Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-05-11
copyright. by'A. N. Kellogg Newspaper Col
CHAPTER NNv11.

Kellogg Newspaper Col
CHAPTER NNvu.
| 1T Is NOT ANGUS BRUCE, THE PILOT.
WHO SPEAKS TO You Now"
The shock of the revelations of the
night of October 10 was severe one to
Fannie and Clara Hill.
Fannie had been completely pros
/ trated ever since, and the wedding trim
had been abandoned. Clara had borne
up much better, for with her there was
q sense of thankfulness that the cere.
| mony had not been performed which
would have made her the wife of
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 what had become of him.
Carr and Briggs had stated that
Hendricks, before he left Bullion at
the foodgate, had said "tkat il black
Beard got that fellow, Lathrop, he would
leave the coast" Thus they thought
that for some reason he was after him,
but what that reason could be they
/
to certainty that Angus was not the
dreaded Black Beard.
Bullion, be it remembered, was not
aware that Lathrop had fallen into the
hands of his captain, and consequently,
without any certain informa ton, tho
search for him was kept up for q
month. At the end of which time, all
came to the conclusion that he had
either committed suicide, in some UNI
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, lying 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 vanquished?
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 trap?
1t was conceded that he had. His
acquiescence 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 for
where the Mervine was bound when she
left port, us 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
ton without his schooner?
If so, he had disappeared as usual, and
left no trail behind.
| Who was Black Beard?
Where was Angus Bruce?
There was much surprise at Lathrep's
villainy, and no regret at his fate, what
ever it might have been.
Uncle Sam Immediately sent out half
Q dozen of his fleetest vessels to search
the ocean wide for a craft that lay
buried beneath thousands of tons of
rocks at the head Ct the estuary Of
Smiths island, and crew who slept
peacefully beside the crew Of the Mer.
vine, in sleep that knows no Weakening,
deep down beneath the rugged surface
of the island.
Aunt Mag, Lathrop's last victim, slept
in an honored grave in the little cemc-
terry at Kendall.
On the Goth of November, at midday, q
yacht of exceeding beauty sailed
through the inlet and dropped anchor
off Smithville.
A boat was sent ashore, Il gentlemanly
appearing man, dressed in fashionable
attire, climbed the ladder to the wharf.
Piver, the pilot, sat there on q coil Of
rope.
"Hello, Piyer!" exclaimed the new ar
rival. Don't you know Old friends?"
"Old friends? Yes, but you-blast my
eyes, if you don't look like Angus. Sag,
be We, sure enough?"
THAT am, Piver, what's left of me;
and believe there's more of me than
there was when was forced to fly from
the coast"
"Yes, 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 Black
Beard nor the murder of the banker.
All now know who murdered Lloyd, and
he disappeared as though he had been
swallowed up by the waters of the inlet
and become food for the hungry sharks.
Perhaps be has, who can tell? But haste
thee to thy mother, boy: there will BE-
good times in Smithville now"
Thanks. Piver." Then, turning to
the boats crew, Angus babe them re-
turn to the yacht and await his signal.
1. THAT yachtbe clipper, lad. Whence
came she?"
From Scotland, Piver; from the
home of my fathers. She belongs to
me-"
"Why, SO you have not Jared ill since
yon ran away?"
mo, Piver only in mind. My uncle
died while l was in Scotland, and left
no issue. ! am now Sir Angus. and have
inherited the estates of my grand.
father, with AN income of 100000 a
year"