Show the two captains by IV CLARK RUSSELL copyright 18 by P F col er copy 1897 by dolid head C CHAPTER axil continued oh my heart s delight you will be my wife said pope taking her hand ind as she did not withdraw it to beether they wall ed the dark deck with locked fingers on a sudden it began to rain in very fine drops the deep shadow of the wet sank into the night and the sea grew so vague ana phantasmal you would not have kno hether the trig floated in air or upon water but for the fire that curled in the ripple at the bow and the soft sob and harsh gurgle under aba counter captain pope calling to grindal to keep a bright lookout conducted miss crys tal below shortly after they had bade each other good night pope went on deck to take a last look round and smoke a piece of cigar before turning in for a few hours A fine rain continued to fall he called grindal to him and they stood together under the lee of a quarter boat which in some measure sheltered them I 1 don t think said the boatswain after a few sentences had passed between the two men that I 1 shall find dt as hard a job as I 1 reel boned it was boing soing to prove I 1 mean the carrying out of lour scheme I 1 was a sounding some wella of the men this evening well continued the boatswain it benias to me they re gallus of their necks one and all and ud oe willing to disparte di sparse in burren parts every man with his share A slavin voyage with plenty of money for wages was to their liking drove his cutlass through hs sh amate s heart pope listened breathlessly find ing that grindal paused he said wella again and grindal replied well I 1 could see by the men grow ing thoughtful that it was an idea to em and then to make em look a little more deep into my meaning I 1 tamed to and spun em a yarn of a hip s company aboard a pirate there was a big treasure in the vessel says I 1 the plunder of some eight or ten rich craft and every man s share was randsome and some what did they doa I 1 says there went forty to that crew and twenty of em headed by the toe un I 1 says says I 1 ups one black night secures bothers under hatches seizes the ship by blowing out the brains of the cap en and his mate and then next day they turns the men adrift in a couple ol 01 boats and makes off each man by so doing a of jils share two or three times more than it was acore good says pope of course it was a red lie from nning to end says grindal in dented out of our scheme but there s nothing like taming an idea into a story to make yourself under stood by men with intellects like the fine rain continued to fall the weather promised a long alaci wet nearly all bands were in the tween decks under shelter after holding grindal in conversation be ing posted abreast of the mainmast fo that the man at the helm could not hear what was said pope went below it was about eleven clock the cabin lamp was dimly turning he leaned upon the table for a minute or so lost in reflection A reeling of uneasiness possessed him had he been wise in taking grindal into his confidence but the thing lad to be done and there was but one toad to it and after drinking a turn her of brandy and water he went to bed at midnight grindal went below and called crystal who immediately turned out it was still black as thun tier and raining the change of watches had created the usual contusion in the tween decks halt turned out and halt turned in and the baby cried dismally awakened by the noise but was pres antly silenced by no unfriendly hand crystal hailed the tops and found them untenanted the men at eight tells had come down and the mate did not order others to replace them at a quarter before one it still con finding to rain had dyeing the night to the complexion of ink three men came from t the neighborhood ot the i caboose and passing crystal descend d with naked feet into the cabin crystal walked aft to the wheel so stepping that the creak of boot should not penetrate the plank he exchanged a sentence with the helsman who proved to be one t the men 0 the thetis in a few minutes two of the seamen rose through the companion way silent as ghosts bearing the arms chest between them they were fol lowed by a third man who at once and secured the companion door by the ta it sheen in the sky light crystal and the three men arm ed themselves w th cutlasses and pistols these lat weapons were beat loaded and nc but the prim ing crystal put a second pistol into his breast send the others aft says he in a hoarse tremolo is voice the three men went forward and like shadows shaping out of the wet obscure five more seamen gathered about the arms chest and swiftly armed themselves while they were doing this crystal softly closed the skylight now says he speaking in a vio lent whisper in the manner of one whose hurry means 1 fe or death to him two of iou spring forward to close the fore scuttle on with the main hatch coders they rushed forward the corn mands were easy of execution two covers s to close down the hold of that 1 atle brig one to shelter the tween decks aiom the rain was al ready on the other lay atop of it in an instant this was fitted in the aoam ings the strong iron bar was run through the staples and the men below were imprisoned as securely as though they had been loci ed up in newgate the fore scuttle was even an easier job the two men had noth ing to do but pull the cover over and close and bolt the doors see if there is any but ourselves on deck shouted crystal and three or four of them started on a hunt through the deep shadow just then they heard a loud knock ing on the companion door they could also hear some men dimly shout ing under the main hatch followed by several blows dealt maybe with a handspike guard this hatch shouted crys tal reckless 0 his voice now that the brig was his and followed by two men he rushed aft the knocking was furious draw ing his cutlass crystal opened one of the doors and pope s figure showed firmly outlined against the faint illumination shed by the cabin lamp what in hell s this pope roared he held a pistol and took two steps thrusting with his shoulder in his fury to break through with beast like in humanity crystal struck pope s hand a terrible blow with the flat of his cutlass the pistol that was cocked exploded as it leaped down the corn panion steps oh god cried pope the brigs ours surrender pope or you are a dead man thundered crystal in silence pope turned and sprang into the cabin and rushed into his berth followed by crystal and two swift as crystal was pope was nimbler still his agility was that of ane hare before crystal had reached the other s cabin the gallant irish villain had seized his sword banging beside his bunk had rounded and was fighting a figure terrible with rage pain hate Is this how you reward me you bloody villain was