Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1919-06-05
CHAPTER TX.
A Swim to the Namur.

All was black, hopeless; with head
buried in my hands sat on a thwart,
dazed. Before me, pleading, express
sive of agonized despair, arose the
sweet face of Dorothy Fairfax. No
doubt by this time all was over-the
dead body of Sanchez discovered, the
| projected attack on the house carried
out, the two old men left behind, Ell
| Their dead or severely wounded, and
| the girl borne off helpless prisoner.
| Ay but this knew; there was only one
place to which the villains might fee
with their booty-the Namur of Rot
terdam. Only on those decks and well
at sea would they be safe or able to
enjoy their spoils. The thought came
to me in sudden revelatfon-why not?
Was not here chance even yet to foil
them? With Sanchez dead no man
aboard that pirate craft could resa
nize me. felt assured of this. INm
fought the giant negro in The dsStM
he could not, during that fierce ~
counter, have distinguished my fea-
lures any more clearly than had his
own. There was no one else to fear.
If only l might once succeed in get
ting safely aboard, slightly disguised,
perhaps, and mingle unnoticed among
the crew, the chances were not bad
for me to pass undetected. Such ships
carried large crews and were constant |
ly changing in personnel. A strange
face appearing among them need not |
arouse undue suspicion. And / felt |
convinced 1 could locate the Namur. |
But could hope to attain the ship in |
advance of the returning party of |
raiders? God helping me, would tryi |
My brain throbbed with fresh resolu-
tion-the call to action.
There were oars in the boat. L
and chose my course from the stars.
My boat had drifted considerably far
Their out into the bay than had sup
posed, and it required a good half
hour of steady toll at the oars before
sighted ahead of me the darker out
lines of the shore. At first could
identify nothing but finally there sud
denly arose, clearly defined, the gaunt
limbs of a dead tree, bearing faint
to a gigantic cross, that
had been pointed out on the sloop.
This peculiar mark was at the extrem-
ty of the first headland lying north
Of the point itself, and consequently
4 straight course across the bay would
and me within five hundred yards of
where the Namur had last been at /
anchor.
To degree my immediate plan of
action had been definitely mapped out
within my own mind while toiling at
he oars. would beach my dory and .
strike out on foot directly across the 1
narrow neck of land. The Namur was Q
lot so far out from shore as to make I
to her a dangerous feat.
md l could approach and board her
With far less chance of discovery in
hat manner than by the use of boat. .
The greater danger would come after q
had attained the deck, wet to the Y
kin. The sharp bow of the dory ran v
p on the soft sand of the beach, and h
stepped ashore. a
Then there came to me the first real Q
Consciousness of the reckless nature o
{ this adventure. As l faced then
he probabilities there scarcely seemed u
ne chance in hundred. And yet D
lust admit there was the one chance r
nd in no other action could l per- II
Give even that much encouragement. III
Dorothy Fairfax was already In the III
ands of these men, then my only OPP III
ortnnlty for serving her lay in my ii
eing close at hand. No alternative III
resented itself; no other effort could III
e effective. 1t was already too late
, attempt the organization of a res
lie party. No. the only choice left u
as for me either to accompany the
ri or else abandon her entirely to
er captors. / must either face the
disability Of discovery and capture, tn