Show i l 1 D iG H A Battle to Death in Darkness Darkness Darkness Dark Dark- ness of Night Synopsis Geoffry Carl Carlyle le master Jaster of or sailing ships at nt twentysix ty six Is sentenced to 20 o years years' servitude In the American colonies colonies col col- colonies onies for participation In the Monmouth rebellion In England Among the passengers on board the ship on which he Is sent n across ross are Roger Fairfax e wealthy Maryland l planter his niece Dorothy Doroth Fail Fairfax fax and Lieutenant Lieutenant Lieutenant Lieu Lieu- tenant Sanchez a Spaniard who became acquainted with the Fa Fair Fair- l'- l' faxes In London Carl Carlyle le meets Dorothy Informs him her uncle has bought his Ills services Sanchez shows himself en wn n enemy Carl Carlyle le The Fairfax party part now on Its own sloop In the Chesapeake Chesapeake Chesapeake peake bay encounters a m mysterious mysterious mys mys- s bark bail the Namur of Rot not CHAPTER VII 4 1 1 The Lieutenant nant Unmasked I Where the craft could be bound for what nhat secret purpose it was afloat who ho were aboard were but so many unanswerable unanswerable unan unan- questions arising In my mind Where could it have come from unless from rom that strange Dutch hark bark 16 If it really came from the Namur of Rotterdam Rotterdam Rotterdam Rot Rot- had it been sent in answer to some signal by Sanchez I could think of nothing else I determined to assure assure as as- sure myself as to the identity of these strangers If they ther had actually landed It would require only a few ew moments to ascertain the truth The distance proved somewhat somewhat greater than anticipated anticipated antici antici- antici pat ed because of the deep Curve in the shore and I had nearly reacted reached the conclusion that the the- boat must oust have rounded the point and gone on when suddenly I was brought to a halt by a voice speaking in Spanish Spanish one one of those harsh croaking voices never to tobe tobe tobe be reduced to a whisper Not the spot Manuel Of course it Is do you not suppose I know This is the place and now there is nothing to do but wait walt The senor senor senor-Ile he will be here presently Ay unless you misread the signal a n somewhat more discreet but piping voice oIce replied doubtfully I saw nothing nothing nothing noth noth- ing of all nIl you tell about Estada The two men went on to discuss plans evidently communicated to Estada Estada Estada Es Es- tada by Sanchez Sanche from flom England I was about to creep nearer when hen a newcomer newcomer newcomer new new- comer moved past me scarcely a yard ard distant along the narrow Darrow strip of sand Directly opposite my overt covert he paused Estada He lIe spoke the name cau cau- Ay captain and another figure emerged noiselessly from the gloom We e await you Good I rather questioned if you caught my sl signal nal I was watched and obliged to exercise care How liow many have you ou here Four senor with Manuel Estevan Quite sufficient How lIow is it here Are Arc there suspicions None senor We have cruised outside outside outside out out- side most of the time There is no warships in these You said you o were being watched on the sloop 1 j Are you jou known A CIA dog of a n servant who came over 1 with us one us-one one of ot Monmouth's brood The fellow watches me like a n hawk We Ve had some words aboard and there is hate between us May I ask your our plans senor Yes Tes I am here to explain This planter Fairfax has returned from England with a large sum It is In Ingold Ingold ingold gold and notes It represents the proceeds proceeds proceeds pro pro- of the tobacco crop of himself and a number of his neighbors Without Without Without With With- out doubt It will be upward of fifty thousand pounds This still remains In his his his' possession but a part will be he dispersed tomorrow so if we hope to gain the whole we must do so now Everything is ready rendy and there Is not the slightest suspicion of danger not danger not even a guard set over ovel the treasure Then It Is at the house In uIn an iron-bound iron chest in the room assigned to Fairfax for the night Only two servants sleep In the main house the cook ook and a maid both women Fairfax Is vigorous and will put up a n fight If It he lie has an any chance I must Ise-must TIe lie must be taken care of before he dace doce have JIl wy ers Tra Is an old man to be out with a blow All we have 1 to fear are arc those fellows on the sloop and they will have to be atten attended attended at at- ten tended Nl to quietly without any alarm reaching t l the house I am going to leave lea e a that job job to you its it's Its It's not your our first The Theold old ld sea orders captain Ay that will be quicker and ancI surer The voice hardened to sudden ferocity But mark you OU with one exception exception- the Englishman Is not to be bc killed l if r 4 I he can be taken alive I would deal I with him I II Then after that Sanchez went on I deliberately as though murder was of oC small account you will follow me up I the bluff Who are the others with you ou 1 I Carl Anderson Pedro Mendez and Co chose Well Vell chosen Mendez is the least valuable and we will leave lea him with the prisoner at nt the boat The big negro negro ne ne- gro glO Co chose together with Manuel can an attend to Travers and the two ne- ne they they sleep below helow That will lea leave ve you and the Swede to get the chest No firearms if they can be avoided I have been over the house and drawn a diagram You can cnn look it over In the cabin of the sloop The stairs lead up from the front hall I will go with you OU to the door of Fairfax's Fairfax's Fairfax's Fair Fair- fax's room And you senor the senor the girl What know mow you ou of or any girl That there was one on the deck of the sloop sloop nn an English beauty It was when wilen you OU turned to greet her that you jou gave me the signal I merely thought that perhaps perhaps- Then en stop thinking burst forth Sanchez enraged Thinking has hns nothIng nothing noth noth- nothing ing to do with your OUr work If there is a girl I attend to her Let that suf suf- fice Dios Dios' I am I I chief here or are arc you ou You have my orders now obey them and hold your tongue Bring themen the themen themen men up here i t iThe The rhe little band of men emerged from the concealment of the fog noiselessly I I could distinguish no faces scarcely indeed the outlines of their separate forms in the gloom but butone butone one was an unusually big fellow fellow fellow-Co- Coch Co- Co ch chose se Lads he said Incisively a sharper note of leadership In the tone it has been a bit quiet for you lately but now I am nm back again agnIn and well we'll try our luck at nt sea soa once more There was a savage growl of response response response re re- re- re a sudden leaning forward of dark figures Well begin on a job tonight There are fifty thousand pounds for us in that house yonder and I waive valve my share Estada will explain to you the work I want done By daylight we shall be on blue water with our course set for Porto Grande How is it bullies bullies bul but lies do you rou sniff at nt the salt sea Ay ay captain And Ana see the pretty girls waiting and hear heal the chink of gold Ay senor Then do not fail fall me tonight and tonight and remember it is to be the knife Estada Estada EstacIa Es Es- tada tacIa I have forgotten one thing thing- scuttle the sloop before joining meTis meTis meTis me better to make hake all safe and now strong arms and good luck Go to your task and if one falls fails me it will mean the tile lash Insh at the mast mast butt They moved off one by one Estada I leading lending along th the narrow strip of sand five of them on their mission of murder The leader remained alone his Ills back toward where I crouched his eyes following their vanishing figures until the night had swallowed them 4 CHAPTER VII VIII I. I A Victory and a Defeat I arose silently to feet my fully aware that all hope of thwarting this villainy lay Iny In Immediate action Sanchez Sanchez San San- Sanchez chez had turned slightly and stood with his face toward the bay I ventured ventured ventured ven ven- a n cautious step forward and stood on the open sand scarcely a yard to his rear Some vague sense of my presence must have influenced the man for he lie swung suddenly ab about ut uttering a stifled cry of startled surprise surprise surprise sur sur- sur- sur prise as we met face to face For an Instant we were locked so closely within each ench others other's desperate grip his head bent beneath my arm with my ray fingers clutching at his throat to block any call for help that he possessed no knowledge of his assailants assailant's identity But the man was like a tiger The surprise of attack was to my advantage advantage an ad tage yet almost before I realized what was being done one he had rallied broken my first hold and his eyes ees were glaring glarIng glaring glar glar- ing straight Into mine Then he knew me his free hand instantly grasping at his knife Even as he jerked jelled It forth I crushed his wrist within my fingers forcing his forearm back There was no outcry no noise except that of our heavy breathing and trampling trampling tram train pling feet Personal hatred had as as- in both our hearts hearts I I doubt If he ever er thought of aught else but the desire to kill klU me there with his own hands bands Only once did he be even utter a word hissing out the sentence a as ns though It were a poison polson To hell bell with you you sneaking English cur What