The state herald., 1919-08-01
CHAPTER TX.
A Swim TO the Namur.


buried In my hands I sat ON q thwart,
dazed. Before me. pleading. expires.
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 of 4 helpless prisoner.
Ay, but this I knew: there was only one
place to which the villains might fee
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 spoils. The thought came
to me In sudden revelation-why not I
Was not here chance even yet to foil
themf With Sanchez dead NO man
aboard that pirate craft could recog.
nixe me. felt assured Of this. 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 I had his
own. There was no one else to fear.
II only I might once succeed In get.
ting safely aboard. slightly disguised.
perhaps. and mlngle unnoticed among
the crew, the chances were not bad
for me to pass undetected. Such ships
carried lafse crews and were constant.
ly changing In personnel. A strange
face appearing among them need not
arouse undue suspicion. And 1 felt
convinced I could locate the Namur
But could hope to attain the ship in
advance Of the returning party Of
raidersf God helping me. ! would try
My brain throbbed with fresh resolu.
tion-the call to action.
There were oars In the boat.
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 II required q good half
hour Of steady toll at the oars before
! sighted ahead Of me the darker out.
lines Of the shore. At frst I could
identify nothing. hut finally there sud.
denly arose. clearly defined. the gauni
limbs Of dead tree. bearing a fain,
resemblance to gigantic cross. that
had been pointed out on the sloop.
This peculiar mark was At the extrem.
ity Of the hrst headland lying sorth
Of the point Itself. and consequently
. straight course across the bay would
land me within i've hundred yards Of
where the Namur hnd Inst been Q,
anchor.
To q degree my immediate plan Of
action had been definitely mapped out
within my own mind while toiling nt
the oars. would beach my dory and
strike out on foot directly across the
narrow neck Of land. The Nnmur wns
not no far out from shore as to make
swimming TO her 4 dangerous feat.
and ! could approach and board her
with fur less chance Of discovery In
that manner than by the use Of boat.
The greater danger would come after
] had attained the deck. wet to the
skin. The shnrp bow Of the dory ran
up on the soft snnd Of the beach, and
! stepped ashore.
Then there esne " me the first real
consciousness Of the reckless nature
OF this adycntu',. As ! faced then
the probabilities there scarcely seemed
one chance In n hundred. And yet !
must ndnit there wns the one chance
md In no other action could I per.
ccivc even that much ourngcmcnt.
II Dorothy Fairfax was already In the
hnnds Of these men. then my only op.
poriunity for serving her iny In my
being close nt hand. No alternative
presented Itself; no other effort could
be effective. II wns already too late
10 nttempt the organization OF n res.
cue pnriy. No, the only choice left
wns for me either 10 accompany the
girl or else abandon hor entirely 10
her cnptort. must either fncc the
possibility " discovery ind capture.