The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-09-18
CHAPTER TX.
In Which We Plan to Escape Together
From the Ship.

r HAD no idea that it was morning
| already, the night had passed so
| quickly. The eastern sky was
already gray, and although the
day babe fair to be an unpleasant one
there was already light enough to dis
tinguish land off to starboard. We
had run quite near it in the night 1t
was still too gray to make out much
| more than the existence of the land
itself, but thought | saw beyond the
nearest island others rising. At any
rate, there it was where it ought to be,
and didn't make any doubt but that
it was the island which we had been
seeking these weary months at sea.
The whole crew was on deck. L
| didn't see any signs of Captain Mat
| thews' body, although l looked hastily
about for it | learned later that they
had tumbled him overheard without
prayer or word after they had
| knocked him on the head. Pimball
Glibby and one or two others of the
older seamen We're on the quarterback,
the rest being strung along the leerail
in the waist staring at the island.
| Two hands We're at the wheel The
| ship was pitching and labOring heavily,
and it required two hands to hold her
up to it.
During the night they had taken a
second reef in the tops'ls. A whole
| gale was now blowing. Everything
above the topsl yards had been furied
of course. The Rose Of Devon was a
wet ship in seaway, and she was
J making heavy weather out Of it.
1 noticed one thing with satisfaction.
They had evidently not thought it
worth while to break open the arms
chest or to force the key from me.
which they could easily have done,
and none Of them was armed.
We'll" | began. as | climbed over
the hatch combing and turned aft.
81 sent for you. Hampton" began
Pimball insolently, and his failure to
mister me or to give me any title
indicated our present relations, be
cause of that" and he pointed to the
leeward toward the island.
ut looks like land" said.
ut is land What land?"
GLOW can l tell? I answered IL
have never been in these seas before"
"Well, you took an observation yes
terday, didn't your"
"Certainly."
"And where were WEI"
l named a latitude and longitude.
not exactly what I had worked out.
but near enough didn't want these
ruf1ians to know exactly where We
WERE He pulled out the chart as I
spoke and compared its figures with
what I had given them. He could
read figures if not letters.
"At any rate" he said, after study
ing over the map for little time.
''that is not far from the point we are
making for. is it?"
mo" admitted. mot very"
do you think that can be it?"
IT can't tell for certain" l replied
until l get another shot at the sun,
should think the latitude about right,
but as to the longitude"-
"And you can't get no shot at the
sun until noon, can you?" unceremoni-
ously put in Glibby. casting long look
to the eastward where the sky was
thick and cloudy already
Il can't even get an observation then
unless we have clear weather." I an.
swered.
"There'l be no clear weather today.
[ take It," said an old seaman standing
with the other two.
II don't much think it," asSented
well. what do Won advise then?
asked Pin ball
"That we stand on slowly during the
day and heave to at night. and If We
can't get shot at the SUN stay here
abouts until the Sky is clear and the
sun visible, then we will know just ex-
actly what course to take and just
what's best to be DONE
The advice was so self evidently
good, in fact the only practicable adj
vice, that there was no hesitation In
accepting it,. The boatswain stepped
up to the horseback, grabbed the trum-
pet and shouted his orders. Presently
the ship was hove to with the island
we'll under her lee, distant perhaps
league and half or maybe two leagues.
Personally l should not have hove to
ship on a lee shore. l should not
have advised it, and indeed would have
protested against it had l not sudden
ly developed plan-a plan as desper-
ate as ever came into mans head. But
then the situation required desperate
remedies And for the accomplishment
of the plan the ship was now In the
very best position I could have put her.
I was minded to desert the ship with
my lady, get ashore and trust our
selves to the tender mercies of what
ever natives theDe were rather than
stay with the vessel. l took no stock
in the sailors promises and agree
ments. Once they got the treasure It
would follow that they would kill me-
and take her.
ITO be Continued.)