The evening world. Newspaper, February 27, 1915, Page 11

we The Evening World Daily Magaz'ne, Saturday. Februar Men Who Fail— XVI. aeha, By Robert Minor i] One of the Strangest Treasure leland Romances Ever Written [BY HOWARD FITZALAN| CRA KAM NIOON = 9 i13¢ =F "Wopreight, 1008, by Street & Seuith,) the lighthouse, and will eee that the SYxoPsIa OF PRECEDING CHAPTERS, light io nag be lit. And, another CON aR ik ii | CHAPTER X. The Treasure Ship. 1 find the lighthouse keeper Grugged and solve the mystery. The Rosamund eon round about this time. ave arranged that the will run on the rocks. HEN I had taken the batese forced by your govern successfully into the co’ Peddicord commented with some surprise on the ize of 11, our schooner, but Longue- haye explained it the paralyzed man’ it was not particularly dificult to handle, needing only six men. I was Wondering how he would reconcile this statement with the number of men Peddicord was to see at the house, but I was soon given an ex- planation of that, for after I had se- c@red the bateau and Peddicord started up the path to the it of the Longuebaye drew me quickly I'm afraid they may take too much of the liquor al and start trouble while Pedi is here. Bo go aboard the echooner and remain to see that peace and order are kept. They re- spect you.” “Bat"— I objected. He fixed me with his even stare. “Qh, very well,” I said sulkily, and my steps to the beach. en Peddicord and Longuehaye disap) over the bluff, I hailed the schooner cautiously and asked wy. to send a boat ashore. Paks and Ivpeen brought it and I swung aboard th achoorler, to find most of the men cfowded into the deckhouse playing verde, 1 hailed them and went out into the air again, for the atmosphere ‘was. bit too murky for my olfactories. In the cabin aft, which the women had ‘used on the journey from the Patap- eco, Eveling, Simons and Yettas were imtent on a poker game. I had not nd, besides, I liked cards; “The question is,” said Eveling, pete you're shy on ing do! ‘This ain't check- @a nor yet beer checks," I told him that I had four dollars, ‘was thereupon admitted, ’e had to rush,” suid Eveling, t_the gang aboard after Longuehaye T asked, studying flash from the lighthouse, ‘When he left to go over to the light- house, he gave orders that if flashed a light from the tower we ‘Were to. pack the crowd aboard hore, 1 many cards?” fe. played until 2 o'clock. Then I left and rowed back to the beach. Looking seaward as I landed I saw there was no light on Red Reef. What ships might not pass at any moment and crash upon the deadly eawteeth! The course for all vessels bound for Philadelphia lay close to the shore until the reef light should bemighted—then a change of course to curve the reef and back to the janged until the reef was shore in. And their course was saat ; “fhe horrible thought of a vessel tt ‘upon. the reef sent me sick, blinded, ing toward the house. one suddenly bumped into me. tt, “ "Ho, hy were on the sci t orders from Longueh give Eveling. ‘E's to get the blooming craft under w’ yhurried off. ure, of haste from my impact with him, J rushed.back to the house. The doog.'was,-of course, absent and I en- tened purriedly the living hall, where ® buge fire had been built but was rh down from lack of attention. all wea deserted, I pushed my back to what had once been the a , and there found the pei et whom I wee in search. san interesta, bare hundred thousand” “I see,” I eaid, “and for that you are willing to sacrifice the crew of @ vessel—God knows how lives—to right your own wrong.” “You are mistaken,” she eaid ex- citedly. “No lives will be sacrificed. Every precaution has been taken to) guard the st it bas lifeboats in plenty, and, besides, the schooner is now getting under way to pick up any one that the lifeboats miss, If we do not atop the vessel to-morrow she will be in Philadelphia harbor un- loading the precious cargo for the United States mint, We learned of this—never mind how—and I made a bargain with Mr. Longuehaye that he should have half for his ef- forts. We met in London. Hi have kept us advised. I ga’ the money for the work, but it was al- ways with the understanding that no lives were to be sacrificed. It is res- titution merely, And with the money, as I told you before, I contemplate only @ great charity. Now perhaps you will understand that there is nothing monstrous about the idea.” “Nothing monstrous?” I replied. Do you suppose that lifeboats can | live in the surf && the reef—and es- pecially when dropped