Show TREASURE o OF THE SEA SEABY BY E wm t ter T THE E STORY THUS TAUS FAR FAn 21 flick Dick J Jordan survivor of a steamer n in a fc fOIl fa bound from South America to the tho UnitI Unit Unit- I ed States cornel comet upon a drifting schoon schoon- er Cr Only others aboard aboud are the deI de de- captain and his daughter Rose Rote I it A crew of ot pirates under Tucu Tuca attack tack d' d the vessel nuel but bot after aller a fruitless search leArch 41 J 1 for treasure they leave because a storm is II brewing Captain Bedford recovers and they sail the schooner to an au Is Is- 1 1 j land There Dick flick discovers that Tucu and his big crew are on the other side bat bat- ling line a group roup of white men Dick secures some lome automatics at the ship and re- re turns The white men rout the black pi- pi rates rate Dick saves save Pettigrew from Tucu but endangers himself r 4 CHAPTER XI H I Dick tripped on a stone With an exultant animal cry the half breed took advantage of the accident Dick made a fruitless effort to wriggle wrig wrig- en 8 gle away from him but the uplifted uplift uplift- tt t- t t ts t's ed knife e followed until it was poised otI J directly over his throat at ae The near report of a gun did not la seem to be connected with his daner danger danger dan dan- Y g ger er and its echo in his ears made madeno no appreciable impression on his mind Even when the giant halfbreed halfbreed half half- breed shivered and began toppling over he could not associate the act with the pistol crash But the knife e edid did not descend It dropped from the nerveless hand of the and fell with a thud to the beach Tucu like a giant forest tree whose base had been shattered by lightning swayed a moment uncertainly uncertainly uncertainly and then without a moan or sigh fell with a crash sprawling on top of his adversary and pinning him to the ground Dick Dick are you hurt Out of the strange apathy that had numbed his mind Dick heard the voice and came to his senses as Rose rushed to his side She grasped his shoulders and pulled him from under the inert body of the dead half haU Are you hurt she repeated anxiously He smiled and shook his head his eyes on her as if unable to com com- I was afraid Id I'd be too late she murmured tears close to the surface or miss him You shot him he asked in a dazed voice Yes Yes shuddering shuddering and turning away from Tucu Tucu I I I had to or hed he'd killed you In the excitement of the conflict and the relief that followed their deliverance from Tucu neither Dick nor Rose noticed Hen Pettigrew Pettigrew Pettigrew Petti- Petti grew who had watched the proceedings proceedings proceedings proceed proceed- ings at close range and who now sat staring at them in evident surprise surprise surprise sur sur- prise and bewilderment Although weak and dazed by his own wounds the man was fully conscious of all that had been going on and when Dick finally glanced up and caught his eye he started with a grunt Jordan JordanI he said thickly Dicks Dick's face flushed an instant and then paled Rose glanced from one oneto oneto oneto to the other and asked Who Vho is he Is he a friend Dick gulped and nodded but made no articulate sound with his lips Despite the pain of his wounds Hen Pettigrew grinned I Sure Surel We Ve were both on the City of Bahia before she went to the bot bot- I tom So your boat wasn't swamped I Jordan You were lucky Ours toppled toppled toppled top top- pled over and all went to the bottom bottom bottom bot bot- tom except those who swam to this island How Dicks Dick's Ruse Made Complications Dick sat up and faced the situation situation situation situa situa- tion bravely In saving Hens Hen's life he had unwittingly made his own exposure a certainty There was no need for further subterfuge Rose would have to know allI allI allI all I was lucky he replied but not the rest They were all lost I clung to a raft for days and nights until Tucu here picked me up on the lugger and then then then- He glanced at Rose and added Ask her Shell She'll tell you the rest But Roses Rose's sympathy for Pettigrew Pettigrew Pettigrew Petti- Petti I grew was unexpectedly aroused to I action Hens Hen's strength that had I been restored for a time by the excitement excitement excitement ex ex- showed signs of waning he grew deadly pale and began sinking sinking sink sink- sinking ing rapidly His eyes closed and the head sagged forward until it touched the ground Oh she exclaimed jumping to her feet Hes dying We Ve must get help Dick The rest of the party arrived in time to give Hen all the human aid that was possible He was seriously serious serious- ly but not dangerously wounded and after the flow of blood and binding up the ugly holes the bullets had made in his side and shoulders he recovered from his faint and smiled grimly Ill pull through through need need rest rest rest- that's all The story of how the handful of sailors had battled through the surf and reached the island on the night of the shipwreck and how for days and nights they had existed on shell fish and a few