The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-07-12


escaping steam.
If they were abandoning the AIedora |
I was caught like a rat in trap. The
next time / coasted to the foot of the |
stairs | caught the lower one and
climbed up. l fairly tumbled through |
the door and gained the deck.
Captain and crew were in a strug-
Cling group around a solitary boat
swinging at the port davits. Far
astern the remaining three boats float
ed bottom upward. All around us was
the dark fury of the storm, and straight
ahead loomed the large bulk of palm
covered island. Between us and a safe
harbor there ran a hungry, snarling,
white toothed reef with one narrow
opening
| took in the scene at glance-land,
sea. sky and the deck of the steamer,
where two opposing forces met, On
one side the ugly mates and mutinous
black crew and ranged against them
the fiery little captain and the hulking
engineer, Sandy McAlpin.
''If the old tubs going down give
US the money! threatened Blake, flour
ishing an iron bar.
"Haye your choice-Stay here and
sink with the money or take the boat
and cast off, screamed Captain Sayles.
The mutineers hesitated. The wheel
was dashed, and the gale was driving
the Medora straight toward the ugly
reef. Perhaps they were thinking that
if the Medora broke on the reef they
would still have a chance at whatever
treasure they had in view. OF it / had
no inkling
A large wave came hurting along,
and the second mate Sprang into the
boat. Come on, lads" he yelled,
Wen come back and get the money
when the sea goes down"
With one accord his mates followed
him into the boat and lowered away
The chains swung free again as the
boat rode on the crest Of wave and
disappeared in the tumult of water.
.'Aha.' yelped Captain Sayles, slant
ing a cold blue eye in my direction.
''Why didn't you go along too? Don't
you know we're sinking?'
''I'I take a chance with you," 1 said
gruffly, and l knew it was a long
chance, because I couldn't swim j
stroke.
Without further parley Captain
Sayles leaped up the ladder to the
wheelhouse and grasped the wheel.
The Medora was headed toward the
! opening in the reef. 1t struck me then
| that, no matter where the Medora was
wrecked, the mutineers might reach
| her unless she sank to the bottom.
! There her mysterious treasure would
| be lost to all.
| Sandy came running from below.
"All ready he sang out. I'll stand
| by with a line"'
"Raft?" roared the captain.
aye; come, lubber,p said Sandy to
me, and I went.
Another five minutes and the Medora
shot through the opening in the reef
| into water churned into froth by the
! gale. Through smoky spume lifted by
her bow l caught a glimpse of land
edged with mangrOve swamp. Just
| then Sandy rushed me over the side
on to the lettering raft. AS we broke
away from the steamer l saw the cap
tain's weather beaten face at the rail
and lump rose in my throat.
Cant he come with us?" l protest
ed angrily
''Stow that" growled Sandy, bending
to the single oar. 1.-The captain II be
KNOWN what he's ABBOTT"
l watched the Medora as we drew
away from her. Little by little she
was settling in the water. The waves
washed her main deck, splashed the
. cabin windows, and then as if tired
of playing with it's victim. the sea sent
a heavy swell into the harbor and
pushed the tired little steamer down
under the waves.
The captain leaped wide as the YES
sci swirled down, wet line whistled
toward him from Sandys hand. he
caught it deftly. and l helped Sandy
pull the plucsy little fellow aboard ]
held my pocket flask to his blue lips
and he growled thanks.
When | turned my head the Medora
had vanished and the raft to which we
chung was spinning about in the whirl
pool of her suction. All at once wind
and waves sent up heaving shoreward
among the mangrOves. Abandoning
the raft. we foundered through the
swamp among the tangled roots and
circled to the left, where we found {
crescent of snowy beach washed with
creaming combers. 1t was good to bt
upon land once more.
We flung ourselves down on the sand
and the captain pulled from a water
proof box tobacco, matches and n pipe
Sandy and | produced our own pipes
and soon we were comforted in cloud!
of smoke that whipped to and fro il
the wind
''Do you know where we are, cap
tain?" / asked presently.
Palm island,' he said shortly.
Sandy laughed. Captains knawin
1t weel enough, lubber. It's back her
be lives" He pointed thumb TOWARD
the jungle clad hill behind us.
> '"Then this is familiar harbor?"
| I Of