Show CAPTAIN T A I 1 N I 1 by charles tenney jaclson jackson by the babb bobbt company Coro cOT CHAPTER XV is 18 tho the dottle bottle emperor returns Re turna across tile the mile aldo lagoon in the still wt hot dusk tile tho last buccaneers bucca of 0 lantto listened to tho the battle in tho the forest river tho the battlo of inus musketry ketry and then the boom of tho the Scra phines carro nades and strange as aal it fell out tho lio castaways chatow casta ways ays wished for tile tho span lards larda to win they had no hope of escape for themselves hut but their hatred of Crack loys leys mutineers muti was stronger than thele their hereditary foud feud with tho the sea oca power of tho the spanish king icing so tho the fugitives lay jay and listened to tho distant bottlo battle for tile tho rescue e ship of bonaparte at times behind tile tho fringe of forest swamp arose tho the crash of alro and then the bark of tho seraph inoa guns guna and presently this lost last ceased tho the ragged volleys of small arms burst irregularly died out renewed become single shots blotted out by tho tropic el 01 lenco tho the catalan swung to ills his feet and tied ills hla bloody head scarf tighter 1 I say it Is 19 the end Murl llos non men aro swarming over it seemed that a faint burst of cheering camo from under tho the landward stars nez beckoned to ills follows fellows tho the captain will want tho the word back nt at the iho ladys shelter tent no ile will send tier her and tho the young gentleman to intercept tho the spaniards boats when they come out the pass to regain tho fri frigate gato now watch for tho the alro behind the trees yo see BOO tho red ghost of a good ship 10 but presently tho cop captain tala himself and De beluche lucho tho the admiral came through tho deep sand and great hummocks to this outlying point of the reef you ton mako make out that the affair Is 1 aono inquired tho the former no thoro thorn Is in ift a shot they waited silently tho the low murmur of tile tho gentle surf burt on tho the outer fringe of sand was all tho sound upon the utter calm of tho the night it Is over muttered dohon bolion 1 I would haab given my right hand to havo seen ackley brackley Cr cutlass ed end and hung flung to tile tho sharks and jarvis tho the fool gibing them to the last bastl I 1 tho tha wastrel had its his sen sea fight eh the leaders dark faco winced no raised ills his hand as if to still this jest ing about tho jester of tile the rue royale the emperor of the bottle who at lost did sit alt in the chair they had ordained for an emperor himself and now from tho sen sea abero camo came a single signal gun the frigate was waa invisible standing oft tho the shoals but they knew a thousand enemies were there ali ore conic come sirs said the chief in quiet authority tile the longboat around the point for tho the english woman they shall row to meet the spaniards in the pass pasa sho shall plead that she and monsieur do de Al monaster were tho the prisoners of the mutineers muti when lio ho had gone from the men ot at ills his bidding he came upon mademoiselle lespron on the highest point of the sand before tier her shelter canvas jho was alone and sho elio saw his quick glance about monsieur do monaster almonaster Al has gone to tile tho beach 1 I sent him away she said quietly away do you see that light mademoiselle against the forest it means the spanish bont boat crews are returning they have taken tile the seraphino in the rivers mouth you can guess what has happened thero there to la no man living who was upon her the ragged man she answered in bently tho the man wio who sat in the emperors cabin and kissed the bracelet I 1 left theror there the bracelet he was surprised lie he tied had not known of this it belonged once to mario antoinette tol nette she went on passively the othe queen gave it to a member of my family for a service before they put tier her to tho the guillotine guillot lne why then did you not speak when wo we left tho the ship he ile he the tha man would havo have given atto it to you 1 I did not think she murmured he lind had ills lips to it then she was silent looking at tho empty sea flea the savage land 1 61 I inquired of mou mon falleur do Almon nater ho he laughed lau glied painfully and would not answer I 1 could not so tile tho face that night nor when ho he jested on the quarter deck but always it has seemed that some laughing spirit was near rno me on the seraphine Seraph lne a ghost for far off from me yet ever holding mo me in his fancy la Is it not strange I 1 cannot shake this feeling on 11 kli jit Is strange lie answered but amo you are going now 11 mazarac acl I 