Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-04-27
Copyright. by A. N. Kellogg Newspaper Col

Follow me inside the gate. Halt!
Stand there, where if he holds light
he may see your muskets glisten. Now.
silence!" And the captain knocked
loudly on the door.
Presently window opened from
above.
well, what's wanted?"
"Are you Secretary Raynor?"
"Yes; what is wanted?"
"You are wanted at the treasury at
once. have orders to conduct you
there"
what is the trouble?"
81 don't know. Something is wrong"
''Who are you?"
Capt. Philip Holt. of the regular
army, and detachment of four men,"
and the captain ratified his sword
against the scabbard.
"I'll come at once" and in two min,
utes the secretary stepped out of the
door.
"Have you the vault keys2"
"Yes, but why?"
"They might be needed, that's oil.
Forward, march,"
Straight for the door OF the treasury
did they march until halted by the
sentinel. Black Beard recognized the
voice of his own sentry, and knew that
all was well.
'Where is the lieutenant and tie seo-
rotary, sentinel2"
'In the building, captain"
Every well, pay strict attention to
your duty. Forward, march," and at
the door the captain knocked three
times with the hilt of his sword.
1t swung open, and all but the sentry
ntered-Pockmarked Bill was sta
toned before it.
Lieut.. Parks, have you secured the
prisoners?"
"They are bound and gagged" and
the lieutenant pointed to the forms of
the sentry and Waterman lying on the
floor.
II trust it was unnecessary to injure
Them" said the captain, "our duties are.
not pleasant, secretary, but they must
he performed-now, I'll trouble you for
the vault key and tho key to the door
that leads there"
But" said the secretary, who now
began to get suspicious.
mo time for ifs and butts, sir! Quick,
men, the cords. Secretary, you see the
shining muzzle of this pistol, the strong
arm of the government is here.''
The secretary was soon bound and
gagged and deposited with the other
two, and, emptying his pockets, Sandy
took the keys and led the way.
They bore the three men along and
placed them in an inner Office. Then
Sandy led the way to the vaults, UNI
locked and threw open the doors and
there lay the gold coin of Uncle Sam
great heaps sewed up in sacks contain
tanning $4,000 each.
Each man took from beneath his vest
a canvas bag and filled it with as many
sacks of coin as he could carry, and the
"a men, well laden, marched back to the
Fisher Boy and hastily descended to
the captains cabin, where the gold was
deposited. Then the uniforms were
dotted and the sailor rig donned, the fas-
Jennings cast loose and the Fisher Boy
swung round, her ample sails spread,
filled with the stiffening breeze, and she
was off, scudding through the water
like thing of life, dashing the spray
from her prov, and fast leaving behind
the scene of the most daring exploit of
Black Beard.
On ladder that hung suspended over
her stern stood n man with q brush
ard paint pot. The Fisher Boy had
disappeared from the face of the ocean
forever, and it was the Nancy Parks
that at midnight on the 18th of the
month found her way under the guild
ance of an experienced eye into the
estuary of Smiths island and was made
fast to the pirates landing.
The gold was transferred to the cav
ern and placed with the other treasures
to await general division by Black
Beard among his crew. Then bumper
followed bumper over the success of
their last great venture, and when
finally the last man had drunk his fill
and story and rhyme and song died
out the music of the cabin changed to
lusty snores, which evidenced that even
pirate forms must find repose, and re-
pose they did, as peacefully as though
the nation was not aroused as it had
not been since 1912, and as if they
needed not the fact that congress had
already offered a reward of $3.50, 900 for
the apprehension of the hooters of the
treasury.
True, they knew not who they were,
but as Black Boards name was now on
every tongue it was conceded to be
he; though the third secretary, when
released from his uncomfortable po-
sition at nine n. m. on the 10th, said:
"That from the military bearing OF
the officer who accompanied him from
| his house to the treasury he must have
been West Pointer"
CHAPTER XXX.
BLACK BEARD VISITS THE WIDOW BRUCE.
AT midnight on the Goth boat in
| which was seated seven men, six at the
oars and one astern, was fast approach
| ing Smithville from the direction OF
| the island. Were it not so dark the
| figures might have been discerned by
| the lookout or crew of any vessel that
might be passing in or out of the inlet.
The man in the stern who had hold
| or the tlller ropes was the one VINO
bore the title of Black Beard-the man
who in four months had terroriZed the
entire Atlantic coast and performed
deeds of daring far surprising those OF
any bold buccaneer that ever trod the
quarter deck of a privateer on the At
lantic coast or stretched hemp at q
yard arm. He neither wore black
| heard now nor Iyoc l,n iraSce6 i'm sen.
mans garb. but attired very much as