THE IRON PIRATE
A Plain Tale of Strange
Happenings on the Sea
By MAX PEMBERTON
, CHAPTER II. (Ooatinued.)
"That, Mister Black," he said, putting
a miniature of exquisite finish against
the white fur on the floor, "is a portrait
of the Emperor Napoleon, sometime in
the possession of the Empress Josephine ;
that is a gold chain he was eighteen
carat once the property of Don Carlos;
here is the pen with which Francis Drake
wrote his last letter to the Queen Eliza
bethBeautiful goods as ever was, and
cost moosh money !"
"To the dead with your much money,"
said the Captain with an angry gesture,
as he snatched the trinkets from him, and
eyed tiiem to my vast surprise with the
air of a practiced connoisseur; "let's han
dle the stuff, and don't gibber. How much
for this?" He held up the miniature, and
admiration betrayed itself In his eyes.
"He was painted by Sir William Ross,
end I sell him for two hundred pounds,
my Captain. Not a peny less, or I'm a
ruined man !"
"The Jew a ruined man! Hark at
him ! Four-Eyes" this to a great lanky
fellow who lay asleep in the corner "the
little Jew can't sell 'em under two hun
dred, I reckon ; oh, certainly not ; why,
of course. Here you, Splinters, pay him
for a thick-skinned, thieving shark, and
give him a hundred for the others." ,
The boy Splinters, who was a black lad,
seemingly about 12 years old, came up
1 at the word, and took a great canvas bag
from a hook on the wall. "He counted
three hundred gold pieces on the floor
pieces of all coinages in Europe and
America, as they appeared to be by their
faces, and Hall picked them up.
"Mister Captain," he said, "I shall have
waiting for me at Plymouth to-morrow a
relic of the great John Hawkins, which,
as I'm alive, you shouldn't miss. I have
heard them say that it is the very sword
with which he cut the Spaniards' beards.
Since you have told me that you sail to
morrow, I have thought, if you put me on
your ship across to Plymouth, I could
show you the goods, and you shall have
them cheap beautiful goods, if I lose by
them."
Now, Instead of answering this appeal
as he had done the others, with his great
guffaw and banter, Captain Black turned
upon Hall, and his face lit up with pas
sion. I saw that his eyes gave one fiery
look, while he clenched his fist as though
to strike the man as he sat, but then he
restrained himself.
"You want to come aboard my boat, do
you?" drawled the Captain, as he soft
ened his voice to a fine tone of sarcasm.
'The dealer wants a cheap passage ; so
lo, what do you say, Four-Eyes ; shall we
take the man aboard?" v
Four-Eyes sat up deliberately, and
struck himself on the chest several times
es though to knock the sleep out of him.
He seemed to be a brawny, thick-set Irish
man, gigantic in limb, with a more hon
est countenance than his , fellows. , I
thought him a man of some deliberation,
for he staTed at the Captain and at Hall
before he answered the question put to
him. When he did give reply, it was in
a rich, rolling voice, which would have
given ornament to the veriest common'
place. ,.
"Oi'd take him aboard," he shouted,
leaning back as though he had spoken wis
dom, and then he nodded to the Captain,
and the Captain nodded to hi in.
"We sail at midnight, tide serving,"
Bald the Captain, as ,he picked up the
miniature and the other things ; "you can
come aboard when you like here, boy,
lock these in the ohest.'.'
The boy put out his hand to take the
things, but in his fear or his clumsiness,
he dropped the miniature, and It cracked
upon the floor. As the lad stood quiver
lng and terror-struck, Black turned upon
him, almost foaming at the lips.
"You clumsy young cub, what d'ye
mean by that?" he asked; and then as
the boy fell on his knees to beg for mercy,
casting one pitiful look towards me he
kicked him with his foot, crying:
"Here, give him a dozen with your
strap, one of you."
He had but to say tohe words, when a
colossal brute seized the boy In his grip,
and held his head downward to the table
board, while another stripped his shirt oil
and struck him blow after blow with the
great buckle, so that the flesh was torn,
while the blood trickled upon the floor.