1 she cried sharply why do you not speak of what he said simply in no wonder ah I 1 do not knowl know I 1 tile tho stars stara showed tile the paleness of her face tier her luminous eyes wide up to him the web of alien silence ce tait anat had been woven about her was a mesh that neither tears nor challenge had ye yet pierced eed 4 too am a hameleski na ha ghost ho he balled tho the of ofa u man who s V a might havo been conic come bowl monsieur somme bids you respectfully hut but firmly to go you will obey monsieur mazarac to Is accustomed to being obeyed the hands handa of monsieur saedrac biava been stained with the blood of those who choso chose not to obey Is that enough about monsieur Saz mazarac arac uc mademoiselle ile ho turned away to her little tent she heard him film giving instructions as to the all silent ent black steward who had been charged to tier her service the tiny light ngaire the unseen forest shore was growing pl plainer alner she heard a brushing in tile tho coarse grass gras s raoul do monaster almonaster Al drow drew out of the starlight and stopped by tier her with a comment apparently ho did not notice Mon monsieur mazarac at her tent seeing to her few no camo came to you did lie ho not murmured raoul it la Is tile tho last moment I 1 gave him this to speak to you louise 11 why what should lie ho speak she whispered but then ho would not V tho the younger man misinterpreted iio lovos loves you and lie ho would not speak eli eh well belll I 1 it Is 18 my honor to keep from him and from you I 1 was wail ills hla first confidant from tho very first when lie ho was about to chat challenge carr because of you I 1 offered to second him at tho oaks from the first ho he spoke of you and lio fie had my pledge of honor ah but I 1 did not know then who tho the lady was the pawn of hla his game at casperon the lady lio ile must retrieve from the gena roria monsieur bazanac at tho the parting of the paths ono one on to pence peace even perhaps to honor for a wounded name choso this to serve lie he know knew it meant the abyss opened for him I 1 Is not that a love mademoiselle e that would hold tho the friend of bazanac to ills hla honor tell mo me aho lie whispered swiftly the ragged fellow in tho the emperors cabin his jests his love jp A dead man telling neither love nor jests then tho the young man turned hotly on her see herel here I 1 tho the boat to la making ready I 1 well it if mazarac has your heart louise I 1 will not go gol V oh nol no noll no I 1 she breathed monsieur Mon 11 tho the figure of Mons monsieur montleur leur loomed against the stars before boford them pardon ho he said eald smoothly it Is the timo for tho the longboat it la Is damnable do monaster almonaster Al sprang to grasp ills his sleeve sir a womans comans part for me mel I 1 I 1 will not go gol I 1 1 I 1 will not go gol I 1 monsieur mazarac looked from him to mademoiselle lespron intently it was as open to them 6 as a iown blown rose to tile the sunshine do Al almonaster Almonn monaster ster would not creep away saved by a womans comans skirts among the spaniards and ever after ceo in her eyes that she was holding in memory another man who died for her slender bronzed hands come say my children I 1 there Is tho boat muttered de almonaster Al monaster sullenly the blacks at the oars and dark clark at tile the tiller the tide ido Is coming out it Is on an easy pull here Is roy ray handkerchief for the truce flag on a boat polo pole ile ho bowed quietly mademoiselle lespron is going to the spanish captains caro care sir said bazaral coolly you to that boat I 1 A stealthy slur of steel and leather caroe came in tile tho silence they saw the point of do de Almon asters rapier flash dimly and then held to the sand monsieur mazarac Saz arac I 1 had the idea long ago that at ansome some hour you and I 1 should hahl it was as inevitable as anything could be it was written by these stars at the birth of each of us an aa it was written that we each cadi should love lov a woman whom it has been given us ua in our lives to protect mademoiselle lespron to the boat then draw with me monsieur Is the older roan man did not cot stir twice then in so eo short a time he must def de cline a 0 challenge because of herl herf it if was very odd he laughed slowly mademoiselle had seemed dumb for the moment then she sprang with a hand raised before do de almon AImon asters blazing eyes and impetuous arm welt then went on monsieur mazarac quietly first the lady for whom wo we must fight to the longboat monsieur do almonaster Al monaster iier her cry of terror echoed hoed thero there came then a slow uncertain trudging through the reef