Show 4 TREASURE It Of o THE SEA SA 4 BY c 7 vu THE fHE ThE STORY THUS FAR i The crew of a small sailing vessel In Inthe Inthe Inthe the Caribbean pick up Dick Jordan adrift on a raft Dick realizes that he Is Ismons among mons men who arc aro virtually pirates They come upon a drifting ch schooner ner apparently a derelict When two persons per sons loos ons appear on the wallowing ship ToeD Tucu the pirate captain is fa disappointed Demented Demented De De- Captain Bedford Dedford invites Tucu Tuco and his crew aboard aboud but his daughter Rose turns them back with her auto auto- matic Dick swims to the tho schooner and aids Rose in the battle ToeD Tucu withdraws withdraws with with- draws but Dick fears fean ho he will return durIng during dur- dur Ing tha tho night They keep watch anxious anxious- ly lye A storm Is brewing and it obscures the moon CHAPTER V Dick walked slowly forward keeping a more watchful eye in the direction of the lugger and listening for any strange sound The lugger was invisible in the gloom and he knew the would creep J upon them without detection until within a few yards of the schooner The danger of a surprise was growing growing growing grow grow- ing with every minute Four times he made his circuit and met Rose who reported everything everything everything every every every- thing quiet and peaceful aft Then Thenon on the fifth round he was delayed a little by a noise in the water that sounded suspicious He waited to verify it and then resumed his walk more hurriedly When he reached their meeting point she was not in sight He waited impatiently for her but when sh she did not appear he grew anxious There was vas a chance that his own delay had caused the trou trou- ble She had not waited for him Unwilling to go back until assured of her safety he lingered until she appeared nearly ten minutes laterI later I missed you you you- he exclaimed in ina a whisper and couldn't go back until I was sure You shouldn't have done that she frowned Something may have happened forward while you were here Ill hurry back he replied in re re- re- re lief But wait for me on the next trip I must know youre you're safe She nodded and Dick hurried to tomake tomake make up for lost time In his haste I he was careless and tripped along with more speed than caution He was till thinking of the girl when a ablack ablack black shadow rose up to confront him Startled and not sure that I it wasn't an optical illusion he t paused instead of raising his gun to fire an alarm I That momentary hesitation was wasI I his misfortune By the time he was convinced a burly was facing him on the deck of the schooner two other dark forms h had d sprung put out of the gloom back of him Dick raised his gun to shoot but a hand knocked it upward while one of the long powerful hairy arms of Black Burley encircled his neck and crushed the wind out of him When Dick recovered and his his wits returned to him the were in full possession of the I schooner He needed no further I verification of this than his own helpless Trussed Trusted up securely securely securely se se- he was lying on his back with his face turned up to the moonless moonless moonless moon moon- less sky Storm clouds were scurrying scurrying scurrying over his head and the treacherous treacherous I erous moon was still invisible I II I Dick Stalls for or Time By Bargaining A foot prodded him in the ribs and a black face was thrust into his I Dick recognized the crafty one of of Captain Tucu leering with triumph Aint dead I see the half-breed half gloated to be careful next time how that deck It aint a soft p pillow Dick stared at him Wheres Captain Bedford's daughter he asked Did she get hurt hurt hurt- Tucu smiled cruelly realizing he had bad another weapon of torture in his hands She aint dead neither he grinned Were keepin her in inthe inthe inthe the cabin cabin me me an an Black Burley The intended significance of the words aroused Dick to fury If you hurt her Tucu he said slowly or insult her you'll pay with your life This is war between you and me Leave her out of it ydo if I promise he I asked smiling warily I Anything you ask I f. f stick to an show me where them jewels was dropped overboard Yes i to trick me once i growled the other an yell do it I again aint wurth noth noth- in Id I'd cut if I thought thought- thought thought-If l No uNo I didn't trick you Dick interrupted in in- I interfered only when you began war on a woman That wasn't part of our bargain The half-breed half paused watching his prisoner with doubtful eyes I 1 wasn't