Show 71I w n r L4FUrTE J f I L 1JSJANA BY MARr SEVEREUX L WITH ILLUSTEATXJNS BY DOM C WILSON q4 pa 6 Lark uolf s VC07ffUZV all Plgti 1ltItItO ry CHAPTER XII hour before sunset tho fog rolled wealing the manofwar anchored enough for the men on her deck seen plainly without the aid of 38 The anchors of both vessels raised at once and the chase renewed with the pursuer not a away and heading about south which would soon bring her In range of the brigantine whose so lay due west curl of sraolco soon rose from Englishmans deck and a few ads later there came tho report gun A pressing Invitation for I show our colors remarked La as he watched the shot strike water short tlmo passed with the Black els crow uneasy and Lopez ring softly In his native tongue pursuer then began a more per nt firing with her bowguns but of the shots reached their mark esently Iafltte who was standing Lopez asked quietly How would ot work now Try and see leold gunner with n shout due to long repressed feelings sot about ling his gun calculated tho dls eand obtained tho proper eleva ere was a report soon followed i trembling of tho enemys spars the brigantines crew crowded to the result ou have struck their foremast below the futtocks announced tte looking through his glass iye sir and I will sing them an r such sweet song said Lopez If watching his men reload those tho-se enemy had meantime come a e closer and was dropping shot jously about tho brigantine Eopez make haste with tho gunl p Lara with an oath Give them lose such as will set them to re ling damages and turning to the should she get close enough r o of the hands that were already growing cold Jean you will take care of La zalle And Laros black eyes their mockery forever slain looked at him with appealing wistfulness Lafltte nodded and pressed the hand ho held She will have plenty of wealth as you know see that It Is delivered to her safely and kept I securely after ward Take the girl away Jean take her to the nuns In New Orleans as I should have done before this and do you and she have the church say masses for my soul My soul he repented re-pented in a quick gasp To where will my soul go As Iaflttos lips parted to speak the dying man as If divining what he might be about to say cried with a sudden burst of strength No no boy try to tell me no soothing lies I Living I never knew fear and dying I scorn It Ah Mndre do DIos Christ have mercy And with this last cry Laros voice was stilled forever Lafittos heart repeated the prayer as he folded the dead mans hands across the broad chest and scarcely had he done this when he was startled by the noise of a commotion above him Stopping only to draw a blanket over the face and form of the dead he went on deck where a number of excited ex-cited men were gathered on the side toward tho enemy His glance had already al-ready followed the direction of their eyes and he saw one of the Black Petrels smallest boats being rowed by the Indian Ehewah toward the English vessel and clinging to It while his hoarse voice poured forth a volley of menacing words was Lopez Lopez had loosed one of his hands from tho boats gunwale and drawing his knife hurled it at tho Indian but Ehowah dodged and It fell Into the sea Ha then rowed on and Lopez no longer shouting attempted to draw himself ever the stern of the boat I 4 t ¼ kYj With a cursing cry he sank try any tricks with grapplingirons Ie the cutlasses ready my hearties 1 remember that it is no quarter i sound half roar half snarl came m the men and tho next moment re was a whistling amongst them a cannonball struck the bulwark front of Laro filling tho air will ot wood and then glancing into water large sharply pointed piece of bed wood struck him in tho side with a cursing cry ho sank face ward upon tho deck tho blood a his wOunds spattering those near him several of whom had been by the flying splinters Otto sprang forward and placing arms around the quivering form oed the distorted face to the air ° o looking up at tho gunner who staring wildly at tho sight he d Fire lopez as you never fired t ore i Or Prompt discharge followed tho and a wild shout of Joy went I l from tho crow of tho Black Pe he enemys foremast was again ck this time with disastrous of R as could bo readily seen for here IV her-e getting tho sails off with possible speed Her foreroyal and Fgallant sails were clewed up and ne tOpsail yard lot go by the run the mast was swaying porcoptl J4ro by Lafittos command had 0 borne to the main cabin whoro was laid 1110n n divan and tho gaaUna tart had been adored to come oa anchor this rho Pnony had already titian and In her present crippled > a her them was nothing to fear sil I s L as time distance between tho arts was too great for advantage rng oven had ea in the Englishman w pia Proper form to continue the taro Vas breathing heavily In hrok aSkSPSj to nM bw ° nlnB to Lafltto abonn have Bent away those who > e b 01ltlllm d > 8tlu striving to check ak thg that owed so freely as to owllred ° f limo divan until It I ack La lI Ul S scnt the Un 8 others away and gown by tho dying mall > took tl 1 r At this the Indian had stopped rowIng row-Ing and struck the gunner over the head with an oar continuing the blows until Lopez released his hold and sank from sight A boat which hind been lowered from the English sMp was now seen pulling rapidly to where Ehovrah still pausing appealed waiting for the gunner gun-ner