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Show CHAPTER XI Continued 16 I hastened at once, and In no uncer-H'D uncer-H'D terms, to Inform him of my contempt con-tempt and loathing for this precious pair. He heard me with the air of me skillful player who has calculated calcu-lated a move In a game, and beholds It come to pass precisely as foreseen. Good!" he exclaimed. "I counted on thatIf nothing else. And now, Itich-rd," Itich-rd," he added, as he refilled my glass, -the whole story, please, from the moment mo-ment you set foot on shore up to this Tery night." Forthwith I told him all that had occurred; in particular, of the night rten I had seen McAllister creeping ont to 'he mangroves. Only one thing, is yp'. I kept secret ; I made no mention men-tion of Helen, or of our mutual love. At last I had finished. I felt as thou 'h I had been speaking for hours. to vividly had It all come back to me, is I lived through the past again. And ill this time the captain had sat listening listen-ing In silence, leaning slightly forward, his dark and handsome face supported by his hand, gazing at me as if he would read my very soul. Only once In the course of my narrative did he display emotion, and that was when I ipoke of McAllister's nocturnal visit to his treasure. Then indeed his somber som-ber eyes gleamed with eagerness, and he made as if to speak, but checked himself and continued to listen as before. be-fore. And even when I had finished, he seemed in no hurry to break silence, but sat as If deliberating over all that I had said. I imagined that he was retelling in his mind the Importance of various details, passing over this, stopping to consider that ; but when at last he spoke. It became evident that It was something else which lay uppermost upper-most in his mind. "Pick," he cried, "it's all plain sailing sail-ing now. Within three days I attack. You have told me all that I wished to know, and you'll find I'm not ungrateful. ungrate-ful. Ymi will stay with me, help me In the fidit, and I'll see to it that you et your fair share of the treasure." (I' 1 cniild feel my heart thumping f.gainst my ribs. Clearly the time had come when I must make matters plain to him. And thus I braced myself for the ordeal and answered. "Thank you for your offer. And I promise that I'll do nothing to thwart your plans. But something has happened since I left J"u: and much as I hate McAllister, I want to return to the island and tak" my chances there." He stared at me as If in doubt whether I was crazed or Jesting; then suddenly his keen brain glimpsed the truth, his face cleared, and he struck the table a mighty blow with his fist. "It's the wench," he cried. "I had for-C'Hen for-C'Hen all about her. From her picture lie was a goddess. So that's the trouble. Itiehard Lindsay In love !" cheeks, I am sure, reddened, bul 1 stood to my guns. "Yes, Captain," ! admitted, "that is the trouble." "e continued to stare. "So she Is Iwimtiful?" he asked at length; and W'onsclous that others, before me, Md u-ed the selfsame words, I angered an-gered fervently, "She is the loveliest flrl In the whole world." 1 ws qute prepare for ridioule. Il!t Instead his whole expression gred-U'llly gred-U'llly changed and saddened, and 1 J"ile no doubt that torturing memo of his past came back to him. So at when he spoke his voice was gen-"w gen-"w than I hud ever heard it. "Yes, ' He answered. "I'm sure she is. And we must consider." T1ere was a long silence. And once "re, when he did speak, I was un-Pr;;Paied un-Pr;;Paied for his words: "'! now back to the Island. Tomorrow To-morrow night put the girl in a skirT I rmr npr downstream. I'll be wait-f"r wait-f"r ou In the longboat, off the ""mli of the river. I can take vou 'he coast to a p'ace where she will '"" if". and then you can help me run ,li(,'"d fox to earth." t..',!l:'ve never. I think, in my life felt a tln-iu ils did at tat nloment ' w-'tneil to hnl,i the whole world In "' ernsp. "Captain." I cried, "do this or nie, and I'll remember it as long s I live." 'le waved1 usit.e my thanks. "You'll -:'d the night here." he said, ami 1 J''11 '''.I. with pride, that we seemed J; '' "" '"'iger on the footing of cap-s'lr.l'"'' cap-s'lr.l'"'' ,,ivc' h"t of equals. 'Til av'l ' "f '!ur''onl," he went on. "and ,l;,1'e c bite to eat, and a talk W times." 6.':r' ;'h,vrfl!l as this sounded, sud ' "i ,'itasli.v's veiled warning came to ('(':"""L ! W:ls ,,,vist,d , s;lill ,.by s',",","V t""''" ln Sp to .the v'"!"' lKlit. IVrhaps 1 had better "" What do y,u. think?" v'" ll:e captuin made light or it. tv','"' ,H' declared. "There ore i:,y . !i,1,!"'!''n-s of a rising of the .'o'c-T , ""':u's he me::nt. of 6,1!' '"'1 ''",J r!('vor ti'ke tilace. It's " of.. '1 '" And oiivwnv ir's fa, 4;kr. 'J "'uvi by auy'iilu tlutn by This completely satisfied my mind BDd for the next two or three hours all three of us, I think, enjoved ourselves to the utmost. So der.ghted, Indeed was the captain at the prospect of coming to grips with his enemy that for once he seemed to throw reserve to the winds, and I had, for the first time, a glimpse of the ambitions that lay next his heart. "Imagine, Dick," I remember his saying, "that the fight is over and the Island Is ours. Do you see the humor of it? In the eyes of the world you are McAllister's nephew, and you succeed suc-ceed to the estate. What a chance for you to run the plantation as it should he run." But the prospect did not appeal to me. Things had been moving at such a pace that I had had no time to be really homesick, but I was aware that a great yearning for the Jersey shore was always in my heart. And this I told the captain. "And the lass?" he asked. "Will go where I go," I answered proudly. He