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Further Chapters of an Adventure in Its Most Spine-pricklingg Form ,
WOIVCS of ‘the Sea
CliICAGQ;LE.D,GE,Rr‘; ,-
‘ By Randall Parrish
What Happened in the Preceding Installment
CARLYLE, Levere and Watkins general, ending with all sailors nnd
wwho preferred
to join the cutthroats had to be
killed or subdued first, but already
the giant Cochose was leading the
frenzied men in the black depths of
the ship. ,
Carlson, a sailor. was holding them
1
and meet him in a ns “Es-
tada is end. Manuel is a pi-isone
and am in command of this ship”
is open han .
The light that followed was ilerce.
long and gory,the negro being com-
pletely out at it is Following
this list encounter the battle became
pirates who had gained the decka-
and survived;-aux-rendering their va-
ous weapons, atter which they were
driven below and held there by armed
guards.
Most of the crew now appeared
for the ship and get his
faithful followers ashore before the
hostlles could red "la what had HELD-
Bul new trouble broke out.
r left on guard in the main
cabin was stabbed to death, Silva
Sanchez had escaped, reorganized his
cutthroat gang an era again
righting desperately to reach the
The story began in No. 1. the ledger
for Jan. 7 Back copies may be ob-
tained from our agents or newsdealera.
CHAPTER XXIII-(Continued).
DID-God knows how! 'It was like
I no lighting ever I had done before,
a mad, furious melee, amid which
I lost all consciousness of action, all
guidance of thought, struggling as a
wild brut with all the reckless
strength of insanity. It is a dim, vague
recollection; I am sure I felled Sanchez
' my pistol-butt.
stretching him apparently lifeless at my
feet; in some way that sadly cleaver
came into my hands and I trod on his
body, swinging the sharp blade with all
my might into those scowling faces.
They gave sullenly backward; they
had to. yeiping and snarling like a.
D341
their short knives. I was cut
and again, but scarcely ew
stood on quivering nesh, driving my
weapon from right to left, crazed with
blood, and seeking only to kill.
I saw faces crushed in, arms severed
men reeling before me in terror, the
sudden spurting of blood from ghastly
wounds. Oaths mingled with cries of
agony and shouts of hate. Then in an
instant the light was (lashed out and
all was darkness.
It was as though my brain snapped
back into ascendancy. I was no longer’
a raging fury, mad with the desire to
kill. but cool-headed. planning escape.
Before a hand could reach me in re-
straint, I sprang backward and ran.
In the darkness of the cabin I collided
again
it. I
were the narrow pas
each other in the black gloom. gave me
every advantage unhalted. I
stumbled up the stairs leading to the
companion. The vague glimmer
daylight showing thru the
him dash the door wide oven. call to
those on deck, and then saw hi heel
about to again confront the devils
them here for a. time at least, yet I had
the sense to know that thlia check would
hey
OW
A dozen of us might hold these stairs
against assault, but treachery would
leave us helpless. And the very thick-
ness of the fog without invited to
treachery. If one among them, and
there were many capable of such an act.
should steal below forward, and ‘force
open the door trom the rorecastle. we
would be crushed between two waves
I saw
, and as
quickly chose the only course to pursue.
the one hope remaining. .
"Here, lads." I called sharply back
over my shoulder, "live or six of you are '
enough to hold back this scum. Wat-‘
insi" ‘
y sir."
“Bend down here-now listen. Get the
boats ready-two will be enough-and
be lively about it. We'll hold these fei-
un
everybody out from below. Who is here
"Name yerselves, bunkies-I can't see
er.". .
"Simmes."
"Schmitt."
k of wolves, hacking at me with- on
"Ravel Deluasaer,"
"Carter."
“Jacob Johansen."
1 am"
“That's enough: you lads remain here
with me. Ilnve Harwnod watch LcVer
while the rest of you get out the boats."
How many, 7”
"The two quarterboats will hold us
Knock out the plugs in the others
“'utkins!"
sir."
“See that Miss Fairlax is placed safely
in the afterboat, and then stand
end me word the moment all is ready,
allewe’re going to be busy here
presently."
I had glimpse of the thick fog with-
out as he pushed thru the door. and of
a scarcely distinguishable group of men
the deck. Those about me Could onl)’
located by their restless movements.
stepped down one stair conscious of
all
-and
be
I
increasing movement below, the meat
cleaver still gripped in my hands.
"Any of you armed with cutlassea?"
"Oui, liI‘Sieur, Ravel Debaaaer.“
"Stand here, to right or me, now an-
other at my left Vvho are you?"
“Jim Carter,-sir." ' .
od: now strike hard, lads, and you
others be ready." -
. “What's up, sir?" asked a gruifvoice.
