Beadle's Dime Novels, No. 11 — page 26: what you’re looking at

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

24 THE PRISONER OF LA VINTRESSE. The Cuban started ; turned as pale as death. “Do you mean that she has escaped! Was there not a watch near the chamber?” , “Yes, in the very next room, but she went from the win- dow. The lace curtain is dreadfully torn, one of the best sets, and how I am ever to repair it—” Don Carlos broke away, white with suppressed feeling. He soon found the general, and electrified him by saying: “ Our plans are thwarted, your niece has escaped us. Do you still remain; I will find her—or—” A gleam of fire shot from his wild eyes. The general seemed struck with stupidity. Instantly a light traveling volante stood at the door. Don Carlos drove rapidly to the custom-house pier. Springing out when arrived there, he sought out the superior officers. They had seea Herman Goreham only two hours before. He had taken passage in the Eagle, an American packet ship. Yes, there was a lady, his cousin. The Cuban showed his teeth at this. “Then he has missed justice,” he hissed. “He was a spy, the tool of the Yankee fillibusters. It had come to his knowl- edge through papers recently found, a dangerous enemy had been suffered to leave the country. Peace and order were threatened. He had been, this American, the guest of the governor. He had insinuated himself into private confidence ; in short, he was a scheming, double-dyed villain.” Don Carlos was furious. He frightened the officers thoroughly, and in less than ten minutes a private and concealed guard was posted from the custom-bouse up slong the Paseo, and along the walls to the sea. It happened that Herman liad landed but a few moments before, and hurried unsuspectingly along for his carpet-bag. The boat lay concealed in the shadow, and the sailors, idly waiting—two of them Spaniards—heard the con- versation of the guards posted on the pier, and drew off si- lently where they could not be seen. Meanwhile, where was the Eagle? There was no time to be lost. A world of ship- ping lay in the harbor. The vessels all head into the streets. A belt of thick forest—mast after mast stretching away, and bayward, how clese the vessels were! Screw frigates, ships- of-the-line, and no telling which is the Eagle. Don Carlos did: not despair, however. A boat was in readiness, and slowly comliclbooks.con