The Mena weekly star., 1919-05-15
CHAPTER TX.
A Swim to the Namur.


 All was black, hopeless; with head buried in my hands I sat on a thwart, dazed. Before me, pleading, express sive of agonized despair, arose the sweet face of Dorothy Fairfax. No doubt by this time all was over-the dead body of Sanchez discovered, the projected attack on the house carried out, the two old men left behind, ei- ther dead or severely wounded, and the girl borne off helpless prisoner. Ay, but this knew; there was only one place to which the villains might flee with their booty-the Namur of Rot terdam. Only on those decks and well at sea would they be safe or able to enjoy their spells. The thought came to me in sudden revelation--why notf Was not here a chance even yet to foil them2 With Sanchez dead no man aboard that pirate craft could recog- nixe me. I felt assured of this. I had fought the giant negro in the dark {; he could not, during that fierce en- counter, have distinguished my fea- lures any more clearly than l had his own. There was no one else to fear. If only might once succeed in get ting safely aboard, slightly disguised, perhaps, and mingle unnoticed among the crew. the chances were not bad for me to pass undetected. Such ships carried large crews and were constant ly changing in personnel. A strange face appearing among them need not arouse undue suspicion. And felt convinced I could locate the Namur. But could hope to attain the ship in advance of the returning party of raiders2 God heIGng me, would try ! My brain throbbed with fresh resolu- tion--the call to action.
 There were oars in the boat. l shipped the useless rudder inboard and chose my course from the stars. My boat had drifted considerably far ther out into the bay than I had sup posed, and It required a good half hour of steady toll at the oars before I sighted ahead of me the darker out lines of the shore. At first I could identify nothing. but finally there sud denly arose, clearly defined, the gaunt limbs of dead tree. bearing faint resemblance to gigantic cross, that had been pointed out on the sloop. This peculiar mark was at the extrem- ity of the first headland lying north of the point itseif. and consequently e straight courso across the bay would land me within i've hundred yards of where the Namur had last been at anchor.
 To a degree my immediate plan of action had been definitely mapped out within my own mind while toiling at the oars. I would beach my dory and strike out on foot directly across the narrow neck of land. The Namur was not so far out from shore as to make swimming to her a dangerous feat. and l could approach and board her with far less chance of discovery in that manner than by the use of boat. The greater danger would come after I had attained the deck, wet to the akin. The sharp bow of the dory ran up on the soft sand of the beach, ana stepne' aashore.
 Then Ire came to me the first real consciousness of the reckless nature of tiis adventure. As I faced then the probabilities there scarcely seemed one chance in s hundred. And yet l must admit there was the one chance; {; and in no other action could per ce4ve oven that much encouragement If Dorothy Fairfsx was already In the hands of tssee man. then my only op-