.".
-V.
30
THE SUNDAT OREGONIAN. PORTLAOT), APRIL 15, 1900.
TZXSIE oftfe WINDS
By S.1l,C1lpCK7T
Ktlurei by C.A.JHIPLMY
Synopsis of Previous Chapters.
BIr James Stansfleld. of New Mllns. In com
pany with his grandson, young Philip, meet In
an lnnhouae hla eon Philip and hla son's para
monr. Janet Mark. They quarrel. Sir James
roes home, taking his grandson. That night be
la murdered by hla dissolute son and Janet
Mark. They lay his body outside on an lcs
floe, in the effort to lay the crime to omera.
But the boy Philip has wlcnessed the crime. He
tella hla grandfather's chief tenant, Umphray
Spurway, who succeeds In having the real mur
derers brought to Justice. Philip Is sentenced
to be hanged, and his woman accomplice to be
transported. Mysteriously he escapes the sal
lows, seeks out his wife, finds her In the com
pany of Spurway, and tries to murder her, but
does not quite succeed. She Is taken away to
Abercalrn for cure, leaving her son In charge
of Spurway and with little Anna Mark, who
teaches him that In some ways girls are worth
Quite as much as boss. Still, they are excel
lent friends, even though ehe beats him at her
studies In the school to which they go. John
Stansfleld. Philip's lawyer-uncle, brings In
new teacher. Dominie Rlngrose, a small man.
with wonderful eyes. Shortly after his coming
the countnslde is shocked and thrilled by a
number cf bloody and mysterious murders, evi
dently for the sake of robbery. Business call
Umphray Spurway from home. In his absence
a, big packing case, purporting to be full of Sine
Spanish wool. Is delivered, to Will Bowman.
Umphray"a clerk, who puts It In the weaving
shed. That night Philip, playlrg about It, sees
shining through the gauze a pair of eyes. He
calls Will Bowman, who counts three, then
stabs the case with a. small sword. Bloud
flows. They open the case, and And Dominie
dUngrose Inside, apparently dead. Shortly after
the house Is attacked by robbers, whom Rlng
rose had meant to let In. They are beaten oft;
but afterwards Philip's mother refuses to let
blm spend the .holidays at New Mllns. Return
ing from a day's visit to New Mllns. Philip
falls In with Saul Mark. Anna's gypsy father,
who, under pretense of showing him Sir Harry
Morgan's treasure, makes him a. prisoner.
Anna, finds out his plight, and leads Spurway
on hla track. By the help of his silent partner.
Provost Gregory Partan. Saul Mark, super
cargo of the ship Corramantee. Imprisons both
Anna and Spurway, robbing Spurway of much
money and a portrait of Philip's mother. Philip
the elder goes out In Spurways cloak to his
wife's house, and by threats Induces her
aboard the Corramantee: Anna and Philip
make friends with Eborra. He snows them the
secrets of the Island, and where Sir Harry
Morgan's treasure Is, guarded by Fer-de-lance
and his hosts. Eborra has scented a boat. In
which he plans to escape with Anna. Philip,
Mrs. St&nsneld and his mother; also Will
lawman, who Is In the clutches of the pirate.
The pirates soil away with two or three ships.
The boat starts, encounters other pirates, but
Is towed safely away by a monster devil
fish. The boat reaches Puerto Rico In safety.
and Its Inmates approach a convent seeking
help. The convent takes in the women. The
men go into a chain gang, it is making a road
for the pleasure of the goernor"s wife. She
chances to pass along, and Will Bowman and
Philip dlKxner her to be Janet Mark, little
Anna's mother. Janet Mark, now the lady
Juanlta Silveda. stands friend to her country
men, but they soon And It is a perilous favor.
Notwithstanding Janet grows violently Jealous"
when little Anna somewhat takes the Gover
nor's eye. She Is about to kill the girl, when
Philip tells her the truth that Anna Is her
own daughter. Another boat comes ashore at
Puerto Rico. It holds Saul Mark and Philip
Stansfleld. who have been beaten In the en
counter with hostile pirates. Saul recognizes
his wire. He and Stansfleld rerruade the Gov
ernor to fit out a ship, promising to return to
the Isle and bring back the Morgan's treasure.
He plans to make Philip bring It from the
burning lake. The vessel sails with Philip and
Will Bowman aboard, and Anna, jwho la dis
guised. The expedition reaches the Islands,
and they find the volcano active, and Morgan's
treasure forever lost.
Copyright. IK'S, under the name of "Little
Anna Mark." by S. IS. Crockett.)
(Copyright. ieS9. by S. II. Crockett.)
t
CHAPTER XLVIII-(ContInued.)
