The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-03-19

] of them are caught; and those that are sure get tl4eir punishment, They never try 1t again. I've seen them staked out on the sand and left to die; that ain't-no nice thing to remem- ber."
 But how did you come into itf" Like most of the rest. I was sec ond mate of the Ranger, Glasgow brig. These. fellows overhauIed us at daybreak about a hundred miles off the east end of Cuba. Our skipper was Scotch, and he put up, some fight, but it wasn't any use. There was only three of us left alive when the pirates came aboard. 7. One of these died two days later, and another was washed overheard and drowned down in the Gulf. I ana all that is left of the , Ranger" @ You saved your fife by taking on?' Sanchez had the two of us, who were able. to stand. back in his cabin. He put 1t to us straight lie said 1t i was up to us whether we signed up or walked the plank; and he didn't ap- pear to care a damn which we chose" And you say others of this crew ] have been obtained In the same man. nerT' I questioned deeply interested, and perceiving in this a ray of hope. "Not exactly-no. I wouldn't pre- ciseIy say tf1nt. It's true. perhaps, that most of the Britishers were forced to join in about the same way I was, and there may be a Scandinavian or two, with a few Dutch, to be counted in that list; but the most are pirates from choice. It's their trade, and they like 1t. Sanchez only aims. to keep hold of a few good men, because he has got to have sailors; but most of his crew are nothing but plain cut throats. Indians and half-breeds, nig- gers, creoles, Portuguese, Spanish, and every mOngreI you ever heard of. San chez himself is half French. The hell hound who kicked you is a Portu- guese, and LeVere is more nigger than anything else. I'll bet there is a hun dred rats on board this Namur right now who'd cut your throat for a soy- I ereign, and never so much as think of 1t again"
 "A hundred2 Is there that many aboard2"
 "A hundred an thirty all told. Most O 'em bunk amidships. They're not sailormen, but just cut-throats, an sea wolves. Yer ought ter see 'em swarm out on deck, like hungry rats, when thar's a fight comin. It's all they're good fer.''
 "Watkins,' I said soberly, after . i pause during which he spat on the | dirty deck to thus better express his l feelings, do, you mean to say that in three years you've had no chance to escape? No opportunity to get away?' Not a chance, mate no rorea will 1 you. I know what yer. thinkin, bout, I had them notions too whep I fust come aboard-gettin' all the decent sort tergether, and l,takin' the vessel. 'Twon't work; thar ain't 'nough who wud risk it, and if thar wus, yer couldn't get 'en- -tergether. Sanchez is too damn smart fer thet. Every damn rat is a spy. afn't he'd no such talk as this afore i'll six months, Gates; the last time cost me twenty Iashes at the nast-butt. What'd yer have in yer mind, mater"
 "Oniy this, Watkins. I've got to do something, and believe I can trust you its not my life I'm thinking about,
 but that of q woman"
 "A womanI Not the one brought
 aboard last night?"
 Exactly; now Hsten-Tm going to
 tell you my story, and ask your heip.
 My name is not Gates, and I am not
 the man Mendsz brought aboard drunk,
 and who was thrown over the rail by
 LeVere. That fellow vas drowned.
 am Geoffry Carlyle, an English skip
 per-
 Thereupon I told him my story in
 detail. Then I said:
 q have no plan; to become q mem
 Der of the crew was my only thought.
 But must act, if at all, before the
 captain recoYers. He would recognize
 me at sight. You will aid, advise
 Ene?" .---
 That is easier to ask than answer,
 mate," he admitted finally. q am an
 English seaman, and will do my duty,
 but, so far as I can see, there is no
 plan we can make. It is God who will
 save the girl, if she is to be saved. He
 may use us to that end, but 1t is
 wholly beyond our power to accom-
 plish it alone. The only thing I can , do is to sound out the men aboard, and
 learn just what we can expect of them
 if any opportunity to act comes. There
 are not more than q dozen at most to
 be relied upon. Play your part, and
 keep quiet. If you. can let her know
 of your presence aboard it might be
 5est-for if she saw you suddenly, un-
 prepared, she might say or do some Al
 reasons why it may be best for her to h know she is not entirely deserted"
 He leaned over, notiening me
 toward him, until his lips were at my
 ear.
 TContinued FeneFTow.)