Show Y lie Island of the Stairs I By C Cyrus rus lovns Townsend nd Brad Brady r Copyright 1912 by C Cyrus Townsend Brad Brady 1 1 r True Account of or Certain Strange and Wonderful Adventures of or ort Muter t John Seaman and Mistress 1 Lucy G Gin Gin- n. n U In ill tho the Great Groat South Seas I CHAPTER 1 V V Continued I the end end of it was she he made er tiTo er-tiTo to thousand d pounds to me me mc to give va any bieh Master Ficklin would fain upon and which would indeed for me yn un- bD d woud have been m. m my own onn I Vh th L was T going poin to embark 1 enterprise e in secret eacret cret I had up that with no on knows fo foolish dt ml I realized these l come cope to naught I had hadn hada a dEpe upon n me brother brothel or tl enjoyed and aud father and fl both dead What need I could always get geth et h II oa ll io good d ship chip as mate tc or per per- master is-master t for which I 1 wa was fully ully and aDd I could always al earn 1 Ifor f my needs needa and f o Ao o spare Leti Let Lei i iTc it rho e need d was wag great cat and aud Hir was wat greater reater I might r for a a. share barc of the thc idid did vo ro I find an any hut but I T it SI I would ouM give ve all and expect r it There was a certain v to he become omo a bone benc- woman oman 1 I- I But Bitt I Io o D in my story stor troit- troit l ie soon on enough as rs s you shall shaH see Ece too 11 u not Dot being heing in any althou h I was frantically frantically lad lady who could scarcely b get bel e soul ou in n patience bc before rore she he heber ber treasure hunting huntin I about a good deal in order to tot t what I wanted l Finall Finally nall from hint hant of kf Plymouth I L purchased little ship of tons m the theRose Rose of Devon Deon which had haa had K cd in the West Indian and colonial trad trade The name nanie wy lay fanc faucy too too for was not my stress toe Ro Rote e of Dovon Devon her her- toy loU that read may mar In laugh h at mo me po poing in thought if you OU mil 1 Vf r it is true m first fint dc design i n to have gone cono her myself and my lad lady fait ha have had bad it to toO but after onI anH d. d it wore better to ouch much older mau man than 1 T to COllio com com- o Jou as sho ho went 1 as a pascu i so I engaged a worth worthy seaman cud l Matthews old enough h to be bt ber Arith ith whom i 1 had bad often m in fact fad the man under I J Iy y first cruise I did cn engage 3 e my my- mate however howe and I even even cven tried c ce Master ter and his hia U us tie whereat thereat that worthy held nelo up their bands in horror in IJ ipg otto ono hi his musty 1 r parchments U Ib at anaw Jaw and aud the tho other hor bor well lh UfO ifo and Ipac spacious ous garden I for their decision I l alone with Mistress ss Wil Wil- what varue vaK vague idea or T a ed not admit even e to myS my- my proper in venturing amon among i according to common reth re- re S th sav j peoples to provide 1 Rj therefore after con consulting ta 1 atthews whom whom I fully I l te fd with the entire Inet in inI et ils I shipp shipped d a crew of ofa a and I provided pro in the quip equip of ot IUa muskets pistols and cut cut- ith 1 the nece necessary sar powder and in addition a small nall brass can can- l n 1 I mounted on the forecastle I our la-our DUr car cargo o Jack lack means for arid and ba barter should such lIch i rl practicable Ir rally lIi the unu s of these attracted attention and rn h Captain Matthews and I kept e n of t tho ship p and the tho purL pure pur pur- L the tho secret wo we Od f d with ith applications I venturous us men Den who desired to h hI no voyage da e that it wa was raal of somo nomo f sort ort and that it be from front the tho monotony merchant trading e. e ice co wore wore Were got ot out t for tho tea as which J added tho the touch of U o that thoo waters always s have bae Plain t X rr of en 1 nn n tho c cin crew in Matthews ii Ilo lIo had as am In a named in hi ho fv o ed Ho great confidence Ho lookin looking man with a fl eg big rub running from his left y yv c eck b by ba v a cut n he bc I 1 il in rome fi fight ht and ml the lin Hoo line a O ln jg B agath tho the bronzed beaten cheek ho di lid diel sported Ported his bis appearance But that tha t 1 Prime was evident at hew J se to fo have hav ll in him Mm Tn Ta nUS cr to J tos 5 h he be rt pointed out that man 1 a mans man's looks 5 belied his character and altho h was wa ugly h ho was was able He had baa cruised several Yoya voyages es with Captain Matthews aud and had bad always ahra's shown himself both oth experienced and dependable BO so I let it go o and ho and the tho mot most of tho the crew It had bad been better for us in tho the end if I had bad ot got ot rid of tho the man as I wished Or would it iti Well WeB it would fould certainly have han been better for To ro anticipate when wo we boarded the ship hip I liked the tho crew not DOt i much ucb hotter better than the boatswain I will Trill sa say eay this for them however that a. a to i. smarter quicker B 5 set et t of seamen never De hauled on brace braco or orlaid orlaid orlaid laid on yardarm It was not nob their skill or strength th or cour courage coure e that I did not like but the they were not the kind of men I would havo have sought u ht for a ship of-my of own and tho pre presence presence- of or