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R CHAPTER VI.
i Visiting the Wreck—The Pirate.
No words could repress the fear which
came to the boys as they saw the human
skeleton. In one hand it held the rotten re
maines of a book, the yellow and moldy
leaves of which were scattered in confu
sion at different points about the floor of
the cabin. But this was as much as they
could stand and all J ma' 1 ea terrified rush
for the steps, not caring whether they
stumbled or not, only to get out of this
ghostly boneyard.
It did not take them a second to leap
through the half open scuttle hole and frcm
there, to the ground below. Stopping to re
gain lost breath was simply out of the
question, for all were running at a two
forty gate through the forest. They arrived
an hour afterwards at their abode complete
ly fatigued, and were very willing to lay
down and go to sleep after such a day of
excitement.
Early on the following morning they were
up and dressed ready to make another
attempt at exploring 'the phantom and
ghostly ship. All thought it a good plan to
sail in their little boat around the island
until they would reach the place where
the wreck was. So, led by Tom, they
shoved the boat from its snug quarters
under the rock into the water and got'in.
The distance was longer tljan they had ex
pected and it took them some time to reach
the familiar bed of the vzrccked vessel.
All felt a disagreeable chill run up and
down their backs as they cautiously de
scended the steps leading to the cabin. The
first thing done was to carefully bear the
remains of the skeleton out on deck, where
it was easily carried to the beach below
and buried in the deep sea sand. Ned sent
up a thoughtful prayer to heaven over the
grave, feeling that he was doubly paid for
his trouble. The work of conveying the
goods they had found was now’ begun and
soon the boat was well filled with many of
the articles. Tory then consented to row the
boat back to the hut and unload the
things, returning as soon as he could do
this. Tom and Ned enjoyed themselves very
much by pretending to be sailors. They
would climb to the top of the broken
mast and wave their hats in true sailor
fashion. Tom, in rummaging in the cap
tain’s cabin, found to his delight, a minia
ture sailing vessel. It was complete in
every sense of the word and w’ould probably
sail as swift as a dove.
“Let us run down to the W’ater’s edge
and see if we can manage to sail it,” sug
gested Toney. They had gone about half
way down the bench when Tom, who was
a little in the lead of his companion, sud
denly felt the sand beneath his feet give
way and he immediately began to sink.
Like a flash the whole truth entered his
mind. He was in the quick sand. Toney,
seeing his friend’s danger, retreated, barely
escaping the grinding sands. But he did
not intend to stand by and see his com
panion killed before his eyes. So, quickly
running up to the wrecked vessel he pro
cured one of the many decoyed planks,
which were strewn in confusion on all sides.
Then hurrying back to his sinking friend
he threw the board far out into the sand
near the fast disappearing Tom. He, seeing
that help was near at hand, made one des-
They Pushed the Boat Off From the Shore,
perate leap towards the plank, but in vain,
for he was cruelly pulled back.
Toney saw that if no help came to the
sinking boy he would surely die. He sprang
from the solid sand on which he was stand
ing to the plank, landing safely on his feet.
He then swiftly ran to the other end and
held his hand out to Tom. Then, by a
strong effort, he landed him by his side.
It did not take them a second to jump from
the plank to the firm sand beyond and
from thence to the ship.
They had no further desire to try to sail
the little vessel they had found and felt
very thankful they had escaped so luckily.
A little while after their exciting ad
venture Ned arrived safe and sound with
the boat and the work of conveying the
remaining articles to it from the wreck
began. They did not have such a large
load as before, for all the useful articles
had by this time been removed. After they
had finished they bade adieu to the decayed
ship and rode home. A neat book case was
made from some lumber they had brought
from the wreck and in it were placed
Ned’s precious books.
Week after week passed without any par
ticular adventures, and winter was coming
on. The hut was made very warm and
cheerful by the fire which was in the big
fireplace. One morning the boys awoke
and found, to their estonishment, on look
ing out of the door that the ground was
covered with a thick mantle of snow’. They
£id not stop to eat their brekfast, but made
THE CASTAWAYS. - .
< ■ *
By WILLIE LARNED. ~ C. .• ■'
THE ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, JR.
a joyful dash for the doorway and were
soon having a good time in the snow. Os
course a fort had to be made, and as soon
as it was finished a lively snowball battle
ensued, coming out in favor pf Ned, but
this did not last long and soon the ground
■was in its original state.
Weeks and months passed away and the
boys were becoming very tired of the
monotonous life on the island. A high pole
was fastened in the rocks near the coast
and from its end fluttered a ragged piece of
cloth, but as the days passed on and it did
no good, they became discouraged and were
about to tear it down when Tom, w’ho was
standing on the outside of the hut, suddenly
gave a. joyous shout of surprise. Far to
the north he saw a tiny vessel. Every mo
ment it grew nearer until he could discern
her fully.. The ship was a brigantine and
twelve ugly guns protruded from port holes
from her side. Wondering under what
flag she sailed he cast his eyes to her top
mast. What he saw made him shudder. It
was black with two white skulls printed
on it. The vessel was a pirate.
