Show 1 TA V P CHAPTER continued 19 I 1 heard her tier cry out an I 1 barely caught th lantern ne as it ml from her tier hand at first I 1 doubted the eil evidence dence of my 0 n ees snatching the bit of flaring candle from front its tin socket and holding it where here the lie full glare of light fell across the gres grew oine somo object ay it i was as a woman noman with ith lower loer limbs doubled back from lack of space but otherwise lying ne as though she slept so perfect in lit her checks ap feared flushed flus with ith health her tier lip lips half sn smiling illing it was sins a III face of real bitaut an inglish face fate although her ebe aes and hair were nere dark and tier man tilla and long ng earrings earrIng 4 were sere ungues tio bi spanish A string of pearl pearls encircled her tier throat and there were mere numerous rings upon her tier fingers the er contrast added immeasurably to the horror I 1 blie she Is till albel e I 1 surely she Is all achel e I 1 the words were sobbed into tit ear from front dorothys lips alive I 1 so no that Is impossible V I 1 touched the tile figure with N lilt my hand I 1 the flesh Is like stone I 1 sold aid thus held lifelike by some sonic magic of UK tile indies IN lint can it nil all mean NN ho could the like wo no nan be bet it Is loe or it bite lie not ot lose oe geoffr love would do this thing it Is halt the gloating of rei revenge enge thore there can call be no ailer answer this Is the end of a tragedy there was nothing not a scrap of paper not een the nun sun blance of a it m wound exposed the smile on those parted lips had become one of mock erv I 1 could bear the sight might no longer and rose to my feet clasping dorothy cl se lie to me ole as slie site eti all I 1 gazed do dow n in lit fascination at the ghastly eight sight I 1 e w u III nei er know the tile man luau w v ho could tell Is dead I 1 captain ho else could it be tills TIM was wai tit 1 schooner and here he lie alone could h ade ade such a secret there Is iq nothing more we me can learn and the horror nn tin me hold bold the light dear while I 1 re replace p lace he the lid IN ol 01 0 he chest cheit it required my effort to accomplish com this I 1 was glad to have the tiling hidden to escape the stare of hose imse fixed eyes the death smile of those red lips it was wag no longer n but a dream of delirium I 1 dace not think or speculate my only lit sire being to let et away winy to get dor dori othy thy away in absolute terror I 1 drew tier with me die to the open door floor then stapled sto pied the lie half ree repealed aled figure pi a man appeared on the cabin stairs stop I 1 aho ho are you 1 I atkin i sir I 1 came below to call vou you 1 heres sum thlu thIn bloomin ln odd one out there in lie fog captain carlile we want ant yer on deck air right away avny CHAPTER the rhe doat boat attack lie ile waited malted for us just without the i companion but my eyes caught noth ing unusual ns I 1 emerged into the light I 1 could birely see amidships and on oil cither either side hung thi tho arable bank of cloud leuina leuI nr sea and eky invisible ill lint to 1 it 1 ca atkins 1 where here are the be meni sir a cangin over the etar star board rail Hoine thlu cursedly strange a happening hap penin la in that fog ole was ins the first ter hear ohp th clatter ov en oar in a rowlock ilion fir while alle we me a lis listening we e both caught boand ov a spanish oath spoke as plain as it the buck ma was mai i a aboard board A lost boat likely reeled adrift in the fog perhaps our oter otter quarter bodt no one hulled them no sir air I 1 told the nien men ter keep still till I 1 called you the arv were all gathered at the tile rail staring out into the mist whis his to each oilier other I 1 pressed tit way tn in among tham we may have been clinging there a minute of wo two breathlessly listening then n voice poke directly in front of me out from fron the dense fog try the port oar pedro we must hare have visited the th d n ship I 1 straightened up tip ns though struck my eyes seeking those of watkins who vi ho stared back at tit roe me his mouth wide ulde open in astonishment you heard I 1 whispered do you know who ho spoke do I 1 deed dead or alive sir it waa its amanuel 1 Us estevan tevan ay no other nna nn lire alive enough no doubt aadi corae close to me and listen they not hear ua u out there iier some devil a trick the va a mur has har folt follo irm our roura e ele else yonder are a part of lit crew c cst cint int bwy 4 Y they clearly know of us ui pir haps bad a glimpse e through soine rift in the cloud find tire necking seeking to I kinrd ard with a boat party rim 1 not likey those thore drills I 1 now who we me are novt sake us for a tant hip ship becalmed ned in lit lie the fog anil and liable to be come coine nil an eq easy y prey it if they can only lip till on oil us ui u i unseen iio lion arc ure ou on bill lies iles keida to battle bour our old ii mutes intes those ure no mates 0 ours