That which fronted us no-- was no cas
tellated wall of black basalt. The dry,
black eand had grown hot under foot and
crumbling- slopes of Ioooe. gray ash sloped
steeply up to a hilltop which snorted
and roared above us. Subterraneous rum
bUngs made our hearts quiver within,
and the red light we had seen sprang up
ward and anon sank low. We were now
near enough to eee that this was not
fire, but, as we cay In Scotland, the 'skar
row" or reflection of the fiery heart of
the mountain thrown upward on the great
hooded column of smoke, shaped like
Kpa-lm tree or lons-stalkcd mushroom that
towered above all Into the &y.
The dawn was now coming fast, and
the column of smoke or steam changed
Its aspect every moment, now growing
pink like a roselcaf and anon Hashing
Into whiteness, as, rising out of the sea,
the sun smote its upper part long be
fore It reached us where we stood among
the black and blasted growths on the edge
of the forest.
Eborra came close to us as we stood
gazing upward. It was the first time I
had ever seen him really unfile, for I do
not count the grimacing of Yellow Jack.
He pointed toward the mountain we conid
see breaking through the Jungle before
"Harry Morgan has come himself for his
treasure." he said, "and has brought his
master along with him! They are both
very glad to see Master SauL"
And, Indeed, there was something emi
nently devilish in the smoking, coughing,
spitting, roaring monster before us. I
looked across to where Saul Mark stood
shading his eyes with his bands and
watching the raging Are mountain where
he had expected the quiet lake of pitch
It must have been a. terrible disappoint
ment to him. Yet of that he showed noth
ing. "Forward!" he cried, pointing upward
to the cone of ashes. And first of all
the expedition he started up the wingward
side of the fiery mountain.
"Bring these lads along!" he cried to
our guards, thinking of us even In that
moment of disillusionment
And so. bent double by the slope of the
mountain, and slipping among the loose
clinkers of the lava streams, we mounted
as best we could after him. Anna came
llghtfoot with us. often running a little
before and giving us a hand when other
wise the weight cf our chains would have
brought us to a standstill.
It was very near now. The fiery fur
nace In which Saul Mark designed that
wc should walk. But there was in my
heart none of the confidence of the three
youths In the book of Daniel and that
In spite of both Eborra and Captain Stans
field. Suddenly, as wc mounted the cone, the
black ashes changed to crystals of sul
phur yellow and brown, glistening like
the stones which come from off the moun
tain colled Cairngorm. Wide black rifts
end holes. their sides feathered in bright
est red and yellow. led down Into the heart
of the mount These continually belched
up burning steam and choking odors,
which blew in our faces like the breath of
demons. If this was Obeah. as Eborra-
said. I wished that Obeah had been sosae-
what sweeter of throat, for the hot reek
blasting In nVface turned me sick and
faint, and I swayed upon "Will as- I stood.
At last we came out upon the unstable
summit It had a lip narrow, crumbling
and dangerous. There was, however, a
wind here which blew most of the smoke
away from us, so that the placo was
more favorable than upon the breathless
slopes beneath. ,
I looked over Into the crater, setting my
breast to the edge and holding Anna's
hand as I did so. My guard would on n
account approach nearer, but stood at the
limit of the chain, sinking his halbert
deep In the ash for a holding post, and
indeed I do not blame him, for the Bights
and sounds were heart-shaking enough.
This is what I saw.
Immediately beneath me and so abrupt
ly so that one could toss a stone to the
bottom, was a lake (as It seemed), no
longer of pitch sluggishly turning over In
Its sleep, but of fire bubbling merrily. Ilka
a great broth pot From this Jets of
steam hissed" furiously upward. Blocks
of glowing rock spat out viciously, and
when a loose stone or bowlder fell from
the precipices above Into the caldron It
was Instantly dispersed, often exploding
with a loud report like a bombshell and
casting the fragments high over our heads
as we lay and watched. I have listened
to pleasanter music than the sound of
these black Jags of rock as they snored
past us, booming upward like drone
beetles In the summer gloaming.
Saul Marks stood near us. I could see
him biting his Up and clenching his hands
as he looked down. But even then and In
this place he seemed to know no fear
Don Nicholas and one or two of the
bolder spirits among the Spaniards had
mounted after us. and we stood all close
together on the highest part of the crater
Up. In every other direction the deadly
vapors prevented closer access, and
though the stones fell about us like sum
mer rain, they were mostly small and did
us no great hurt
"What of Morgan's treasure now?" said
my father, looking at Saul Mark with a
kind of grim pleasure on his dark face
In a lull of the noise.
The -man's features were Instantly con
torted with an access of devilish fury.
"Morgan's treasure Is. gone," he cried;
"but I tell you there is another over
yonder (he pointed to the direction of the
pirate village)- greater doubtless than
Morgan's."
"We might have gone thither at once,
then." answered Captain Stansfleld: "it
was a waste of time to bring us here with
so great ceremony, all to see this devil's
caldron boll."
I could plainly discern that for some
reason of his own my father was try
ing to irritate Saul Mark. And If such
were his intent It Is certain that he suc
ceeded. Saul turned upon him with a
fierce action of the head.
