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Show J BY ISlARY gEVEREUX ' 1 tvrrH illustrations by don c. vyilson C4Jt PfeVj .fifjtrmfj CHAPTER XI. 5 Soon after midnight, with a south-1 south-1 sou'-west wind that was all tho "Black Petrel" could desire for a speedy filling fill-ing of her sails, tho ship started northward, north-ward, to a safe retreat the Island known 'to Laro and Ills followers as tho "Darra do Hlerro." Tho day was coming, gray and heavy looking, with a misty, cloud bank in tho cast promising fog later on. Overhead, tho pale dawn waB extinguishing ex-tinguishing tho stars above the sea that stretched, a dull green floor, in every direction. La fit to, asleep In his cabin, was aroused by a knocking upon tho door; and, to his Instant query, Garonne's volco replied, with a suggestion of satisfaction sat-isfaction in Its gruff tone, "Sho Is after us, sir, sure enougn." Where away?" demand Lnfltte, when ho had admitted tho mate, and was making himself ready to go on deck. Laro was already there, for ho could bo heard shouting to his men. "Henp up tho shot, Lopez!" ho roared. roar-ed. "Heap them knco-hlgh, I say; for that cursed Britisher shall swallow them by tho wholesale If she comes meddling hero!" "Whoro away, I say?" Lafltto re-j re-j pcatcd, with a nofo of sternness, as Guronno, Instead of answering, hod paused in tho doorway, and was looking look-ing Intently over his shoulder at something some-thing In tho main cabin. "Threo points on tho starboard bow, sir," tho mate now hastened to Bay, with an apologetic gesture. "Sho is not yet to bo made out clearly; but tho lookout reports her as very like tho man-of-war wo left In Fort Royal last night." When Laflttc camo from his room he found Garonne, who had left him a few minutes beforo, still standing in tho outer cabin, and looking around keenly, as It something wcro amiss. Lafltto questioned him, and ho re- Garonne growled something under his breath. plied that when entering tho former's cabin ho had seen tho Indian, Eho-wall, Eho-wall, glldo from that of Laro, and disappear dis-appear hastily, as though not wlsbtng to bo observed. Lalltto laughed lightly. "If ho was In there whllo you wero knocking at my door, Oaronno, ho would scarcely, unless ho has suddenly sudden-ly become deaf, fall to reallzo that ho would surely bo scon coming out. What cause for suspicion can llo In his coming hero? You know woll that ho Is in tho habit of doing so, and that Captain Laro permits It." Garonne growled something under hls breath doubtless, profanity; but ' this was suppressed, as Lafltto soldom failed to emphaslzo his disapproval of such languago in his presence. "Havo you a posltlvo reason for suspecting sus-pecting anything wrong from Eho-wall's Eho-wall's bolng horo now?" ho demanded demand-ed sternly. "Only that ho Jias not been coming about hero of late," said Garonno sulkily. "Has ho been forbidden to do bo?" was Lafltto's next question, and Garonno Ga-ronno admitted that ho had not. Then Lafltto, dismissing tho subject, went above, followed by tho mate, who, as tho formor had long known, was about tho only man among his followors who had, In Bocrot, but llttlo liking for him. Tho sun had lifted abovo tho horizon, hori-zon, but its rays wero dulled by tho low-lying cloudiness stretching away across tho zonith from end to end, as would a gray wall. To tho southward tho sky was clear, and defined against it llko a phantom ship that seemed to bo sailing toward the "Black Petrol" was a largo craft, which, growing raoro and moro distinct, nppeared to havo fresher wind than that now par-, par-, : tlolly filling tho brlgantlno's sails. Laro, standing besldo Lafltto, as Izthoy both watched her, muttored a curse, "Cho is gutting tho bonoflt of what wo havo had and loft, In tho way of broozo. But wo'll trust tho dovll to foul hor hereabouts, nnd holp us to bettor wind fnrthor along, although I am of half a mind to let hor catch us, If that bo her intention, and thon, if she tnrrlcs to nslt Impertinent questions, ques-tions, glvo hor a good doso of Iron." "Bettor keep nway and mlud our own mnttors, unless Bho has thj wish, nnd gets the chanco, to interfere with us," replied Lafltto, moodily. Both men wcro silent for a whllo, as they watched tho stranger drawing nearer. Then there came a noticeable softening of Laro's faco as ho turned suddenly to Lnfltte, nnd laying a hand on his shoulder, said, in a tono which caused tho dark eyes to turn from tho approaching ship nnd rest wonder-Ingly wonder-Ingly upon tho speaker, "Jean, lad, dost remember tho old days, when we flrst met at Lo Chlen Heurcux, where 'I taught thco to sing 'As tides that flow as winds Hint blow'? Madro do Dlos but thou wort a- boy to roako any man's heart hold thco close, as mlno has done all theso years. And I wondor aye, oft do I wonder, hns my lovo of thco brought thco to lasting last-ing evil? I havo been rough with thee, lad, at times; aye. surely I havo of lato. But my lovo for thco Is tho Eamo this day as It has over been. Never doubt that, Joan, my lad, what- nvop lipfnllH!" Startled at tho manifestation of such a 'mood In Laro, Lafltto looked at him with a sllonco duo to amazement. "I had a strango dream last night, Jean," continued Laro, In a tono curiously curi-ously unllko his usual ono; "a dream I feel is meant as a warning. I havo Indian blood In my veins, and so you can better understand tho dream, and what it means to me, for it comes only to thoso of my raco whoso end Is near. But I havo no fear, and caro nothing as to how my end comes whether It bo by shot, Bhcll, or tho sword." He stood moro erect as ho said this, and spoko with' an air of braggadocio. "But somehow It has stirred old times to light, Joan