Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 15 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

——e —. ern ———— een ee dersized man like him such a giant in strength. | and hastened to the apartment where the mys- | terious witch of Darien was. confined. He thrust us over like children. But he one weakness. He loves this Lola, and I can buy him with her, if so be fortune turns against us on the morrow. ’Tis well Don Alonzo knows not who she is, so far. I shall take care he does not, till it suits my purpose.” A trample of hoofs near him, and a soldier rode up. ‘‘The senor commandante wishes to see you, capitano,” he said. ‘I will be with him, immediately. Hurry with that boat there, All of this must be in the ship an hour before dawn. Now, soldier.” And the captain turned away and proceeded to the Governor’s palace, in some doubt as to the cause of the summons, é He found Don Alonzo pacing up and down his room in deep thought, and was surprised at the ting he received, so absent was it. ‘* Your excellency was pleased to send for me. I am here.” ‘‘Ay, Don Luis. I sent you forth to observe the motions of the enemy, and had not time till now totake your report. Have you been around the troops to-night?” ‘* Ay, your excellency.”’ - hey ready to move in the morning?” ‘‘They sleep on their arms in line of battle covering the city.” ‘* And the pirates, where are they?” ** Encamped within long {awe your excel- lency. The cannonade will prevent their ad- vancing before daylight.” ‘‘ Did you see their leader?” “c“ T aid’ ” And Don Luis detailed the conversation that had ensued with Morgan. Don Alonzo frowned thoughtfully, and walk- ed up and down for several minutes without an- swering. Then he said: “This old witch must be an influential per- gonage, for the chief pirate to be so anxious about her. Who is she, Luis?’ ‘*She seems to be a sorceress, your excellen- cy. As long as her voice controlled the In- I was in great peril, but by seizing her with force all her arts availed not. Were it not best to burn her alive, so that her arts may not cast a shadow over our people?” m ses old Governor crossed himself supersti- ously. ‘* Perhaps you are right, Luis. Since she has entered the palace I feel a kind of gloomy fore- boding overcome me as to to-morrow’s battle. The soldiers are full of spirit, but I know how long *twill last, if they meet with any disaster. ‘Tis the enchantments of this witch, no doubt, that depress me. She must die, and yet—” ‘‘And yet the goodness of your excellency’s heart can not bear to witness the deed. Is it not so?’ ‘* Frankly, yes.” ‘* Leave it to me, your excellency. I will see to it that ere morning not a charm shall be left to dismay our brave soldiers.” The Governor gave a sigh of relief. “Do so, Luis. I can face the weapons of the English devils, and feel satisfied of victory, but Father Pedro has just left me, and he has been telling me of my duty to the church.” Don L conte. Father Pedro was an old tool of his, and he knew who had sent him to bias the mind of Espinosa. As he turned away the Governor observed: ‘‘Be ready at dawn. I have resolved what to do. I shall attack the pirates instead of waiting to receive their assault. You will lead the charge of Sgiulerit 2 and I shall follow it up with pikes and musketeers, as speedily as ble. I have directed the Indian allies to ive a herd of fierce bulls on the enemy, and with yee, blessing of God, we shall destroy them utterly. “ Ay, your excellency, but not if they are as- sisted by the magic aa of the witch of Da- rien. ‘‘ True, true. Therefore, Luis, take her from the city. Slay her as you will, but let me not see it.’ ¥ ‘‘Fire and water are death to witches,” said Mendoza, sententiously; “therefore we will drown her first, and burn the body after.” The Governor shuddered, waved him away. The old soldier had not the callous cruelty of the young one. ‘Don’t talk of it,” he muttered, irritably. “Do your duty, and no more.” Don Luis bowed, and left the room. When he was in the corridor he laughed to himself. ‘‘T didn’t think Father Pedro would frighten him so. Now Iam safe, in any event.” He summoned a guard from the guard-room, ee Se © _ — — The Sea-Cat. ee a ee ee He found B’as Or.iz as stolid and wide-awake as ever, and relieved that gentleman from guard duty, to his great satisfaction. en the witch was brought out, still muffled in her rags, her withered face stony and mapes- sive in the torchlight. Without a word of re- monstrance she suffered herself to be taken Sway, in Don Luis’s charge, and escorted to the beach. Here the captain put her in a boat, and, declining any assistance, pulled her away him- self out into the bay. He was gone an hour. When he came back, the boat was empty of all but himself. CHAPTER XIL THE BATTLE. Wits the early dawn of morning, all the city of Panama was astir. Companies of infantry, some armed with pike, cuirass and morion, others with heavy matchlock-musket and rest, debouched out of the principal avenues of the city, and marched forth on the plain, at the heels of a heavy column of cavalry. n Alonzo sat on his horse, surveying the Lema forces, close:to a long line of cannon, planted to defend the approaches to the town. He watched with pride the steady march of his Pi om sn, soles 2 as they ranged them- selves in three ies, while the horsemen drew off to the right, and formed line of battle on the flank of the infantry. As yet there was no ie Dp a movement from the buccaneers. The of their fires eculd be seen rising on the other side of the interven- ing hills, po pe that they a cooking reakfast, bu solitary figure of a sentinel on the crest of the ridge, observing the Spaniards, was the only sign of life a nt otherwise. Presently Don Luis Mendoza left his post at the head of the pig bee galloped up to Es- pinosa, gallant and dsome, saluting as he came, and paipader, : ‘Is it your excellency’s pleasure we advance? The pirates may be on pp by a rapid dash, and my cavalry are 4 n Alonzo waved his d. “* Forward, in God’s name,” he said. Then there was a sounding of trumpets and beating of drums. With one accord the artillery opened fire at the crest of the hills, and the infantry, in two lines, prams steadily and slowly on. Each line was composed of cig! tranks of