Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 386 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

That was enough. fne hour named in the challenge, for it was nothing more, tound Manton in the Garden of the Palms, ready, ay, eager to accommodate the Frenchman with the kind of combat that suited him best, ; It was for him, then, that Manton waited un- der the trees, and among the luxuriant clumps of wax-palms from which the public garden had taken its name. He had seen the threatful note delivered to Captain Fortuno, and, with the Spaniard, bad laughed it to scorn. Manton believed that the so-called Serpent of the Tropics was a name coined to effect a pur- pose—the release of Captain Cutlass in order that he might renew his infamous depredations on the high seas. “By Jove! if the owner of that title lives, I would like to see her,” suddenly exclaimed tre young sailor in the garden as he thought of Cap- tain Fortuno’s letter. ‘“‘She might accommo- date me with an interview while L wait here for Colonel Cristo. The Serpent of the Tropics, eh? Well, the tropics possess many poisonous reptiles, and—” he American officer paused abruptly, and turned at a slight noise behind him, The next moment he started back a pace and laid his hand on the hilt of his sword, ‘* You have just asked for me, American, I am here!” — Manton saw before him a woman as shapely as Lona, and strikingly beautiful. Her short, close-fitting dress was nearly white, and embroidered with what appeared to be thread of gold. Her face was well rounded, white and lovely, and a pair of eyes black ds a dungeon’s gloom, burned with singular brilliance. Manton eyed this strange beauty for a mo- ment, and then exclaimed: ‘*So you are the Serpent of the Tropics, eh?” ‘Tl am!” and the eyes grew brighter still. ‘‘ American, do you expect to meet the French- man bere, now that J have come?” ‘*Certainly, if ha keeps his word. I have kept mine, you se>,” ‘Very well, But I have decreed that you shall not meet him here unless—” ‘‘Unless what?’ interrupted the impatient sailor. ‘* Unless the council listens to me.” There was a strange tone to the last sentence. What had that woman todo with the Council of Cartagena? ** Ah! you are the person who bad the letter placed in Captain Fortuno’s hands,” said Mar- ton, *‘Did you see it?” éé Yes. 7 “Well?” ‘““We both treated it as it deserved to be treated; we laughed when we read it together.”’ Manton saw the woman knit ber brows. ‘*T told him that if certain things were done, the Serpent of the Tropics would sting to death, didn’t I?” sé Yes,” ‘Well, he knows already that I make no use- less threats.” ‘Who knows?’ ‘Captain Fortuno, the Spanish dog!” Manton sprung forward by sudden impulse, ‘*What have you done to him?” he cried, “By heavens! woman though you are, you shall suffer if you have struck my captain.” The beautiful woman showed her pearly teeth in a fearless smile, but did not recoil an inch. ‘What have I done with him?’ she asked, looking up into Manton’s face. ‘*Dare youcome with me and see?’ ‘*T dare,” was the answer, ‘‘Then, to make sure that you will not give me the slip, | will introduce my guards,” and the speaker turned and spoke two words in Spanish. The next moment from the shadows of an enormous wax-palm sprung two huge male jaguars, who sbowed their teeth and glittering eyes to Manton as they crouched on either side of the Serpent of the Tropics. ‘“‘My guards! Ah! are they not beauties, senor?’ cried the woman. ‘‘Come; we will find your captain.” The beasts leaped up and placed themselves uncomfortably close at Manton’s heels and wait- ed for their mistress’s orders, “This way,” she said, to the astonished American, and the following moment she was leading him tnrough the park and toward the rear entrance. Without a word but with his eyes fastened aye vw. ¥ — ey we ee ee ee er ne -_--—— on the treacherous animals that followed cat- like at his heels, Manton kept close to the strange being who spoke not while she conduct- ed him from the garden. At length they struck one of the narrow streets of the city and passed down between the stone houses that lined it. It was not late, but the inbabitants seemed to have retired, and Manton encountered no one, Not once did the woman look back to see whe- ther the American trod at ber heels; she left all that to her jaguars who took delight in guard- ing Manton as they moved along. All at once at last the woman turned intoa street darker and still narrower than the one they had just traversed, and, after threading it a few rods, halted in front of a stone house that did not differ from its neighbors. ‘‘Can it be that Captain Fortuno is in this part of the town?” said Manton, to bimself, as he surveyed his surroundings in the starlight. ‘‘By heavens! if evil nas befallen him, I will make this tropic witch suffer for it in spite of her infamous guards,” He had just finished, when the door opened in response to the Serpent’s manipulation of an iron key, and he was motioned to enter. ‘*Tll see this adventure through,” he said be- tween his teeth. ‘* Darkness has no terrors for an American.” He was followed into the honse by the woman and the jaguars, and the former took from a niche in the wall, which she revealed by open- ing a hidden door, a lamp which she held above her head, ‘‘This way,” she said to Manton, starting off toward the left. ‘‘I promised to take you to Captain Fortuno.” he young lieutenant did not hesitate, but cast one mad look at the jaguar guards and went on. Five minutes later they all stood at the bottom of a flight of steps, and in front of a door which was fitted into a stone wall. The light showed Manton the heavy lock and chain that secured it, and also the triumphant eyes of the Tropical Serpent. He saw her unlock the door and throw down the chain that held the padlock up. Then she spoke once to the jaguars and they came to the last step with eyes fixed on tho door itself. ‘*Woe to the man who tries to come out when the door