grass the figure of a man quite close it was stopped stooped and presently it staggered or stumbled rather ridiculously it op ap feared over an empty scabbard which got between its knees Jarvi jarviel sl cried do Al almonaster monaster and sprang to him eh faoul the voice 0 came cama weakly but gatli gathered ered strength rig as it if from some choked but overmastering over mastering purpose 4 well I 1 came to find youl you pi after that ho he staggered back and would have bavo fallen if do almonaster Al monaster had not eased him to the sand then thea ho rubbed a blundy hand band across a bloody face and drawled sleepily ads out the matter I 1 say bayl scout I 1 want the devil no lie through twisted wilm tm rua nin n about painfully twice I 1 think tile the captain had co conio me swiftly to him jarviel Jarvi sl ile iio knelt and sternly sought tile the others ot liera eyes monsieur do AI Al monaster will you get the brandy from tile tho tent what la Is this jarvis what of tile the seraphine Seraph lne ilow how came you here sho she la in coming out on tho the t tide ide said jarvis thickly ti tile dona think to save tier her as a prize four boats are towing name of 0 ct dt di jean 1 1 I had m my Y fight V I 1 tell me this retorted tho the other coldly ile ho looked about the figure of the woman wo man was dim by the tha tent she was assisting do da Almo nastor at tile the cheat of ban bandages dilges and scanty supplies given them theia by the mutineers muti you deserter wo mo but tell me of the seraphine Seraph lne t 1 I alone escape escaped cV Crack leys men fought like wild ravages when the end came the last of us ua took overboard to 10 tho the jungco jul when the spaniards farmed sar med aboard they headed beheaded be black alko on a gun block and li hanged tinged budge audgo to the shrouds with a fire under him they chopped old carlano Mar Alar lano arm by arm and leg by leg and Cr ackley shot himself to keep away from them I 1 was the last who abo fell in the river reeds they did not find me jean and when I 1 got sens 0 after these wounds I 1 crawled to the waters edge I 1 found a dinghy with three dead dead spaniards in it and heaved them out then I 1 floated with tho the tide it boro bore mo me to the reef reefa I 1 know you would bo hero here somewhere ourse curse me it was a light I 1 there must have been a hundred of them and we did for half I 1 do AI Al monaster forced the brandy to his lips thank you monsieur murmured the painter of tho the rue royale tills this thrust through my shoulder I 1 would not have had it but after breaking a clans head I 1 saw a bottle roll across tho the deck I 1 must after it like a cat at the cheese and somo some other king of 0 man put a saber to me eh I 1 dropped the cognac with cork sot got around and fought again what luck one ona hasl has I 1 ile he sighed wearily ills eyes closed tho the english woman camo came nearer and then ht at a sign from monsieur mazarac Saz arac she went apart from them it would not do for the babbler to talk too much in her hearing and so once more the ragged lover with the now new waistcoat did not see the lady of tho the camellia nor she him tor for when hla his eyes opened thero there wore but the stars atara above and the two mens faces watching close to his come gentlemen I 1 ho he struggled to a sitting posture between them t 1 1 I camo came here with an ideal idea I 1 A most excellent ideal idea I 1 jarvis Jarv ls retorted tile the captain quietly you are dying eli eh blen 1 are you a physician too monsieur sitz saz a me as well ns as a bully swordsman a fellow of pearlin pearl in laid pistols a delicate hand ot at the cards and wondrous spee speeches clies on a staircase he sat up straighter and shook himself dying now see I 1 he kicked out both mud swat swathed hed legs clapped hla his hands put a thumb to ills hla nose and wiggled hla his fingers at the stars let mo up he drawled absently 1 I am to tell you what to do where the devil Is the boat and our blusterers bluster ers name 0 of G dl bue buc cancers snoozing oozing sn in the grass aud and john jarvis in a bloody setto set to 1 and despite their protests lie he did got get to his feet unsteadily about oil all they could see were hla him two eyes sticking out of a muck of wet tangled hair but these seemed to smile comfortingly f for or jarvis Jar vla ond and hla his deck 0 blood he ha mused now come the seraphino Seraph lne Is towing owing out the pass there Is hardly a roan mart on her except the wounded and the officers for they have every a arm rm a at the sweeps ft in n the small boats I 1 say we shall retake her gentl gentlemen 0 I 1 TO OB BE CONTINUED |