Evening star., 1912-07-21
SUNDAY MAGAZINE FOR JULY 81. 1912

pains shooting through him. Welsh was a
fighter; but no match for the whole crew of
the schooner, armed with knives. The black
bearded man fought with his own crew to
reach him with his pistol. The schooner
swooped out of control and the kicking
wheel cleared the deck for an instant. Welsh,
winded as he was, fought to reach it first
he saw what another minute would mean.
"Ye idjits! Yen bust her on the rocks!
They're fore an aft of you, under water.
You can't run for it, | tell you-an' you
can't go in now.'
1t was too late. Forced back by the fight
ing crowd, he was jammed against the rail,
only the weight of the men saving him from
the knives. Striking out with both hanc'-,
he saw the lifeboat coming, lifted high on the
rollers of the inlet. The schooner, forced
seaward, swooped away like scared gull,
slanting toward the hidden reef. One long
then struck, with the boom of big gun over
the surf. Fighter and fighters sprawled over
the deck, appalled, by the smashing Of spars
and the grinding and screaming of the tor
tured hull.
a knowed you do it! Didn't tell ye?"
Welsh scrambled up, clamberlng to the
rail, where he climbed into the main shrouds.
"Ye've piled her on the rocks, you chuckle-
headed gun runners!' he snarled back at
them. "I could fetched her home whole,
an now we got to save the pieces. Jump
her, Bullies.' he roared to the Ships Bottom
crew, leading the revenue cutter by dozen
lengths. The police boat was hopelessly
blowing down the channel, rolling the water
before her; but the lifeboat was nearly
aboard, the bowmen ready to jump. Hang
ing to the shrouds, contemptuous of the
hideols turmoil forward and on deck, Little
Welsh swung comprehensive arm schooner
ward.
"She's full O guns." he shouted. "She's a
filibuster, an | found 'em, and she's ours!
| kidnapped her all by my lonesome!'
COURSE, didn't know for sure what COM
~ panv was in; but | did know didn't
want to STAY for the whole cruise Little
Welsh said later, when there was more time
for details.
He stood on the platform of Barnegat rail-
road station well groomed, dapper, and with
fresh flower in his buttonhole. Captain
Casco and the revenue officer were with him.
at was when | was mouslng around for a
bottle to send my submarine cable in, [
found them guns-cabinhold and lazaret
stacked up full of 'em. Nat rally, wen
tumbled what she was, wasn't lettin' that
prize get away. | was representa- the Gov
ment; SO the on'y way seen for it was to
run her down to Ships Bottom and bang her
through the inlet and right into the arms of
the han some bullies O Barnegat."
"Struck oil all around, didn't youe' the
revenue man said enviously. considering
that schooner fellow is the prize filibuster
the Government offered the big reward for,
therel be pickings for you when they see how
she cuts up. Lading's all right, anyhow y
Welsh knew that. That was why he was
going back again to the sandy shores of Long
Island on extension of leave.
"Say, Welshy" Captain Casco asked as
the train chugged in, "just how did you
come to get here aboard that hooker?"
Little Tom Welsh grinned; he was having
plenty of practice in that. al was a orphan,
an | took him in," he said. "The black
w'iskered pirate shanghaied me home
r~N1TN1~