Show CAPTAIN by charles tenney jackson copyright by the bobbt bobb merral CHAPTER XV Is ia the bottle emperor returns across the mile lutie wide lagoon in the dusk the last buccaneers bucca of it hot lafitte listened to the battle in the forest rivets river the rattle of musketry end and then the boom of the Sera phines tarro Carro nades and strange as it fell out tile the castaways casta ways wished for the span lards to win they had no hope of escape for themselves res hut but their hatred of crecli leys mutineers muti w was as stronger than their hereditary feud with the power 0 of jr the spanish king r sea the fugitives lay and listened to tile tiie distant battle lor for the rescue of bonaparte at times behind the fringe of forest swamp aiba ai Bp arose the cra rah of musket fire and then the bark of the guns guna and presently th this is last ceased the ragged volleys of small arms burst irregularly died idies out renewed became single shots blotted out by the tropic a silence the catalan swung to his big feet and nd tied his bis bloody head scarf tighter 1 I say lay it Is tile the end Mu murillos Murl llos men swarming over it seemed that are re a 11 faint burst borst of cheering came from ander the landward stars nez kez coupe beckoned to his fellows the captain will want mint the word back bach at the ladys shelter tent he will send her and the young gentleman to intercept the spaniards boats when they come out tile lie pass to regain the frigate now watch for the fire behind the trees ye see eee the red ghost of a good ship I 1 but presently the captain himself ind end beleche Be lache the admiral came through the he deep sand and great bum hummocks mocks to this outlying point of the reef you make out that the affair Is done inquired the former no there Is a shot they waited silently the low mur tour bur of the gentle surf on fhe outer of sand was all the sound upon the utter calm of the night it Is over muttered bohon 1 I would have given my right hand band to have seen brackley Cr ackley cutlass ed and flung to the sharks and jarris janis the fool gibing them to the last the wastrel had bad his sea fight eh ehr the leaders dark face winced he raised his hand blind as if to still this jesting about the jester of the rue royale the emperor of the bottle who at last did sit in the chair they had ordained for an emperor himself lAm self and now from the sea there came a single signal gun the frigate was invisible standing off the shoals but they knew a thousand enemies were there come sirs sars said the chief in quiet authority tile the longboat around the point for the english woman they shall row to meet the spaniards in the pass she shall plead that she and monsieur de monaster almonaster Al were the prisoners ot of the mutineers muti when he be had bad gone from the meri men who hastened at his bidding be came upon mademoiselle lespron on the highest point of the sand before her shelter canvas she was alone and the she saw his big quick glance about aboul monsieur leur de almonaster Al monaster has gone to the beach I 1 sent gent him away she said quietly away do you see that light mademoiselle against the forest I 1 it t means the spanish bli boat crews are rethe low murmur of the gentle surf sur on the outer fringe of sand was wa all tile the sound upon the utter calm cain of the night they have taken the sern sera in the lie rivers mouth you coi can bachs eliat bat lias has happened I 1 there Is 1 man living who was upon her tile the ragged man she he answered tc in bently the man who sat in the em derors fet or a cabin and kissed the bracelet I 1 left there tile the bracelet he was surprised lie had bud not known ot of this it belonged once to marle marie antoinette li she he went on passively the queen gave it to a member of my family for or a service before they put her to the guillotine why then did you not speak when we left the ship liehe lie he he the mart man would have given it to you 1 I did not think she ahe murmured H he had bad hla big lips to it IL then aibe was wag silent looking at the empty sea the savage land 1 I inquired of mon leur afleur tie de almonaster Al monaster he be laughed lao glied painfully bud and would not anwer answer I 1 could not see ee the maws mans face that kluht nor when he be jested on oa the quarter deck but always it his has seemed that some laughing spirit wax was near we me on the seraphine Seraph lne a ghost far olt off from roe me yet ever holding me in life his fancy Is