THE IRON PIRATE
A Vtain Tate of Strange
Happenings on the Sea
By MAX PEMBERTON
CHAPTER VI.
We caught the first train to London.
When I got to a hotel I wrote two letters.
One was to the Admiralty, the other to
the office of the Black Anchor Line of
American Steamships. I told Roderick
what I had done, but he laughed at the
idea. The next day I found myself stand
ing in a meagerly furnished ante-room at
the Admiralty, and there waiting the
pleasure of one of the clerks, who had
ben deputed to talk with me.
"If there is any responsible person
tere," I said, "I should be glad to impart
to him some very curious, and, as it seems
to me, very remarkable information con
cerning a warship which has just left
Spezia, and is supposed to be the property
f the Brazilian government."
"It's very good of you, don't you know,"
lie replied, as he bent down to arrange
his ample trousers ; "but I fancy we heard
something about her last week, so we
won't trouble you, don't you know.;" and
he felt to see if his bow were straight.
Within half an hour I sat in the pri
vate room of the secretary to the Black
Anchor Steamship Company. He was a
sharp man of business, keen-visaged as a
ferret. I told him shortly that I had
reason to doubt the truth of the statement
that a warship recently built at Spezia
was intended for the purposes set down
to her ; that I believed she was the prop
erty of an AmerTcan adventurer whose
motives I scarce dared to realize, and that
If his company would agree to bear the
expense, and to give me suitable recom
pense I would undertake to bring him the
whole history of the nameless ship within
twelve months. When I had done, he
rang the bell for his clerk, and I could see
that he felt himself in the company of a
maniac.
Roderick was not at all surprised it
seemed to me rather that he was glad.
"Whatdid I tell you? Who will believe
such a tale as we are hawking In the
market place selling, in fact, to the high
est bidder? But I believe the whole of
your dead friend's story, and therefore I
have bought a steamer."
"Sou have done what?"
"At 2 o'clock to-day, in your absence, I
bought the steam yacht Rocket. Before
we go on board her, the yacht wfll be re
christened by Mary who will stay with
her dear maiden aunt in our absence
and will be named after your vessel Celsis.
Her crew will consist of our silent friend,
Captain York, of his brother as chief
mate, and of your men now at Ports
mouth, with half a dozen more. We shall
need eight firemen, whom the agents will
engage, and three engineers, already
found. 1 Your cook will serve us very well,
and we want now only a second and third
officer. ' As these men will be mixed up
with us on the quarter-deck, I have told
the agents to send them up to see you
lere so you'll run your eye over them
and tell me if they'll do."
"Roderick, my old friend, would you
mind giving me that yarn from the be
ginning again?"
"I hate' palaver," he said, "and didn't
think to find you dense. Now, look here;
until you read me that paper in your cab
in, I don't know that I ever felt anger
against any man, but I'll bring the man
who murdered Martin Hall and many
others to justice or I'll never know an
other hour's rest. Is it money you want?
Well, what's mine is yours ; and I'm
worth two hundred and fifty thousand
pounds. Is it profit of a dead man's work
you're after? Well then, mark your man,,
learn all about him, run him to his hole,
and don't fear to recompense yourself.
What we're going to do must be done at
cur cost, which "is my cost. And what
we're going to do isn't to be done at this
hotel; its going to be done on the high
seas, and after that in America on the
Hudson river, where, if Hall be right, is
the home of Captain Black. It is to the
Hudson river that I mean to go now."
In an hour I was closeted In the room
below with Francis Paolo, who had come
from the agents to seek the berth of sec
ond officer to the new yacht Celsis. I
found him to be a Bprightly, dark-faced
Italian, apparently no more than 25 years
old ; and he greeted me with much smooth
ness of speech. lie had served three years
on a big steam yacht, and as he was un
mistakably a gentleman and his discharges
were In perfect order, I engaged him there
end then. Had I known him then as I
know him now, I would have paid a thou
sand pounds never to have seen him !
CHAPTER VII.
It was our last day In London. Coder-
lck and I sat down to dinner in the hotel,
the touch of depression upon us both.
Mary Tiad left us early in the morning to
xo to Salisbury, where her kinsfolk lived,
We were going down to Plymouth by
the 0 o'clock mail. So soon as we had
dined, I went up to my room to put the
small things of need away; but, to my
amazement, the whole of the plate had
been turned utterly Inside out by one who
had been there before me. My trumt lay
upside down ; my writing case was unlock
d and stripped, my diary was torn and
rent, my clothes were scattered. I thought
at first that a common cheat of a hotel
thief had been busy snapping up trifles,
tut I got a shock greater than any I had
known since Martin Hall's death when
I felt for his writing, which lay secure
In its case, and found that, whils the
main narrative was intact, bis letters to
the police at New York, his plans, and
his sketches had been taken. For the mo
ment the discovery made me reel. I rang
for a servant, who sent the manager to
me. His perplexity and dismay were no
less than mine.
