Show r C RIB GO LD By ELLERY H. H CLARK CO ht 1028 by M C Co S 9 nl rte STORY FROM THE START In the small New Now Jersey vil village In the tar lage or of year 1749 19 Richard I Lindsay who tells tho story gives an exhibition of oC his hla before pome Pomo villagers and a n stranger with whom they afterward urd dine dino at nt atthe atthe the tavern The conversation turns on n a notorious pirate Irate whoso ship the Black Panther Is If thought to be In the vicinity Next morning Lindsay after wild wad w ld ducks Is sitting In a 1 Mind blind when three strangers lan land on tho the beach near him They bury a chest and then one lone of ot them Burford Burford Bur- Bur ford tord recognized b by Lindsay y as tho the man he talked with the day before kills one ono of DC his companIons compan compan- ions I Lindsay's presence Is dis dis- covered cO The third man Is Captain Captain Cap Cap- tain Barclay of oC tho the Black Pan Pan- ther The three go aboard CHAPTER III III-ContInued III Continued 5 5 5 What I saw V ga gave nip no great Impression Impression Im Im- of the discipline on board bourd a pirate ship for L could think ont only of animals gorged and glutt glutted d with the of slaughter as I observed ed score villainous figures sprawled about the decks drinking and find carousing and find shouting snatches of ribald sea son songs s To m my relief all traces of carnage were absent whether they the had butchered butch hutch ered their victims outright or had hud Imprisoned Im them therm In the cabin of oC the time barn bark before setting her on fire firc I could only conjecture From the tIle looks of these men Inch With their colored handkerchiefs bound hound round their heads their savage unshorn races faces their clothing an un odd mixture of rags rued and tattered finer finery 1 I could soe he e unless the captain gave me ins his protection that I should have small chance of surviving the first drunken brawl braw Walking off the thc captain as he passed me Indicated by a gesture that I should follow him ham After what I had seen of the thc state of affairs forward forward for for- ward I was only too happy happ to obey and und had reached the companionway when the captain turned to Burford with the curt command Bring McAllister McAllister Mc Mc- Allister below A moment or so later when m my eyes became accustomed to the altered Sight light I perceived that th till tho captains captain's cabin was much In is keeping with the theman theman theman man himself a adorned orned as ns it was with silks and amI satins salins and the time skins of magnificent mag mag- wild beasts One thing timing In particular as 1 remembered afterward caught m my e eye e at once and that was an nn ugly looking ing whip hanging hangin near th the door of the cabin and suggesting all nil sorts of tortures to my mind Yet all fill of this I saw as It were mechanically mechanically and without comprehension my m- thoughts all lying In the direction of ofIn In my own affairs and of what L I felt might well be m my Impending fate fale Meantime the captain somewhat to tomy tomy tomy my surprise stepper stepped to a n cupboard and with his own hands set t out ont upon pu the timetable table a fi huge slab of beef a loaf of bread an and a great flagon of wine Then mindedly absent l he lie seated himself himself him him- self motioned to me to do Ilo likewise and waited walte his cJ eyes oyos s brooding as if busy with WWI thoughts which took look him film himfar himfar far from the Black macl Panther and her lien savage crew Presently the companionway was darkened and und Burford entered followed followed fol fol- oi- oi low lowed by a taller figure with his arms strapped securely behind b his hack back 1 looked up as they advanced then forgetting forgetting for for- getting all else in my astonishment 1 i fairly leaped from my chair and stood staring at ut the newcomer while lie he In equal amazement stared stand d back at me An And now Indeed much of what m my captors captors cap CUI- tors had hod said became plain as day a for barring the fact that this youth was a u trifle trIne taller than I I. I and that lUt he hc had hall a n crooked scar an his left left cheek 1 I might almost have been lIeen 1001 looking at ut my reflection In the glass He was to lo be sure ure better dressed as befitted a it station sta sta- station tion lion In life Ilfe evidently som somewhat what above ubo III my limy own j but otherwise as us far afe us face and i nd figure went we might hu have leav e i sassed passed not only for brothers el but hut for fOl twins twillS The voice of or time tile broke c he the I silence and little h. h as I Inre ICare to 10 him annul compliments I 1 must i-ed i ii that the entrance into his cabin transformed transformed trans trans- formed runnel him at ot least for fur the time be be- jug Into a courteous and und considerate air Mr Robert McAllister he said slowly I I wish to Introduce to you rou Mr II Lindsay Mr MI I Lindsay Mr Mi McAllister Burford kindly release Ielene e u r 1 McAllister's McAllisters arms Thank you Gen mien I pray you ou to be seated and und tj ti n. n accept lay my humble hospitality Completely puzzled and yet ct with a i great dread dreu of ot what was to come it I 1 t gain seated myself at the table was helped to u a generous