The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1890-11-14

some few faculties and some energy, moved
on beyond the church. till he came to the
white coral head stone. where he stood
still.
It was Lis last walk on deck orsand!
Shading his still horror-stricken eyes with
both hands, he glared to ses-ward.
"Ho! ho! there yon are my Yankee COM
modore, with that old brig under convoy,
and that pretty schooner! Reminds me Of
my old schooner. Bueno! there are other
schooners. and l must begin the world
right arm yet; and who can stop me?'
Captain Brand made these remarks in q
loud tone, as il he wanted the whole world
to hear him, and as il he had failed in
early life, and come to a strong resolution
to retrieve his past errors.
As he waved his strong right arm aloft,
while, inima9ination, blood inined from the
blade of his cutlass after cleaving the skull,
bya blow dealt behind the back of IN un.
suspecting skipper Or mate, suddenly he
paused, and the arm fell powerless ut his
side, where it hung dangling loose like
pirate from gibbet on windy day.
He caught sight of the old broken cocoa
nut trunk to which he Ind hitched the green
silk rope, with its moose around his victims
neck and he squirmed to prevent himself
falling to the sand.
"How lie choked out, his jaws rattling
like dry bones, II see it ali now. The
column was snapped just where the rope
was hitched, and the trestle must have been
torn TO pieces by the hurricane. Ho, no!
That the way my man escaped, to dog Tie
all over the world. Ho! have no time to
lose; he may be here at any moment.
This was the last connected speech that
Captain Brand ever made: for at tho last
word Paul Darcantel, rose in all his terrible
reality before him. With folded arms he
bent his dark, stern eyes upon the pirate.
wherein the retribution of twenty years was
cleaning with concentrated power.
You palsled villain! the oath took to
You, and for which have been wretched,
expired yesterday! took another myself.
when we stood here last together; and I
come to fulfil that oath, and-s:rike!"
His terrible voice and words came back
in an echo from the crag and they seemed
with their intense energy to pierce and
shrivel the man before him into sleet. And
the pirate would have fallen had not two
huge, black lignum-vitm paws grappled
him about the body, pinioning his arms to
his sides as if they had been bolted through
aud through; while at the same moment an
other pair Of tough, sea-weed fippers
wound a lashing round his straight legs,
and then laid him gently down on the sandy
esplanade.
"The trestle, Banou, Aud you. Ben,
bring the hide strands. the faded old cord,
and that black altar cloth"
The pirate lay on his back, his eyes wide
open-for he could not shut them since the
lids had gone in frost-but the solid balls,
side to side. He recognized the old up
paratus, too, though it was in different
hands than those Of Pedillo and his con-
federate. and he saw also that, though the
paie-green rope was rotten, yet his knowl-
edge of nautical matters taught him that it
yet might bear taut sfrain; and that those
coils of hide thongs nevergave WY by any
amount Of tugging, and he saw as we'll that
they had been recently dipped in grease.
But what was to be done with that rotten
moth eaten old cloth, which the men used
10 play monte on Saturday nights. in the
shed, and on which the good Padre played
his cards likewise in the chapel? 1t was
not to keep the cold air away from him, or
shield his half-naked body from the pois-
onous insects. Then what could il be for?
Lift him up, men. and when you lash
him down. leave only that little finger
free!"
Ben Brown squatted himself on stone
buoL,e Tue n5 Ia -. nv T s,na o ou s,,o un
plcRied ana iaia on the sahd, ana sleeves
rolled up, began his work as II he had q
cnahng matte mako Tor the dead eyes OF the
fri2ate 8 lower shrouds. and though IN
hurry, still intended to make q neat job Of
it: hehad small and rather sharp-point-
ed ma-lin-spike, too, which he wore, habit
uallv, like taisman, round his neck. md
which stood him in hand i'll the intricate
parts of his task.
Taxing IN ut a glance the exact amount OF
hide stuff he required he middle the coils,
. and passing each strand falr and square, his
old bronzed arms went backward and for
ward. under and over.sometimes prick
ing little whole by accident IN the pinie's
own thin hide, as he passed the strips by
the aid OF his marlin spike, butaiways apol-
ogi zing III his bluff, rough way.
Beg parding, We numbering pirate! but
that stick will do We no harm. It'll heal
much sooner than the IRON spike one OF yer
Inmate when you gagged him on board
the brig.
say old nigger. hand US o little more OF
that slush, VII! ye! TINS ere strand won't
lie fiat. Ihankee old darkey! Hitch hold
OIL mat lower emu, VIII We! ana araw IL
square mp between MS pms, ana stralghten
out that Knee. JOINT bit-so fashion.
wouldn't hurt ye, you villain for
cha N OF 1obaccy. .,,
..,, NOW. continued ben. III take spell
I'LL the doctor ana the old Niger comes
BACK. -,
=, Ay, the job was s, done, andthe mat o7er
the dead-eyes OF me snfouds!
During TINS neat ana seaman IKE opera
non; fani Darcantei wandered ... away on the
tracks OF me hilhg wolf III ne came TO
me Gieit IN inc rock; mere lie picked up
nna i'gn.ea .ne e, .oten n s'aikea on; resent
ne came 70 me rs stone Deior .el me low cav
erh ana pushed NE way III WIN u tue oiaIing
loren before lore MN. iiaa faui Darcantel had
nerves ,nsn, 'neS wou . nave reen shaken at
WIN. ne s saM 9u. nasinR none 10 suake lie
c"Ts ni ie ~, us EYES Eyes UPON ,' inc sign
Inete lay 'ne neaa OF the ancient igna-
clo, cauglt, as ne tTlea 10 creep out OF the
s s.eas"ae ena'noe., ~ .ne talnng OF me
tha n aner use" uea s.;i LOT
in b;s wrinilsd lps ~h;a % ths sun sna sei is