The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-09-10

tween the wharf and the ship, when suddenly the air was shaken by the boom of a gun. A round shot, struck the water within fathom of the fore most boat, sending a shower of spray over it's occupants. A second shot came to crumple one of the boats into s;iint- CTS, flinging its crew, dead and living into the water.
 The resolute Ogle was making excel lent practice, and fully justifying his claims to know something of gunnery. In their consternation the Spaniards had simplified his task by huddling their boats together. z If the Spaniards understood nothing of all this, the forlorn islanders ashore understood still less, until to help their wits they saw the flag of Spain come down from the mainmast of the Cinco Liagas, and the flag of England soar to its empty place. Ogle, however, con- tinued to give proof that his knowledge of gunnery was not of yesterday. After the fleeing Spaniards went his shots. The last of their, boats flew into splin- ters as it touched the wharf. cad its remains were buried unde- shower of loosened masonry.
 The mystery of the succor that had come at the eleventh hour to wreak ven- geance upon the Spaniards, and to pre- serve for the island the extortionate ransom of hundred thousand pieces of eight, remained yet to be probed. That the Cinco Liagas was now in friendly hands could no longer be doubt ed after the proofs it had given. It remained to ascertain the precise iden- tity of these mysterious saviors, and do them fitting honor. Upon this er- rand went Colonel Bishop as the gov ernor's deputy, attended by two officers.
 As he stepped from the ladder into the vessels waist, the colonel beheld there, beside the main hatch, the four treasure-chests, the contents of one of which had been contributed almost en- tirely by himself. Ranged on either side, athwart the deck. stood a score of men in two well-ordered files, with breasts and backs of steel, polished Spanish morions on their heads, over- shadowing their faces, and muskets or dered at their sides.
 A courtly gentleman advanced to greet him--a lean, graceful gentleman, dressed in the Spanish fashion, all in black with silver lace, a gold-hilted sword dangling beside him from a gold em- broidered baldrick, broad castor with sweeping plume set above carefully curled ringlets of deepest black.
 Be welcome aboard the Cinco Liz las, colonel, darling" a voice vaguely familiar addressed the planter.
 "Peter Blood! Was 1t you then '?
 Myself it was-myself and these, my good friends and yours"
 "Gad's my life! !" he crOwed on a note of foolish juhilation. And it was with these fellows that sou took the Span. iard and turned the tables on those dogs! AS Gad's my life, you deserve well for this" l
 T am entirely of your opinion,' said Mir. Blood. ''The question is how we'll we deserve, and how grateful shall we find you?" oets.e '. z 3
 "Why-his excellency shall write home an account of your exploit, and maybe some portion of your sentences shall be remitted.'
 "The generosity of King James is well known," sneered Nathaniel Hag- thorpe, who was standing by, and amongst the ranged rebels convict some one ventured to laugh. e i. <;
 And one intervened-the brawny, one eyed Wolverstone, less mercifully dis posed than his more gentlemanly fel- low-convict.
 String him up from the yard-arm," he cried. Mir. Blood turned.
 "If you please, Wolverstone," said he, "I conduct affairs in my own way. That is, the pact. You'll please to re-, member it." His eyes looked along the ranks, making it plain that he addressed them all. T desire that Colonel Bish- op should have his life. One reason is that I require him as a hostage. If ye insist on hanging him, yell have to hang me with him, or in the alternative I'll go ashore"
 (Continued Tomorrow.)