The Inland Empire (Moore, Mont.) 1905-1915, November 06, 1913, Image 3

ur , ,•• • • November 0111, I9 1I. \THE-ISLA OrrHE S ••• 4 , f * 411, • Being a True Account of Certahs Strange and Wonderful Adven- tures of Master John Hampdon, Seaman. and Mistress Lucy Wilberforce, Gentlewoman. In the Great South Seas. By CYRUS TOWNSEND BRADY Copyright.*1912. by Cyrus Townsend Brady . \Hoar cUuld Wit tveyer hie aaked. `GHAPTER IV. Wherein Wit ,Deolde to Go Voyaging. ” ET'S -put the two\ pies ,to- gether and take them to the , light and see if we cannot' decipher it.\ said I. \Mistress . Wilberforce,\ . 1 continued, \I have the, sailor's preino.nition that we are on the track of something that will greatly better yrr fortunes.\ And I read: 'In ye yeare of oure Lorde 1595_ I, Philip Wilberfdtee, Bt., of ye countie of Dann, being ye -captaine of ye good shinim Scourge of . Malice didde take yis' Otte Spanisshe' galleon Nu- estra - Senora de la Cencepcion, after a blo,udi . e encountre, wherein mine own sbipPe was Bunke. Ye lading of. ye galleon was worthe muche moneie. milliones of pounds esterling, I take ye. Withe manie jewelles and stones of price, pieces of eight and builione, together with silkes and spicerie. Be- ing 11.10*iqe to ye' - southe and weste manie days .in a grate tetapeste, ye galleon was caste awaye on Ye -Mande of ye Staires. Wee landed ye tresor and hidde yt in ye wane. Alle my inenne ,being in ye ende dead ye_sia- tiveikegesil over ye seas in their grate canoes -and tooke me, being like .a mead, esanne. dodde ruesecifillI sl te 'pre- seraw. my life, I escaped fretne thellimi and at last am comme safe luta, mine owne sweet lande of Eng: laude once more. Toe find ye mouth, of ye tresor cave, take a bearing along\ ye aouthe of ye three Geddes , on ye Altar of Skulles on Ye *fiddel cuatomed to shift for myself. I might of ye halide. Where ye • line take a risk which I would not advise ittlykee ye knicke in ye walle with you to essay.\ 74: - Olue pamme tree bee -three hoals. \I must shift for myself, too.\ she ClIrabe ye stones, enter ye center one. said, her eyes sparkling. The God - It Is there. tette him that wile seek dess Chance, which, had ruined her and tilde.\ father, was evidently jogging her el - When I had finished reading we both bow. \Indeed I shall take the chance.\ af,opped and stared. There was much of course, that we cpuld not iàlbly understand. We could only .prebend it fully if we were lucky „ ..enoligh to stand beside the \Stone 1 \ on the Island itself. Still the ::: * purport Was sufficiently clear. Sir Philip Wilberforce had evidently = . cencealed a very Considerable trees- LON.. 141°30 w • s IMP •••44mt.. dr.•••••• orytoco i ••••••••• ••••••• •••••., •••• \ 44444o .11%. daft.. ••••:\\. ••••. •••• Wale MEOW •••••••• Ow./ .1111, Other Half of the tillap of the island. s peso. If we cOttld tind it our for - tones would be medle, or--bers, rather, for I swear I never thought of myself at alL \Thigh you,\ my little mistress be- gan at last, her pale face flushing for, the first time, ber broom heaving quick- ly. \that the tregitare May still be Iti•Enr \Who eau tell\ I answered. \The islaild may have remained onvisited sin* Sir Philip'. day.\ \But would treasure Mat so long?\ \Stored in a eave geld and *Met would last forever. Everything else Woe* have rotted,alfg! DiStliftfa.\ \If you . had a ship.\ said 1. \well commanded and founded and manned you. could reach the spot without diffi- tuity.\ \How much would it cost?\ Well, I _quickly and roughly esti- Inaited in my mind the necessary out- lay. Such a vessel Is she would re- claire might be bought for perhaps 42,50o or £3,000. Piiivisioning and out - - fitting. together with the pay of the of- ficers and the crew, would require per- haps £1,500 or £2,000 more, or a total between five and all thousand pounds And she had but two! I was about to toll her the prohibitive truth when the solution of the problem suddeuty came to - me. In one way or another I had been a fortunate voyager, and I had saved up or earned by trading and one or two adventures in which I had taken part something over £4,000, which was safely lodged to my credit lu a London bank. ' \I should think,\ I said slowly. \that 42,000 would be ample to cover every- thing.\ she said, \exactly the sum that Master Picklin said was left of my mother's fortune.