The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-08-18
A SLEEK,
SLICK MAN
By M. QUAD
copyright BY Frank A. Munsey Co.


for London on the 10th OF August
1881. was the name of James Melwil
an Englishman. and il there ever wa
sleeker. slicker man got into port
have NOT read OF him.
No one seemed to know Jimmy. a
he asked us TO call him, beyond know
ing that he lived up the country on
big horse farm and was worth half
million dollars.
When we came to shake ourselves
down aboard / noticed that there wa
lot of rather tough looking mel
among the steerage passengers. /
was explained that they were going Il
the Cape to work on new railroad
AS near as could size them up they
were all colonials and men more useG
TO horses than picks and shovels.
think the sleek Jimmy must have
caught me watching the Storage pas
sengers. for he took occasion one day
10 observe:
There seems to be fine lot of men
going out TO the Cape with us"
AS far as bone and muscle CO."
replied.
Then he extended his cigar case, pro-
posed game of eucher and the sub
Ject was dropped. | don't claim that
was suspicious of Jimmy or that
was disturbed by the gang in the steer
age. On the contrary. l was perfectly
easy in my mind in all respects
had in the Australian papers read that
the Ocean Queen was carrying home
more than million dollars In gold. In
fact, | had seen most of the boxes
brought and taken down TO the strong
room. All other passengers must have
been aware of the treasure, but there
was little or no talk about 1t.
Ii is a wide expanse of ocean be-
tween the Cape and Australia, and at
the end of week we had all settled
down into grooves and fallen into
monotonous routine. Early one morn
ing a sail was sighted dead ahead. and
almost as soon as she had been made
out it was seen that she had 4 distress
flag flying. We ran down 10 within
half mile of her before our engines
were stopped. Only three men were
visible on her deck. and she hadn't a
boat in sight. The trio beckoned and
motioned that we should send boat
and the captain gave orders that one
should be lowered.
The boat had pulled half the distance
TO the brig when we had something
nearer home to attract attention. The
a cooked revolver to the captains ear
and marched him into his stateroom.
Fourteen of the men from the steer |
age. each armed with a pistol and /
knife, suddenly appeared among us. |
and IL wasn't three minutes before the |
md guard over us, The engine room
was taken possession of at the same
time, and the Ocean Queen had been
taken without shot being 6red The
brig was lying broadside to us. She
had two boats down 0u he far side.
soon as they had pulled around and
captured our yawi one boat load of the
'ascas came aboard the Queen and
he steamer was worked down along ,
,ide the brig The sea was smooth.
md the fellows could lash the craft
ogether without fear OF disaster.
We had been taken completely by
urprise aud had no show. They had
be gold out and transferred within an .
our. Ii is 10 the credit OF the ras- ]
ally gang 10 say that they were under y
God control and insnlted no one. Aft | q
+ the gold was disposed OF they rob il
ed the ship of lot OF bedding and
rovisions. and at the last the sleek, o
lick man came down into the cabin r
, say few words. o
My dear friends" be said. Il do u
Dt wish to search you one by one, u
he footpad or a bushranger. but .
III trust to your honesty to hand over o
our money and jewels. | have tig II
'ed on about the amount ! should get ;,
get 1t no one will be further dis !.
rbed. II don't get it there will be !,
ON aboard the brig for most of the u
dies" n,
gave half my possessions. and | CT
esume the other passengers retained m
share as well. but the money, watch W
. rings. brooches, ETC.. laid on the Ia d'
3 before the pirate had a good round st
lue and seemed TO satisfy him. He
'ept everything into sack. babe us Dc
fond adieu and within ten minutes =
Is sailing away in the brig. The en- 4,
les were disabled before they left
d the crew of the mates boat was
lt back to us. and as no one had
en- killed. we were fain TO think we
come of fairly we'll We lay roll
! in midocean for four days before 7
. engineer had made repairs, and by
II time the brig was several hundred Of
les away. Even had we known her ne
lrse and position II would have tor
liied nothing. We made a slow run Of
the remainder OF the voyage. and
was three weeks before a man-of.
r started out to look for the pirate
1T. 1t had been a job put up in
STRATA. and il bad worked to per.
ton. 1t may be that the brig divid.
the swag. but as she had a dozen
ierent places TO choose from, she
no fear Of capture. So far as
been able TO learn she was never
I'D from. though the search was
4 up for 8 year or more. There was
.e~h rsftsn1ar