Show porto A belle belle gold G by ARTHUR D HOWDEN SMITH WN TWO U bitted by arthur ID browden smith SYNOPSIS i tit it story open in new tork about the middle of the eight bight nth century robert Or ormerod marod who tells telli the tale re r talking to peter corlzer Cor laer laar chief ohl of fur trader ro and man of enormous normous nor moua trenK th when darby mcaraw trish bonded boy brings news new that a pirate ship la in oft off the alook an old most aea captain sm an n he has haa been chased by thal notorious notor louB pirate captain rip nip rap the older ormerod tells tell robert the pirate to andrew murray his ht robarta Robar tm great brent uncle commanding the pirate ship hip the royal hamem jam murray in an ardent jacobite next day robert and darby encounter a one garced sailor allor john silver whom darby conducts cond to a tavern robert clobert meets a young woman from a spanish frigate who id a seeking her father colonel odon odonnell all lie taken take her to tho the place shi designates CHAPTER 11 II continued ile he brushed by me with a click of impatience and darby and I 1 followed him to the street ali A we all three emer merged gid mistress odonnell darted up to her fattier father and caught at the lapels of his coat all ah padre she in a brogue that clotted and slurred her words not be holding it against pe me because I 1 wearied of I 1 the ship and would feel the earth crumbling under foot andic and me so BO lonely for lack of you I 1 wax waa near to weeping the while I 1 rat cat in my cabin with naught to do but read my hours lie ile wilted as a must any man have done flinging his him arm around her with it a gesture that verged berged anthe on the theatrical ical tush tush moira he rebuked her gently unbecoming in you and in spanish lands such conduct would lead to trouble see sea that you do it not cot a second time I 1 will give you in charge of juan and having had bad your taste of freedom you must return aboard for I 1 have matters yet requiring my attention ah aay yes yea and you must thank this gentle gentleman properly for hla his gallantry master blaster ormerod my dearl dear I 1 ills father la Is a great merchant of this ahta town mistress odonnell swept me a willowy curtsey and as I 1 bowed acknowledgment I 1 wondered where he had find secured such auch exact information about me sure ill not be after trying to thank you says bays my lady to io me with a twinkle in her eye vor for find the words worda would express my gratitude but for you an awful fool ia id have made of myself this quarter hour past colonel odonnell hemmed reprovingly lit let it be it a lesson to you ray my girl my thanks to you again master blaster ormerod my compliments to your father if it please you glod night ight air clr I 1 understood that he wished to bo be rid of me and accepted the cue I 1 good night sir air I 1 replied and B n fair voyage to you mistress if I 1 can be of further service pray command mft ma no master ormerod here our paths diverge the bhe answered softly and placed her hand upon her fathers arm A moment later I 1 was hurrying nortie bortl an aim west vest darby mcgraw chattering beside me I 1 CHAPTER M A X caller in the night wet sat iut late at dinner that bight hi lit for my father roust must needs have we me repent at length the tale of 4 m my Y experiences during tho the day revealing a perturbation unusual in him although peter corlzer ate on solemnity I 1 1 I have heard orthis of this colonel odonnell said my father when I 1 had made an end ile he was in scotland with prince charles one of the irish crew who bogged a promising venture if what men say be true I 1 marvel at his temerity in landing here for there must be a price upon his head in england doubtless lie he was consorting with some of our jacobite sympathize era at the whales head a fitting place for such an intrigue the captain of 0 the frigate called upon the governor this morning so master colden told me with it a cock and nd bull story of a mi mistake stalie in his recko reck hing that took him north of his couk course I 1 smell the taint of a 91 jacobite plot F 1 mistress odonnell said cald they were for forthe aie Flor lons I 1 protested sure they are not far out of their course my mj fattier father smiled for the first time the little maid would have no knowledge of her fat fathers tiers purpose and av if she did nu no bo no lad I 1 had find my briare of plotting in my youth our are a 0 pernicious lot hut but llie jn in a devious business s we might tit not lope to reach the truth aruth nor binl greatly concerned concern pd pI IIi whereat rhe reat erent most Je robIte tl plots ars I 1 ill sallies misguided led men no 0 o isguhi hy y es prate M ia cliot what tr lap F bia me fiust Is I 1 tao tiding etim 4 tile lie one leesul 89 annor for sit bluml a 1 U vv ft f tl 7 not to hear the pirates are outside our harbor it hath bath th the elook look of daring beyond the ordinary it if murray the door behind me opened and I 1 saw my fathers jaw drop peter at my right hand let hta his eyelids blink then went on quietly cracking nuts between film huge fingers did I 1 hear you call me ormerod tile the voice from the doorway had a chill level quality that was as aa resonant as the tolling of a bell if murray 1 I 1 thought I 1 heard my name 1 I screwed around in