Presbyterian College - Pac Sac Yearbook (Clinton, SC)

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THE COLLEGIAN. II leave, it was with a very dejected, hopeless feeling that he signed his name. the last of a list of passengers to sail on the morrow for Spain, where they would change the little ship, The Crest for the man-of-war Ranlion which would bear them back to the new world. ' His search had been fruitless. This world was a farce after all. nothing to suit this wild. romantic character. nothing of a nature exciting enough to arouse his interest. He had given up in despair and was now going home to try to be content with Common things, with teas and parties and banquets and all such fuss as they have in a fashionable place: but he hated it all. It was the last day of the voyage before they would come to the Acklin island and there they would stay in port all night. But before they reached this island a very funny thing hap- pened, a very unusual thing that made .lack start from his deck chair, drop his book, open l1is sleepy eyes and wonder. He gave a low whistle a11d then got up. The captain saw it too and looked very hard for a moment, the11 a troubled expression came over his usually pleasant face. He left his post very abruptly and went to the mate who was at the other end of the deck. They both looked very hard for a few minutes at the object of concern. Qne or two straggling deck walkers looked that way and stopped when their eyes fell on the object. No one said a word. but somehow all feared something. The ap- pearance of that object over the bend of the sea seemed to send a terrible spell over them. The object was a Hag or ban- ner of black on the topmast of a ship, on which could be seen embroidered in the cruelest red a skull and cross bones, with a sword overhanging. Later a second and then a third, both like the first, came into view. No one on board said a word to his companion, but the pale faces and terrified looks told each other plainly enough what was feared. The captain ordered the propeller to have full sway and told the soldiers to see to the guns and ammunitiong they might need them. llut it was useless. for in a few moments the great sea monsters swooped down upon them like some bird of prey and stormed the little

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IO THE COLLEGIAN. land and Europe, but found it too much like that at home: and that was what he didn't like. He spent days traveling over Switzerland viewing the snow-capped wonders of the world, but soon tired of this. He visited the catacombsvof Rome, and heard tales of the valor a'nd bravery of the former rulers of that once great empire: but that was past. He was living in the present, and what cared he if the ancient Romans were heroes and great men, if he could not find something to make him a hero? Something really at hand, not a dream or fairy tale was what he longed for. In all his wanderings he had found no giants to kill and no princesses to rescue from an ogre's castle in some dark mountain. He went deep into the forests of Russia, thinking that perhaps there he might yet find some mighty castle surrounded by the undergrowth of a hun- dred years and break in to find a sleeping beauty whom he might wake with a kiss. llut no, they were all in fairy tales, in books that tell of wonderful countries which have never yet been discovered. He left the forests, disappointed, but determined to go on to the ends of the earth. lele visited lndia and with disgust viewed the coral strands which are told of so much in song and story. lele crossed the salty waters of the Dead Sea and came to Egypt. 'lihe pyramids and great sphinx did not in- spire him as they would any ordinary man. for he was not an ordinary man. lele was a great big handsome fellow, with the truest of blue eyes, and with darkest of curly hair and a com- plexion that was very brown now from six weeks of Africa's sun. His expression was jovial, but restless. He was always looking for something and never Finding it. He was known while traveling as 'lohn Carrington. but to his parents and sister he was simply Jack. lele stayed in flilexandria a little longer than he had stayed at any other place, but he knew that the next ship Ire took would be homeward bound, and as yet he had not found the adven- ture for which he came: so he still lingered there, but his hope of excitement was almost gone. llfhen at last he decided to

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I2 THE COLLEGIAN. vessel so that in thirty minutes a flag of surrender went up. The crew of the Ranlion thought that being prisoners in the hands of that most dreaded pirate band could not be worse than the fiery or watery grave that they saw opening to them. So they surrendered and'were taken from their burning ship to that of the brigands. Jack saw that at last he had found adventureg yes, and ex- citement, plenty of it. The leader of the band was a hard man with a stern dark look, sharp cutting black eyes, and a harsh voice that could al- ways be heard above everything else storming commands to his sailors. 'lack went in line with the other prisoners to the lower deck, where they were left chained together until they should get to the port of the pirate's den. He had often heard of the deeds of this dreaded pirate band. The cruel things they did were spoken of in awed tones by all. A person was never known to escape when so unlucky as to fall into the hands of such a captor. After a three days' sail south the vessel came to port at a little island, which was unknown to any of the crew of the Ran- lion. It was unknown to the world and was held by the pirate band as their den. lt was scarcely more than a mile square. In the centre, surrounded by trees and much undergrowth, was a castle, dark, grey and very forbidding in its appearance. It was surrounded by a high wall with a huge iron gate in front, which was well barred and locked and was guarded by a very fierce looking soldier. Inside of this wall was a clear compound of some size and then one came to the door of the castle itself. This was barred almost as securely as the gate and guarded well. As the prisoners were led up from the ship these great gates were opened to admit them, and it was with the greatest fear that they would never see the outside world again that they saw these barriers close behind them. Jack went with the prisoners, and it was with the greatest minuteness that he took in every detail along the way. He was going in there to come