Elbert County tribune and Elbert County banner., 1921-01-21
The OCEAN HAWK.
(By Dorothy Whiting J


For five weeks the CURLEw. a
small English sailing vessel had
been upon the water For three
long weary days 1t had been tossed
about by angry waves. Ever
since 1t had set sail the weather
had been unusually stormy. But
for the last three days the storm
had increased and was now raging
The csean was covered with a dense
fog and the ship had beendriven
out of its course. Now, the storm
was oyor and the wind had calmod
again and the fog was slowly dIsp-
pearing. but the rain was stnl
falling.
The little cabin was crowded, SO
wns the deck Bat away from the
confusion. ali alone under the stair
way sat young girl Of sixteen,
Bessie Randell. She was a sweet
tempered girl very pretty With long
golden hair, large. deep blue eyes, n
sweet. rosy mouth. delicate coHi-
plexion and very 81 nder. She
was the only daughter Of wealthy
Englishman who had gone to Amer
lea when lad and helped to build
the early settlements. He had.
died during his last visit to HIS old
home in England, leaving wife
and two children; Bessie and Resi-
RAID, lad of twelve, Reginald
had gone to America seyerl months
before, with his Uncle in n large
merchant ship.
Bessie sat alone und the stair
way on a small wooden bench rest
ing her head in her arms. but by
and by she fell asleep. Several
hours later she was aroused by q
great noise and commemorative and
below. Screens and cries came
from the cabin while ahouts and
stamping of feet came from the
deck. Now and then something or
someone could be heard falling IN
to the water, followed by smoth-
cred scream or gurgle Bessie sat
and listened. All was dark within
the room save beam of light that
fell cross the floor from crack IN
the door. She sprang to her feet
and ran to the cabin door, She
stopped short for within Jhe door
way stood u man with torch in
his long hairy cruel hand. HIS
dark brutal face was turned TO-
wards her and he shouted some
thing above in a foreign language.
All the wild pirate tales told to her
by old sailors and fishermen darted
through her mind. She thought
OF the misery and torture and death
they went through. Could this be
true? Could the CURLEW have
fallen into the hands Of pirates?
was II true or was it n nightmare
Bessie thought and looked for
place to hide. the man before her
moved and in fear, she shrank back
into the shaved and ran up the
staircase.
The deck was smooth and shiny
peared and from the parted clouds
the moon was streaming. The
passengers and sailors stood in
eroupes their faces pale with fear.
There were groupes of savagei-
faced pirates and in their cruel
hands they carried torches, swords
and knives. Opposite the CUR
LEW was n great ship many times
larger. It's deck was crowded
with pirate sailors also several Of
the CurIew's passengers. From.
one ship to the other several narrow
planks ran. The pirates were a.
musing Themselves by forcing the
sailors ard passengers TO walk the
plank. often jabbing them with
their swords to cause them to fall
into the water.
The little group of the CurleT's
men were talking excitedly to one
another, It's no use, said the old
sailor with the pegleg. there are
only n few of us and we are un-
trained, II will be useless; ii VIII
be in vain" Then we Will die in
the attempt, cried enc of the pas
sengers.' Ready, men ready" he
shouted. They sprang forward
and snatched the knife fyom the
nearest pirate and killed him. A
battle started and in a few NOM
an,a tho rt,rlaup'o do.I, vroc oxvarp,
ing with the heartless pirates. On
ly five of the Curlew's men We're
living. the rest were dead and dy-
ing on it's deck.