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The Two
By W. CLARK RUSSELL.
Copyrfcbt. 1897, by P. F. Collier.
CHAPTER IV Continued.
"Northen."
"Sloop In sight?"
"Right ahead, sir, almost within
hall."
"Is Captain Crystal showing him
self?" j "I bco him in the hows o the Bloop
(-waiting for us."
I Popo lifted his head, and a nilnuto
ilater the llttlo fabric was alongside,
jtho hull ot tho sloop putting hoc out
"of Bight of land. Tho bundles were
handed up; tho men sprang aboard
fitter them.
"Lively my hearts!" shouted Pope,
'and mako sail."
Ho sprang to tho tiller, and Crystnl
jput his weight with tho others, upon
fthroat, peak and other halyards. The
great sloping sail fluttered languidly
then rounded silent as the big jib
jboro tho llttlo vessel's head off. They
iwere under way and tho ripple from
tho stem glanced llko a ncedlo into
tho wake.
Tho Downs now lay plain, but very
(distant. But ono largo blue shadow
loomed formidably tho Ramlllles
jand" as Popo looked a puff of whlto
smoke, tiny In tho far-off sheen, broko
from her starboard broadside; which
set Crystal swearing horribly.
"It Is her signal," ho shouted. "Tho
news has reached hor; wo aro sus
pected and shall bo chased."
"Tho breezo means to freshen," ex
claimed Popo coolly; "seo tho dark
31no of it yonder; let mo get behind
tho Sands and I shall bo happy. I
never designed to go Margate way.
We'll hug tho South Sand Head clear
of tho Ramlllles, and go straight for
tho French coast, and then for a shift
of helm for Hamburg."
, "The Captain's right," said Bobbin,
i Tho wholo line of coast was now
vlslblo from Sandwich to the South
Foreland. Tho ripples flashed, whlto
water fled In feathers from the weath
er bow and Pope looked astern at the
land well pleased.
, "I'll tell you tho whole story In a
,mlnute, Crystal," said he, and ho was
proceeding when Crystal interrupted
lilm.
"Look!" said he,
"Look!" said he, in his hoarse note,
pointing.
"Tho Dutch frlgato of last night,"
exclaimed Pope, after turning his
head.
N Sho was coming down Channel on
a taut bow-line, and mado a fine flguro
as ahe drew clear of the Foreland.
"What'B that?" suddenly exclaimed
Crystal, and Maddlson, who had como
on deck, cried out, "They're a-chaslng
of us!"
Both he and Crystal looked toward
Broadstalrs, and thither Pope directed
his eyes, whore, without aid of a glass
ho might seo what should prove a
six-oared galley .sweeping from tho
llttlo pier-end. Her oars sparkled
swiftly.
"Tho glass!" he roared.
" Maddlson grasped tho tiller while
tho Captain looked. There were others
In that boat than thoso who pulled
her. Sho seemed full of men. Pope
caught sight of the glint of bayonets.
She was coming along as steadily
swift as the rapid determined pulse
of tho long and bending lines of flash
ing ash could drive her. The brine
stood llko frost at her bows, and tho
foam rushed aft as though she had
been driven by a propeller.
"A revenue boat," says Popo, with
one ot his oaths, handing the glass to
Crystal, "and she's after us."
Clouds, whlto and swift with the
light of the sun and the life ot tho
wind, were overspreading the western
seaboard, and they mingled with many
leaning shafts of canvass heading out
of the Downs. There was a spirit in
the freshening of tho wind, and tho
Oak snored as she drove through it.
All along the horizon to port wero tho
Goodwin Sands. They wero brilliant
now with creaming lines of yeast,
and tho yellow shoal showed a firm
surface upon which you could havo
played football.
"They're bound to give up; that
pace'll break their hearts," exclaimed
Crystal, after a few minutes of silence
during which he had been watching
tho chasing boat astern.
"If they don't mind," said Steve,
"they'll be foul of that tiere Dutchman."
Captains
CopyrUht. 1897. by Dodd. Med & Co.
"By heavens! Stove's right," cried
Popo, flushing up with sudden exclte
mont and wresting tho glass out of
Crystal's hand. "What docs tho Idiot
mean by holding on?"
