Show BELLO ta ARTHUR A HOWDEN SMITH COPYRIGHT ay by ARTHUR M sm irm continued from last weak week and you yu i must deliver dellver the body of fow your hostage beforehand IL I 1 answered ie as ably as I 1 could even eo he acknowledged ledgeL tta ITIs nobert robert yet the time vilil come I 1 venture to p predict duct when ben u wll i look took back with pride upon the inconvenience jou suffered awat the inconvenience it I 1 may escape the rascal rascals alive I 1 retorted of that jou need have no doubts doub ta be obe said earnestly 1 I shall accod vany ou abd you nay may hear my part lag ing 4 to flint friend peter will you bulge me for or the st of half ao an lioi whilst I 1 visit the walrus with my A keen neen answered pete reteA and pushed awe from the table 1 7 I go too INO 0 o no 1 I go too ant naught was wa aid said of vo hosit goes I 1 cc go insisted the dutchman ilia ja burray shook hie its bead lead for you I 1 might not be responsible peter reter 1 I will be responsible for myself said pter P ter 1 I go to der or ao 70 jw go badt der window 7 my great grea uncle tired at him tor for a moment tb o burst into laughter by cad gad you mul and after become captain in my place no doubt you are bable peter what do you say nephew rl td rd nt lairet peter riak risk his throat with nine I 1 sti ealr 1 I 1 to go wit you bob heated pea ted the dutchman you seel meet ariell 1 murray 1 uselL ss to object go with you Is 1 hlll ill well you it 11 havia company at least and I 1 abail ha tack lack a companion whose hose presence presen tv la Is lot oot the leas less sin 1 kible ble for his allbee A good friend la Is peter eter robert I 1 would be he were line I 1 peter corp rore 6 IN e go he mald aa J p on deck 2 murray had the lov lono shoat oat called awny avray and we e embarked la in at 1 lence a hot bot nl bt will very ittle air and the ribald uproar on the walrus was amazingly asti i the janie jani e wae was he c a tomb ly y noa nolla sound oun anie ame froni from lier er and the urty lights she avowed were ere in the waist and the main cabin be walrus was wa a blaze of lan lanthorn thoms from rom poop to but bt murray the deck twice before he had bad kin answer it noat boat ahoy I 1 responded ded a haliy olce then chyn n dont ye ome come aboard I 1 1 i 71 rie captain marray to tee see cap 1 alu aint flint replied ny iny grea great uncle almly i aye aye air answered the husky roice voice oa on a quaver of fear well call him directly will ye come aboard sir air 11 my great ancle uncle turned to peter with one foot on the elde aide ladder are iou certain you must go to with Ito Il he be baled 1 I can assure yon jou no harm shall ome to hini him jal 1 go sly my great uncles reply wa wat t a shrug of indifference rod peter ind nd I 1 climbed after hl atai n to the deck the M waft a re revelation relation after the ordered discipline of the royal jumps in a word she he was pig dirty her deck was littered with all kinda kinds of rubbish her rigging wan was slack and spliced in a which seemed tub ab berly to me zie who was a lubber her ow was tora torn erly I led aad d clu furled bt bu ta 1 lim ber pare spare spars and cables lay abou about in entire confusion the planks we irod trod on were ali with grease the paint wa was peeling from the bul but barks there were spots of at rust on the vie nuzzle muzzle of a chafe chase gun itself was hauled out of its proper po yn rint flint eme swaggering down to us from tram the poop in a condition which wae was in liw li W with hia his surround VMS arake knost of his men snell be had discarded coat coal shirt and shoes to himself to the heat beat of a tropical summer hie loose canyon trousers identical alth t iose the samen wore were et st taked with dirt und and tar ills bare calves and forearms torea were covered with dried blood where hey they had bad u beet scratched crat ched by brambles in his shore out vt the matted hair on his biest WM threat the head bead of a it tiger most Marvelo marvelously asly tattooed in black and yeli yeti low ills hair was a lank frame for hie his saturnine face stubbly with a week weeks growth of beard what hat dye keck murray he growl Ml a vane to look us over 1 I arl come to fulfill my contract E ettl you reeled my great uncle 1 I 1 am ailing salling with the morning ebb and I 1 bring you yon not one hostage bat bul two punt stepped closer doeer and scrutinized P r ter and rae me two eh ehr what do I 1 want wl dwor what at bode man to ri V cju 1 l me ile iti nothing to you on the contrary tay toy relative master corlier carlier la 13 an old anil and taked cleroy of mine line of it whom I 1 havo have hopes of making in time a friend welt well hes be no good