it not strange I 1 cannot shake tills feeling off it Is strange lie he answered but come you are going now monsieur mazarac acl I 1 she blie cried sharply why do you not speak of what he said simply imply in no wonder I ah I 1 do not knowl the stars showed the paleness of her ram facto br luminous eyes wide up lap to him b im the web of silence that had been woven about her was a mesh that neither tears nor challenge had bad yet pierced 1 I too am a nameless smiled led the ghost of a man who might have beell come bowl monsieur mazarac bids you respectfully but firmly to 0 go you will obey monsieur mazarac la Is accustomed to being obeyed the th hands of monsieur mazarac have hare been stained with the blood of those who chose not to obey Is that enough about monsieur mazarac Saz arac mademoiselle ile he turned away to her little tent she heard him giving instructions to the silent black steward who had been charged to her service the tiny light against the unseen forest shore was growing plainer slie she heard a brushing in the coarse grass raoul de almonaster Al monaster drew out of the starlight and stopped by her with a comment apparently he be did not notice tie monsieur mazarac at her tent seeing to her few belongings ile he came to you did he not murmured raoul it Is the last moment I 1 gave him this to speak to you louise 11 why what should he speak she whispered but tjien be would not I 1 the younger man misinterpreted he loves you and he would not speak eh well I 1 it Is my honor to keep from him and from I 1 was his first confidant from the very first when be was about to challenge carr because ot of you I 1 offered to second him at the oaks from the first he be spoke of yoland yol yoc and he be had bad my pledge of 0 honor ah but I 1 did not know then who the lady was the pawn of his game at masseros Ma speros the lady lie he must retrieve from the gena roal monsieur mazarac at the parting of the paths one on to peace even perhaps to honor for a wounded name chose this to serve yu you though lie knew it meant the abyss opened for him I 1 Is not that a love mademoiselle that would hold bold the friend of mazarac to his honor tell me she whispered swiftly the ragged fellow in the emperors cabin his als jests his love P A dead man telling neither love nor jests then the young man turned hotly on her see here I 1 the boat Is making ready 1 well it mazarac has your heart louise I 1 will not go 90 oh no no nol she breathed monsieur the figure of monsieur mazarac loomed against the stars before theol pardon he be sold said smoothly it Is the time for the longboat it Is damnable de Al monaster sprang to grasp his sleeve sir a womans comans part for met mel I 1 will not go 1 I will not go I 1 monsieur mazarac looked from him to mademoiselle lespron intently it was as open to them as a blown rose to the sunshine de Al monaster almonaster Almo Easter would not creep away saved by a womans comans skirts among the spaniards and ever after see in her eyes that she was wab holding in memory another man who nho died for her monsieur mazarac smiled rubbed ills his slender bronzed hands bands come my children 1 there Is the boat muttered de almonaster Al monaster sullenly the blacks at th the oars and clark at the tiller the tide la Is coming out it Is anease pull here Is toy my handkerchief for the truce flag on a boat pole he bo bow aed ed quietly mademoiselle lespron Is going to the spanish captains care sir said mazarac coolly you to that boat A stealthy slur of steel and leather came cam in the silence they saw the point of de DC Almon asters rapier flash dimly and then held to the sand monsieur mazarac Saz arac I 1 had the idea long ago that at some hour you and I 1 should fight it was as a inevitable as anything could be it was written by these stars at the birth of each of us as it was written that we each should love a woman noman whom it has been given us in our lives to protect mademoiselle lespron to the boat then aben draw with me monsieur the older man did riot not stir twice then in so short a time he must decline a challenge because of her berl it was very odd he laughed slowly mademoiselle had seemed dumb for the moment then she sprang with a hand band raised before de Almo Almona Daste stera en blazing eyes and impetuous arm well then went on monsieur mazarac quietly fart the lady for whom we roust must fight to the longboat monsieur de Al monaster her cry of terror echoed there came then a slow uncertain trudging through