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—+e4iGOLDEN DAYS:«S=
July 8, 1882.
*] was thinking some of doing so,”
replied Kirk. “We have got only a
short run for to-morrow, and we can
wait just as well! as not until noon before
we leave
“ There hain’t nothin’ to be seen in
the town, said the red-headed man, in
a sulky sort of way.
“So” long os there is a post office, it
will do for us,” replied Kirk, with a
laugh; and then he turned to go aft
again, when one of the men hailed him.
“Say, cap, where's that nigger?”
“You shall see him in the Snorning.””
*“ But we've got a little matter to settle
with him now,” and the tone the speaker
used was menacing.
“You can’t see him to-night)” was the
firm reply, although Kirk was far from
feeling as firm as his voice indicated, for
all his’ fears, which had been allayed for
the moment, were again aroused.
n’t sure whether we kin wait till
mornin® or not, but if we can’t, we'll be
sure to let you ‘know of it,” and then all
three of the men laughed boisterously
as they returned to the mess-room.
Kirk went back to his cousins, con
scious that he had ‘accomplished nothing
by going forward, and knowing that he
had unwisely given a hint to the men
that he by had an idea of running over to
St.
Now, if he made any movement to-
ward getting the yacht under way, the
men would their guard, ready to
revent him it it Mvould interfere in any
way with their plans.
7 and Harry repeated the word
in the way of a question.
“They wili do nothing at present, and
we must still act as if we bad no idea but
that everything is straight,” whispered
* Kirk. “You go into the engine-room,
Harry, and see if you can't replenish the
fire without their hearing you.
come back to the cabin.’
Harry started, in a leisurely sort of
ways up the port side, and Kirk said to
“Now let’s try to find that boy Solo-
mon, for we may need him before we
get out of this
The two then made a thorough search
of the deck, and afterward the cabin; ;
but no signs could be seen of the miss-
ing bows “Ife had disappeared complete-
ly, and both Joe and Kirk were annoyed
that he had succeeded in secreting him-
selfin a way that seemed mysterious.
Harry’s coming prevented them from
speaking ofit as ‘they would have done.
He reported thatthe men were still in
the mess-room, and that he had succeed-
ed in replenishing the fire without their
haying been inade aware of the fact.
“But now what’s jone?”? he
asked, as he seated himself by the table
as though he thought it would be neces-
sary to draw up a regular plan of the
campat:
That 3 was a question easier asked than
answered, and Kirk looked very much
as if he wished some one would suggest
the answer; but as no one spoke, he re-
“T don’t see that we can do anything
just at present, unless it is te slip our
cable, and run for St. Luci
“ y not order them to leave?”
asked Joe. ‘They have a boat, and we
needn’t ‘Keep then here any longer than
we want
“That is. true; but our agreement was
to pay them five dollars and give thema
chance tosleep on board to-night. Of
urse we needn't feel bound to keep
them while they act as they do now;
but suppose we Should tell them to go,
wi hat do you think they would say?”
“I think they'd go if each one of us
had his gun to his shoulder,” replied
oe.
“And that is just what I am_ not will-
ing todo. It might end in a fight where-
in one would be killed, and I have no
idea of putting myself into a position
where it might even be necessary to at-
tempt to take a man's life.””
It was very evident that Harry agreed
with Kirk in the matter, therefore Joo
said nothing more about such extreme
measures.
“We have got to decide upon some
course, for we can do no good sitting
here arguing foolish questions,” said
Harry, impatien:
“‘Perhaps all three ofus never could
agree upon what it is best to do, so I
think Kirk had better give his orders as
captain, which we are all
agreement to obey without question.”
e made no reply, but he looked at
kirk guestioningly, as if only waiting
for the word to spoken ; and, after a
few moments’ thought, the’ captain said:
“T am in favor of running for St.
Lucie, where we can in case we
need it. Unless these men mean to take
phe yacht out over the bar before morn-
g, they will be very likely to go to
p—all the more so because of the
liquor br they have drank. Now, this is
what we will do: Harry shall go into
the engine-room, as if he was simply do-
ing his duty; he shall get steam up
slowly, and while he is doing that I will
riga buoy to the ¢able, so that we can
slip it. Joe shall walk around, keeping
a watch on the men while I am at work,
to prevent them from surprising us.
After we are ready to start, Harry shall
lock himself into the engine-room, a
Joe and I will take the wheel-house. I
think we can get over to the town before
they ean stop us.’”
“But they can get into the cabin
while we are doing that,” objected Joe.
“Yes,’” replied Kirk, gravely, ‘we
can’t prevent that; but we will take the
uns forwz and then lock the cabin-
loors, SO fia? to break them in will oc-
cupy some of their time. It is necessary
that we get over there before every one
e to bed, so the sooner we are off
the etter. Let's tthe guns forward
now, lock the cabin, fand then try the ex-
periment.”
