Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 386 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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eee ~ eee eee ening on the waves, and the young lieutenant knew that soon it would disappear altogether. Three days out from Cartagena before a brisk breezes, and uo sight of Captain Cutlass yet. Captain Furtuno was ready for tis rival; the Péarl bad been put in fighting trim and her crew were eager t» cross cutlasses once more with the Sea Spiders who were sailing in the vessel they had called their ‘* ocean home,” ‘There won’t be a star to-night,” suddenly re- marked Manton looking up at the heavens as the last vestige of the sun dipped bebind the watery rim. “Then we must keep our peepers open, eh?’ smiled Tom, “That we must. Once Captain Cutlass pounced upon us when we thought him a thou- sand leagues away, and it cost us some of our best men, too.” “He can’t do that in the Huntress,” the sailor answered. Manton smiled, ‘‘Tam almost willing to believe that he can do anything,” he said. ‘*When we watch?” ‘* Even when we watch.” “There’s nothing on the sea now,” *‘ Not a moving speck save the ship that car- ries us.” And with anotuer scrutinizing look over the vast expanse of darkening water the liceutenant turned away and left Fairweather Tom on watch, The night came quick and soon left the Pearl bowling along through a black sea. As Manton had said there were no stars in the sky, and the best glass was useless for an in- spection of their surroundings. All at once Fairweather Tom started asif he had heard a suspicious sound, It came from the starboard quarter of the Pearl, and was of a nature which cannot be in- telligibly described. All alert, the Yankee seaman listened, ‘‘Tt was something,” he said to himself, ‘‘I never miss a sound when in dangerous water. I beard something as sure as fate.” For twenty minutes the ship kept on with Fairweather Tom listening with all his might amid the gloom of his surroundings. ‘* Mebbe after all—” The sailor broke bis own observation abruptly and bounded to the vessel’s side. ‘‘Fool this son of the sea if you can!” fell triumphantly from bis lips. ‘‘ Come back into my clutches, Captain Cutlass, and get me the prize mouey you cheated me out of before.” The next moment a step bebind him made the Yankee sailor turn, and he saw a slender figure, and caught the gleam of an uplifted knife, ‘Die, killer of the Serpent’s pets!” hissed a voice in his ear, and before the tar could throw up a hand to arrest the stroke, down came the dagger, and he dropped to the deck without even a warning groan. All this took place in the space of a second, or in the flash of an eyelash, as it were. ‘‘Now come, captain, when you will,” said the victor, throwing a glance over the Pearl’s side. ‘* You will find some one on this prize to welcome you. What! are you out there now? Didn’t I just hear the noise of an oar?” Still clutching the knife, the speaker leaned over the Pearl’s side and looked down. If the sound of oars had been heard it was not repeated, and after listening again, the slayer turned to Fairweather Tom, “Tie where you are and create some excite- ment on board this ship,” she said. ‘Lil go back to the secret hiding-place which the Peru- vian builders of this ocean swallow must have made for me.” Two minutes later the deck was deserted by all save the motionless tar, and the Pear), which scarcely moved now for want of wind, remained like a huge bird sleeping on the surface of the sea, It was twenty minutes later when Roland Manton pushed open the door of Cuptain For- tuno’s cabin and entered. He found the Spaniard seated at his station- ary table with charts and some important pers before him, the whole scene revealed by he lamp that swunz over his head. But why did Manton suddenly spring forward and halt before Captain Fortuno as if he had made the most horrible discovery of his life? The next moment he was staring into the Spaniard’s face, and marking the blood-stains that were seen on the silver embroidery of his velvet jacket! ‘‘My God! who has been here?” cried Man- ton in thrilling voice. ‘‘ What vile assassin have we carried to sea?” and he caught the cap- tain’s wrist and felt the flickerings of a feeble pulse, rs Captain Cutlass, the Ocean § ———ooes -_ _-— For several minutes the young lieutenant stood spellbound in the cabin, holding the wrist ot Captain Fortuno, and staring into bis pallid and expressionless face. ‘‘T will find out who did this!” he suddenly exclaimed, ‘ The villian must be somewhere in the ship. He rushed from the captain’s cabin and ap- peared suddenly on deck. be Tom 9”? There was no answer. ‘‘Henvens! the kuoife has reached my best friend!” ejaculated Manton, as he stooped over the object his foot had suddenly struck, A minute later the alarm was given, and the crew of the Pearl poured up from below, In a few words Manton acquainted them with what had happened, and their indignation was terrible. ‘‘There’s a mystery here which must be probed to the bottom,” said the lieutenant, ad- dressing the assembled crew. ‘‘ Somewhere aboard this vessel the assassin lurks, Let every inch of space be searched, and when the demon is found, [ promise you that the yard shall bear the hangman’s fruit.” If Manton could bave penetrated the darkness that surrounded the Pearl at that moment, he would have seen four boats pulling away with muffled oars. One of these boats, well filled with men, shot out from under the very bows of the Pear], and by good pulling joined the three which had been in the advance, And if he could have watched them as they swept over the surface of the sea with no more noise than the gull makes when on the wing, he would bave seen them pull up alongside a well- built vessel that lay motionless like bis own on the water. Like monkeys the occupants of the boats climbed up to the somewhat elevated deck, and the handsome, flashing-eyed man, who awaited them in dazzling uniform, exclaimed in tones of impatience: “Well, what of the vessel over there, Spi- ders?” ‘Tt is the Pearl of Peru, Captain Fortuno.” ‘Holy Dios! Then, by the gods of ven- geance, we'll show bim the hands of Captain Cutlass before anotber hour! Captain Fortuno, eh? The council gave him the Pearl in which to hunt us down! Very well, captain; but the hunted has turned hunter. The tiger bites the fool who treads on bis tai.” ‘* But hear me through, captain. A knife has been at work on the enemy’s vessel.” ** Whose dagger?” cried Captain Cutlass, ‘*That we do not know. Captain Fortuno has been struck—” ‘And killed?’ ‘* Not quite.” ‘‘Then forward, before death throttles him! Are they not searching the Pearl for the wielder of the knife?” sé Yes,” ‘““Then we will not be looked for. Ab! fools of the sea, when least expected Cuptain Cutlass comes. I pray that fortune will hold death at bay till I find you, Captain For'uno. What a debt I have to settle with you! And the person who has struck at your heart, captain? By the sea gods! I will send him to doom on the raft that has made the name of Captain Cutlass ter- rible!” As the captain of the Huntress, the merciless scourge of tropical waters, disappeared below, he was followed by his second officer, Lieutenant Dramon, who touched him on the shoulder at the foot of the ladder. ‘Well, sir?’ demanded Captain Cutlass, whirling fiercely upon the officer. ' ‘The prisoner wisbes to see you. I promised to carry his request to you, and I do so pow.” For’ one brief moment the brow of the buc- caneer darkened, then cleared quickly, and Dranion saw his eyes snup. , ‘‘ Pll see him,” be said, and the following min- ute he halted at a door whica he struck with his clinched hand. ‘‘Come in,” said a voice on the inside and ee Cutlass opened the door and entered. e had searcely crossed the threshold when a man rose from a chair a few feet abead, and an elegant cutlass fell ringing at the pirate’s feet, ‘Weare on an equality at last!” hissed the captain’s confronter, stepping forward with a similar weapon in his right hand. “If I am your prisoner, Captain Cutlass, I am not alto- gether barmless,” The Sea Spider seemed to have lost all power % volition, and stood like a person nailed to the oor, ‘Ha! ha! does my fortune amaze you?’ pider. 13. laugbed the other. ‘‘Come, eptain; pick up your cutlass aud give Colonel Cristo a chance to fight a man equally armed,” Then it was that the captain of the burned Vampire stooped and snatched the cutlass from tbe floor, and threw a mad look over it at the cool man burning to meet him. ‘‘In tbe first place, Colonel Cristo, name to me the man who armed you,” he said. ‘*l’m no traitor, Captain Cutlass,” was the an- swer. ‘Better for you, perbaps, if you had left me in Cartagena; don’t you think so? But you thought [ would make love to the American girl if [ remained, and so you had to take meagainst my will to the vessel you surprised under the guns of the forts. Who armed me for this en- counter? Ob, no, mon ami; it wouldn’t do for Colonel Cristo to mention him here. Defend yourself!” The Frenchman rushed forward as be spoke the Jast word, but just then the door was flung open, and a pisiol-shot filled the place, Colonel Cristo dropped his cutlass and stag- gered back with a mad curse, his sword-arm shattered at the wrist! CHAPTER XV. THE FRENCHMAN 8S VENGEANCE, THE man who bad fired the lucky shot and who leaped into the state-room was Lieutenant Dramon. Captain Cutlass turned to him without a sirgle look of thanks, but with a gleam of rage in his eyes. “Pick up tbat cutlass,” be said pointing to the weapon which had fallen from Colonel Cristo’s hand, Lieutenant Dramon stared at the Sea Spider and hesitated. ‘*Take up the Frenchman’s weapon—the one you gave him sharpened for my skull!” con- tinued the buccaneer. The lieutenant cast bis still smoking pistol aside and stepped toward the cutlass. ‘* Pick it up and let him cut you to the shoul- ders,” grated the wounded Frenchman, looking at Dramon, “For tbat pistol-shot I could blow your brains éut. Ab! it shall yet be Cristo’s day.” Biting his lips under bis mustache, the lieu- tenant picked upthe weapon and turned on the sea rover who sprung forward with cutlass raised, ‘* Now go at it,” grinned Colonel Cristo, ‘It isn’t my fight, but I’m interested 1n it just the same,”’ For one brief moment the two cfficers glared at one another like tiger-duelists, and then the cutlass went to work. Colonel Cristo held his breath while he watched the mad duel, ‘* May the captain win!” he inwardly ejacula- ted. ‘‘f have a settlement to make with him. As for Dramon I bought the swords he fetched. me. There were a number of excited passes and a feint here and there, when all at once, with the fury of a tiger that cannot be met, the Captain of the Huntress leaped at Dramon, and the up- lifted cutlass came down with a fury that fora second stilled the Frenchman’s heart, It was a terrible blow. It beat down the arm and the blade that tried to stop it, and the traitor-lieutenant fell at Cristo’s feet, cut by the fury of that stroke clear to the shoulders, ‘‘ A traitor never stands long before Captain Cutlass!” laughed the victor, glancing at. the wounded and horrified spectator of the brief combat, ‘‘When your wrist heals, my dear colonel, we’ll try conclusions with the blades. T’jl send my surgeon to your assistance. Keep cocl, aud bide your time,” *Vlldo that—never fear!” shot the French- man at the pirate, as he turned away. ‘' When I fail to come to time at your call, let the uame of Cristo be applied to cowards only.” With a final glance at the man he had eut through, Captain Cutlass vanished, aud appear- ed suddenly to the crew gathered on deck. ‘* Now, sirs, we will attend’ to the enemy,” he said, in a manner which did not indicate that aovthing unusual had happened below, but the next instant he touched the little surgeon on the arm and said, significantly: ‘‘The prisoner needs your services, doctor, Cure bim up for me !” , If the buccaneer crew missed Dramon they did not ask Ceptain Cutlass what bad become of bim; they knew better than to question impertinently the man they had obeyed for ears, Once more four boats were lowered with but little noise over the vessel’s side, Mg 7 te) byt oat oy ; SRST cbhooks.com