Connecticut western news., 1919-05-29

yOnd view or EStada'S deaQ race. Le- We're, who had evidently lost his nerve, sank into a chair.
 "You fear an uprising, a mutiny?" I questioned, "when this is reported?"
 "What will prevent?" he asked. ''The captain cannot stir; the mate is dead; the men already crazed because we take no prizes. They will murder us also and take control. Those devils | amidships."
 And who leads them? Who would be captain?''
 .sManuel Estevan,'' he whispered. 'T thought as much. Then it is 1 Manuel Estevan we must secure first before they know. Whatever his men may know of what has occurred | they will make no move until they get his orders. We must stop the possi- ility of his issuing any. Without a : leader the advantage is ours." "You mean to kill him%
 "Only as last resort. There is no good feeling between those quartered | amidships and the crew."
 "No, senor; it is hate generally, al- though they are not all alike. The real sailors are mostly captured men; | they serve to save their lives, and 1 only for these others on board could 1 not be held long. Your plan, senor, is to set the one against the otherT
 'Yes, if possible. These sailor men are of all races, Can they be trusted?"
 Some might be, sir; 1t is hard to tell how many. It is not the race which counts so much, senor. There are those among them who would not care to return to honesty"
 And you, LeVere?'
 He spread his hands and shrugged his shoulders. "There Is no hope of me; I was born to the free life."
 "What then is it with you?"
 "Hate, senor-revenge," and his teeth gleamed savagely. "I would spit On this Manuel who seeks to be chief. can never be---no; I am of black skin, with negro blood in my veins, and white men would never have it so. But can hate, senor. That is why I am with you now, if the devil so will. Your plan might work-tell me more of it.'
 "What are the odds, say you-thirty to hundred? Ay, but surprise will overcome that. My plan is this: First to secure Manuel as quietly as pos sible but at whatever cost. With him in our hands, or dead, the buccaneers have 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 a signal. The l forward door from amidships is closed by iron bars-is 1t not?"
 "Si, senor," his eyes again sparkling with interest. "The men quarreled, and there was fighting"
 ''Then there is no escape in that di- rection and 1t can be no great task to close any passage leading aft. Lower the deck hatch and we have those devils below caged like so many rats. There need be no fighting; star vation will bring them to terms"
 "But, senor, 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. Go chose is bad, and a friend of Manuel. He will fight, and there are others to back him." lA ........e.. "I 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" E& }.. .@
 "And what will you tell them, se- norY' ~ &t .o caught my breath, conscious of his meaning. My secret hope could not be revealed to this fellow. The answer came quickly to my lips.
 'NThe whole truth, Senor LeVere- that Manuel conspired to seize the bark through mutiny of the bucca- neers; that 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. shall explain that we discovered this conspiracy just in time to save them from but chery, and they must stand by us or else; submit to those hell-hounds."
 And after that, senorT .>.
 "Why, Porto Grande, of course" I admitted heartily. The men will un- derstand what that means-a handful of gold for each of them and run ashore. Why IaVara thpv will make