Show the two captains by W CLARK RUSSELL 18 by P coll cr copy 39 dodd mead co CHAPTER cont aued crystal stood i p he had finished breakfast and at sea when a man ends bis meal he departs without a moment s loss fit time to relieve the man who has relieved him supposing it to be his watch on deck A pity yo i dian didn t sail in any other ship than the thetis laura said he and with a glance at pope that seemed malevolent to the shadow with which his scar dyed it he trudged up the short steps costal is not a good tempered man said pope he is in concern about me an laura I 1 have served him well contin wd pope leaning back and gaz ng at her thoughtfully he was so poor when 1 fell in with him in london that in a few days he would not have pos messed a shilling for a meal probably his share in this voyage will already work out at considerably over a thou sand pounds I 1 include a certain draft which is sure to be honored I 1 accept ed all the risks I 1 burdened myself with i painful memory I 1 found him a comfortable berth and offered him a share in m fortune and how does he repay mea he dislikes that I 1 should even admire ou you madam who are so admirable that no man could behold you without adoration her cheeks were b arning but ith displeasure and now he exhibited great tact for though he was alone with her he made no at tempt to press himself though I 1 will not say that this might not have been owing in a small degree to the acci dent of his casting his eyes up to the skylight through which he be held a number of surl irritable am patient faces staring down at him and the girl when everything had been conveyed on deck pope lighted a cigar and fol lowed tho men he found all hands assembled t the plunder had been heaped between the skylight and the wheel and grudged up pope paused a moment to look around the sea and in that pause laura s eyes rested upon his fine face and crystal noticed the look the square man put down his quadrant and be and laura feh a pacing the deck pope descending the cousins walked the deck for a little while in silence crystal then suddenly said screwing his eyes into the extremity of their sockets so as to observe the girl without turning his head what d ye think of pope lie s a very gentlemanly sailor he answered anew ered with a slight smile he s much too handsome dignified and well bred to be a pirate crystal s mouth widened in a grin but there was little or no mirth in the grimace I 1 hope says he bluntly now turn ing his head to look at her f illy that you re not going to fall in love with him eh is it so has his blarney bitten ye already 9 he paused breath ing hard curse me he continued it jonathan crystal is go ng to let any relation of his marry a pirate V hy nota said laura coolly the crystals are a respectable old family and pirates are hanged said crystal in a low note aren t you a p rate cried the beautiful girl and aren t you likely to be no roared crystal in a tone that caused the evil eyed helmsman to start and stare see this this that will save the crystals from dis grace and he whipped a pistol out of his breast you brigl ten me more than ever capt pope does aid laura who had turned a little pale though she spoke steadily I 1 would rather be protected by him than by you you re in a bad temper and look terrible capt pope is all goodness and con and go downstairs until you make me feel easy in your corn pany and do he went to the amazement of the square man who stood rooted but swaying on his sti ong legs watching her sink through the hatch the cabin man was preparing the table for dinner laura sat down upon a locker and sank into thought on a sudden pope s door opened and the captain stepped forth he started with a look of transport on beholding her and instantly approached and seated himself at her side he made as if he would take her hand cheal ed himself but self restraint fired his cheel with blood and she thought he 1001 ed handsomer than she had ever before seen him th s w 11 save the crystals from d bgrace the pirates made a considerable crowd on either hand of it pope smoking a cigar balked up to the pile of stuff thus stationing himself between the mobs of men he said my lads all that we have taken so far is here there Is gold in those cases no call to count the coins we know to a shilling by the ship s papers what the amount Is sitting down on one of the cases he pulled out a notebook and a pen ell and his men watched him in sl lence while he made certain calculi alons I 1 will not give you his figures to tell the truth I 1 do not recollect them I 1 believe that he reserved one third of the money for himself and brig div ing crystal a fourth of the remainder and the rest to the men in equal por alons without regard to ratings the old man who told me this story was bot very clear on this head 1 when pope had called out the fig ures aloud standing up to do so and looking about him with a face of iron he cried out you are satisfied I 1 hope chos to make the kalua alon exclaimed a pirate impatiently the capan who else says bobbin in the crowd adding instant ly always begging of mr crystals pardon lets shove ahead then says pope it was noon before the worth of the things had been summed