this dream of mlno," ho added, relapsing into tho odd softness of look and volco. "Rouso yourself, Laro what has como to you?" said Lafltto sharply; for ho was beginning to wonder if this wore anything moro than a new phaso of maudlin excitement. But Laro remained silent, his eyes fixed upon tho deck. "What Is this dream which seoms to havo affected you so powerfully?" prosontly Inquired Lafltto, thinking that perhaps It might bo better to humor Laro than to show disrespect for his peculiar mood. Tho broad brown hand went again to rest upon Lafltto's shoulder, and Laro looked off over the sea with oyes which seemed for tho moment to havo lost all Interest In tho approaching vessel. "It was this, my lad: I sat at a tablo heaped with fruits and wines, nnd about mo was such as makes tho heart of man glad to bo alive. But suddenly sudden-ly thoro camo a flash of lightning, with nn awful peal of thunder, and, looking out upon a portico near mo, I saw a form clad llko an Indian warrior riding a horso black -as tho gates of hell. Straight up tho stops of tho portico por-tico tho steed galloped, and Into tho room, whoro It circled around tho tablo, until the warrior drew his bow and let fly an arrow that struck my glass, and sent tho wlno, blood-red, pouring over mo and my guests In n stream which grow, and grew, until it was a red river flowing over tho tnblo, and washing it away, and I awoko, shivering, to see Ehewnh standing by my bunk, telling mo that a craft was In sight which looked llko tho Englishman." English-man." Laro's bearing, bo changed and softened, soft-ened, no less than tho dream he had rotated, made Lafltto fcol at a loss what to say. Ho could not deny that tho recital had affected him strangely, seeming to bring him Into closer touch with Laro as tho latter added, "I havo always known that to dream of this Indian and his black horso meana death to ono of my family." Tho proBBiiro of his hand grow honv-lor honv-lor upon Lafltto's shoulder, and ho raised his oyes, now Ailed with a softer soft-er expression than tho young man had over seen thorn hold. "Jean, my Ind, If nn j thing happens to mo, you will nlways tnko caro of Lnznllo? Even though you havo no lovo to glvo tho girl, you will let no harm como to hor?" Tho sound of her nnmo brought Lafltto La-fltto to his propor senses, and tho per-ploxod per-ploxod look vanished from his faco as' ho exclaimed, "Mon dlou, Lnro what nonsenso nro you talking? You, to bo so upset liv n moro dream! Drop all thought of it, and givo your tnfad to more Important matters, for it wo aro to reach tho Bnrra do Hlerro this night wo must put nsldo such unsubstantial unsub-stantial things as dreams, and keep a lookout for tho Englishman." Tho stranger was Biirely drawing nearer, nnd tho past twenty minutes hnd brought her closo enough to bo mado out distinctly. Sho was, beyond doubt, n man-of-war, and presumably the same that had boon the brlgantlno's brlgan-tlno's neighbor In Fort Royal harbor. "Havo you tho gun In prime order, Lopez?" asked Lafltto, who now came nnd stood besldo tho old gunner. "Ah. that you havo, I sec," ho added with a smile, after glancing at It, now dl vested of its tarpaulin covering, "and I look to you for Its propor handling, should occasion arise." Lopez, who' stood with his assistants clustered around him, replied with a grin, "Nover you fear, my captain, but that tho gun and myself will glvo a proper account of ourselves." There now camo a shout from aloft, tho lookout announcing that tho approaching ap-proaching vessel was tho Englishman and that sho seemed to bo preparing for action. t "Curso tho wind why won't It hold with us?" muttered Garonne, stnndlng near the group about tho gun, nnd Lafltto noted the gleam of bntred that, for tho pecond, mado Ehowah's faco fiendish as ho glanced at tho speaker. "Wind nr no wind." returned LoPCZ. In a growl, "wo aro taking our own course, nnd if yonder gentlemen trouble us, tholr own fault It will bo If burnt Angers thoy get for meddling." "Stand .by to take In tho stun-salls!" tho voice of Lnro broko In. The enp-tain enp-tain seemed to havo recovered fully from his recent thood, and to havo forgotten for-gotten tho dream that Inspire It. "Lively, you dogs!" ho shouted. "Llvoly, there, and If that craft wants to overhaul us, lot her make tho trial." The "Black Petrel" now changed her course, nnd tho other vessel did tho same, this Indicating that sho intended in-tended to givo chase, but tho brigan-tlno brigan-tlno was by far tho better sailer, and, had Laro chosen to run southward, ho might havo escaped. This, however, would havo carried tho "Black Petrol" away from her proposed destination, a thing thnt Lafltto, La-fltto, no less than Laro, scorned to permit, per-mit, especially as tho pursuer was of a nation hated by both of them. Thoy wore therefore of ono mind In tho determination de-termination not to submit to personal inconvenience on account of tho Englishman. Eng-lishman. Tho latter drew still closer aa tho day woro on, when a llttlo after noon, tho fog bank, which hnd been promised prom-ised at sunrise, rolled In over tho sea, enveloping pursuer and pursued as in the folds of a heavy blanket. Lafltto was for keeping straight to their course, but Laro, with sulky persistence, claimed that their bettor plan would bo to anchor. Ho know that early the noxt morning should thn frier lift bv sunset ho could reckon upon reaching tho channel flowing inward in-ward to tho Barra do Hlerro, and, although al-though its bars and reefs, whllo familiar fa-miliar to himself and his men, guarded a course tho stranger could not follow In safety, ho did not caro to risk pointing point-ing out tho way to his island retreat. (To bo continued.) |