\ , \Yes said 1, and then I added in duty bound. \But you surely woOd not be so foolish, Mistress Wilberforce, as to risk „your all in this wild goose chase?\ 4-\Af you were in my position alas- r Uampdon, what would you do?\ \I am' a man,\ I answered. \ac - she persisted. - - \But you -mild easily live on £2,000 for a long.whfle.\ I urged, against my wish, for I was keen to go a deasure hunting with her for a shipmate. \Not such life ,is I crave. I cauliot hike enough for my desires I would be worse off had I nothing.\ Well. I was arguing against my wishes from a sense of duty, so I at last gave way. After all, the treaSure' plight be there. If so. it was hers, and it would be a shame not to get it. The pulse of adventure leaped in my veins. \So be it,\ I said. a \Will you help me to make my ar- rangements? You are accustomed to the sea, and\- \I will do more than that.\ said I. \With your gracious permission I will go with you:\ _ \To the island?\ \To the end of the world,\ I replied. Whereat she stared at me a moment, then looked away. She extended her hand to me and I tried to kiss It like a gentleman. I made, no doubt, a blundering effort, hut at least it was that of an honest man. \I ain't - go and gel ready to go to Master ricklit's in the town,\ she said sally. \You know the house.\ I nodded. \Come to me there tomorrow and we will talk further about the proj- ect.\ When we broached the subject to Master Picklin the next day st his house, he Would not hear of it. He examined the parchment with interest, but poohpoohed the tale because, fort_ sooth, it had no legal backing and was couched in the phraseology of the sea rather than in the dry verbiage of the law. He pointed out that he bad qply succeeded in saving this last 1.2,0013 of my lady's fortune because he had skill- fully concealed its existence from Sir Geoffrey. He asked pertinently what would happen to her when all was gone end she had found no treasure, the -very existence of which he affected to -dlebegieve. A very hard headed, practical person was Master Plana. I had stern idels ot duty, too, and Master IrIckfin's good sense ever appealed to me. Yet when did mere good sense ever appeal to a woman against her wish? My lady had the gambling instinct, too -I wonder she did not have It stronger, since 'twits in her blood! -and she would Si* challenge radium The end of it was she made ova: t-1.000 to me without requiring me to e any bond, which Master Pick-' un would fain have insisted upon and which would have been embarras - sing indeed for me, for my bond would have been my own capital, which was going to embark in the enterprise in secret. I badgeved up that money with no one knows what foolish dreams. I realized those dreams would come to naught. I had no one depend- ent upon me. Brother or -sister I never enjoyed, and father and mother were both dead. What need had I for money? Let her have it whose need was great and whose desire was great- er. I might have bargained for a share of the treasure did we find any, but I scorned to do it. 1 :would give all and expect nothing for it. At any rate, not being in any hurry, although, I was frantically urged by my lady, who could scarcely possess her soul in patience before she began her treasure hunting, I looked about a good deal in order to get just what I wanted. Finally from a merchant of Plymouth I purchased a stout little ship of three hundred and fifty tons burden called the Rose of Devon, which had been engaged in the West Indian and the American colonial trade. It was my first design to have gone as master of hen myself, and thy lady* would fain have had it so, but after reflectioe I- decided it were better to Wive a much older man than'! to tota- l:nand so long as, she went aesa pas- senger, and so I engaged a. worthy seaman, One Samuel Matthews, old enough to be my -father, with whom I - had often sailed; in fact, the man under whom t made my first cruise.' f did engage myself as mate, however, and I even, tried In vain 'to induce Master Ficklin and his sister to go with us. It seemed proper in venturing among Islands filled according to common re- port with savage Tiehples --- 1 - 0 - proa1de for fighting. Therefore, after consulting with Captain Matthews, whom I fully acquainted with the entire project in all its. details. I shipped a crew of thirty men and I provided in the equip- ment plenty of muskets, pistols and cutlasses, with the necessary