up the mall bags had not been opened pope broke off to take sights with crystal and the men below to dinner two remaining to sentinel the booty A melodious voice sounded in the companionway may I 1 come on deck an instant roared pope he caught the bell and shouted strike the bell eight eight bells echoed crystal and while a pirate hammered eight silvery chimes out of the throat of a little green bell that hung close abaft the foremast capt pope went along ta laura crystal it Is good to breathe this air after the atmosphere of the cabin she ex claimed and it Is dull downstairs before pope could answer crystal Is not all that booty I 1 have been looking at upstairs enough for youa said she enough tor me but there are others what will be your say two thousand pounds he an smiling at these inquiries which were made charming to him by the beautiful face he looked at can you mal e the rest satisfy the men so as to end this voyage and save your livesa I 1 cannot live upon the interest ot two thousand pounds answered pope with a sigh and I 1 shall not make the baiter longer by extending my cruise and enlarging my estate but I 1 am touched said he in his sweetest man ner that you sho lid feel anxious about my safety this was significant and so were her blushes but it pope at this mo ment intended to make love his pas sion must be hindered by the indru slon of a round of salt boiled beet in tact the cabin dinner was ready crystal was called gandal was shout ed for and took charge and the two captains and the young lady seated themselves it was plain from crystal s face that he continued in a bad temper though pope could not but cast from time to time an adoring glance at laura he refrained from making direct love to her under jonathan s nose when they were seated pope said miss crystal is uneasy about you and me johnny she would have us end the voyage before we re captured and hanged I 1 have told her that we are not yet rich enough she nee not trouble herself with tears of our being hanged said crys tal depend upon it in my death I 1 shall not disgrace those who bear my name how long Is this voyage going to last exclaimed laura long enough to the purpose of it replied pope I 1 am here to make my fortune I 1 have made no fortune as yet nothing under ten thousand pounds will satisfy me it capt crystal is dissatisfied let him tahe his share and shift him into the first ship we signal my cousin goes with me said crystal does shea does shea exclaimed pope then glowing sensible that his power of self restraint was abandon ing him he sprang to his feet and making miss laura one of his court blest bows went up the companion step carrying himself with a grace ahny the girl thought no man had ever surpassed all the same says crystal gloom ily and sullenly if I 1 shift as he calls it you with me you are not grateful are not even gracious she answered he said with an oath you are in love with him on which she rose and went to her cabin crystal finished Ms dinner it not y three bells he drank two strong tumblers of rum and water then joined pope on deck half a score of the pirates had collected about the stuff the rest of the crew were at this time slowly coming for ward though three bells had not been struck pope stood with folded arme gazing down at the mail bags but it was sure his thoughts were not with them lifting his eyes he saw crys tal aad without the least menace of manner though aitho it any hint ot cordiality e ther he put his hand upon the rugged man s shoulder and drew him to the rail away from the listeners ye don t want to go adrift johna not without my cousin see here says pope taking a step so as to command crystal s face my father who as a clergyman of the church of england used to say the priest tells the parson if you do not bel eve in my church ou must go to hell and m father would the parson s reply would be if you do not bel eve in my church you must go to hell for every man has a right to hia opinion johnny and if you don t like mine say the word pocket air share says he pointing to the litter 0 stuff and put ye aboard the first ship we see you put us says crys tal savagely by and here pope swore I 1 d cut your throat first man yea even as i slept before I 1 parted with her she s my booty she s my prize she loves me he rounded on bis heel and walked away to the p ie of plunder and crys tal at the ra 1 watched him under the shadow of his scar with his brain tash loning a scheme whose one prim ary and essential feature was and he was not too drunk to conceive it that he must stick to the brig CHAPTER the mails it was now for pope to open the mail bags and examine their contents crystal left the bulwarks against which he had been leaning and drew close there were several bags of malls and each was stuffed full the con tents consisted of letters newspapers attle parcels and the like the let wl ich contained nothing but writ ing were flung overboard one stout envelope in the third bag that was opened secured by tape and green sealing wax was found to contain a flat packet of small diamonds some b of exchange were met with bank rotes of the value of six hundred pounds sundry small packages con tamed articles of jewelry to be continued |