THE DARK STRANGER.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 156, 4 July 1896, Page 6

THE DARK STRANGER.

BT.JOSN R. MUSICK.

Aathor of ' The Columbian Historisal Kovel«i' ' Mysfeerioua Mr Howard,' etc., etc. CHAPTER, X. THE CAPTAIN OT THE BONGO. It was an easy matter to fly from their pregent place of concealment; bob the next question was to decide where to go. Neither Tom nor Claude knew anything jbonb Central America, save wbafc little they had gleaned from geography at school. They knew they could cross the country, and in some way reach the Pacific coaeti and take Bhippiag for California. But justo which was the beab route to the Po.ciec coast was a question that puzzled them amazingly. ' VTe've bub little time to spare, Claude, 1 •aid Tom. 'Now tbia black rascal likes Bioney, and I propose to pay him to find us * reliable pilot across the country. • All right,' Claude answered. They found the lazy Niearaguan lying in a hammock undor s a wide-spreading palm. The fellow could speak some English and Claude a Hfetle Spanish, so they managed to converse fairly well. Tom told how ib was necessary to geb across the country at once as they had important business on the other side, and asked if they could suggest a competent guide who would Btarb wish them at once. •I know the man who will guide the seuors, and will take you to him,' answered the black. ' About a quarter of a mile away, on the banks of the River San Juan, half a score of lusty black fellows, called marineros (sailors), were carousing with their patron, or captain; The black led the Americana to them and introduced them to the patron, a great, dark-skinned fellow called Pedro. Ha was a great boaster, bub as lazy and cowardly a knave as one usually meets, even in Central America. Pedro, the patron, was oho of the patriarchs of the river. His boat, or bongo, as ib was called, bore the classic name of La GranadiHa. Ib was built with some degree of skill from the timber of the cedro, a very light and durable wood which growa in abundance about the lakes of Central America. It was an exaggerated canoe, large enough to carry from eight to ten tons and draw two or three feeb of water, when loaded. Ib waß long, deep and narrow, and had ten oarsmen who drove the boab by means of long sweeps and setting-poles. Sails were seldom used save when upon the lake. The masts were unshipped and left ot the head of the river in descending and resumed on returning. The boat had a small space near the stern called the chopa, covered with a board roof, which was assigned to the paaieagers. Pedro declared hia willingness to start with the Americans an hour before dawn, and calling his marineros about him, gravely informed them they were to commence the journey ab four o'clock noxb morning, and evoryone would be expected to be in his place ab than hour. The marineros received the order in silence, and a moment later were drinking, gambling and carousing with as much zaal as ever. ' Well, .that is the best that can be done,' said Tom. ' Now, what is to be done until thab time arrives ?' • We had as well return to the house where we have been staying,' Claude answered. 'I am afraid we may be followed by detectives from the schooner,' »aid Tom. •We leave before dawn, and they will hardly look for us bill then.' 1 You have more at stake than I, Claude, and If you say wait, we will.' • We have to run the Barae risk anywhere, Tom.' 1 Yes, I suppose so s well you may go back to the house, and I will go down to the town and gain all the information I can. Being forewarned is being forearmed.' ~ Claude obeyed the instruction of his friend and remained ab the house, while Tom Coleman strolled down to the town. It was dark, and he kepb well in the shadows while watching the people landing from the schooner Betty. Two or three torches flamed along the beach where the few landed who weie coming aihors before morning. Ib was quite evident, however, that most of the passengers and crew had mada up their minda to remain on shipboard. Some of them were landing from a boab, and among them wai one tall, dark form, familiar, though ho could nob be recognised ab bo greab a distance. Tom strained his eyes in bis endeavour to make out bis features. At lasb he declared : 1 May I be hanged, if I don't believe ibs that infernal Martinique Frenchman !' He hurried back as fast as he could to his friend. Claude was nob yet asleep when he came inbo the house where he lay on the pi!o of bides. • What do you think f gasped Tom. • I don'b know.'

' That infernal Martinique Frenchman came over in tho schooner !' 'No, no, Tom, you are mistaken/ said Claude. 'It weuld nob be possible for it to be him: You must be bftunfced by recollections of the man from Martinique.' 1 I'll bet my head it's thab Le Clerc'

* Bat he left Now York two weeks before we did.'

' Bight there is whete you aro mistaken, Clauds. I tell you I saw him, if ever I saw him in my life, oa the clock an hour before we sailed. My eyes cannot be deceived that way.' ' Well, he can have nobbing to do with us even if he is here.' 1 He is a mystery I can'ti solve,' Tom said. • As we sail ab four, let us bry and geb a little sleep,' Baid Claude, unconcerned. • Sleep ! Thunder ! How can you sleep when for aughb you know they are coming to drag you back to New York ?' Pedro had faithfully promised to have all things in readiness by the hour agreed upon. With che anticipation of an early start, the travellers made no provision for breakfast on shore, lesb they might cause dslay in tho morning and nob get away before sunrise. Ab four o'clock Tom awoke, and, with their slighb luggage, rifles and revolvers, set onb for that part of tbe river where La Granadin* was moored. Nob a sailor was to bo ?een, save one who kept watch overni«hfe He vai nob visible at first, and it was not until Tom had called repeatedly thab he crawled oufe from under the cJwpa and glared ab them wifch eyea still full of * e« e Wbere aro the others V Claude asked in Spanish. 'Muy pronto' (Very soon), was the answer, and he dodged beneath the chopa O nd composed himaolf for another nap. • Confound the yellow dog ! Ivo a great mind to pull him out and throw him in the river,' Tom declared. ' That would only raise a yell on his part, and do us no good,' Claude answered. ' Let ua sit on the bank and waib until the others come.' Thoy cab down by the still waters, and Tom nodded drowsily. The stars bad long since begun to wane, and in a few moments >he sun rosp. Door after door was unbarred and paople came streaming to the river to perform their morning ablutions, and all