makin no war on women I he said finally Bedford invited invited invited in in- me aboard his schooner an an r that that that- Hes crazy you knew He wasn't I responsible The schooner was in command of his daughter He aint so crazy that he dont don't remember some things was the retort we can find that treasure hes he's picked up well we'll leave What treasure Captain Tucu winked and laughed know bout it I suppose Taint likely him an his daughter aint said to ye Dick was puzzled and mystified He shook his head finally I dont don't know what youre you're talking about If theres there's any treasure on the schooner schoon schoon- er I dont don't know of it Tucu was unconvinced there an think about it yU remember or well we'll find it When he walked away in the gloom Dick had ample opportunity to reflect There came to his mind minda a vague remembrance that in his crazy chatter Captain Bedford had made reference to a prize prize prize-a a treasure treas treas- ure ure-he ure he had found If Tucu believed there was any treasure hidden on the schooner he would search for it spend days overhauling every part of the craft This would cause further delay and time was precious Any hour or day daya a ship might cross their path and he might not be able to signal for help He concluded finall finally to favor the idea that there was something of value aboard and that Captain Bedford Bedford Bedford Bed Bed- ford had hidden it By pretending that he and Rose knew of its existence existence existence exist exist- ence but couldn't locate it they would gain time With two treasures treasures treasures treas treas- ures dangled before Tucu's eyes there was a possibility of eventually finding a way out of their troubles When Tucu appeared a few hours later with the first streaks of dawn breaking in the east Dicks Dick's mind was made up He met the eyes of the old renegade with a look of compliance com com- Tucu he said youve got me mein mein mein I in your power and theres there's no use F Ff Fr r f 1 1 1 i 1 I IThen Then its it's a bargain fighting against fate Ill I'll make a anew anew anew new deal with you Captain Bedford Bedford Bedford Bed Bed- ford has enough loot aboard to make those smuggled jewels vels look like cheap imitations Thought there wasn't none growled the man scowling hard at his prisoner Dick smiled That was before I thought you knew he replied I didn't want you to know of it I thought I could get away with it That's why I didn't want you to board the schooner to get the treasure an anthe anthe anthe the girl any harm in that was there laughed Dick do doas doas doas as much if you had the chance Reckon I got em leered the other No slowly you Youve You've got the girl but you haven't got the treasure one goes with the other Shell She'll tell when I want her to No she wont won't replied Dick boldly for she doesn't know where it is is The hell she dont don't to me All right shrugging his ders Dont believe me Ask her The half breed surveyed him quietly a moment and then became convinced nothing was to be gained by stubbornness Threat o of a Storm Forces T Tucu's Hand land If she dont don't know where it is who does he demanded Captain Bedford of course He hid it in one of his crazy moments His daughter knew where it was before before before be be- fore that but now she doesn't know any more th than n you do Her fathers father's so crazy we couldn't get the secret from him We were trying hard when you came aboard If we found it we intended to escape in the small boat and leave the schooner to you to me agin ejaculated ejaculated ejaculated Tucu eyeing his prisoner suspiciously When did I lie to you before The other growled savagely and made no reply After a while he asked this new deal in mind Spit it out I wanted your word you wouldn't hurt Captain Bedford's daughter replied Dick slowly If you promise promise promise prom prom- ise not to harm her well we'll help you search for the treasure If you find it well we'll let you take it if you leave the schooner to us You dont don't want that She's no good and wouldn't be worth towing to port she aint a bad prize murmured Tucu ren reflectively We could get her to land if another storm didn't come up But another storm is coming interrupted Dick Youre sailor enough to know that Feel the air and that wind wind wind- Tucu studied the leaden skies There may be another storm an an there may be only a little squall he said I aint sayin which No but you know which it is smiled Dick Its a storm Tucu glanced uneasily around at atthe atthe atthe the horizon