The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1914-03-24
IN THE EVENING WORLD
II COMPLETE NOVEL FL CH WEEK IN WE EKE
THE SHIP OF CORAL g S s ss s1s % By
By II. de We're Stacpoole
A New "Treasure Island" Story
OF Southern Seas and Pirate Gold
o "TEE BLUE IA COON,"

" Was the salutation that every ous
save To every one else In ST Pierre
strangers. friends, every one. She
was passing On when. picking up ~
spray uf the flour danour from the
stall and ilinglnE some coins on tho
board. he handed the branch laden
with delicate blossoms to her She
took II, glanced at him with a half
smile. then she looked at the flowers
as though she had never seen flowers
before, her Hips were moviug, she was
nurmurinR something, speaking 10
the flowers, To the branch. "Oh. thou
art pretty thou art sweet" Then she
had passed away. with a glance and
little bow To- tho giyer OF the how-
crs she had dissolved before his sight
In the colored moving throng.
But her VOICE remained with him.
the carcssing words she had spoken
To I'll" flowers In the infantile French
OF tho tropics.
"Oh. thou art pretty-thou art
sweet" She had spoken to the now-
ers, but 1t seemed To Oaspard she
had spoken of herself. She had des-
cribod herself unconsciously In u sem
tonce
"oh. thou art pre,,y-.thou art
sweet. lie was turning to leave
the market place when a scream
from one Of the market women made
him wheel round.
The stall Just behind him had been
upset. tire crowd was scattering In
every direction.
Fer dc lancc---fcr de lance"
Tho cry echoed from ono end Of
the place To the other. and Uaspard
found himself standing alone. face to
face with an old gentleman dressed
IN white and holding white uin-
brclia over his head.
The old man. though seemingly
paralyzed by terror. had not dropped
HIS umbrella. His eyes were fixed on
the ground where. writing In tho
dust. n yellow snake was raising It's
head 10 strike him.
II was "A fer de lance. young, about
three feet In lenEth. but terrible a.
death himself. II had come to market
hidden In the great clusters OF yell
low bananas. frightened and fcro-
cious. hating the sunlight. II was
preparing To strike ut tho man be-
fore 1t. terror striking at terror.
The sight OF the reptile left Gaspard
quite unpcrturbed. The smallest min
GRITTY OF the great human race are GER
tainly the people who have no dread
OF snakes Gaspard belonged to this
Few. strange fact considering his
imaginative nature. IL In true he knew
nothing OF tho fer do lance and ita
terrors. but II he had, I doubt n he
would have done otherwise than ne did
The snake. ohscssed by It's objective,
did not perceive tho fearless enemy
behind Il: springinE forward IN IA flash
tiaspard seized u nake d-handed Just
below the horrible triangular head
Selling II four inches lower down with
his left hand he almost twisted the
head from the body. breaking tho spine
Mt the neck. Then he flung the re.
mains on the ground and planted his
heel on the head, crushing bono and
- demon brain and burning Dyes into
tho dust.
The next moment II seemed to him
that the world had gone mad and wai
trying to smother him. The old man
ho had saved was clinging to his neck
the whole market was surGing round
him; men Laughing. women weeping
and crying out to the Virgin. One
might have thought Gaspnrd the bear.
cr Of the news Of some national
triumph. the savior OF the isiand-thn'
Is 10 say. II ono were not acquaintcd
with the Creole mind and Its cxcita.
bility. Then ring was formed and
he found himself In tho centre OF II
tho old mnn--stlll with tho umbrella
over his head--holding his hand. shak
Ing II. and talking at the same timc
II am NJ. Soguin. Any OF these gooc
people here know me-" Murmurs o
assent from the crowd. you hay,
saved my life Mt the risk ~ your own
am your friend. Ask whht you will
! am not poor, my house IN yours and
all ! possess MY life IL yours, fol
have you not saved it,
Nothing. nothing" cried GaSpard
II have done nothing, ] am not afraid
Of snakcs'-th with n touch OF Tar,
tarin In his tone they never bite
me"
They never bit him. He who hat
, never handled one before: but thu
crowd knew nothing OF this. they tool
IT as "A statement OF fact. This man
then. was n prodigy. no handled thu
dreaded fer de lance an poultcreI
handles Il chicken. Before noon tina
fact had become the news OF tho day
, In 1T. Pierre, and Gaspard half
hero. half u wizard.
AN the holne.' said old NJ, Seguin
''Aou have saved my life. monsieur
y In, I viii thank YOU In another plac.
, than this have YOU breakfaHted
No? Well thon, pray Of YOU come
l. with me and accept OF my hospi
lJIltNs
with his hand upon Gaspard's arm
he led him away through the GROVE
which divided before them. acros.
e tho Place. across tho Riviere Roxe
. lane, into the Rue Victor Hugo.
/, Here at "A cafe they breakfasted.
Gaspard told Of tho wreck. ans
sketchcd his story TIL he came TO the
I. name OF Sosessc
"Ssposso," cried his que0tioner
p 'Picrre Sagossc?''
"ios that IN his name
Dno might have fancied tina
. another fer de lance had shown Itself
l $50 great was tho lOathing ana hatre,
: that appeared In the faco Of N
Soguin, Then he smotherci hi
! emotions and helped himself 10 NOR,
. coffee
!. beware Of that mani He In not
: man; he Is a fer lie lance. Poisonous
u lie landed you hcre7 Well, you Will
OF course, have no more TO do viii
! him"
Gaspard explained that he wa
, bound to so on an expedition with IN,
, said for dc lance as soon as La Bell
:, Arlosicnne had cleared her cargo, ~
, SAID nothing OF the treasure or TN
. object ~ the expedition. but | doubt
he had, whether NJ, Seguin would hay,
4