When the lad fainted they gave him a
few kicks with their heavy boots, and he
lay like a log on the floor, until the ruf-
flan named "Roaring John" picked him
up and threw him into the next room. The
Incident was forgotten at once, and Cap
tain Black became quite merry.
Food was put upon the table. It was
rich food, stews, with a profuse display
of oysters, chickens, boiled, ronst, fine
French trifles pasties lees. I wished to
be away from a place whose atmosphere
poisoned me. I whispered this thought to
Hall and he said, "Yes," and rose to go,
but the Captain pulled him back, crying:
"What, little Jew, you wouldn't eat
et other people's cost! Down with it,
man, down wit)h It ; fill your pockets, stuff
1em to the top. Let's see you laugh, old
wizen-face, a great sixty per cent croak
coming from your very boots here, you,
John, give the man who hasn't got any
money some food."
The men were becoming furiously of
fensive. One of them held Hall while the
others forced food down bin throat and
the man "Roaring John" attempted to
pay me a similar compliment, but I struck
his hand, and he drew a knife, turning on
me. The action was foolish, for in a mo
ment a tumult ensued. I heard fierce
cries, the smash of overturned boards
and lights, and remembered no more than
some terrific blows delivered with my left,
a sharp pain in my right shoulder as a
knife went home, the, voice of Hall cry
ing, "Make for the door the- door," and
the great yell of Captain Black above the
others. His word, no doubt, saved us
from greater harm ; for when I had
thougth that my foolhardiness had un
done us, and that we should never leave
the place alive. I found myself in the
street with Hall at my side, he torn and
bleeding as I was, but from a slight
wound only.
That was near ending badly, he said,
looking at the skin-deep cut on my shoulder.
Hall, what does it mean?" I asked.
"Who are these men, and what business
carries you amongst them?"
That you ll learn when you open-the
papers. JJid .you near mm asK me to sail
with him from Dieppe to-morrow.'
"I did, and I believe you're fool enough
to go."
"I must risk that and more, as I have
risked it many a time. Once aboard his
yacht I ' shall have the key which will
unlock six feet of rope for that man."
It was light with the roseate, warm
light of a late summer's dawn as we reach
ed the hotel. Paris slept. I was hungry
for sleep, and too tired to think more of
the strange dream-like scene I had wit
nessed ; but Hall followed me to my bed
room and had yet a word to say.
"Before we part I want to ask you
to do me yet one more service. Your yacht
is at Calais. Will you go aboard this
morning and take her round to Plymouth?
There ask for news of the American s
yacht he has only hired her, and she is
called La France. News of the yacht
will be news of me, and I shall be glad
to think that someone is at my back In
this big risk. If you should not hear of
me, wait a month ; but if you get' definite
proof of my death, break the seal of the
papers you hold and read.
So saying, he left me with a hearty
handshake. Poor fellow, I did not know
then that I should break the seal of his
papers within three days.
CHAPTER III.
The next morning while I was at break
fast a servant, of the hotel entered to
tell me that a man who wished to speak
with me was waiting outside. I said,
"Send the man here," and presently he
entered, when to my Intense surprise I
found him to be no other than one of the
ruffians the 'one called "Four-Eyes," I
had met on the previous evening. He
walked into the room with a seaman's
lurch. His first words were somewhat
unexpected:
"Oi was priest's boy in Tipperary,"
said he, and then he looked round as If
that information should put him on good
terms with us.
"Will you sit down, please?" was my
request as he stood fingering his hat.
"Thanking yer honor, it's meself that
ain't aisy on them land craft. I'll be
standin', sure, an gettin' to the writln'
which is fur yer honor's ear alone as me
instruckthshuns goes.
He gave me a letter, well written on
good paper. I write it here:
"Captain Black presents his compli
meats to Mr. Mark Strong, and hopes
that It will be his privilege to receive
him on his yacht La France, now lying
ove ragainst the American vessel Port
land. In Dieppe harbor, at ll to-night."
Now, that was a curious thing, indeed.