It did not take the boys many minutes
to carry the project into execution. The
men being in the mess-room on the star-
board side, the weapons were carried on
the port side, and in less than five min-
utes each one was performing his allotted
share of the work.
lee
r
CHAPTER XII.
THE SEIZURE OF THE YACHT.
The men in the mess-room were evi-
dently unsuspicious of any attempt by
the boys to make a change in the scene
of operations, for, although they must
necessarily have’ heard them moving
around, they paid no attention to the
matter.
Knowing the yacht to be anchored be-
yond the reach of any one, the men
probably thought they could well af-
ford to take their own'time about mak-
ing the seizure, not_ caring to do so until
they were ready to leave the harbor.
Joe kept a strict watch over them by
pretending to coil up the ropes on the
deck, and otherwise cleaning the yacht,
while Ilarry threw coal, piece by
piece, into the furnace with his hands,
Jest the rattling of the shovel should pro-
claim what he was doing.
Kirk made a buoy of one of the water-
casks and half a dozen sticks of wood,
fastening the bung in firmly, and lash?
ing the wood alongside.
This he was able to lower overboard
without noise, and by fastening one end
of a forty-fathom rope to the “cask, and
the other end tothe cable, just outside
the hawse-hole, .he had relieved his
buoy entirely of the weight of the cable
when it should be let go.
By the time Kirk’s portion of the wor
-was done, Joe came forward to tell ore
that there was a twenty-pound pressure
in fhe boiler, and Harry was ready to
. Help me let this cable go without
making a noise,” Kirk whispered, and
pe and Joo handled the chain link by
nk, to prevent it rattling against the
haw: Se-hole, until it was all overboard.
“Now walk back slowly. Tell Harry
to fasten himself in scourely and si
her at full speed as quickly afterw: ard as
possible. I will go into the wheel-house,
so a8 to be ready, and you come right
back there.’”
It is not. to be supposed that the boys
were perfectly cool and collected while
they were thus making preparations to
run away with their uncomfortable pas-
sengers. nthe contrary, they were in
the Bhighest possible state of Silent ex-
citement, as their bated breath and
trembling hands gave evidence
They were not at all desirons of havy-
ing such adventures, but since this one
had_ been forced upon them, they were
willing to make every effort to save
their yacht. It could be hardly possible
their lives were in any danger.
Kirk went at ohce to the wheel-house,
watching anxiously lest the yacht, being
ue released from the anchor, might drilt
n the shore before Harry was ready
test start, and Joe joined him almost im-
mediately,
“He'll start her in a minute now,”
Joe Whispered 5 and Kirk saw that no
harm could come to the Sprite even in a
much longer time, since there was no
wind to drive her shorewar
He and Joe quickly fastened the doors
and windows of the wheel-house; and
hardly had they done this when "they
heard a low whistle through the tube.
“Harry means by that that he is ready
to start,”? w hispered Kirk; an en he
took his station by the w heel, his heart
thumping so loudly it seemed almost as
if those in the mess-room must hear it.
There was no time for hesitation. ‘then,
for in another instant the jar of the ma-
chinery could be felt, and the Sprite be-
gan to forge ahead—slowly at first, but
gathering speed each second.
It was fully three minutes after the
yacht had been started before the boys
heard any movement from the mess-
room, and then came an exclamation of
surprise from all three of the men, fol-
lowed | ed by the sound of their Tootsteps on
the
“Its now or never,” muttered Kirk,
as he grasped the spokes of the wheel
firmly, much as if he thought by so do-
ing he was helping the yacht along
& What's up now?” cried the red-
headed man, rushing forward, and look-
ing up at_the windows of the wheel-
““ What's the meaning of this?”
“T thought we'd run over to ucie,
and so we started, that’s all,’ ‘replied
Kirk, as calmly as possible.
“ Oh, it is all, is it?” cried the man, in
arage. “Well, we'll see whether it is
or not!
wit then he dashed at the door of the
eel-house, as if he expected to get in
without the slightest difficulty.
Finding it lock ed, the man stepped
back, spoke hurriedly to his companions,
as-if giving some order, and then ran
Tt was very easy to guess what order
the man had given, for almost as soon as
he had spoken blows were heard on
the door of the engine room, and Har
said through the t
“They are trying to break in, and I
think Thad better let them know that I
have a we ”
“Tell him to do’ just as he thinks
best 1” ried 1 Kirk to Joe; and then he
pulled the pbistle-cord - sharply, giving
the signal of distress. :
“That must be stopped, and at once,’’
one of the men could be heard to say, as.
the whistle sounded out sharp and clear.
“Weshall have everybody within five
miles on the watch for ug,”
“Now. they’re coming for us,” said
Joe, as, seizing one of the guns, he stood
in front of the door ready for the expect-
ed assault.
“They've broken two of the windows
in, and you may expect the engine stop-
pe ed at any moment!’ shouted Harry,
through the tube.
