Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-10-01
By CYRUS TOWNSEND BRADY
Copyright. 1874. By cyru. Townsend Brady

my lady. get ashore and trust our /
selves to the tender mercies Of what /
ever natives there were rather than /
stay with the vessel. took no stock /
in the sailors promises and agree |
ments. Once they got the treasure 1t !
would follow that they would kill me
and take her.
When we got the Rose of Devon
safely hove TO the men all knocked of /
work at once, leaving the decks in a
state OF confusion. Indeed. save TO
clear up the gear, there was nothing
to do but wait. Two or three men
were stationed on watch, and the rest
were given the freedom OF the ship
| was in doubt as to what to say
about the cabin; but, strangely
enough, nobody made any effort to
take advantage Of the mastery of the
crew to quarter himself there. Indeed,
their quarters forward were almost as
good as ours, and they evidently pro
ferred to be together. The ship was
generously provisioned, and the fare
of the men had been unusually good.
They cid. however. break into the
lazarette and help themselves 10 what
ever they liked out of the cabin stores.
including n case OF bottled spirits.
/ brought out other liquor and let
them have rs much as they wanted.
A little liquor would make them ugly
and intractable. reasoned: a lot
would make them drunk. and enough
would render them completely help
less. even Joined them in their
carousal. 1t was easy enough to spill
my liquor and make a pretense at
drinking. which soon deceived them.
They took TO the liquor like ducks TO
water.
The men on watch kept reasonably
] sober for a time, but even they were
not too abStemious. ! saw to that
! Later on the cook. who was not yet too
| drunk, fixed them up a regular ban
[ quet out of the cabin stores. and there
was no objection to my taking q por-
ton to my lady in the stateroOm be-
low. where she kept close and remain
ed out of the way by my urgent en-
treaty.
My communications that long day
with my sweet charge were necessari-
ly intermitted and short did not
dare TO be long away from the men
on deck. | still wore my sword. and
/ searched through the captains cabin
and found two heavy pistols. which
carefully charged. concealing them in
the deep pockets of my pea jacket. /
passed among the men freely. handing
out the spirits, opening fresh bottles
and bandying rough jests. but took
care never to be I'm any position where
could not command the companion
hatch, which led to the cabin.
Our drift was slowly but surely In
the direction of the island Indeed, |
think we had made half q league or
more TO leeward since we had been
hove to. From time TO time | search
cd the shore with q glass. seeing that
the land was protected and completely
incloSed 10y II reef. on that side at least.
which agreed with the chart, but the
sky continued overcast and the mist
grew thicker. so / couldn't make out
much more than that II was land.
and that was enough. 1t was big
enough 70 support life. and ] thought
that detected green patches here and
there that betokened vegetation and, II
so. water and life.
Nobody took any care to strike the
bells. but when darkness fell l declar.
ed noIsily that would so below and
turn in. All but the most seasoned
. and hardy drinkers were by this time
; dead drank. There WAS evidently
some little remembrance of my rank
for no one yet conscious made any OBJ
lection. Pimball. lying supine on this
deck, aSd Ghbby. who was In no better
Q case. with drunken effusiyeness assur
: ed me that they would take care of The
, ship. and went below, having prOyid
! ed all of them with q fresh supply o
drink just before
l ! sometimes wonder II I would no
have been justified in killing them al
' while they were rendered thus help
I less But / could not bring myself 4
d such wholesale murder. richly as the.
! deserved II and little as was incline,
: 10 mercy. l also thought OF clappin
' them in irons and slowing them below
] But there were not irons enough aboau
a for that purpose. and Mistress Luc
, and could not work the ship unaideC
o We could not even feed and water on
Z prisoners. Yet II could have eornte
q on three or four true mems assistanc
+ would have risked IL
: How Mistress Lucy had passed th
Z dragging. anxious hours OF that awfJ
e day you can better imagine than / CT
Il describe. And my occasional visit
70 had scarcely reaSsnred her greet.
:. Yet in an emergency l haze nevs