to me pit gut tre ir it he ile lal you will WUI take both or none old said my great uncle tn in the voice like a dripping icicle which he its knew r P well how to assume acty nasty arp are yet reaped rasped flint blast vast ye re for a A light tn in murray murrays towny eye eyes kindled like a a flame under the tion of the battle lanthorn which were hung frem the lower pars spars two it Is flint en led lans hastily tily but ye 11 never see cither either one 0 0 em if ye don dont t make good on your bargain I 1 ha supported much from ye re murray but Y 0 support mor mora a for auff sufficient lelent g gold old rebuked my great uncle tut man I 1 read you like alk a book aber we first encountered you too were proud to be mate of a trading brig I 2 lavo avo put you in the way to raak rank and fortune if you know how to exploit your opportunities alark yel yet you aid said seven hundred thou band snapped flint mint 1 I aid sald seven hundred tao thousand usand to be divided betwixt the two ships A shrewd look dawned in flints face and where are ye a coin coln to pinck pluck thio In fillon and a half 0 op treasure from he be demanded you ha said much of 14 it but you told me little abat course doth the treasure ship eally salt where do vu v a u lurk foe for her there theres wide sae tam betwixt tw tie main man and the Ali atlantic antle and nd ye yv cant stop every hrie murray murrar 11 you may my safely entrust that portion 0 the task to me mel replied my great ancle dryly he ife offered me bla his hand and so le ie what to my own surprise I 1 found myself inclined to accept it robert be he said 1 I regret exceedingly the necessity nece elty I 1 am under of in dieting thie this unpleasantness upon you r shall endeavor to provide jou ou adequate reparation ton too ulso also friend peter remember we are wor liln ir for a greater cause than 0 personal earich enrichment ment he ile vaulted lightly to the top of the bulwark and dropped jut of eight on in the farther tido gut me but there theres times I 1 think be he bel believes leles ell all he says swore flint 1 CHAPTER IX darby MeG McOra raws ws red head shone in the Il light slit but its master bob alsaint moi novi aint thie this the mighty forthune fore hune to have ye with wl us I 1 ila ye le the old devil yon for good 7 T he nodded his torch of I 1 ar at the tague vague bull of the bamm flint exploded explode with raucous laughter the old devil yon 11 he be repeated me but it take takes darby to put puta the right word to a man tie Ms what he la is blast him for the he sets himself up to be I 1 darby proffered him a bue age silver beaker of run rum fetched this foci pom P om the cabin after ye rapt captain aln eald said the irish boy in his wheedling brogue troth eay say I 1 to if the captain must talk with murray hell ha a bad taste in fn the tho mouth 0 him to be washed cut out and I 1 id d beet best ha a eup up 0 ngar aulce handy for hie his ne edlas flint seized the rum threw back hia his head and drained the tho flery fiery stuff aj i tf it t bad L ba ln n wine win you said tight my lad be he an wd w ei sourly and rm thinkie thIn kiz kIZe 11 may ai ay aee beeb all tb the lucic luck eliat red head hea 0 your rn n bring me we where wheres billy ljones under the cabla table re tur d darby promptly gil ga him for the boase he lei and long ung fohir sure captain dear twits yourself yon kelt sent lira alm ashore to keep the iad lad up to the fort from cavin so I 1 did well ril rit see to the pris stiers then st protested darby 4 eyed och 06 earldin car ye re bour on t so aj a j bard on master boat iles aa kindly a yon ng gentleman gent lemaa ai as ever eter I 1 see and pter piter there in a grand lal teller feller ye te should hear bear to balet they tell ol 01 0 his mur therin and playful with the red ill be as a hard as ther they make me be returned aint bat but for tonight I 1 must have bare thern safe peter admy elbon poke spoke far or the first time ja ja A we ro I 1 have a to sleep sleep Is jeerer je cd flint that e stall my hearty I 1 come along 0 roe me ha led tip aft the me others fOllO following wInt darby in the rear almost in teara team at the end of a dark kawage unhooked unhook od a lanthorn frojm a wall wed mad I 1 one of bli raea men beaded ben ed up a ampa te n below was A pool of windows that scuttled ami and swayed as 1 uto to escape ahe UK abl light gut aberg anve wa all 0 V alto ZI RO non ta t a peasant ant I 1 drew I 1 inel a cl S bertes certes tea tes yv could us u wely thau attla I 1 profett pro no no answered flint there ther I 1 0 dd not inot a door inboard bath a lock awauld bold hold darby let alone you two im wry u fop for ye ltd lad it t its no faut 