Show f o r e y CO YR GHr 1 CLURG arch Peace or War Dorothy I Is s Forced to Choose Synopsis Geoffry Carl Carlyle lemaster le master of sailing ships at nt twentysix f ty Is sentenced to 20 years years' servitude e in the American col col- colonies miles onies for participation in the Monmouth rebellion in En England lan Among the passengers rs on board the he ship on which he is sent across s are Roger Fairfax wealthy Maryland planter his niece Dorothy DOlOthy Fairfax and Lieutenant Lieutenant Lieutenant Lieu Lieu- tenant Sanchez a n Spaniard who became acquainted with the Fair Fair- faxes in London Carlyle meets Dorothy Doroth who informs him her uncle has hou bought hl his services Sanchez shows shows- himself an enemy of Carlyle The Fairfax party now on Its own sloop in the Chesapeake bay encounters a mysterious m bark the Namur of ofU U Rotterdam Cm Cat Carlyle lyl lyle discovers that Sanchez is Black Sanchez planning to steal the Fairfax g- g gold lel slut and abduct Doroth Dorothy He He- fights Sanchez and leaves him for fog dead In a battle with Sanchez followers however he heis heis heis is overpowered o and thrown into the ha hay bay In a desperate effort to to save sa Dorothy Carl Carlyle le decides to swim to the Namur B By a ruse he lw gets aboard and mingles mingles mins min min- with the crew The pirates return to the Namur with Dorothy Doroth Dorothy Dor Dor- oth othy the captured gold and Sanchez badly wounded but still alive e Carlyle Carlle finds a friend in Watkins an English sailor Estada Estada Es- Es tada hula acting captain makes Carlyle Carlyle Car Car- lyle first mate of the Namur T i CHAPTER XV 10 10 The Cabin of the Namur Both huge black hands grasped the spokes s and It t was evident that it required required re re- re- re all his giant strength to control control control con con- the bucking wheel He was an ugly looking brute the lower portion of his face apelike and the wool growIng growing grow grow- ing lag so low as us to leave him scarcely an nn inch of forehead His eyes ees lifted an instant from the binnacle card to glance glince at me ale curiously They exhibIt exhibited exhibited It d no Hash flash of oC recognition For half an hour Estada hung about aft apparently pa paying no attention to tome tome me and yet et watching my movements closely There was little to be done dote but I thought It best to keep the watch reasonably busy so they might thus learn that I knew my work They proved prompt and capable enough although I was e eyed ed with some curiosity curiosity curi curi- when I first went forward and no doubt was very thoroughly dIscussed discussed discussed dis dIs- dis- dis cussed behind my back The l idlers lers amidships were a totally different class class class-a a mongrel scum profanely chatting in Spanish or 01 swaggering about the deck their very looks a challenge However they kept out of my wa way and I found no occasion to interfere with their diversions After Arter Estada left the deck eck the majority majority ma ma- amused themselves gambling and as ns I had received no orders to Interfere I permitted the games to pro pro- Mendez interfered only once on occasion of a brief fight My only instructions from the Portuguese n his going below was to call him at once if a sail was sighted Apparently Apparent Apparent- ly he was satisfied of m my ability to command the deck No occasion to call him arose durIng dur dur- ing lag my watch It was still daylight but with a purple gleam across the waters when LeVere arrived on deck for my relief We were talking to to- together gether abaft the wheel when Estada appeared in the companionway Every promise promIs of a clear cleur night he f said glancing about at ut the horizon Better change the course two points LeVere we are lying in too close to the coast for our purpose The table call will come very shortly Senor Gates I washed up hastily in my stateroom stateroom stateroom state state- room and came out into the cabin perplexed as to what might occur within the next few e moments Yet whatever the result there was no avol avoiding ing It U. My every move was one of extreme caution Estada and Estevan awaited me The latter was all rigged out and with smooth black hair hall oiled and plastered down own upon his forehead I never be held beld a more disagreeable face or one which so thoroughly revealed the nature nature na na- na- na ture of a man As I touched his hand nt ot Estada's brief Introduction It was wa wasas s as If I fingered a snake This is your chair Gates and you n will find we live e well aboard the Namur Na Na- mur wine mur-wine wine women and und song song hey hey Manuel Mnnuel Why not when all are a at t command Steward you told the lad lady v tv what my orders were Then bid he he her r join us s. us I r We stood in