The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-05-09

soul for these. Too late: There can
be no mercy for such as L. L gave
naught Of my stolen treasure 70
Mother Church, l brought no MASSES
for those innocent souls hurried IN
shriven to cruel death. "A priest odfe
no: give me absolutlon.
"Ah, Colonel, you kindly say thar
mine has been an honored life amohS
you-a life above reproach-that !
rave Not so. After Chalmette-
pardoned-I dug up my loot, much
silver. much gold, many jewels, treas
ures, all, bought land, slaves, raised
indigo cotton and I die rica-exceed-
ingIy richly far the richest man IN
Mississippi territory. l thought !
could escape punishment. l married
a fair innocent girl. who fdoilzed me.
1 dared hope to perpetuate the honor
ed name 1 had Observation-Disclosures
hope to bring an heir to the old cha
teau in France-an heir, richer with
ill-gotten, bloOd-stained treasures than
ever had been noble of our race; rich
though they had been beyond many
I, the red rover, the hawk Of the
sea /!
The mill Of the gods gr1nds slow
", but exceedingly fine
Il buried my fair young wife Win
our dead son on her breast. None
suspected me. Men honored IN me
the wealthy planter, the disguised pi-
rate envied my slaves, my vast pos
sessions, my. Midas touch that rams
muted all into gold nor guessed the
secret source of that wicked gain they
coveted. You urged me to marry
again, to beget heirs to my wealth l
dared not. Had I died on the grave
Of my child-wife and one son, Goa,
in That hour of remorse IN ngulsh
might have pitied and pardoned even
me.
RI did not send for you, Colonel,
to speak OF myself, but to solve by
my death-bed confession a mystery.
sOur ship was becalmed. Our crew
weary with inaction, grew mutfnous.
FTtte anxiously paced the deck
and cursed impatiently for a change
of weather. He feared his blood
thirsty, mutinous crew, scowling at
him angri1y, muttering words Of dis
content-threats even.
1.-THE sea, mercilessly still, was
CLASSY and green;kelp in golden, snaky
not far from that mystery Of
the Sargasso Sea- many
.ulls fought for the ships refuse.
Through our glasses we could see
galleons and derelicts en-
in the weeds Of that sea OF
argosies Of gold and silver In
gots, millions Of doubloons, treasures
accumulated during the centuries
Peru and Mexico, many mes
he wealth Of the Indies, alluring US
On; but we burst not tempt their fate
on that death-dealing ocean OF end
less, entangling weeds.
oThe eighth day the ship flew be-
fore a gale; the enraged sea strove to
engulf US. Oh, that it had! That
guilty crew would have been spared
their most dastardly crime.
Colonel, It's not the wind signing
he pines without, I say tits my VIC |
Tins calling-calling my oul to join
my comrades in hell. I drank Of their
I ate OF their bread: shared
their crimes; I partook Of their blood
loot. Guilty? Aye, I am as
guilty as they! Avaunt! My hour Is
come! I must tell that horror ere
join YOU, comrades!
..Ship ahoy@ The gale is one The
waves w~rathfully roll She
dives in the trough Of the sea, you
mountain wave like an osprey.
"Ship ahoy! Ills night-myriad
stars dance on the waves; a crescent
arises.
Ship ahoy C%orposants, those
strange witch fires Of the sea, illu-
sively fit in her riggings; her main
mast is gone. She drifts, a derelict,
on the waves!
Cup with the black flag! Arm with
,utlasses! Out with the boats-a
prize, a prize! With cutlasses drawn,
We boarded her. We show no quarter.
The deck is strewn with the corpse Of
men, the ship is ours, the booty,
"a brave, beautiful woman, like a
queen %regnant, but proud, stands
ahead Of those who behind her.
She shows race the dauntless blood
Of the Pilgrim gushes in her veins,
the blood that dared a wilderness and
it's savages. the blood that threw its
shackles in the face Of England and
helped wrest a world from her greed.
Admiration and passion gleam in
pirate captains bold, bad eyes.
puts out his arm to clasp her.
"'Back!' she cries. 1 am Theodosia
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