powder and ball,atnd in addition -a small brass cannon which I mounted on the fore castle. Nor did MT cargo lack means for friendly trading and barter should such be found practicable. Naturally the unusualness of these preparations attracted attention, and Captain Matthews and I were over- whelmed with applications from ad- venturous men who desired to make the voyage, surmising that it was after treasure of some sort. fat the work of engaging the crew to Captain Matthews. He had as boat. swain a seaman named Pimball, in -whom he placed great confidence. He was a villainous looking- man with a white scar running from his left eye across his cheek, caused by a cut he -had received in some fight, and -.the !life' of white showing against the bronzed, weather beaten cheek he sported did not improve his appear- ance. But that he was a prime sea- man was evident. Captain Matthews seemed to have great confidences in him. To anticipate, when we boarded the ship I liked the crew not touch better than the boatswain. I will say this for them, however, that a smarter, quicker set of seamen never hauled on brace or laid on yardarm. It was not -their skill or strength ovourage that I did not like, but they were not the kind of men I would haversought for a ship of my own, and the presence of my lady and her mad, a worthy woman, a long time servant at the castle, who had elected to' follow her fortunes, *made me dint& yet I Was not unusually Ap- prehensive. I bad a - sublime confi- dence in my own ability to deal with any man or any group of men. I did not stint the outfitting of the ship, and when I finished, having left nothing out that either my own or Captain Matthews' experience or ini• agination would suggest, there was left of our Joint funds enough to pay the wages of the officers and of the men out and bark and no more -that Allowing a ye6r for the r5und voy- age. The lines of the Rose of Devon were unusually good. She had a repu- tation for being a speedy boat, and that was more time than enough. It y71111 my purpose to go around the world with her rather than retrace our, course about Cape Horn after we reached the island, If we ever reached it. so we staked everything we had on - the future. If my lady had had the least knowledge of the value of ships site would have seen how little way. her £2,000 had gone, but she was as guileless as any other woman on tha subject, and Master Fieklin was not much better. 1 lied' -to them both with a good grace and with an easy con- science. It was for her sake. CHAPTER V. Wherein the Duke Is Marked In Fars• well. (IT one thing strikes we as worthy to be chronicled before we embarked. When all was ready and everything aboard, 1 went back to Master Picklin's in Tanstock, which was an easy day's - journey from Plymouth sound, where the Rose of Devon lay, to fetch my ladr . and her maid, Master Ficalinai house was a sotnewhlit large one and was surrounded by a wailed garden, perhaps two acres in extent, which ran back from the house to a little ,brook which bounded the village. Master Ficklin was at his office, al- though le was yet early the morn- ing when I ealied, intending to fetch my lady to Plymouth by coach, a spe- cial coach which I had engaged, by the way. His sister said that Mis- tress Wilberforce Was in the garden and that she had cOmpany, She of. fared 40,o r t her Dresence. but R21. r Jar r kbeW Met way and could go *ere myself. .1 did nol.like the word dompany overmuelr since her fine friends had more or 'lam forgotteu her. I passed through the hall, oUt of the back door and into the garden. I stood a moment, hesitating, wondering Whether after al! I had the right or the privilege to break In upon such company as she might be entertaining, when a scream which came faintly from the end of the garden decided me. I broke into a run and in a few moments came upon my lady etrugs gling in the arms of a man. What man, you ask? The Duke of Arcester! Re had his arms around her, and al - thought he was no great shakes of a moo, he was much stronger than the slight girl he was grappling with. He -held her tightly by the waist with one hand and with the other was trying to tfirn her head so that he could kiss her. I was upon them before they reallited my arrival. I grasped the duke by the collar of his coat with my left hand and with my right I fairly tore him' away from my lady. \Thank God, you have come!