Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1914-05-07
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"How do you know she's a pirate?"

CDaF!le cOulO IOt speak enough Eng
lish to make a reply, and even if he
could have replied he couldn't have ex-
planned what he knew simply by ntui-
ton or experience.
So many holes had Bill been kicked
into that he had become accustomed
thinking apparatus to work to discover
how to get out. No sooner was he;con-
vinced that Charlie was right than he
got down below the gunwale to his
eyes and told the others to do the
same
There's no use in their learning how
many of us there are, what is our con
dition or anything else we can help
their knowing till they reach u.s."
The three men watched the ap-
preaching craft, one of them, and one
only, Bill, revolving in his brain differ
ent plans for escape
There's only one hope for u.s., he
said presently. If we can hide they
may think the boat deserted. What
they'll do then nobody knows. Well
have to take what comes. Perhaps,
not finding anything of value aboard.
they'll go away"
"'Ider exclaimed Tom. Where
hare we goin' to ide?''
There's only one place-the furnace.
If they don't look in there we're all
right. If they do it's all up with u.s.
| All three, stopping as they went,
shuff1ed down the companionway to
the furnace. Charlie pulled open the
door and went in first Tom and Bill
stood each waiting for the other, 1t
was not politeness that caused one to
defer to the other, but pride. Each
wished to be the last to shun the dan
ger.
go a'eadH' snapped Tom.
Realizing how hard Briton is to
move, Bill yielded. Tom entered last
and pulled the door to behind him.
You lunatic!' exclaimed Bill. What
did you do that for? We're penned in
We can't open the door from the in
side.'
But if we'd left the door Unmatched
they'd ave got us. replied Tom.
There was no use arguing the point
If they were not discovered by the pi-
rates they might possibly be boarded
by some one who would release them
1t was not long before they heard a
babel of Voices on deck and knew the
Siren was being searched for loot.
After exploring the upper part Of the
boat they came down into the engine
room. Only Charlie understood what
| 50; 81 tI,n n Df1.
him. When the boarders had discussed
the matter of finding the Siren deserted
they all ran upstairs together.
After awhile sound was heard that
destroyed hope-the sound of an auger
boring. The pirates We're scuttling the
ship.
Whoever was doing the job was some
time about it. Gradually the sounds
above ceased, and it was evident that
most of the pirates had gone, leaving
the man below to finish the scuttling
All became still except the sound OF
the boring.
"Charlie." said Bill.
"What?"
You bawl out that one of you
heather gods is in here and if the
bloke doesn't light out he'll be struci
dead.''
Charlie did as required. The man ad
dressed as soon as he heard a VOic,
coming from the bowels of the ship
ran upstairs. There he talked excited.
with another man, and the two can
part way down to the furnace room
and listened. Bill ordered Charlie L
repeat what he had said. and Charlie
told the listeners that he was the mos
ferocious of the Chinese gods ard i
they didn't le! him out he would visi
them and theirs with fire and swor,
even to the tenth generation. This pre-
duced the effect desired. and the doc
was opened. Bill spraIg out and seize
one of the Cinnamon, while Tom TO!
lowed the other nearly to the decl
!, Both were secured and bound
The danger low was that the pirate
would get tired waiting for the me!
t they had left for the scuttling an
return. The anger had been left il
' the hole it had been making. and 'ther
was nothing to fear from that. Bi
went up the companionway. keepin
t out of sight. to reconnoiter The frs
i thing he saw was boat the pirate
0 had left for the men who We're t
scutt!e the finer, the second was tn
i pirate craft moving away under flu
sail and the third was Chinese gov
K eminent police boat chasing her..
f Bill shouted the good news to ToI
n and Charlie. who came running up til
e companionway TO see for themselve
t Their narrow escape from droWnin
n locked in the furnace room was aturne
e to exhilaration at watching the polio
e GOAT chase the pirates. The FORMER ha'
O ing nothing but sails to propel her an
\ the latter having steam, the chase wa
. short one. The police quickly owe
n hauled the outlaws, and as soon as TIL
was done the men on the Siren. G.
). out tattered United States flag an
h hoisted it, union down, as signal {
. | DISTRESS wherellrOn the nolicp hn: