Show Ti i 7 ii- ii I T t 0 B. B E L I G GOJ P O t. t L L D. D l lift wr cA ll i ARTHUR mu t D D. D HomDEn SMITH CB j CHAPTER XIII XIII-Continued XIII Continued m 17 Ills back Js Is s broken shouted m my great great uncle The The James Tames had begun to gather r rr i headway r but as the wheel was released re- re released re- re leased from the d dead ul helmsman's grip her head fell off and she dropped sluggishly Into the trough of the seas which surged over oyer the shattered waist and one green hill hili of ot water blast squarely on the poop hurling us to the deck Peter recovered ered his i footing tooting before either Murray or I I. I shoved sho the Easterling's body aside nn and 1 gripped the wheel In his ls own hands Slowly the bno buoyancy ancy all out of her the Royal noyal James Tames swung Tung around In re- re spon pon e to the rudders rudder's thrust and antl lumbered lumbered lum lum- bete 1 off ofT before the wind The headland Moira had sighted faded Into the mist nilst but my great great- I uncle shook sho ok h his hs s mead head sadly We are mat n n water venter ltEr he he shouted shouted to me arid and the Island Is s to leeward We can cnn scar scarce e weather it tt and If It we wedo we wedo do o- o A faints faint hall reached us from the thc theLand to I Land Land An And l a rent In In th j storm clouds I sh showed WEd a ns n's second ond rind mind and loiter loUer r headland fair fall over oel larboard how I to to put th down to enable us ais to bear off mr as much as ns' 10 possible find cud have have- whatever er chan chance there was wax of ot clearing J It but l Murray caught 3 gift h his arnt arm No no not J Peter t cried my gr great great- at uncle Head up tip Head up I the r North Inlet If we can crin pass Into In into Into to of that spit spit we we are arc safe d Pet Peter r Iron hon Ja Ta squeaked and his muscles for forced ed the rn rudder over o until It neutralized the drive of the wind and s sea a foot and 11 foo 1 1 by foot the Royal noyal James m made Je her Ir s pa passed sed Ute the east spite with spIt kith half halfa a cables cable's length to spare spare n and d o opened a narrow narrow b bottle bottle- shaped roadstead with tree clad shores s th that t offered d 1 protection on from any storm t bl blew w The he rain ra-in WaBY was still still pelting pelting- down The he surf was foaming on the outer i teaches eaches the wind whistled shrilly In Inthe Inthe the the rI rigging nu But tg 19 us lS that Ita prospect pro was the airest t ever ever seen Moira sank I Nicer Ime knees s In prayer er b beside time the le dead Pirate My y gr uncle great stepped to time the rah al and bade vade the the survivors of the crew crew re get sufficient sail on the ship to give h-e h y JJ ys steerageway And AndI i. i I 3 I I tried to shake Peter Petel He TIe blinked at atme roe me me solemnly 11 I 1 G dott Gott t spoke out o dt to der del today fob Bob Ja Jai t ii- ii I I CHAPTER XIV Disaster Another r less s' s ss s's s self assured assured c- c than Andrew Andrew Andrew An An An- drew Murray m must st h have t e been displayed dis dis dis- played m by b the series setiles of misfortunes had luid beset him We were safe but oo IJO I mere Time The noya James was wa taking In water SQ so rapidly necessary s sary ry to to b beach her on on the mud flats at the time s south th end of the fife Inlet She leaked u sIe sieve where sieve where the tile mizzenmast mizzen mizzen- mast had thumped her side and her upper works were In splinters In Inthe Inthe the tIc fight with time the the Walrus and the storm torm w we had lost eight old 1 o ht-o men neen but butmore butmore butmore more serious than this were the deaths of the two mates Martins Martin's body was found n near th the st stump mp of the lime mizzen l he lie c had been heen sti struck uck down by the mast he e. e so distrusted Nothing was ever seen en of and we could only I Suppose u pose that lat ho had been swept over oer 1 board The crew cr crew v were n ti tlC and and sullen Inclined fa fu if h he mutinous am and resentful of m my uncles great authority For Forthe l time the le first time lIme the they had Imd reason to question question question ques ques- tion his imis omnipotence cn e and it required a full dJ display LY of l his s ruthless temper to redu reduce c them tp to subjection tn an ac- ac accomplishment ac ac- ent to w h he was aided considerably by Coupeau ni and l I am free to admit by Peter and me who could n not not t afford to risk the b brutal II- II li 11 cen cense e which would certainly follow a it E successful e cc-e revolt of the gundeck's pol polyglot horde The Time former galley slave was a n redoubtable all ally with the tailed nine cat and a n bruiser whose 1 fists fist's were we're ris as as deadly sure inure ur as the long eighteens I ht ens he lie handled bandied so deftly i t The Time rain and wind ceased eased with the approach of or of darkness and my great great- uncle unde had the men mustered under the thC poop many of them till still bleeding from t tb tJ i I they hn had bad re reo received Auk And of ot of all nil III his Imis feats I deem j 1 that the most ret remarkable alka e To To face practically unaided upWard vald of u a hundred hun him dred and fifty men who Vh tod just been curbed bed In III n the act of