Judsonia weekly advance., 1919-09-18

| lHC llSllt uuu lIe u1Sl CIOdk OI Ills
voice told his purpose.
"Now you skulking cowards," he
yelled pointing forward, do you see
what you are fighting? There are only
five men between you and the deck.
To hell with 'emi Come on! I'll show
you the way!"
He leaped forward; but it was his
last step. / sent the cleaver hurting
through the air. / know not how 1t
struck him, but he went down, his
last word shrek, his arms flung out
In vain effort to ward off the blow.
Schmitt roared out Dutch oath. and
his gun, sent whirling above me.
crashed into the uplifted torch. Again
1t was black night, through which the
| eye could perceive nothing. Even the
noise ceased, but hand gripped my
| shoulder.
| "Who are your"
watkins. The boats are ready. The
one forward has pushed off loaded.
The afterboat is alongside. There is
such fog, sir, yer can't see two
fathoms from the ship. The girl is in
the boat, but LeVere amt. The mate
slipped out o. sight in the fog He's
somewhere aboard"
"Never mind him; the fellow can do
no harm now. Move back slowly lads.
Schmitt and I will be the last ones
out"
We closed the companion door as
silently as possible and for the mo-
ment there was no sound from within
to show that our cautious withdrawal
h; been observed. stared about, but
was able to perceive little beyond the
small group awaiting my orders. The
fog chung thick and heavy on all sides,
and 1t was impossible for the eye to
penetrate to either rail. Fortunately
there was no weight of sea running.
"There is nothing more to keep us
aboard lads. Stow yourselves away
and hang on; I'll wait here until you
are all over"
They faded away into the mist, dim
spectral figures, ana l remained alone,
listening anXiously for some hostile
sound from below. Satisfied that the
lads were safely over the rail and the
decks clear, turned toward the ships
side. AS l did so yell reached my
ears from the blackness below-the
hounds had found voice.
l ran through the fog in the direc-
ton the others had disappeared, and
had taken scarcely three steps when
/ collided against the form of a man,
whose presence was not even noticed
until we came together. Yet he must
have been there expectant and ready
for q quick knife thrust slashed the
front of my jacket, bringing a squirt of
blood as the blade was jerked back
Even as my fingers gripped the upift
ed wrist, ere he could strike the sec
ond time, l knew my antagonist.
knew also this was fight to the death,
| to be terminated before that unguard.
ed crew below could attain the deck.
1t was LeVere's life or mine, and In
the balance the fate of those others in
the waiting boat alongside. The knowl-
edge gave me the strength and the
ferocity of tiger. l ripped the knife
from his fingers, and we closed with
bare hands, his voice uttering one
croaking cry for help as l bore in on
his windpipe. He was q snake, a cat,
slipping out of my grasp as by some
magic. At last had him against the
rail, the weight of us both so hard
upon it that the stout wood broke,
and we both went over. graphing I'M
til we splashed into the water below.
| Tho Shopl, lOoSapod NV hold DC
fought way back to the surface l
was alone. My strength began to fail,
hope left me as l sank deeper and deep
er into the remorseless grip of the
ocean. l was not afraid; my lips ut.
| tered no cry, no prayer drifted out
| into total Inconsistencies and went
| down.