my lad lady and her maid a worth worthy woman a n long time lime fieT a servant t at the tho castle who had elected to follow her fortunes made mo me timid yet I J was not unusually apple c I had a a. f confidence in iu lItI ly OW own ability to di deal al with any man or any group of men inen I had no doubt that Captain l Matthews and I would b bo be able ablo to o master them and bend their wills to ours HIS at tho cost t of a few fc hard words backed by a ropes rope's end or a 1 belaying pin tiu T I did not stint th the thc outfitting of the tho ship hip and when I finished h having left lothing out that either my own or Cap Cap- tam ain tain Matthews Matthews' experience experience- or Ion would InI suggest est there thero Was isas left of our joint join t funds enough to pay tho the wa wages vagos s of officers and of tho the men out and hack back and aud no more That is ia allowing allow allow- ing ng 1 a year rear for the tho round oa voyage c. c The Th Theine lines ine of the Rose of Devon Dovon were unusually un un- usually good sho ho had a a. reputation for forcing bein being cing a speedy boat and that was more moro time imo than enough h. h It was my purpose to o go o around the world with her nor rather than ban retrace our course courso a about out Capo Cape Horn torn after we Tre reached tho island if wo we ever reached re it FO 10 wo TO staked er e everything every every- thing hing we had bad on on- tho the future If my lady ady had had tho the least knowledge f of ot he the the value of ships she sho would have haye seen how jow little way her two t-o thou thousand and pounds bad lad gone one but blit the was as guileless as any my other woman on that subject and Master laster Ficklin was not much better eUer I lied to tf them both with a 1 good grace I and with au an easy conscience It was wan I for her sake My lj 13 family had followed hers llers for I know not ho how many een- een tunes urics They had spent themselves for hers here I was only onI keeping up the ious in placing all that I had at her ber service But Bitt one thin thing strikes mo mc as worthy to be chronicled before wo m embarked When Then all was ready and ani ev everything aboard I went back to Mauler Master Ficklins Ficklin's Ficklins Fick lins lin's in tock which was an easy V days day's Tourney journey from Plymouth found where tho the Ro floe o of Devon lay to fetch my lad lady and her maid Master Ficklins Ficklin's Fickline Fick Fick- line uns house was a somewhat Jar largo large o ono one and was surrounded b by b a walled gar car garden carden ar den p perhaps rh ps two acres In m extent which ran back hak k from the house to a little brook which bounded the visage c. c There were a number of f fine old trees in it and much shrubbery and it was ivan a pleasant pleasant pleas pIcas ant pia co in which Mistress Wilb r r. force and I had spent tome some to me Ver very delightful hours bours in in perfecting the plans for our great cat undertaking Master ra ter Ficklin was as at MB his office although al aI tho though Jh it was yot carl early in tho the mornin morning when I called cald intending to fetch my mv lady lad to Plymouth th b by coach a special l coach t which I had cn aed by y the wa way His sister said lair that Wither Wilber- oreo wan in t tie the Q garden and that she had company She She- h offered to tt show me mc meto meto to her pr nel but I said I knew know the way 11 and could go o thoro tn myself elf I did not nOl like the tho word company overmuch Her lIer line fine friends bud bad more moro or orless less for forgotten otten her lIeI Ono or t two o of oC the old families which had har been cen d with ith hors hor s had bad offered of of- feted her such ho hospitality and such confort as they had until she could decide otherwise some somo of ot the tho women had called upon her one or two men men had sou sought ht h her r out but she sho was a proud little woman woman as you Oll can divine and aud would have havo none of oC them She Sho had liari dropped out of 01 their lives Jives and latterly no one had bad disturbed hori hoYt therefore I IWas 1 J. J was wag perturbed at th the tho I passed through h tho hall haJJ out ont of the back door and into the garden The Thc path to the brook wound anc and twisted so no tha that you could not see the stream tream for lor the trees and shrubs shrub I stood a moment hesitating wondering whether after all An T I had the tho ri right ht or orthe orthe the pr privilege e to break hrak in upon su h company compan an aA sho ho mi ht be entertaining when a st n which came faintly from tho the end of or the garden decided de dc de- de me nie I t broke into a run and in a few fen moments mo ma- meets meats ments camo came upon my lady struggling in the ar arns ns of a man What bat man mau you yon Tho The duke duko of Arcester He Hc had I his arms alms around her and althou although h ho I Iwas was no great shakes cs of a man maD hn he was I much stronger er than the slight girl irl ho I Iwas was grappling with He hold heM her ber I tightly by tho the waist with ono hand band and with tho the other was ra trying to turn her head so no that ho he could kiss ISn her heT I r was upon them before they realized real real- my arrival at 1 r. grasped tho the duke by bJ tho the c collar nar of his