Show barton by frnk H sweet copyright 1902 by dal story put co the great vessel was moving tor ward at quarter speed the bows only breaking the rater into small rip pies which gurgled along her sides and quickly smoothed out astern all around was darkness thick arable oppressive not even the taint twinkle of a star relieving its anvel ea on the upper deck stood the cap tain with several of his officers near them a sailor was winding the frayed end of a halyard the captain held a night glass and from time to time raised it to his eyes but only to lower it quickly and am patiently in that darkness the glass was of little use for an hour they had been running at slow speed cautiously and with eyes and ears strained as though waiting for something to slip out of the darkness or for some signal or sign but still there were only sea and the black wall of silence as tar as appearances went they might have been a thousand miles from land another ten minutes and the strain grew more tense all over the ship were eyes watching and ears listen ing on the lower decks through the ports the pilots window from the shrouds even the secret was an open one and all the ship knew that close on the starboard here almost touch ing them perhaps was a low hostile shore where were eyes as vigilant and keen as their own and that were their presence known or suspected the mission of the ship would be trus grated it only they would show a light or do something to indicate their where the captain muttered for the twentieth time but they don t know we re here sir observed one of the younger of bleers oh I 1 know they don t of course testily it they did they would but what are we to doa weve got to get away from here before daylight maybe a boat began another officer but the captain cut him short do at all under the cir cum stances he declared the shore may be ten rods away and it may be two miles and we don t know the ene mys position A boat would make more or less noise and in a ard search for a landing would be sure to be heard captain bixby is of course at his old camp on the other side of the river a mile in the inter lor if he could show a light for an instant we could make directly for it one slip from the boat near the bhore and steal through the under growth to the camp A few seconds would acquaint bixby with the tact that gen clay is fifty miles up the coast marching toward him and be fore morning he could have his men and the women and children well on the way toward safety so far the enemy have counted on starvation as an easy and effectual means of sub neither they nor bixby suspect the general is even in the country but by to morrow night the enemy s scouts will discover bis pres ence and then well it will be a quick rush and another day of horror for the people who read the news papers this sort of foe doean doesn t know the meaning of civilized warfare the sailor looked up from the hal yard he was winding I 1 m a good swimmer sir he said significantly the captain regarded hm keenly for a moment then shook his head you don t understand these south ern waters he answered they are full of sharks you wouldn t live to get a boats length from the ship but there are many lives in dan ger over yonder the sailor urged and some of them are women and children I 1 m only one perhaps I 1 might get through it I 1 did id show a light tor one instant to let you know that everything was all right and that you could put on steam to join gen clay and hurry to meet us but the captain again shook his head decisively there s a chance of succeeding he said it there were you should go but I 1 dont feel that I 1 have the right to sacrifice a life uselessly no we will cruise bach and forth until two hours before daylight then it no means have been found to communicate with bixby we will put on full steam to join dpn clay it we can get a re enforcement of a few hundred men we will hasten back and effect a landing we may be in time to help bixby that way either by driving the enemy back or holding them in check until the general arrives the sailor did not answer and ap patently ly be thought the halyard sut I 1 m a good swimmer sir he said significantly wound tor as the captain ceased speaking he walked aft but he did not seek other vork instead he slipped down to the lower deck and continued aft until he found a place near the rail where he was alone it took but a moment to fasten the end of a rope into one of the rail rines test it and drop the other end overboard it was not long enough to reach the water he knew but he had no time to seek another however it was even shorter than he supposed I 1 L i tor when he reached the end ot it op a circle of light which came from one of the ship s port holes he found the water many feet below but he was too expert a diver and swimmer not to know how to enter he water from that distance without making a splash letting himself hang rigidly at full length with his toes bent downward and close together to form a point he released the rope and shot into the water like a wedge leaving carcell car cely a ripple upon the surface when he rose he was twenty yards from the vessel presently he glanced over his der at the few lights about the ship s decks and the two or three that showed through her ports wondering it they would be significant to the when he rose ha was far from the vessel enemy but he decided that they would not most of the ship s lights had been extinguished and the few re kalning would doubtless be thought lights of their own boats or of some wandering fisher or sponger an hour later the captala and his officers were at the same place on deck still anxious and undecided suddenly one of them uttered a low tion and pointed into tha darkness look yonder at that light he cried waving as though it might be a sig nal I 1 wonder what it can be not captain baxby no said the captain with aled speculation in his voice it s not far enough away there it has disappeared then a sudden corn pretending pre exultant ring came into his voice as he demanded where that sailor bartone some of you go and find him quick two of the officers hurried away ten minutes later they returned ei we have bad the entire vessel searched sir one of them reported but bar ton Is not to be found anywhere he must have fallen overboard dropped overboard you mean said the captain dryly hes slip ping through the underbrush toward camp by this time go tell the engineer to put on all steam we 11 get to gen clay as quick as we can now |