Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1919-04-16

~ AS'Oi Dc-uOs 4 am or black
skin, with negro blood in nv veins.
and white men would never have it so.
But l can hate, senior. That is why
am with you now, if the devil so
viii. Your plan might work-teIl me
more of it,
'What are the odds, saw you-tbirtv
to hundred? Az, but surprise will
overcome that. My plan is this: First
to secure Manuel as quietly as pos
slole but at whatever cost. With him
IN our hands, or dead, the buccaneers
nave no leader. What then? There
are men in the crew on deck and in
the forecastle, to be trusted-Watkins
is one, and he will know others. a
dozen no doubt. They will be enough.
We will whisper the truth to these
and have them ready for signal. The
forward door from amidships is closed
by iron bars-is it not?"
Isl, senor," his eyes again SPARKLING
with interest. ''The men quarreled.
and there was fighting"
'Then there is no escape in that di-
rection and it can be no great task
to close any passage leading aft.
Lower the deck hatch and we have
those devils below Gagged like so many
rats. There need be no fighting; star
walton will bring them to terms"
But, senior, your dozen men cannot
guard the buccaneers below and also
manage the bark. The crew are not
all lambs-many will sympathize with
those thus locked beneath deck. Co
chose is bad, and friend of Manuel.
He will fight, and there are others
to back him."
Il know that, LeVere. The whole
plan is desperate, but there is no other
possible. Here is my scheme. There
is gun rack in the cabin to arm the
dozen men we can trust. The others
have nothing but their sheath knives.
The buccaneers can be secured below,
before these other lads ever realize
what is happening. AS soon as we
have control of the ship we'll round
them up forward. They won't dare
face the guns. I'll give them their
choice"
"And what will you tell them, Sc
nor?"
l caught my breath, conscious of
his meaning. My secret hope could
not be revealed to this fellow. The
answer came quickly to my lips.
'"The whole truth, Senior LeVere-
that Manuel conspired to seize the
bark through a mutiny of the bucca-
neers; 1at these were to be turned
loose with license to kill anyone on
board who opposed them; that their
real purpose was to divide among
themselves all the treasure below.
then wreck the vessel and escape with
it. That to this end Estada had al
ready been murdered. 1 shall explain
that we discovered this conspiracy
just in time to save them from but
cherry, and they must stand by us or
else submit to those hell-hounds."
"And after that, senor?'
"Why, Porto Grande, of course"
admitted heartily. The men will un-
derstand what that means-a handful
of gold for each of them and run
ashore. Why, LeVere, they will make
more apiece than by loOting a half
dozen ships, and with no fighting. 1t
will be a fortune for you and me-"
His sOmber eyes lighted up, startled
by this new idea, and he sprang to
his feet.
"You mean that, senior! We divide
what is below and sail for Porto
Grande? 1 hear you right? You not
mean surrender? You stay pirate?"
l laughed, my nerves tingling to the
success of my ruse-he had taken the
tempting bait like a hungry fish.
"Why, of course. I am not such a
fool as to throw away this chance.
This is our chance, LeVere. If we put
the Namur into Porto Grande, with
Sanchez on board and alive, and those
hellhounds locked below We'll get any
thing we ask for. Well be the cocks
of the walk. If he shouldn't live
through, why then We'll have a ship,
and can run the game alone. Either
way, If we win, the prize is ourS-and
if we stick together we win"
My apparent enthusiasm caught the
fellow. / could read the working of
his mind in his face. This new view
of the situation promised wealth,
power, the total defeat of Estevan !;
everything he most desired.
"You think Senior Sanchez liver"
"What difference? If he lives he
owes his life to us. If he dies the bark
is in our hands, and the treasure.
Once we have won we care nothing
if he live or die. Are we together in
this?"
He thrust out a lean yellow hand
and gripped it.
Isl, senior; 1 am with you"
"You pledge your word, Francois?"
81 pledge it, senior"
"Good And you have mine. Now
TO work-frst Manuel Estevan, and
then the men on deck"
CHAPTER XIX.
Laying the Trap.
Our first job was executed much