Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1919-06-18
CHAPTER VIII-continued.

The two must have hung in silence
over the rail staring down. l dared
not advance my head TO look. nor even
move a muscle of my body in the
water,
How came you aft here?"
Because that fellow leaped the rail
from the wharf. I saw him, and we
met at the wheel"
From the wharf. you say? He was
not aboard, then? Santa Maria! /
know not what that may mean. Yet
what difference, so he be dead. An
derson, Mendez, throw that carrion
overboard-no. DULLES, never mind;
let them lie where they are, and sink
an auger in the sloop's bottom. What
is that out yOnder COchose"
"A small boat sonora dory, make
It."
"Cut the rope and send it adrift.
Now come along with me-"
The darker loom of the slOop van
lshed slowly, as the slight current
sweeping about the end of the wharf
drifted the released boat to which /
chung outward into the bay. There
was scarcely ripple to the sea, and
yet / felt that the boat was steadily
drifting out into deep water. l was
still strangely weak, barely able to re-
tain my grasp. Finally mustered
every ounce Of remaining energy in
one supreme effort and succeeded in
Of uvo far
over the boats stern, sinking helpless
ly forward into the bottom. The mo-
ment this was accomplished every
sense deserted me, and / lay there
motionless, totally unconscious.
l shall never know how long / re-
nIained thus. Yet this time could not
have been great. AS though awaken
ing from sleep a faint consciousness
returned Then the sharp pain of my
wounds, accented by the sting of salt
water, brought me swift realization of
where | was and the circumstances
bringing me there. l had evidently
lost considerable blood, yet this had
already ceased to flow, and a very
slight examination served to convince
me that the knife slashes were none
of them serious. My other injuries
were merely bruises to add to my dis
comfortable result of blows dealt ne
by Sanchez and Cochose, aggravated
by the bearlike hug of the giant ne
gro. Indeed, 1 awoke to the discOV-
cry that 1 was far from being a dead
man; and, inspired by this knowledge,
the various incidents of the night
flashed swiftly back into my mind.
No CLEAN of light appeared in any
direction; no sound echoed across the
dark waste of water. 1t was clearly
impossible for me to attempt any re-
turn TO the wharf through the impene-
trable black curtain which shut me in
What, then, could / do? What might
l still hope to accomplish? Those fell
lows had swept the sloop clean, and
had doubtless long ago scuttled it.
They would suddenly find themselves
leaderless, unguided. Would that suf-
fee to stop them? Would the discov-
cry of his body halt his followers and
send them rushing back to their boat
eager to get safely away? This did
not seem likely. Estada knew of my
boarding the sloop from the wharf,
and would at once connect the fact of
my being ashore with the killing of
Sanchez. This would satisfy him
there was no further danger. Besides,
these were not men to flee in panic
Surely not with that ruffian Estada yet
alive to lead them. and the knowledge
that fifty thousand pounds was yonder
in that unguarded house, with no one
to protect the treasure but two old
men asleep, and the women. The
women Dorothy What would be-
come of her? Into whose hands would
she fall in that foul division of spoils &?
Estada's? And l, afloat and helpless
in this boat, what could l do?