Elbert County tribune and Elbert County banner., 1921-01-28
THE OCEAN HAWK.
(By Dorothy Whiting. }
outfnued from Last Week

turned the knob. II broke in her
her hair she turned the screws that
held the lock Then pushing tue
door with all of her strength 1t
slowly yielded to her weight. The
passage leading to the stairway was
long. narrow. dark and unfamiliar
Blindly she made her way through
tie passage and up the stairs. The
sun was setting and It threw its
golden beams across the water
Bound hand and foot by strong
rope lay boy of twelve. The pi-
rates were amusing themselves by
lashing him with their swords
Bessie screamed and run and put
her arms around him. The cap
tain pushed her roughly back.
Throwing herself to her knees. Bes-
sic clung 10 him and cried in Span
ish. Don't kill hint viii be
come your wife II you Will only let
him live The captain hesitated.
for in spite OF his cruelty he loved
Bessie, so he stopped and Bessie
married the ston-hearted pirate to
save her brothers life.
She bound the little fellows
wounds and tried to nurse him back
TO health. For hours she sat by
the little boys bed watching over
him and trying TO supply every
want. But he did not get any bet
ter and one evening he lay on deck
In rude bed his sister had made
for him. The captain stumbled
over him and in a mad rage threw
him overheard into the water
Besrie was just coming back up
the stairs carrying small glass of
water and brandy she had coaxed
one OF the pirtes TO give her. She
heard him give faint cry but he
was too weak to call loudly So
he died at the hands of the same
man who killed his mother, cousin
and friends. Bessie did not cry or
move: she stood as though paralized.
her eyes burning with hate.
Five years have passed and for
Ave long weary years Bessie has
lived on the pirate ship. All that
time she never touched land. She
often came In sight 81 land but as
the captain said she never touched
1t. In n small room sitting on
rude stool sits young Englishman
bound with chains. He had been
captured while sailing to North
America in an English Merchant
ship Ave weeks before. He sat
with his head between his hands
His throat was dry and parched and
the hot air and the want of nour-
ishing food made him feel weak and
faint The pirates told him that
he wondered why it did not come.
As he sits here the door opens
and a girl steps into the room. She
Is tall, rather slender. her face more
pale than fair. Her eyes are large
and dark. In them is a volume of
pain and sorrow. 1t is Bessie Ran
dell The abnormal surroundings
are slowly taking her life away.
She stepped fowrerd and lifted the
heavy chains that bind him. A
smile breaks upon her hard thin
lips. after all. | have not lived my
life in vain.' she said as though
speaking to herself. Taking a large
bunch Of keys from under her arm
she swiftly unlocked the chains
that bound him. Prisoner. what
dost thou suppose awaits thee?
Freedom. / have come to set you
free See the fog! 1t VIII hide
you. Man, how l long for it. ]
could see the land would the fog
rise. Although it is near. it is far
away The Englishman rose and
drawing nearer her he said. Are
you too, prisoner" She nodded,
Yes" she answered. Il have been
a prisoner for five long years
married the captain to save the life
of my brother. The captain is Ike
a hawk. he kills and tears The
hearts of human beings. Those
who are weaker than himself. Like
the hawk tears the lives of little
birds from them with his cruel claws
for the mere sport of killing. Fol
FIVE long years l have lived upor
the water, l have never touched tn
land have seen sights and heart
cries that would make ones BLOOD
run cold. He captures the ships o
the ocean and kills the passengers II
cold blood for the mere pleasure o