Not only did it appear that my pretense
of being Hall's partner In trade was com-
pletely unmasked by this man, but he had
my name. Whether such knowledge was
eood for me I could not then say; but I
made up my mind to act with cunning
and to shield Hall In so far as was possl
ble.
"Did your master tell you to wait for
anv answer?" I asked suddenly.
"Is It for the likes of me to be advisin'
ver honor? 'Sure,' says he, if the gen
tleman has the molnd to wroite he'll
wroite. If he has the moind to come
aboard, he'll come aboard."'
"Tell your master, with my compli
ments," I said, "that I will come another
Hme I have business In Paris to-day."
He looked at me earnestly, and when
he spoke again his voice had a fatherly
ring. If I make bold, it s yer nonors
forgiveness I ask but, if It was me that
was in Paris I d stay there."
When he was gone, the others, who
had not spoken, turned to me, their eyes
asking for an explanation.
"One of Hall's friends," I said, trying
to look unconcerned, "the mate on the
yacht La France the vessel he joins
to-dnv.
Roderick tapped the table with his fin'
eers: Mary was very white, I thought.
"He knows a queer company," I added,
with a grim attempt at jocularity,
"they're almost es rough as he is."
"Do you still mean to sail to-night?"
asked Roderick.
"I must : I have made a promise to
reach Plymouth without a moment's de
lay."
"Then I sail with yon," said he, being
very wlds-aJUte.
"Oh, but you can't leave Tarls; yon
promised Mary!"
"Yes, and I release him at once," In
terrupted Mary, the color coining and go
lng in her pretty cheeks. "I shall sail
from Calais to-night, with you and Rod
erick." ,
"We mean to come," added Roderick.
"Go and pack your things, Mary ; I have
something to say to Mark."
1 We were alone, he and I, but there was
between us the first shadow that had come
I upon our friendship.
I "Well," said he. "how much am I to
know? I distrust Hall, who seems to me a
perfect madman. He'll drag you Into
some mess, If you'll let him. I suppose
there's no danger yet or you wouldn't lot
Mary come?"
"There can be no risk' now we are go
ing for a three days' cruise In the Chan
nel, that is all."
I went at once to the office of the po
lice, and laid as much of the case before
one of the heads as I thought needful to
my mirpose. He laughed at me ; the yacht
La France was known to lilm as the
property of an eccentric American mill
ionaire, and he could not conceive that
anyone might be in danger aboard her.
As there was no hope from him, I drove
to the embassy, where one of the clerks
heard my whole story ; and while inward
ly laughing at my fears, as I could see,
promised to telegraph to a friend In Ca
lais, and get a message delivered that
might call Hall back to Taris.
I had done all in my power, and I
returned to the hotel, but the others had
left for the station. Thither I followed
them, Instructing a servant to come to me
If any telegram should be sent; and so
reached the train. It was not, however,
until the very moment of our departure
that a messenger raced to our carriage,
and thrust a paper at me; and then I
knew that my warning had come too late.
The paper said :
"La France has sailed, and your friend
with her."
CHAPTER IV.
It was on the morning of the second
day ; the wind playing fickle from east by
south, and the sea airold with the light
of an August sun. The yacht lay with
out life in her sails, the flow of the swell
beating lazily upon her, and the great
mainsail rocking on the boom. We had
been out twenty-four hours, and had not
made a couple of hundred miles. The de
lay angered every man aboard the Celsls,
since every man aboard knew that it was
a matter of concern to me to overtake
the American yacht, La France, and that
a life might go with long-cpntinued fail
ure.
The morning passed, a long morning,
with a sea like a mirror, and the sun as
a great circle of red fire in the haze.
