Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-05-16

\ u /
the Lord tae sweep ava 8
hantie O. pirates that's for
ever hangin' ABBOTT the islands,
! MIR. Menzies, who was the speaker
was standing beside me on the poop
/ deck of the Crusader on her voyage
/ from China to London with tea. and al
the moment we were running along
the windward side Of large tropical
/ island to the south Of the Philippines
The first mate of the Crusader was q
tall, powerfully built man, with the
high cheek bones and hard features OF
the lowland Scot, which were not sof-
tened by bushy whiskers of a dull red
color. crowned by tangled mass of
brighter red on his head that seemed
to defy every attempt to keep it in or
der. He had shaggy red eyebrows, I'M
der which there looked out pair OF
keen gray blue eyes, occasionally light.
ed up by passing CLEAN Of sardonio
i humor, which, however, never went far
enough to move the hard lines Of his
face to anything like smile. His
shaven upper lip and chin showed a
square jaw and determined mouth
which never opened unless for speak
ing or eating and then closed again
with as little delay as possible.
"Why, there's no danger from pi-
rates at this time of day, Mr. Menzies
Is there?' I replied, little startled.
'Nae danger?" he said thoughtfully
"Weel. Am no sayin' but they're
scarcer noo-the Lord be praised for
that same-but Am thinkin' even ans
or twa may be plenty for quaet folks
There" he added suddenly in differ
ent tone as he gripped me by the arm.
"See til! yon MOOT"
looked. and, as If by intuition. l
understood what he meant 1t was a
low vessel with two masts and square
lateen sails that had just made it's APP
pearance from behind high wooded
point Of the island. There was some
thing easy and graceful in the way she
skinned the water, and she might
have passed for a fairy ship in the yell
low glow Of the evening light, and yet
she gave an impression Of danger.
There was something threatening
about her black hull, something
stealthy and treacherous In her swift,
gliding motion.
"What is she?" l asked. looking ut
her with suspicion of danger.
"Weel." the mate answered slowly,
sAh Gamma Jist say, but All misdoobt
she's no vera canny by the looks o her.
All jist gle the skipper bit ca'," he
added 2s he turned away.
/ don't know that ever saw love-
hse evening or more beautiful piece
Of island scenery, but already that
creeping black spot had spoiled it for
me. As stared at 1t my mind ran
over the tales ] had heard Of the fe-
rocity Of the barbarous pirates Of the
eastern archipelago. Till then indeed
they had been as unreal to me as the
adventures of Ali Bahia, but now, as
looked at the broad sails tlattened
against the masts and the low, snaky
looking hull that crept out from the
shore, l shuddered. In few minutes
the mate came on deck again with the
captain, and tbo first anxious glance
the latter cast ut the schooner was not
reassuring. He had glass in his
hand. however. and after he had ex-
amined her for minute he turned to
his companion with half laugh.
''Oh. she's all right" he said. little
impatiently. There aren't dozen
men on her. You shouldn't alarm
yourself about trifes, Mr.. Menzies."
"Ah dinna ken what ye may consid-
er a trife, sir" and l noticed cold
CLEAN in the mates eyes as he spoke,
"but Am thinkin' there may be mair
haun's aboord than ye can see through
that gless, an if it doesna please the
Lord tae gle us a breeze she'll be
alangside in haff an 'oor. An may the
Lord haze mercy on cor sinful sauis.'
he added in lower tone.
The skipper shrugged his shoulders.
1--WE often heard about these pirates"
he said contemptuously, .but in eight
cen voyages in these seas never met
with one. My education must have
been neglected, suppose"
"Weel. captain the mate answered
coolly, "Ah wudna wonder gin that de-
fec MIGHT be remedied the moo, for it
wudna surprise me il We were tae meet
wi twa this time. Div ye see yon?"
The captain started as his eye fol-
lowed the mates hand and caught
sight of second schooner. hardly dis
tinguishable from the first, coming in.
to sight from behind another point
farther along the coast. AS near an APP
proach to smile as I had yet seen
lighted up the depths Of Menzies' eyes
as he watched the shippers startled
expression, but he only added in the
same matter Of fact tone:
AN, as All was sayin' captain, it's
no a'tegither unlikely that ane or bath
o. them III be alangside in half an
'oor.'
Heavens, man" the skipper ex-
claimed in quite a new tone. IF 1t
Jhould be, what's to be done?"
Menzies glanced coolly up at the sails.
"Weei," he said composedly, "Ah
dinna see that we can pit ony MAR
canvas on her the moo, sac Am think
In we MIGHT be gittin' cot the guns an
cntlasses for it wudna be jist becom.
In tae g' in withoot bit fecht."
l stared ut the man. but look was
to convince nae that he was
speaking seriously. l fancied there