The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1912-05-16


lea antagonist. The man-it has
been said-was as tall as and heavier
than the adventurer, and by virtue of
MS position a competent and expert.
enced rough-and-ready fighter. In a
breath he had lowered his head and,
believing like a bull, launched him
self toward O'Rourke.
Inc lrlshman met the onslaught
with a stinging uppercut; which, new.
er~theless, failed to discourage the
captain, who grappled and, began to
oelabor O'Rourke with short, stabbing
blows on the side of the head, at the
same time e%ndeavoring to trip him.
The fury of his onset all but carried
the lrlshman off his feet. At the same
time 1t defeated Holes own purpose.
O'Rourke watched his chance, seized
the mans throat with both hands and,
Tightening his grip, fairly lifted him
of his feet and shook him as a ter
rler shakes a rat. Then, with a grunt
OF satisfaction, he threw the captain
from him and turned to face greater
odds.
The noise of the conflict had brought
the crew down upon the contestants.
surrounded, he was rushed to the rail.
With that to- his back he drew on his
reserve of strength and. posing him.
sell, began to give his assailants per-
sonal and individual attention. They
pushed him close, ,snarling and ours
ing, hindering one another in their
eagerness, and suffering variously for
their temerity. O'Rourke fought with
trained precision; his blows, lightning
quick, were direct from the shoulder
and very finely placed; and so straight
did he strike that almost from the
hrst his knuckles were torn and
bledlng from their impact upon flesh
and bone.
Fight as fiercely as he might, how.
ever. the pack was too heavy for him;
and when presently he discerned, not
in n but in half a dozen hands,
CLEANS of light-the rays of a nearby
lantern running down knife-blades-
he conceded the moment imminent
when he must sever his connection
with the Pelican. Moreover he had a
shrewd suspicion hat Hole was ul
and only waiting for an opening to use
his revolver.
Leaping to the rail, he poised an
instant, then dived far out from the
vessels side, down into the Stygian
blackness of the harbor water; a good
clean dive, cutting the water with
hardly a splash, he went down like an
arrow, gradually swerving from the
straight line of his flight into a LONG
arc-so long, indeed, that he was
well-nigh breathless when he came to
the surface, a dozen yards or more
from the Pelican.
Splitting out the foul harbor water,
and with a swift glance over his Shout.
der that showed him the Pelican's
dark %freeboard like a wall. and a
cluster of dark shapes hanging over
the rail at the top vaguely revealed
by lantern light, he struck out for the
nearest vessel, employing the double
overland stroke, noisy but speedy.
That he heard no cry when he came
to the surface, that Hole had not de.
tected him by the phosphorescence,
and that he had held his hand from
firing, at first puzzled O'Rourke: but
he reasoned that Hole probably feared
to raise an alarm and thereby attract
much undesirable attention to himself
and his ship. In the course of the first
few strokes, however, he managed to
peep again over his shoulder, and from
the activity on the Pelican's decks
concluded that he was to be pursued
by boat; which, in fact, proved to be
the case.
Fortunately the Pelican rode at an.
Choir in waters studded thick with
other vessels, affording plenty of hid.
ing places on a night as black as that
The adventurer made direct for the
first vessel, swan completely around
it, and by the time the Pelican's boat
was afoat and it's overs bending to
the oars, he was supporting himself by
a hand upon the unknown ships cable,
floating on his back with only his face
out of water.
Under these conditions, it was
small wonder that the boat missed him
so completely.
At length rested, the Irishman re.
leased his hold and struck out TO,
land at an easy pace.
Eventually he gained the end OF 8
quay, upon which he drew himself TO,
a last rest and to let his dripping gar
ments drain a bit ere venturing abroad
in the streets.
Not until then, strangely enough
did it come to him with it's full force
how he had been tricked and played
upon from the very beginning. And he
swore bitterly when he contemplated
his present position of a penniless
o~utcast in a city almost wholly strange
to him. without friends (save indeed
Danny-wherever he might bel, with
out a place to lay his head, lackins
even a change of clothing. His kit
box was aboard the Pelican and lfkel,
to remain there, for all he could d,
A.