Tom, in alarm mixed with joy, beckoned
his companions. They came running out of
the cabin, and, seeing the ship, danced
with joy.
“But,” said Tom, “she is a pirate.” In-
—
The Boys Set Up a Signal of Distress.
stantly the boys’ faces changed. “But I
don’t care if she is, I am going to try
and go on board of her. I am tired of this
life,” said Toney. The others agreed with
him, so they all let out a shout at once.
Some one on board of the vessel heard it
and shouted back.
“Ahoy there! W’here are you from?”
“We are castaw r ays on this island. Can
we come aboard your craft?”
“Yes,” came back in a drawling voice.
Instantly a boat was lowered from its da
vits and several sailors got in and row’ed
towards the land. In a few moments it
reached the rock headland. The boys w’ere
there to meet it and all three jumped in.
It was then rowed slowly back to the
pirate. As our companions climbed on
deck curious eyes were turned on them
and they were plied with questions. The
crew was not a very honest looking one,
for all of them had dark, sinister faces
and heavy cutlasses hung at their sides.
Each wore a flaming turban, decorated
with flashy beads. Bright red sashes
adorned their waists.
One of the motly crowd could easily be
distinguished from the rest. He was a
tall, long, muscular looking fellow, and his
dark skin showed him to be a foreigner.
He w'orc a suit of green silk trimmed in
gold lace. Heavy leather leggings enclosed
his legs and feet. On his head was a dark
blue naval cap with the letters U. V. in
scribed on the edge. Altogether he was a
very striking personage. The boys w’ere
right when they surmised him to be the
captain.
One day Ned Met with a very disagreea
ble and dangerous accident. As he was
passing the cabin he accidentally stepped
on the foot of one of the sailors. The fel
low’ turning suddenly delt the apologizing
boy a blow in the face. This was too much
for the quick-tempered Ned, and before
the rough sailor knew what he was about
the boy sent a well directed blow on the
fellow’s nose and he W'ent down in a heap
upon the deck.
The fight vras all knocked out of him in a
second, but rising on his elbow he said:
“Ye little devil, you’ll hear from Mike
Wyne before long.” He then slunk off out
of sight down the open hatch.
Ned passed on not thinking of the matter
again until the next day he was suddenly
seized by several sailors led by Mike Wyne
and led roughly into the hold, where he was
chained firmly to the side of the boat and
left all by himself. It was pitch dark and
he could not make out any of the objects
around him. Ned’s companions, in the mean
time, were wondering w’here he was and
they w’ent inquiringly to the captain, but
he seemed to know nothing whatever about
him.
“I wonder if he could have fallen over
board,” excitedly said Tony, “but God for
bid.”
At about noon a vessel was sighted in
the pirate’s rear and Tom, looking through
a seaglass, found her to be a merchanteer.
She was making with all haste away from
the pirate, evidently having seen her flag.
“The captain is going to run her down,”
said Tom. “See how fast we are bearing
down on her.
Everything w’as in excitement. Captain
Marvo was giving orders in quick succes
sion. Thirty of the sailors armed with
cutlasses and muskets were stationed in the
rear of the bow. Others were at work hoist
ing sails to increase the speed. The pursued
vessel, seeing that she could not out-do her
persistent pursuer took a different course
and headed towards the northwest. When
the opposing craft -were in gunshot of each
other, Captain Marvo ordered his gunners
to fire. Immediately a thunderous report
shook the pirate from stem to stern and a
ball went crashing through the rigging,
taking away the quarter boom and sail of
the merchantman. She, seeing her injury,
swung around and sent a return shot, which
passed over the pirate’s deck and carried
away her railing. This infuriated Captain
Marvo to a great extent and he angrily
ordered another shot, w’hich did the deadly
work. Alter the smoke had cleared away
those on deck saw that the large mainmast
had gone crashing by the board, leaving
the merchantman very much disabled.
Those on her deck became desperate and
seeing their anguish, the captain ordered his
vessel to charge them. All of the sailors
were ready and as the two vessels came to
gether they clambered fiercely on the deck
of the opposing vessel.
Then ensued a battle, fierce and deadly,
w’hich ended in the massacre of all of the
American Jacktars aboard the merchant
man. She w’as then searched and her car
go transported to the pirate's hold. After
this she was set a-fire and the last of the
Western Star made a great bonfire, which
lit up the waters for miles around.
