Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 15 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

urged the sweet voice. ‘I wore a cunningly contrived mask, which the cruel captain forced me to assume, threatening me with worse than death if I refused. And, oh, senor, he told me that I am to be burned as a witch to-morrow.” ‘‘Tt’s true,” said Ortiz, assentingly, ‘‘and, if the priests say true, twill serve ye right. ts ‘But, oh, senor, indeed I am no witch,” plead- ed the voice in the dark. “I am but a poor irl, I know not whom, and I only wish to speak the Governor of Panama alone.” “Tt can’t be done,” said Ortiz, decidedly. Then he added, dubiously: “‘ At least not that I see now, and yet—I’m sorry for you.” ‘* See, senor,” said the voice, eagerly; ‘“‘I have om with me yet. I will give you gold worth a oubloon if you will do me an errand to the Governor.” “7 cannot,” said Ortiz, decidedly. He paused, and again added, softly: “Till I'm off guard at least.’ ‘‘ And you will do it then?’ said the voice, in a tone of joy. ‘‘’Tis but a little thing, only to give him this. Put out your hand.” Ortiz put out his hand, and met the soft, lump fingers of a girl. She slipped into his hand something, that his pious senses recog- nized at once, even in the dark, as a cross. ““Give that to him,” she whispered. ‘* What it is I know not, but the old priest of the sun-god gave it to me, and told me, if I were in any peril send it to the chief of the S an *%would save me. Will you do me this errand? You shall be well rewarded.” **T'll do what I can when I’m off ” said Ortiz, “for you talk like a Christian, and I should like to see your face.” Before the other could answer came the rapid steps of Mendoza; and, a moment later, he stalked into the room with a lantern, only to find Ortiz ing stolidly up and down before the closed door. ‘‘ Look close to the prisoner, Ortiz,” he said, oor, and, holding up the and he opened the tern, peered in. Ortiz, over his shoulder, beheld a wrinkled, withered old hag in the middle of the room, half-raised on her elbow from where she lay on the floor. Mendoza seemed satisfied and turned away. 3 Mow for the outposts,” he muttered. ‘* To- morrow will tell the tale.’ -The boom of a heavy gun cut off the end of the sentence. CHAPTER X. THE BUCCANEER CAMP. THe short twilight of the tropic was over, and the full moon was some five degrees or so above the horizon, when the worn and gard- looking head of a straggling column of men emerged from the forests around Panama, and debouched on the open ground. Before them was a range of low hills, that promised to in- tercept the view of the city when they should go a little further, but over these they could see the lights of Panama, and before them was a large troop of horse, the moonbeams glit- tering on cuirass and helmet. The weary and haggard men on foot were the buccaneers, who, for five days, had been strug- gling through the forest, nearly starved, reduced to the extremity of feeding on scraps of hides and leather. Not one of them had tasted food for the last twenty-four hours, and yet every man broke out in a rapturous cheer as the lights of Panama came in t. There was the goal of their course, the of their sufferings, before them; and the bellow- ing of oxen in the vales announced that food was near. But the food was defended by their enemies. The glittering troop of horse was across the rear of a large herd of ere cries of drivers in the distance told t were driving the oxen, as fast as might be, toward the city. | Then, with the wild, desperate f _ of starving men, the head of the Se cauneh ected broke loose from all restraint, and rushed out over the plain, the men running like deer, after the flying cattle, fearless of their guardians. _ The bright flashes of muskets and the rapid crackle of reports followed in succession as the wild rovers dashed forward; and the nt- looking troop of horse scattered and fled in con- igi several saddles being emptied in the first volley. Then there was a yell of hungry triumph as the buccaneers dashed into the midst of the cat- tle, stabbing and shooting till three score car- cas es strewed the ground. Little cared they for the contemptible efforts Beadle’s Half-Dime Librar y. —_ —————— ———— ————— ee le of their enemies, and, as the rest of their com- | Now go back, and tell your master what I have rades came running out of the woods in con- | said.” fused crowds, the valley was turned into a great | butcher’s shop, where the cooks were at work close to their meat in ten minutes from the first sight of the Spaniards.* And then it was that a single horseman on a black steed came riding through the bivouac among the fires, and everywhere he went was followed by enthusiastic cheers, while the late- | with rage, he suddenly exclaimed: ly riotous groups resolved themselves into a | | with her. | resists!” regular order with marvelous quickness, and the camp assumed the appearance of a discip- lined army. It was the buccaneer king, whose entrance produced such an effect. iron features were set in an expression of firm resolve, an anxious frown was on his brow, as he gave a few brief orders. Then a chain of sentries were thrown out on the plain, with a silence and celerity that told of iron discipline, and the resting buccaneers enjoyed their first meal in quiet security, jest- ing and singing around their fires over the ex- pected conflict of the morrow. co) og pg rn ~~ mrt the mar of sentries, and, passin rough a gap in the en- circling hills, sat on his horse, Seahtns at the dis- tant lights of Panama. The buccaneer chief was gloomy and anxious. Since the strange disa ce of Queen Lola, and the withdrawal of his Indian allies, every sort of vexatious impediment had been thrown in his way. Accustomed as he had been to de- spise the Spaniards, he realized that an able and acute mind was now controlling their move- ay and, bold as he was, he was not free from ear ‘But, by all the powers of Heaven,” he mut- tered, fiercely shaking his hand at the distant city, “if I find ye have harmed one hair of that innocent girl’s head, not one stone will I leave on another of your priest-ridden city.” As he sat there, brooding, the t rumble of horses’ hoofs at a gallop announced to him that an enemy was approaching. It could be nothing else where he was. The buccaneer glanced round behind him, to where the line of sentries were left on guard. They were almost invisible in the darkness, for all were crouching to the earth in the hunter fashion of their original pursuit. Then he drew from holster a long horse- foal and, cocking it, awaited the approach of he enemy. In a few minutes the dark forms of a small ty of horsemen were seen approaching, and organ rode out into the moonlight to show himself. The other halted at the sight, and then a single cavalier approached him, bearing a small white flag, and demanded, courteously: ‘* Senor, where shall I find Don Enrique Mor- ganos? 