"I will show you. Philip Stansfield.
whether I have brought you here only
to see a pot boil. Cast off these chains!"
he cried to the soldiers. "Now couple
the lads together. They are traitors and
villains. Their black slave bind also with
them. He has deceived us. Fling them
all three Into the fire!"
The Midlers, obeying a sign from the
Commandante. who stood lowering darkly
behind Saul, began to do as thev were
bidden. And then in spite of comforting
and promises. I thought that our hour
was truly come. Anna sprang toward her
er running so carelessly along the
perilous edge and among the rotten sul
phur crusts till my very bowels were
turned to water to look at her. She
caught Saul Mark by the hand and be
sought him to spare us. He threw the
Bin on wim eucn violence that she had
almost fallen and would. I think, have
done so If the Commandante had not
reached a hand and caught her by the
fringes of her hunting dress.
"Let alone!" he cried to Saul, "You
take too much upon you! Do aa you
will with the young heretics, but do not
Saul moved his hand with a command
ing gesture, without answering the Com
mandante. The soldiers set us three close
together, coupled at waist and wrist, on
a ledge overlooking the fiery furnace be
neath. There was a moment's pause as
they brought Eborra from below.
"Now," cried Saul, as with a leer of
triumph, he turned to Captain Stansfield,
"I have kept my word. My work is near
ly completed. On the day you wronged
Saul Mark he promised that he would
drag you down to the pit and blot out
your name and seed from the earth. Be
hold the fire heated seven Umes for your
first-born! See how it leaps up. It Is a
quick and easy death. Hold back the girl
there! Make ready. Fling thtm In!"
I could feel the soldiers at my arms and
back breathing deeply and retracting their
muscles a little as men do who are about
to make a mighty effort I. too, firmed
mine, that I might not cry out with sheer
terror. I saw Will Bowman holding back
with his feot stiffened against the black
cauldron Up.
suddenly Philip Stansfield. who had been
(Standing quietly a little beyend Saul Mark,
. fprar.K at mm ana caugnt his enemy In
his arms.
The man with the earrings struggled
fiercely, but the grasp was too strong
Captain Stansfield pushed him steadily
forward till they stood among the last
crumbling embers that slip away from
them into the burning pit
"Tell Mary that It is for her sake!"
cried my father, and leaped out Into the
abyss, carrying Saul Mark with him. A
gust of fiery heat shot upward. A Jet
of dense blue vapor shut them from sight
ere they reached the bottom. Its poison
ous fumes struck us full in the face and
sent us reeling, as if stricken by a mighty
invisible hand. Fire seemed to rise out of
the crater, out of every rift and crevlco
and blowhole. The mountain heaved. At
this the soldiers turned and fled, leaving
the. three of us on the crest Anna came
to us bareheaded and pale of face, even
in that furnace glare. Then we stood a
moment with clasped hands and gazed
after the two men whose deeds had
changed and marred so many lives. But
we saw them no more. Only the flames
leaped up and danced merrily beneath in
the pit of hell.
Silently we turned away and went down
again, with no gladness in our hearts.
For we knew not yet what should befall
us. At the foot Eborra spoke for the first
time. "Behold," he eald, "they will be
much afraid. I told the black men that
a. Judgment would befall, and that all
should perish who dared to threaten a
hair of your heads! It has come to pass!"
CHAPTER XLDC
Hansred la Chains.
And so Indeed it proved. We found an
the Spaniards anxious for a speedy re
treat The blacks whom Eborra had ter
rified were clamorous for It "d the oth
ers shared their alarm. But the Com
nmndante. being a brave and determined
man, stood out alone. He refused to re-
turn to Puerto Klco without something to
show for his expedition.
"What!" he said, "because two prison
ers cast themselves into hell before their
time, shall we that are soldiers of the
King of Spain slink oft like whipped curs,
and leave thousands of gold pieces within
a few miles of us. We are on the Isle
of tho Winds. The pirates are few In
number most of them probably away on
their expeditions. We will take them at
unawares, root out the murderous nest
capture their treasure and obtain great
praise and reward from King Ferdinand.
But first we shall indeed go back to the
shore, in order that we may rest and
find .out by means of scouts the way to
the village, and the dispositions of the
robbers there."
"Let one of your men go with me,"
said Eborra. "to witness that I do not
lie. We will spy out the buccaneers, and
bring back word within U hours!"
The Commandante conferred apart with
the Grand Inquisitor, and presently
Eborra was sent off with one other in
whom they had confidence, an expert
woodman who had formerly served with
Captain Key on another Island.
So upon the edge of the sea, at a
place where there is a pleasant sandy bay
we were set down to wait Our chains
were taken off, and one more kind than
the rest gave us a salve and lint for our
chafed skin and ankles and where the
weight of the belt dragged heaviest above
our thigh bones. Anna made broth .for
all In the cauldron, and in this fairly
good case we waited Eborra's return. It
was curious that all rejoiced creatlr that
Saul Mark was dead, which may appear
strange when one of us was a daughter,
and a -maid of tender heart like Anna.
