Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-05-21

was undeCe1Ved the Detter, LOT she
was nervous and frightened, and had
of passionately wishing they
had never set foot on the Esmeralda.
one night, instead OF
to the berth above, Matt
tucked in with Chris below, with the
idea that it would be less easy to fall
asleep in such extremely confined
quarters. f
Midnight struck-eight bells. Half
after midnight-one bell. One o'clock
two bells. Half after one-three
BELLS He grew brewster and drows-
Ter. Why would not Chris leave him
alone?-Awake? OF course he was
awake, only that he was in his old
bedroom at Mrs. Sattane's, and-He
was reused again, and was made to
understand, not with difficulty, that
four bells had just gone; was shaken
and pummeled till he sat up and
bumped his head. 1t bumped him
back to consciousness, and to real
ization Of the watch he was supposed
to be keeping. He crouched there,
now wide awake and alert, listening
intently.
Suddenly Chris clutched him.
Hes coming" she whispered.
Mats he's coming heard the
door"
Matt held his breath The door
must have indeed opened, for the
passageway became lighted, although
dimly, by the lamp in the main chain.
Matt hurriedly lay down and closed
his eyes almost shut, peeping through
the lashes. AS he did SO he had a
sight Of Schwartz, tiptoeing past their
door, No, not past 1t, for the man
stopped on his way and cast quick
glance within. He was In his pa
jamas; his face was a study of fur
tiveness and caution; he, too, was
holding his breath and seemed to be
on edge with suspense. Then he tip
toed on and was seen no more.
Didn't tell your" murmured
Chris. "In a moment the noises will
begin"
"Sh-h-h," returned Matt. "Sh-h-h!"
It was more than a moment, how
ever, before the quiet was disturbed.
Both waited with straining ears, but
nothing came to them beyond the
ripping of the water along the
schooner's reel, and the creak of cord.
age and timbers as the vessel sank
into the swell or rose on it's turgid
crest. A ship under way is mover al
together silent; she moves with q
myriad plaintive noises, some OF
them lullingly liquid, others hoarse
and humming. 10. ....
"There! There!" exclaimed Chris.
A peculiar jarring sound became
family audible, as though some ma
chinery had been set in motion. But
it was too irregular for machinery,
and had an indescribable thrilling
quality that Matt was at loss to
account for. The cabin shivered with
it; it was as fine as the lash of a
whip and as vicious, as 1t seemed to
sting the air. Matt leaped from the
bunk, despite Chris entrities. BY
George, he was going to see what 1t
was; follow Schwartz and find out
Harm? Well, wasn't it better to risk
q little than to cover under the cover.
let like ninnies? There had always
been something wrong with the ship,
something queer-but this was the
climax. She must let him go-he had
to 60.
He stole into the passage toward
the door that opened on the waist
companion ladder The door was shut
his hand on the knob. Then he drew
it back, slipped swiftly down the lad
der and gained the lee Of the galley.
Here, bent double, he stopped to re-
connoiter, attempting to pierce the
deep shadows about him, and wonder
ing whether they did not conceal
eyes as watchful as his own.
Little by little he regained his cour-
age. The night was intensely dark;
If he had gone thus far without de-
lection the rest ought not to be hard
All the while there was that snap
snap-snapping, ominous and startling,
that appeared to have it's source at
the foot Of the foremost. He crept
along the surf-boat, pausing at the
forward chock in which its stem was
imbedded, and huddled against it. But
what was that Opaque and unexpected
mass outlined just forward of the fore
mast? An erection seven or eight feet
high, and about half that width, which
doomed before him silhouetted against
the stars.
He nerved himself to advance again
with the stealth Of hunter stalking
a deer-slowly, crouchingly, taking
advantage of every cover; dubious
even Of the starlight; inch by inch,
obliquely, so as to reach the starboard
scuppers, pass the foremost and be
able to look back. A voice was now
intermingled with that snap-snap-
swapping, keeping pace with it-a
mans voice, cultural, thick and dron-
ing, the words half.drowned in the
rasp and sizzle. ~.
Matt worked his way along the
scuppers, head down, scraping the
side of the ship, feeling in front with
his hands, propelling himself from be-
hind with his naked feet. He was on
fire with curiosity, yet was patient;
snailing on and on, not daring to turn
till he had reached the gear of the
jibs, which marked the limit he had
set, before he would risk rising to
discover the secret of this extra
ordinary affair.
1t was an astonishing sight that met
his gaze. Forward of the foremost
was sort of hut, constructed of mat
tresses, forming a wind-break or
shield, open only to the fo'castle.
Within II ,coofnJ nm Inv Hov