Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1918-02-21

| neeuiey anu CIItOu uau supreme
confidence in Captain Blake, and
were willing to take orders unques-
tioningly; and Burns, to whom whls-
pered the word, nodded agreement,
There were five of us all able and will.
ing to fight If necessary, and the odds
were In our favor should we be able
to get the forehatch closed on the
first watch.
Including captain and mate, there
were fourteen men in the crew, and ]
felt sure Kodani and the Chinese cook
might be counted out of the melee.
Two engine-room men would probably
never know of the affair until it was
over, which left ten, five of whom
should be beneath the hatch-cover
along with the mate. Net fighting
result-antagonistic, four; less than
one apiece.
Blake took stock of actors and prop
critics at eleven-thirty. He looked in
on Reedley and Clifton; gave them
final instructions, and saw to the
formers gun and the iron rod Clifton
had found for weapon. Reedley was
to hold the men from a rush up the
| COlupdulOu Win l0NOlNcI,
II necessary, while Clifton got on the
cover and battened it down. They had
inspected the place of their exploit,
and knew what was to be done.
Then Blake came back to me.
had marlin-spike and four pieces
of strong line, cut to proper length
to reach around bale of hay. 1t was
my duty to- attach those ropes to the
struggling anatomy sof Captain Bel
grag, and Blake taught me the proper
knots and bitches. He was to intimi.
date the Igerian with his revolver or
my lying on top of his form, which
ever seemed the most intimidating at
the time. 1t all looked perfect at elev.
en-thirty.
At eleven-thirty- five, approximately,
there was rap at our outer door-a
familiar rap to me-and opened 1t
to hear Kodani's 'Ver' gracious COM
pliments of mos honorable captain"
l did not give him time to finish.
I hooked an arm around his neck,
pressed a thumb against his aorta or
thorax or whatever 1T is that supplies
Japs with air, and jerked him inside
pelOTe ue COuiu say JAIN Itopiusou
or jiu-jitsu.
'Tie him while I hold the spying
skunk" l cried, and Blake used one
of my cords on him. Now come oni"
/ called. "Reedley, Clifton! To the
captains cabin!" and l led the rush
aft.
Belgrag was expecting us, but not
80 impetuouSly. There were three
men in the cabin with him besides the
mate. / knocked one sailor down with
a harsh blow of the marline-spike be.
fore l got my hands on the captain,
and heard Blake fire twice.
When l had guessed Belgrag for
putty-soft, was judging from looks,
not feel. That great envelope of
seeming fat was muscled hard as
nails, and he took the marline-spike
out of my hands as though had offer.
ed him cigar. was baby in his
giant arms, and he gave me one
squeeze that cracked ribs, tossing me
aside to attend to other matters.
Bruised, crushed, in an agony from
the piercing Of broken bones, crawl.
ed from under feet to the side of the
SdUlu W dlShCu thC li6ht SO Ous
Blake, his weaponed arm held aloft |
In the clutch of his adversary, was
struggling with the mate, and at the
moment had the better of it. Clifton.
like me, was down on the floor, he
with the added trouble of man on
his chest. Only Reedley was unat-
tached. He stood against the door,
NJ h. hal o1D L.
Ing his revolver. slowly and deliber- !
ately. If he was humming rag-time, I!
l could not hear it.
Belgrag gave the map-table, which
stood in his way, lift with his knee
that turned it completely over and
made rush for the purser that was
like an elephant charge, Reedley STOP
ping him with a bullet which would
have downed any ordinary man. The
Igerian gripped at his chest, then
cursed musically in his mother
tongue. and continued the rush. I saw
Reedley's gun-hand come up again.
cooley, heard the snap of the hammer 7,
on dead shell, and the purser was
IN Belgrag's hands.
Holding against the wall, got to
my feet, and had the clinch.bar
which Clifton began with, in my hand.
and that arm was still good, l could
not cross the room to aid Reedley, but
the bar did. With all my remaining
strength hurled it at Belgrag's head.
There was a crash of splintering
glass, and the room went dark. The
whirling iron had caught the light
bulbs, shivering them into a million
pieces, but whether it had reached it's
mark / could not tell. The door was
flung open, and in the lighter square
were the figures of hurrying men,
blotted out in second by the huge
frame of the Sakuntala's captain max
ing exit. He was still up, still fight
ing!
"Reedley! Gilmore!" heard Blake
Cry. and | manaped IN anowar I,;,~, a..