But after so many trials and so much
evil, both threatened and accomplished
by this man, there were no ties of affec
tion possible between them. And when
Anna brought us broth in tho iron lid of
the pot, before beginning to eat we alt
clasped hands and said, "God bo
thanked!"
But in this we thought chiefly we spoke
of Saul Mark. For of my father, who
had striven to do one great deed at least
to wipe away so much evil, I .at least
could not think save with gratitude. And
I wondered greatly what my mother
would say when we told her.
Now, though both the Commandanto
and the Grand Inquisitor had been sorely
disappointed In the matter of Morgan's
treasure, yet I could gather, as they stood
consulting together, that they were not
altogether Ill-satisfied with the turn af
fairs had taken. For though at the first
Saul Mark had been taken up by the
priests and afterward supported by Don
Nicholas, I Judge that neither of them
was unwilling to bo rid of so dangerous
a man and one who threatened to sup
plant them In authority.
Wo lay all this day on the sea edge
among green bushea and under tho shade
of wild cotton trees. Immediately be
neath us the land crabs were rising mys
teriously from the midst of the white
coral sand, trundling hither and thither,
and. as it were, shaking themselves free
of the dust of their holes. We could hear
their great claws clicking together like
tailors' scissors as they scuttled in and
out their warrens. The smaller wcra
green In color, but the big warty seniors
were as gray and bloodthirsty of aspect
as If they had been formed out of the
rock Itself.
Beneath these again anneared tho
fringe of white surf, the deep indigo blue
reefs sunk An the azure of the Caribbean i
SM. With tin mn hnn nn (a .1. -Am '
sea, with the sun beginning to sink com-
lortaDiy in tne west
Anna went to and fro among us deal
ing out what provender had been landed
from the ship. Several of the negro over
seers accompanied her, and at the back
against a wall of rock a fire was lighted,
the smoke of which dispersed itself among
the tangled mass of creepers hanging
down from the cliff.
And so quickly do men In theso out
landish places reconcile themselves to
death and change that If It were not
SHE THREW BACK HER TE3I.
WTO and I who ourselves had been, de
livered from death. I do not think that
any of those who waited the going down
of the sun so much as thought of the
two men who an hour ago had gone whirl
ing Into that fiery gehenna locked in each
other's arms.
The Commandante and the Grand In
quisitor talked together, summoning first
this one and then that to assist them, by
hla counsel. About an hour before sunset
na couaseu aooui axi nour oeiore sunset
Eborra. returned with his companion.
4ucj w.wwe. .. a.o.0 wa cj a t ice assault. Anna odu x waiteo. nana m
pirates were to be seen, and that the J hand. Will Bowman opened his mouth
village appeared to be deserted. I Judged, and Inclined his ear Into the darkness. A
however, that Eborra, who knew every gun went off below us, sharp as a signal
foot of the Jungle, had not permitted the then the clear notes of a bugle. The
man to see more than he wished. There Commandante shouted a loud order In
were three ships In the harbor, but each t Spanish. There was a lively rush through
of them appeared to be manned only by -the underwood. Crack! crack! crock!
a J5R" watch. j The guns were going now with a venge-
Wlll and I were exceedingly anxious to anr
get speech with Eborra after his return.
but the latter kept carefully away from
us, busying himself about the fire un-
cer the cliff where Anna was cooking.
The Grand Inquisitor watched him with
his small, twinkling eyes, and the half
caste never so much as looked in our di
rection. Presently, however, Anna came
over to us with some strips of boiled beef
laid' upon platters of palm leaf, very fresh
and tender.
"Eborra bids us keep well In tho rear,"
he said smiling and pointing to the strips
of beef as if asking how we liked them,
"then at the first sound of shot we are to
drop off and lie close among the under
brush until he Jotns"ua!"
Will and I each shot a question at her.
but she only laughed merrily and nodded
her head again as she tripped back again
to the fire, making believe all the way
that we were greedy 'fellows who were not
content with what wo had gotten, but
wished for double rations.
Half an hour after sundown It was
dark, and we started up the side of a
creek full of rich, fat mud. From this
the miasma rose palpably, the mosqui
toes hummed and pinged In cloud-banks
like those about Newfoundland. "Zzzzzzz
eek!" was what they said. And when
they came to "eek-" pronounced with a
little upward twirl of their really re
markable voices. In went the poisoned
stiletto, and we smote the part with
cheerful alacrity without waiting for fur
ther information. Most of us also of
fered remarks In our several vernaculars,
but these I need not write down here.
As we marched. I desired to assist An
na as best I might but she preferred to
persevere In her own way, only taking
my hand when the ditch or swamp hap
pened to be too wide for her to leap.
the 3iax wrrn the earrings struggled fiercely.
