Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1924-02-13

bows, attempting 30 climb and save
| their helpless comrades.
The shots and cries and trampling
went on, and the girl shuddered at the
SOUNDS. Who was winning, what had
happened to her friends, she could not
tell. But slowly there was a stir in the
| DoW-tnwarts. A tall man arose, rub
ping his eyes as If awakened from q
dispiriting sleep. He stared about-she
| could just see him dimly In the star
| hght' and then he climbed awkwardly,
with frantic haste but slowly after all
Ito the boarding ladders.
he got over the rail with some diff
Guilty, and then stopped as If consider
ing what he should do next. Louises
startled eyes could not make out his
race but his uncouth movements
seemed familiar. If she could only
see his eyes-whether they were light
or dark-cr the contour of his face.
perhaps, she could know. then he
staggered and fell.
The girl upstarted. The cries and
imprecations seemed growing in vol
ume, coming nearer, as If the attackers
were being driven back. But she began
to climb the nearer boarding ladder.
When she came over the rail she saw
first an indlstinct group OF struggling
men forward, with here ard there the
flash Of fire; and then, near her on the
deck, under the dim light by the main
companionway, man crawling along.
AT the companionway he got to his
feet with some trouble and disap-
peared below. The girl ran back of the
after-housing to get away from q dying
Spaniard at her feet. There she found
three other bodies, and the smooth
planks were slippery under her feet.
She fed the other way from these hor-
rors and then found herself by the
open skylight Of the main cabin.
1t was brilliantly lighted there. APP
parently all the fury OF the two bat
ties for the Seraphine had never pene-
trated to the heavy splendor of rose
wood, silken tapestries and crmolu en-
cased mirrors Of the emperor's suite.
For at the emperor's table sat the
ragged man she had seen there once
before. He was in the huge, carved, pre-
tentious chair at the head of the board.
He rather shone with blood from 8
scalp wound under his matted hair.
Also, she saw that he appeared to be
picking over the bones Of some rem
nants of dish that must have been
prepared for Crackley's lieutenants
earlier in the day. At any rate the
lone guest showed disappointment. He
reached for the cognac, and then lit
long reed pipe he found on the board.
Then he sat back and smoked, listening
to the distant sounds Of the battle for
ward and above on the decks Of the
Napoleon ship.
Mademoiselle Lestron turned away
with fearful curiosity. She encoun-
tered hurrying group coming past the
main-mast. Painting, stumbling, smoke
grimed men, among whom she saw the
tall Sazarac. He sprang to the side
as II to see to the safety Of the Eng
fish woman left in the longboat.
MONSIEUR" she cried, and ran to
him frightenedly.
"There is no man of them left In
arms!" he shouted. with frightening
eye. '"The port watch went overheard
at our rush. swimming for their boats.
Beluche is tumbling their wounded to a
yawl that remains. Mademoiselle," he
bowed to her, "you will go below away
from these abominable sights. Come
the Seraphine is WOnI'
"No-nor' she gasped in horror still
"No-not yeti"
Sazarac turned from her for an In
slant to the wheel where an alterca-
ton seemed arising. Old Dominique
had taken it; he was shouting, with
his eyes aloft. "She is drawing at the
top!" the fat seaman bawled. "a
man to her shrouds! A man-give
me one mani"
A silence had come, strangely ST.
lent, after the fury. A groan or two.
a coughing fellow forward in the lee
scuppers Dominique was bowling
once more.
"D-ni She's drawing Wen be
on the sands with this! A seaman
IOF DOIulnllu0s where are yG air
The Count de Almonaster suddenly
appeared past the tangle of cordage
along the starboard rail where dead
men were twisted into rope and
grimed sail cloth. He threw away
broken small sword and came on.
"Mademoiselle -
81 am not hurt" she said family.
"You-Monsieur
The roaring of Dominique, the al
derman of New Orleans, cut him off.
Course me!-fat-heavy as a lout-
and here sea fight such as my old
eyes have dreamed! A ship O. bloodl
A ship O. death twice in one day
has she been cleared o. the dead louis
fallen on herr
Forward, indeed, man was heav-
ing corpses to the phosphorescent
waters. Yet the ship seemed curious
" STILL She was drawing on, with
Dominique hauling at the wheel;
slowly, and with signing fill of limp