Ho applied tho glass to his oyc. Tho
Dutch frigate, under a full press was
sweeping through it grandly. Could
It bo imagined that the pursuing boat
would attempt to pass under thoso
thunderous bows! The naval offlcor
steering tho boat might havo been In
sano with resolution noj. to devlato
from tho path of pursuit. The rowers
had their backs upon tho danger; tho
others wero not there to deliver com
mands; so that all in a second It was
too late. Tho stx oars sparkled as
they roso In tragic arrest under tho
bows of tho sweeping ship. On board
tho Oak they Baw a number of men
running on tho frlgato'e forecastle
Through tho glass Popo spied hor peo
ple struggling for llfo In tho frigate's
wake.
"That," ho cried, pointing with the
tolescopo to tho whlto water astern
of tho frigate, "wa3 her reason for
bringing up in Margato Roads last
night."
"Ay," said Crystal, "hang mo if
thoro Isn't oven a Providence for
pirates," and ho and Popo laughed
with al their might.
Tho Dutchman measured a score of
her own lengths before sho backed
her topsail and lowered boats. Five
men only wero picked up, and they
wero too exhausted to explain tho er
rand they had been upon. In fact, It
was doubtful If the Dutchman would
havo understood them. Tho frlgato
remained hove-to, whilo ono of the
boats put the English seamen ashore
at Broadstalrs; by which time the
Oak, unnoticed by tho seventy-four,
had fetched the southern limb of the
Goodwin Sands, when, easing off her
sheets, sho went awa for tho French
coast.
CHAPTER V.
The Crew of the Gypsy.
At Hamburg tho threo hired men
were discharged with their handker
chiefs liberally tasseled; and they left
In his hoarse notes.
consenting to meet Captain Popo in
London on such and such a date at the
sign of tho Camperdown.
When Popo had settled his affairs in
Hamburg, ho manned tho Oak with
four Dutch seamen and sailed to the
Thames. I am not able to give fur
ther particulars of tho Hamburg ex
pedition than these, because I never
could get to hear who had taken tho
plate off Pope's hands; how It had
been got ashoro without dotectlon;
tho sum of money It had fetched, and
tho like. But this part, though it was
doubtless full of excitement, is not
material to the interest of tho story,
which may bo said to begin with this:
September the 30th, some time be
foro 18S0. It was blowing a fresh
breeze of wind in tho English chan
nel; dark clouds, spitting rain as they
sped, gave a look of flying wlldness to
the few dim spaces of dusty blue;
they produced the effect of flying
scud, and all on high seemed to re
volve as the weeping shadows poured
away into tho horizon on tho breath
of tho shouting wind.
In tho midst of this scene a llttlo
brig was sailing. Sho was the Gypsy.
The captain was Richard Pope, her
chief mato was Jonathan Crystal, her
second mato and boatswara was Mat
thew Grindal, and In her forecastle
and about her decks wero thirty sea
men, counting several idlers, such as
tho gunner) tho carpenter, cook, cabin
servant, and the like.
Sho was bound to the Bay of Cam
peachy to load with logwood, and to
trado with tho West Indies.
To tho Bay of Campeachy! So It
was said. So her papers showed.
Sho had sailed down the river armed
with four carronades of a side, a long
gun on her forecastle, and a stern
chaser, a twelve pounder. Sho was
therefore a llttlo formldahlo with ar
tillery. But the plrato then continued
as fixed a condition of the ocean life
as the gilded and galloried West In
dianian sho plundered. There wero
other risks, moreover, which made tho
cannon a necessary feature of a ship's
deck.
They had dined in tho cabin. Cap
tain Pope had come on deck, It was
Crystal's watch, and the two men
stumped tho planks together. Popo
camo to a Btnnd nt tho llttlo skylight
to survey tho scono of his ship, and
Crystal, on wldo legs, rocked bcsldo
him.
"Sho lifts with splendid buoyancy,'1
said tho commander, "I never could
havo believed that sho possessed these
heels. Look how sho throws the seas
away to leoward! That fine Dutch
frlgato which saved our lives would
not leap In loftier graces.
