Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-04


here. You have been very brave about it. =
Smith understood that there had been no
coquetry in the girls invitation. She simply
felt the need after that long black silence of the
sense of human companionship and the sound
of human voice. She had never known any
but the right sort of men. probably. and had
confidence enough in this casual stranger to
ask him to supply what she needed. -
HAVE they already told YOU" he asked
IL presently "a1l of the thousand and one
tales about Calico Jack? He's our stock theme
for conversation down here. He was our local
pirate"
"A real. true pirate" the girl asked eagerly.
with black flag, and skull and crossbones.
and hidden treasurer"
IAN of that" said Smith. His equipment
was complete in every. detail. and. what's
more. he died down in this cave"
"Oh. pleased" said the girl eagerly. But
it's all quite too promising and complete to be
true"
ooh. the myth has grown bigger and more
fantastic with the years. of course. he
assented: but there was perfectly authentic
pirate. named Calico Jack. who for a number
of this colony His headquarters were on one
of the other ands.-Horse Island is the name
of it,-but he did all his trading here in George
town: 1t used to be quite an event when he
sailed into the harbor here with his four ships.
He was very pious, by the way, and named
them after the four Evangelists. 1t was a
queer gospel they carried"
You say he came here to Georgetown"
the girl asked incredulously. Here. openly.
and the people knew that he was a pirate?"
They not only knew him; they liked him.
He was very pleasant, mild hammered chap.
from all accounts, and great dandy 1t
wouldn't have been quite safe to interfere with
him. in the first place. At the height of his
power he had fifteen hundred people living over
there on Horse Island. And then, of course.
it was immensely profitable to keep on the
right side of him. Oh, he was as highly es-
teemed as some of the pirates of to-day are.
There is tradition to the effect that he has
dined at Government House
g.. And he was real pirate" she persisted
the story book sort?"
"Oh yes" said he. For years he plum
but at last he went too far They sent
Governor here to Georgetown William
Broadhead, it was. The day he came he an
rounced IN SO many words that he meant to
hang Calico Jack out of hand within a year,
and he all but succeeded in doing it. He took
nondescript f1otilla over to Horse Island,
sunk the four Evangelists shelled the crew out
of their fort, and then by means of promises of
immunity which l am sorry to say proved
illusory he got some of the smaller fry to betray
their leader. They brought him ironed, hand
and foot, here to Georgetown and put him
down here in this cave. 1t was all done SO
easily that Sir William Broadhead never got
any credit for it."
all, the girl objected.
1t was his treasure that saved him from the
gallows. They knew he had one, and they
kept him along, from month to month, trying
to get him to tell where it was hidden. So he
died down here quite respectfully, after all.
from what they called lung fever. And the
blacks here in Georgetown swear he haunts the
cave to this day. There isn't one of them who
would come down here alone for fifty pounds.
One would think that"
THE sound that interrupted him just then
was not loud; but it was undeniably queer,
and it came at psychological moment. 1t
was just faint, whirring noise at first, and
then something that sounded like the rustic
of skinny wings.
The girl started and gasped; but made no
cutlery. There was silence for a second. and
then, in curiously concentrated voice, she
asked. What was that? 1t couldn't have
been bird down here, could it?"
Il don't wonder you were startled" said
Smith. But it was nothing but bat"
II don't know" she said, whether can
stand a bat or not. can feel him in my hair
already"
Smith rose abruptly. 81 going to get
very serious danger if l am careful, and l in
tend to be that. Will you try it"
Yes" she said.
Give me your hand then. and III lead the
way. We shall have to take it slowly
What he anticipated would be the greatest