from a sinking | ship? And to-night is black and stormy. I could barely take my lit tle bateau over the reef, let alone lifeboat loaded down to gunwales with passengers. What chance have rowers in the seas off Red Reef? escaped, do you am seus allow TO: them, he will run them own with his schooner before he would have them see shore. Are you really in- sane, my lady, or are you ‘simp! demonstrating a woman's usual lack “No bullying!” said Longue! took. a rovolver from “his speone which he whirled around his little finger by the trigger guard. “The senorita has heard enough. And ‘© now I think we will go.” A little silence fell. Lo eh eyes told me distinctly that the’ re volver was in bis hand to use—and that he would have no hesitation in so doing. And I realized that I must ean eee flerce denunciations from y lips. “that man Jenifer h: me over the wireless, telling me that he and some jamed Pearson have equipped themselves with cork floats and life preservers and 1 jump clear when the ip atril They will have electric torches ao that you can distinguish them from the others. Now, see here! What does thie mean?” His words banished my fear, “I'll you what it means, Jones. Tak away that gun, Longu e, or I'll reak your neck—the) and I grabbed it from his hands and threw it, like @ fool, into the fireplace, it lay glittering withia reach ther my lady or her duenna. ‘That what it means, Jones. ‘They've drugged Peddicord and hii assistant—muffled the bell-buoy—and kept the light on Red Reef from be- ing lit. The Rosamund will run on he reef. Those precious scoundrels, Jenifer and Pearson, who are in the plot, will be picked up. The others will drown. If they don’t drown, Longuehaye will run them down.” ieneuenaye moved toward the fire- break your neck. I've said that onc Dom't let me say it again, Yes, ome, Meee ie the plot! Pretty, 81 know how they had con- 4 trived the tabl but it w draped with » Ibn t hid wy cloth tha’ tever might be underneath. On g, it was thé silverware and china which had “been Fought from the Longue. re-Gibbons house, an e blac! ben Ed ‘Were Clearing away the used dishes. By the fire sat the lady in a wn, ataring into the fire, bs nee diienna opposite, while I ehgye had arisen at my en- t ; it’ I told you to atay said lightly. " ea Peddicord?” I asked. “In tos at the lighthouse? Do you uy 2 the light is not lit on Red you know what that - sinking of @ ship with aboard—maybe @ passenger aad ke my eyes had roamed the get Daw er eee were abruptly. Another person aa! Me eteon huddled up on Moves" by a, dread suuploion, 1 ed by @ suspictol the candelabra and moved the room. The light fell on allen, sleeping face of the light~ rouse keeper. Standing over him T looked, and trom his open mouth came a breath of something. T'put down the candle and crossed Longu 8 been drugged,” FE tavhat of Ht?" he asked. ] think I’ve got the mystery enough now,” T said. ‘Cree~ is no more ill than [ am.” to speak coldly that my words @ come straight. “He and the ni are fiery to nate the light ‘wal » ‘The nigger her r means that it the I sneered. “Once let ‘em et and in an hour the wires will be hot, and @ United States gun- boat down to the reef to protect the treasure. Do you suppose the amount of gold you mention can be jettisoned in @ few hours? Bah! And you were the one who dared talk morale, to me! Longuehaye—was honest!" 9 going to do?” “What .a gasped Jon you won't let that vessel run I laughed harshly, "'N wont,” I said. m going now—to get that bateau and make the light- house—and light the light on Red Reef"—— Longuehaye sprang at me. I struck him full in the face. Then I turned and ran from the room and out of the house. CHAPTER XI. To Save the Rosamund. I am chased by the schooner and prowgne fave to face with retribu- HAD only to gain the lane through the pines to realise that I had committed two grievous errors, In the first Place I should have kept Longuchaye's revolver instead of giv- ing way to the desire for the dra- matic and attempting to throw it into the fire—and the second errer lay very plainly in the fact that when I head. the light was revolving’ Through my bicared eyes, @imly to thi owt of thi ottes from “| can't afford it, but I've got to make a piluff.' revolver bang behind me, and was conscious of a screaming little some- thing that went past me. It was fol- lowed by another and ther—but the night was dark and the broad con- cal tions of snowflakes threw out line of vision. iow had been falling steadily for some little time, and