mutiny without even cn t light to e enable able him to exploit the compelling bl gleam eam of his hi tawny lawny c exes es He b hept At them ite do down down down- nine n- n and ine hel held iem down by by sheer power of f will and niu litter fearlessness You You stand upon upon the tha c deck e k ot of a wrecked he lie said bleakly Under Uni Una der hatches lies Iles sufficient treasure to tomake tomake make civry- civry one of ot you ou comfortable for I life f to buy Imy you dissipation or place or fortune fortune whichever er you ou prefer One nc min man tan can an lead y to repair i u the die ship and and c conduct so you time tIle heaS treas treasure ure tire I will ll lie be ot of use nSe to t you ou I am n hn Without are me you are dO d ti Sp tid In your tir r flays days has has- hasing ing lag the time t. t ou those hills hills- hillsand and and If there Is any tn repetition of the disorder ihl l c i t td today I I 1 maroon all of you save sm-e a n number required to handle the ship Get Getto I to work Before you ou rest expect the to be cleared and staging rigged for Ing and calking x lie Ile drove e them until midnight then sent them reeling to their hammocks In time the morning a systematic plan of occupation was arranged By ny Coupeau's Con Con- peau's advice a handful of ot the more amenable of the crew crew mostly mostly negroes Portuguese Italians and Frenchmen of ot the south south were or organized as an and the remainder were divided into squads headed by men selected for skill at some special trade One squad were to overhaul the thc sails saUs and cut nn and 1 sew from spare canvas can a n suit for tor the time new V mizzen which a n second squad were to hew on the slopes of Spyglass S mountain and transport to the ship A third squad were to repair all nil exterior damage to the time hull a fourth were to the started seams scams n a fIfth were to attend to whatever Internal 1 repairs were necessary Coupeau was ns was placed In charge of ot the work and the rest of ofus ofus ofus us carried Colonel O'Donnell's body to the time top of a n small hill hili east cast of the head of ot the Inlet There In the midst of a gro grove e of pines we laid him to i rest a noble nODle situation for a wanderer who had never nc reached his goal with the clashing boughs and the time distant thunder of ot the time surf to sound a requiem until the thc end of time and a a view over green mea meadows and dwarf woodlands to the thc white rim of the tile beach and the thc blue sea shining in th the sun Yesterday seemed years past I blinked my my eyes eres looking from the peaceful garb of ot nature to Moira's slim body huddled In prayer besl beside the time mound of raw earth amongst the pine nee needles On the ed edge e of the grove glo the men who v had dug the tile grave were playing a gambling game with the pine Peter leaned on a musket gravely compas compassionate lonate My great- great uncle his eyes puckered In thought was staring out to sea As I watched hed he twitched 1 m my coat sleeve see and drew me to one side I UI shall leave lea you ou to amuse yo yourself your yourself your your- r- r self as you ou choose for the time remainder of the day he hc sal said 1 for you ou and Peter to safeguard the maid mald I must ascertain impossible what hath bath become of Flint FUnt And then I I. I asked Then henl His eyebrows s arched In surprise Why then Robert we shall continue as we have bave done hitherto hith hith- erto You must pursue this thIs' insane scheme Echeme lie was uns as patient with me mc is as If I were a fractious child chUd no i insane sane scheme but a coup of high politics poll tics of fascinating Import my boy I own to nt It Jt doth not appeal to you jou ou more readily What Shall we the cry quits simply because of ot shipwreck And after er e every move mO hath turned as w we the plotted It should shoud I sh shook shoe oe my head hopelessly but decIded decided decided de de- de- de to try again u Bethink you I argued the Jong- Jong boat bout can speedily be made weather tight In her we might reach reach reach- Put It it from your mind he interrupted interrupted inter Inter- 1 with a n hint of ot Iron In his voice olce You little know me Robert nobert if you reckon me one to turn back from fromm what I have ha begun begun In In especial this matter mat flint ter tel which consummates the ambition of my life ure nut But we we- we we-It we ThIs Tills time the Iron was uppermost Boy noy you are essential to my 1113 plans Much as I love you I I- I But nut Butwell well uell not riot talk talle on that plane I am none for threats Let It suffice that you jou OU are not to mention the time subject again He wheeled around and left me and and with his e escort cort of tarry strung out behind him was soon bur bur- led in n the undergrowth on the time lower flanks Hanks of or the hill The sun was past meridian when Peter and I Induced Mora Moira to abandon abandon abandon aban aban- don the unmarked mound and to divert dl di vert ert her mind we led lell her on a n tramp to the shoulders of the Spyglass where a score of ot the James Jumes' men al already already al al- ready had bad felled a giant fir Or and were lopping the branches from the time trunk preparatory to removing the bark Inthe In Inthe Inthe the forest forest- near