"No one has any right to enter your
rooms," he said; "and I will guarantee
the honesay of my servants unhesitating
ly. No one has been here after you since
yesterday, when the Italian gentleman
came. To-day he sent a man for a parcel
he left here, but I know of no one else
who has even mentioned your name."
Was I watched from the very begin
ning? Had I to cope, at the very outset,
with a man worth, a million, the captain
of a band of cut-throats, who stood at
no foul work, no crime, as Martin Hall's
death clparly proved? My heart ached
at the thought ; I felt the sweat dropping
off me ; I stood without thought of any
man ; the one word "watched" singing in
my ears like the surging of a great sea.
And I had forgotten Roderick until he
burst into my room, a great laugh on his
lips, and a telegram in his hand.
"What do you think?" he said; "Mary's
arrived all right."
"Oh, that's good; I hope she'll like
Salisbury."
"Yes, but she isn't at Salisbury at all ;
she's at Plymouth, on board the Celsis.
She went straight down there, and never
as much as sent her aunt a telegram.
You don't seem, pleased."
"I'm not pleased," I said, going on
with my packing. "I don't think she
ought to be there."
"I know that ; we've talked it all over,
but when I think of it, I don't see where
the harm comes in ; we can't meet mis
chief crossing the Atlantic, and when the
danger does begin in New York I'll see
she's well on the lee-side of it."
It was full day when we reached the
yacht, and I did not fail to cast a quick
glance of admiration on her beautiful
lines and perfect shape as I clambered up
the ladder, at the top of which stood Cap
tain York.
"Welcome aboard," he said, giving us
hearty hand shakes ; and without further
inspection at that hour wo followed him
to the cabin, where steaming coffe6
brought the blood to our hands and feet,
and put us in better mood.
"So my sister s here, said Roderick.
"Yes, last night, no orders," jerked the
skipper with his usual brevity.
"Ah, we must see to that and the sec
ond officer "
"Still ashore; he left a bit of writing;
he'll be aboard midday !"
He had the writing in his hand, and
was about to crumple it, but I caught
sight of it, and snatched it from him. It
was in the same handwriting as the letter
which Captain Black had sent to me at
the Hotel Scribe in Paris.
"What's the matter?" said Roderick,
as he heard me exclaim ; but the skipper
looked hard at me, and was much mys
tified. "Do you know anything of the man?"
"Nothing at all, although I have seen
that handwriting before somewhere; I
could tell you where, perhaps, if I
thought."
Roderick followed me to my berth and
had the matter of the handwriting out.
I told him at Once of the robbery of some
of the papers, and the coincidence of the
letter which the second mate had left
with the skipper. He was quick-witted
enough to see the danger ; but he was
quite reckless In the methods he proposed
to meet it.
"There's no two thoughts about this
matter at all," he said; "we've evidently
run right Into a trap, but luckily there's
time to get out again of course we shall
sail without a second mate?"
After a six hours' sleep I went aft to
the quarter-deck to take stock of the
yacht. I had scarce made my inspection
of our new ship when Mary burst up
from below and began her explanation,
standing with flushed cheeks, while the
wind played In her hair, and her eyes
danced with the merriment of It.
"The question is," said I, "when are
you going ashore again?"
"I don't know, but I guess I'll get
ashore at New York, because I mean to
go to Niagara.'
She laughed saucily, throwing back her
head so that her hair fell well about her
shoulders. I turned round, hearing astep,
and there stood our- new second mate,
Francis Paolo. Our ( eyes met at once
with ft long, searching gaze, but he did
not flinch. If he were a spy, he was no
poor actor, and he stood his ground with
out the movement of a muscle.
I watched him walk forward, and fol
lowed him, listening as he directed the
men ; and a more seaman-like fellow I
have never seen. If he were an Italian,
he had left all accent of speech in his
own country, and he gave his orders
smartly and in a tone which demanded
obedience.
As I watched him from the hurricane
deck, I heard a collier who had not yet
left the ship give him some impudence.
