The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-03-15
(Contlnued)


 (Contlnued)
 "The Englishman, you say7 He was here them It was he you battIed with? What became of the fellow ?"
 "He went down there, senor. The dog stabbed me three times. It was either he or I to go."
 You mean you threw him over- board"
 "Ay, with his ribs crushed in, and not a breath left in his d-d body. He's never come up even--Tve watched and there has not been so much as a ripple where he sank"
 The two must have hung in silence over the rail staring down. l dared not advance my head to look, nor even move a muscle of my body in the water.
 How came you aft hereY
 "Because that fellow leaped the rail from the wharf. I saw him, and we met ct the wheel"
 From the wharf you say? He was not aboard, then? Santa Maria! I know not what that may mean. Yet what difference, so he be dead. An dersOn, Mendez, throw that carrfon oyerboard-no, bullies, never mind let them lie where they are, and sink an auger in the sloop's bottom. What is that out wonder. Cochose?"
 "A small boat, senor--a dory, I make it."
 Cut the rope and send it adrift. Now come along with me-"
 The darker loom of the sIoop van- ished slowly, as the slight current sweeping about the end of the wharf drifted the released boat to which I clung outward into the bay. There was scarcely q ripple to the sea, and yet I felt that the boat was steadily drifting out into deep water. I was still strangely weak, barely able to re- tain my grasp. Finally I mustered every ounce of remaining energy in one supreme effort and succeeded in dragging my body up out of water over the boats stern, sinking helpless ly forward into the bottom. The mo- ment this was accomplished every sense deserted me, and I lay there motiOnless. totally unconscious.
 1 mained thus. Yet this time could not have been great. As though awaken ing from sleep q faint consciousness returned. Then the sharp pain of my wounds, accented by the sting of salt water, brought me swift realization Of where I was and the circumstances bringing me there. I had evidently lost considerable blood, yet this had already ceased to flow, and a very slight examination served to convince ne that the knife slashes were none Of them serious. My other injuries were merely bruises to add to my diS- comfortable result of blows dealt me by Senchez and Cochose, aggravated by the bearlike hug of the giant ne gro. Indeed, awoke to the discov- man; and. inspired by this knowledge, the various incidents of the night flashed swiftly back ipto my mind.
 No gleam Of light appeared in any direction no sound echoed across the dark waste of water. It was clearly impossible for me to attempt any re- turn to the wharf through the impene- trable black curtain which shut me in, What, then, could do? What might I still hope to accomplish? Those fel- lows had swept the sloop clean, and had doubtless long ago scuttled it. They would suddenly find themselves 1eaderless, unguided. Would that suf- flee to stop them? Would the discov- cry of his body halt his followers and send them rushing back to their boat, eager to get safely away2 This did not seem likely. Estada knew of my boarding the sloop from the wharf and would at once connect the fact of my being ashore with the killing of Sanchez. This would satisfy him there was no further danger. Besides these were not men to flee in panic Surely not with that rufian Estada yet alive to lead them, and the knowledge that fifty thousand pounds was wonder in that ungunrded house, with no one to protect the treasure but two old men asleep, and the women. The women l-Dorothy! What would be come of her? Into whose hands would she fall in that foul division of spells? Estadas? And I, afloat and helpless "a this boat, what could I do?