Cortalnly tho lltlto craft Just then
was a heroic plcturo for a commander
who was also her owner, to contem
plate. Her four black dogs of war at
a Bldo crouched in tho scuppers; and
her tarpaulined forocastlo gun looked
llko a dead giant stitched up awaiting
burial. Tho twelve-pounder aft was
brass; a sullen glint broko In It when
tho sun shone. It made a formidable
show on that llttlo quarter-deck clear
of tho wheel, thon grasped by two sea
men, ono a colored man, tho other as
black as a gypsy with hair llko snakes
crawling out of his hat down his back.
They looked a pair of beauties, but
wero Indeed In perfect keeping with
the rest of tho crew now visible.
It was they who gave the llttlo fly
ing ship her wild and savage aspect.
Tho most formidable of them for ugli
ness and bulk was Mattnow Grlndall
tho boatswain, who had Ukowlso
agreed to servo as second mnte.
Though an Englishman, ho had been
a plrato aboard a Frenchman, had
also served as nblo seaman in a
scoundrel Spanish plccnroon, nnd
scarce a memory ot this man's for
year after year but wa3 red and dreadful.
He was overseeing some work n
cluster of seamen wero upon In tho
waist, and Captain Pope watched him.
Assuredly tho Camperdown had been
shelled to some purpose. Thoso of
tho crow who wero nt odd Jobs about
tho deck, or who were gathered Into
groups about the galley and longboat,
wore as completely piratic In faco and
garb, in tho sound of their desporato
laughs, in their consoles oaths, in their
postures, and motions charged with
tho brutalest spirit of deflauco and
recklessness, as the heart of man or
boy could yearn to read about, and
thirst to attend to tho gallows..
"Crossman has dono 'our purpose
Justice," said Popo with a Bmlle, with
his eyes fixed on Grindal. "I expect
tnat most of these men havo seen
thr-r turn as pirates."
"Thcy'ro hero as prl,vateersmen,"
exclaimed Crystal.
"They shall bo undeceived," said
Pope, turning suddenly and beginning
to walk tho short deck, Crystal beside
him. "And what's the difference?"
"Tho hangman knows," answered
Crystal.
"Was never a prlvateersman
hanged?" cried Pope.
"A letter of marque Is as good as
a pennon," said Crystal. Then seeing
Irritation In the commanders faco,
he said, "Has Mr. Staunton nny sus
picion, d'yo think, of tho naturo of
this voyage?"
"None. Four hundred pounds In
cash, and the remainder in bills; that
sufficiently appeased the curiosity of
a man who had a ship which was rot
ting her bottom out In tho Thames.
Crossman acted well; ho held as muto
as a skull!"
"Crossman Is a man you may de
pend on," exclaimed Crystal. "When
do you reckon upon taking tho qrew
into your confidence?"
"This afternoon, Jonathan," said
Popo sternly.
Crystal looked away to sea.
There was now too much wind for
tho royals; they wero clewed up to
tho shrill measures ot tho bo'sun's
pipe; the flying jib was hauled down,
and the taut weather shrouds shook
as some seamen ran aloft.
"Sail ho!" shouted ono ot them out
ot the fore-top.
"Where away?" roared Popo.
(To bo continued.
HERBERT SPENCER IN YOUTH.
Stern of Character, Yet Human
Enough to Enjoy a Joke.
Tho eighty-third birthday ot Mr.
Herbert Spencer has brought out,
among other things, extracts from
tho anonymous diary of a' friend of
his early days, when ho was on tho
engineering staff of tho London &
Birmingham railway, Spencer, ap
parently, was neither companlonablo
nor particularly popular.
His stern and somewhat harsh
character stood forth In all Its naked
ness, as at his then early ago ho had
neither tact nor knowledge of men
sufficient wherewith to clothe his Im
perious temperament. Ho lived In an
atmosphere of antagonism a Radical
among Tories, a democrat among
aristocrats, an advanced free think
er among sturdy supporters of tho
mother church. But young, thought
less and careless as wo were, wo soon
realized that a young fellow of keen,
penetrating intellect had como among
us, before whom wo could not hold
our own in argument either in meta
physics or In engineering, when we
presumed to differ.
Still ho was human enough to en
joy, and even to perpetrate, a prac
tical joko upon a comrade, Hensman
by namo.