The new mate hit him such a terrific
blow on the head with a spyglass that the
fellow reeled through the open bulwarks
right into his barge, which lay alongside,
The men were hushed before a display of
temper like this ; the skipper on the brldgo
flushed red with disapproval, but said
nothing.
The order "Hands heave anchor!" was
sung out & moment after, and as Roderick
joined me aft, the new Celsis steamed
away from Plymouth and the episode was
forgotten. And In that hour the great
pursuit began.
CHAPTER VIII.
It was Paolo's watch. A night for
dreamy thoughts of home, of kinsfolk, of
the more tender things of life , but for us
a night for the talk of that great "might
be" which was then so powerful a source
of speculation for both of us. And we
were eager to talk, eager to know when
we should next hear of Captain Black or
of the nameless ship.
"I shouldn't wonder," said Roderick
after twenty surmises of the sort, "if we
heard something of her as we cross. I
have given York orders to keep well in
the track of steamers; and if your friend
Hall be right, that is just where the un
known ship will keep. I would give a
thousand pounds to know the story of the
man Black. Is It possible that a man
could commit piracy, to-day, in the At
lantic, where is the traffic of the world;
where, if the powers once learned of it,
they could hunt him down In a day? And
yet, put into plain English, that is the
tale your friend tells."
"It is; I have never doubted that from
the first. Captain Black is either the
most original villain living, or the whole
story is a silly dream besides, we have
yet to learn if he is the commander of the
nameless ship ; we have also to learn if
the nameless ship is not a myth."
I remained above for half an hour, gaz
ing over the great sweep of the Atlantic.
Paolo was on the bridge. I took all op
portunity of watching him. I made pre
tense to go to my cabin, and bawled a
good-night to the mate as I went; but
it was only to put on felt slippers and to
get a warm coat, and I made my way
stealthily amidships. I took a stand aft
of the skipper's cabin, where I could pry,
yet not be seen. I heard Paolo address
several of the men forward, and it seemed
to me that his mode of speech was not
quite that which should be between officer i
and seaman.
It chanced that In this watch the new
men were on deck, my old crew being in
the port watch. Suddenly, on the far hor
izon over the starboard bow, I saw the
flare of a blue light, bright over the
water ; and showing as it flared, the dark
hull of a great ship. Paolo himself struck
light to a flare which he had with him on
the bridge, and answered the signal.
This action completely staggered me.
Without a thought I rushed up the ladder
to the hurricane deck and stood beside
him. He started as he saw me, and I
could see him biting his lips, while an
ugly look came into his eyes.
"Good evening, Mister Mate, I said;
"will you kindly tell me why you burnt
that blue light?"
"I burnt it to answer the signal yon
der."
"But that was no affair of ours !"
He shrugged his shoulders, and mut
tered something about custom. Yet in
another moment he made effort to recall
himself, and met me with an open, smil
ing face which covered anger.
When I turned in at last, the little wind
there was had fallen away. I must have
slept very heavily for an hour, when a
great sense of unrest and waking weari
ness took me, and I lay, now dozing, now
dreaming, so that in all my dreams I saw
the face of Paolo. I seemed to walk the
decks of the Celsis, yet was Paolo there
more strong and masterful than I.
Then the man Paolo stood over me,
looking straight into my eyes ; and when
I would have risen up to question him
I was powerless. I opened my eyes and
saw, during the veriest reality of time
that others looked down into mine. I
saw them for some small part of a sec
ond, yet in the faint light that came from
the port I recognized the face and the
form, and was certain of them; for the
man who had been watching me as I slept
was Paolo.
A quick sense of danger waked me thor
oughly then. I put my hand to the tap
of the electric light and the white rays
flooded the cabin. But the cabin was
empty and Roderick's dog sat by my
trunk, and had, I could see, been licking
my hand as I lay.
I knew not how to make out the mean
ing of It; but I was trembling from the
horror of the dream, and went above In
my flannels. I looked into Paolo's bunk,
and he slept there, in so heavy a sleep
that I began to doubt altogether the truth
of what I had believed. How could this
man have left my cabin as he had done,
and yet now be berthed in his own? The
dream had cheated me, as dreams often
do.
But more sleep was not to be thought
of. I fell to talk with Dan, and paced
the deck with him, asking what was his
opinion of our new second mate.
"It's not for me to be spoutin' about
them as is above me," he said, "but you
ask me a fair question. In course, I
ain't the party to be thinking 111 of any
man, but what I do know I know. He's
no more'n a ship with a voice under the
forehatch "
I laughed at him as I asked, "And
what's the matter with a ship like that?
Why shouldn't there be a voice under the
fore-hatch, Dan?"