by we killed a n mess mess messof of ot birds and Peter skillfully broiled them themo er over an open fire and after that since she professed to enjoy the sIlence silence si sir lence fence of the mo mountain side we pressed cm on be beyond ond hearing or of of the ringing ax- ax blades blad's and finally came to the t tor I of or the steep steep- pinnacle ot of rO rock k which was ivas s 11 time the lens of ot tb the Sp Spyglass Here we Ve would have ha halted but Moira bar had h heard ald the story of ot the watch the pirates maintained from the summit and she rime Insisted on completing com com- completing tb the ascent scent despite the lateness lateness late late- ness of of the hour And we wg w because w we were for doing an anything that would Voul 1 please her that day and mil relieve her grief consented it It was wn more mor difficult than It looked i nail anil the sun ns was low low In Jn time the w west st when we the reached cached the platform at nt the tile top stained n mm nj t d blackened by the beacon fires that mad had bt burned ln d there lere But the view was glorious The Island was wa spread pre d out opt lt beneath us like a n map amp ap on ona ona ona a table from fro the Foremast hill bH hill on onI I our left all the wa way southward along the rocky rocIy spine of the thc west coast const to Mizzenmast hill hIlI and a cape to the west of that which old Martin had hind called head Eastward the Irregular shore ran north and south to the time Indentation of Captain KIdds KIdd's anchorage the tree growth matted and thick except for several savannas of the Island and the silvery slivery loops of two or three small rivers rIvets We Identified the masts of or the theJa Ja James es rising above the headwaters of the N North North rth Inlet and the opening in the trees north and east of Captain Captain Cap Cap- tain Kidds Kidd's anchorage that was the site of ot the fort Flint had built And then Moira 1 cried out Oh blessed saints will that be a ship Do but see Bob Peter She pointed ed d tl and there sure enough was a ship or rather the time of a ship barely lifting over overtime the time horizons horizon's rim If It It had not been for the time fact that the suns sun's rays were re striking level across the ocean floor and so were reflected from the sheen of the canvas cam we should never never have seen it not even with a glass Aye a n ship I said Ja nodded Pet Peter r. r It Is Flint I Moira shivered 1 Troth and who would woud It be else she demanded Therell be he no friends of ofIS us IS come a Im I'm thinking It might be a kings king's ship ship ship- I be be- l gait gag gan ganNo No then she denied if this island Is gone gon all these years ems without the kings king's ships finding track of it not lik like they will come como upon It sudden In this moment a ship Indeed I a agreed un un- willingly Ayer Aye a rigged full ship Ja a n sl ship lp like Flints Flint's said Peter We were silent for an M Instant the three of of us dazed by the suddenness with which our outlook on the future had been changed by this unexpected unexpected un un- un expected loom of ot le leagues gues away lIe He must have hay weathered the storm I said foolishly And now the red fighting will begin all over oyer again cried 1 My I soul will there not have haye been deaths enough for this Hils treasure re Eve Every y piece ce of it must be speckled led with mens men's blood We better tell M Murray rray said Peter moving toward the lip of or the rock plat plat- form J But how could Flint be back so foon moon I protested protes ed impossible Peter He could not not not- lie could Ja in returned the Dutchman Dutchman Dutchman Dutch Dutch- man Der Del storm was wasby wasby wasby by In two glasses andt glasses andt der del ship Is yet ct ma maybe be ten leagues s off neen We descended the Spyglass In si sl si- si lence Twilight overtook us In the forest at its base and we were obliged ell to retrace our course with extreme I caution so that eight bells rang from front the Royal noyal James James to to exact was the restored discipline on that stran stranded as 18 hulk as we stepped from the trees on on to the time shore of the North NorU inlet and mailed hailed for Cor a boat My uncle great met us at the time gangway gang gang- gang gangway way Immaculate in plum pum sat n coat cont and blue plush breeches white silk and an 1 black pumps silver silver- buckled budded his hair hall neaU neatly tied with a ablack ablack black silk ribbon Well Yell well he greeted us you ou have made a long day of It I trust you ou are not overtired sweet This to Moira I have dela delayed ed sitting to dinner in hopes that you ou would woul 1 be here You Youcan Youcan Youcan can see sec seche see he waved stated an nn inclusive all hand that hand that we have not been Idle aboard the James We be begin ln to look like Uke a ship again eh Did you ou by chance see the time new mizzen f r You better come to der del cabin said Peter abruptly I be beg your our pardon answered Mur Mur- ra ray We Ve have ha something to tell you I said It cannot wait walt His eyes plumbed mine and I think he knew in that instant what our oUt news was He clicked open ollen his snuff box and anel dusted a pinch delicately Into his nostrils So he murmured Sets the wind In n that quarter And he |