Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-09-30

IuO G8ot WUuUIO wa 00DR ~
near at hard abe1t - hOdksa yar0s
away, ana there was u ~ ouuvs
and cCnmstlso oe IT, lsas bssAksts
over the dancing shoals. The tide was
running out vsry fsst. and the white
sand coming ever nearer 10 or svss
In the moonlight; and samsons Hight
there, was keeping white and STEADY.
With the thought Of my treasure and
the king" 20 near BY Il was hard
to resist the temptation to plunge In
and follow my heart ashore. But i
managed to control The boyisA I'm.
pulse. and presently We were all snug,
and some Of us snoring below decks,
rocked In the long swells Of the shoal
water that cleaned milkily like an
animated moonstone under the starr
old Sailor curied up at ny fese, Just
like old times.
woke just as dawn was waking
too, very still and windless; for the
threatening Worcester had changed IT.
mind, and the world was as quiet a.
though there weren't a human being
in 1t. AS the light grew I scanned the
shore to see whether I could detect
the entrance Of the hidden creek; but,
though I swept II up and down again
and again. II continued to justffy the
''king's" boast. There was no sign
Of an opening anywhere. Nothing but
a straight line Of brush, with man.
groves here and there stepping down
in their fantastic way into the water.
And yet we were but hundred yards
from the shore. Certainly "Black.
besrd"--if the haunt had really been
his--had known his business: for an
enemy could have sought him all dag
along this coast and found 10 clue
to his hiding place.
But presently, a. my syss kept
on seeking, q figure rosa tail and
black. near the waters edge, q little
to our left, and shot up q long arm
BY way at signal. II was Samson; and
evidently the mouth Of the creek was
right there In front Of us-under our
very noses, % to say-and yet II was
impossible to make It out However.
at this signai, I stirred up the stin
sleeping crew. and presently We had
the anchors up. and tie engine started
at the slowsst possible speed.
The tide was beginning to run IN.
20 we needed very little way on Us.
I pointed out Samson to the captain,
and. following the 'king's" instruc.
tons, told him to steer straight for
the negro. Samson stood there and
called:
"AIl right ssf. Keep right On. |
You'll see your way IN q minute"
And. sure enough, when we were
barely ffty feet away from the shore,
and there seemed nothing for it but to
run dead aground, low down through
the floating mangrove branches We
caught sight Of q narrow CLEAN start
Ing inland. and In another moment or
two our decks were swept with foliage
as the Flamingo rustled In. like q
bird to cover, through an opentng IN
the bushes barely twice her beam;
and there before us. shaking through
the brush, was q lane OF water which
immediately began to broaden between
pAlmetto-fringed banks. and was evi
IDENTIFY deep enough for much large,
vessel.
"Plenty Of water, sar,~ hallooet |
Samson from the bank, grinnins
huge welcome. 'Keep a-going after
me-" and he started trotting along the
creek side.
Samson went trctting along The
twisting banks. We cautiously feeling |
our way after him. for something like |
a quarter Of mile; and then, com.
ing round a sudden bend, the creek |
opened out into . sort Of basin. On
the left bank stood two largo palmetto |
shanties. Samson Indicated that |
there was our anchorage; and then.
as we were almost alongside Of them,
the CHEEKY halloos OF . weli-known !
voice hailed N. II vas the "ktng:"
and a. I answered his welcome the
morning suddenly sang for ,ps-5os
there, too, wss Calypso at biz SIDE.
The water ran - deep 1t the
creeks side that ~ were able % noeR
the Flaminso night up against the
bank, and when had jumped ashore
and greeted my friends, and the King"
had executed q brief charactsristic
on the manifest advantages
Of having q hidden pirates creek In
the family. hs unfolded his plans, Or
rather that portion Of them that was
necessary at the moment
Go Be Continusd.)