birds they managed to kill while they watched and waited waited wait wait- ed hopefully for a sail was told dramatically dramatically dra dra- by the different survivors When the lugger appeared they had hailed it joyfully but later ter they had reasons to dread Captain Tucu and his crew more than their lonely loney y isolation o on n the island The old pirate when he found the ship ship- wrecked seamen unarmed attempt attempt- ed eq to rob them of what few possessions possessions possessions posses posses- they had carried away from the steamer and when they objected the inevitable conflict had been pre pre- He had a crazy idea we knew something about smuggled jewels that he said were aboard the steamer steam steam- er Hen Pettigrew explained lat lat- lat lat- er Dont know where he got the idea Must have dreamt it No replied Dick smiling I told him Hen and the others looked at him inquiringly Dick chuckled ruefully at the thought of how his ruse had complicated complicated complicated com com- the situation so that others perfectly innocent of any attempt at deception had been drawn into the net His invention had nearly cost the lives of a dozen men including in including in- in including that of his old enemy and for a moment he grew grave and serious then recalling the various sequences of events that had ended so satisfactorily he laughed again I guess after all that was the best story I ever invented he add add- ed Anyway it seems to have worked Briefly as he could he outlined this part of his adventure The others others others oth oth- ers listened and nodded their heads with grinning grunting approval When he was through Hen glanced keenly at himI himI himI him I could almost believe you were a smuggler Jordan If I didn't know you Dick flushed Perhaps I am I I he retorted challengingly How do you know Im I'm not You know my record Yes slowly I know your rec rec- ord The sudden gravity of their faces and the challenging light in their eyes disturbed Rose who glanced from one to the other She began suddenly to distrust the man they had saved Dicks record she said slowly thrusting an arm into one of his is clean Whatever it might have been in the past its it's been wiped out now how There was a silent pause an awkward awkward awkward awk awk- ward period in which the two men exchanged glances that none of the others could interpret but there was evident hostility between them based upon something in the past Rose pulled Dick gently away Come Theres There's so much to do We Ve must help the wounded even if they are and our enemies Captain Bedford had already assumed assumed assumed as as- charge of the situation and the seamen willingly took orders from him The dead were buried on the beach and the wounded wound wound- ed cared for Then with the small boats they made a visit to the lugger lugger lugger lug lug- ger which had been rolling lazily at anchor in the cove Captain Bedford overhauled the craft and finally sniffed his scorn She aint worth into port She's a n hulk that ought to have gone to the bottom long ago Well We'll leave her But protested one of the seamen good enough to carry us home We Ve aint on staying here we have to Were We're a bit homesick Sure was the grinning retort But the Bettys Betty's worth a dozen sich Bich h I figger we can patch her herup herup herup up in a week an sail home Well We'll have a full crew now ye see her A visit to the Betty on the opposite opposite opposite site side of the island put new heart in the castaways and under Captain Captain Captain Cap Cap- tain Bedford's direction they began to work cleaning up the decks and restoring the schooner to her old- old time condition The lugger was used to tow her around the island where anchored in the quiet cove repairs could be made without fear of another storm wrecking her I Pettigrew b bAll Tells Rd Rose RoseAll se All fill About Dick DickAs As the busy days passed Hen Pettigrew recovered from his wounds and once more became the masterful man that had distinguished distinguished distin distin- him as an officer of the law Two days before they were ready to depart the Betty having received received received re re- re- re a new set of sails that were sufficient to carry her home Hen Pettigrew emerged from his cabin and seeing Dick forward beckoned to him Jordan he said I want to talk with you Dick nodded and followed him to the cabin Something told him that the hour had come when he had to face the crisis This intuition was strengthened when he found Rose below waiting for them She smiled gently when he entered the cabin but made no remark Hen Pettigrew closed and locked the door Then turning to Dick he said Jordan Ive I've told your story to Rose I thought she was entitled to know it Dick started violently frowned and then caught his breath to calm his nerves I expected you'd do it before this he replied I was waiting for it He kept his eyes on Hen refusing to notice Roses Rose's pleading look When H we parted on the steamer he added you said you'd pinch me if it we met onland onland on onland land