The Grit-advocate., 1903-11-27
moment Crystal drove his cut,ass
through his shipmate's heart.
CHAPTER XIII,
The Last.

Inc shlrt upon MS heart gaped. and
was dark with blood. and blood lay
upon the cabin carpet close beside
him. With her left arm thrown over
his neck. and her black hair rningllng
with the dead mans. lay Laura Crys,
tai in swoon. Crystal had turncI of
a greenish waxen complexion, and
his face was terrifying with the .ri-
maces which worked in it.
Il had rather anything than this He
forced it upon me. He should have
surrendered" he said. trembling and
shuddering, and looking at the body
and then at the blade of his cutIass.
slightly streaked with the heart-blood
of his ship-mate.
Pick the lady up, and put her into
her cabin" says he, and then: pull
that body into it's cabin out of my
sight"
This was done, and the rugged man,
always grasping his cutlass, ran on
deck, and the others followed him,
after stopping, each man, minute. to
drink from the rum bottle on the
swing-tray.
|
here two armed men were on guard.
as all quiet below" said he.
There's been some hammering.
They're quiet now"
Keep sharp eye for your lives
sake, and cut down any man who at
| tempts to break out" called Crystal.
Crystals voice expressed him as
,I
In truth he had never reckoned upon
killing Pope. The scheme Cor his
| friend was his friends scheme for
him. Pope was to have been sent
adrift empty handed with number
of the pirates whose services Crystal
did not require. But the ar-blacken-
ed buccaneer, unsuspicious of Pope's
treachery. had been little too soon
for him with his own desperate de-
sign, and Pope lay murdered on his
| cabin floor, regardless now of booty
and of love; and sixteen or seventeen
men lay roasting like battened-down
slaves in the briggs heart.
C.ystal walked right aft to the
wheel, and looked into the compass
bowl. The quaint old Illuminated disk
showed a true course for Kingston.
Jamaica; this course was not to be
changed. He spoke to the man at the
helm, and told him that Captain Pope
was dead, killed by his hand, by the
hand of his friend, and he bemoaned
! it, and his voice was broken by one
or two dry sobs.
He would have killed you sir"
said the helmsman.
When dawn broke it had ceased to
rain for nearly an hour. The wind
was gone, but when the melancholy
gray rolled smokelike out of the east
over the sea. it disclosed number of
broken clouds in the northwest, with
the orange brightness Of the young
the vapor, and from that quarter they
might expect the wind.
Crystal was now in command, and
on him the airs Of the commander
sat in formidable and savage aspect
He ordered two Of the carronades to
be loaded with grape and canister;
these pieces Of artillery were then run
|
the hatch was lifted, and instantly
when this was done the muzzles OF
the guns were depressed.
No sooner had the light of day
fallen through the opening Of the
hatch, than half dozen men came
and stood under, looking up. One OF
the men was Grindal. He caught
caught sight of Crystal, and sung up:
What have you shut us men down
here for?"
His face ran with sweat, and his
repulsive countenance was unusually
hideous and swollen with the helpless
wrath and passions Of his wicked soul
"Your captains dead and the ships
mine," answered Crystal. BE you as
lambs, or we'll save ourselves some
trouble of mercy by firing into you. u
Crystal now marched on to the fore
castle with two of his men, leaving
the mainhatch well guarded and
everything ready for deadly belch
of cannon, should the men below
prove troublesome. He opened the
scuttle and called up Pope's servant
who Immediately appeared blinking al
the strong light.>
Thomas" exclaimed Crsytal. II
am the commander of this brig, and
the bulk of the crew are under
matches. Turn-to now and light the
galley fire, and get breakfast for me
and the lady and my men. And when
you've dressed meal and served It,
turn-to and stitch Captain Pope's
body up in hammock, and mind ye
put two round shot in the clews at the
feet. But before you stitch him up
want no sight of him--overhaul his
pockets. Now do you understand
me?"
The man answered "Yes." He was
sober-headed fellow, and perceived
that he was in luck as compared to
=, ~~A