deadened thi enough aware of the fact that I was pursued by th@reports from behind me, and the ring of the bullets alol my path. Ae I emerged from the shelter of the cedi know he had more of me—and, doubling up, I put on an ex- tra spurt. of speed, covering. the ground between me and the bluff with . @reat strides. Longuehaye fired three ps times more—and still I went un- ecathed; then | imagined he had all bis cartridges—for the revolver was, if I know anything of the feel of it, Coit 42, which has but six 1 ehambers. So great was my speed that when I reached the top of the bluff I was ul able to check myself in time, and co sequently fell headtorem I te the cold snow rubbing hot as I slid down the declivity, but, righting myself, I managed to get my feet again, only to lose my balance for the second time and again to slid this time on my back. Slipping, tum- bling and—I must confess—ewearing, I finally found myself on the beach, and fumbled for my claspknife. I had no time to untle the painter from the © root, for, looking up, I saw another man sliding down the snow clad hill much in the manner of a to- ganner. My claspknife open, lacked down at the rope and it part- ed, the suddenness of it jamming the claspknife agairet my numbed fingers. ‘The knife fell to the beach and slipped into the water—but I had no time to bother about it. Drawing the bateau to the rock, I jumped in, drifted off with the tide, and I, with all baste, proc to unfurl and sprit the foresail, I had come to the accomplishment of this and a puff of snowy wind from the port side filled the foresall and the little craft heeled. Almost at the same moment I heard a splash bebind me and th und of a body moving through the er at a rapid pace, 1 grasped the tiller to right the ba- teau and turned. The same second t body came level with the boat and pair of hands grasped the washboard near the bow, immediately lifting after them the body of Longuehaye. *As he drew himself over, the bateau lurched violently to starboard, lapping up @ few galions of water, and came near capsizing. 1, of course, could do noth- ing to prevent his presence, The boat was flimsy in the extreme—a struggle would undoubtedly turn it over, An this, I was sure, was what Longue- ed, for he began to drag hie form from the bow to the the same time man in the stern! ‘Treachery! Treachery! Chase the sall- boat! Kill the man in the stern! Help! Help!" At the moment we passing di- rectly under the schooner’s sides, and Longuehaye, knowing well enough that jer her rom I caught the sheet rope and pulled it tightly—hauling in my sail as close as the wind would permit—and the wind, still giving me its good offices, sent the nose of my little craft deep into the foam and brought her out into the open. @ realising, now that we Longuehay. wore jn the 9 efor bett, sopped the ‘mes ve ee ul ees d his usual ‘So? our boat. As we rounded the point of the cove I could se6 lights twinkling aboard the schooner, hear the rattling of her anchor chain.and the creakii of the blocks as the hal: through them. It wasp! that she was gettihg under way, and when [ realized that the entira number of our forces left, except Jones, and maybe Chitty, were aboard he: saw little shrift for me should we be éver- hauled. The view of the schooner and cove was, however, obscured by our direct skidding along the coast of the island. For the moment | had some reflection, ‘The schooner could most readily over- 1 me, that I knew, provided she was in any degree ready for the chase when the alarm was sounded—and that I believed she was, for had not Longuehaye sent Chitty ahead before I entered the house to Eveling instructions to get under way, no doubt, I supposed, that he might hover about the reef and pick up his friends with the cork floats and elec- tric torches? My only chance, then, of eluding the schooner and reaching the light- house ahead of them was to make a tacks, keeping up in much as possible. In this sort of craft going about does not necessitate much loss of headway, and it would not interfere with my speed, while the sch: which was much slower in stays, could not attempt to follow my tactits without losing her headway and marking down her speed. I looked across at Longuehaye and knew that he had no intention of al- lowing me to light the lamp on I Keef, even if he took serious bodily risks himself. He was unarmed, however, and unarmed I did not fear him. J knew, also, that he would make no attempt to stay the boat, for such an attempt would harm