seemed puzzled to accounb tor the presence of the travellers. Nob a sailor had appeared, and Tom was furious. He walked up and down the bank swearing ab Pedro, and vowing to wring bis neck if he ever came back bo the bongo. * A pretty me«s they have made of it,1 he declared. •We were to bo off before daylight, and here wo are ab sunrise, objects for general inspection.1 1 Bepatienb, Tom.' * Patient, thunder ! One's pabience is worn threadbare waiting- hero forever for a lob of lazy niggers to wake up.' Ab eight o'clock, worn oub with waiting, hungry and desperate, the travellers returned to the bouse ab which they had been staying and ordered a breakfast. Their landlord thoughb if they gob away by the middle of the afternoon they would do well. Nevertheless, they returned to the shore as Boon as they had breakfasted, and found a part of the crew assembled, collecting wood, making fires and arranging kettles for cooking braakfasb. ' Why are you nob ready to start 7' Tom angrily demanded of one of the natives. The fellow either did nob or pretended nob to understand him. * Say, you black scoundrel, where ia your captain ¥ 4 No intinde, senor,' answered the sailor. ' Wo are in a fix,' said Tom, returning bo the shade of the palm under which Claude was sitting, ' Hang ib, we'll be pounced upon by the officers from thab schooner before we can get started.' Never was anything performed with more deliberation than the way these Bailors prepared their breakfast : and the meal was disposed of with equal deliberation. Ib was nearly eleven when tho kebtlea were again placed in bhe boat. ' When will that infernal captain of yours come ?' Tom asked of one. ' Muy pronto /' was bhe answer. ' It's false ! He was coming very soon before daylight, and now ib is nearly noon, and there is no more sign of his appearance than before.' Tom was growing almost wild wibh impatience and anxiety. He paced up and down the bank of bhe stream and caab furtive glances beward the town below. 1 Greab Heaven !' he mentally ejaculated, as he paced along tho river fronb, ' will they never atarb. Won' 6 that lazy nigger never come? There aits Claude, like a victim, waiting to be taken back to New York and hanged for a crime be never committed, I don'b believe ho would caro much ; bo seems about as unconcerned at those lazy bongo men.' Again he turned hia eyes in tho direction of the town, which wfia almosb hid by a growth of mangroves and palms. • They will come and take us away before we get started,' he declared, nervously pacing up and down the river bank, keeping well in tho shadow of the trees. ' Claude, let us Bbart up the river on foob, and leb tha bongo stop for us on the way.' 1 Thab would not better our case,' Claude answered.

• Why not V ' Doubtless if a detective did come on the schooner, he will be here before these rascals get started, and they would tell him where to find us. If lamto be captured, I would as soon, be captured here as farther up the ebroam.' It was high noon when Pedro made his appearance. Fortunately for his sable skin, Tom's impatience had taken the chronic form of dogged endurance, and ho sat among the boxes, packages and guns, silent and grim, but cherishing, the determination to make himself even with the vagabonds before he gob through with them. • Why in thunder aro you Bix hours late ?' growled Tom to the ' Adios Americanos,' of the patron. 1 Could not come sooner, senor. We are going soon now.' ■• Notwithstanding this promise, ib was two o'clock in bho afternoon before the last straggler put ia an appearance. Their luggage was carried on board the bongo, and then Claude and Tom each mounted on the shoulders of a naked marinero, who waded to where the boat rocked in the water and deposited them on the pienta, or stern of the bongo, usually occupied by the patron. The marineros took their places, and Pedro, wibh a great conch-shell in one band, gravely stationed himself at the tiller. The sweeps were raised and every eye was fixed oh the pabron, who glanced at the crow, as much as to ask, 4 All ready?' and then, raising, the ehell to hia lips, blew a long blasb which would have pat a foghorn to ehame.

y Hold ! stop thab, you infernal fool 1' roared Tom, beside himself with rage ab bbc demonstration made ab their departure.

• Hoo-pah!' yelled tho manneros, and the oara were plunged into the water, and the bongo started with a sudden dash forward, vrhich pitched Tom head first) under the chopa. Claude laughed at Tom's predicament, Ib was the first expression of mirbh he had displayed since the tragedy. Tom, whose head was tangled up with travelling baga and blanketß, finally freed himself, and growled : ' This is stealing away in the night like thunder ! We hired the rascals to fcako as away before daylighi, bo that no one would know we were gone, or wfeere we were going. Instead of that he waits nearly all day for the infernal police to pick us np, and fehen announces our departure with the cußsedest noisa thab over tortured human oar.' 4We are all righb now, Tom, said Claude, cheerfully. *See bow the bongo flies through the water.' The La Granadina was speeding over the water aba rate that seemed to make amends for the long delay. Tom got up and looked back at tho fasb receding Down, to see if they were pursued. He was compelled to clutch to the top of the roof of tha chopa to avoid another tumble, co Bwiftly did the long slender craft fly through the water. While standing thus looking over the low roof he was facing the captain of the bongo, who held the tiller. That individual, on passing a point of land which brought the town Son Juan once more in plain view, raised bhe ehell again to hia lips, when Tom, snatching hie pistol, criad : ' Don'b do thab again, you black rascal, or I'll pubs bullet through you.' Though he did nob fully understand the American, Pedro lowered the bhell, and three-quarters of an hour wan taken up in explanations in bad English and worse Spanish, but a truce ivas made when' Tom produced bis brandy flask, and the bongo again flew through the water. [To be Continued.1)

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