again help any in the schooner he decided finally But lie here an watch us Then you dont don't agree to a new deal If we find the treasure you an an anthe anthe the girl can have the schooner was the grinning retort y can ride out the storm an to land Ill I'll leave yon it Then its it's a bargain The half-breed half regarded him slowly slowly slowly slow slow- ly before r replying plying Yes he said finally after I y show me where them smuggled jewels is that's fair Youre not greedy Captain Tucu are you laughed Dick You want the treasure and the smuggled goods What do I 1 get The girl and the schooner leered the other And if the schooner goes down downin in the storm I lose both No swim fur it Two on ona ona ona a rafts raft's more comfortable than one an that's the way when we picked yup Dick nodded He had gained his point Nothing would happen to him himor or Rose while they searched the schooner for the mythical treasure In the meantime almost anything might happen happen happen-a a ship appear or a storm breakWell breakWell break Well call it a deal he said finally His ready compliance awakened the ot others other's ers er's suspicion Y got to n. n help us in one way ne he added You You an that girls girl's got gotto gotto gotto to help us How can we By it out of the cap cap- tain hell he'll listen glisten to his daughter I dont don't know about that but Ill I'll promise to do what I can Let me see her Tucu was still suspicious but as there was no other way he finally decided to grant this request The sun was rising in the east when Dick was led by two of the to the captains captain's cabin His entrance into the cabin brought a little exclamation of del delight delight de de- de- de l light from a dark corner Rose Bedford Bedford Bedford Bed Bed- ford came forward to greet him Oh they didn't kill you she exclaimed exclaimed exclaimed ex ex- ex- ex claimed eagerly I was afraid they had No I got a knock on the head but it didn't amount to much He glanced around him The cabin was empty except for his two captors and a third on watch at the entrance Tucu hadn't followed them Dick took advantage of the opportunity to explain the situation to her The didn't understand understand understand under under- stand English Rose he said eagerly Tucu believes your fathers father's got some tout sopt of a treasure aboard the schooner and hes he's after it I told him Id I'd help him find it Instead of meeting him with glad eyes her face darkened Dick had hadan hadan hadan an uncomfortable feeling that she was searching him with eyes of suspicion I UI promised he went on eagerly eager eager- ly that we would help him search for the treasure You promised that she repeated repeat repeat- ed slowly in a cold voice Rose Is Angered at Dicks Dick's Agreement Yes to gain time he contin contin- While hes he's looking for the treasure we may plan some way of escape Tucu wont won't leave until hes he's searched every part of the schooner schoon schoon- er and that will take a day or two She was quiet a moment her eyes vaguely restless and tain Dick had the impression that she was worried Why does Captain Tucu think theres there's any treasure on the schooner schoon schoon- er she asked slowly Dick chuckled From the ravings ravings ravings ings of your father He heard him chatter about the prize hed he'd picked up And do you think theres there's any she added Dick was on the point of answering answering answering answer answer- ing negatively when a queer expression expression expression sion in her eyes arrested him He glanced soberly at her and then instead instead instead in in- stead of putting in a denial he countered countered countered coun coun- with the question Do you Is there any treasure on board She remained noncommittal glancing from him to the two stalwart stalwart stalwart stal stal- wart whose sleepy eyes indicated indicated indicated in in- no interest in the conversa conversa- tion Dick became suddenly disturbed disturbed disturbed dis dis- in mind If there was any particular sum of money or gold or anything else of special value he had not improved matters by telling Captain Tucu he would help him inthe in inthe inthe the search for it In fact he felt that he had complicated the situa situa- tion From the accusing eyes of the girl he began to feel guilty of having betrayed a secret I UI didn't know there was anything anything anything any any- thing Rose he said penitently I supposed your fathers father's chatter was all moonshine Im I'm sorry if Ive I've Ive I've- Ive I've blundered TO BE CONTINUE |