"Well, you see, sir, as there ain't no
body a-Hyln' in that pertlcler place, you
don't go for to look to hearin' of voices,
or, in plain lingo, there's something queer
about it."
The sound of ft gunshot to leeward
awoke me from my thoughts. ' Fearing
that some vessel lay In distress, we put
the helm up and went half-speed for a
time. We had cruised thus for five min
utes or more when a terrific report burst
upon our ears. The thunderous echoing
of ft great weapon which ft man-of-war
only could carry.
The sound died away slowly ; but in the
same minute the fog lifted; and I saw,
away ft mile on the starboard bow, a spec
tacle which brought ft great flush upon my
face, and let me hear the sound of my
own heart beating.
(To be continued.)
WHAT IS PE-RU-NA?
Is It a Catarrh Remedy, or a Tonic, or Is
It Both?
Some ppoplo call Peruna a groat tonic. Others refer to Poruna as a great
catarrh remedy.
Which of these people are right? Is it more proper to call Fcruna a catarrh
remedy than to call it a tonic?
Our reply to, that Poruna is lioth a tonic and a catarrh remedy. Indeed,
there can ho no effectual catarrh remedy that iH not alHo a tonic.
In order to thoroughly relieve any case of catarrh, a remedy iniiHt not only
have a specific action on the mucous, membranes affected by the catarrh, but it
must have a general tonic action on the nervous system.
Catarrh, even in perrons who aro otherwise strong, iH a weakonod condition
of some mucous membrane. There must be something to strengthen the circu
lation, to give tone to the arteries, and to raise the vital forces.
Perhaps no vegetable remedy in die world has attracted so much attention
from medical writers as HYDRASTIS CANADENSIS. The wonderful efficacy
of this herb has been recognized many years, and is growing in its hold upon the
medical profession. When joined with CUBKliS and COPAIBA a trio of medi
cal agents is formed in Poruna which constitutes a specific remedy for cutiirrh
that in the present state of medical progress cannot ho improved upon. This
action, reinforced bv such renowned tonics as COLLINRONIA. CANADENSIS,
C0RYDAL1S FORMOSA and CEDRON SEED, ought to make this compound an
ideal remedy for catarrh in all it- stages and locations in the body.
From a theoretical standpoint, therefore, Peruna is beyond criticism. The
use of Peruna confirms this opinion. Numberless testimonials from every qunrt
er of the earth furnish ample evidence that this judgment is not over enthusias
tic. When practical experience confirms a well grounded theory the result is a
truth that cannot be shaken.
The Only Doubtful ( Hlxen.
"Everybody is telling exactly what
you will do if you are elected to of
fice." "Yes," answered the candidate.
"Well, what will you do?"
"I don't know
Star.
yet." Washington
You Can Get Allen's root-Ease T REE.
Write Allen 8. Olmsted, Le Roy, N. Y., for a
free sample of Allen's Foot-Katie. It enressweat
Iiir, hut swollen, aching fuet. It makes nuw or
tlnht shoes easy. A certain euro for corns. In
growing mills and bunions. All drugUWsuil It.
iio. Don't accept any substitute.
A Choice of KvlU.
Landlady Would you advise me to
send my daughter to a cooking school
or to a music school?
Boarder (reflectively) Well, I think
I'd send her to a cooking school. It
may be more fatal In Its results, but It
isn't anything like so noisy.
Steel rustg seven times as rapidly aa
iron.
BLOATED WITH DROPSY.
The Heart Was Badly Affected When
the Patient Began Using
Doan's Kidney Pills.
Mrs. Elizabeth Maxwell, of 415 West
Fourth St., Olympia, Wash., says:
' For over three
years I suffered
with a dropsical
condition without
being aware that
it was due to kid
ney trouble. The
early stages were
principally back
ache and bearing
down pain, but I
went along with
out worrying much
My feet and an
until dropsy set in.
kles swelled up, my hands puffed and
became so tense I could hardly close
them. I had great difficulty in breath
ing, and my heart would nutter with
the least exertion. I could not walk
far without stopping again and again
to rest. Since using four boxes of
Doan's Kidney Pills the bloating has
gone down and the feelings of distress
have disappeared."
Sold by all dealers. 50 cents a box.
Foster Milburn Co., Buffalo, N. Y.