all he said and the blades clashed in horrid music to the shrieks of laura who was now standing in her cabin door the people are under hatches the brigs mine surrender it must come to it for we are ten resolved men crystal panted as pope with desperate lunge and lightning like flourish drove the buccaneering fiend into the cabin here they had space and now being able to see each others face each fought to kill back you coward screamed laura rushing at one of the men who was in the act of springing upon pope too late the fellow clipped the irishman by the shirt under bis long hair pope reeled bis sword passed through the air in a wild idle sweep of glittering blade and in toe next moment crystal drove hia cutlass through his shipmate s heart CHAPTER the last captain pope lay dead on hia back the shirt upon his heart gaped and was dark with blood and blood lay upon the cabin carpet close beside him with her left arm thrown over his neck and her black hair mingling with the dead man s lay janra lanra cry tal in a swoon crystal had turned of a greenish waxen and his face was terrifying with the gri maces which worked in it I 1 had rather anything than this he forced it upon me he should have surrendered he said trembling and shuddering and looking at the body and then at the blade of his cutlass slightly streaked with the heart blood of his shipmate ship mate he went to the table and breaking into a stagger as though he had taken a dose of poison poured out half a glass of pure rum which he lowed pick the lady up and put her into her cabin says he and then pull that body into its cabin out of my sight i i this was done and the rugged man always grasping his cutlass ran OB deck and the others followed him after stopping each man a minute tc drink from the rum bottle on the swing tray crystal went to the main hatch here two armed men were on a lard Is all quiet belows said he there s been some hammering they re quiet now keep a sharp eye for your lives sal e and cut dow n any man who at tempts to brea out called crystal crystal s vo ce expressed him as filled with horror and deeply agitated in truth he had never reckoned upon killing pope tl e scheme for his friend was his friend s scheme for him pope was to have been sent adrift empty handed with a number 0 the pirates whose services crystal did not require but the scar blacken pd buccaneer bious of pope a treachery had been a little too soon for him with his own desperate de sign and pope lay murdered on his cabin floor regardless now of booty and of love and sixteen or seventeen men lay roasting e battened down slaves in the brig s heart crystal walked right aft to the wheel and looked into the compass bowl the quaint old illuminated disk showed a true course for kingston jamaica this course was not to be changed he spoke to the man at the helm and told him that captain pope vas dead killed by his hand by the hand of his friend and he bemoaned it and his voice was brol en by one or two dry sobs he would have killed you sir said the helmsman when dawn broke it had ceased to rain for nearly an hour the wind was gone but when the melancholy gray rolled out of the east over the sea it disclosed a number of broken clouds in the northwest with the orange brightness of the young morn reflected betwixt the edges of the vapor and from that quarter they might expect the wind it came even as they looked for it it gushed rejoicing over the edge of the sea lightly tickling the face of the waters into a universal laughter there were hands enough aboard the brig to guard the hatchways and to trim sail and she started merrily afresh with her hold full of half suffocated men and her captain a corpse in his cab n for the green and lofty and shining land of jamaica crystal was now in command and on him the airs of the commander sat in formidable and savage aspect he ordered two of the carro nades to be loaded with grape and canister these p aces of artillery were then run to the main hatch the halt cover ot the hatch was lifted and instantly when this was done the muzzles of the guns were depressed no sooner bad the light of day fallen through the opening of the hatch than half a dozen men came and stood under looking up one 0 the men was grindal he caught caught sight of crystal and sung up what have you shut us men down here fora his face ran with sweat and his repulsive countenance was unusually hideous and swollen with the helpless wrath and passions of his wicked soul don t any of you attempt to break out you see what you have to ex hect says crystal slapping the breach of a cannonade it you are not as quiet as lambs you have plenty of provisions down there and water and liquor in abundance what have we done to deserve ita roared grindal we re good men still we re willing to fight your captain s dead and the ship s mine answered crystal be you as lambs or we 11 save ourselves some trouble of mercy by firing into you crystal now marched on to the tore castle with two of his men leaving the maln hatch well guarded and everything ready tor a deadly belch of cannon should the men below prove troublesome he opened the scuttle and called up popes servant who immediately appeared ing at the strong light thomas exclaimed I 1 am the commander of this brig and the bulk of the crew are under hatches turn to now and light tha galley fire and get breakfast for me and the lady and my men and when you ve dressed a meal and served it turn to and stitch captain pope s body up in a hammock and mind ye put two round shot in the clews at the feet but before you stitch him up I 1 want no sight of him overhaul his pockets now do you understand mea the man answered yes he was a sober headed fellow and perceived that he was in luck as compared to most of the rest and went away to the galley on swift legs to mal e the best of his good fortune you can come up shouted crystal into the scuttle three figures arrived emerging as though they were blind one was the gunner the second the carpenter the third the cook they began to ask questions they cursed and they swore and tor answer they were thrust forward with a flourish of cut lass and a more evil menace of pis tol and driven by crystal his two men and the man who had guarded the forecastle down into the tween decks crystal s consuming desire was to send the imprisoned men out of the ship they ight break out potent with the wrath of infuriated souls deadly as though bristling with arms they were almost double the number of crystal s men and every man crystal guessed was a raging madman in his heart despouey ed fleeced most treacherously tricked if they were to capture the brig how would it tare with lauraa he ordered the maln hatch to be bat bened down while his people went to breakfast one sentry then sufficing to be continued |