The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1907-02-02
THE IRON PIRATE
A Plain Tale of Strange
Happenings on the Sea
By MAX PEMBERTON
CHAPTER TX.


so great a pressure of steam that the
dark green water was cleaved into TWO
huge waves of foam before their bows !;
and the spray fell in tons upon their
decks.
The more distant of the two ships was
long in shape and dark in color; she had
two tunnels painted white, but marked
with the anchor which clearly set her
down to be one of the famous Black An
Choir fleet. Her decks were dark with the
figures Of passengers and crew all crowd
Ing to the port side, wherefrom the other
ship was approaching her.
1t was this other ship which drew our
gaze. Almost of the same length as the
passenger steamer, which she now ap-
preached obiquely, she rode the long swell
with perfect grace, and many of her deck
houses and part of her prov shone with
the brightness of pure gold. Full the sun
fell upon her in a sheen of shimmering
splendor, throwing great reflected lights
which dazzled the eye. Every ornament
on her seemed to be made of the precious
metal, now glowing to exceeding brilliance
in the full power of the sunlight.
She was a very big ship, and she had
all the shape Of ship of war, while the
turrets fore and aft of her capacious fun
mel showed the muzzles of two big guns.
I could see by my glass a whole wealth
of armament In the foretop of her short
mast forward. There was a great deck
erection, with a gallery and bridge for
navigation; but no men showed upon the
platform, and for the matter of that, no
soul trOd her decks, so far as our Observ-
alton went. Yet her speed was such as
do not believe any ship achieved before.
Now rising majestically on the long roll
Of the swell, now falling into the concave
Of the sea, she rushed onward towards the
steamer she was evidently pursuing as
though driven by all the furies of the
deep.
AS we watched her the gun in her fore
most turret belched out fame and smoke
and we observed the rise and fall of a
shell, which cut the water a cables length
ahead of the straining steamer. At that
moment she ran up flag upon her signal
mast, and, as / read it with my glass, 1
saw that it was the flag Of the Gillian
republic.
1t was a matter of satisfaction to me
that Mary still slept, and 1 looked for
the appearance of Paolo with some ques-
ton. But he remained below through it
all. The skipper was the first to speak
'oThat ship yonder," said he, jerking
his thumb to starboard, sis it any business
of ours?"
"None that I know Of" replied; "but
It's a mighty fine sight. skipper, don't you
think, Gillian warship running after
liner in broad daylight? What's your
opinion?"
Its fine sight enough, but I would
give half I'm worth to be a hundred miles
away from it: do you want me to get
this boat into port again?"
''Qf course"
$'Then I'm going to put up the helm
and sheer off. I'm not a man that loves
fighting myself, and, with a ship and crew
to look after, I've no business in any af
fair of this Sort"
''Hold on a bit, skipper" said Roder
lick, "as we are, if you please; why, man,
It's a sight wouldn't miss for for
tune"
had my glass to my eye in a moment
and the light was so full upon the vessel,
which must have then been a mile and
half away from US. There was now some
one moving upon the bridge, and could
recognize the shape of a man.
Throughout the strange scene, this ves-
eel Of mystery never gave one sign that
men worked at her furnaces below. No
evidence of that terrible power which was
then driving her through the seas at
such fearful speed.
But of the activity of her human crew
We had speedily further sign; for, there
was some belching of flame from her
turret, and this time the shell, crashed full
upon the forepart of the great liner, and
we heard the shout of terror which rose
from those on the decks. Then men ap-
peared at the signal-mast of the pursuer,
and rapidly made signals in the common
code.
Then there was activity on the deck of
the nameless ship, and men were swinging
off launch, which dropped presently into
the sea and with a crew of some half doz-
en- men. Again I got glass full upon the
man who walked the bridge; and l knew
him. He was the man had met at Paris.
the one styled Captain Black by my friend
Hall.
The last link in the long chain was
welded then. The whole truth of that
weird document, so fantastical, so SEEM
ingly wild, so fearful, was made manifest ::
the dead mans words were indicated.
There on the great Atlantic waste, 1 had
lived to see one Of those terrible pictures
which he had conceived in the midst of
his long dreaming.
MARX" said Roderick, Its time to 70 :
we'll be the next when that ships at the
bottom. Remember we have Mary on
board"
Indeed. she stood by M as we spoke,
very pale and quiet, looking where the
two ships lay motionless, the boat from
the one now at the very side of the. black
steamer, whose name, the Ocean King, we
could plainly read.
Don't you think you're better below,
Maryp asked Roderick.
mot until you go: and why should l
make any difference2 overheard what
you said Am ! to stand between you and
those mems lives"
Il am for standing by to the end" said
L; IT we can save one SOUL"
Gentlemen" said the slipper. ssit,,
Jour yacht and these are your men: il