The Golden Argosy: Tom Gale's Ride — page 5: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

JULY 23, 1887. THE GOLDEN ARGOSY. 533 companion, who carried a rather dilapidated looking flint lock gun, simultanecusly erowled out an oath, and drew back the hammer with his thumb. But the revolver still remained in Jack’s eee while Peltiah’s manipulation of the boat lance was in itself not at all reassur- “ The Mystery ing. elc., ele. ‘‘You know what you done, you two CHAPTER XVII. pete A fiercely demanded Hannibal ugustine, coming to a sudden halt. wee RS ited, eee Kalled the a two bloodhoun’s in the Diss: boasted faith in the fetich about | islan’—dogs wuth fifty dollars apiece to-day IN Bou Eseon's Ev. DCA |/OVAGE By FRANK H. CONVERSE, Author of ‘That Treasure,” | of a Diamond,” his neck seemed to have left him. in Cuby!” growled Captain Kelly, who was His teeth chattered, and his eyes|a burly, middle-aged man, minus an eye rolled in such an evident ecstacy of terror that even Peltiah took the alarm. ‘*What’n time be we to do any way, Jack?” he asked, helplessly. Jack motioned to the wide- / spreading branches of an hese immense ceiba, or silk cot- ton tree, close at hand. “'There’s only one thing to do,” he returned, rap- idly ascending one of the dozen or more buttressed W's \\ i & \S we y \ \) ~ aN AYA \) ~ ~- ‘ : roots, which form a series prog Oe yyy Us ‘ 4 . bite LA 4, Wy} Af tF4 of | ctions or shoul- iw Uy de e four feet from ound, with spaces large enough for a horse stall between each two. The others lost no time in following him, and they were not a moment too soon. Scarcely were they safely perched on one of the immense lower limbs than the two gaunt hounds came rushing down the cleared pathway with slav- ering jaws and bloodshot eyes. Unfortunately for the fugitives the peculiar for- wi mation of the partly slop- ia’ ost \) + : ND ‘ vE/ ing roots made their ref- AERA j ial i; , rN uge anything but a sure AN IN In a moment their re- + a Xx and utter ing a fierce howl as though of exultation, drew back a little and then dashed madly up the easy incline afforded by one of and plus a badly searred nose. His bloated; hounds. — . : — ~ mestizo from the main land. Kelly himself to town along of me, and Ill tell you as we was the only white resident-- a thoroughly go along.” unscrupulous man of the lowest and most Without relaxing their watchfulness, Jack vicious propensities, made still more brutal- and Peltiah followed in Captain Kelly's ized by his surroundings. footsteps, leaving Mr. Bellingham to such In connection with the colored governor | reflections as the loss of bis two blood- he had picked up a good deal of money by , hounds were evidently suggesting. Pepe returnipg runaway men to the whaling ves- still remained in hiding. From this fact sels cruising in the vicinity, but this was | our two friends presumed that he feared his first experience with any who had of-| Mr. Bellingham’s wrath if he was found in fered resistance. _ company with the slayers of the valuable Generally speaking, deserters after a week | dogs; so neither of them made any sign as or two found even the hardships of whaling to his presence in the vicinity. life preferable to being hunted through the| It would seem from Captain Kelly’s ac- tropic jungle with shot guns and blood-| count that some years before he had left a ‘vessel at Watling’s Island, and remained there for a time ‘* beach- combing,” as he express- ed it. Then Mr. Bellingham bought a condemned pi- 4 lot boat of some Nassau Aa wreckers tor a mere trifle, “he and Captain Kelly took ef: charge of her as a sort yy of packet and freighter between Watling’s Island and larger West India ports, On the following morn- ing, the Donna—this was her name—was to sail for Matanzas, in the island of Cuba, with a cargo of tur- tle, sponges, sugar cane, cobra (the dried kernel of the cocoanut) and a few other of the island prod- ucts, “It’s nigh s three days’ run at this time of the t year,” said Captain Kelly ph in conclusion, ‘*andif you two fellers will agree to work your passage and pay ten dollars to boot, it’s a bargain.” Of course the eed. To what would Soak and ~ Peltiah not have agreed, rather than remain on -Wathing’s? ‘Phe romantic Fa . a ~~ ee Se Sal St be id OS SS shee « wert a ~ Ke SN > Sak wy WSN ~ ‘ oy e\\> WA Da ' «Sve ey Ys ~~ x “55804 s - + A) ~ _ PSMA A \\ “~< e2 - a 4 Toe Sd \ |g eee es — cael — -t"e* al - . a _ the two were made of the kind of stuff which would be content to settle down into a life of slothful in- te Le La a4 -— ja ee dolence and degradation, the rocts. rs sige ae . \ wi ood ; eee db ys even had the opportu Pepe uttered a shrill yell (LUE gg lee ee es - LE Tg; alee Asi Maa Ui offered ae ~~ of terror as the hound’s NY Vite ERE, Z pg ety elie aT , It was nearly sundown yellow fangs clashed within an inch of one; visage was made more BE EAN cea Play Lh, 1 ibid, 5 Vi ia " / wien the patois, a ht of the bare feet which he drew convulsive-| repulsive by a brist- Mi Mg bi) a FN NG mg, tle Petal nenw the ly upward, | ling red mustach ba ya A. ae Met CaS ie ie ay beach. A couple of clumsy / ‘ Whatdid you think we'd do—sit still and let them tear us to pieces ?” hotly respon- | ded Jack. i} ‘¢The dogs wouldn’t : lance from Pepe’s| have hurt you whilst darted it down-| you was treed,” said A Captain Kelly, while ii \\ Mr. Bellingham, in | an ecstasy of _ rage, ( twined his fingers in his kinky wool, and with frightful contor- tions of his ugly face, seemed trying +o lift himself bodily by both hands. ‘Is it the custom in this island to hunt down sailors who leave their vessel here with animals like that?” demanded Jack, with- out heeding Kelly’s remark. “We do about as we please here, my young cock-of-the-walk,” savagely replied Captain Kelly; ‘ and as Captain Blowhard, who is cruisin’ in the vicinity, left a stand- “Crack!” went Captain Blowkard’s re- volver, and the great beast fell sprawling at the foot of the tree in his death agony. — And now Cesar fiercely charged in his turn, as if from a desire to revenge the death of his mate. Snatching the boat trembling hands, Peltiah ward with all his strength. The savage monster was transfixed by the keen pointed shaft, which severed some vilal organ, and passed completely through his body. He gave one stitled howl and rolled over in his death throe. Peltiah dropped from his perch, followed by the others—Pepe’s eyes dilating to the size of tea cup bottoms as Peltiah drew the lance from the dog’s body, and wiped off the blood with a handful of leaves. ‘¢‘ Garramba!” he exclaimed; ‘‘ de gub- ner mos’ die he be so mad—dem dogs he say wort hunderd silber dollah!” ‘Serves him right for keepin’ sech crit- ters to pull human bein’s down an’ tear ‘em to pieces—the man that would do it orter be served pooty near as bad hisself,” ex- citedly responded Peltiah. . chance to tell Z SCARCELY WERE THEY PERCHED ON ONE OF THE BRANCHES, WHEN THE TWO BLOOD- ten or twelve ton sloops had come in from the sea, aud having hauled along- side the Donna, which Captain Kelly pointed out to them, were transferring their loading of turtles and sponges into the schoon- er’s hold. The Donna was nearly twenty tons burthen, and must have once been a handsome and weatherly little vessel. But the white paint on her hull was blackened and discolored, and in places had peeled off entirely. She carried ~ . no topmasts, and a stump bowsprit, which gave her a heavy lumpish appear- ance, and her dingy weather-stained sails were like u sailor’s trousers—‘‘ patch upon atch and a patch over all,” to use poor ack’s simile. ~~ hh ; ay? vos, ESS | \] YW | Leal N HOUNDS CAME RUSHING DOWN THE PATHWAY. ‘The fact is,” said Jack deliberately, ‘‘neither my chum here nor myself mean to go aboard the Nancy again while we've got arms and strength to resist—and you see we've got both. On the other hand, we'll give any man ten dollars—all the — CHAPTER XVIIL. “Well, you'll have a good him so,” said Jack, coolly, ‘‘for here he comes, fairly frothing at the mouth, to judge from his looks.” ” : « An’ Cap’n Kelly along ob him,” put in Pepe, shrinking back between two of the tree roots. Governor Bellingham, whose white teeth were set very close together, approached from the same direction as the bloodnounas, closely followed by a thick- set, red faced man, who wore, in addition to the regulation shirt and duck pants, a coarse straw hat and heavy leather shoes. ‘More trouble,” muttered Jack, as Bel- lingham, with a shout of rage at the sight of the dead dogs, flourished a heavy ma- chete, such as is used by the West Indian to clear a path through the thick underbrush, and rushed madly toward the two. His ing reward of ten dollars a head for the two of you delivered aboard, we take our own way of getting hold of you.” “You haven't got hold of us yet, and we don’t mean you shall while we are able to protect ourselves,” said Jack, with a dan- gerous gleam in his dark eyes, which, with the words, caused Captain Kelly to step back involuntarily. Peltiah said nothing, but his attitude with the boat lance, held in readiness for use, spoke volumes, . Captain Kelly was nonplused, He had spoken the truth when he said that they did about as they pleased on Watling’s Is- iad, The small population were descend- ants from old Carib stock, intermarried witu Spanish creoles and an occasional money we've got in the world—for a chance to be taken to some West India port where we can find a vessel bound to the States.” Captain Kelly exchanged glances with his colored coadjutor, who, untwining his fin- gers from his wool, scowled at Jack, and then, obedient toa gesture from Captain Kelly, stepped with him a little to one side. The two talked together in an undertone —Captain Kelly urgent, Mr. Bellingham sullenly vindictive, to judge by his expres- ion, ‘© Well,” finally said the former, turning to Jack with what was intended as a con- ciliatory smile, ‘ it’s a dead loss of ten dol- lars, but we don’t want to have no trouble, and I guess we can arrange it. Come back CAPTAIN KELLY S TREACHERY. HE Donna lay moored stem and stern 'p to riug bolts driven into the coralline ledges of the left hand side of the deep harbor, within a few rods of the little settlement. ‘“’Tain’t likely Bellingham'll feel much like eutertainin’ you to-night, seeing’s you've killed his two hounds,” grimly re- marked Captain Kelly ; ‘‘so you two fellers can go right aboard, Bob, who is cook, steward, and fo’must hand, will get ae some supper, and you can sleep on deck if it's too hot below.” Thus assured, Jack and Peltiah turned their steps toward the little vessel, leaving Captain Kelly to his own devices. COMIC nm I00 all = ‘ es r tage ee *. é . (E(0) nm