portion of meat t und ind ld bread and und being lJ by this time exceedingly ex ex- exceedingly x- x hungry I Improved the occasion oc oe- casion to th the utmost and ond I L dare dore say proved irod iro d myself time the best trencherman of time the four Presently the captain poured u us wine Ine and bowing In turn to the throe three of us us said courteously To 10 your our good health gentlemen nn and to your our continued pro prosperity As is he spoke his face was grave no pacer nicer curved his lips yet I could have Worn urn that l lie he e was amusing himself as us ushi n hi cat does docs with a 0 mouse and aud that beth benr be- be nr th his tats words lut lurk lurked kd a n meaning now Hidden from us but which we should shortly Iy understand We set down our glasses ses 1 I for ur my part feeling a slight revival re of ot courage courage cour cour- age with the welcome draught The captain I remember cl leaned back hack In his chair One hand toying ah absently with the Hug flagon before him It was a n strange scone scene I knew from the gentle gen gen- fie tle motion of the vessel that outside the tho waves es were lancIng dancing in the thc sunlight ht and that hint the thc sea seagulls were soaring aloft in Iii the blue yet et here by hy sonic some whim of Fate this other youth and m myself self who had hoel only a few hours n ago o been free lUll and 1 happy were now sitting In this thi cabin our lives depending on the mood of this faced dark Inscrutable captain this Black Panther of the deep deel My l m meditations came abruptly to an end as I realized that the thc captain was speaking and that as ns he lie spoke he looked at al me nic Mr Mi 11 Lindsay he Ile observed ob oh- sea served cd with what seemed to me an ironical politeness I must needs venture ven n n. n ture lure with Mr 11 McAllisters McAllister's permission and and now no- noI I felt that this Ironical politeness included the other young man as well as ns must myself myself must needs venture to tell you OU something of his personal affairs Letters you ou must know though carefully di dispatched do du donot o not always s 's reach rench their mark The They may sometimes be he Intercepted and much flinch Information of oC value mn may come conic into the thc hands of those for whom It was never ne Intended He paused moistened his lips with wine and continued with the air all of a aman aman aman man who feels certain of the time attention of his audience Such a misfortune has lias happened In the case of Mr Mt h Mc Me- Allister And although I was net net- never m l' l I meant to know It ItT I am nm now aware I a e I I i f l lC 1 C e eF 1 F 3 I M Pr P- P i. i i r 1 4 l a t 1 I t tHe l He Seated Himself and Motioned Me Meto Meto Meto to Do Likewise I that Mr McAllister l has lias an un uncle who lives s on un the Island of ot Jamaica that this uncle is named named let let me see he see he affected to think as ns If this process g somehow gave him hiu Ah 1 pleasure Ah yes now I 1 recollect j the lie uncles uncle's name is Capt An Andrew rew McAllister He lIc is a It aman anian man nian of wealth of position of large Interests interests In in- like the centurion in Holy Writ ho lw to this man uman go 0 amid ami he an and to this man come com and null he Cometh lIe He paused again then thou added with a sharp and stern fierceness fierce lem ceness ce- ce ne ness s Am Amu I not right in what I say suy sarf Time The young man somewhat unwillingly I 1 thought ht and mal as if aware thin tha the time captain was somehow trifling with him admitted Unit that he hind had an uncle In ht Jamaica by liy this name and rue that he lie understood that he was a person Ierson of rome come consequence there The captain smiled sUllied blandly Too Tou modest he hc cried Too 00 modest 11 by half Your YOUl uncle himself with till all his modesty would scarcely rate 11 himself I f so sn low And wll why then he went event on ou with a U s- s sudden sodden change c of manner amine WIY my then under unde such s circumstances lures should not Capt Andrew McAllister be happy X X X X X X X X and free tree from care Alas no man is entirely blest It seems that he be has hasan hasan hasan an enemy cruel un and who seeks to do o him harm lie Ile docs does not write this to his nephew but from front other sources I know it to be so Thus It is his misfortune to live In dread on onan onan onan an Island In what hint Is practically a n fort COIt garrisoned IJ by a little band of devoted followers follo And alas I since none of ofIS ofus ofus us IS can stay young forever ore cr Andrew McAllister has hits the further misfortune to grow row old and null hearing of the tiie talents talents tal tal- of his nephew In America he Iw writes to him him to come and Join him He Ue anti henrs hears and he bowed bowell low to the young oung much man man much good of him that he lie is young oun strong brave and your and your pardon save pardon save for a scar upon his cheek a n handsome some youth lie He heats hears al also o that he Is a wonderful shot with rifle rille pistol or 01 fowling piece Also Ahw Captain Captain Cap Cap- tain McAllister has an adopted dau daughter daugh daugh- h- h ter of rare beauty perhaps the nephew and she ma may wed and null succeed to the tho wealth of the uncle And thus Mr 11 Robert