Thus the whole expedition followed Ebor-
ra through a kind of parklike savannah
country. He was making a long detour
In order to avoid the volcano which we
could still see flickering beyond the high
woods. But the light was not clear and
wide like autumnal sheet lightning, as It
had been the, night before. The bluish
swamp fog which came up from the
creeks spread sideways till It was as
much as we could do to see the men in
front of us. It would have been easy
enough to have "dropped off" here and
none the wiser. But the prospect of hid-
lng all night on rotting leaves in an at-
mosphere of pure fever was not Inviting
enough. We resolved to wait, according
to the half-caste s Instructions, till the
guns began to go.
The fireflies continually Jetted across
us, flying almost Into our eyes and van
ishing again Into the pall of mist
"I wonder If they know their way or
where they are going?" I whispered. For
I was ever prone to notice trifles at the
wrong times when my thoughts ought to
have been upon more serious matters.
rnru -- -.In ml. n.l- T1-I11
whose legs were palnlng'hlm. where one
. ... ... T . . . .
or two 01 me pnexjes nau nroxen on in
the flesh.
"The fireflies!" said I. But Will did not
show any Interest He was sore and mis
erable and felt the beginnings of a ten
dency to shiver. He muttered a wish
with regard Xr the flreflles which consort
I ed 111 with his recent confession of Church
of England baptism.
"I would be content to know where we
are going!" he added sharply.
About an hour after this, the word was
passed along the ranks that now we must
AJTD WHITE FOREHEAD BAXD, AJfD
be ready to fall on at any moment
Eborra had reported that the pirate vil
lage was near. We could hear a restless
cock crowing every few minutes, and
more than once there came & whiff as If
hot wood ashes and the unchllled hearths
of man.
On the bock of this ensued so long &
pause that it seemed to have no end. I
could hear In the stillness the toads croak-
lng. and nearer at hand the whisper of
ing. and nearer at hand the whisper of
the Commandante arranging his men for
"Into the brush with you quick!" said
J Eborra. hurrylcr us away to the left
"We stumbled over gourds, pricked otar-
selves on the bush called flgs-of-the-Bioor,
stumbled against fruit trees which sent
heavy globes down forthwith to break
our heads. Then after a breathing run
of a quarter of an hour, having left the
attack of the Spaniards well away to the
right, we crouched on some open ground
at the foot of a clump of tall trees. The
rattle of musketry beneath us grew al
most continuous. We could hear the
Spaniards going bravely at It their bigs
screaming shout rising and falling. But
what was that which answered? Not the
wild pirate yell! It was no, it could not
be yet surely it was a cheer the mouth
filling, heart-stirring cry which men of
English speech make all over the world
when they fight for the mastery.
The moon had risen and the mist grown
luminous about us. Suddenly Anna
clutched me and I felt swift fear run
courslnglr through her.
"What Is that Philip Oh, what art
these?"
She pointed above our heads. The
moon shone a little clearer. We had
stopped under a great row of tall forest
trees, which stretched their branches stiff
ly at right angles. There were so many
that the line disappeared into the mist on
either hand. Many of the limbs shone
gaunt and white, like the arms of skele
tons fantastically disposed. But that was
not the terror which caused Anna to
grasp me by the arm.
From every naked bough a dead man
dangled, stiff and still, turning only slow
ly, some of them, as the rope twisted and
untwisted.
i We sat still, frozen cold. There was one
I almost directly over our heads. Look-
J lng up, I could see that he was hung In
chains, the scarce-dimmed metal glinting
In the cold gray of the mlst-choken moon.
Then we heard Eborra laugh. In such
a place It was a sound to chill the blood.
"For heaven's sake speak Eborra, who
are these?" I hardly knew my own
voice as I spoke.
Light as a blown leaf. Eborra danced
a quickstep and clapped his hands.
"Pirates buccaneers! Cantaln Ker nnd
his men!" he cried. "The English sailors
have hanged them. There are three ships
I of war In the bay. Now the Spaniards find
r much rare treasure. Harken! There they
l go. Eborra warn the English Captain,
. Plmlcnto red pepper In the pod, the
, Spaniards will get tonight No more
chains no more slave gangs! The English
have taken the Isle of the Winds. We
Just wait here a little till the botheration
past Then we will go down! Ho, Cap
tain Key and your bloody pirates now
you swing by the neck! Hitch farther
along! Leave plenty room for Don Nich
olas and the little black priest!"
And again Eborra danced his weird
dance in the feeble light of the moon, as
the crackling of firearms thinned out and
the hurrahs grew louder beneath us.
"Now we go down but Eborra first to
make all safe!"
The half-caste left us down by the east.
ern shore, where the liberty men used to
take their walks.
It was almost day
. ureas, inougn as yet mere was no sign
I passed and the moon was eclipsed by the
j high trees we had left behind us.
j Over the reef passages we could see
' the mist beginning to break, and whirl
away In rolling cloudlets, as peat reek
FELL WEEPIXQ WTO HIS ARMS.
does from & low chimney on & windy
day. The "wings of sea mews glanced
white as they swept low over us. screaming-
shrilly for the coming of the morn
ing. We waited long. Will was mutter
ing to himself. I could not tell what
Anna and I kept very close together.