coat cont with my left lefthand lefthand lefthand hand and with m my right I T fairly tore him away from m my lady Thank God you vou have come she cried reeling nurl and staggering her ller face flushed her hair disheveled cled her dress dressin in disarray I heard beard that much and then the duke duka was upon me Gritting his teeth and fw swearing aring frightful oaths h ho got to his feet r I I had bad thrown him prone prone- dra dragged ed out his bis sword and rushed nt ot meYon me You Yon cIo dog clog he be cried you have havo balked me before and you ou interfere now I have had Md enough h of f you rou and tho the world has He Ho did not int intend nd to give c me any chance chanco to q defend myself apparently My IJ little mistress screamed I heard her call caH m. m my name and I t suppose sho she thought ht I wan wag dono done for but sailors Bailors aro are proverbially pro quick fI witted Wittel footed and handed landed and I was not the least al alert rt of seamen Beamen I was wearing a han hanger er a heavier weapon than the dukes duke dross sword but its weight was a matter of no 10 moment to an au arm like mine I stepped aside as he lunged at me mo drew it t and tho next moment our blades lashed clashed in n earnest For PM myself I re- re in the opportunity Some meu of humble birth mi might have 0 been dis dis- at the thought of crossing words swords s with a great cat noble but nothing of that occurred to me mc I wanted to show m mv my la lady p I confess that oven with gentlemen's weapons T was filS this mans man's master And so 80 I fell to e eagerly Now I am aln a good t fighter and no mean menn lencer fencer I can cro cross blades with anyone on earth I did not know all tho ho niceties and refinements of f the tho game ame I lacked l grace perhaps but perhaps but when it came camo to attack and defense there hero were few fc men who could beat me mo certainly the duke was not ono one of them hem M My swift play must have hare looked to o the duke duko as if I were surrounded b by It wall of steel Therefore be realized realised at once that his bis only chance lay Jay in the energy and rapidity of his fence Lun Lunge e succeeded Iun lunge c with lightning like ike speed d. d I will admit that I was lard hard put rut to it for fors a time It was with ho the greatest difficulty that hat I parried but aut iny my Jor lord l was not bUilt for the continuance continuance con con- cc of ot such violent exercise e. e Sweat came into his eyes his thrusts ts grew V rc Jt less ss swift I if not less vicious in iu their intent After iter a few moments I saw that I had him It was now my mj turn to attack Something of the fury ur of my mv Saxon ancestors suddenly filled my ray veins I t beat down his bin def defense defenso by bya a series nerie of terrific blows and finally shivered hi his word sword He stood before rne me e panting weaponless I vet et to give him liim his hiM due more or Ie less lens undaunted I raised my nw own on blad bad Would you yon strike a n. defenseless man mane nJ 9 ho he cried haughtily still not blanching You had no scruple in attacking a a. defenseless woman woman I replied Nay I i thundered us as he made a sudden 1110 tion stand where here ou you are arc What I Ishall Ishall shall d do t to you yon dep depends upon what I h hear r If you jou move o I r swear to you that I will beat you OU down like the dog that you are I was amazed afterward at my tc- tc in in thus addressing a duke auke but you will understand mv my feelings 5 Without With out ut taking my y eyes cJe off oil of him him I 1 next t addressed myself f to m my lad lady Will you jOU tell me now Mistress Lucy said I softly what this man purposed or said saidI f 1 LI can see what he tried to do hut but what was his meaning and intent He wanted lie ho wanted me to go o with him hini faltered m my mi lady Indy lie Ho renewed hill hit his offer of mar marrin rin riago I asked with a a. sudden fi sinking inkin of or heart I T hod had a good deal of reverence rc Corthe for Cor forthe forthe the nobility except in tho heat beat of battle aud and even a as bad balt a n man as an ster Arec-ster was ho was a duke an and a personage Perhaps In my lady ou ought ht to marry marr him No No whispered the tho girl irl My t God Godl I cried did ill you dare clare to to- to i Why Wh should I marry a penniless ha baggage a r. r he lie sneered Tt It was a u reckless reck reck- less lens thing to do seeing his bis helpless po po- po She Sho 1110 would not co go o with mo me he she refused even cen to tal take o In my mv hand the little fool 1001 to so I t seized her Wn Was Wan it because because be be- cause CRuse sh she shO preferred you yokel ho he added YAnd And I shall insure that you ou will trill r remember m j I said q li quietly tb although h Iwas J I was blazing J II nil all all the days InS 0 of r your life what you tried to do the intuit that yon you put upon this lady Would you kill kiJI inc met mel ho cried as IS asI asI ISI I stepped tapped nearer to him No 1 0 o said sald I I. I That would be too quick juick and easy an end to your our pun pun- is I J will win put my lay mark upon you OU her her brand ag as a i coward er E Every body who sees you O will 1 ask you about it and you OU can explain it as you OU will Two persons at least will know |