He inserted a pleco of tracing pa
per dally lnsldo tho leather lining of
Hensman's hat. In a few days tho
hat was a tight fit; remarks wero
made to tho victim on tho palpable
enlargement of his cranium, which
ho verified by stating that his hat
gavo evidence of tho truth of tho ob
servation by the gradual tightening of
tho fit. Great sympathy was ex
pressed on the alarming symptom,
and great fun was caused by Hens
man's consternation.
The Idea of Herbert Spencer pJfty
lng practical jokes will probably- be
new and startling to moat people.
The monarch ot tho Packsaddlo
mountains has been slain and tho
ranchers of the valleys aro rejoicing
and loud In their praises of tho bravo
young woman who put an end to tho
career of the beast.
Tho old monarch was a monster
jaguar, ono of tho largest and fiercest
of tho species that was over killed In
Texas. Ho had preyed upon tho herds
and flocks of the Packsaddlo ranch
ers and terrorized tho people of that
section for flvo years. Big rewards
were offered at different times for his
capture, and old hunters with largo
packs of trained hounds frequently
pursued him.
Emboldened by his repeated success
ful forays, ho did not confine his dep
redations wholly to domestic animals.
It Is said that he was responsible for
tho death of two human beings, and
that ho seriously wounded no less than
flvo others during his career.
Superstitious mountaineers who had
many fair Bhots at tho spotted prowl
er wero beginning to believe that ho
boro a charmed life. Ho had been
hard hit several times, and ho had
carried away moro thnn ono big stool
trap which ho succeeded in shaking
and gnawing loose from hU feet.
During the last few weeks the jag
uar was often seen in Laurel valley.
Ho had become so bold that ho fre
quently entered the barnyards In open
day, and In one Instance he walked
Into a farmhouso. Tho house was oc
cupied by a young matron whoso hus
band waB away al tho time. Sho was
busy with hor housework when her
attention was attracted by a peculiar
series of raps of tho floor of an adja
cont room. Possessed by a feeling of
alarm arising from tho fact that her
little "baby was lying In a cradle In
the room from which tho nolso camo,
sho walked hurriedly to tho door.
A great Bavago beast, which she In
stantly recognized as tho monarch of
tho Packsaddle mountains, Btood with
his fore feet on tho foot of the cradle
gazing Into the smiling face of tho lit
tle child. His eyes were glowing llko
two balls of Are, and he Jerked his
head about after manner of a
cat torturing a captured mouse.
A man would have lost time In look
ing around for a weapon of somo
kind. This fearless mother had her
weapon in her hand. It was only a
broom, but It proved effective. Utter
ing a wild scream, she sprang for
ward with tho uplifted broom, and
whon near enough sho brought It
down with all her strength upon tho
head of the astounded Jaguar.
DIsconcertod by tho appearance of
a foo, and tho form of an attack that
wau now to him, tho Jaguar sprang
away and disappeared In tho woods
with a roar ot terror. Later In tho
day tho Jaguar appoared at tho door of
a schoolhouso, where ho did no fur
ther damage than to look at the teach
er and children. "About tho time we
wero all ready to fall dead ot sheer
fright," said tho young woman teach
er, "he roared a welcome farewell and
1 veCTlTOlfWi&x 10
trotted off Into tho forest."
A neighborhood hunt was finally or
ganized and notlco was sent to every
rancher In the Packsaddlo mountains
and valleys to meet at designated lo
calities on tho noxt dny with arms
and dogs. Few people had any faith
in tho successful termination of tho
chase, from tho fact that thYsy had
failed upon so many former occasions.
Tho final hunt, however, had ono new
element tho women.
Tho young women were particular
ly in earnest and they repaired early
to tho various meeting places well
mounted, and most of them well
armed.
Chance and Cupid hero joined
hands. Miss Fanny Ney, a grand
daughter of a brother of Napoleon's
favorite marshal, was ono of tho most
determined and spirited of tho crowd
of hunters. She was ono of tho first
to arrive on tho ground. Sho was well
mounted on a magnificent horse, but
sho complained that she had been un
able to secure a good gun. "My
brothers," she said, "havo appropri
ated all of the rifles about our houso,
and I have been forced to content my
self with an old horso pistol, which is
an holrloom In our family, and a Mex
ican lanco that has not seon Bervico
since tho battle of Buena Vista."