0 W yours that youre here hero bat but tor tat to tk night at least you dufft he its in the lazaret here ye shall ha W the lan inn thoa thota tho a to keep the rat rats off fit and la the we well 11 manaco manage different Berent dI peter pushed past me and took the lanthorn amm his hand A we 0 go W la he be coma bob I 1 followed fatow ej him without another word already wondering at file alls ex doe docility 11 ity A hasp ird bome home in a bolt and footsteps thudded arav ei I 2 art fit on the bottommost bottom moal tcp stop of 0 ua tt ladder and peered hopA ety arttus me as a peter the lanthorn as a blah As a the low dwi deck croom roam allowed prowled pr lh the limited area 0 our prison A black rat rut aa as large ats a cat rushed across roy my feet squeaks and rus clings bounded mounded in the colem cor nere f peter returned return fd to the ladder toot foot deposited the lanthorn on the flow r and plumped himself beside I 1 what you fink botill lit b eald said blandly do we wo stay or bet get adt I 1 frowned at him tie n no joked I 1 napped 1 I bad had reasons ja he agreed der bitti jai how illow did you know I 1 exclaimed it 1 I know be he replied with ills his alin imitation of a lauen you fink der little gal ie Is a good sil tou you t tank ink it la Is sot mot boodt dot she be taken aboard der james too you nt 1 to be ther them andt be cure aure dot jibe he la is laate ate 1 true rue ua us kuspel peter I 1 groaned 1 I 1 I A hoped to the last 1 ridiculous plan of murrays would fall fill through in kome manner but the man has las it damnable determination jaa ja agreed peter 1 I tink he takes der treasure ship sob mb dote dota easy casyl I 1 sec meo not how howl ja va it la Is daiy to take her but after comes his troubles much trean treas ori urn Is s bad tor for pirated pir atea we hate hat trout les after suppose we got tonight suppose we fret get and barit to der james ja jat i 1 looked aroura armoux 1 me skeptically at the heavy beavy planking and stout timber of the eldee sides and find forward bulkhead it cant be done take a week to break out on of this thi sand and the james will be salting in live or elx six hours neen said peter we get ardt any time we tet how I 1 demanded demandel he ile picked up the lari lanthorn thorn and led me to the bulkhead the light showed that orn or N of the oaken planks was ellab tIr prong sprung leaving an infant teel roni crack between its edge and the uppermost of ita its fellows are you fou blanning to pry that off with bour our I 1 taunted lum win neen he answered and conducted I 1 7 pro you to pry that off with your flow halle I 1 taunted tr to A corner comer whence the rats ded ed as we approached he ile stirred hie his toot foot amongst ro rue rubbish anu anti churned up several ong long wrought iron out as ar are used to bolt together the heavier ship umber dots plenty be aid said I 1 could hordi hardly the gush of relief that welled tr la in me we 11 1 I believe it Is I 1 iwA nut oh peter there Is stich such tittle little time enough 1 he grunted cows we begin we listened at the bulkhead for signs of life on the opposite but not a oun came through to us although the clamor oa on the upper deck aad tn in the poop cabin seeped into our dargeon dun ireon from overhead iwas awas stiflingly gly hot end and perl peter es first care was to strip off its but bakin shirt and legging ez zings we got to swim he bald said eyeing them too you dont don t need el clothes tonight bob so I 1 followed his and we foil f 11 to work rith our spikes upon the prune plank the sweat pouring in rills of moisture from our half imbed naked bodies our erode crude tools clipping tn in our grease fingers as we pried and pushed and fought tor for every inch of apace pace betwixt the plank and the DP right it was nailed to peter did all the work As the last nab nall yielded to peters shoulder tie the thin clangor of the th all atil sa 1 u page four 1 PORTO BELIO BELLO GOLD continued from rage page 3 of the royal janik stole down to Us out of 0 the nigh vow times it rang two I 1 get bob whimpered whispered peter I 1 wriggled through the gap in n the and he pa massod esil the Inn thorn after me ine its flame was burnitz low but I 1 had bad sufficient light to determine that I 1 stood lr ir a etore lold crammed with casks ft et rum fait valt meat and ships A door in its follard bulkhead fed ad to another hold of the deck where here were a batch gaddor 1 leadlie lead iff up to the gundeck I 1 crept crep tan ns far as the foot of the ladder and listened to the snores of the scores of men who slept jn in long between the areat sang ran of tho battery that way tay lay our only path of escape continued next week |