Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1904-08-31

crafty mind of Blackboard that ne
! would like to attend to that marrying
| himself. It pleased him to have a
finger in every pie, and now here was
pie In the lingering of which he
might take novel interest.
This renowned desperate, this
bloody cutthroat, this merciless pirate
possessed home-a quiet little Eng
fish home on the Cornwall coast,
where the cheerful woods and fields
| stretched down almost in reach of the
sullen sea. Here dwelt his wife, quiet
| Mistress Thatch, and here his brawny
rural home from the father, burning
and robbing, sinking and Staying out
upon the western seas. But from the
| stores of pelf which so often slipped
so easily into his great arms, and
! which so often slipped just as easily
out of them, came now and then some
| thing to help the Drawn grow upon his
daughters bones and to ease the la
bors of his wife.
Eliza Thatch bore no resemblance
to a houri; her hair was red, her face
was freckled; she had enough teeth
left to do good eating with when she
had chance, and her step shook the
| timbers of her little home
Her father had heard from her a
little while ago by a letter she had
had conveyed to Belize. His parental
feelings, Notwithstanding he had told
Bonnet he knew no such sentiments,
were stirred. When he had finished
her letter he would have been well
pleased to burn vessel and make a
dozen passengers walk the plank as
memorial to his girl. But this not
being convenient, it had come to him
that he would marry the wench to the
gayly bedecked young fellow he had
captured, and it filled his reckless
heart with a wild delight. He drew
his cutlass, and with a great oath
he drove the heavy blade into the top
of the table, and he swore by this
mark that his grand plan should be
carried out.
He would sail over to England; this
would be happy chance, for his ves-
sci was unladen and ready for any ad-
venture. He would drop anchor in
the quiet cove he knew of; lie would
go ashore by night; he would be at
home again. To be at home again
made him shout with profane laughter,
the little home he remembered would
be SO ridiculous to him now. He
would see again his poor little trem-
bling wife-she must be gray by now
and he was sure that she would
tremble more than ever she did when
she heard the great sea oaths which
he was accustomed to pour forth now.
And his daughter, she must be strap
ping wench by this time; he was sure
she could stand slap on the back
which would kill her mother.
Yes, there should be a wedding, a
fine wedding, and good old rum should
water the earth. And he would de-
tail a boats crew of jolly good fell
lows from the Revenge to help make
things uproarious. This Charter boy
and Eliza should have a house of their
own, with plenty Of money-he had
more funds in hand than ever in his
life beforehand his respectable son-in-
law should go to London and deposit
his fortune in bank. It would be
royal fun to think of him and Eliza
highly respectable and with money in
the bank. A quart of the best rum
could scarcely have made Blackboard
more hilarious than did this glorious
notion. He danced among his crew;
he singed boards; he whacked with
capstan bars; he pushed men down
hatchways; he was in lordly spirits,
and his crew expected some great ad-
venture, some startling piece of devil
try.
Of course he did not keep his great
design from Dickory-it was too glori-
Gus, too transcendent. He took his
young admiral into his cabin and laid
before him his dazzling future.
Dickory sat speeches., almost
breathless. AS he listened he could
feel himself turn cold. Had anyone
else been talking to him in this strain
he would have shouted with laughter,
but people did not laugh at Black
beard.
When the pirate had said all and
was gazing triumphantly at poor Dick
DRY, the young man gasped word III
answer; he could not accept this aw-
full fate without as. much as a wave
of the hand in protest.
But, SIR" said he, Of"
Blackbeard's face grew black; he
bent his head and lowered upon the
pale Dickory; then, with q tremendous
blow, he brought down his fist upon
the table.
IF Eliza will mol Aaye Sou," he
roared; If that girl will not take you
when I offer you to her; II she or her
mother as much as winks an eyelash
in disobedience Of my commands,
will take them by the hair Of their
heads and I will throw them into the
sea. If she will not have YOU" he re-.
peated, roaring as il he were shout
ing through a Speaking trumpet in u
storm, If thought that, youngster.
l would burn the house with both of
them In it, and the rum aad bought
to make jolly. wedding should he
poured on the timbers to make them
blaze. Let no notions like that enter
your mind, my boy. If she disobeys
me, will cook her and you shall eat
her. Disobey mel" And he swore at
such a rate that he painted for fresh
air and mounted to the deck. d,
1t was not Sine for Dickory to
make remarks Indicating his disap-
proval of the proposed arrangement.
CHAPTER XXI.
BELIZE, 4