Year: 1874

Now sir, you must answer for it. You
shall answer for it. Will you take the
sword or pistol ?"


Neither, sir, Let me be in peace
that is all | ask"


"You won't fight, eh ?"


sNo. sir"


Now will you?"


As Savage thus spoke, he struck the
young man with the fiat of his hand, up.
on the cheek.


"Now will you fight?"
Walter Legrand turned as pale as
death, but in moment more the blood
returned to his face, and he looked the
brutal man calmy in the eye


captain Savage" he at length said, in
low, tomb-like voice, II cannot fight
you, nor have l any wish to do it. If
you feel happier after what you have done,
you are welcome to the emotion, you may
think my course strange one, but | have
no explanation to make"


Coward y Kissed the brute.


Again that deadly pallor spread over
the young mans face, and | could see that
the nails of his fingers were fairly eating
into the palms of his hands. He was ST
lent but moment, and when he spoke
again it was in the same calm. strange
tone:


Captain Savage, leave me, sir. | am
now in the possession of my senses. Leave
me- or | may be q madman"


Savage was on the point of saying more
when | interfered.


Captain" said |, ''let this subject drop
now. You are wholly in the fault, and !
will sec the young man abused no more. u


';Do you interfere?" exclaimed Savage,
turning madly towards me-


Il do I returned, 'and | mean what
say L command here and you will be
wise if you obey"


'And suppose | do not choose to
obey ?"


Il think it will be an uncomfortable
experiment for you to try" was the reply.


Now | owe to Dame Nature some
thanks for having given me frame more
powerful in its physical mould than she
ordinarily bestows upon her mortal child
ren, and long command of troubled spirits
In the shape of refractory seamen, had
given me not only decision of character,
but had written the fact pretty plainly up
on my countenance. Savage looked at
me moment and then said, with rather
a chop-fallen expression of countenance


20, very well You are captain, and
suppose it would be open mutiny to resist
you" And with that he walked away.


Nov, t. til the truth. | had hoped the
fellow would have offered some resistance,
for | had made up my mind to knock him
down and put him in irons but | was
disappointed though upon more calm
reflection, of course, / was glad affairs
turned as they did


This event cast quite cloud over the
spirits OF the passengers for several days,
and though Savage refrained from most
of his profanity, yet | could see that not
only he, but Others, looked upon Walter
Legrand as coward The young man
himself seemed to notice it, for he was
taciturn and sedate, and [ 1often noticed
that his eyes dropped before the gaze of
others, and that his lips trembled.


Early one morning land was reported
upon the larboard bow. | knew it to be
the Bourbon Island The wind was very
light, the ship not making more than three
knots with her royal and studding sails
About the middle of the forenoon we saw
long, quiac-built boat, or rather vessel
come out from one Of the covers of the
Island. | leveled my glass upon the
craft, and found it to be full of men,
There were seventy-fve at least


Captain, what is she? ?" asked Savage,
approaching the spot where | stood.


Il think there is not much danger in
setting her down as a pirate" l replied
Il have heard of nest Of pirates on the
Bourbon Island. and | think we are likely
to find it true"


pirates" uttered Savage, turning pale
''They will be likely to be ugly customers
won't they?'


"Ofcourse they will They certainly
outnumber us three to one and are, in al
probability. all of them stout, reckless fel
lows


But you don't think they will follow
the rule of putting all their prisoners tc
death, do you?'


you can judge of that as well as ]
can, )" was my reply, and then | turned tC
the men.


could see that Savage Vas much
frightened, and, in fact, nearly all were
startled by the appearance of the suspici.
Gus boat The presence of pirate is not
pleasant theme for any one and more
especially these land pirates, for they gen.
orally make it practice to put their pris
oners to death, so that their haunts may
never be exposed.


We had no carriage gun, but there
were cutlasses and pistols enough Oh
board for the crew, and | lost no time in
arming my men, All told, we mustered
forty-one men. The ships crew, includ
ing myself, made twenty-nine and there
were twelve passengers Though | hard
ly knew whether to count on Walter LIE
grand or not However he could fire a
pistol and that was something BY the
time | had made these arrangements, the
quiac was within two cables lengths of us
and we could see that there were nearly
eighty men on board of her-not so great
odds as we at first supposed, but still two
to one against us. We could see too
that all of them were powerful looking
fellows, and all shades and complexions-
some Of them white, some brown, and
some black.


l arranged the men close to the bul
warks with what muskets we could mus
ter, and then turned to see if Legrand
was upon deck. He stood by the cabin
companion way with sword in his hand
and two superbly mounted pistols stuck
in his belt. The sword | had not seen
before, and of course judged it to be his
own. 1t was broad and heavy, of the
most exquisite polish, and mounted in a
hilt of gold and precious stones. l was,
for moment, chained to the scene. The
youth looked most strangely His face
was yet pale and calm, but its expression
was changed-wonderfully changed. The
fire of his eye was deep and intense, and
the usual sedate, melancholy expression
had given place to sort of exultant, smil-
ing satisfaction. l Gil not speak to him.
l saw that he stood over the place where
his mother had found refuge.


BY this time the quiac was nearly along
side. / waited until the moment for
pistol shooting and then gave the order to
fire There was a long wild veil from the