The two boys were sickened at the sight
and went below in search of Ned. For the
remainder of the week Captain Marvo was
in a good humor at his rich prize, and
treated the two friends kindly. But neither
of the two would accept his offered hos
pitality.
“Oh, how I wish I could find Ned,” fairly
cried; “for goodness s?fke, let’s begin
another search or I will ge crazy.”
This time they were lucky, for in search
ing in the hold they did find the. poor boy,
chained to the side of the boat, unconscious.
He was pale and haggard, show-
ing how he had suffered. Both
hurried to Captain Marvo and begged that
he might be released. “Why, I knew noth
ing of this,” said he, excitedly, “but I’ll
bet it’s some of that devil ‘Mike W yne s
work.’ Then, led by the boys, he released
the fainted boy’s hands and bore him up
the steps to the cabin, where he laid him
gently on a bunk. Then, telling the boys
to wait until he recovered, he departed.
i It was nearly an hour before Ned re
gained consciousness, and the first thing
i that he wanted was food and water, both
1 of which were given to him. By the close
I of the day he was all right again. On the
i following morning everything went smooth
ly until, coming out of a small coal and
i water station, they sighted a huge man of
; war, twenty or more guns protruding in a
formidable manner from his sides. Every
where on her deck sailors, in neat blue
costumes, were performing their various
dutif.Here and there was to be seen an
officer giving orders through ms silver
i trumpet. At this sight Captain Marvo was
greatly alarmed and gave orders to flee
1 right away, but the stately man of war was
! not to be duped, and she immediately gave
; chase.
I The pirate was on the alert and quickly
i altered her course, but this did no good,
for in a short time the larger vessel had
cut her off.
i “I hope she will catch up with us,” said
■ Tom, “for then the crew’ of this wicked
’ ship will be captured and be punished for
' their evil actions.”
I This wish was granted, for in a second
1 the tw’o vessels were side by side. A man
i on the forecastle of the large vessel cried
! through a trumpet, “We demand you to
■ surrender in the name of our government.
This is the American war craft Kelat.”
(To Be Continued.)
A Lesson in Honesty.
j When I was a boy, in Virginia, my fath
; er had one of the finest w’atermelon patches
’ in the region round about. One of the col
i ored boys on our plantation was named
' Bill. He and I were great playmates and
j we were both very fond of watermelons.
I One day, when the crop was almost ripe,
; my father called us to him and said:
i “If any of my melons are stolen lam
I going to measure the tracks in the field
I and then measure feet and the owner of
i the feet that corresponds with the tracks
; will get a good whipping.”
I This frightened me, but I was bound to
1 get some melons. Bill’s feet were much
larger than mine; so I got his shoes,
{ stuffed them with grass, walked in them
to the patch, got a melon, ate it and re-
; placed the shoes.
: Next afternoon my father came to where
i Bill and I were with a stick in his hand
and ordered Bill to fetch his shoes. They
were brought, my father measured them,
and then, in spite of Bill's protestations,
gave him a sound thrashing.
i Two days afterward we were again in
, the yard when my father appeared, made
1 me bring my shoes, measured them with a
; stick which he held and then gave me a
worse drubbing than he had bestowed noon
Bill.
Some hours afterward, when I was feel
ing a, little better, I met Bill and said to
him:
“How did you manage to wear my shoes?”
; Bill answered my question by asking an
; other:
I “How did you w’ar mine?”
! “Put grass in them,” I said, feeling proud
! of my ingenuity in spite of the way that
; my back smarted.
“Well,” chuckled Bill, “dat was smart,
but I done took a pair o’ short stilts and
put your shoes on de ends ob ’em! Reckon,
Mars’ Dick, you and I’s about eben now!”
__H. S. R.
June.
For stately trees in rich array,
I For sunlight all the happy day,
For blossoms radiant and rare,
For skies when daylight closes,
For joyous, clear, outpouring song
From birds that all the greenwood throng,
For all things young, and bright, and fair,
We praise thee, Month of Roses —
For blue, blue skies of summer calm,
For fragrant odors breathing 'balm—
For quiet, cooling shades, where oft
The weary heard reposes,
For brooklets babbling through the fields,
Where earth her choicest treasures
For all things tender, sweet and soft,
.We love thee. Month of Roses.
'"'Xi
Tlie Carpenter’s Puzzle.
There is a hole in a barn floor two feet
wide and twelve feet long. How can it
be entirely filled with a board three feet
wide and eight feet long by cutting the
board once in tw’o?
Diamond.
1. A letter. 2. Conducted. 3. Reward for
services. 4. Consisting of thin plates. 5. A
keeper of records. 6. An extractor. 7. A
sieve. 8. An animal. 9. A letter.
Primal Acrostic.