sir itald indignantly clity are hall brettl tra tl mongrels mon grels and no sailors I 1 temi Is a 0 in 11 IIO hound URl an so fur far as my oleo 10 lots s I 1 id d rather die on oil this duk than ea f agin be a bloo 1 i 1 irate it that the tile right ardi words lads the grumbled as but thier mutter d word had in thenn a ring ong if f shi sincerity cerit and their facts ex no cotard let one out asked a qui iii stion if I 1 in tit for ter sir he lie ald 1 I lut but what Nili atil II 11 we se use tads abat ain t comin aboard bare liander but dunin if I 1 IQ e seed a weapon on oil this hooker I 1 dars three kahei an a meat ment citi iier tn lit dir di r gnik sail sali I 1 chimed in hani bill n 1 ue e 11 ilo do m r enough some of you it liny te our sheath it tt tind the rest can call use I 1 playing pirn an I 1 capstan bars q ha he point 1 Is to not let theiu thein get al at ard unit if tl it ere Is I 1 only one bo twit boit it 0 o iiii be pretty cun handed rick pick up whit you yov can and man till this rail cul aly no he hearties artles and klap kit your ej 0 open it proved a longcr wait lhnn I 1 ex petted unable tn to mithi withstand tand in action an tin longer I 1 turned ant and tock a fw step aft thinking to kuge lange our i i by the wake make astern I 1 was mas abaft the cabin on the port side ahen dorothy called iny my name a sudden accent of terror in her tier voice the ninen aas wn sounded none nono to toi soon fortune or eull skill had berned thoe tho ae demons veil mell they had succeeded in circling the lie stern of the banta niarie unseen nud and unheard by anyone aboard aen lien ag she shrieked the alardi a hand ins nt at her throat and bho sho ae in the live merciless grip of a halt half naked it in dlen let et at that they nere ere too late the advantage of surprise had foiled failed tho thim in V half dozen had readied reached the deck leaping from roin the rail the others below clambering after their leaders lead cra when hen alth a nish rush ve ie met them it was a nerce fierce mad light fist flat and club pitted knife and cutlass but the de finders lnders f struck like demons incarnate I 1 doubt it the struggle lasted two min tei I 1 heard the blomi the oaths the tries of pain the dull thud of bone the sharp citing of steel in contact the shuffling shuttling of feet on the tile deck tit the plush splash of bodies hurled oer board cadi vach man fought for himself in tit his hn OMI ia I 1 thou jit only of her und and leaped straight for her tier as ailant with aith bare mashing recklessly reck lesly through the hasty harty guard of his cutlass and gripped tile copper dball b hair and throat I 1 knew she he fell to the tile derk deck beneath our feet hut I 1 had roy my berk cut out for me lie was a hell hound slippery as an eel in his half halt is strong trong as an or ol and fighting lighting like a fiend yet I 1 had him foul my grip unbreakable as I 1 forced III ids acl mck back against the tile rail until it cracked the gf tarth body sliding inert to the tile deck fleck whirling to assist the others I 1 fauni DO no need deed licett for bodies it here and there tile he deck all diar men mere niggling struggling in the lains two tao below in tile boat were endea endeavoring oring to cast off and schmitt alth ith astean helpless in his hn arms staggered to the site el ie and filing the Mir shrieking leking cur overboard out into dark lark water mater I 1 heard the ilah splash as lie fell the single cry ids his lips gave but lie neer neier again appeared above the our ur face above the tile bedlam watkins roared out an order that it bullies buil lest t itt fit now ow let her tier drop I 1 1 ell send then them to hell bell where they belong gom shot she in landa I ir I 1 it sins as the hunk of a pare spare anchor balanced for an instant InItta nt on the rail then gent sent crashing down doin through the tile frail bottom cf ef the boat beneath the wreck drifted away into the foe fog the two to miserable occupant occupants clinging desperately pera tely to the gunzales gun vales I 1 lifted dorothy to in her tier feet end and she clung to roe me her face yet white nt kIus have buu figured up results two of our men are cut rather badly and one conie corne to yet from n mart smart rap en on the head none sone rot got anayo I 1 not lese they shunt bars thaes elx ali dead one ones aboard k our look ter the water ater mostly bemuse they bed hed to the only alvin one 0 the hunch bunch Is thet nag er longside long elde the wheel heel an euthin but a nick skull saed sawed him film then there were ere eleven in the party 1 hat do you suppose has be come of te others aboard the na murl I 1 1 I dunno sir air they might be a out there la in fog perhaps the digger cud tell you I 1 crossed over to where the fellow nat on n a grating Krall ng his head in his big hands the girl still clinging tu tip my sleeve as an chouch fearful of being left alone aba ni III in otiis ili il i 11 r rel ulle ul le brill li Is tuve