge n stood there during this
supreme instant of danger, n that.
il I would regain the deck OF the yacht,
l must descend the ladder down
Through these serriedl ranks OF men:
and must pass as one who was going
from them TO the house OF am avenger,
to his comrades who would Judge the
story and help him to decide upon
the punishment. The rogues' very sal
Vati0n depended upon my captivity; I
their hostage, and by me would
repriewe come, II reprieve were to be
hoped for at all. This L perceived
long before it had dawned' up0n the
yriflnet-. r1hhla p. I,tf ~ nnnr1 vrrN ayrcr 90
them at last, and crowdfnga absut the
ladders foot they told me blun3ly that
they were aware of it.
Guess it's your turn,i' ssts the
American, v~enturing q step uEnXard but
no more. His manner hadi Become
sheepishy I observed, and bespoke with
less turbulence.
My turn, as o say. siTg'' I re-
Joined with what composure~ Z could.
II am NOW going aboard nay yacht,
and ttiere I will decide what is TO be
with you. That will depends upon
yo~ureheharfor, 7 advise you to reIlaers-
Der as much"
/ lit my cigaret and waited for him
to go o White Wings was evident
ly quite near to us now-I couhd' hear
the throb of her turbines; haxN siren
repeatedly. The night was mine
but fofr an accident. And yeti. heaven
knows, IT. appeared to me thenat1at an
accident must befall me unlesSsa mir
acle INTERVIEWED.
That's your yacht, right enough"
the Yankee went on immediately. And
so far aBs it's her, we're inR u Glove
ourselves. The question tsy. who's
put You aboard her. and what, shall
we be about when he's doing is?f New,
see here's as between man and man
you give us your solemn affidavit not
to do anything against the ships crew
and you're free to come an0ia go as
you choose. That's my first condition
the second is as you sign the paper
Will Rayner has drawn UP and abide
by its terms. Dc as much as that, and
your friends q be more willing On
help you. But If you don't do it,
why, Them. took out for yourself. for.
by the Lord above me, you amt got
10 minutes 10 i've"
He came another step up, the lad
der. cheered, as it seemed, by mis- own
AS for the men, theyropened
their lips For the first time since my
yacht had answered me, and their
ss rr'aT ~ defiance, uttered i'm urau
unpleasant tfmbre to whichhehe, sea at
tunes the human voice, backed ehe
threatt anf made 1t their owns Had it
been left 10 me under circumstances
less dangerous, 1 might nave. gwen
them my word to let them go free,
and signsd the paper their leader spoke
about bus just In the same measure
that they threatened mes so did my
against them ~rise--and stepping
briskly to the topmost rursg OF the lad
der i answered them In a sentence
that ewes their dull intellects COULD
understand.
&Continued Next Weekly,