Z X.
gpj
yI J m
r\ -
When the six objects in the above illus
tration have been rightly guessed and the
names written one below the other, the
initial letters will spell the name of a fa
mous French -warrior, who was made a
knight before the age of nineteen. —St.
Nicholas.
Charade.
My first is where my second lives.
My whole immense importance gives
To questions international.
Pi for Young Folks.
I heav scodle ym skobo an hinded ym teals
Dan thronw ym clathe-s oscars het tage.
Ym lochos si tou rof a sosane so ster,
Dan won rof eht closhoromo 1 vole eht steb.
Ym clohosmoor slie no etn wadome wied,
Wheer drune teh crevol eht seambuns hied,
Rhewe eth glon siven glinc ot eth symso
Nad teh sidisae winklet kile flanel ratss.
Double Acrostics.
A feathered captive and his prison.
1. For majestic ruins’ famed. 2. Offspring
Ox" the fertile brain. 3. Employment meet
for thoughtful mind. 4. Nearest to a prince
in rank.
A habitation of small size,
Conjoined to twenty hundreuweignt,
Will give a product that supplies
The clothing of both small and great.
1. A carriage used in ancient warfare. 2.
A noble river of South America, u. vve ima
no rose without it.
Du If Squares.
1. Rests. 2. Escaped. 3. A soup. 4. Short
poems. 5. To discover. 6. A boy s name. 7.
Aj/ A waterway. 2. A mineral. 3. A fruit.
4. A verb. 5. A letter.
Shnkespcarean Anagrams.
1. A large printed chant. 2. Tire in pack
harness. 3. Oat(h)s harm mother. 4 lau
rus slit it. 5. Throw me leal wit. o
me cure limbs. 7. Al, undo my gate. 8.
Fibs spoil cholera. 9. Magot has river rats.
M O Sal mop Bess. 11. Pad ana I adore
Romona. 12. A fencing fork. 13. Dear boon,
ft Aid us, March. 15. Made by latch. 16.
Hit on call. H.. We led one wrong. 18.
He cotton us. 19. A tin love.
Geographical Divisions.
1. Remove a relative from a city in the
Chinese empire ana leave a S S 1 - _ nil Ip „ ve
2. Wrath from a city m x ersia and
3'. An article of food from a city in Eng
la 4 nd A a spring V t e rom e a city in Wales and leave
from a city in Spain and
leave irrational. . ,
6. A relative from a city in Michigan ana
leave a aay.
Decapitations.
1. Behead a coward and leave a bird.
9 A judgment and leave to bind.
£ A gift and leave to consider an injury.
4. To burn slowly and leave to crumble
5. Depart and leave to boast.
Conundrums A ;wered.
How do angry women prove themselves
strong nerved? They , exhmit their “pres
ents of mind” “by giving
How is it you can never tell <* lad> s re«H
hysterics from her sham ones? Because
i-i either-case it s a feint.
* Hvs-t’ricks are her tricks. So a woman
can always beat a man with her own weep
in all through her superior knowledge ot
jug like a lady’s side
saddle? Because it holds a gall-on.
We knew a man once who. when he went
out riding with a certain young lady,
quite crooked and side sadaie-y (signed
sadly).
A Trap for the i nwary.
The following simple question will often
catch the unwary:
How’ many days would it take to cut up
a piece of cloth fifty yards long, one yard
being cut every day?
Forty-nine days, instead of fifty, is cor
rect. . „ ,
Key to the Puzzler.
luoral anagrams: 1. Mignonette. 2. Dan
del-on. 3. Carnation. 4. Tulip. 5. Begonia.
6 - ster. 7. Cineraria.
Transpositions: Initials: —Platypus. 1 ort
ugal. Lagoon. Apricot. Tongue. Young.
Parsley. Unicorn. Squeal.
Numerical enigma: 1 ineapp.e.
Metagram: Lear, rear, pear, ieai, gear,
1 words: 1. Wheel, heel, eel. 2.
Scold, cold, old. 3i. Pla£e, late,, .ate. 4.
Drink, rink, ink.
Suggestii-pn old saying: A rolling stone
gathers no moss.
Central acrostic 3 Memorial
Day. Crosswords: 1. M. 2. Met. 3. Lem
on 4. Trope. 5. Torch. 6. Blink. 7. Yearn.
8. Baled. 9. Olden. 10. Impaled. 11. Play
ful.
A queer forest: 1. Yew(ewe). 2. Fir(fur).
3. Beech(beach). 4. Bass. 5. Ash(ashes). 6.
Chestnut. 7. Bare(bear).
Word squares: ‘ -
SORE BASS TALK
ORAL AREA. AREA
RAIL SEAT LEFT
ELLA SATE K AT E
Decapitations and curtailments: D
rough-t. s-lid-e, p-10-d, f-ox-y, G-rate-s.
3