‘ake the wheel and steer straight
for the lights, even if you do run her
aground,’’ said Kirk, as he took the gun
from Joe and pushed him toward the
wheel. -
amage done to his yacht had
aroused him thoroughly, and when h
seized the weapon from Joe’s hands, the
look on his face told he had less com-
punction about firing at such men than
phen the the matter had been discussed in
the cabin.
“Do you think they could stop the
engine if they did get in?” he shouted
®
“They may know how and they may
not,” came back in reply; “buat if you
think of rushing out with the guns, Tm
with you, for they'll be in here presently
anyway, and our r only chance is to make
a fight for it.
“Come out then on the port side and
come up this way, to prevent their getting
the wheel. I’m going out now,” said
Kirk, in a low, deterinined voice; and
then he added, to Joe: Keep her just
as she’s going, and keep sounding the
whistle as long'as ou can. Don’t pay any
attention to the fight, evenif they are get-
ting | the best of us.’
Then he tunfastoned the door on the
port side of the wheel-house and stepped
out, seeing a figure which he supposed
to be Harry erouching close beside the
Tr.
“We'll goaround the otherside, and—”
Tie did not finish the sentence, for
when he had spoken thus far, he saw the
supposed Harry advance, raise his hand,
and then the fire flashed before his eyes
as he sank upon the deck, stricken down
by a murderous blow on the head.
Asif the men had heard all that had
been said, another of their party was
lying in wait for Harry, and no sooner
had he emerged from the engine-room
than he was felled to the deck, “while the
third man, who was the red: haired pilot,
sprang into the wheel-ho
Joe was keeping the Tittle croft straight
on her course, and blowing the whistle
of distress with such vigor that he did
not notice the opening of the door.
The first intimation he had that the
battle was so quickly over, was when
the man caught him by the throat, hurl-
ing him intoone corner of the little’ room,
where he remained nearly unconscious
until one of the other men dragged him
out on deck, tied his hands and feet and
flung him like some piece of merchandise
on his cousins.
It was some time before any one of the
three boys awoke to full consciousness,
and then the throbbing of the engine
could be heard, while the long, measured
roll of the boat told that the harbor had
been left behind—that they were on the
se:
The Sprite was gliding swiftly along,
but they were powerless to guide ner;
both they and the yacht were in the
power of unscrupulous men.
[T0 BE CONTINUED.]
ee.
THE
CRUISE OF THE ST. MARYS.
(Lieut. De Long's old ship.
BY WILLIAM 8. VAN COTT.
After all the necessary arrangements
had been made, I entered on board the
St. Marys some time during the month of
March. The ship was at the time lying
at the foot of East Twenty-third Street,
New York City. I was given an entry
number and a crew number, The for-
mer denotes the number of boys that
have been on board, including the one
who receives it. Thecrew number isthe
number of the boy at the mess in which
he is placed. There are, while in port,
but six crews, and at sea eight. Odd
numbers are in the starboard watch, and
even in the port watch. Crew number
one would have boys numbered 1, 3, 5,
ete., to 31, inclusive—there being but six-
teen boys i ina crew. Crew number two
would have boys numbered 2, 4, 6, ete.,
to 32, inclusive; and so on through all
the crew:
The day. after entering we were placed
in a section, and had to go on with the
studies of that class, i in which were arith-
metic, geography, grammar and spell-
ing, seamanship, sail-making, knotting
and splicing.
After the new-comers had been on
board about a week, we were kindly told
hat our time me, and were con-
ducted to one of the mess tables, around
which quite 2 number of boys were as-
sembled. Without a moment’s warning
we were laid across the table, pounde:
with great enthusiasm, and were then
released and told not to tind it, as our
initiation had a beg
For my part, I thonght it was time we
were throug
After all” the new-comers had been
“paddled,” we were placed between two
rows of boys and invited to sing.
first boy sang, “Mary had a little fumb,.”
le finished it, and was presented with
bouquets, in the form of ropes’ ends and
anything that came handy, Jaid over his
back as he ran between the two rows of
boys. The next was invited to sing, and
commenced with “Dear Little Butter-
cup,” but got no further, for the blows
fell hot and heavy on his devoted back.
This was the initiation for that eve-
ning; but we were all Oriheopinion that
it was enough to last forever.
Mentioning this to one of the older
boys, he laughed, and said that we w ere
mistaken; we we re young and did no
know our own m
a few Tninates after the evening
performances (two bells), the rattle
Sprung, and we fell to our guns, the
crews: Taustered and marched on deck to
their hammocks.
After all were on deck, the hammocks
were piped down by the boatswain, and
we all turned in, but many of. the new
ones did not get to sleep until far in the
night, thinking of the terrible wrongs
that had been done them, and trying ‘to
fix upon some way of paying off the
bt.
Some had just fallen into a doze, when
down on deck came one of the hammocks.
The occupant got on his legs and found
that the foot of his hammock had been
thrown off the ppillet or hook on which
it had been slu
He looked into ‘the hammock of those
near him, but found that the hoys were
all asleep, or pretended to be, snoring as
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