Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 386 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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to convey his distinguished prisoner to Carta- gens, there to answer for his cri» es on the sea y the council that had outlawed him. ‘‘The council will avenge you,” Manton said to the young girl. ‘“‘I assure you that the depredations of Captain Cutlass are at an end at last.” ** Yes, but C will not be permitted to strike for my father,” she said quickly. ‘‘ The Council of Cartugena cannot fully avenge me. Where is this infamous scourge of the seas?” She started tuward the door with the inten- tion of seeking the deck, but Manton’s hand closed gently on her arm. ‘. Let him go for the present,” he said. ‘ Re- member that he is the captain’s prisoner,” ‘*] remember only the murder of my father!” *“*T do not ask you to forget that, for that were impossible,” Manton replied. ‘‘ What! are we moving already?” The ship was certainly in motion, and bidding the fair girl remain in the cabin, which should ns a prison no longer, Manton bastened up on eck. The two vessels had been cut apart, and he saw at once that in the hurry of the moment he and Lona bad been forgotten. Alreadv a goodly distance intervened between the Vampire and Huntress, and Manton’s eyes flashed fire at the abandonment. ‘* What infernal treachery is this?’ he cried, ‘‘Can it be that Captain Fortuno has deserted me?—and for what?” He was answered sooner than he expected, and ins happy manner, besides, for he sudden- ly caught sight of several boats in the water, and the voice of Fairweather Tom struck his ear. ** Ahoy thar, lieutenant!” laughed the Yankee sailor. ‘‘Sbiver my spars! if we didn’t think you an’ the lady war on board the Huntress till we counted noses. We've got ter save yer quick, for the Vampire’s on fire in her hold,” Manton started. The ship on fire? He lost no time in seeing Lona and her baggage transferred to the boats that had come back for them, and dropping into one himself, be gave orders for ail to pull toward the Huntress. Events that followed quickly on the heels of the opportune rescue told that it had not been effected a moment too soon, for flames burst suddenly above the buccaneer’s deck, and the arb to the Huntress was continued in their urid glare. Standing on the deck of the Spanish ship, with eyes flashing like mad stars, was the man who, in the vessel rapidly approaching destruc- tion, had made himself a veritable terror of the Se°s. Not a muscle moved as he watched the flames leap up the tall masts of the Vampire and jump from sail to sail as they licked them up. It was a sight whica be had never expected to witness, but he was equal to the occasion. ‘*T’]l pay ’em all back for this!” be murmur- ed, though his lips hardly moved to shape the words. ‘I am still Captain Cutlass, and whether on land or sea, I am a tropic tiger.” Suddenly a sullen sound came over the water, a mass of sparks leaped skyward, and then settled back to disappear on the waves, It was the end of the Vampire, for the fire had reached her magazine, and her flag came down with the sparks that closed ber career of blood and pillage! Captain Cutlass turned away as the sudden flash went out. ‘**What do you think of it?’ asked a voice at his elbow, and he turned to look into the trium- phant eyes of his sea-rival, the Spanish Cap- tain, For a moment the two captains looked at one another, and seemed like tigers about to leap to the fierce encounter. ‘T am going to Cartagena, am I not?” sud- " denly asked the buccaneer. ‘‘To Cartagena,” echoed Captain Fortuno bowing slightly. “Very well. Let the future tell what I think of this night’s work.” And with the last word Captain Cutlass walked unguarded toward the main hatch. A fearless smile played with the lips of the Spanish captain as be watched the figure of bis prisoner disappear. ‘‘Cool as a tempered blade,” he said to him- self; ‘*He hopes to win yet, despite his misfor- tunes; but his crest is shorn. Ah! Captain Cutlass, you are to die in Cartagena!” Having transferred from the Vampire some needed material which helped to make the Ocean Huntress almost whole again, Captain —_—_—_——_ OO >. _-«—- ———-—_ OO — reece 4Wd._I_wteE-———]4————— ETE OT Sse Fortuno was able to push rapidly through the waves, He had apologized for leaving Manton and the young girl in the pirate ship, and his dead and wounded had been buried and cared for. The prisoners had been sent to the hold where they were closely guarded, Captain Cutlass, on account of his importance, being the only one honored with a separate apartment. Colonel Cristo, much against his will, was thrown in among the common lot, where he con- stantly threatened Captain Fortuno with the vengeance of his Government for tne indignity. Nothing of an exciting nature happened on board the Huntress during the remainder of the voyage. Assisted by favorable winds and good seas, Captain Fortuno had the satisfaction of reach- ing at last the harbor of Cartagena, the most important city of the Republic of Colombia. As the forts saluted the Huntress, a dark- faced and handsome man in her cabin started toward the door with clinched hands. ‘* Well, bere we are!” he said fiercely. ‘This is Cartagena, and lama prisoner. Very well, Captain Fortuno. Rejoice in the day that marks your victory, for by the elke! eberd! these waters shall yet be cursed by the pres- ence of another Vampire!” Need we say that the speaker was Captain Cutlass? The sun was sinking behind the waves when the Huntress came to anchor under the guns of the forts, Eager to announce the news of his capture, the Spaniard leaped into a boat.and pushed to- ward the city. Cartagena then was a city of twenty thou- sand inhabitants and one of the most important maritime towns of South America. It had a history bristling with warlike events and was a place of much wealth and power, Strong fortresses guarded its several harbors, for more than once sbips-of-war had attacked it and the authorities bad resolved to make them- selves secure, Captain Fortuno knew just where to go with the important information he had brought to the town. His step was light, and his face was flushed with triumph. He had returned to Cartagena at