silence as Gunsaules crossed the deck and Inserted a Jw key in the after stateroom door Manuel wa was grinning In full enjoyment but the expression on the face of Estada was that of grim cruelty I felt m my hands grip like Iron on my chair back and my teeth clinch in restraint God but I would have liked to grip the fellow fellow fellow fel fel- low where he stood stood all all the bottled- bottled up hatred in my soul struggling for action Yet that would only mean meun the death of all hope and I turned my mye e eyes es away from him and stared with the others at the opening door Out into the full light of the cabin the woman came and halted barely astep a astep astep step in advance of the steward her head hend uplifted proudly her e eyes es on us Never before had I realized her beauty beauty beau beau- t ty her personality as I did then Her posture was not that of defiance nor of surrender she stood as a n woman oman defending her right to respect sustained sustained sustained sus sus- by a wonderful courage I caught her glance but there was no recognition In it not by the flicker of an nn eyelid did she betray surprise and yet in some mysterious manner a flash of Intelligence passed between us It was all instantaneous for her gaze seemed to concentrate on Estada as us though she site knew him as leader You sent for me For what she asked her Spanish clear and well chosen To join us at meal he answered unmoved It is better than to remain alone Better You must have a strange opinion of me sae t to believe I would sit with murderers and thieves I Harsh words senorita and Estada grinned grimly Yet I expected them There are many trades in the world b by y which men are robbed We only work at the one we like best nor oar will willI I discuss that with you ou However senorita I can cun say that we have taken no lives in this last affair No lives in sudden incredulous surprise You mean my uncle lives If It you refer to Fairfax the Fairfax the one in whose room the chest was hidden I Ican Ican Ican can only reply truthfully that he be lives I i i f ti A AI AU I U 4 p o G 0 P Q 9 I Peace or War One of my men struck him down but butt It t was not a death blow If It that be bethe bethe bethe the reason of your OUr disdain there Is no cruse cause This chair Is s held for you But why was I brought away awny a p prisoner To be a plaything A sport for your pleasure That was but the orders of our chief thief we tive await his its recovery to learn his Ills purpose Sanchez Was Vas he your our chief A pirate A buccaneer we prey on the enemies enemies enemies ene ene- mies of Spain It was at Captain Sanchez Sanchez Sanchez San San- chez orders we waited the arrival of your vessel from England He lIe loved loyed you ou he would no doubt have dealt with you ou honorably I have reason to believe that to be his purpose now Nothing will change his purpose BeIs He Be HeIs Heis Is that hind and he has the power He Be determined that if you ou would not come to him by choice you should be made to by force You are here now by his orders and will remain until you ou consent to his purpose purpose all all that remains for you to decide Is whether you ou choose to be prisoner or guest aboard And if he should die Estada shrugged his shoulders In in- differently Who knows Her Ifer lips tightened as thou though h to hold holdback holdback holdback back a cry while one hand pressed to the open door steadied her There was a look in the searching eyes I did not like to see It was a moment before be be- fore she could control her voice I have heard them call you Estada or Of what rank in this company are jou Sou 1 I am Pedro Estada formerly the first officer now by occasion of Captain Captain Cap- Cap tam tain n Sanchez wound in full command These are two of at my officers Senor officers Senor Gates one of at your own countrymen and Manuel Estevan And now that I have answered your our questions what ts is it to be between us us pence peace or war Her eyes dropped and I could distinctly distinctly dis dis- dis note the trembling of at her slender slender slender slen slen- der figure When she slowly raised her glance once more it rested on my face fuce as though seeking approval guid guId- ance I If there be only the one choice she said quietly I accept peace I cannot live locked in that room alone haunted by my thoughts and memo memo- ries If I pledge you my word senor am am I to the freedom of this cabin and the deck Estada looked at us a shade of oC doubt douht In his eyes I made no sign but Manuel nodded I Why not he asked in his harsh croak cronk of a voice So long as w we be beat beat I at ut sea What harm can the girl do Perhaps none I will take a half hulf chance at least You shall have the I freedom of the cabin So long as you keep your our word while