\ she cried, reeling and staggering, her face flushed, her hair disheveled, her -dress In disarray. I heard that much and then the duke was upon me. Gritting his teeth and swearing frightful oaths he got to his feet -1 had thrown him prone -drag- ged out his sword and rushed at me. \You dog!\ he cried. \You have balked me before and you interfere now. I have had enough of you and the world has.\ He did not intend to give me any chance to defend myself apparently. My little mistress screamed. I heard • her call my name and I suppose she thought I was 'done for, but sailers are proverbially quick witted, footed and handed, and I was not the least alert of- seamen.. I was wearing a hanger a heavier weapon than the duke's dress sword, hut its weight wil - e matter of no moment to an arm like mine. I stepped aside as he lunged at we, drew it, and the next moment our blades clashed in earnest, Now, I am a good fighter,., and no mean fencer. I can cross blades with any one on earth. My swift play must have looked to the duke as if I were surrounded by a wall of steel. There- fore he realized at once that his only shance lay in the energy and rapidity of his fence. Lunge succeeded lunge with lightning -like speed. I will ad- mit that I was hard put to it for a time. It was with the greatest dif- ficulty that I parried, but ray lord was not built for the continuance of such violent exercise. Sweat came into his eyes, his thrusts grew less swift, if not less vicious, in their intent, After a few moments I saw that I had him. It was new my turn to attack. Some- thing of the fury of my Saxon ances- tors suddenly .filled my veins.. I beat down his defense by a serien of terrific; blows and finally shivered his sword. 1- Elh stood before me . panting, weapon - lea, yet, to give him his due, more or, less undaunted. I raised my own blade. • \Would you strike a defenseless' 'man?\ he cried haughtily, still not. blanching. \You had no scruple in attacking a defenseless woman,\ I replied. \Nay I thundered as he made a sudden mo- tion, \stand where you are. What I shall do to you depends upon what I limit If you move I swear to you that I will beat you down like the dog that you are.\ I was amazed afterward at my temer- ity in thus addressing a duke, but you will understand my feelings. Without taking my eyes off of him I next ad- dressed myself to my lady. \Will you tell me now, Mistress Lucy,\ said I softly, \what this man. parposed or said? I.can see what he tried to de * , but what was his ineaning and intent?\ • \He -he -wanted -me to go with him,\ faiterd my lady. \He renewed his offer, of marriage?' I --asked, with a sudden sinking of heart. • - \No whispered the girl. \My God!\ I cried. '\Did you dare t o ” — \Why should I mart.* a penniless baggage?' he sneered. • • \I shall insure that you will rement- l ber,\ I said quietly, although I was i blazing Inside, \all the days of your 'life what you tried to do -the insult that ynu put upon this lady.\ \Would you kill me?\ be cried, as I stepped nearer to him. \No.\ said L \that would be too s ilutnif and easy an end to your punish- ment I will put my mark upon you. : Sir *brand -- as a cord: tilers/60(1Y Who sees you will ask you about it. ,and you can explain it as you will. 'Two persons at least will know what the mark signifies, my lady and my- self.\ He stared at me absolutely uncom- prehending, but before he could make a move I caught him around the breast. pinioned both his arms to his side and then I deliberately shortened my sword, holding it by the blade, and cut two long, deep gashes in his left cheek. Be struggled and shrieked horribly as I did so, and my lady screamed as Well, but I held him close until I flu- bbed. \Now - said I to Mistress Lucy, \be- fore I release him, one more question Did -did he kiss you?\ 'lio.' answered Mistress Lucy faintly. \Good!\ I continued grimly. \Had he done so I would have marked the other cheek. He was a handsome man, but those two scars roughly crisscrossed would never be eradicated, for I had cut deep with deliberate purpose. After that I released him, and lie staggered away spitting blood, his cheek bleeding. a hoolida loakint °Wort (6ontinued on page 4) „ ' - •krs. P GE Farmer! •10111111•11 For a Limited Length of Time We W.11 Offer vimam•mmgim.w bellpams • • r , 3cientihe Farmer. 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