him as much as myself—and it was @ brief life that even a strong swimmer might live In that choppy sea, obscured from rescuers by the snow lke ti ‘The wind was dead ahead and biow- the snow particles stinging my eyolids. I tacked again, and this second tack brough' line with the cove again and view of the schooners hape emerging therefrom. gained the mouth of the cove and was, perhaps, haif a mile from me. I saw that she was crowding on every inch of canvas. “Your friends have got a half-mile handicap, Longuehaye,” I said. T knew he was furious with rage, for he waa 6! he gate, 18 hav you got sense enough to know that half a mile is easily made up when @ big boat like that chases @ little one Hee ‘this? You'll find that out presently.” I laughed shortly, but 1 was afraid that he was speaking the truth, The schooner was now preparing for @ long leg, and was soon bearing down rapidly upon us. The lighthouse was something Mke due southeast, and that wae the course I was taking with my short tacks, the wind blowing east, and my tacks being to north and I realized that it was only a ques- tion of distance before the schooner would catch me, but there was some hope that she could not make up my rained half-mile in four, There must some very skilful manipulation to . make this chance beer fruit and to keep the bateau from close proximity to the achooner on these emall tacks, for to be within accurate firing dis- tance of her was almost as bad as Deing overhauled, There were some marksmen aboard the Crown of ‘When I gained sight of the echeoner. after her i caw that I had lost ome of Lo evidentty” it Jeni Coeels Eger,” hp enid ofthe 8 eR IE NNER PPR aden you think you are rather a ly young man? Ther is some, passed over the Shark Rook. The bell as he $10,000 in this thing for you. If.you fi smash our schemes by lighting that light you manage to save the ship, but what good will it do you? ¥. be friendlens, pennil wanted fo: before, “Oh, Lord, Longuehaye,” I replied, impatiently, “I haven't a great deal to live for. Let them get me, if they like. I'm over my scare.” “But you will have something to live for,” he insisted. “Come, with twenty thousand, say—ot twenty-five thousand.” ‘e had it before,” I replied, jam- ing the tiller and hauling close, ‘and it didn't do any good.” “But experience”"—— “Oh, the devil!” I retorted rudely. “You may take this from me, Longu haye, I'm not going to let that ship go on the rocks, It's a damnable dirty murderous thing to do.” “I didn’t know you bad any com- Punctions about murder,” he sneered. “God knows I've compunctions, I meant no murder.” The sound of a shot recalled my @ituation to me. The schooner was now less than @ quarter of mile to rt, and the Gret shot was followed ® fusillade, “They'll wing you presently,” said Longuehaye, in a satisfied ton “Ag much chance for me as for you," I replied, exiading a ny. to tn ‘cast, and when e when i jiaee T kaa sufficiently thrown out their atm, let her slide toward the Ughthouse again, The schooner made no attempt to follow my tack, keeping steadily on her way to thi re now I realized that they new idea, They would e reef in such @ way that I could not pase tl We were on a course @ little to the east of the thouse, which I now @aw looming indistinctly out of the mist, Then was presented to me with great suddenness that with the echooner blocking my entrance I had no way to enter the channel between the rocks, I knew that I must take my chances and race her to the chan- nel, risking the chance #hots from ber marksmen, So I brought her in close to the wind and raced along the echooner's th. Throwing the ter hard over, knooked her down in the breese, The result of my manoeuvre brought me almost under the schooners bows, and the next second brought a spat- tering of bullets on our Iittle craft and a sharp pain ran through my left shoulder, The next blow sent the lit- tle oraft whirling ahead—and sow I heard the sound of surging water, which told me that the reef wae close at hand. I had now a gain of fifty 4 yards, and the bullets dropped them- selves about me like carelessly shaken fruit, The shoulder began to smart and burn. It was my left one, and that hand held the sheet rope. For the time I was tempted to drop the rope and groan over my ache. still a gain, although the schooner was rapidly eating up the distance between us, Then came a slight shuf- fling sound at the bottom of my craft and I felt sick at heart. We were on the reef—not the saw toothed Red Reef, but the deadly