again Well smiling and shrugging his shoulders youve got me I wont won't attempt to break away You knew Id I'd arrest you Jordan Jordan Jordan Jor Jor- dan Pettigrew said after a pause Then why'd you save my life Tucu had me Yes but I had to get Tucu Dick replied I wanted to settle an old score with him I guess that was it And leave the score with me open smiled Hen Then frowning he added Jordan you got me guessing at times Youre You're a contradiction contradiction contradiction con con- in character weak character weak and strong simple or foolish and shrewd brave in some things and cowardly cowardly- Dicks Dick's hand clenched If you think Im I'm surrendering because Im I'm afraid of you Hen he began truculently truculently truculently get it out of your mind I I- I There you go again off again off on a tangent was the quiet tion Now listen he added raising raising rais rais- raising ing a hand Ill prove to you that Im I'm right Ill I'll make an even bet you'll contradict any reasonable mans man's guess what you'd do under the circumstances Ill I'll put you to the test He paused an instant his eyes twinkling with amusement Jordan you can have your choice of returning returning returning return return- ing with me to answer that old charge or going scot free No you wont won't be hounded by the law Ill I'll report you went down with the City of Bahia That will close the case Your name will be eliminated from our books You'll be a free man manto manto manto to choose your own life You mean mean- mean stammered Dick his eyes lighting with hope He stopped and glanced from his old enemy to Rose Her face and eyes were strangely noncommittal He would have his freedom able to look every man fearlessly in the eye and not dream of nights that the shadow of the law was pursuing and ready to close about him A great burden slipped from his mindI mind I I 1 he muttered beginning again and stopping abruptly Rose would not have a part with him in that new life llie of freedom he would lose her either way He turned suddenly to Hen his mind made upI upI upI up I hate to disappoint you on that bet with yourself Hen he said easily grinning but Ill I'll go with you I said I would and I haven't changed my mind Consider carefully Jordan warned the other If you cant can't prove your innocence of that theft it means five years for you Sure Dont Don't I know that You believe you can prove your innoCence No If I had Id I'd never have run away You were guilty Hell No Ive I've told you that thata a thousand times Then why'd you leave Didn't you know that would brand you as asa asa asa a criminal Dick Throws Away Alvay Chance for or Freedom Sure But the cards were stacked against me Didn't I know that They'd convicted me on circumstantial circumstantial circumstantial cir cir- cir cir- evidence and sent me meto meto meto to prison I hadn't a leg to stand standon on without money or influence You cant can't get justice without them them not not when some piker's doctored the books and laid his plans so any jury would convict without leaving the room There was only one other chance left me and I took it But Ill I'll go back with you and face the music That's all final Dick nodded and turned his face to the window He was not aware that either of the others had moved until a hand touched his arm He swung around and found himself alone in the cabin with Rose Dick she said softly I know all about it Mr Pettigrew told me told told me more than hes he's told you There is a chance if you go back New evidences have been discovered discovered discovered ered he says and he doesn't believe believe be be- lieve youre you're guilty With a good lawyer now you can establish your innocence andRose andRose and and and- Rose he replied smiling gently gently gently gent gent- ly into her upturned face theres no ho money to pay for a good lawyer or or any other kind of lawyer I have nothing I didn't decide to togo togo togo go back with Hen because I thought there was a chance of clearing my name There isn't a chance Im I'm going going going-going- going Why she asked when he paused Because Because of because of you Her face flushed with happiness and shy emotion Then well we'll go together she breathed softly No he answered sharply I 1 didn't mean that I wont won't drag you into it If I did did- Id I'd despise myself I love you too much for that Rose and you know it Yes I do know it she replied pursing her lips in an assumed pout why I arranged with Mr to hire to to hire the best Pettigrew lawyer lawyer lawyer law law- yer money could buy You see that treasure we found on the submarine submarine rine belongs to all three of us but you and Father wont won't touch any of it Then Im I'm going to use it any anyway anyway anyway way I please I might spend it for new dresses and jewelry and and and-and and lo lots lots s of things things but but I wont won't I dont don't want them But I do want you Dick and flashing and flashing him a look that made him tingle tingle Im Im gO going to have you if I have to buy you with that treasure THE El Er |