The Detroit times., 1908-06-30

into white wreath under her fore
loot. Round spun the Wonderful
Craft on her keel--for she was a
weatherly little boat and a better
steerer than anything yet seen on the
coasr--andN away they went with the
land To port OF them and the breeze
nght astern. But the brig, besides
being between Tregethlyn and his
Lidlng hole, was beginning little oy
little TO overhaul him. and In short
while she got within range and her
mead fell OFF TO starboard az she port
ed her helm SO as to bring her for
ward guns to beaD upon the chase.
But Abr'am leaving the engine TO the
stokcT, had been devoting all his cum,
ming OF hand and eye (and he was as,
'eunr Ing "a IN old dog-fox that's been
often hunted) to keep the stern OF
the Wonderful Craft and the two
ihasts OF the lritor I'm straigh. line.
anu as the bclg's head fell of SO lid
tie boats. TIL Atr'am was ruiriig
olinos; straight out TO sea. and the
Then the captain saw the
trick. Hard a-starboard.' he
yelled, and the quartermaster.
who was steering, damned the
wheel hard over. Abr-am smiled
10 himself. and moved his tiller
trifie, and the boat came round
point or two and began to run straight
up 10 wind on almost the same course
as she had been making when the
Triton first waylaid her The latter's
skipper stamped on deck with rage
- her" he shouted, with a great
oath. the old fox has pulled our leg
finely. Give him the starboard broad
side anyhow, Mr.. Derrick Five guns
belched flames and yellowish smoke,
but the shot rang screechlng above
the funnel of the Wonderful Craft,
and. for pursuit, well. sailing brig
can't chase a steamer that's running
right In the winds eye. Tregethlyn
stood three more broadsides before
he got out Of range. and took no harm
from them; so that folk shook their
heads over him Tin private) and reck.
oned that 1t was not hot lead, nor
cold steel. nor yet salt water. that
would be the end OF Abr'am Tregeth.
Ign. And they spoke truth, too, aye.
that they did.
How did his death come at the
last? All! I've heard OF II often
enough, sir. and IT was strange. like
everything else about the Wonderful
Craft; but you must be fair mazed
with my talking already. No? Thank.
We. sir! Well. this then, was the way
OF It,
BLACK Jack swore by his gods that
though Tregehlyn had won the trick
when he slipped through the hand
of Capt. Harris OF the Triton. he
might chance, nevertheless. TO lose
the rubber and the stakes TO boot.
And he was right I'm part. and partly
he was wrong, for though the SNUG.
gler lost the game. yet the gauger had
no merriment from spending the
stakes. But that comes afterwards.
and | mustn't by telling you the end
before the beginning Now, sir, you
see. Black Jack was by birth a Lee,
and by blood a gypsy SO that he
stuck at nothing when his blood was
up. and knew besides a lot OF things
which are hid from more decent folk.
Anyway, after he had learnt all
that he could get from the blacksmith
and village gossip about the building
and working of Tregethlyn's boat, he
came to my gran'fer, who was lad
fered him a bright new shilling IL he
would bring him a handful OF the lit
tie spotted scarlet toadstools which
grow in small quantities hereabous.
My gran'fer, knoing no better. went
of straightway and did SO, and the
gauger laughed out loud when he got
them, and gave him not one bright
shilling. but two, SO that they were
both Of them as happy as might be.
"Tregethlyn found Samuel Ell. his
half-idiot stoker, full and happy In a
ditch that night, and Samuel was like
his namesake hitherto-in respect OF
his not drinking, mean--nor was
there now any smell OF liquor about
him: while next morning Robert Esher
met the riding-officer on the road to
Aswalton. rolling about In his saddle
and laughing like a full-grown devil.
Black Jack was a silent man for the
most part. and men said afterwards
that here was something queer about
his laugh that day--he laughed some
how as II 1t was forced out OF him.
and that, you know, sir. is the sign Of
a doomed man. However that may be,
three days later the gauger, with four
men at his back. packed into little
dinghey, padded into the outer cave
or Tregethlyn's hiding.place. where
the Wonderful City lay. and knocked
Samuel Eli on the head with a mus
ket-butt before he could give the
alarm. They passed on to the en-
trance of the second came. and just.
as they made It. Black Jack leading.
man In the rear dropped his cut
lass with clatter. and Lee threw