men, musketeers in the center, and pikemen shelterin the flanks, while six of horsemen Seeaind forward at a trot toward the hills that sheltered the buccaneers. Espinosa’s cheek flushed with excitement as he saw the movement, and the ardor of his outh seemed to return tohim. Only the reflec- ion that on his own life depended the issue of the day, restrained him from ing forward to head the assault. But he knew that his officers were all alike un pk eh and that the artillery especially requ is presence. To the management of that he devoted him- self at once, and directed a far more efficacious |. fire than that of the night, dropping the missiles over the crest of the with great accuracy. The infantry did not go far. Almost as soon as they were put in motion, a bugle sounded in the buccaneer camp, and a line of skirmishers came dashing over the crest of the ridge at a run. Then the head of asmall, compact column emerged from a gap, at a slow trot, and the etd ess buccaneers bore down on the Spanish center. The size of the body was ludicrously dispro- portioned to the numbers of Spani but the strangers seemed to be perfectly confident, for they advanced with a shrill yell. ot a pikeman was in that body of strangers. In the eyes of a soldier of that day it was vir- tually defenseless. So thought Don Luis, as he beheld it. He waved his sword, the trumpets sounded the charge, and down went the horsemen on the buc- caneer column, with a loud shout of triumph. The skirmishers ran back to the hill, and cluster- ed in knots at the sight, but the little band in the center spread into a line fronting the cuirassiers, halted in their tracks, and quietly awaited the onset of the Spaniards. They had not long to wait. Confident of victory from the absence of pikes, and spurring their horses to desperate speed, Don Luis and the cuirassiers thundered own. Like a range of statues stood the bucca- neers, till less than seventy yards intervened. Then down went the front rank on one knee and up went the bright muskets. Silent and 9 grim as statues, something in their attitude awed the Spaniards. The headlong speed of the charge insensibly diminished, as first one, and then an- other began to pull at his horse, till the gallop became a canter. Don Luis shrunk back into the ranks, which became disordered, and finally slackened into a trot, within twenty yards of the muskets. Then, and not till then, a long, rolling volley came from the kneeling rank of the buccaneers, and asecond followed from the stooping rank above them. Scores of saddles were emptied at each volley, horses plunged and kicked, and the cuirassiers became fn a moment a helpless, surg- ing mass of confusion. ‘ A third volley, still more withering, in an- other second completed the rout, and then the three advanced ranks of the buccaneers fell on their faces, while the fourth, fifth and sixth ranks opened their fire. on They shot into a crowd of fugitives. Thoroughly demoralized, the whole of the ish cavalry broke and galloped to the rear in wild confusion, just as the reserve of the en- emy, in serried ranks of pikes, came out of the gap on the field, und the skirmishers spread out once more, and dashed ahead at a run, shouting ah ¥ t confusi the Spanish en arose a great co on on the side, as officers gall about on the front of the infantry, excitedly begging them to stand rare and the bellowing of cattle began to be Out of a iy, “aye hollow issued a t herd of fierce bulls, driven by crowds In- ians, and came rushing over the field at full Instead of charging the buccaneers, as ey were expected to do, the obstinate brutes ed in between the contending fo right in front of the discomfited cavalry. Maddened with rage and terror, as the latter desperately spurred through, some broke to one side and ran over some Spanish infantry, others ran at the buccaneers, only to be shot down and stabbed by the veteran hunters, while the greater part swept over the artillery, bellowing loudly, and dashed into Panama. With loud yells the whole of the buccaneers ran forward, shooting as they went. The rem- nant of the Spanish infantry began to fire in re- turn, and in a few minutes a warm en ment was in progress in that of the field. Don Alonzo had watched the various disasters with coolness and intrepidity. When cavalry and bulls alike fled without doing any aa he looked worried, but as the steady lines of the Spanish foot moved forward and delivered their volleys, his countenance cleared. He gall to and _ fro among the guns, directing their and beheld with Joy that the enemy’s advance was checked. So fierce and deadly was the ar- tillery fire, that the buccaneers at began to turn and run, amid the smoke, and a cessation of the musketry:announced that they were in full retreat. wean ie eset oy galloped ~ Ree - the ines of infantry, to encourage them to charge and found them much shaken. They had lost heavily, and worse than that, they were scared. With the quick decision of a soldier, he with- drew them behind the shelter of the guns, and for several minutes a pause of silent expectation took place. The buccaneers could be seen in the distance, clustered in knots, while a single mounted man —their leader—was galloping ard and for- ward with wild gestures, as if exhorting them to a fresh effort. It was while Don Alonzo was watching them and his own men, that a pikeman, who was straggling — _him to the town, wounded, stopped beside his commander, and respectfull pe pine extended his hand, holding a small gold cross. Don Alonzo looked at him surprisedly,. “‘ What is the matter, soldier? What's this?” “So pose your He sew et les was on last night over the witch of en, and the old hag gave me this, which I promised to deliver to your excellency.” n Alonzo took it with superstitious hesita- tion. ‘4 cross! In possession of an Indian witch! May it not be a new sorcery? Nay, I have heard crosses will avert witchcraft.” Then he looked carefully at the cross, a tiny set with jewels: and as he looked, his countenance nged and became deadly pale. “ What—what is this?” he cried, in low, hoarse tones. “What—where got she this? Who is e? Blas Ortiz looked astonished. “The old witch your excellency saw. Cap- tain Mendoza put her in—” €om GDOGKS _— - = - . —_ - -— oo -.~— eee eee a a a