Year: 1861

made fast to something below. He do
seconded to the hold, and there he found
that the twinc ran in beneath the lid Of
the coffin. He had no doubt now that
there was mischief boxed up before him,
and he sent Carter for something that
might answer for screw driver. The
man soon returned with stout knife,
and the Commodore set to work. Ho
worked very carefully, however, at the
same time keeping bright lookout for
the string.


At length the screws were all out, and
the lid was very carefully lifted from its
place.


"Great God Of Hcaycn!" burst from
the lips of the Commodore.


by Sam Hyde" dropped like thun-
der clap from the tongue Of Dan.


"God bless you, Dam" said Tucker.


"I hno,ccd it !" uttered Dan.


The two men stood for moment aud
looked into the coffin There was no dead
man there, but in the place thereof, there
were materials for the death Of a score.
The coffin was filled with gun-powder and
pitch wood! Upon light framework in
the center were arranged four pistols, all
cooked and prilncd, and the string which
entered the coffin from without, commune
Gated with the trigger Of each.
The first movement OF the Commodore
was to call for water, and when it was
brought he dashed three buckets full into
the internal machine, and then he breathcd
easier.


mo, no--my men do nothing rashly.
Let me 90 into the cabin first. You may
follow me-"


Commodore Tucker strobe into the cab
in, walked up to the bunk where his pas
scnger lay, and graspina hold of the fe-
male dress he dragged its wcarer out up
on the cabin floor. There was sharp
resistance, and the passenger drew pis-
tol, but it was quickly knocked away
the gown was torn off, and man came
forth from the remnants of calico and
linen.


The fellow was assured that his whole
plot had been discovered, and at length
he owned that it had been his plan to turn
out in the course of the night and get hold
of the ball of twinc, which he had left in
convenient place; he then intended to
90 aft, carefully unwinding the string as
he went along; then to have got into the
boat, cut the falls, and as the boat fell in
to the water he would have pulled smart
ly upon the twine.


d" And think you know" he continued
with wicked look, what would have
followed. l shouldn't have been noticed
in the fuss--I'd have got out of the way
with the boat. and you'd all been in the
next world in short order. All can say
is, I'm sorry | didn't do it,"


1t was with much difficulty that the
Commodore prevented his men from kill
ing the villain on the spot. He proved to
be one of the enemy's officers, and was to
have heavy reward if he succeeded in
destroying the American Commodore and
his crew.


The prisoner was carried on deck and
lashcd to the main rigging, where he was
told he should remain until the vessel got
in port.


"What horrid death that villain
meant for u.s." uttered Carter.


"Yes, he did, said Tucker with
shudder.


f." lIc belongs to the same gang that's
been a robin and burnin' the poor folks
houses on the eastern coast" said one of
the men.


Yes" returned the Commodore with
a nervous twtch of the muscles about his
mouth.


A bitter curse from the prisoner here
broke upon the air. and with clcnched
fist the Commodore went below.


In the morning when Commodore Tuck
er came on the deck, Seguin was in sight
upon the starboard bow, but when he
looked for the prisoner he was gone


Garter. where is that villain lashed
here last night p


I'm sure don't know where he is,
Commodore. Perhaps he's jumped over
board"


The old Commodore looked stersly in
to Carter's eyes, and he saw twinkle of
satisfaction cleaning there. He hesitated
Il moment-then he turned away and MUIR
INJURED to himself:


"Wcll, well-I can't blam, them. If
the murderous villains gone to his death
he's only met fate which he richly de-
served. Better far that it be he, than
that my noble crew were now in the
oceans cold grave"