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Show THE STORY THUS FARr The crew of a imall lallinf veisel In the Caribbean pick up Dick Jordan, adrift on a raft. He realize that he li among men little better than plratei. They come upon a drifting ichooner with only two people aboard, the demented de-mented captain and his daughter, Rose. Tucu and his pirates capture the schooner schoon-er and search fruitlessly for the "treasure." "treas-ure." Then Tucn goes away, because a storm Is brewing. Dick swims to the schooner, arriving Just In time to rescue res-cue Rose from two of the pirates. Captain Cap-tain Bedford recovers and they sail to an Island. Dick discovers that Tucn and Ms crew are on the other side. They are battling a group of white men. rected upon the breastwork of their enemies, and, not expecting danger from above, they never once raised their eyes to the summit of the elm. This more than any skill on their part enabled the three to creep stealthily down the ridge until close to the hiding place of the sailors. Crouching there for a moment they considered the next move. Between them and the breastwork was an open stretch of flat sand. To cross this they had to expose their bodies to the cross Are of the Caribs." "I'll go first," Dick whispered. "No, wait a minute," replied the skipper. "Likely's not them sailors will take ye for a nankin' party an' land a ton of stones on yer head. We got to let 'em know we're friends." "How can we do it without alarming alarm-ing the Caribs?" "Reckon we can't. But It's got to be done." Suddenly, without warning of his Intentions, the skipper raised his voice without exposing his head: "Ahoy, there, shipmates! Look aloft! Keep them stuns for the en- There was a puff of smoke and a sharp report. emy, an' don't shy any of 'em aftl We're comin' to help ye." The surprise and consternation of the sailors at the voice behind them was not greater than that of the Caribs. Dick saw Captain Tucu and Black Burley jump to their feet and scan the rocks with eager eyes. "I reckon now ye can go," Captain Cap-tain Bedford whispered. "Ye're spryer'n me, an' can make it quicker." quick-er." "Give me all except two of the pistols," replied Dick. "You and Rose keep one apiece. Don't expose yourself. Keep Rose here with you." "Reckon I ain't promisin' to keep her here," grinned the skipper, "but I'll try it." The Automatics Turn the Tide Dick nodded, and then vaulted the low ridge of rocks, and, crouching low, made a break across the open space. His sudden appearance was the signal for a volley of shots from the Caribs, but in anticipation of this he dodged and ducked so erratically er-ratically that the bullets buried themselves in the sand at a safe distance on either side. The sailors, forewarned, made no hostile demonstration, but watched him with gaping mouths and wide-open wide-open eyes. When he finally landed plump in their midst, they stretched forth arms to receive him. Recovering Recov-ering his breath, Dick said: "Now give them hell! Shoot to kill!" The sight of the guns he began passing around brought grins of delight de-light to the haggard faces. "I haven't enough for all," Dick added. "So be careful. Who among you are the best shots?" "I've killed a man at a hundred feet," replied a burly seaman, taking tak-ing a gun, "an' my mate's nearly as good. Give him one." The other two were handed to men who declared they were good shots, and were anxious to try their skill on the Caribs. Dick took charge and directed the shooting. "They're cowards, and will run the moment we shoot," he said. "They don't know we're armed. So make the best of our chance. Single Sin-gle out our men, and shoot together." togeth-er." He counted two and then raised a hand as a signal. Four vicious bullets sped toward their marks, and before they were well on their way others were following them. The automatics barked so continuously continu-ously that half the Caribs were down before the others could duck for shelter. The sailors wanted to break cover and charge, but Dick restrained them. "No, they'll get some of you. Keep covered until we get Tucu and Burley. The rest will surrender." "Who'i Tucu their leader?" asked one of the seamen. "Yes, he's the captain of the lugger, lug-ger, and Black Burley's the mate." "Know 'em?" "Sure. I've sailed with them." The sailors eyed him curiously. In the lull that followed, one asked: "Wasn't ye on the City of Bahia?" Dick nodded. "Thought I remembered yer face. Got away, did ye?" Further conversation was Interrupted Inter-rupted by the unexpected barking of a gun far on their right. For a moment they thought a flanking party had crept up behind them; but almost simultaneously with the crash of the report there came a cry from the enemy. They saw a gigantic gi-gantic black man leap in the air and tumble face downward. "Black Burley!" exclaimed Dick. "Who shot him?" asked one of the sailors, uneasily glancing in the direction of the shot. "Captain Bedford," smiled Dick. "He's trying to flank them." The rest of the Caribs, with Tucu leading, had leaped from cover, .and were making a run for their last refuge. "After them!" yelled Dick, springing over the breastwork. "Don't let Tucu escape." Dick led the assaulting party, but Tucu had a big start. It looked for a time as if he would escape, and Dick hesitated between keeping up the race and stopping to shoot. Perhaps Per-haps in either case he would have lost if Tucu's vengeful nature hadn't temporarily handicapped him. Hen Pettigrew lay directly In his path, where he had been left by the Caribs for dead; but Hen had as many lives as a cat, and despite the fact that he carried three bullets bul-lets in his body he was a long way from being dead. He sat up and began struggling feebly to get on his feet. He was not aware of Tucu's presence until the latter stopped suddenly in his steps. The sight of one of his enemies escaping when he could kill him was too much f a strain on Tucu's nature. He decided to linger long enough to put Hen out of the game. With a malevolent glint in his eyes, . he leered at the half-dazed man, and said: "I reckon y'don't need to get up." He could have shot him on the run, but he wanted to make sure this time. He brought his gun close to Hen's head, thrusting it viciously vicious-ly between his eyes so he could stare his fate directly in the face. It was a brutal, bloodthirsty