“Has they usted .out from between
decks?"
"’l‘liat'a whai.‘s,hanpened. The cabin
is full of ‘em, and it is your life an
na-
away in this log they'll never iind us.
but we’ve got to hold them here until
the boats are ready."
“Is it Sanchez?’
was Sanchez, but
"It I killed him.
That l
' of the cabin,
f’“”‘
r
"Only hand weiIpnns,"' broke in Carter
contemvtuously. "we re as ‘good 85
they are-thar ain‘t no vowder.
“Sure of that?"-
“Course 1 am. I cleaned up U13‘ “Wk
There’s ball in the ban-
doliers, but no powder. I wul gain ter
break open a cask, but Esta-da put me
at another Job '
‘”l‘hcn that leaves us on even footing.
lnds: We ought to be equal to them With
,the cold steel-can any of you see be-
,..
CHAPTER XXIV. ’
I CLASP OF‘ THE SEA.
IIE sound of voices, of moving bodies
and bits of furniture overturned
t the dark-
place.
leadericss mob surging blindly forward,
each man vocal n 10113“?-
swaylng with rage, many srnarting with
nris, uncertain where we had distal)‘
neared, yet all alike crazed with a dc-
sire to nllaln the open deck. The rattle
had
seized whatever weapons they found
there. .
In their struggle the rack was over-
turned, and suddenly, amid the din, 9.
s 11, penetrating voice yelled ome-
thlng in Spanish, which seemed to hush
the clamor. There followed R shuffling
of feet, and the crash of wood as tho
the butt of a gun had splintered a door
panel. Then the same voice again
pierced the babel. My mind gripped the
meaning of it 2 I y had found Cl
leader; they had released Manuel Este-
van. Now the real fight wa on!
We stooped low, to escape a
possible from
“'9 Met Them Point In Polllf. On!’ All-
vnntnize the Nnrrovv Stnlrrnae and line
nun." Ponlllnnt 'l'lnelru the F-.1.“
Glimmer of IJKIII It Our Hacks.
and listening for every
c release of Manuel, the very
ceivcd plan or attack was revealed,
he saw us and understood; his eyes, long
trained to darkness, must have already
marked our dim outlines. for his nrst
order evidenced his purpose.
'l ' o
have cutlasses? So many! 5
dozen form with me. Now bullies they
re on the stairs there, and um ls the
show those
9 sot lhcm 1 .
huskies. without a lea nE,'i.’.’"5 "‘“'“- 1“’W
"mil !h9Y'Ve 301 "'38-" we met them poinfto poxm,’.;u,- ad
‘ l
.“,'..T.,;;‘ . - '.;:';::>--4 -no-e-cox‘-aw
-beat them remorseiessli bac
the
theirs the faint glim-
mer of light at our backs.
vgntage the narrow staircase and‘
h1gher,p0SltlDl1l
DeLasser caught ‘its
blade while my cleaver. missing him
with its sharp edge. nevertheless dealt
the fellow a blow which hurled him back
gleam D
of blows and yells. strange laces EDD?"-
mg and disappearing. as men leaped
desperately at us up the steps. and we
I saw nothing more of Manuel lnithe"
“By, put his shrill voice urged on his
followers. It was strike and parry, cut
and thrust.‘ Twice I kicked my legs
free from hands that sripved me. and
DeLasser fell. a pike ihrust'thru him.
ering every step to
the cabin deck. I
But they were at a breed trained to
such lighting, and the last of Manuel's.
tongue drove them into mad reckless-
lacel. charging over‘ tl1'eI3dead'hodiee.
hacking and- gouging in vain eirort to
break thru.
ached. until my head reeled. scarcely
conscious of physical action, yet aware ’
of Manuel’: shouts.
‘No, you hell-hounds-now! once more.
and you have them. Santa Mariaiyou've ‘
got to go thru. bullies-there is no other .
the way! Here you-go in.outsido the
rail! Broth or h-ll Now you have him.
Pedrol" '
- For an instant I believed it true: I
saw Jim Carter seized and hurled side-
the vacant space, nnd the butt of n gun
‘crashed into the m 5.
went down battering our way
stairs were clear
the dead under to
VS'hen we stopped, not a. fighting man
was left within the sweep of our arms.
They had scurried hack into the du-k- ‘
ness like so many rats. and we could“
only stare about blindly, cu:-sing them.
as we endeavored recover breath.
?vColIul':1dltt" roaredhlike bull. and
ave rus d ,
on Ms am“ . e on but for my grip
I "'Get back. men!"
There may be Hfty of them
Our only chance is the stairs.
, until the ‘V
to the deck. except for
at. . - .
I orderedmharply.
yonder.
Do as!