RHEUMATISM
CAN NOT BE RUBBED AWAY
It is perfectly natural to rub the soot that hurts, and when the muscles.
nerves, joints and bones are throbbing and twitching" with the pains of
Kneumausm me sunerer 13 apt to turn to the liniment bottle, or some other
external application, in an effort to get relief from the disease, by producing
lounter-irritation on the flesh. Such treatment will quiet the pain tempo
rarily, but can have no direct curative effect on the real disease because it
does not reach the blood, where the cause is located. Rheumatism is more
than skin deep it is rooted and grounded in the blood and can only be
reacnea Dy constitutional treatment IT CANNOT EE RUBBED AWAY.
Rheumatism is due to an excess of uric acid in the blood, brought about by
the accumulation in the system of refuse matter which the natural avenues
of bodily waste, the Bowels and Kidneys, have failed to carry off. This
refuse matter, coming in contact with the different acids of the body, forms
uric acid which is absorbed into the blood and distributed to all parts of the
Doay, ana itneumatism get3 possession ot the system. The aches and pains
are only symptoms, and though they may be scattered or relieved for a time
by surface treatment, they win reappear at the first exposure to cold or
dampness, or after an attack of indigestion or other irregularity. Rheuma
tism can never be permanently cured while the circulation remains saturated
with irritating, pain-producing uric acid poison. The disease will shift
from muscle to muscle or joint to joint, settling on the nerves, causing
inflammation and swelling and such terrible pains that the nervous system
is often shattered, the health undermined, and perhaps the patient becomes
deformed and crippled for life. S. S. S. thoroughly cleanses the blood and
renovates the circulation by neutralizing the acids and expelling all foreign
matter from the system. It warms and invigorates the blood so that instead
PURELY VEGETABLE
matism. It contains no potash, alkali or other mineral ingredient, but is
made entirely of purifying, healing extracts and juices of roots, herbs and
barks. If you are suffering from Rheumatism do not waste valuable tima
trying to rub a blood disease away, but begin the use of S. S. S. and write
us about your case and our physicians will give you any information or
advice desired free of charge and will send our special treatise on Rheumatism.
,IMC SWIFT SPECIFIC CO- ATLANTA. .
Spamen on natlv river craft 'n China
get a month; on sea-going Chinese
vesscli $8. They furnish their own food.
PILES CURED IN 6 TO 14 DAYS.
PAZO OINTMENT In guaranteed to euro any
case of lehiiiK, blind, bleeding or protruding
lines in o 10 u uays or money reiunueu.aoe.
Of t on me.
Gunner I see where a man In the
southwest had twenty-three children
and then disappeared. What do you
think of that?
Uuyer Why, that was nothing un
usual. Gunner What?
Guyer Why, twenty -three skldool
Mothers will find Mrs. Winnow1! Soothing
Byrup the Di-st remedy to use for their children
during tho teething period.
From the Bnrk Fence.
City Boarder That old cat made nn
awful noise In the back yard last
night.
Farmer Geehaw Yaas; ever sence
he made a meal oft th' canary las' win
ter he's got th' Idee In his head as ueow
he's a natur'I boru singer, b'gosh!
How's This?
We offer One Hundred Dollars Reward fot
any case of Catarrh that cannot be cured by
Hall's Catarrh Cure.
F. J. CHKNEY & CO., Props., Toledo, a
We, the undersigned, have known K. J.
Cheney for the last 16 years, and believe Mm
perfectly honorable in all bumness transac
tion and financially able to carry out any ob
ligations made by their arm.
West Se Tkuax, Wholesale Druggists, Toledo, 0.
Wai.dino, Kimnan it Marvin, Wholesale Drug
gists, Toledo, 0.
Hall's Catarrh Cure Is taken Internally, act
ing directly upon the blood and mucous sur
faces of the system. Price 7oc. per bottle,
bold by all Druggims. Testimonials free.
Hall's Family i'ills are the best. ,
Monmled ion vlncluis.
The editor was criticising the poem
just brought In by the literary contrib
utor. "Yon spenk of the 'spirit of tho for
est.'" lie said. "Do you think there is
such a thing as a forest spirit, as dis
tinguished from any other kind?" ,
"Yes, sir !" fiercely responded the liter
ary contributor. "Didn't you pver hear
of such a thing as wood alcohol?"
Upward of 200,000,000 gallons per an
num of aerated waters are drunk in th
United Kingdom.
of a weak, sour stream, constantly deposit
ing acrid and corrosive matter in the mus
cles, nerves, joints and bones, the body is fed
and nourished by rich, health-sustaining
blood which completely and permanently
cures Rheumatism. S. S. S. is composed
of both purifying and tonic properties
just what is needed in everv case of Rheu