1 am Don Luis Mendoza, the Gover- nor’s son-in-law, and captain of his ¢ Morgan scanned the other from to foot ere he answered: ‘‘T am Morgan, admiral of the forces of the king of England, and — of Queen Lola, of Da- rien.¢ What would you?’ CHAPTER XI. THE WITCH’S FATE. Don Luis saluted the other politely: “I come, senor, to demand, in the name of Don Alonzo del — y Espinosa, Governor of Panama, what is the meaning of this bold invasion of the territories of the king of Spain?’ ‘‘The meaning will be found in my commis sion,” said Mo “Tf you require more ex- planation you will get it to-morrow. You have ov away Queen Lola, of Darien. Where is she ‘In prison, for the witch she is,” said Men- doza, haughtily. ‘*In three days she will be burned alive as a witch.” vity 4 M s impassive gra never altered. The line of his mouth closed tighter, and his brows met slightly, as he said: “T thank you, sir, for your frankness, Now, listen to my words, and remember every one, for Morgan keeps his promises. If you harm one hair of her head, I will not leave a man alive in Panama. You, yourself, captured her, Men- doza. My spies have told me that. Well, then I hold you responsible for her. Harm her, an you shall cry out for death in vain, amid such tortures as my men only can invent. You may flee to the uttermost parts of the earth, and even there I will follow you. You cannot escape me. * Fact. Bf The principal incidents of these pages are histor- | avail himself of the advantage. He waved him disdainfully off with the pistol, but Don Luis, who had been using his eyes to the best advantage, had by this time 6 the discovery that the chief was alone and unsup- ported. With the treachery of his race, he tried to As if convulsed ‘Say you so, vile pirate? Then you shall die Seize him, men, and kill him if he In an instant there was a rush of horsemen _ toward the chief, and his pistol exploded with a | loud report. The foremost soldier threw up his arms with a yell, and fell from his saddle. But the rest still spurred on, and in a moment in- closed the buccaneer, while Don Luis, shout- ing, “Surrender!” struck at him with his sword. It met the blade of Morgan, who had not even backed his horse escape, e buccaneer chief sat like a rock, his ee sword playing from side to side like a flash and parrying the desperate blows of the Spaniards with apparent ease. When he struck back, every blow came like the kick of a horse, with a rapidity and strength that was amazing. Don Luis, meeting one of them, lost his guard, and fell over half-stunned by a stroke that clove his steel cap like paper. Another slash cut open a trooper’s face, and a third killed a horse. Then there was a rush- ing and shouting close by, and a number of buccaneers came running up, opening fire as 8 came. e arrival of succor disheartened the Span- iards, already demoralized by the stubborn re- sistance of the strong buccaneer, With one accord they fled, headed by Don Luis, who shouted, as he went: ‘‘Dogs! We shall see to-morrow.”* And the buccaneer chief coolly wiped his east never stirring from his place, and ob- se rved: ‘* We must extend our posts, men. These fel- lows will try to surprise us if we do not keep a good watch. See yonder. I thought they only came to feel us.” As he spoke he pointed to the town. The — flash of a piece of artillery illu- minated the night, followed by a dull, heavy re- port. Then they heard the loud hum of a shot, and the missile itself plunged into the hill-side several hundred yards off. The buccaneers burst into a universal laugh of scorn at the ineffectual shot, and one of them remarked to his chief, in the independent fash- ion of their organization: ‘“By my faith, admiral, ’twill be easy work taking that town, if they shoot no better by aol Pear i for that,” said M ‘Fear not for that,” sai or vely. “We shall have all the fight we anh aod row ere we get to Panama. Keep good watch.” He turned round and walked his horse slowly back to the bivouac, buried in a brown study. He was thinking of the morrow. And all night long th> Spaniards continued their ineffectual cannonade, while the bucca- neers slept soundly beside their fires, unmind- ful of the danger, and only wishing for the com- = that daylight which was to bring them vietory or death.+ Don Luis Mendoza stood on the shore of the bay of Pan watching the trips backward and forward of a laden boat. Every time it came to shore, a pile of articles of furniture, boxes and bags was lessened by a boat-load. Several other boats were plying backward and forward, and they all had the same destination, and bore similar loads from different parts of the sea-shore. Their destination was a huge and stz.tely gal- leon, as large as a frigate, with thirty gri port-holes at a side, commanding the town. __ In spite of threefold forces and all the aid of artillery, the Spaniards were already in of the next day, and were conveyi reer all their valuables on board the calleon, ready to flee at a moment’s notice. Don Luis was gloomily meditating on the chances of the next day, the dull pain in his head where the stunning blow of Morgan had cn , helping to tinge his anticipations with saster oom the sword of Santiago,” he mutte to , ‘* who would have thought a agree eg * Historical words. t Historical. GOnGaoo > —_ eoim