The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1913-10-16

l
mans boot Certainly could easily
tol, but any of these endeavors would
have reused the ship.
| had one other hope. II Captain
Matthews should come to the cabin |
would appeal to him. For the rest |
determined not to sleep that night.
Some strange foreboding possessed me
| We were near the latitude and Ion
IL indeed there were such an Island as
was thought to be. and reasoned that
the men would argue now and It would
be good time for an outbreak, espe-
! cially since I was removed. Would IL
come that night? Would 1t come at
all? Was mistaken in the men?
| have often wondered why women
were made. and since they were made,
why men should be such fools about
them. Here l was helpless just be-
cause l had snatched kiss from one.
And now that ! am in the mood for
confession. | might as well say that |
fully rejolced in that kiss.
Well. whatever happened. had the
memory of that kiss She would never
forgive me. OF course there was alb
solutely no hope that she would return
my suit. even in her poverty. She was
not for such as |, and If there was
! anything in this old buccaneers parch-
ment, If there was an island and If she
did get the treasure, why. the world
would be at her feet again. And |,
like the fool was. was helping her to
aye. mad, with impotent ,helplessness
that night.
sat there in the dark, no light be-
ing vouchsafed to me, and the lights
in the outer cabin not having been
lighted for a long time. The wind rose
and rose The ship was pitching mad
ly. My room was on the starboard
side of the cabin. and presently heard
all hands called to reef the topsails.
Captain Matthews was alert and ready,
of course. Presently he put the ship
about, and with the canvas Off of her
she was steadier. There did not seem
to be any especial danger in the wealth:
er, and for that was thankful.
] must have dozed. | was awakened
by the last echoing of the bell for
ward. didn't know what time it was,
because didn't know whether l had
heard it begin to strike. but ] could
count three couples, which meant that
it was II o'clock at least | didn't
know, of course. that it was eight bells.
midnight. until the voice Of the boat
swain came to me through the bulk
head that separated the cabin from the
quarterback:
"A-a-all the port watchw
! could hear the men below grum-
bling and cursing as they turned out.
They had evidently been sent below
to the hammocks after the topsails had
been reefed for a couple of hours in.
] could hear scraps Of conversation.
/ Now
XIII him.
This Is the best timer
THE old mans aloner
What heard filed me with dismay.
picked up the pistol and pointed it
at the lock in the door. / had made
np my mind, come what might. to blow
off the lock and get free. Before
! conld press the trigger heard a call
on the deck above me- a shot. rush
Of feet scufile. groan. a fall.
CHAPTER VII.
! Wherein | Bargain For a Woman.
TATHAT had happened l could
/ VA well guess. Captain Mat
Wv thews had been attacked.
J He had promptly shot one
of the mutineers, and thereafter the
rest had got him. My first Impulse.
was to blow open the lock of the door
and rush to his rescue, but wiser coun-
Bel prevailed. and | did nothing. l
am, | think, somewhat cool headed in
a crisis, and surely this was one.
could wait. A loaded pistol was bet
ter than an empty one. and to deal
with ME they would have to come to
me for whatever purpose they might
entertain, either to murder me or to
release me. In either event | could
do more than If | rushed into the fray
now. could not help Captain Mat
thews. | was sure that whatever fell
purpose tney might entertain IOT my
little mistress would be in allegiance
until they had settled with me.
l listened with every nerve strained
to the utmost. also waited most anx-
iously for the opening of the after
cabin door, which was her own, but
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