act, and for a moment Hen recoiled. "Damn ye, take thatl" grunted the half-breed. Dick Saves the Life Of His Nemesis There was an explosion, so close that the powder blackened Hen's face, but the bullet buried itself in the sand as Tucu's right hand dropped to his side, with the forearm fore-arm broken close to the wrist Dick had taken advantage of his hesitation and shot at the hand holding hold-ing the gun to Hen's face, pausing to aim carefully and deliberately to make sure he did not miss. With a snarl and curse, the half breed grasped his wounded wrist In his free hand, and seeing that escape es-cape was impossible he turned upon Dick like an enraged animal. All the venom of his nature flared up in his eyes. Dick could have shot easily, but he hesitated. The man was wounded wound-ed and unarmed, his gun having fallen to the ground. He could not shoot Tucu even when he had him at his mercy. "It's all up, Tucu," he said, smiling smil-ing as he advanced. "I won't kill you if you'll surrender. You can't get away." "Y'won't shoot me if I surrender?" surren-der?" whined the half-breed. "Y'won't let 'em kill me?" "No, we'll give you a fair trial, but you don't deserve it" Tucu's shifty eyes seemed ,to lose their fire, and Dick noticed that the limp arm was bleeding freely. "I'll help you," he added, kicking the man's gun away to a safe distance. "That arm must be broken." Although in the act of kicking Tucu's gun away, he showed that he didn't trust the outlaw, Dick was careless in another respect. He thrust his own gun in his pocket. The halfbreed noticed the action and almost immediately his whole attitude changed. A murderous gleam flashed in his eyes. With his left hand he jerked an ugly knife from his belt and made a lunge at Dick. The attack was so sudden and unexpected that there was no time for counter action. ac-tion. Dick had barely time to catch the uplifted arm and save himself from almost instant death. With a growl of rage that his ruse had failed, the half-breed struggled to release his arm for another blow; but Dick flung himself upon the outlaw, out-law, grasping the arm with one hand and the knife with the other. Although wounded, and one arm helpless, Tucu, who was a giant in strength, fought ferociously, succeeding suc-ceeding Anally in hurling his enemy from him through sheer muscular superiority. (TO BE CONTINUED! CnAPTER X The Caribs were checked again by a volley of stones, and withdrew after that to a safe distance, while Burley and Tucu held a consultation. consulta-tion. Dick struggled to his feet, a little bewildered and uncertain what course to pursue. There were six white men, now that Pettigrew had been killed, and a dozen Caribs attacking at-tacking them, an even disposition of forces, perhaps if they had been equally equipped for battle for one white man could ordinarily handle two Caribs but armed with pistols that their enemies lacked the black men had the advantage. They could pick o(T their enemies leisurely without with-out running any risk from flying stones, and In the end conquer through their superior weapons. "Captain Bedford may have pistols pis-tols or rifles that Tucu overlooked," Dick reasoned. "With two or three we could rout the Caribs." Animated by this thought, he turned and began scrambling down the rocks, scarring his hands and knees and nearly losing his balance once or twice through careless haste. Rose saw him coming, and waved to him; Dick gave no heed to her until he stood on the deck, hot, flushed, and panting: "Captain Tucu's gang's on the other side of the island!" he announced an-nounced abruptly. Rose recoiled and turned deathly white, but Captain Bedford's face set in hard lines without a trace of fear In it. "Then we must get ready fur them," he said grimly. "Did they see ye?" "No, but I saw them." The old skipper nodded. "Can ye shoot?" "Yes, if I had anything to shoot with. Tucu disarmed me, and took every weapon off the schooner." "Did he?" The skipper's face was wreathed in a crafty smile. "I reckon now," he added a moment later, "he overlooked some of "em." Reinforcements Come From the Schooner Leading the way into the cabin, with Dick and Rose eagerly following, follow-ing, he began prying up a section of the floor. After loosening a few boards he lifted out a small chest hidden underneath, which, when opened, disclosed a treasure more precious to Dick than the gold taken tak-en from the submarine. It consisted consist-ed of half a dozen brand-new pistols of modern pattern, automatics of a deadly type, with ammunition enough to feed them for a considerable consid-erable time. "We could clean 'em up alone, but mebbe it would be better to get down to the sailors, an" let 'em have some sort of fun. Reckon they'd enjoy it," grinned the captain. cap-tain. "Yes." nodded Dick, "we must have nearly enough guns for all. We must hurry." They started up the companion, but when they climbed over the side of the schooner to get ashore Rose suddenly protested. , "Aren't you going to help me ashore, Dick?" "No," he replied gravely, "you must stay on the Betty. We'll come back to you." She sniffed and tossed her head in the air. "If Father's going I'm going too," she answered. Dick started to protest further, but Captain Bedford nudged him. "No use arguin'," he whispered. "I've spoilt her. She always has her way." With a smile she acknowledged this doubtful compliment, and climbed down to the mass of wreck- ege. When they reached the summit of the cliff, the situation below was not changed. The Caribs were still at a safe distance, shooting occasionally occa-sionally at the breastwork behind which thi; white men were crouched. Their bullets went wide of the mark, which induced Captain Bedford Bed-ford to remark, "Ye can't never teach a Carib to shoot straight. 'Tain't born in 'em. Reckon we'll show 'em how to do it." Dick had been scanning the rocks below with a careful estimate of the danger ahead. The shipwrecked men had reached the upper part of the beach, and it was possible to get within a hundred feet of them without exposing their bodies by following fol-lowing closely a ridge of outcropping outcrop-ping boulders. When he Indicated this to Captain Bedford, the old skipper nodded, and waited for him to lead. Once more Dick urged Rose to remain behind, but she stubbornly shook her head and prepared to follow. fol-low. Th Caribs had their attention dl- |