The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-02-04

anu WI -
cart. an say Il ~SN
was Just q lam
fn' mistake. All. 70
says your Don't NO CRIMSON PIRATE
you believe II. CAN BLOW A BRIT
Thsys'. n ,ot IsH SHIP OFF THE
more TO come
yet. take my tip--a devil of q lot or
I'm the biggest lunatic within a ten
mile circle of were I'm stannln', which
10 givin' long odds to any other rank
In the whole creation"
And Coke was right. though he lit
tie guessed then why be was 90 thor
oughly justified In assuming that he
and the other survivors Of the Androm-
eda had not yet gone through half or
quarter or more than a mere curtain
raising prelude to the strange human
drama 10 which they were destined to
Be the chief actors.
CHAPTER VII.
mrwxKx THE BRAZILIAN DEVIL AND
THE DEEP ATLANTIC.
"\HERE vas an awkward pause.
Coke. rascal though he was
and corpg,lent withal. was no
FalstaR. Rather did he sug-
gest the present day atavlsm Of some
robber baron of the middle Sses whose
hectoring speech bubbled forth from O.
stout heart. But the ragged ex-president
needed him not After a moment of
placid scrutiny Of his enraged counte-
nance by those bright. watchfui eyes
Coke might have been nonexistent so
fnr as recognition OF his outburst was
apparent during the sonorous discus
sion that ensued between Dom Corria
Antonio de Sylvia and the Senior Cap
ftano Salvador de San Benavides.
The latter. IL Is true. betrayed ex-
element At FIRST he favored Iris
With a deprecatingiy admiring glance.
as one who would say. Dear lady. nc.
eept my profound regret and respect
ful homage" BUT that phase quickly
passed His leader was not u man to
waste words. and the gallant cup
tain's expressive face soon showed
that he had grasped the essential
facts. They did not please him. I'm
fact. he was distinctly cowed. almost
stunned. by his companion's reyela-
lions.
IL fell to De sylvia to explain nat.
tiers 10 his unexpected guests.
My friend agrees with me that 81
ID only fair that the exact position
should be revealed to yon." be said.
The situation is not 80 simple as you
seem TO Imagine. The loss of your
ship cannot be dealt with here. II
raises issues Of international law which
can only be settled by courts and gov
ernmeuts. You know. | suppose. that
nothing will be done until a complaint
n lodged by British minister. and
that hinges upon the very doubtful
fact that you will ever again see your
own country"
The ex.president certainly had the
knack OF expressing himself clearly.
Those concluding words rang like a
knell. They even called Watts back
from the slumber OF Inconsistencies.
DE sylvia continued speaking In the
same balanced tone:
1T happens by idle chance that my
enemies have become yours. The men
who destroyed your ship thought they
were injuring me. | have Just pointed
out 10 Capitano de San Benavides the
precise outcome OF this attack. Until
Few moments ago We shared the de-
1usion that the troops on Fernando do
koronha believed we were now on our
way 20 a Brazilian port. We were
mistaken. More than that. we know
now that they have obtained news
probably through traitor 10 our Cause
of the Andros-y .Melas voyage. They
were prepared for her coming. They
had made arrangements to receive her
almost ut the place decided on by our
friends In Brazil. IL Is more than
likely that the Andros-y- Mela Is now
lying under the guns OF some coast
fortress. aimee the presence OF troops
and cannon on this side OF the island
II unprecedented
Il don't see wot all this as TO do
witu me-" blurted out Coke deter
minedly.
"NO. IL would not concern you In
the least IL you were safe at sea. but
since you are here II does concern you
most gravely. From one point OF view
you served my cause we'll by preparing
to lower n boat You misled my persc.
cutors as To locality az least. Of
course | saw you aud thought you
were mad, but your action did belp
10 conceal from the soldiers the secret
OF my true hiding place. wish To bc
candid with you. IL my friends aud
I had realized thar you were here by
accident we ought TO have taken no
steps To save you