Show carlyle carlle realizes his life Is hanging in balance synopsis geoffry carlyle master of sailing ships at aften ty six Is sentenced to 20 years servitude in the american colonies for participation in the monmouth rebellion in england among the passengers on board the ship on which lie Is sent across are roger fairfax wealthy maryland planter ills his niece dorothy fairfax and lieutenant sanchez a spaniard who became acquainted with the fair F air taxes faxes in london carlyle meets dorothy who informs him her uncle has bought his services sanchez shows himself an enemy of carlyle the fairfax party now on its own sloop in the chesapeake bay encounters a mysterious bark the namur of rotterdam carlyle discovers that sanchez is black sanchez planning to steal the fairfax gold and abduct dorothy he fights sanchez and leaves him for dead in a battle with sanchez followers however he Is overpowered and thrown into the bay in a desperate effort to save dorothy carlyle decides to swim to the namur by it a ruse lie he gets aboard and mingles with the crew I 1 CHAPTER XI continued 7 levere shouted an order and a sudden flare was nas lighted the circle ot of flame illuminating a part of the deck and spreading out over the wild expanse of water scarcely had a minute elapsed before it came weeping sweeping into the radius of light at first a dim spectral shadow scarcely to be recognized then almost a as s suddenly revealed in all its details a boat of size alze fl ying flying toward us under a lug sall sail keeling well over and topping the sea swells like a bird on wing levera called for men to stand by the fellows fellos fello s rushing past me to their stations but in the fascination of the moment I 1 foiled failed to move I 1 could do nothing but stare out across the intervening water with eyes fastened on that swiftly approaching boat I 1 must see I 1 must know the message it brought what tory story it held of the tragedy ilan manuel tiel held the tiller with estada rs tada seated beside him leaning forward and gesticulating with one hand as he directed the course I 1 had bad never seen these two to yet I 1 knew them beyond a doubt mendez rind and anderson at least I 1 supposed these to be the two were poised at the sall sail halyards hal yards ready to let the straining sheet down fit at a run while cocalos I 1 e crouched low in the bow his block black hand uplifted gripping gr a coil of rope their faces were all turned forward lighted by the flare from our deck and I 1 felt a shudder of fear run over nie me no expression on any countenance spoke of defeat even tile the ugly features of the negro belittled beamed with delight but was that all was that all surely not nol forward of tile the single mast was stowed the chest while la in the open space between betwee li the hei helmsman and the two sailors were stretched two motionless bodies levere gripping a stay rope and leaning well out hailed in spanish sli ahoy the boat you can make it ay came back espadas Es tadas voice stand by to fend us off call all hands and break anchor as soon as we are aboard very well sir where Is captain sanchez estada pointed downward in ill swift expressive gesture here at my feet badly hurt but will recover send two men down to help when we make fast mow co chose let go of your rope watch out above I 1 stood gripping hard bard at the rail and staring down at the scene below as the men in the boat made fast I 1 felt paralyzed and helpless unable to move I 1 had no business to remain there every prospect of security depended on my joining the crew yet only one thought gripped me Salle llcy was not dead I 1 and that other body that of dorothy fairfax without doubt yet certainly not lifeless if their prisoner was the girl and who else could it be behe she he remained alive helplessly bound to prevent either struggle or outcry and destined to a fate far worse than death my own me lite hung in the balane nay rather my doom was already sealed there seemingly was but one chance for escape left that was t to drop silently overboard god no nol I 1 that would be the craven craven act of a coward better far to stay and kill hill or even be killed than to be forever cursed by my own conscience the fellows sent down from the main chains to the boat brought the injured captain up first this required the services sen ices of three men his body hanging limp between them his upturned face shoeing ghastly in the laming flaming of the torch thrust out over the rail to every appearance it was apparently a corpse they handled except for their tenderness and a single groan to which the white lips gave utterance when one of the bearers slipped wrenching the wounded body with a sharp ashard pang of pain once safely on deck the three bore him across to the after cabin and disappeared down the ahe steps estada had already swung himself up tip into the chains while anderson and mendez were lifting the girl to her feet and rather roughly urging her forward ner iler eyes reflected all the unutterable horror which for the moment dominated her mind while her loosened hair disarranged by struggle only served to intensity intensify the pallor of her face hustle her along lively boys shouted back estada coarsely if she wont move give her a shove then tie her up again and take the turn of a ropo rope round her what do you think this Is a queens reception move hove lively senorita in mock sarcasm iier her gaze settled on him where he hung far out grasping a backstay watching the movements below and her slender form straightened as by the acquisition of new strength it if these creatures creature s will take their hands off me she said using their tongue without a tremor in the clear voice 1 I can easily go up alone what Is it you are so afraid of a woman the expression of espadas Es tadas face promised an outburst of profanity but instead of giving it utterance he lifted ills cap in a sudden pretense at gallantry your tour pardon senorita he said in a tone of mockery it if you have come to your senses at last it Is well leave C chose to continue playing the foot her alone roen men now my beauty I 1 nm am taking you at your own word a step and then the protection of my hand we welcome you as a guest