The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-08-21
PERIL ISL AND.


him out. And we'll do It. He. he, he,
hel" III Ki.e.
"Iristl prcnez garde'' ttake care),
came the F'renchtnan's warning whisper.
FOOTBALLS sounded, passed the mouth
OF the dark arch, and died away.
"Bni Jove, that was & sensible fellah
not to come in here, said the Hon.
ourabo with laugh. HES coming
round, Isn't her.
Give uttered soft moan. Lake seized
his heels and the dwarf his head. They
staggered across the court With their
burden and dropped him heavily Mt tho
foot Of the ratlines. Whatever the des-
peradoes were In search Of, whatever
the secret, 1t was clearly held BY Juan
Gaskarn. Only tho dread OF losing that
secret forever kept them from murder
Ing the old man.
They stood listening lntently Tho
upper door was closed and invisible.
swnyne began to climb the ratines.
"1Iook out for lead" whispered Lake.
After q time the dwarf rejoincd them.
Tie was chuclsling in his throat
whats the joker asked the Hon
Durable.
7.1Ie. he, he. he! he I'll bolt the rnb-
bit. Got out OF sight, my bonnie roEues
If yer ain't lead proof. Give EN- sntan's
Song when tip the wink, and. by Dnvy
Jones, I'll show yer Juan Gnakara Could
yer pink him. dyer think Honourable?
You can hold gun pretty straight"
TITS sight too risky to try" put In
Lake. IAN inch too far might finish
! him and our chances with him.
"Bai Jove! do you take me for such
| q fool with what there ls ut stalker"
"Shift yerselves," said the dwarf.
They saw him drag Give to his feet
ana began to grin rs they understood
his plan. The dwarf gripped Give
round tho waist and thrust his hldeous
arm. Clive's seui-conscious body shell
tered him.
Pipe up. my merry larks, my night
! inEales, my black cnnaries. g1nned
Monkey swayne. MANY good man
| has gone fathoms deep to the music Of
that dear old tune. Softly. softly! He.
he. he, he!"
| In. and tho wild song trembled on tho
damp air:
Dead men, live men. drink and gold.
| Yo-heave-ho and they call 1t piracy.
| With the Roger at the truck, yo-ho, my
comrades bold.
Yo-heave-ho there's lots Of gold at
The door was dashed open. The fight
A brilliant beam OF light streamed out.
| IN his knee breeches and buckled shoes.
| cooked hat and queue. naked sword
blade In his right hand long barrelled
| nintlock in his left and another In his
belt. the vision from the past appeared
at the head Of the ratlines.
Have at We. ours, have at ye." he
! screamed. ,'tI'll take tho challenge.
Curse ye. Monkey swayne. curse yc,
Lake and VANDERBILT. I know where your
fathers bones bleach. know who left
'em there to bleach. Twas Juan; old
murderous. mercIless Juan And he did
lit for gold. for rich, red blood-stained
gold. Have at ye. have at yell
| xiii Monkey Swayne. kill him. mess
mate. slit his throat, slit his throat, :"
croaked the eerie voice OF the parrot.
There was silence below. The old
mans eyes seemed to have failed him.
| The door opened wider and the light
showed up the limp form OF Give Dray-
ton and the leering. distorted features Of
the dwarf grinning under his nerveless
arm.
maniac could utter. Tho old man thrust
the pistol into his belt and divod into
the room. His cracked voice shrllled
through the night in fierce defiance.
He was Black Juan Gaskara. tho Juan
Of eighty years ago. the Juan whose
name was only breathed with trembling
| lips on the wide seas from ChnrlestoWn
to Trinidad. He tore out brandishing
lamp and shot down the ratlines waving
tho cleaning sword. Strength moro than
human had come back to his shrunkcn
llmbs his eyes flashed murder. the wild
oaths OF a past century, when sea-.
farers feared neither God nor devil.
poured from his lips.
Even the dwarf rccoilcd In utter dread.
and let Give fall. They fed before him.
| chilled with pale fear. Lake uttered a
scream MS the steel pierced his arm He
hurled tho lamp at the running dwarf,
and 1t broke to atoms against the corner
OF the arch.
The four men fled as II some nend from
| the pit was In chase. Fills shrieks and
| GA tbs rang In their ears. When they
halted 1t was because they could run no
more.
Juan Gaskara sheath his sword and
turned back. The strength Of madness
was with him still. FIe carried Give up
the ratllnes and laid him on tho carpet.
Then the old man locked and bolted the
door. There was no light except the
fickering fire. Hc was gaspng for
breath; the paroxysm that had stceled his
muscles was almost past He fumbled
for matches, while the eerle bird mum
bled and chartered and cacked
The Pickering flames died down. Gives
limbs twitcled and his eyes opened only
to close again. Juan Gnskaras knees
were beginning to totter with weakness.
TIe struck match and lighted second
lamp. Little by little tho wick blazed up.
Without looking at Clve, Gaskarn un-
buckled his sword and reprinted the
| clumsy pistols.
THO murderous CLEAN had almost faded
from his eyes, leaving them glossy and
lustreless. Dipping an old quill pen In
horn nkstand, he began to write, Or,
rather, to draw, slowly and laboriously'
And what he drew Is reproduced below
| n . $500