body to rise This it soon did mid the Indian showing an agile stroigth one would not have accredited to his slight frame drew it into tote boat Thfc crew of the brigantine saw Ehe wall parley with the men from the enemys vessel after which ho rowed In their company to L IO manofwar and Lnfltto watching through his glass saw tho form of Lopez carried j I aboard In their midst Lafltte bidding Garonne accompany him went below to Lamas cabin Ga ronne lit the brass lamp swinging over the small table and timed to Lafltte who stood looking abet him as If for dome sign of Ehewahs treacherous intention In-tention when tho glown of a gold hand hanging over Laros bunk caught their eyes It was a bracelet whit h the Indian had always worn upon 113 naked arm slnco the day Laro pin sod It thereIn there-In a burst of gratitude t to Ehownh for having saved his life Both Lalltto nnd GSonno knew enough of tho Indians trlbeloro to understand that this wis Ehewah mute announcement of Sided friendship friend-ship and loyalty Ho doubtless stole In hero to perform per-form what to him was a iMIjrlous rite g ft where we and having hung Laros to It Intending found It wont his wny Stomp that which ho Ana now ac cOll1pllslled mused LniVto aloud If struck fy an after Then as Laos bunk and thought ho wont to disclosed Swing rich 1raperes throwing aside tho Icflaerles wooden ncier closed a heavy contrary to custom Its lid was opened It a and whon LufltO locked opt and disarranged collection r t papers canvas bags showed within a coin nor It Is as I supposednot touched but clu1tts and papers jewel ImlJOrtanco at mCN that are gone Tho rnscal thnn all tho valuablC1l da knows de HIerro Imows the way to the Darra = Mid tit charts ho has taken will In I term others showing them whero to 1 Hurt what now belongs to tho Senorita in zllIt IIruonne forgetfl of his usual tc I I itratnt when In lallttcs pioaonco now I Lrtlw forth Into i ° a flood of < urs ° 9 which i the latter checked at onco The mate turned to tho cabin door Ware ho paused and asked In a voice If I trembling with tho MK ° r he dared not show Have you any orders for j me captain None save to let tho men hare their supper at once and see to it that only halfallowance of grog Is served The fog Is coming In and we will sail as scan as may beLike be-Like an army of shrouded ghost the fog was again about tho Black Petrel enclosing her In a world where she was the sole tangible thing But as over a path familiar to blind eyes the hands that manned her could shape an unerring course for their secure haven Long before midnight she was feel ing her way north toward the mouth of the treacherous channel that would bring tho crew to their Island strong hold the Barra de Hlerro The early morning air was heavy with odors of aromatic shrubs grow ing beyond tho beach and the carol of wakening birds was filling it with music when LalUto came ashore leav ing Garonne In charge of tho brIgan tine tlneHis Ills course lay Inland at first over waste fields and then cultivated ones of sugar cane coffee and tobacco Then came some banana and fig plantations plan-tations interspersed with groves of palms and cocoanut trees until after a walk of twenty minutes ho reached a clearing in which stood many small huts evidently dwellings and apart from these rose the walls of a stono building surrounded by a high wall with circular towers at the angles Lafltto crossed the open space and stopping before a stout oaken door In the wall called for admission But there was no response and after a longer silence than suited his humor he fell to striking upon the door while he called still louder This resulted in Its soon being opened cautiously to show a stalwart giant whose black face and naked arms showed all tho darker by contrast con-trast with the white cotton of his raiment rai-ment draped In a barbaric fashion that told of Its not having known thread and needle My young captain ho exclaimed In Spanish a pleased surprise lighting his grave face and catching Lafittes hand he kissed It as the latter replied re-plied Greetings to you Ezrah Is it all well here Yes my young captain All Is well but It will be more than well now that you have returned Lafltte waited until the Arab for such hn was had closed and barred the gate and then In a few words he told him of what had taken place adding that Laros body would be brought ashore later in the day for burial Ezrah listened with a face showing no emotion whatever save perhaps that of anger that the nation his master mas-ter had taught him to hate should have been the means of the formora death His young mistress the Senorita Lazalle was ot course not yet awake and Lafltte after bidding the Arab to leave her undisturbed went to his own apartments Lazallo was now sixteen and slnco leaving a convent school In Seville two years before her entire time had been passed upon the Barra de Hierro to which Laroher only living relative rela-tive had brought her and whero she had seemed fully contented with her luxurious and independent life Laro of necessity passed much of his time away from the Barra do Hierro and during his absence La znlio was Its head and ruler except when Lafltte found it necessary to visit the island Then the Spanish girl gave placeand with entire willingness will-ingness to the man whom from their first meeting sho had loved with all the fervor of her uncurbed nature To bo continued |