The herald., 1911-11-30
HE ESCAPED
THEGALLOWS
By r. c. MARTIN
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.
By r. c. MARTIN

port-the Sailors Snug Harbor. After
his first supper he sat on a bench out
side, filed a pipe with q short stem
and smoked lugubriously. Several OF
the inmates of the institution approach
ed him, pulling on their own pipes. and
sat down near him. and one Of them
said to him:
Mate. we uns have made a rule
here that every newcomer interduces
hisself by spinnin' yarn. That way
we can judge him. A man general
" gives hisself away when he's tellin'
his sper'ences.
About meself?"
"In course How can we judge o
you If your yarns about some one
else?
well. here goes" said the newcom-
er after a few thoughtful whiffs at his
pipe. My yarn happened when was
aboard the bark Sarah Blake. ! was
young then and full o life. and. though
say 1t myself. no man could get aloft
quicker and hang on tighter. furlin' at
the same time. than I could. But
had the misfortune to get the enmity
O. the first officer. McWhalley, and
after that my life wasn't woth
livin'. He did everything he could to
get me overheard. sendin' me out TO
the end Of a yardarm when the ship
was rollin' and dippin' me in the crests
of the seas. Another time he sent me
on TO the bowsprit when II was COW
cred with ice and pokin' itself into
every wave that came along. Well,
| one day he knocked me down with
marlinspike. and picked up capstan
! bar and hit him on the head.
The old fellow took his pipe out or
his mouth. cooked his eye at his hear
ers and asked if the Snug Harbor was
a locker for secrets. Being assured
| that il was. he proceeded
II was desperate and didn't know
how hard struck cracked bis skull,
and he died the same afternoon. In
course I was put in irons to be Token
into port aud tried for both mutiny
and murder-either one o which. as
you know. mates is enough to hang a
man.
There wasn't a seaman aboard that
didn't like it because Id downed the
mate and got rid o. him. The cap,
tain and the other officer didn't think
that way They didn't believe in mu'
tiny nohow.. and they was bound to
bring me to trial They didn't know
who to trust to guard me in the brig
but II didn't make much difference
for so long as we were at sea there
was no way O gittin' ashore. even II
had my liberty. But the afternoon
after I killed the mate my guard. al
soon as he was put on watch. put hi!
: finger aside his nose. and he said In
] whisper:
: ".Mate. we seamen has been con
sultin' a way to git you out o hangin'
r We're nearin' the coast. and the mat
! YOU killed is TO be buried at two bell
: tomorrer mornin'. He's sewed up II
his hammock now. with ten pound
4 shot tied to his ankles. Say the Wort
and we'll take him out and put yo'
!, I'm. We kin give you a sharp knife &
. cut yerself out with. some cork from
0 the nfeboats. a bottle O. water an
Z some behring's.
t 81 told him Id ruther die that wa,
: than be swingin' at ropes end, an
i I might git picked up. So that nigh
: when the men that was my friend
a was on watch they tux OF the ironi
give me the things. tyin' the cork
e around my body under the arms. tn
q behring's in a bag the sailmaker ha
= got up for the purpose around m
2 waist, a bottle o water hung from tn
, waist between my legs. and the knit
I put in my pocket Then they watcf
e ed their chance to git rid O. the mate
q body and after dumpin' It overboar
o mt me in the hammock and sewed m
y up.
e 'In the mornin'. soon after two bel
e struck. l heard footsteps on the dec
: nobody sayin' nothin' and then quiz
for awhile. when the captains voit
+ sounded sollum readin' the burial ser
If ice. This was more'n I'd counted o.
a a I knew I'd probably die, but objects
d to the burial service bein' read ov'
me before ! was dead.
i. "Howsomever. I lay still. and wht
the skipper got through ! felt myse
8, lifted up. laid on an inclined plank ar
Of skidded OF into the water.
&c Dye know. mates, that was
ly mighty mean feelin'. q weight hangi
to my ankles, draggin' me down. b
. didn't have no time to be thinkil
ie II didn't cut the shot loose gull
enough I'd go down where the wat
o. pressure would keep me down. 3
' sides, I couldn't hold my breath mo
than fifty seconds. though Id be-
practicin' dom O. 1t. ! whipped o
my knife. ripped open the hammoc
p got my arms out and cut the cord
n about twenty seconds.
THE bag fell OF while was risi
There was q danger that Id be se
from the ship. So was. but this d
J. been perwided for. As soon as ! W
,lid OF some of my friends tux up I
le attention O. one o. the officers.
is nobody saw me except men who "
le In the plot.
81 noated on the water all that d
and the next. I'd bad a good bref
L~.us huctoH nUnrt,no r. n