Suddenly we heard Eborra's whistle. I
answered him. The half-caste bounded
Joyously toward us. Soon we could dls-
cere him plainly, a Uthe. black figure
against the white coral sand. Behind hla
strode a tall, stout man. cloaked and
hatted from head to foot Something
familiar struck me. something- which sent
my heart into my mouth. But Anns, sud
denly dropped my hand and sprang for
ward. With a sharp, breaking cry she
flung herself into the tall man's arms.
I saw his gray beard drop upon the girl's
head.
The mist whirled away. There was a
vmntit S t. .. t .&
"Umohrar Enurwwrr' cried VDl Bowi
u and I with one voioe. And Umph
ray Spurway It was.
CHAPTER L.
Tfce Witch's Death Boas;.
"Ten the dogs that if so much as &
hah- of her head be touched I will twist
his wizened popish neck. Higher than
Hainan-will I hsjpg htm and all his slave
driving, torturing crew! Tall him that!"
It is not necessary to say that the words
were those of Umphray Spurway.
The great Torkshlreman was never care
ful of his speech. As soon as he heard
where my mother was, he proceeded to
the storeroom In which the prisoners
were confined with a strong guard of sail
ors and marines over them. Don Nicholas
was there, also, wounded in the shoulder.
but bearing his misfortunes with the phi
losophy of a man and the courage of a
Spanish gentleman.
But the Interpreter was not needed. The
little Inquisitor answered for himself In
his quaint creaky English. r
"Sir," he said, "the lady Is better than
well. All day she sings with Sister Aga
tha. Every night she prays. Every morn
ing she confesses."
"I shall soon stop all that nonsense.
Poor Mary, that rhe should be turned Into
a Papist at the last I will have her on
board the ship In half an hour."
"Impossible," chirruped the Father In
quisitor, "the lady has cast aside this
world, renounced Its vanities. She Is now
a sister of the Convent of St Mary of
Brozas. She has taken the solemn vows!
I myself laid them upon her."
"Then, by the head of Cromwell, you
yourself will take the vows off. or I shall
take your head from off your shoulders
and level to the ground the Convent of St
Mary of Brozas. I swear It by"
But he did not finish. The little Jesuit
held up his hands.
"The vow Is not final It shall be as the
sister wills. She has not yet taken the
black velL"
"White veil or black veil, or green veil,
or red veil." cried Umphray, "It shall be
as I will, and that right speedily!"
While we sailed for the Island of Puerto
Rico, Umphray told us all that had passed
since we were carried off. and I had left
him standing over his own open grave In
the limekiln of Provost Partan. He told
how by favor of the King's Advocate he
had gotten letters of introduction to the
Governors of Jamaica and Barbadoes,
commanding them to put at hlB disposition
all His Majesty's available sea forces
within their jurisdiction. Armed with
this he hurried to Abercalrn. where he
had put Into commission the best and
soundest fighting brig that ever cleared
from anr Scottish anchorage. Here he had
armed under letters of marque, and put
a notable crew aboard, all the most dar
ing blades of half a dozen ports. He told
us how long he had searched before he
discovered the whereabouts of the buc
caneer's city of refuge, from one of a
former crew, married in Barbadoes and
settled down to respectability upon his
gains. Then he proceeded to recount how
he and the commanders of His Majesty's
two vessels had arrived too late to capture
their prey, but Just In time to take Cap
tain Key and his desperadoes after a stiff
fight The captain and the ringleaders
had been promptly hanged for a hundred
enormities, even as Saul Mark and Philip
Stansfield would have been and that In
spite of Captain Key's quasl-commlsston
from the Governor of the New England
plantations. They were just about to burn
the place and depart when Eborra was
brought in with his strange message. The
rest we knew.
As to those who had been left behind
in Scotland. Umphray Spurway had no
very recent news. My poor grandmother
was dead and my Uncle John In full pos
session of all the properties. That was
all he could tell me.
''But we will flit him." said Umphray,
"and that as soon as we get your mother
out of the clutches of those gentry!"
He Indicated the poop where the Grand
Inquisitor and Don Nicholas were walking
up and down In grave converse.
It Is not necessary that I should write
down the tale of the sack of Puerto Rico
by the English. It is written In all the
histories of these parts. as well as by Jlr.
Champlatn. the Frenchman. In his very
entertaining travels. Besides, there are
things that it Is not very pleasant to re
member as being done by men of our
Nation. Yet though an Immense booty was
taken, there was no brutality to women
and little vlndlctlvenefs, save to the more
cruel of the slavedrlvers. whom the ma
rines and sailor men chivvied all over the
Island as hares are coursed on the holms
of Moreham. And they received as little
mercy as poor puss when caught
As soon as the capture of the castle and
town was assured (and they were carried
at one charge, aa it were by mere wind
of tho assailants attack) Umphray and a
strong party hastened toward the Mon
astery of St John, and the Convent of St
Mary of Brozas. At the first breath of
the assault upon the town many of the
blacks and mulattoes, thinking that the
pirates had come and that a period of
universal rapine would begin, made an
assault upon the nunnery. They hod even
liberated some of the worst of the chain
gang, brutal ruffians sentenced for crimes
done on the Islands, not heretics from old
Spain like Jean Carrel, of Carcassonne,
and his brethren.
