Sharp County record., 1896-12-25
CHAPTER XVII.
"IT IS NOT ANGUS BRUCE, THE PILOT
WHO SPEARS TO YOU now"

IL NltON1 VI AAAN ~ NfNAe NNe---- - 49,
night of October 10 was q severe one to
Fannie and Clara Hill.
Fannie had been completely pros
trated ever since, and the wedding trip
had been abandoned. Clara had borne
up much be tier, for with her there was
a sense of thankfulEess that the cere
mony had not been performed which
would have made her the wife CT
Lathrop; and far greater one. that An
gus Bruce was neither Black Beard nor
the murderer of John Lloyd.
As to Lathrop; there was an uncer-
tainty as to y hat hid becorne of him.
Carr and Briggs had stated that
Hendricks. before he left Bullion at
the floodgate, had said that if Dlact
Tea, 4 got that fellow, Lathrop, he would
leave the coast" Thus they thought
that for some reason he was after him,
hut what that reason could be they
could not conceive, as twas now known
to a certainty that Angus was not the
dreaded Dlack Beard.
/ Bullion. be it remembered, was not
aware that Lathrop had fallen into the
hands of his captain, and consequently,
without any certain information, the
search for him was kept up for a
month, At the end of which time, all
came to the conclusion that he had
either committed suicide, in some un-
known locality, or that he had en-
countered the pirates when he fed
from the chapel, and had been carried
away by them.
/ At Wilmington there was consterna-
ton when the steamer came up the
river and reported having seen vessel,
answering the description of the Mer-
vine. living in the trough of the sea
off the inlet, with no one visible on
board, and that ere they could reach
her she went down.
| The Mervine, not returning, rendered
it certain that it was she. But how came
she in the trough of the sea with no one
visible on deck?
| Where was her crew? Was it pos
sible that she had encountered the
pirates and been vanquishcd?
The captain who had sighted her
reported having seen no other craft
in the locality.
/ Forty marines and two officers OF
the law! Had the pirate Bullion led
them into a trap?
It was conceded that he had. His
ac1uiesccnce in the plan to use him
to capture or eXterminate the pirates
was but for the purpose of saving his
neck and leading the would-be captors
of his friends to destruction.
No one in Wilmington knew fol
where the Mervine was bound when she
left port, as Bullion refused to give any
information until they were under
way.
Where was the pirate?
No one had seen her.
Would Black Beard have visited Or
ten without his schooner:
If So he had disappeared as usual, ont
left no trail behind.
Who was Black Beard?
Where was Angus Bruce?
There was much surprise at Lathrop''
villainy, and no regret at his fate, what
ever it might have been.
Uncle Sam Immediately sent out hal
n dozen OF his tleetest vessels to searcl
the ocean wide for a craft that lay
buried beneath thousands of tons o
, rocks at the head Cf the estuary u
Smiths island, and q crew who slep
peacefully beside the crew Of the Mer
, vine, in sleep that knows no wakening
, deep down beneath the rugged surface
of the island.
Aunt Mag, Lathrop's last victim, slept
In an honorcd grave in the little Gene
= terry at Kendall.
On the goth OF November, at midday, {
yacht Of exceeding beauty SAILED
through the inlet and dropped anchor
| off Smithyille.
A boat was sent ashore, Il gcn ntlemanl
, appearing man, dressed in fashionabl,
, attire, climbed the ladder to the wharf
B. Piver, the pilot, sat there on coil O.
, rope.
Hello, Pivcrl" exclaimed the new E r
rival Don't you know cd friends?"
: "Old friends? Yes, but you-bast my
} eyes, If yon don't look Ike Angus. Say
be ye, sure enough?"
"That am Piycr, what's left Of me
: and believe there's more Of me than
there was when was forced TO fly from
the coast"
"Ycs, lad, you have changed much
, and you are welcome home again
There be many here who have held from
the first that you were neither Blacl
Beard nor the murder of the banker
All now know who murdered Lloyd, ant
he disappeared rs though he had beer
swallowed up by the waters Of the inle
md become food for the hungry sharks
Perhaps he has, who can tcll2 Eut haste
thee to thy mother boy; there will b,
good times in smlthville now"
; "Thanks, Pivcr." Then, turning tc
The boats crew. Argus bade them re-
turn TO the yacht and await his signal
"rhat yacht be a clipper, lad. Whence