nodded. Then, after a time, laughed to himself. "Dick." he cried. "I tire of the sea. I tire of fighting. One more battle, and then, If you will, you may deed your fine estate to me. Jamaica Is the loveliest island In the world; I'll live out my days here. I'll be a power In the land ; drive In my carriage; be knighted before I die. Sir Francis Barclay what do you say to that? Come. Dick, is It a bargain?" I was quick to assent. In hiy present pres-ent state of joyous excitement, I could see the rollicking humor in my signing over to the captain a huge estate to which I had not the slightest claim. There was humor, also, of a more subtle kind, in Francis Barclay becoming becom-ing a pillar of society; and I could only trust that he would not employ, on land, those forthright methods which had made him so successful upon the sea. Altogether, with the future fu-ture mercifully veiled from us, we were all three in the highest spirits, and it was long after midnight when at length, thoroughly wearied, I flung myself into my berth, and in an instant in-stant was sound asleep. CHAPTER XII The Avengers. We paid the penalty, next morning, for our joyous bout, for we all. slept late, and arose In a somewhat chastened chas-tened frame of mind; but at length breakfast was over, and after a final discussion of the evening's plans, 1 stepped into the gig, and, brimming over with impatience, left the Black Panther behind me. Once ashore. I was of course al' eagerness to regain the Island and tell Helen the splendid and unhoped-for news; but the day was too hot for any rash display of speed, and, curb ing my zeal as best I could, I walked the two miles to the Port as rapidly as I dared, and, once arrived there, had my mind so centered on my own affairs that I forgot entirely Quashy's earnest insistence that I should see him before I left. Yet, as it chanced, as I was on the point of mounting my horse, I was suddenly reminded of what he had said by seeing him hurriedly hur-riedly entering the stables. As ho caught sight of me he gave me a re proachful glance. "I tell you see me before you go." he exclaimed; and hardly heeding my excuses, demanded Impatiently, "What time now?" I looked at my watch and told blip it was half past eleven, at which his face grew grave. "Walt minute," he said abruptly, and soon a mighty til mult and confusion led me to infer Hint the diabolical Satan was belnt saddled and bridled. Presently, in deed, the black cyclone appeared, elect on two legs as usual, and Quashy. motion'ng me to follow him. dashed out of the stable into the highroad There, as soon as he was able to ge: his mount under temporary control, lie called to me. "You got d n gooi! horse. I got d n good horse. Yen: want ride like h 1?" "I'm ready," I called back, wholly mystified, hut willing and eager foi any plan that would bring me tin-sooner tin-sooner to Helen's side. And forthwith I had little time to think of anything else, as we made off at a terrific clip in the direction of home; for though after the first wild hurst, necessary t" keep Satin from bolting or performing some similar escapade, we settled down to a more reasonable pace. stIH we were traveling at a rate of speed which quite .'ufified the picturesque lanruage which Quashy had emp'oyod. There was an earnestness In his manner that made It clear to me thai something was In the wind. I thought of the rumors of an uprising among rhe slaves and of Shlvely's contemptuous contemp-tuous rejection of the Idea. He ought to know, I reflected, and yet Quashy's .tanner mado me feel that a revolt might actually be near. His first words confirmed my worst fears. "Slaves make rising." he said. At the words a great fear Parted through my mind. "Then I nnrst get to the Island at once," I cried. Quashy laid a restraining hand on my arm. "You try to go Island now," he said, "you killed quick." Thai why I hurry. Make rising at twelve o'c ock. White folks tired, hot, eating, restingblack rest-ingblack folks s'prise 'em." I glanced at my watch ; the slender minute hand and the hour hand made but a single line. And at the instant the boom of a gong rang out. sounding the hour of noon, and filling my mind with premonitions of tragedy. Even had I wished it. I was powerless power-less to act; iut as a matter of fact I had no desire to Interfere. What I had seen of the cruelty of Shively and his associates had filled me with wrath ; anything they were now to receive re-ceive as punishment I felt they richly-deserved. richly-deserved. And so. like a spectator at a drama, I seated myself and waited for the curtain to rise. There was no delay. Perhaps five minutes intervened, the absolute hush of drowsy noon hrooding over the fields. Then from the barracks of the slaves I saw a swarm of black figures stealthily emerge and quickly cross the space between their abode and the little cluster of buildings where dwelt the overseer and his assistants. Evidently everything had been carefully care-fully planned and rehearsed, for they divided quickly and methodically into smaller groups, which entered the various va-rious houses at almost the same moment mo-ment of time. There was no tumult or outcry. In almost every instance the slaves emerged a few minutes later, with one or more hound captives cap-tives in their midst; from one cottage a figure, which I was sure was the NSSS ''So That's the Trouble. Richard Lindsay Lind-say in Love!" young bookkeeper with whom I had talked on the previous morning, leaped from a window and dashed straight for the boat landing, but the next second sec-ond his dusky pursuers were after him like a pack of hounds in full cry, and he was soon sent sprawling to the ground and bound like the rest. It