The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1907-02-02
THE IRON PIRATE
A Plain Tale Of Strange
Happenings on the Sea
By MAX PEMBERTON
600
CHAPTER Iv.-(Continued.)

The helm went over, and the yacht |
doomed up black, as our own light died
away; and passed us within a cables
length. What lift of the night there was
showed us her decks again; but tt:ey were
not deserted for as one or two aboard |
gave a great cry, l saw the white and
horribly distorted face of man who
chung to the main shrouds-and he alone
was the guardian of the wanderer.
That vision of the man l had left well
and hopeful and strong not three days
since was terrible to me. A brave man
had gone to his death, but to what a
leath, If that agonized face and distorted
usage betokened aught And l had prom
ised to aid him, and was drifting there
with the schooner, raising no hand to give
him help.
Skipper" l cried, this time we'll risk
getting a boat off I'm going aboard that
vessel now, if | drown before return"
Then turned to the men and said: 'You
saw the yacht pass just now, and you
saw that man aboard her-he's my friend,
and I'm going to fetch him."
AS the good fellows gave way and our
boat rode easily before the wind, l no
ticed for the first time that the clouds
were scattering; and we had not made
another cables length when a great cloud
above us showed silver at its edges, and
| opaquely white in its center, through
which the moon shone. Anon it dissolv-
ed, and the Transformation ON the surface
of the water was a transformation from
the dark of storm to the chrome light of
a summer moon. The deserted yacht
mn hno linn 70 md of ficr1t
In her track.
Get grapnel forward, and look out
there" cried the man in command.
AS il to help us, the wind fell away as
the schooner came up, and she began to
shake her sails. Suddenly there was the
sound as of fierce contest, of the bursting
Of wood, and the spread of fame and in
that instant the decks of the yacht were
ripped up, and sheets of fire rose from
them to the rigging above.
| "Give way" roared Dan again, for the
men sat motionless with terror. Are you
going to let him burnW
The words awed them. They shot the
long boat forward; and l stood in her
stern to observe, If could, what passed
on the burning decks. And l saw a sight
the like to which l pray that l may never
see again. Martin Hall stood at the main
skrouds, motionless, volumes of fame
around him, his figure clear to be viewed
by that awful beacon.
"Why doesn't he jump it?" called
aloud. But Martin Hall never moved,
his gaunt figure was motionless-the
flames beat upon 1t, 1t did not stir; and
~ @ssv .as~- s-s~sA ~-~-r o"a bn"r' +'"
worst.
"He's dashed there-and he's dead, )"
said Dan. "Easy for parcel of stark
fools! Would you run alongside herr"
There they lay, for any nearer APP
proach would have been perilous, and even
In that place where We were, twenty feet
on the windward side, the heat was nigh
unbearable. So near were we that look
ed close as it might be into the dead face
Of Martin Hall, and saw that the hends
who had dashed him there had done their
work too well. But l hoped in my heart
that he had been dead when the end Of
the ship had begun to come, and that II
were no reproach to me that he had per
ished; for to save his body from thai
! holocaust was work no man might do.
, So did we watch the mounting fire, ant
the last tack of the yacht La France
Saucily she raised her head to new
breeze, shook her great sail of fame il
the night, and scattered red light abou
her. Then she dipped her burning jill
as If In salute, and there was darkness.
As we neared our own ship Rodericl
took my hand, giving 1t great grip: Thel
, we came aboard, where Mary waited TO
us with a white face, and the others stoot
silent; but we said nothing to them, goini
below. There locked myself in my owl
cabin, and though fatigue lay heavy OIL
me, took Martin Halls papers from m.
locker and lighted the lamp to read then
through.
But not without awe, for they were
message from the dead.