Hour after hour we walked from the fore
hatch to the tiller, from the tiller to the
fore-hatch, varying the exercise with a
full Inspection of every craft that showed
above the horizon. At six bells some dark
and dirty clouds rose up from the south,
and twenty hands pointed to them. Half
an hour later there was a shrill whistling
in the shrouds, and the rain began, to pat
ter on' the dock, while the booms fretted,
and we relieved her in part of her press
of sail. When the squall struck us at
last, the Channel was foaming with long
lines of choppy seas; and the sky south
ward was dark as ink. '
During one hour, when we must have
made eleven knots, the wind blew strong,
and was fresh again after that. Nor did
the breeze fall, but stiffened towards
night, so that in the first bell, when we
came up from dinner, the Celsis was
straining and foaming as she bent under
her press -of canvas, and It heeded a sail
or's foot to tread her decks. We had
hardly come above when we heard Dan
hailing :
"Yacht on the port bow.
"What name?" came from twenty
throats.
'La France," said Dan, and the words
had scarce left his lips when the skipper
roared the order :
"Stand by to go about !"
For some minutes the words " 'bout
ship" were not spoken. The schooner
held her course, and rapidly drew up with
the yacht we had set out to seek. From
the first there was no doubt about her
name, which she displayed In great letters
of gold above her figurehead. When she
had made some few hundred yards to
wards the coast, she jibbed round of a
sudden, with an appalling wrench at the
horse; and there being, as it appeared, no
hand either at the peak halyards or the
throat halyards, the mainsail presently
showed a great rent near the luff, while
the foresail had torn free from the bolt
ropes of the stay, and was presenting a
sorry, spectacle as the yacht went about,
and away towards France again.
The obvious fact that the yacht we had
sought and run down was without living
men upon her decks had taken the lilt
from the seamen's merry tongues, and a
gloom settled on us all. Perhaps It was
more than a mere surmise, for an uncan
ny feeling of something dreadful to come
took hold of me.
" "Skipper," said I, "order a boat; I'm
going aboard her."
"When the wind falls, perhaps; but
now 1" and he shrugged his shoulders.
As the dark began to fall and the night
breeze to blow fresh, while the yacht
ahead of us swung here and there, almost
making circles about us, we hove to for
the time and watched her. I begged
Mary to go below, but she received the
suggestion with merriment.
"Go below, when the men say there's
fun coming! Why should I go below?"
"Because It may be serious fun."
The skipper called presently for a blue
flare, which cast a glowing light for many
hundred yards, and still left us uncertain.
"Vlash again," said the skipper, and as
the blue light flashed we saw right ahead
of us the wanderer we sought; but she
was bearing down upon us.
(To be continued.)
He never errs who sacrifices him
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Many a True Word.
When, a few years ago, someone In
nn Idle jest worded an advertisement
for a housemaid saying that the ad
vertiser would and could give "refer
ences" we all laughed and thought
It too funny to be true. But It wns
prophetic. Recently In the newspaper
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peared for a cook and a housemaid, and
the one in want of the servants added
in a manner unmistakably meant to be
persuasive "first change In ten years."
But who among us feels like laughing
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perplexing thousands of housekeepers
In the State. Boston Transcript.
Beware of Ointments lor Catarrh that
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m mercury will surely destroy the seme of
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Confirming; the Popular Imprennlon.
"Minnie," said the young man, whose
heart was thumping violently, "do you
know that everybody er says saysr
that we we are engaged?"
"I suppose, Harold," she answered,
"everybody thinks that that we ought
to be by this time."
After that it wasn't long ULlil every
body knew it.
In Ireland there are 211,000 widows, as
compared with only 88,000 widowers.
Ilia Own Manufacture.
Sir William Bailey "played this off,"
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go on." Manchester Guardian.
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Bunkoed.
Church A man recently paid $00,000
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Yonkers Statesman.
It is officially reported that the growing
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SKIN DISEASES
HUMORS IN THE BLOOD
When the blood is pure, fresh and healthy, the skin will be soft, smooth
and free from blemishes, but when some acid humor takes root in the circu
lation its presence is manifested by a skin eruption or disease. These
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Salt Rheum and skin eruptions of various kinds. Eczema appears, usually
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It is generally on the back, breast, face, arms and legs, though other parts
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the acid in the blood dries up the natural oils of the skin, which are intended
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form from which there-flowed a its favorite point of attack is the scalp,
the skin and when soratohed off sometimes causing baldness. Poison Oak
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Stookman, Neb.
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