The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-06-27
-CHApTER XIII (continued

1 O-O-G o O. 90 Coo V-eo-
/ CHAPTER XIII tcontnued).
/ The loss OF the sail forward left her
| head free to veer and the vessel prac-
| tically at tho mercy of the rioting ele-
ments Almost Immediately noun
famous sea caught her athwart the stern,
| flirging her like an csgshell half in the
| trough Of the waves, with the gale fair
! obeam. She careened under the awful
| violence of wind and waves until the
yardarm dipped and the lee sheerpoles
| We're buried, rlghtng only on the crest
OF the seethtng billow as 1t surged be-
meath her. then sinking Into tho following
| abyss with lurch and plunge as sick
4 eEing and long sustained. seemingly, as
| IL her destination were the very bowels
OF the earth.
| While the boiling waters washed waist
| deep between the rails and men, half
drowned. were struggling to regain their
| feet and a hold OH something stable.
cry broke from Redlaw's lips, louder even
| than the furious tumult of the sweeping
| storm.
Hard down y'helm--hard down." he
| shrieked Wildly. working himself forward
| by the weather rail- Get her out of the
trough, or we'll go to the bottom! Loose
a head sail! By Cd. another sea like
| that'll swamp us! Loose a. head sail, I
! say!'
/
| lows life We're worth to attempt break
| Ing the lib from her stays at that mo-.
ment. For. still hanging partly In the
trough Of the frlghtful pillows that fol-
lowed in the wake Of the hurricane, the
| vessels bow was buried with every
| plunge the seething water breaking over
| the forward bulwarks and the forecastle
| deck with force to sweep away like
straws any who dared tempt its violence.
One man only responded instantly to the
| pirates vociferous command. In fact the
| command scarce was heard by him. For
never moment passed, whether In calm
or In storm, when the safety of the wo-
|, men then shiverins with terror IN the
Vulture's cabin was not uppermost In the
mind Of Archie Walton. 1t was for their
sake, far more than for his own, that he
now rose to n valor which bound them
TO him even closer than before. and In
spired tho heart of Redlaw himself with
a sentiment that found expression only
in tho calm of after days. and In the
hours of herosm solemn because OF its
grandeur
Before the command had fairly left
Redlaw's lips, the voice Of Walton who
then was clngirg to the wea Their main
shrouds and saw the utter CONSERVATION
OF the crew, rang out above the fury
Of the storm:
'Tha lib hallards-man the lib hall
lizards! It's for your lives, lads! Stand
ready to hoist away!"
While speaking he was violently forcing
himself through the wash in the waist,
and making his way forward. With his
| knife between his teeth, with every lurch
of the Keeling vessel inviting a deuge
that threatened to tear him from his hold.
he gained the forward deck and the bow
spirit and fell to cutting away the gaskets
which stayed the reefed canvas
1t was a work Of brief DURATION but
appalling peril AS the last stay was
severed the shrleklng wind caught fold
of the sail and whipped out the canvas
In threshing volumes and with noise
like thunder. Then a downward plunge
OF the vessel brought a surge OF water
the shiverlng spar and within reach and
shelter Of the bulwarks.
Something like a spirit OF herolsm'
caught the gazing seamen, and roar OF
swelling exultation broke from Redlaw.
Man the sheet! Get drag aft!' he
Steady y'helm! Now ease q little! BY
Cd the sail holds and were making
way!"
Only briefly was there doubt OF the
result. Then Of sudden the wind
filled the sail, the head Of the light ves-
sci pointed up and out of the trough,
and within moment more was again
before the gale. with the perilous seas
astern.
AS the water left the deck Walton
came aft, amid the spontaneous shouts
OF the relieved seamen. The deed OF
the moment had wiped out, for the time
at least. all the antipathy of the past.
Half his coat was ripped from his shout
der and blood was trichling red from
ono side of his brow and CHASTITY white
face, where a stating line had laced
and broken the skin.
But he walked with a. steady step.
and when he mounted the after deck
Redlaw said simply. with glance at
the slight wound
That's nothing, lad Go below and
take long drink! For what you've
just done-but of that later! Go below
and leave the craft to mel"
The voice OF the speaker was as curt
as ever, his piercing eyes as cold In their
steady stare, but yet there was about
the man something to which these out
ward signs were vaguely given the lie.
Walton smiled family. but made no
reply, No man could say that he had
saved the vessel yet there was no man
among them but felt 1t ten to one that
he had done so. Without word he
accepted Redlaw's suggestion and went
below.
with the passing of the first blast of
the hurricane the violence OF the sea
abated and the wind steaded Yet
through that day and the following the
gale held so strong that discretion COM
PEELED running the vessel be1ore IL, ana
only in the afternoon of tho second day
could she be brought about to her ear
Her course
But In one Of Gods mysterious ways
nature herself had interposed, both to
pervert the vicious designs of Redlaw
and to bear his vessel into the track OF
events to follow, For that afternoon,
when the sun first broke through the
clouds and the swollen sea besan{eto
calm. the pirate craft was farther from
the Ladrones than on clearing from
Annoy
CHAPTER EIv
DUPLICITY UNDONE
| 'Do You wish to go on deck. Miss