Evening star., 1924-11-02

"Ah, And l suppose all the other.
Of this lubberly crew share your ig
norance.''
1T would be more amiable of yor
to suppose that they exceed it,"
Jeremy pointed ahead to a spot OF
board bow. That is the north star,
said he.
lis it now? Glory be. | wonder ye
can pick it out from the rest"
And the north star ahead almost
over. your Starboard bow means thai
we're steering a course north. north
west, or maybe north by west. for
doubt if We are standing more than
10 degrees westward"
And why shouldn't we?" wondered
Capt. Flood.
You told me-didn't you?-that
we came west of the archipelago be-
tween Tobago and Grenada. steering
for Curacao. If that were our pres
cnt course, we should have the north
star abeam. out yonder."
ON the instant Mr.. Blood shed his
laZineSs. He stffened with appre-
hension and was about to speak
when shaft of light Glove the gloom
above their heads, coming from the
door of the poop cabin which had just
bcsn opened. 1t closed again, and
presently there was step on the
companion. Don Diego was approach
ing. Capt. Blood's fingers pressed
Jerry's shoulder with significance
Then he called the Don and spoke
to him in English. as had become
his custom when others were pres
ent.
will ye settle a slight dispute
We are arguing, Mr.. Pitt and l.
a to which is the north star"
So?" The Spaniards tone was
easy; there was almost suggestion
that laughter lurked behind it, and
tho reason for this was yielded by
his next sentence. But you tell me
Mr.. Pitt he is your navigant?'
For lack of better" laughed the
captain, good humoredly contemptu-
Gus. Now l am ready TO wager him
!. hundred pieces of eight that this
is the north star" And lie flung
out an arm toward a point of light
III the heavens straight abeam. He
afterwards told Pitt that had Don
Diego confirmed him, he would have
run him through upon that instant
Far from that, however. the Span
lard freely expressed his scorn.
You have the assurance that is
OF ignorance, Don Pedro: and you
lose. The north star is this one
And he indicated it.
You are sure?"
But, my dear Don Pedro" The
Spaniard's tone was one of amused
protest. But is il possible that ]
mistake? Besides, is there not the
compass? Come to the pinnacle and
see there what course we make"
His utter frankness and the easy
manner of one who has nothing to
conceal resolved at once the doubt
that had leapt so suddenly in the
mind of Capt Blood. Pitt was salts
fed less easily.
In that case. Don Diego, will you
tell me. since Curacao is our destina
tlon. why our course is what it s?'
Again there was no faintest hesi-
tation on Don Diegos part. You
have reason to ask" said he, and
sighed. Il had hope it would no,
be observe. ] have been careless
oh. of a carelessness very culpa BILE
/ neglect observation. Always it is
my way. ] make too sure | count
TOO much on dead reckoning. And SO
| today | find. when at last I take out
' the quadrant, that we do come b..
a half degree too much south SO
that Curacao is now almost due north.
ihat is what cause the delay. But
we Will be there tomorrow"
The explanation, SO completely sat
isfactory, and SO readily and candid
y forcoming, left no room for fur
ther doubt that Don Diego should
nave been false to his parole. And
when presently Don Diego had with
drawn again, Capt Flood confessed
to Pitt that it was absurd to have
suspected him. Whatever his ante
cedents, he had proved his quality
when he announced himself ready to
Ole sooner than enter into any under
taking that could hurt his honor or
his country
Main and to the ways of the adyen
turers who sailed it, Capt Blood still
entertained illusions. But the next
dawn was to shatter them rudely
and forever
Coming on deck before the sun was
up, he saw land ahead, as the Span
iard mad promised them last night
oohe ~ miles ahead it lay, a long
coast line filling the horizon east
and west, with a massive headIand
Juttlng forward straight before them.
staring at it. he frowned He had
not conceived that Curacao was of
such considerable dimensions. In
oeed, this looked less like an island
than the main itself
Beating out aweatherl against the
gentle landward breeze he beheId a
great ship on their starboard bow.
that he conceived to be some three
or four miles off. and-as well as he
could judge her at that distance
OF a tonnage equal if not superior
to their own. Even as he watched
her she altered her course and going
about came heading toward them,
closehauled
\ dozen Of his fellows were astir
on the forecastle, looking eagerly
ahead, and the sound of their voices
and laughter reached him across the
length of the stately Cinco Llagas.
There said a soft voice behind
him in liquid Spanish. "is the Prom
ised Land, Don Pedro
1t was something in that voice,
a muffied note of exultation, that
awoke suspicion in him, and made
whole the half doubt he had been
entertaining. He turned sharply to
face Don Diego. so sharply that the
sly smile was not effaced from the
Spaniard's countenance before Capt.
Bloods eyes had flashed upon it..
You find an odd satisfaction in the
sight of it-all things considered"
said MIR. Blood.
"Of course" The Spaniard rubbed
his hands, and Mr.. Blood observed
that they were unsteady. THE satis-
faction of mariner"
''Or of a traitor-which?" Blood
asked him quietly. And as the
Spaniard fell back before him with
suddenly altered countenance that
confirmed his every suspicion, he
flung an arm out in the direction
of the distant shore. what land is
that?" he demanded. "Will you have
the effrontery to tell me that is the