with blood own it nit biross his lie looked 11 up 1 sullena nl at our tit u but made no 10 effort tu it rie lol tre heark vii villainy inin 1 ro rul af tInN darivin dr ivin the tie leson home with lit his 1114 fot ton don doll t be tt a pos tan yr at r up tip an mis ace ie or berli eril cit a woree orse clip than I 1 lise le er abort NN lar liar Is the blood 1 birk irk her heart out on the rocks ondia he said cl chilly llly unless she s slid oft off an gone doa down n to the west innise a mile er so N hut lint about the tile crew cren V they rhey got a ai ay in the boats an mostly are ashore ne e were ere in the th lust last bout boat launched and headed out so fur far ter get round a ledge 0 rocks we me got lost in the tos fog then the mist sorter opened an give us a glimpse 0 yer topsail topsails we expect no fight onie once we me got aboard I 1 to find something easy of course co I 1 perhaps it would lune liae bem it if what hat Is 11 it you fie ste out there shunts Slin ms the tile stain in who anns standing with hollo hollowed Ned hands shading his eyes star lilt ing forth into the tile swirling drapery of foe fog turned at my call and pointed ex cit cattily tIly there x a bark aground yonder onder air and it looks liko like the tile namur I 1 I 1 alvn os as I 1 crossed the dack to his side the wraths of obscuring mist nilst I buived to til divide ilde as its though swept apart by some mighty hand and there in the full glow of the eun sun a picture in a frame lay the pricked vessel essel saw sau it as I 1 did and gale gase vent to recognition Dain dainnie nid if it aln t the old hooker III I 1 ta t L tot ut what utts coining to her ull all rant mates I 1 and blies lousy with treasure I 1 come liere here that a the last of the namur CHAPTER the last of the namur the assel t set was as plainly it 11 total wreck rock rapidly rounding to death on a harp it dat of it rock hoth both masts sert down ami and lifted as the tile bov boy was mas it was easy to percele the deck vaa vas jn sp lInteri malre w litre falling pars end topmasts had crushed their way may through the bows bois had caught seem seemingly jammed in be lie lueen rocks the stern sunk deep with mith cabin port holes barely reach of the waves maves not a icing thing appeared on board and as tho the fog slon slowly ay drifted it away asay my eyes could discern no sign of any boat no el evidence dence of the crew along the wide swepp of water unter A olce aroused roe me alint was ins it ou on said jack boat trea treasure gure on the old hooker inay hy not get got it fore afore it a too late its all right ole and I 1 kne knew w the speaker to be ll It alnes ain AID t it mr fr carlylej Carly leV lel yes lads ads there must bo be money on an board unless those fellows fellos took it with nith them in ohp th bolts boits I 1 know of fifty thoi thousand sand pounds stolen in mr fr ginia and no doubt there Is more than that the bark Is liable to slide off that rock any tiny minute and so 20 down dom n like a tone stone aliat liat do ou on on bullies here Is a 11 risky job but a pocket full of gold pieces it if we me can call get aboard and oft off again go across with me mev there was a babel of voices themen the men cr crowding about me tile all else forgotten as arced gripped their imaginations stand back ladet I 1 cannot ue all of aou ou four your is will III be enough you 11 not lose anything anny thing of what we me bring lack tack it 11 II t re q share hare and share alike so fall to t he hearties artles I 1 paced nn an instant to speak to dorothy stated on the flag locker explaining pla ining to her swiftly my object in exploring the wreck and pledging myself olt not lot to be reckless in attempting to boarn I 1 read fear in her tier eyes yet she sold nothing to dl dissuade suade me I 1 slipped down it rope and drop dropped into the boat taking my place will mill a steering car nt at the stern and we ise ahot ansly through the gren water unter the namur to lie be a more complete wreck than our distant view had tv rw veiled and lying in a more precarious position it was as no puzant job getting aboard but ordering to accompany me and the others to lie by I 1 made use of a dangling backstay and thus hauled myself up to a reasonably secure footing the fellow joined roe me breathless end and together wo me perched on the tile rail to gain ifer ew of the tile deck leek it was as a distressing h sight the vessel rising before us like the tile root roof of a house the tile deck planks stove in t horrible jumble of running rigging booms and spars blocking the way may forward there were ere three bodies tangled in the tile wree wreckage kage within our eight night crushed out of all human re semblance and the face of a negro caught beneath the ruins of the galley seemed to grin back at me in death I 1 very timber groaned as the tile wave waves struck and rocked the sodden mass and I 1 had no doubt but that the vessel had find already broken in two TO BB BE |