ray my chair there in the doorway stood the most remarkable figure I 1 had bad ever seen A large man straight as aa an arrow despite the years that had planted croix feet so thickly about ills his eyes hla him square shoulders showed allowed to advantage the exquisite tailoring of the black velvet coat he wore hla his small clothes were of a fine yellow da masked silk and his stockings of silk to match diamonds flashed from ti the le buckles of his shoes ills his fob his fingers and the hilt of hla his dress sword A great ruby glowed in the jabot that cascaded from hla his throat over his arm hung a cloak and under his elbow was tucked a lint hat cocked in the latest mode dut but it was the memory of hla his face that abided with you the fen features tures were all big and strongly carved the nose was wag a jutting beak above a tight lipped mouth and a jaw that was brutally square tho the eyes were a vivid bla 1 clr flecked with tawny lights his hair was of a pure silvery whiteness and drawn back clubbed and tied with a black ribbon ills cheeks and brows browa were furrowed by a maze oi of wrinkles yet the flesh seemed as firm as mine in every way he be suggested breeding gentility wealth but there was a combined effect of sinister power and predatory will a hint of ruthless egotism which took no account of any interests save his own ile he acknowledged my prolonged stare with a slight bow mildly derisive your son ormerod he be continued my grandnephew robert I 1 think you named him for the redoubtable master blaster juggins of london who aided you to start life anew after you had contrived to wreck yourself upon the of a fore sworn jacobite career my father rose slowly to hs feet yes he Is my son pon murray it la Is nelt neither lier his fault nor mine that he be I 1 Is also your grandnephew As to bl his name robert juggins was a better man than you or 1 I and you cannot inspire my son against me by hinting at hidden chapters of my early life he knows that I 1 was deluded into serving the stuarts and lived to learn that country comes before king tho the roan man in the doorway nodded his head 1 I would not seem discourteous he remarked suavely 1 I note another old friend ormerod or perhaps I 1 should say an old enemy permit roe me to observe corlzer Cor laer that you wear well with the years yeara fix aa well as myself indeed peter squeezed a hickory nut between his forefinger anti and thumb and looked up vacantly into murrays Mur rays face jn ja he said lest you should be tempted by some misapprehension pursued murray 1 I may inform you that I 1 have every reason to suppose myself safe from any measures you might take against me I 1 hope to do what I 1 have come here for cor tonight without injuring anybody and it if you gentlemen will listen to me quietly for n few moments mo ments I 1 am confident that the issue will be harmless tor for all of us I 1 ilo to his cloak and hat upon a chair by the tire fire and put ills his hand upon the vacant one betwixt my father a and me may blay I 1 he he asked my fattier father still standing said nothing and murray with a shrug accepted the silence for consent sun sank 1 gracefully into the seat and drew a golden snuffbox snuff box studded with bril giants from a pocket with your permission he said springing the cover A fragrant whiff of snuff tobacco tickled my senses us as he offered it generally excellent stuff lie ye remarked marked ripe rip rup what none of you AN ah then lie he dusted A a pinch under his nostrils inhaled and daintily used his handkerchief a lace edged morsel such as women carry my father leaned forward across tile the table a blaze of hatred in him hl face 11 als true then I 1 murray regarded him in some surprise sta true irne my dear sir I 1 assured you rip lup rap my father turned to peter and me after I 1 told you about this main robert I 1 hoped that I 1 was wrong that I 1 had done him film nn an injustice but now he lifts has convicted hl himself out of ills his own lips murray gently dc deposited tile the snuffbox upon the table in front of him ah he murmured 1 I seel you were referring to my mv or 1 ifill 1 nil we say nomine de guarrel gu guerre errel I 1 my MT rather fattier laughed bitterly I 1 MAC taic de da guerre I 1 name of X a pirates but let us ua have it fair ind and openly andrew murray Bl urray are you captain nip nap 1 I suppose most people would agree with your description replied murray although personally I 1 prefer the word buccaneer it IF Is susceptible to so BO much wider use and there Is about ita it a suggestion of however we are lot hot interested here tonight in the more abstruse branches of etymology I 1 am the person popularly known on the high seas as captain rip rap nap and I 1 fancy I 1 might have logical grounds for arguing that if any disgrace ad beres to me by that admission you ormerod who drove roe me to tile the practice of what you call piracy als like you to take that tone vald my father 1 I drove you from the practice of what amounted to piracy on tile the land there la Is no difference in the way you earn your live lahood today murray you were an outlaw and you are an outlaw 1 I tear feor you are incapable of doing me justice sighed murray you should know that I 1 have always alwayn in bored to serve higher ends than tile the mere sordid