submerged Shark. For the moment we stopped eails fapped—then a jolt and again. the realization of th their keeping on their course. I looked behind me. The schooner still bore down with crowded canvas, “Look out! The Shark Rock!” This was where the bell-buoy had break: ewung—thet bell-buoy which Longue- Baye had ordered to be muffied with tended the Rosamund to go. We've iy muffied. Shout! They won't be- lieve me!” “The Shark Rock!" he yelled. “Keep over my oft! Change your course!" But they were his instructions. aehoonee loomed u} with lttle specks o about wildly, shouting, sweari! frenzied. The soboner vacillated, swayed. There had evidently been some ted attempt on the part of the helmsman to her course; but a» she aw: in the wind her bow wuddenly ard, ber stern sank almost to her gunwales, and the raucous splitting of it sent a shudder through me. ‘Then she slipped back from the reef, and I heard the gushing of the water. 1 knew what had bappened. Her bow had been stove, and as I again gave her a backward pum 1 ducklike, settling to But I could think no more of must keep dead ahead, Red Reef, Longuehaye w fixedly at the wreck @ black shape ently I shifted her course, making @ quick, short tack to the north, follow- ing it back to west. Now I saw the looming erey, shape of the light house and dimly glimpsed the landing stage, Luffing the bateau in the wind for an easy landing on the etep, I ulated her eo that she came bi and grased the landing atage. At that moment I re- aged tiller and rope and jumped. Longuehaye stumbled over bateau he centreboard and Jed the well of the oa! po eage! alm on my lurched for the second, then righted @ rectini herself and lay still, ite bow resting dored. t ubmer| Tocks. OMgne pain iaemy ern was almost away. unbearable, but for all that I could quite aal glance drift back to \issed my ‘And gaw no schooner—not of contentment came again and even the hull of one, The Crown of with it. And then one day I awoke suddenly not but let m: Shark Rock. Grenada witb all her ruffians ne down on the very rock they had gaq sew. ee It was retri- me, At Gret I tier, Dut when be OF, wi tom and hailed prepared for another, bugign, jut ae inded shoulder I Longue Raye. 1 was reminded of him by . tunning blow on my A great mass of ‘stone which he “ had caught up and Gung at me now , fell at my feet. holding my head, e I caught. my_ bleeding, Feet ary In which three men are resolved U hail not light the light. ‘DER ordinary olroumstances «raduate Lomguehaye would have had 3°%, @mall chance for his ‘life jeft agri with » man of my learning much, but I opera muscles, But with a bulletin ful werless to follow and it of the mist the = It seem I cerry to WWch, oof the ber, when I raves rocke—at least eo I , then round followed by a 4 taring thinge—to ask a! im. that moved noiselessly Again I hauled tn my sheet, Pres- (reper os te be I staggered back, t"— I etammered. CHAPTER XII. Pe bt per allots The Fight at the Light House. 3°; am the doctor,” thought I was lying Meord that, but I P. G. work in timore. I've never used my der and another out of my whoulder and the etunning blow J°aan't do it badly, it cf E it i | i gF g rae 49 Pe i A Ht rill i othts ria e Bs 538 t KE i a i Hl “Sg be es | ra i, t over tare. may hat he) I Y ve o vo bad enough trouble with you, as “The lady eo sald. hen I told Peds Tama 1 had received trom the rock be had came to the island with Se had burled at me, I was in no condition to was afraid that some of cope with any man of average phye- ical development, Longuehaye wasted no opportunity gained. He @ung bim- ders. elt on me, and, locking one leg ys, ebout mine, sent me on my back, MY own way and played le gon ‘ing malice? your own hand in your it like a man. head bumping against the hard rock. Resides, the lady hae asked me A relaxing of bis grip and be sat upon my chest with his fingers squeezing the air from my throat. I though in subm ‘ssion, but ap) he did not $00 its for he cont! USLse 1) a my throat, Then rage me, and I suddenly heaved upward, then sailed back to ip. Them came the bateau. ‘ing his it that t! Mah) ae os 0 he. th it be al- better to you back to life, Taken a sort 5 3 2 & i ; fi tl ii 33 f af j ae i ip aif i if if ise 3% i | ie ; tl rin ii ap i f j [ i aif ii bli hil i Hi i HE f: i yf 2 i i ) i 4 iit ate ne E i | Aj IE i of bt i BEET hs ii a 3 fs is i i ite f FE ef i z HF rE FF f i iff Ht ate “il f 2 of ie i E H i te it i H i I : 5 5 b iil i f ty i ‘ bs Et bo; ut killing that worry. You didn’t epent «