The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1919-05-23
CHAPTER Iv-continued.

In the intensity of my feelings I
must have unconsciously spoken
aloud, for shaggy head suddenly
popped out from the berth beneath
where I lay, and Haley's interested
voice asked solicitously:
"Hy, thar; whut's up, mate? Ye
was mutterin' way thar an not dis
turbin' me none, till We got ter talkin'
bout sum Teller called Sanchez. Then
I sorter got bit interested. know'd
thet cuss onct," and he spat, as
though to thus better express his
feelings. 'The ID ornary pirate"
I laughed, my whole mental mood
changed by this remark.
'.Do you refer to Black Sanchez
I've heard of him; were you ever in
his handsw
''Wus Ii'' he laughed grimly. ST
he'd eight months of it, mate, and a
greater demon never sailed. The
things saw done ye'd never believe
no human bein' could do. If ever thar
wus two people in one skin, sir, it's
tibet Black Sanchez. When he's playin'
off fer good he's as soft an sweet
as dandy in Piccadilly, an when
he's real he's like a devil in hell"
'Were you a prisoner did you
sail under himY'
Both, fer the matter o. tibet. He
give me the choice ter serve er walk
the plank. wus eighteen, an he'd
an o. mother at Deal"
II see but later got away?'
) SAY, did thet," chuckling over the
recollection. "But I he'd ter wait
eight months fer the luck"
II had shipmate once" observed,
interested in his story, "who claimed
to have seen the fellow; he described
him as being a very large man, with
intensely black, hawklike eyes and
heavy black beard almost hiding his
face"
Maybe he looked like that when he
saw him, but he amt no bigger man
than I am; he won't weigh as much
by fifteen pound. Fact is he mighty
seldom looks the same, fer thet's part
o. his game. I've seen him in all sorts
O. DISCUSSES. It's only his eyes he
can't hide, an thar's been times when
I thought they wus the ugliest eyes
ever saw. He's sure an ornary devil,
an when he gifts mad, I'd rather be
afront of tiger. Besides fightin's his
trade, an no weaklin' amt goin' ter
control the sort o. chaps he's got ter
handle. Most of 'em would murder
him in minute if they dared. Oh,
he's bad all right, but yer wouldn't
exactly think so, just ter look at him."
what. then, does he really look
like?"
"Oh. a sorter swashbucklin' Spanish
don-the kind whut likes ter dress up
an play the dandy. He's got pink
an white complexion, the Castilian
kind, yer know, an wears little mus
tache, waxed up at the ends. 1 heard
he wus about forty-five; reckon he
must be tibet, but he didn't look older
than thirty"
Haley dropped off to sleep, but my
mind continued to wander until it con-
jured up once again this West Indian
pirate. His name and the story Of
his exploits had been familiar to me
ever since I first went to sea. While
only one among many operating in
those haunted waters his resourceful-
ness, daring and cruelty had won him
an infamous reputation. a name Of
horror. In those days, when the curse
of piracy made the sea a terror, no
ordinary man could ever have sue
ceeded In attaining such supremacy
In crime.
Black Sanchez-and Haley pictured
him as dandified. ordinary appear
ing individual, with white and red
complexion, a small mustache and
flashing dark eyes-a mere Spanish
gallant, without special distinction.
Why, that description, strangely
enough, fitted almost exactly this fell
low on board, this other Sanchez.
The suspicion which had crept into
my mind was so absurd, so unspeak-
ably silly and impossible that !
laughed at myself and dismissed the
crazy thought. Chuckling over It
finally fell asleep.
--i5i-i AZ sAa
Is CHAPTER v.