followed d has bas to me no clearness clearness clearness clear clear- ness no consistency Never have I fought with deeper realization that I I needed every ounce of strength and every trick of wit and skill Now I knew the fellow possessed greater knowledge of the game than I and a u I quicker movement movements I excelled excelled In In Ini i weight of body and coolness of brain I J Twice he be pricked me deep enough to draw blood before I succeeded in 1 twisting backward the arm with which he held the blade He Ill met the game I too late falling half halt back upon one knee hoping thus to foil Coil my purpose There was the sharp crack of a bone as ns his useless fingers let the knife drop a snarled curse of pain and then with the rage of a mad dog Sanchez struck his Ills teeth deep into my cheek check With n a thrill thrill of exultation I gripped the knife driving instantly the Ule keen Iteen blade hlade to Its hI hilt Into the mans man's side He made no cry no struggle the struggle the set teeth unlocked and and he fell limply back on the sand his head lapped bythe by bythe bythe the waves The fellow lay motionless his face upturned to the sky but Invisible except except except ex ex- In dim outline I rested my ear over his heart detecting no murmur of ot response touched the veins of or his wrist but found there no answering throb of life With the death-dealing death knife still gripped in my hand I raced forward along the narrow strip of sand reckless reckless reckless reck reck- less of what I might encounter I ran on until I reached the sloop Through the gloom concealing the deck I could perceive only dim figures a n riot of men battling furiously hand to hand yet et out of the ruck loomed through th the the darkness In larger outlines than the others others the negro I leaped at the fellow and struck with the keen knife missing hissing the heart but plunging the blade deep into the flesh of the shoulder shoulder er The next instant Iwas I Ivas Iwas was vas in a bears bear's grip the very breath crushed out of me yet by some chance my one arm remained free and I drove the sharp steel Into him twice before he forced the weapon from m my fingers I thrust an elbow v benentI the brutes brute's chin and thus forced his bis head back until the neck cracked He was too strong too Immense ot oP stature Apparently by his wounds the giant negro thoroughly thoroughly thor thor- thoroughly aroused exerted his mighty muscles and despite my utmost effort at resistance thrust me back against the stern rail where the weight of his body pinned me helplessly With a roar of rage he drove his huge fist into my lay face but happily was too close to give much force to the blow My own hands gripping the neckband of is coarse shirt twisted it tight about the great throat until in desperation panting for breath the huge brute actually lifted me in his arms and hurled me backward headlong over the rail I struck something as I fell yet rebounding from this splashed into the deep water and went down so nearly unconscious as to make not even the slightest struggle And yet I came up once more to the surface V Vl l Made No Cry No Struggle arising by sheer chance dire directly beneath beneath be be- neath the small dory which dory which my body must have struck as I fell towing fell towing by bya byi i a painter astern of the sloop and fortunately fortunately fortunately for for- retained sense enough to cling desperately to this first thing my hands touched and thus remained con con- The dory caught in some current floated at the very extremity of its slender towline and in consequence the sloop appeared little more than a amere amere amere mere smudge when my eyes endeavored endeavored endeavored ored to discover its outlines Evidently EvIdently Evidently Evi EvI- dently the bloody work had been completed completed completed com com- for now all was silent on board Then rhen came the voice of Estada In a gruff inquiry So you are hiding here What are you looking for in the sea 1 What Why that d d d-d d Englishman English EnglIsh- man Mon lion Dieu I He fought me like a mad rat The Englishman you say He was here then It was he you battled with 1 What became of the fellow He lie went down there senor The dog stabbed me three times It was either he or I to go You mean menn you threw him overboard overboard overboard over over- board 1 A Ay with his ribs crush crushed ell I IR in and not a breath left In his d d-d d d bo body y Hes He's ney never r come up p even even Ive Ive I've watched and there has not been so much as a ripple where he lie sank Too late to save Dorothy from the hands of Sanchez vi villainous vii vil crew Carlyle sees but butone butone butone one desperate chance of to her aid ald Shall he take it TO BE DE CONTINUED |