Frost Rivers, one of the party, said:
"If you will let mo rldo with you,
Miss Fanny, you can have my rlflo If
tho Jaguar should oomo our way."
The vivacious young girl accepted tho
young hunter's offer.
Miss Ney informed her companion
that sho was prepared to glvo tho
jaguar one shot with a weapon that
had probably destroyed lives of great
er Importance. "There is not tho least
doubt as to the fact," she said, "that
Marshal Ney once carried this old pis
tol, and it Is Just as possible that it
Is tho ldontical weapon ho used whon
he fired tho last shot at tho Cossacks
from the bridge of tho Borislno."
They had hardly reined their ponies
in the narrow mountains pass beforo
tho yelping of the dogs on a hot trail
could bo plainly heard.
"Ho Is coming this way," exclaimed
Miss Fanny as the monarch of the
range sprang into tho pass not ten
steps away. The ponies had scented
tho jaguar before ho appeared and
tlxey were Just ready to break away
when he began to leap towards them.
Rivers was quick enough with his
gun, but bis pony roared and wheeled'
and his shot wont wild. Ho was ai
good horseman, but his attontlon was!
distracted by tho danger ot tho glrl.J
whoso pony waa plunging, and as hei
flrod tho noxt Bliot ho felt himself1
hurled from tho saddlo and beforo ho,
could regain his feet the beast was,
upon him. His rlflo had boon knocked
from his hands and ho was struggling
to got his pistol or knife, when tho
Jaguar seized his right arm. i
Miss Noy slipped from her saddle,
and, with tho old horso pistol in
ono hand and tho lanco In tho
other, she ran to tho rescuo of
her fallen companion. Going closo
to tho mad beast, sho pressed
tho gun closo behind his fore
shoulder and fired. Tho ball tore
a hole through his body, but it missed
his heart. Quivering with pain and
rage, tho jaguar reared back on his
haunches, preparatory to springing at
tho girl's throat.
Miss Ney's activity saved hor life.
Tho moment sho fired sho dropped
the pistol, and, springing backwards
a tow Bteps, sho seized the lanco with
both hands and assumed an attltudo
of defense. Tho Jaguar no sooner
raised his head than sho lunged
towards him. Her aim was true and
tho steel point was sharp. Just as
tho Jaguar was In tho act of leaping
tho lanco touched his breast and tho
brave girl pressed tho steol Into his
heart with all her strength.
Mr, Rivers' clothing was torn to
shreds and his arm was seriously
mangled, but Miss Ney proved to bo
an expert nt nursing, nnd beforo tho
other hunters arrived at tho pass sho
had succeeded in binding up tho
wounds of her companion.
Tho monster Jaguar's hide was
stripped from tho carcass, and It the
peoplo aro guessing right tho mon
arch of tho Packsaddlo range will
somo day occupy a conspicuous posi
tion In a ranch houso where Mrs.
Fanny Rivers will preside. Chicago
Tribune.
A HOLE IN HER STOCKING.
Latest Device of the Girl Who Wants
to Be Admired.
Sho was most fashionably gowned:
every particle of her attlro was
up to date, and every woman
turned to glvo her a second look.
As sho camo to a crossing, how
ever, she lifted her silken skirt
a llttlo higher, and, oh, horror!
there was a holo In her black silk
stocking, disclosing the whlto flesh of
her dainty anklo beneath. One could
not help seeing it.
"Gracious!" said I to my wife,
"isn't it a Bhame that a young lady
who is bo well dressed should bo so
careless as to go about with a holo in
her stocking?"
"Oh, you stupid," replied my wife,
"that's just llko you men. Don't you
know that there is a purpose in that?
That young lady has put that hole It
her stocking purposely."
"Oh, nonsense!" I said.
"No nonsense about it. That young
lady prides herself on her small anklo
and sho is bound to attract attention
to It. For that reason sho has mado
a hole In her stocking, and sho knows
that every time she lifts her skirt
just a wee little bit persons are going
to see that holo and adniiro that
ankle."
"Well, she certainly has a pretty
ankle," I said.
"Sir! how dare you?" almost
shrieked my wife.
I said no more, and the subject of
boles in stockings was not discussed
any further. New York Herald.