The nuns had barricaded themselves In
their chapel, and when we arrived the ruf
fians were engaged In smoking them out
like bees. We could hear their loud shout
ings, and see the reek beginning to swirl
up from the gates and door against which
the faggots were piled.
"Now. let them have It ladst" cried
Umphray to his men. and the Scottish
muskets went off In a volley. The blacks
and convicts ran like caged rats, and
were shot down as they fled or bayonet-
ted as they crouched In corners. Then we
called out that the doors be opened, but
the crying of the servitors and the chant
ing of the Sisters for a. time prevented
them from hearing us.
Meanwhile, however. In spite of our
scattering It outside, the fire was gaining
rapidly, and there was no time to lose.
So Umphray Spurway and his ship's cap
tain slung a mahogany pole for a batter
ing ram and forthwith drove In the doors.
We streamed In, and Anna, who knew
the place. led us at once to the chapel. I
shall never forget tho sight which greeted
us when she threw open the doors the
whole Interior Ut as for a high festival,
the sliver lamps a-swing la the choir,
the tall candles shining down on the gold
and tinsel of the decorations. And on the
floor we saw as It were a crowd of dark
forms, the sisters, rank on rank, all kneel
ing, with clasped hands, their crucifixes
upheld as if to withstand In the name of
the Most Merciful the inroads of the brut
al mob.
In the very midst I discerned my moth
er. She was kneeling beside Sister Aga
tha. She wore the dress of a neophyte of
the order. She did not see either Anna
or myself. But when the Yorkshireman's
great figure, crowned with his steeple
hat. filled up the doorway, ehe rose to
her feet with a sudden glad cry.
"Umphray Umphray." she cried, "he
has come! We axe saved. God has sent
me Umphray Spurway, even as I knew
he would!"
And with her old quick impulsiveness
she let beads, crucifix and psalter drop
clattering upon the floor. She threw back
her veil and 'white forehead band and
fell weeping Into his arms.
"Ton have been so long. Umphray
so very long." she moaned, without lilting
her forehead from his breast
"I like this better than being a nun."
said my mother, some days after, when
we- were once more on board tbe ship,
and we an stood about her. Umphray
had gone below to find a plaid to wrap
about her. for the wind of the Atlantic
was shrewd from the north.
"Nor do I think that Win Locy could
have been a very good Catholic, she
continued, "for he used to row over to
see -my father as often as aver a priest
cam to say. mass. Besides, it la beat.
to stick to the religion one Is bora and
brought up In!"
We were an happily on board the Mary,
as Umphray had called his vessel that
Is. all save Eborra and Janet Mark. The
latter welcomed her commandante back
with happiness in her eyes, scarcely
dimmed by the fact that his majesty's
marines had made firewood of the red
and gold coach. Tho news of Saul Mark's
death (and perhaps also that of my
father) had made a new woman of her.
From this tlmo forth she went no mors
In fear of the mouse In the wainscot.
And Don Nicholas, re-established In hU
Governorship with little loss, save of th-j
household gear that had been stolen.
Kissea wun more man nis ancient affec
tion the plump hand of Donna Juanlta
Silveda.
The Grand Inquisitor was shipped back
to Spain by the San Esteban. which,
having been left on the opposite side of
the Isle of the Winds, escaped capture,
and came to Puerto Rico three days after
the English had taken ship again. Her
Majesty's vessels, however, broke Tip the
chain gangs and gave all a free passage
to Jamaica or New England, where they
were to be permitted to settle. Jean
Carrel, however, elected to return with
Umphray Spurway, having a desire to
learn the English and Scottish weaving.
And so he came on board with us. Im
proving dally, with the sea breezes and
the steam Scots' diet or oatmeal three
times a day.
It was our one unhapplnes3 to leave
Eborra behind us. Wo would have given
much to have brought him with us. Um
phray offered him a livelihood If he
would return. But at the thought of a
new country and settled habits he de
clined. "Eborra wIU die out of tho woods!"
he said, smiling. "He will go back to
the Isle of the Winds and keep guard over
Morgan's treasure."
So, since no better might be, Umphray
gave him muskets and ammunition, to
gether with a half-decked boat, which
he bought for htm In Puerto Rico. He
would tako no money, but we loaded bis
little ship with ell that makes wealth
In these parts. Before he bade us good
bye. he told us that'hls mother was dead.
