The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1911-02-16

yesterday mornin. Maybe It's pure Joy
Of heart. I'm not knowing rightly. but
it's sufficiently remarkable, as you
| must be thinking
This was new, surely, and gratificd
the good fellow my admitting as much.
Looks as though she was running
q bit short of ammunition. Balaam,"
l said; has there been anything else,
you have noticed?"
Matching in particular, sir. She's
fired popgun or two, but maybe she's
over merry the morn. You can hear
them for yourself. Bide here q mo-
ment and I'll show you.'
He took his stand by the taffrail
ana pointed with tarry hand at the
distant ship. Day had broken propi-
tiously with fleece OF cloud high in
| the heavens and simmer Of splen-,
did sunlight upon the chattering wa
tiers. The Diamond ship herself lay dis
tant perhaps a couple of miles from US.
She had sails set to prevent her roll
ing, but not vestige OF smoke es-
| capped her tunnels. nor was there any
indication of her being under steam.
When / spied out her decks through
| my powerful glass, / perceived that
| they were crowded with men.
Good God!' / said, they are fight.
Ing among themselves! Go and call
captain Larry at once!'
Larry said. when ne came up
| from the cabin-McShanus upon his
heels-"they are shooting each other,
Larry!"
He did not reply Immediately, but,
focusing his glass, he directed It upon
the distant ship. Timothy, in his turn,
took his stand beside me.
And Of what would happen to Joan
Fordibras II they quarreled amongst
themselyes?"
II dare not think Of It. Timothy
she would be in her cabin. Good God!
why do you make me think OF it 2"
stood by the taffrail to watch the
puffs OF heavy white smoke and try
to depict the tragedy then consum-
mated on the decks Of the Diamond
ship. What a scene OF horror and
bloodshed 1t must be!
could readily imagine that there
| had been two parties. and that they had
come first to words and then to arbit-
rament of deeds.
Larry" l said, II am going to see
what Is happening yondcr. Let Mr..
Benson know that we shall want all
the steam he can give us.
It's stalking much. SIR"
$50 little, Larry, that we'll have our
breakfasts while we watch them. Even
Mr. McShanus. you observe, is not dis
turbed. l believe that he imagines
himself in a theater."
But Timothy McShanus answered:
"Indade and l do" said he, land no
more disturbed than man at a hang
ing. Set dish of parritch before me
and we shall see. Faith! should weep
| tears because one thief Is cutting an
other thiefs throat?'
We laughed at this splendid earnest
ness, while Larry went up to the
bridge; and Timothy himself came up
to me and spoke a more serious word.
"Ye are easier in your mind" he
said, scanning my face closely; otis
good to see 1t, Fan, me bhoy! Ye don't
think Miss Joan will suffer, now, do
ye"
She will suffer- but only her fears.
Timothy. The danger comes later,
when this is over. / do not think of
1t. because I hope to share it with
her"
Good God! We are not going on
board, man?"
Il am going on board, Timothy-that
Is, II my judgment leads me to be-
lieve 1t possible. I'll tell you in half
an hours time"
Taking my stand upon our forward
bridge. could clearly discern a group
of men defending the fo'castle and an
| other In ambush behind the superstruc-
ture amidships. A powerful glass dis
closed the prone figures Of such as had
already fallen, while the intervals.
when restless breeze carried the haze
of smoke to the eastward, permitted
fuller view of the spectacle, revolt
ing in its. detail.
The Williams were evidently enraged
beyond all measure. / could see them
in the death grip. here wrestling as
athletes upon stage, there lighting
upon their hands and knees, as sayages
who cut and slash at the face and head
and heart in indispensable lust of
blood and life. But beyond this, the
greater terror was to know that the
ship sheltered Joan Fordibras, and
that she must be the witness of this
debauch. What could it mean to such
one to suffer that? Again I say that
had no courage to think Of It.
We had come to no agreement upon
the nature Of our approach, or upon
the limits which prudence should set
TO IT. left 1t to Larry's wise head,
and could have done no better. Not
until we were within a cables length
to--and there we lay. rolling to a gem
tie swell, half the hands on deck,
some on the rigging, two officers with
Timothy and myself on the bridge, as
amazed company as sailed the At
lantic that day.
The hands have mutinied and the
dead weight is going under" said
Larry, with an Indifference to the suf-
fering we witnessed had hardly looked
for; II shouldn't wonder If you are re-
sponsible, sill. A thieves crew is for
fair weather. lie. cloud come up as
big as a mans ham, and they'll run
for port though Davey Jcoes takes the
tiller. They've had enough Of it-any
man could see that with half an eve,
And God help Imroth If he hauls down
his fiag!"
Continued Next Weekly
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