as us to the deck dec we will consider that later Prove you ou mean what you say by joining us here My recollection of that meal is not of words but of faces Estada's eyes sought constantly the girls girl's face rond to my consternation exhibited 1 l an nn Interest in interest In- In tJ terest t in her personality which promised prom prom- i cI trouble I know V nt n t whether she noticed this awakening admiration but she certainly played her part with quiet modesty I believe that even the Portuguese reached the conclusion that she was not altogether re regretful for this adventure and that It was safe for him to relax some degree of vigilance lance His Bis manner became more gl gracious gra gra- a- a cious and long tong before the meal ended his language had a tendency to compliment com corn compliment and flatter I contented myself myself my my- self with occasional sentences TI The young woman sat directly across from fromme fromme fromme me our words overheard by all andas and andas as I knew both men possessed some slight knowledge of English I dare not venture beyond commonplace conversation conversation conversation conver conver- in that tongue With quick wit she took her cue from me so that nothing passed between us either by byword byword byword word of mouth month or glance of eye to arouse suspicions Believing the feeling of ot confidence would be Increased by such action I Iwas Iwas Iwas was first to leave the table and It being beIng being be be- ing my watch below immediately retired retired retired re re- re- re tired to m my room noisily closing thedoor the thedoor thedoor door after me yet refraining from lettang letting letting let let- ting tang the latch catch thus enjoying a slight opening through which to both see and hear bear Manuel did not linger long making tasking some excuse to go forward forward for for- ward ard but Estada remained for sometime some sometime sometime time endeavoring to entertain His egotism made a fool of the man yet even he lie finally became discouraged of making her comprehend his meaning and und lapsed into a silence which gave her ler an excuse to retire This was accomplished accomplished ac ac- so graciously as to leave no sting the fellow actually accompanying accompanying her to the door of her stateroom state state- stateroom room bowing his compliments as she disappeared within The fool actually actually actually actu actu- ally believed be he had made a conquest and preened himself like a turkey cock Gunsaules you need not lock the senorita in her room or guard her In nn any way hereafter She Is permitted to come and go as she pleases aboard Estada entered his own stateroom leavIng caving the door ajar When he lie came out he had exchanged his coat for a rough jacket Thus attired for a turn on deck he lie disappeared through the companion CHAPTER XVI In Dorothys Dorothy's Stateroom I stood stood crouched crouched with e eye e at th crack watchful of every movement Inthe in inthe the he lighted cabin my own decision made nade I must see and anel talk with Dor Dor- othy Gunsaules turned down the light and departed along the passage leadIng leading lead- lead Ing ng amidships A moment later luter I heard icard the sound of dishes grinding together together to to- gether ether preparatory to being washed No better opportunity for action was likely to occur although the situation was not without peril I crept along close tp the side walls lifted the latch noiselessly and slipped quickly within There was no light except a glimmer of stars through a large lurge after port but mt against this faint radiance she stood vaguely revealed Her first thought must have been Estada for there was a startled note in her chal- chal lenge enge Who are you Why do you come here iere Speak low I cautioned You must know my voice Geoffry Carlyle Yes but do not use that name name all all hope depends on my ray remaining un un- un- un known You welcome me She came straight forward through the dim star shine a spectral figure with both hands outstretched Welcome I 1 her tone that of at intense sincerity Your presence gives me all ull the strength I have But for you I should throw m myself through that port into the sea But I know not how you came cume here tell here tell me you are not one of these wretches No o you must believe that first oC of all and und trust me I do but do but but tell me all you can Is there a n divan here or anywhere we can sit down together I can see nothing in this darkness Carlyle saves Dorothy from death at the hands of a mysterious ous intruder but is unable to account account account ac ac- count for the sudden attack In Intha Inthe Inthe the tha night There is some dark plot behind It all What will tin morning disclose J I IJ TO BE CONTINUED DE-CONTINUED CONTINUED |