the reef grass the figure of a roan man quite close it was wa stooped I 1 f and presently it staggered or stumbled rather ridiculously it appeared over an empty scabbard which got between its knees jarvis I 1 cried de Al monaster and sprang to him alro eh baquir the voice kotce came bakly vearly eakly but gathered strength an ai if some choked but over maus purpose well t came to find and you your I 1 after trial be h staggered back and would have fallen if de almonaster Al monaster had not eased him to the sand then lie rubbed a bloody hand band across a bloody face and drawled sleepily swords out the matter 1 bayl say I 1 what the devil he ha twisted about painfully ini im run through twice I 1 think the captain had come swiftly to him film garvist Jar vist ile he knelt and sternly sought the others eyes eye monsieur tie de almonaster Almonn Al monaster ster will you get the braudy brandy from the tent what to Is we this jarvis what of the seraphine now how came you herel she Is coming out on the tide said jarvis thickly the dons think to save her as a prize four boats boat are towing name 0 Q G dl d I 1 jena jean I 1 I 1 had my light I 1 tell me this retorted the other coldly he looked about the figure of the woman was dim by the tent swords out the M t er say what the devil if she was assisting de almonaster AI Al monaster at the chest of bandages and scanty supplies given them by the mutineers muti jarv jarvis I 1 you deserted me but tell me of the seraphine Seraph lne 1 I alone escaped Crack leys men fought like wild savages ahen ft hen the end came the last of us took overboard to the jungle when the spaniards Span larda swarmed aboard they be headed black mike on a gun block and banged budge to the shrouds with a fire under him they chopped old mariano Mar lano arm by arm and leg by leg and brackley Cr ackley shot himself to keep away from them I 1 was the last who fell in the river reeds they did not find me jean and when I 1 got sense after these there wounds I 1 crawled to the waters edge I 1 found a dinghy with three dead Span spaniards lards in it and heaved them out then I 1 floated with the tide it boe bo e me to the reef I 1 knew you would be here somewhere curse me it was a fight I 1 there must have been a hundred of the them in and we did for half de AI Al monaster forced the brandy branay to his lips thank you monsieur murmured the painter of the rue royale this thrust through my shoulder I 1 would not babu had it but after breaking a dons don head I 1 saw a bottle roll across the deck I 1 must after it like a cat at the cheese and some other kina aln 0 man put a saber to me bh I 1 dropped the cognac with ith cork got around and fought again what luck one hasl has V ile he sighed weirdly we wei rily nis ills eyes closed the english wo bonan non came nearer and then at a sign from monsieur mazarac Saz arac Rc she went apart from them it would not do for the babbler to talk too much in her haaring and so once more the lover with the new waistcoat did wt not see the lady of the camellia nor ale him for when hla big eyes opened thare were but the stars above and the fo mens faces watching close to his come gent Kmen ile he struggled to a sitting pasture between them 1 I came here with an ideal A most excellent idea I 1 jarvis Jarv ls betoi retorted led the captain quietly you are dying eli eh blen bleat are you a physician too monsieur aliz z a rac as well mell as a bully swordsman sword smal a fellow of pearlin pearl in laid pistols a delicate hand band at the tha cards and speeches on a ladys stal staircases reaser he sat up and shook himself dying row ow seel ile he kicked out both mud swathed legs clapped hla bil hands put a thumb to ills his nose ilose and wiggled his fingers at the stars let rue me up he be drawled absently 1 I am to tell you what to do where the devil Is the boat and our blusterers bluster ers ol 01 0 G dl bue buc cancers sn oozing in the grass and jolin john jarvis in a bloody setto set tol to 1 and despite their protests he did get to his feet unsteadily about all they could see were his two eyes eye sticking out of a luck of wet tangled hair but these seemed to smile comfortingly for jarvis Jar vl and lilt its deck 0 0 blood be h mused now catoe the seraphine Seraph lne Is towing out the imas aass there Is hardly a wait man on her wept except the wounded and the officers tor for they have every arm at the sweeps in the small b oats boats I 1 gay any we shall retake her gentle men I 1 TO BE |