Show F TREASURE or THE SEA SEABY BY sv k le t TORY STORY DRY THUS FAR 2 being b adrift for four days on a a. aI t I Ick Iek Jordan is picked up by a a. tailing aping vessel In the Caribbean F g the captain and his bis crew crewe Q le e a better bettu than pirates Tucu the starts toward the area where ken en steamer on which Dick had bad passenger Is now lying On the yh ey y I come upon a derelict schoon schoon- i y board Is Captain Bedford ap up- apr 5 r Insane and his daughter Rose of ot the pirates attempts to the he vessel but bat Is turned back backs back's backe's backes e's es s 's automatic Dick swims to the ther jr r and helps Rose to drive off oft tes test Dick fears furs win wID return the night foils foil's CHAPTER IV I made no pressing Inquiry for lor tics but her eyes were r l g him Inquisitively It like a stage farce he d finally but it was the best Jd do at the time That Cap- Cap cu swallowed the story was prise rise to me I if 1 1 you please tell me what the theis theis is fly as he could Dick sketched TI it t had happened to him since I I dering of the City of ot Bahia w he concluded you can canA A tand Stand why Tucu will persist in the schooner So longs long's Im I'm Imd d hell he'll keep at it Im I'm not sure 1 j can do you the greatest ican by leaving Perhaps I 1 wilL ere will you go she asked e g with her eyes ees and lips Ck to the lugger o they kill you You if they Sands ands ands on you again agam snot right away he replied IB p ny supposed knowledge of at the ice ce of those Jewels that would t me After Alter they were conIll con con- Ill II had been deceiving them them- then I 1 dont don't imagine Tucu be e restrained by any scruples caking vengeance yoU didn't intend to wait tinn un- un n n she added I was planning to leave at et opportunity I was on the nl ships athis this schooner being the first k it to get away from them that isn't quite true he re- re his eyes twinkling tv I real real- t t think ol of my myself sell when I 1 Ito Ito I to change ships I 1 saw intended to do and heard efi nce ol ot them It was wasi was was- i 1 Well well rell a habit of ol mine well we'll call jumping In whenever theres there's theresce theresee ee ce e of ol an adventure I 1 wantee wante want- want ee e the fun lun and Tucu had reo reo re- re o o let me come aboard appeared appeared a little amused by dent attempt to avoid the ther reason Jeason r ason She suddenly grew Turning to him she Im glad you came h hope pe you'll stay Since father lather js reason Ive I've had everything It was the storm and the ther r they abandoned us right in ing g Midst of it Father was down fJ high gh fever and I the I-I-the I the men menk rust trust me to manage things k IK f they were superstitious about he talked and acted in a way them His minde mind mind- e comes now she broke oft off 1 whisper isper per Never mind what ys s Hes He's not responsible for fori i he tells ufe Gets Acquainted CaPtain nin Bedford In Bedford with a vacant his eyes came tumbling I sj companion mumbling and g to himself hImsel He was a man manty manty I ty stout and thickset thick set griz- griz beard and hard of muscles I e mind had been thrown out r T r by a knock on the head bead W. W i by a falling spar In the theof ot of the storm Catching sight J ck k he be stopped and blinked p jit t him bim Then with an idiotic I E n his face he hei approached r oth hands extended Xit It t ye Mr Crew he called I Intakes takes you for tor the mate red the girl Humor him bim its it's most time we pulled ichor hor or aint it There aint i to be any storm after all I I so-I so o I told ye so M Mr Crew Crewl for that pig headed suon sun su- su on xin n of yours that an easterly Cans eans a big blow behie bess be- be bee e ss Mme hie e afore I 0 e J topped suddenly and gazed r lugger What ships ship's that ir r I dont don't seem to oC I r. r J Hall Hail h her r an ask the cap- cap c board ard Well We'll have a dram 3 tJ together have to be when in harbor h No start start- b Ithe the sid side Ill hail her father Interrupted Rose w. w You must go below and je r. r Crew and I will toll follow ow j nodded and smiled which I ill 1 to please the captain for or ended Bended ended the stairs rubbing his rand and mumbling gleefully 6 b ie e a was gone Dick glanced at Jt panion Danion Her face was more 1 and set than when Captain if I pad ad her cornered with the then n In n front fron and Lind nd back of her II l brief I Instant she had aged ageda Byears years a tired weary exIC ex- ex IC ex- ex exin in the eyes ces and face ace t I J Bedford was a child of ot the thern thern rn rn n In a small seaport vilt vil- vil ut t bred and brought up on onI 0 I t under i the tutelage of ot her her mother having died at J when daughters have only test