Jackson County journal. (Sylva, N.C.) 19??-19??, 1913-10-24

liis- at.... ,...... sire naliowed with her
footsteps !,
There was another side to my con
fine1nent and presently took thought
on that | swear that l was not think
ing of myself. but OF her l was ever
thinking of her | could see dangers that
beset her us perhaps no one else could.
and my confinement added to her peril
She didn't realize that: nobo,iy aft on
the ship realized it. There WAS peril.
imminent menacing about to break !
feared
You see the fact that we wore
treasure hunting had got about | nad
not thought much of the crew int.lud-
inc the viliainouS looking hnatSwaln
Pimbal. We had shipped Il lot of
smart seamen about the average in
quality and above the average III
snmrtness. | decided as the days had
passed with nothing happening hut
Pimball had signed some l could wish
had been left ashore
Fer presence on the ship. too. WAS
a mystery Alone in the little Rose
Of Devon with thirty men BY ey..
mishap the maid she had brought With
her had died after brief illness two
weeks out Captain Matthews al!
/ were for turning back hut she said no.
she would 90 on We had lost too
much time already and her al Was
embarked We were now plowing the
i blue waters of the Pacific. and | mate
! of the ship and the only other officer
to be trusted. locked up.
We were nearing the LATITUDE and
longitude of the island Suppose tie
men rose in mntiny. | ground nv
teeth in rage The men liked me We'll
enough. and ! had been particular to
keep them in good humor. passing over
many a thing for her sake that | world
have followed with a blow had Size not
been there. Captain Matthews had
complained once or twice OF NJ Lax
ity, but | knew things that he didn t.,
and | had done what | deemed .,e,,t
for her | pledge you lay word th"t
l didn't care farthing for tie treas
ure. | had never given il much
thought: | grew to believe in It l,::s
and if | had been stronger for my duty
and weaker in my love | would have
dissuaded her from the voyage follow
ing Master Ficklin's lead
Now. that she was poor and alone
neglected and forgotten. | had enjoyed
a foolish dream that could be Il com
panion to her-a life shipIaate.-f fol-
/ tai ri. ,,lI .,.,i
| or, What fool l was And yet il
, had worked in some way as ! had in
tended. We had been thrown into
closer intimacy by the loneliness Of bel
position and my faithful and. until tina
, night, most unobtrusive, self etracins
, devotion
p | suppose it never entered her heat
. that | could presume to love her. con
? sequently she was less careful than sh
had been otherwise. and that yer,
night when had poured out my decla
ration to her she had had no word
: with which to meet it, | thought he
. silence was consent | see now tina
7 it was Amusement seized her in m
n arms like the brute she must hav
4 thought me. lifted her up and kisse
r her fair on the lips and then on he
, averted cheek Arcester. the black
$ guard, could have done no worse.
| will never forget how she stigmatize
b me-"brute. coward. low born don
e believe she had rallied at that scou1
drel duke SO fiercely.
IS Well, | didn't care what she ha
|
r. honor demanded that ! be released
d That was the paramount concern.
ID | listened l thought heard foo
u fall in the outer cabin. Could she /
ID there? l'suppose that | had been loci
" ed up for perhaps an hour. Aye. q
10 the instant the bell forward struc
q three. We kept man-of-war custom
at her fancy. The sound came to u
r. family as | listened Half past
k She could not have gone to her bert
10 yet. She must be there in the gre;
q, cabin. l ventured TO call
ID What it cost me any man can ina
" ine-and to humble myself to ask b.
an mercy too | am a man of fierce ter
in per, as you have deemed. but l ca
,h control it on occasion, and | did
= now. | shook the door of the cab
g gently at first and then vigorous
IL and called once and again There W,
no answer. | beat upon it. l raise
ch my voice. J. scarcely thought l cou
e. be heard on deck. The wind W.
at blowing. the sea- was heavy, and tt
-. ship was pitching wildly. The strai
re ing. the creaking the groaning of tt
- timbers would have prevented such