New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1921-09-13

/ Ro.)
| the door. He saw big black suuirm-
ing in the midst of tangle of yellow
fiends.
| With prodigious effort he shook
himself free, saw Rattray with the
| pistol and leaped through the door
| A blade swung at him, but missed.
| There was a scrimmage, and as Rat
| tray ran out, he saw the fugitive
hurdle into the sea He fired twice
at the swimming figure, and ran back
| to the cabin to stuff the sack under
his jacket.
| Rattray's boatswain looked in,
| painting, bare to the waist. He grinned
| and looked at the body of Galen.
| Can do he said.
Good! Go quick" said Rattray,
pulling the lamp down. He went to
the galley, and finding oil and spirits,
stabbed cans with his knife until they
gushed fluid, threw them into the
| main cabin, where they gurgled their
contents over the floor and then set
them afire.
AS they pulled away for the Tropic
Bird the Cristobal became a great
| torch, lighting up the yellow faces at
the oars. Rattray had carried out his
orders to the letter and everything
had gone well. His own schooner was
making sail, and coming up into the
| wind.
AS she turned her stern to the
| moon. black head rose out of the
| water and studied her name, then
dived and swan for the shadow of
nearby island.
| The Tropic Bird, twenty-seven days
| from Manila, arrived at Zamboanga
| in ballast, for copra. Capt Rattray
| reported a rough passage. He shipped
a young mate who had just come out
of the hospital after fever, and who
was glad enough of a chance to get
back to Manila.
| The name of the new mate was
John Strang.
CHAPTER VI.
| After the Mongolia left Hongkong
| for Manila, Mrs. Wade found a strang
er sitting beside her at table when
she went down for lunch-a pleas
ant, middle-aged man with a bald
spot and a gold tooth. AS he be-
/ trayed an infinite knowledge of the
| Orient, Mrs. Wade struck up an in
formal acquaintance with him.
| His name, according to the pas
senger list, was Horatio Ogelthorpe
Westward. He maintained a myster-
ious reticence about himself and his
business. On Mrs. Wade this made
| an impression which did not decrease
| when she heard one of the ships
officers call him professor"
$50 you're the Mrs. Wade who
writes novels said Westward one
morning when the Philippine coast
| was coming up out of the horizon.
You ought to get some corEing good
stories out here"
Mrs. Wade had an idea this ac-
quaintance might be turned to &C.
count for Eleanor-that Mr.. West
| ward might have some gossip about
| business and ships which would be
| of value.
| IT gather you've been out here
quite a while
| Nearly ten years, and I'm good
listener"
i've friends who knew a Capt.
| Nickelsen-I think his name was
Nickelsen,' suggested Mrs. Wade.
| 'Nickelsen. Oh. yes. Speaking of
Nicke-sen reminds me of story
| about pirates"
"Oh, lovely A regular pirate story?
| No doubt a few years ago
I'm talking about a few days ago!
No more than a month ago.
''Now." exclaimed Mrs. Wade, you
come rfght over to a deck CHAIR ana
begin, and don't you dare play cards
| in the smoking room once room be-
| fore we're in Manila! Shoot the pi
rate story
You may think Rattray and Strang
| are bush league pirates" he began.
| What I know is gossip and news
paper yarns. They'd just been arrest
| ed when I was in Manila last, and
| Rattray's trial ought to be over by
| the time we get in"
Miss Glendon came from her state
| room.
Come hear a pirate story, dear"
| "I know it's going to be interest
| ing" Eleanor said, taking a chair be-
| side the professor.
Now" suggested Mrs. Wade to
the professor.
| "Rattray was mate of a steamer and
| had a row with his employers. He
bobbed up as captain of a schooner
| the Tropic Bird-made a trip to Fam
boanga for copra, hired a new mate
| there, John Strang, and came back to
Manila. rhe schooner had been tied
Iup a few hours when a gunboat came
in from the south.