pursuit of money such as has haft possessed you and those like you lie ile swung around suddenly upon me but I 1 am forgetting my purpose 1 he cried stand up grandnephew and let we me have a look at you I 1 would not have heeded him but my father said quickly bo an aa he asks you robert id nat have hare him think you are crooked in ili the legs so I 1 stood A likely build he remarked warmly you favor your father I 1 sel see save in the face it nay may be there you are your mother my maid marjory ah sweet chit would she were with us ua now I 1 A sad loss lose a sad loss lad I 1 the expression which came to my fathers face was terrible in its intensity of pis passion slon he leaned closer to murray white to the cheekbones ills his nostrils pinched in murray he said make an end of such balki As you value your life mention her not again I 1 know not what cards you hold up your sleeve here but if we all dle die in the next moment I 1 will slay you as you sit if you profane her memory with your foul tongue 1 murray stared up at him coolly and took it a pinch of snuff ali ah well you were always diced dicea 11 he answered 1 I but it serves no put purpose pose to reopen old wounds I 1 am of one mind with you there he leaped abruptly across the table 1 I will be frank with you ormerod and with nephew robert hobert here I 1 am somewhat in difficult lem it if itlie money began my father my by great uncles gesture was sufficient check to this 1 I am not in difficulties for money although I 1 am like to be in difficulties shortly in connection with an embarrassing quantity of it in fine sir air I 1 am upon the point of launching the coup of my career one which will en tall consequences of a stupendous character and in the end I 1 venture to predict echo in throne rooms and chancelleries chancell eiles eries aye kingdoms shall ile he broke on it Is not necessary that I 1 should go into that suffice it for the present if I 1 say that I 1 am in the position of 0 it man who has partially tamed an unwieldy bond band of wild animals my own ship I 1 can rely upon up to a certain point but I 1 have associated with me that would be flint interjected my mt fattier father 1 I nin flattered by the knowledge of my affairs which you display replied iny aly gre w with t one of his courtly inclinations yes yea ahad I 1 had occasion casion when I 1 first went to sea for a comp competent kent navigator flint served me in that capacity until I 1 became independent and I 1 then fitted him out with his own ship we haye cruised in company since aarn I 1 am not betraying a professional secret when I 1 add that he Is a man whose undoubted force of personality Is offset by a certain turbulence and cn cm deness of wit which make him to handle nereas increasingly difficult to andle un dle I 1 way may sa say y I 1 foresee trouble with him in the fit future in connection with the coup to which I 1 have already referred I 1 re stand ot alt MY to ro quire a young man maa funru unruly if in curbing and assist me e bow for spirits I 1 promise a great future ruch Som mand of it hta Is own pirate craft no doubt pressed ray my father that would be an offer to draw returned my great creat most moat stout youths uncle bali bah what Is piracy that you agal against ast it ormerod and chur your kint kind prate character la Is it any worse tn in than four fifths of the business practiced in this world what are you end and those like you but men who spek to deprive others of their lawful gains that you may ad add d t to 0 your stores what the others possessed I 1 talce take from froia the wealthy who can afford to lose what they have dishonestly got em more often than not and much of what I 1 win I 1 contribute to the cause e to which you gave your first loyalty an admirable code of ethics observed my fattier father dut but come to the point what will you have that I 1 should apprentice robert to you to ile be indentured a good honest trusty and skillful pirate even so go my I 1 father pat eat brick bach in his chair ill not he be sold said murray treated himself aimse if to a pinch of snuff what does our young man himself say he asked 1 I say that you offer me no inducement I 1 answered as aa shortly ns its I 1 could Od he swore no inducement my aly dear nephew I 1 offer you nn an open bracing life for a brief space a share in a brave venture an opportunity to rehabilitate your filmily family to rise to place title and honor on a pirates deck I 1 jeered from a pirates quarterdeck quart quarte erdeck deck 11 he corrected me gravely 1 I am on my last cruise the royal james Is to vindicate her name aye in years to come she will be regarded as a shrine of loyalty and d alon and to have sailed with andrew murray in her why sir air who remembers today of robin hood aught but that he be was waa true to king richard in adversity the mans surety was amazing this passes fill all reason said my father father wearily you xou must be insane not at all retorted my great uncle 1 I am the leading practitioner of my profession winter davis 7 what does our young man himself say he asked roberts bellamy all the more noted ah pirates of recent years were small fry compared to me I 1 tell you ormerod you stand in the boys way he la in not a boy but a man snapped my father and 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