a lucky our, The Council of Safety wes in session in the large stone palace that fronted the largest square of the inland town, and thither the Spaniard directed his steps. Darkness was rapidly settling over harbor and town, but the Spaniard had been seen, and there wasa crowd of excited people at his heels, He walked on, appearing to take no notice of the uproar, but more than once he glanced back on the crowd asif in search of some particular erson whom it was evident, from his look, that e did not see, The figure of the captain was passport enough for the well-dressed guards, whom he encountered on the steps of the palace, and he passed down the corridor toward the council- room. Five minutes later he threw wide a carved door, and burst in upon the thirteen bandsome men, who almost Jeaped from their chairs at sight of him. ‘*Fortuno!” eried one. ‘*Captain Fortuno has come back to be our avenger!” The Spaniard made no reply, but those who looked into bis face must have seen that he was there with news, pot to receive a commis- sion, ‘‘Do you not know what has happened?” continued the member of the council. “ Five days ago the Seraph of the Sea left Cartagena bound for Porto Bello. She carried out with her Major Seward, tbe American, and a meinber of this august body. In mid-sea the Seraph was caught by that ocean curse, Captain Cutlass, of the Vampire, and Major Seward was tied naked to a raft and sent adrift to die. We have this terrible tale from the lips of a survivor who was picked up the next day by a vessel and car- ried to Cartagena.” A smile appeared on the Spanish captain’s face when the speaker concluded. The whole body noticed it, and sprung up, in- dignant, ‘*What! do you smile at Major Seward’s fate?” cried one., ‘‘ We have spoken of you as our avenger—we have—” “IT have already avenged you!” interrupted Captain Fortuno. ‘*Men of Cartagena, the Red Mogul, now the Ocean Huntress, Hes under the guns of your forts. and a captive on board is the pest of the Gulf!” Captain Cutlass, the Ocean Spider. ‘“‘ Captain Cutlass?’ ejaculated the thirteen. ‘‘ Captain Cutlass!” said the Spaniard proud- vit took the Council of Safety a moment to realize the importance of the capture; when it did there was a rush toward Captain Fortuno, ‘*Don’t thank me for his coming,” be said, waving them back. ‘You owe his presence bere to an American sailor on my ship—Fair- weather Tom, He wants the reward offered for Captain Cutlass of the Vampire.” ‘‘He shall have it!” was the quick response, ‘¢ We willincrease itif you say so, captain. But bring this man into our presence; yes, stand us face to face with Captain Cutlass, the demon of the Gulf.” ‘‘Remain in your seats, then. He shall stand before you as barmless as a lamb.” The members of the council returned to their places, and with a courteous parting salute Cap- tain Fortuno turned away. As he passed from the palace he was met by a crowd which the guards had to open with their bayonets, ‘‘ You'll know my news before you sleep,” the captain said in chy a to the questions and cries that greeted him on every side. ‘* San- tissima! it will make you drunk witb joy A moment later the crowd urged by the boisterous ones surged against him, and he felt a piece of paper thrust into bis hand. {nstinctively he closed on it, and pressed on toward the boat that waited for him at the uay. ‘What does this paper say?’ be asked him- self as he was about to step into tbe boat. ‘Here, get me a light, Juan. Tve got a mes- sage,” The sailor bestirred himself and produced a light by which Captain Fortuno eagerly de- voured the contents of the paper. His eyes glittered while he read as follows: “The Serpent of the Tropics will sting to death the haters of Captain Cutlass. Let them hesitate before they throw him to the lions of Cartagena. Outlawed and a sea scourge, he is not friendless, Captain Fortuno, you stand in the shadow of death! Beware!”’ All at owce the Spaniard crushed the paper in his hand, and turned to the men in the boat, ‘‘To the Huntress!” he cried. ‘* Captain Cutlass shall be thrown to the lions, and | will crush the head of this Serpent of the Tropics! To the fires of Tartarus with the siren’s threat!” Did Captain Fortune know the writer of the letter? If he did, he did not quail. CHAPTER IX. MANTON IS ENTRAPPED. PACING restlessly back and forth in one of the shaded parks or public gardens of Cartagena, the night after the events recorded in tha fore- going chapter, inight bave been seen Roland Manton, the young lieutenant of the Huntress. He was dressed in full uniform and wore an elegant sword at his side. It was evident that he was there by appoint- ment, for every now and then he would throw an anxious glance toward the main entrance to tbe park as if he expected some one. The Huntress lay at anchor under the guns of the forts that guarded the barbor, and Cap- tain Cutlass, the buccaneer king, was the inmate of a dungeon under the palace, Captain Fortuno, defying the writer of the mysterious note of warning, which had been thrust into his band, bad kept his promise with the Council of Safety, and bad delivered the scourge of the Gulf into their hands. As for Cvulonel Cristo, he had declared himself a citizen of France, and, not being accused of any crimes against the laws of the Republic, had been released and given the freedom of the city. Manton hastened to meet his old enemy, the Frenchman, immediately upon his release from custody, but arrived too late, and was forced to bite his lips in chagrin, ‘‘Never mind!” he contented himself with saying, ‘‘oneof these days, my good hater, I will pay old debts.” be opportunity promised: to occur sooner than expected, for early on the morning after tbe Spanish captain’s delivery of the buccapeer to the Columbian authorities, Manton received a sealed note on board the Huntress, Believing it to be from Lona, who had taken up her residence with a relative, he quickly broke the waxen seal to reed the following: ‘‘ Mons. Manton:—I much regret that you failed to find me last night. If you will meet me in the Palma de Cera Garden at nine to-night, we will settle all our differences, CoLCNEL CrIsTOo.” - ~~ comicbooks at -. ore ‘ [ad + ~ , * \ be - Ne Hey * «4 e~ P ’ fe & ° . : - + ; 33. ° » | *..> bs ane