McAllister hearing of oC all these things and having seen Lie tho young ladys lady's picture decides perhaps decides perhaps unfortunately for him him to to tl try the venture ven ven- ture turc lIe He starts out out but scarcely has haR hashe haslie he lie begun his hiso o voyage oage age when lie he has the ill luck to fall In with pirates andIs and andIs andIs Is captured d I believe Mr Ir McAllister I state the lie truth assented and Yes the young youn man It seemed to me that he bore hore himself man manfully ull ntH and with dl dignity nit that Is the truth except that as us you OU say I ha hano had no l knowledge of an enem enemy of whom my In uncle lives In fear Of that I know nothing for In his letters he lie hn has made no mention incaution of it it The captain smiled a n sardonic smile Doubtless lie he answered with suavity suavity sua ity your Irom uncle had the thc best of reasons rea rea- reasons sons for not communicating the fact And now he added again ng-aln turning to tome tome me having explained these facts with regard to Mr lr McAllister I fear feat that lint I must trespass still further on your our kindness and tell you OU something of an incident In my any own life Again with that some same hateful Iron Irony he ire paused looking hooking around him luau as If tacitly begging our p permission to pro pro- And Anti yet ct all the time he must have known that we would woul hang breathless on his every eely word Since in spite of his talk of hospitality we were virtually his prisoners It was only too evident eident that hint he was not talking talk tall fag ing to amuse us us but hut that his words bore directly on our fortunes and in all probability on our om- lives And thus we ive sat staring while he he quite casually turned and glanced at the door leading leading lead lead- ing from the thc cabin The Thc movement was so unstudied that lint at nt the time I pal no heed heel to It hut butt later inter I was to remember and understand At len length th h lie he resumed Do not fear feal that tint I shall weary wear you oU with my adventures adventures ad ad- ventures j It Is of one Incident only onty that I 1 shall speak an and that believe me lie not nut because Its memory Is pleasant to me for it is the blackest est In m my any life but hut rather because as you will shortly see you ou have a n right to know of oC It Three years ears ago ngo I ranged these senIn seas sea In the thc company compan of another vessel whose captain I J called m my friend Like e etwo two gray wolves es we harried our prey one on either lank and anel luck lucky was the merchantman who e escaped cad our fan fangs I Ours of course COUlse was the fortune of war j sometimes ies u we wc e made rich cap cap- captures t tires tures sometimes our nur gains were not worth the loss 1038 In killed and wounded and otil only the sharks would world profit out h by our enterprise But on one great lay day ln we captured and sacked a n real treas trens- treasure ure ore ship shill a prize as us rich its as those which whack fell to the time lot of the old buccaneers There was spoil mind and to spare spare for for once our crews were wele glutted with Illi gold lint hut but of the hulk bulk of the treasure gure and atul I of the tile Jewels on only four persons really knew the captain of time thc consort ship and hl his mate mote and I myself myself mill and out one ot other oilier her It lie He paused and mil o e over r his face stole an e expression I J had never t. t Iw before re fo seen 11 there a there a yearning I would I-would have han an said d. d X X X X X Xv X X for something that hurl had gone from his hat life forever ever but of which even eyen tho the memory could almost bring hying hack back to him hint past jo Joys s 's Then the light faded from rota hi his eyes again and he ho went on A lady sailed with me mc In those days duys the HIp most beautiful lad lady In all nil the world Not ot a lady of th the court too line fine to soil soli her dainty minty rangers lingers or dirty the tip lip of her hm silken shoe but a n laughter daughter of the tho sea sell a l ar r.- r. ra raif 1 of if the storm one who could coul wield cutlass and und pistol pis I tot tol one who wino was all life and fire and und daring and who fen feared red not ot man nor devil devil no no nor God Gol lt lf Once more he paused eel and hl his Imis hand i went to his throat n as If to ea ease e Its Its Its' constriction I would have said that lint linthe I he lie had forgotten tom us LIS and that for the first time I saw the time mans man's soul laid I bare But Hut In another instant he had recovered himself and amid went on There was trouble rouble aboard my vessel at the a time a grumbling ma mate e who wino dreamed of ot commanding In my 01 place lIe He nm may indeed be he commanding but I If so Its It's in another world Yet Just then he lao was in m my wa way and the captain cap cap- tab tain n of my con contort consort ort persuaded me an and my nay la lady to board his vessel while we gave ne my nay m mate his head land and sent him away awny proud of his chance to capture another prize Ills His prize was a n knife thrust in the throat And In the dark lark of the ni night ht near nem a n lonely Island l inthe In Inthe the Antilles far off the track of or vessels |