THE BLACK YACHT,

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 426, 14 July 1904, Page 2

THE BLACK YACHT,

By Fergus Hume, Author of " The Mjßtery of a Hansom Cab," « The Third Volume,'kit-The Vaniahing of Tera," u The Lone Inn," " For the Defence," &c, &e,

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.

COPYRIGHT.

' CHAPrEB XII.-(Continced.) ' Then 111 eee her/ he said, walking towards the ccmpanioo. Fearful lest he contemplated Home.treachery, Ifoilow.d. Bat before I had gone a few steps he was np again, with a face aa black as thunder. ' She's asleep again; Lydia gave her an overdose of the drag This being bo, I must have yonr promise in writing that I have two thousand a year.' 'lrefuse I I hare ne right to grant what yon aek I* ' As ray cousin's husband——' * Husband or not, I'll not rob her for a scoundrel-like you.' 'Take care, Walcottl I'm notßo 6asy to deal with. I let you cff the other night 5 but this time you may not escape me so easily. Bemember what I said 1* ' You're a bit of a belly, as well as a liar,' was my only reply to his threat. Almost before the words were out of my mouth, he dashed forward, and hammered me abou the head with the butt of his revolver. We both fell on the slippery deck, and fighting desperately rolled into the scrappers on the port side. I could not get at my revolver, and he belaboured me with his until I was almost blind with blood. I became icsensible. How long I remained so I cannot say; but when I recovered my wits I felt the sting of the flying Bpzay, and found myself lashed to the mast and the ship throwing herself about worse than ever... •Fenwick, Fenwick l' I cried, struggling to free myself. ' How d'you find yourself now ?' was his mocking reply, as he leaned out of the daiknesa. ■ I've just baen belowto fasten the cabin door. Ha, Ha 1 Three below, two here, and yonder the rocks ready for usalll' 'The yacht I' I exclaimed. 'I have just slipped her cables,' he answered calmly. ' We are drifting on to the shore as fast as wind and tide can take us!' — ' Good Heavens! Where are the crew F' ' All on shore save two. I can't say where they are, They went over the side as she slipped. You are doomed, Walcott, so is Lilian, so am I V The cold-bloodedness of the madman—for he was now nothing less—ftoie my heart. I could not get free; but by turning my head I could eee the light gleaming from Henglst Tower, like a beacon luring us to destruction. I could hear the roaring of the breakers on the recks; I could feel the drunken reel of the yacht as she was hurled by the wind towards the coast. What words I need I cannot say —but I know that I prayed, not for myself, but for Lilian—to think of her shut up in that cabin to be drowned like a rat! Tee thought was too horrible. ' It is no use, WalcotV said Fenwick, who was clinging to the weather-rigging. 'lf I live I am a ruined man; so I'll dro * c, and you with me.' ' I will ask Lilian to do anything you want.' 'I can't trust you.' 'Lilian! Lilian 1' 'Call louder,' ectffod Fenwick. 'She cant hear you. Hark to that music I' Above the rush of the wind pierced the thrill cries of Lydia, now conscious of her peril. I heard Bax battering at the cabin doer | and all the time Fenwick laughed and shouted mockingly at his futile efforts. Bound hand and foot, I could do nothing, and so, with her helpless cargo, the black yacht drifted nearer and nearer to her doom. The Bpray, salt and cold, flew in white clouds over the deck and Btung my face. Fenwick had again disappeared into the darkness; and my only comfort was that Lilian, in her ins«neibility, would be spared the agony of death. Suddenly, I heard the crash cf the door, and 1 shouted aloud with joy, for Bax had broken out at last, and Lilian was in his arms. Lydia rushed past him shucking aa she eaw the headland bulk hugely in the gloom. In answer to mycriep, Bax hurzitd to mq along the slippery deck. 'I thought you were overboard, sir 1' ' Fenwick tied me here. Quick and cut me loose, taat we may save ourselves 1 The yacht has slipped her cables, and we are drifting on to the rockß.' Lydia shiitked again, and plumped en her knees. B*x fresd me at last, and juet as I sprang to my feet, Fenwick came shotting along the deck. He levelled his revolver at me, but Bax struck it out of his hand, and, in the endeavour to regain i\ he fell against the kneeling Ljdi*. The incident turned his thoughts into another direction, and he seized her in his arms. ' Come, my dear,' he said, kissing her in spite of her shrieks. ' All this is your work, so you mußt take the wages. No prajer?; no tears; laughter and joy, my dear, before we drop into the bottomless pit 1* Tt e vessel was rolling frightfully, and every moment t expected to feel her crash on the rocks. With Lilian insensible in ay aims, I clung to the mast and kept my tjes on the movements of the madman. Lydia's shrieking bad ceased. She bad fa;r>ted from sheer terror, and she now hurg a dead weight in the arms of Fenwick, who jumped her about the deck. Finding himself near the taffrail in one of his gj rations, he raised her aloft with a tnpeihuuan effort and hurled her into the surge. ♦Onef cried Fenwick, staggering towards ne. ' Now for your darling, Walcott!' Bax was kneeling at my ftet. As Fenwick leeled forward I eaw him raise his revolver; a spurt of red flame flashed through the daikness, there wan a loud

reports and Fenwick threw up his hands and fell. At the same moment the yacht struck. She heeled over till her porta were flush with the water; a great &ea broke over her, and before I could utter a cry I was tern from the mant With Lilian convulsively clutohed in my arnsß I slid into the sea. A spar struck me, and with one wild effort I seized it, Lilian clung to my neck sobbing, for the shock had awakened her out of he; lethargy. ' Paul, Paul I' she cried, ' this is death 1' ' We shall die together, dearest' The waves drifted the spar oa, and us with it. At this moment the moon shone out brightly, and I Baw a huge boulder right before me, The spar struck There was sand under my feet and a smooth shelf lending upwards. Struggling on through the water I reached a ledga of rock. It was of no great height, for the waves swept over it at intervals—but I knew that we were saved ! There is no need to tell the shadows of that night. The morning brought some fishermen; headed by Garrett, to onr rescue—the wreck of the yacht had been seen at dawn—and in another hour Lilian was clasped in her mother's arms. ' Your wife, Paul!' said Mrs Marohand. And so it all came to an end—with wedding bells and the best of wishes There were no conditions as to marriage in the second will, and in four months Lilian was my wife. Aiding returned from Gibraltar to be my best man, and was astounded when I related to him all that had happened since we had parted. ' And only you two were saved!' he Baid; ' it is wonderful 1' •Yes, only we two. Fenwick and Lydia ' But I could not speak about it The horror of their death-was still too freßh upon me. • They received the wages of their sin,' finished Aiding. ' Nemesis uplifted them only to cast them down again. Well, brutal sb it may seem, old fellow, I don't, I can't pity them. 1 • I never think of them if I can help it,' I said. 'I endeavour that the* terrible horrors of the past shall be swal owed np in the great joy of the present.' •And well you deserve your joy. It might have been your life that was wrecked instead of that old black tub of Fenwick's, though she could go a bit when she liked, couldn't she ?' ' Dont speak of her,' I shuddered. • All that is left of the black yacht lies there under Hengist Headland, along with her dead.' ' Thank Heaven, you were not amongst them, old chap V And as I turned to my wife I felt that I had every reason to thank Heaven. (The End.)