opens,” said Manton under bis breath. A moment of suspense followed the move- ment of the jaguars, and then the door opened, The Serpent of the Tropics held the little lamp above her head, and turned to Manton. ** Look!” she said, ‘* You are not far from your captain.” Pull of curiosity and burning with indigna- tion, Roland Manton leaned forward, and tried to pierce the gloom of the dungeon before him. ‘*Go in and find bim, senor!” suddenly cried the woman, and the next instant before the American sailor could belp himself, be was pushed headlong into the darkness! He heard a laugh behind him as he struck, and when he turned toward the door it was closed, and he was in the midst of pitch dark- ness! ‘“Eintrapped! and like a fool, too!” cried Manton madly. ‘I have been lured to this place by an infamous Jie—by a woman! Let me see: where is the door? By the eternal stars! this dungeon shall not hold me long!” He began to search for the door, and, after a few trials, found it. But it was locked and immovable! As well might he bave tried to move a tower of stone, ‘“T will see where I am, anyway,” be said de- sisting and producing his tinder-box. “ T’ll give five years of life for a thrust at that siren’s ihroat!” He wes not long in producing a light after the manner of the times, and soon held a little taper over his head. His first glimpse showed bim four walls of stone, but his second look showed him some- thing more. On tbe ground almost at his feet lay the fizure of a man whose gold-embroidered coat drew a startling cry to Manton’s lips. ) The next instant he was stooping over the body, and his bands quickly turned it over. **Captain Fortuuo!” rose from his lips in s‘ar- tled tones. Yes, Manton bad found the captain of the Ocean Hontress, The Serpent of the Tropics had not issued a foolish threat, and the American was ready to say that her sting was death. ; - ¥ - » * « ¢ v - q . ® -< ' =| af] ‘> 7 es. oS . “.! Lae ~ “ « *. - F “ - f , &* ’ , , | | | * y ’ + iad Ps = = E — _—< Captain Cutlass, the Ocean Spider. 9 CHAPTER X, A LION IS TURNED LOOSE, ‘““‘Two fools for hostages!’ ejaculated the black-eyed insnarer as she left the stone house with the two jaguars at ber heels. ‘* We sball soon see who is going to win inthis game, The American will not fight tte Frenchman to- nigbt in the Palma de Cera Garden, I have blocked that little sport. Now for the boldest } part of the battle!” A few squares from the building beneath which was the dungeon that contained Manton and Captain Fortuno, the Serpent of the Tro ics turned suddenly into a dark alley and dis- appeared, Vben she came forth again after an absence of thirty minutes she was entirely alone; the jaguars no longer trotted at her heels. The first half of the night was drawing to a close, but the woman seemed to know where someone was still awake, for she walked rapidly, and towerd the palace. Captain Cutlass and his men were to be for- mally summoned before the Council of Safety on the next day, and she and all Cartagena knew that an arraignment meant speedy death. The captain himself had been sent to a dun- geon somewhere beneath the walls of the palace, while the men, less important characters, in a certain sense, were confined in the regular rison, a I will find him at bis work,” said the Ser- pent, as she neared the palace and saw & light in a certain window in one of the wings. ‘* He ulways spends half of the night with his books prior to a great trial. Ah! he does not expect me, therefore the surprise will be greater.” She pressed fearlessly to the steps leading up the famous court of the palace and found no guard there, Tho council bad held its night session and ad- journed, and with its members had departed the guards who flanked the doors during the de- liberations, She found the outer doors unlocked and pass- ed unchallenged across the inner court to the council-room. Slowly and without the Jeast noise the woman pushed the door ajar, and looked into the lofty room, in the center of which sat a man at a table. He was the only occupant of the place, a man of forty-five, rather portly and undoubt- edly possessed of the strength ofa giant. The Serpent of the Tropics crossed che thresh- old and glided toward the man with a pair of glittering eyes fixed upon him He did not look up from his writing, for he did not bear her. At last sbe stood beside his chair and looked over his shoulder, She saw with flashing orbs a name which had just dropped from the writer’s pen—Captain Cutlass, All at once her hand went up, and the next moment dropped on his shoulder, The Advocate of the Council, for he was this important personage, turned with a start and looked up into the Serpent’s face, ‘‘'Yes,” she said, with a smile, “it is I.” He made no reply for a moment. ‘‘ What brings you here?’ he asked, when he spoke, ‘‘ You are too late for the council. They have gone home.” ‘‘T have found the man I seek,” was the re- ply. ‘'Major Barro, I must see the man to be tried to-morrow.” ‘Not Captain Cutlass?” ‘‘ Captain Cutlass!” and the lips closed reso- lutely behind the name of the dreaded bucca- neer. The advocate looked into the depths of her dark eyes and slowly left his chair. ‘Tf cannot grant your request,” he said. ‘* He cannot be seen—” ‘By no one, eh?” smiled the tropic beauty. ‘The council forgot me when those orders were issued. You will conduct me to Captain Cutlass.” The last sentence was spoken in a voice of command, ‘*L do not know about that,” he said. ‘] do! I have not entered the palace for nothing. Captain Cutlass shall know to night that he will not be friendless to-morrow.” Th» sneaker laid her hand on the advocate’s ar »\ °s she finished, ‘“T, the prisener’s quarters, sir,” she con- tinued, sf raly. ‘‘Men call me the Serpent of the Tropics, and my sting is death!” Was Major Barro, giant in stature, and strong enough to throw biscaller through the window, awed by that voice and those flashing eyes? 7 Oo anal S.C ’ i a. @ ” “* “ ae . ; . mM - be Oo “Vases