est conception of 01 their need of maternal care Captain Bedford was lonely jealous of relatives who gave his child chUd a home when he was away and absolutely hungry for her companionship and when he reached a po point po nt where he could no longer endure the separation he literally kidnapped her and carried carried carried car car- ried her away to sea with him After that Rose had lived on the schooner visiting more coast towns townsand townsand townsand and cities than few girls of her age expect to see in a life time She grew into a strong robust independent independent independent inde inde- I pendent girl skillful in handling anything that floated or had bad sails learned at first hand all the mysteries mysteries mysteries mys mys- teries of the sea and the lore of sailors and during her brief sojourn sojourn sojourn so so- journ on shore in various s ports of the world picked up miscellaneous information that was more m more re practical cal than theoretical But the sea was her l life e and the old schooner her home When Dick Jordan met her she was as competent a navigator of a sailing craft as any man afloat and her knowledge of seamanship had enabled her in the crisis to save the schooner after the crew had abandoned her Captain Bedford had been injured by a falling spar and for twenty-four twenty hours had hovered hovered hovered hov hov- ered between life lite and death When he recovered the use of h his muscles muscles muscles mus mus- cles but not of his mind he was worse than useless His wild babbling babbling babbling bab bab- bling frightened the superstitious v N Yr 1 f y c f r d l 1 l Rose suddenly found that tha t her seamanship seamanship seamanship sea sea- manship was of little avail without the he power to command obedience crew and reduced them to a surly disorganized mutinous mob The crew disregarded Roses Rose's orders and took matters in their own hands They abandoned the schooner in the middle of the storm The They y ill Make ake Plans for forA or orA A Desperate Defense For three days and nights the schooner had been buffeted about by y waves and wind a plaything of the sea drifting without guidance or direction The chance of bring- bring bringing bringing ing ng order out of chaos seemed an insurmountable task for a woman and almost in despair Rose was about ready to yield to the inevitable ble when the lugger appeared But her fighting spirit In spite of at its low ebb had not entirely deserted deserted deserted de de- de- de her The lugger's crew and an suspicious character had awakened a worse fear in her mind A fate more to be dreaded than dr drifting ting helplessly around on a derelict aroused her In desperation she determined determined de- de to defend the schooner against the selling her own O life lie as dearly as possible Dick Jordans Jordan's appearance as an anally anally ally immediately stiffened her cour cour- age They discussed the situation calmly and practically on des deck k after after after aft aft- er a refreshing cup of coffee in the cabin with Captain Bedford We h have ve plenty of firearms aboard she told Dick Father always carried carried car car- ried vied a regular arsena arsenal Three of us then well armed he le replied can put up a pretty still fight fight Two she said shaking her head We must leave father out of It I 1 dont don't dare trust him with witha a weapon He might turn it upon us In one of ot his wild moods Dick nodded recalling the friendly friendy friend friend- ly y overtures the captain had made madeo to o the boarding party against his daughters daughter's wishes it be safer to confine him to the cabin he asked after a pause He would be e safe there and out of the way Yes I thought of that she nod nod- ded We could lock him In there If It things got desperate despera te we would retreat to the cabin That would be our final stand Id I'd like father ather with me then the only thing to do I Where is he now Dozing below He always sleeps after taking a glass Ill I'll go down now and lock him in while hes he's asleep Dick paced the deck restlessly while she was gone The lugger had dropped anchor at nt a safe distance from the schooner Everything was quite aboard her with no evidence that another plan of 01 attack was brewing Tucu will wait walt until Its It's dark he mused Then under cover of ot night hell he'll attack from several That's his bis plan i I When Rose appeared again he heI I told her of ot his belief and she I agreed w with th him You haven't such a thing as a searchlight aboard I suppose he queried No she smiled schooners are not usually equipped with such modem modern modern mod mod- em ern n improvements Well glancing up at the sky its going to be moonlight until one or two o'clock After that it will