was only, indeed, as might have been expected, ln Shlvely's quarters that anything occurred which could be dignified dig-nified by the name of a struggle. Here there came to my ears, faint and distant, dis-tant, the "crack ! crack ! crack" of pistols; pis-tols; then all was silent; and when the blacks again emerged from the big house it was with Shively's tall figure in their midst, still striving desperately to burst the bonds which held him. while behind him followed a group of rebels bearing two or three motionless bodies, mute witnesses to the fact that the overseer had fdiglit to the last. Time such care was taken to bind I he prisoners made me hope that they were. merely to be held as hostages, and were not to be tortured and put to death. And Indeed for a time I believed be-lieved myself correct in this supposition, supposi-tion, for the little knot of whites were led to the shelter of the wood, guarded by a ring of blacks armed with weapons weap-ons which only a few moments before had belonged to their masters. The rest of the negroes dispersed, apparently appar-ently to search systematically through the different dwellings, and when they emer.-ed It was easy to see for what they had been hunting liquor. And the moment I saw this I realized what would inevitably happen. Tet It did not take plfce at once. For perhaps an hour the blacks caroused, the fiery liquor contirually rousing their passions pas-sions to. a tigher and higher pitch; while on thei native drums they beat melodies, if such they may be termed, which doubtless woke in their hearts memories of the land from which they had been torn, and of all the long chain of ensuing cruelty and abuse. All this time, however, my thoughts had been but partly on the scene before be-fore me, for I was thinking of the island and of the fate of those who dwelt there. I had no doubt that after the blacks had tortured and slain their victims they would turn their attention atten-tion to McAllister, who was, in reality, the chief object of their revenge. If Cudjo and Caesar had still been amoc; his garrison, the outcome would have been at least hard to predict; and Indeed, In-deed, even as It was, the protection of the house and the good aim of Its defenders might prevail against overwhelming over-whelming numbers, and the possible danger and terror of a night attack. Surely I felt that I was needed there as never before ; some way of reaching reach-ing Helen I must devise. It might be possible, while the rebels were enjoying enjoy-ing the barbaric delights of the torture, tor-ture, for me to slip down the hill to the river, strap my rifle on my back, and float down with the current, unobserved. un-observed. Yet I had to confess that this, at best, could only be regarded In the light of a desperate and well-nigh well-nigh foolhardy undertaking; for If they once caught a glimpse of me, they would launch a boat from the shore and overtake me ln no time. No, galling as It was, there seemed nothing for me to do but to lie quiet and watch events below. Nor had I long to wait, for the passions pas-sions of the blacks, long pent up, now burst their barriers as a river ln flood time surges beyond its banks. And I could not but reflect, as I sat there on the brow of that wooded hill on this November day, that there Is nothing noth-ing In the world more terrible than a Just revenge. Surely these men, lying bound and helpless, were only encountering encoun-tering their just reward. Yet, Just though It might be, It was not less horrible to witness, for these blacks, following their native custom, did not kill at once, but first subjected their victims to every refinement of torture. The laying on of the whip was . but the beginning, and Indeed I cannot set down here the details of the butcher work that followed. Shively Shive-ly and Evans, as the ringleaders, were reserved until the last, and their passing pass-ing furnished a frightful climax to this ghastly scene. And then, as I had feared, with these subordinate persecutors perse-cutors out of the way, the thoughts of the vengeful blacks turned toward the man who stood at the head of the hateful system which oppressed them the man to whom they had appealed in vain against the despotic cruelties of tiie overseer. I saw them gather in groups, saw them point to the island with much talking and gesticulating, gesticu-lating, and then go to the landing where the hoats were kept, evidently carefully investigating their means of transportation. After which they returned re-turned to their search of the houses and shops, and I saw them bring out a number of ladders, and, evidently dissatisfied with the supply, start at once, with axes and with the tools of the carpenter, to cut down saplings and manufacture more. This was enough. Whether they meant to make an immediate attack, or Intended to wait for darkness, I could not guess; in fact, any attempt to foretell the actions of these rebels, newly liberated from the oppressor's yoke, half-crazed with liquor, and with their fiercest passions roused by their revenge upon their persecutors, would have been a hopeless task. And though It was a greater risk than I cared to take, I felt that the only course open to me was to try to gain the island at once. Accordingly I explained, ln as few words as possible, that I should make the attempt, and although Quashy's expression showed grave fears for my safety, he saw, I think, that It would be useless to try to dissuade dis-suade me. and therefore announced that he would come with me as far as the bank of the stream; whereupon, without further loss of time, we hastened has-tened down the steep and wooded hillside hill-side toward the river. (TO BE CONTINUED.) |