Arizona state miner., 1926-06-12
CHAPTER XIII-Continued


uncle. Il must confess myself igno-
rant of such staple points as why we
are here, the excuse for human exist
ence, the relative significance of this
world Of ours, the utility of the differ
fng qualities of goodness and evil.
But any serious consideration, friend
Peter, must convince as profound a
thinker as yourself that the very ex-
tstence of men and women is Of itself
prima-facie evidence that there can
be no Divine Author Of omnipotent or
sentient powers"
1--WE better go on deck" said Peter.
"After yOu,' protested my relative
as we rose. "'Tis a pleasure to de-
bate with you, Peter. Take care,
pray! Gum has not removed all Of
the evidence of Diomede's passing.
Strange, is it not, how a black fellow
like DiOmede and a man who hath
been the confdant Of princes, like
ODOnnell, should both be abolished by
q simple organic disruption? That
alone, Peter, should suffice to disprove
the humbug of an all-wise Providence.
Here am 1, arranging to reconstruct
for the better most unhappy trio of
Kingdoms, with consequences bound to
improve the well-being of the entire
world, and my plan is suffered to be
placed in jeopardy by an ignorant
sailors blind shot in the dark! What
could be more abSurdT'
Peter did not answer him, and we
passed out upon the main deck, where
sailors were busy removing the traces
of the Walrus' first brOadSide which
had wrought a certain amount of
minor damage and caused the deaths
of several men. Twas now light
enough to see about us, but the light
was of quality had never known
before-a hard, coppery glare, with
the sun Obscured from view. The sea
was quite fiat, and the wind contin-
ued intermittent, veering from one
quarter of the south to the other.
Spy-glass island lay to larboard, its
contour amazingly distinct-aS If it
were bitten into the frame of steel
blue sea and DULY shimmering sky
that encOmpaSsed it. The Walrus,
like the James, had cleared Captain
Kidd's anchorage, and was running
due north before the wind betwixt us
and the islet called Skeleton island.
Murray bent a shrewd eye aloft
and hailed Martin.
"How is it you carry no sail on the
mizZen? he demanded.
Account O. that there last -
- - shot, cap'n," answered the
mate. tugging his forelock. "If ye
look to it yell see as how
twelve-pounder bored into her"
We all followed his pointing finger
TO a gouge beneath the mizzen yard
The shot that had grazed Colonel
O'DonnelPs head had done more than
Craze the mizzen. The mast was
whitfield away to a depth of several
inches as cleanly as if a giants ak
had chopped into it.
My great-uncle took snuff very
slowly.
"What luck! What luck!" he NUT
tered.
And then louder:
Twas an expensive shot for US,
gadzOOks Well, Martin, we must fish
the mast at our earliest opportunity,
but we can make shift to corner Flint
without it. The Walrus is foul and
heavy in the water The James can
sail circles round her in this wind"
There was a worried look in Mar
tins weather-beaten face.
"Askin' your pardon, sir, I don't
like this - - wind. We're in
for - Of a storm or I'm a -
- - lubber."
My great-uncle shrugged his shoul-
ders.
"StOrm or no storm, Martin, the
Walrus carries nigh four hundred
thousand pounds"
"Aye, sir; and by your favor, best
sink her and be done WI it and run
for shelter"
"Sink her! Man, we'd lose the
treasure"
Better lose the Walrus' treasure
than go down ourselves" insisted
Martin doggedly. "Have it your own
way, sir, but I'm a - If
it amt fxin' to blow up one O. these
here tarrible Carribbee storms as pluck
the hairs Out'n your head"
Murray regarded the four quarters
OF the sky for several moments.
"With your representations I find
80 quarrel, Martin" he said finally:
"'but I believe we have ample time
to head the Walrus. Flint dares not
run south because he knows the hor-
nsts lest we have stirred up in those
seas. My purpose is to box him in
and force him to beach. If this wind
continues we should bring him to book
on tbs north coast of the island, and
so loon as the Walrus has taken
grcund we will wear and beat in for
the North inlet Doth that satisfy
your
The mate hesitated
"YoE be cap'n. sir. But II twas my