be black as ink Until then I think were we're safe t I Then wed we'd better take turns resting she replied practically Ill Til take th the first watch But Dick was in no mood to sleep He urged her to rest pleading that he could stay awake all night without without without with with- out discomfort but she was obdurate obdurate obdurate rate refusing to rest unless he promised to do the same Their long vigil began the moment moment moment mo mo- ment the sun set and the shadows of night began creeping across the ocean Twilight was succeeded by I intense darkness which brought i them to alert watchfulness This lasted for half hal an hour until the moon came up and dispelled the gloom It cast a broad path of white light that revealed every object object object ob ob- ob- ob almost as clearly as in hi the day time The lugger lay directly in inthis inthis inthis this broad streak of light enabling them to see all that took place I aboard It was better than a searchlight search search- I light If It would only last until mornIng mornIng morning morn- morn I Ing Dick remarked we wouldn't have much to fear in the way of a I surprise At first they talked intermittently of practical matters exchanging views of what they should do In certain contingencies and then havIng having hav hay haying ing exhausted all possible methods of attack and counterattack they lapsed into silence For nearly an hour they watched and waited without without without with with- out talking but the moonlight and the balmy witching air tingled through their nerves Dick became conscious of a pleasant sensation in watching and waiting with her close by his side Once or twice he glanced in her direction and their eyes met an instant They smiled and returned to their silent vigilance Youre a plucky girl he remarked remarked remarked re re- re- re marked once breaking a long pause Not many could meet this situation without getting ca cal In the few hours before the moon disappeared Dick learned much of her tier lonely life lie with her father on the schooner His own life lie had not been of the he be was a fugitive from justice unjustly justice unjustly so but a fugitive just the same sane same He had been embittered by circumstances circumstances circumstances circum circum- stances that had torn him from his little niche in life and cast him relentlessly relentlessly relentlessly re re- re- re upon a sea of adventure and restless wandering Even in his moments of rest the shadow of the law had always poisoned what little enjoyment he had managed to pick up in hi his exile The night wore on without anything anything anything any any- thing happening Their talk was running Into personal matters when a cloud drifted across the face of ot the moon and temporarily darkened the sea They started up with a jump as if it were a sign of trou trou- ble Dick laughed after the first shock I thought the moon had gone he said Its only midnight and we have it with us a Q couple of hours yet Im afraid not she replied Look at those clouds A cloudy night is almost as dark as a moonless moonless moonless moon moon- less one Storm clouds arent aren't they She nodded and looked worried Another storm now nO she murmured murmured murmured mur- mur would about bout finish us A Night o of Anxiety WI Wears ears Slowly On The fear of another storm however however however how how- ever was secondary to the danger threatening them from the lugger With the sky shy completely overcast the moment favorable for an attack was wa's hastened by a couple of hours They got up and began pacing the deck restlessly watching and listening listening lis lis- lis- lis peering through the gloom and halting every time a fish broke or a splash in the water attracted their attention They talked in low guarded voices We mustn't keep together Rose whispered finally We must divide the watch Ill I'll take the stern and you the bow We can meet on our rounds and report It was the only sensible thing to todo todo todo do but Dick hated to be separated from her In the darkness Besides missing her companionship he was afraid something might happen to her when he wasn't present to lend his assistance Suppose the chose the stern for the attack and overwhelmed her before he be knew of her danger I He made his circuit of the forward forward for tor- ward deck a little hastily and recklessly recklessly recklessly reck reck- lessly and found himself himsel at the meeting place long before she had completed her round When he be saw her finally emerge from rom the gloom he be drew n Q sigh of relief relict All well he be asked She nodded and after a few moments moments moments mo mo- ments of 01 pause ghe he turned to renew renew renew re re- re- re new her ber beat I IX TO 10 BE DE CONTINUED |