Sho died tho same night Philip Stans
field had leaped Into the fiery abyss with
Saul Mark In his arms. She had stood
upon a point of rock near the castle nil
the evening, muttering Incantations anil
stretching her hands out toward the sea.
till some of the guard had threatened to
shoot her for a witch. But soon after
midnight she had broken Into a song,
singing In a glad, strong voice, like that
of a young woman. No white man knew
the meaning of that song, but down in
the negro quarters the blacks crouched
and sweated with fear In the darkness.
"That Is the death song!" they whis
pered. "Obeah surely comes now to
claim his own!"
And from the sea horizon toward tho
Isle of the Winds there came a sound
of a mighty thundering.
In the morning the sentinel looked,
and lo! there upon the rock lay the witch
woman, dead, prone on her face, even as
she had fallen, her skinny arms and
clenched hands stretched out toward tbe
place of her desire.
CHAPTER LT. ""
Tutor at Larr.
It was night when wo arrived In ths
town of Abercalrn. The Mary cast an
chor, by a curious chance, almost in tha
same place from which the Corraman
tee had set soil. It seemed most marvel
ously strange to sit on deck In the ear
liest morning and sea the glimmer ot
tho little whitewashed row of houses
about tho quay, and then, as the dawn
came on, to listen to the cocks beslnnlr.5
to crow In the scattered landward farm
towns.
In the morning I was to go to claim
my Inheritance without delay. Will Bow
man and Umphray Spurway accompany
ing me. Anna and my mother were to
remain on board till we made things
ready for them at the Mlln House, or if
my adventure with my uncle should fall
out well, at the Great house ot New
Mllns. when we landed, there was 1
prodigious gathering of folk on the quay
to meet us, and foremost among thess
who stood there was Provost Gregory
Partan.
"Oh. lads, lads," he cried, ere we got
up the steps, "saw ye ocht o my bonny
ship, the Corramantee that I In mine
Innocence delivered Into the hands ot
wicked and designing men?"
lie cried tho words down to us be
fore we had time to grasp a hand or
answer any of the warm greetings which
were showered upon us.
"The Corramantee was a common rl
rate, sir." said Umphray, sternly, "and
tho men you put In charge ot her were
Here he Btopped, as if not willing to
say anything against tho dead or per
haps because ha thought of Anna and
me.
"Oh. sirce me. dlnna say that they
turned out blackguards tho like was
never kenned! And sae muckle o" my
guld gear In their handlin. Is there nocht
saved nocht ava o' a" my adventurer
"Stand out of my way. Provost Par
tan I have nothing to do with you." said
the Englishman, "the deaths of many are
upon your conscience!"
"Na. no. guld Master Spurway, say not
so." cried the Provost In some distress
"I was but as a lamb In the midst oy
wolves. I kenned naethlng o only Ill
doings beyond the seas!"
"Sir." cried Umphray. with decision,
"the blood of those young children en
trapped Into your foul hole of a llme-klln,
sold Into slavery, dead or dying of III
usage and cruelty In cane-brake and plan
tation shall never cease to lie at your
door!"
"No at mine no at mine walled tho
rrovost "tak tent o your words. It
canna be proven that ever I handled a
plack o the price. What kenned I o' ony
nefarious pracltces? But tell me. guM
Malster Spurway. Is there like to be no a
farthln' savtt? Is a tint even unto tho
uttermost? Aweel aweel. gin that be sae,
the Lord's wull bo dune! It is indeed a
blessed thing to hae tho consolation in
yin's heart aye. a. great and solit com
fort!" We three left the Provost to his consola
tion and proceeded on our way. The little
house in the vennel was empty, the key
in the possession of a neighbor who had
had the kindness to keep on fires in tho
Winter season. But we did not bide there.
Much more remained for us to do.
And oh. when we had gotten us horses
and taken the track over the hills. It was
a Joy beyond words to feel the caller air
blow la our faces, to discern the Mlln
House shining afar among Its willows
copses, and to hear the weir singing- and
the mill wheel clattering on as of yore.
The weavers were all at their tasks as It
Umphray had simply stepped out to show
hlspltality tc a customer.
Yet fielther did we tarry her?, great
as our desire was to do so. My uncle
was reported at home. He had spent
much of his time lately at the great
bouse, oftentimes riding all the way from
his law business In Edinburgh.
It was the deep sllonce of noon, a
brooding day sullen with great heat when
I turned down the avenue past the lodge
yett. where I bad so often playeJ. I
could not help looking for the window
through which but I had other matters
to think upon today. WU1 Bowman was
on one side of men. Umphray on the other.
I was surely coming to my own at last
Then came the turn ot the avenue at
which, high above the great beeches.
saw the turrets of the hoare of New
Mllns. AU was la cxceUent order, better.
I think, than In my grandfather's time,
"He will show fight" said Will: "surely
the man wiU never give up all this with
out a struggle!"
"Give It np he shall T Judge him to
be lawyer enough to know that he must.
said Umphray. the corners of his mouth
going grimly down. "Philip, lad. are you
feared to face htm? We will coxae In with,
you if you are!"
Z laughed and shook ray bcao.
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