aboard A moment and she had attained at t he deck estada chose to cout continue dinue playing the fool thanks senorita thanks eli anks he began softly and again bowing before lier ter cap in hand we greet you with ill due honor aboard the namur kamur enough of that you coward you murderer she broke in coldly do not touch nor speak to me she turned her back on him thus coming face to face with levere who stood enjoying the scene a wide grin on his dark face revealing a row of white teeth under a jet black mustache you sir you are an officer q 1 I have charge of the deck then where am I 1 to go the mulatto surprised by tl the fe sudden question glanced inquiringly IY toward who had already c completely lost his sense of humor go 1 tile the latter growled why send the wench below ill see to her later find and teach her who Is the master here off with her now but be back quickly lie ile leaned out over tho the rall rail sending bending his gruff voice below send up that chest you men alook on the boat manuel and let her drag we must lugt get out of here in a hurry all ready aloft ay ay sir then agbon sheet home how bow Is it o both anchors sir art smartly done hard down vl I 1 your helm there I 1 it t now let I 1 her play oft slowly I 1 ile he caught sight of me all AH tho the sav nn I 1 age brutality of his nature had been brought to the surface by stinging words anti he sought now some bt opportunity to give it vent before I 1 could move ile had gripped me by the collar and swung me about so that the light streaming out from tile cabin fell directly on my face what matthe the devil are you doing loaf ing aft here ive seen you hanging about Ss for ten minutes never lifting a nand hand who are you anyhow joe gates cates sir gates another damned endlish Z here man how did d you ever get aboard it was tho the returning levere who made explanation before I 1 could cou rey reply Mai lliel pa brought 11 him on board in last it night nih picked him up drunk ashore 11 I 1 see well now do you happen to have any idea who I 1 am cates Gates no clr only that you rou are one ode of tho th officers r 1 I 1 am the first of fleer and in 1 command n at present redro pedro estada Is my name now you damned en anush ush h whelp remember that before I 1 even suspected what was coming coining his unexpected action as swift as the leap of a poised tiger he struck me fairly between the eyes wl with th the butt of a pistol and I 1 we went n t down sprawling onto the deck fo for r a moment 01 I 1 seemed su la in spite of the vicious lous ness n of the blow to retain a spark of consciousness for I 1 knew he kicked me savagely with his heavy sea boots I 1 felt fe t the pain and even heard the words and curses accompanying each brutal stroke you yon drunken dog you ton whelp of a sea wolff you english curl take that dama you and that I 1 not forget me for awhile it squirm I 1 like to see it U when you wake up again remember pedro estada how did that feel you grunting pig here levere manuel throw tills this sot into the forecastle curse you here Is one more to jog your memory the heavy iron shod boot landed full in my face and every sensation left me as I 1 sank limply back bloody and unconscious CHAPTER XII A friend in the forecastle I 1 slowly opened my eyes to find my self lying in an upper bunk of the forecastle memory soon returned stimulated no doubt by the aching of my body where estada had so brutally kicked me with his heavy boot the heavy rolling of the bark clearly evidenced that we were already at sea and bucking against a high wind it was a dark dismal smelly interior amply large enough but IU III ventilated and inexpressibly dirty I 1 must have hava been lying unconscious for several hours I 1 rested back feeling of the numerous bruises on my body and touching gingerly the dried blood caked on oil my face no very serious damage seemed to have been done although every muscle and tendon appeared to be strained and lacerated clinching my teeth to keep back a a groan I 1 succeeded in sitting upright my head touching the upper deck as I 1 undertook to survey my surroundings about half the bunks seemed to be occupied the figures of the sleeping men barely discernible As I 1 sat there staring about at this scene there was it a stir within the upper berth on my own level and an uplifted face appeared suddenly in the yellow flare ot of light it was manifestly an english face at first glance rosy ot of cheek check with chestnut beard A pair of humorous gray eyes surveyed me silently and then apparently apparent aly satisfied by the he scrutiny the owner sat up i la in the bunk revealing P powerful shoulders and a round bull neck allo alloy mate he said pleasantly en endeavoring eavor Illg to speak low the effort resembling the growl of a bear how do you feel pretty sore e ache from head to toot foot I 1 answered immediately feeling his friendliness but no harm done 1 I saw part of it the damn black brute kicked savagely enough but at that youre lucky its the spanish stile to use usa a knife ive seen that coc cock k slash a man into ribbons for nothing at all 1111 just to show he was had bad haines tells me your name Is s gates cates and that you are english right I 1 shipped first out of bristol so did 1 I mate twenty years ago though and I 1 never went back since my name Is tom IV batkins catkins ca atkins lets shake there is quite a sprinkling of us brit ashers aboard and we e ought to hang bang together he put out a big ha hairy try fist and I 1 gripped it heartily decidedly liking the man as ills his eyes frankly met mine lie he appeared honest and square a fine type of tile the english seaman tom watkins you said may I 1 ask if you were out on the b bowsprit bow ow sprit along with haines last night just afore the longboat come yes we were there well I 1 was down below hanging to the cable and overheard you two talking together somehow watkins you do not seem to me ime to fit in exactly with tills gang of pirates you dont look to be that sort how long have you been with them carlyle gets further attention fro from the brutal estada but in a different form what may it j portend does it offer hope of final escape or further danger to carlyle and dorothy TO BB CONTINUED |