Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 407 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

@ w= —_ Se - -- . . - -_—- -- -_—- = ‘My dear senor, I do not deem it necessary, for J am fully capable of taking care of myself,” was the cool response, and the Spaniard bit his lips in vexation. Then, as the marine officer approached, he told him fully the situation of affairs, and asked his advice. ‘The papers are American, Senor De Garmo; the American flag flies over her, this gentleman seems to be determined to protect her, and rather than complicate affairs between Spain and the United States, I would say let the sloop go, and have our Government make a demand for this Insurgent youth.” ** Your Governmert can spare itself the morti- fication of a refusal, for the United States will never give up one who seeks the protection of her flag legitimately, senor,” said the yachtsman, ‘““We must yield, Senor Americano, I fear,” said De Garmo. “Do it gracefully, then, senors, and come on board my yacht with me to join me in a glass of wine.” The Spaniards bowed, accepted the invitation, and half an hour after the goleta was returning to Cuba, while the sloop held on her way toward the American shores, the Red Belt cruising slow- ly along on a course that would keep her between the Spaniard and his little enemy, for the young yachtsman was determined that there should be no Spanish treachery in the matter, as he feared there might be, should the little craft be left once more to the mercy of Lieutenant De Garmo. As night came on the goleta disappeared from view, and the Red Belt, altering her course, stood away in the wake of the sloop, which had. shortened sail, and therefore had not gotten more than three leagues distant from the schooner. CHAPTER XVI. ESTRELLA SURPRISED. _ Lert alone in her home in a foreign land, her father lying in his grave in Cuba, her mother buried beneath the magnolias on the shores of Mobile Bay, and her brother—her only protec- tor—away upon his perilous expedition among the Spaniards, Estrella Christobal was certainly to be pitied. She had the sympathy of the faithful slaves, whom they had brought with them from Villa Vista, and her maid Buenita was her compan- ion and friend, as Bueno to Isodor. Between Bueno, the American mulatto, and Buenita, the Cuban negress, there existed a de- voted attachment, so that the maid could feel for her mistress in the absence of those they loved so dearly on a cruise of such danger. | Prompted by a desire to take his father from a dishonored grave, Isodor had determined to go to Cuba and get his body, and his sister had encourag:d him in the idea, hoping that she could go; but this Isodor would not consent to under any circumstances, and the maiden was forced to remain behind. ' Isodor had given the model of his former ves- sel, the Cloud, to a builder in Pensacola, with orders to make her of seventy-five tons burden, and rig her as an American schooner yacht, Then he had chartered the sloop for his mid- night landing upon the Cuban coast, and, bid- ding Estrella farewell had Loar eaely set sail, with a result that the reader already knows, Had it not been for Buenita, the lot of Rs- trella would have been almost unbearable; but the faithful maid did all in her power to cheer up her young mistress, urging her to ride out on horseback, row upon the quiet waters, sail her little pleasure boat, and otherwise break the monotony of her life, to take her thoughts off her sorrows. Daily did Estrella make a pilgrimage to the little burying-ground, in sight of the bine wa- ters, where her mother rested in her grave, and far across the Gulf, at such times, would the thoughts of the grieving girl fly to her father’s death and ignominious burial, Then upon her brother, in his peril her thoughts would turn, and she would feel that life had indeed become an existence of bitter- ness to her. In her heart Estrella nursed another sorrow, and that was that the noble young Cuban, Leon De Soto had given her his whole heart, to meet ony friendship in return. he admired De Soto, she really loved him, but not as he wished her to think of him, She had seen him depart, with his heart bow- ed down with grief, and it pained her that it was so. But Estrella’s heart was not her own, though the object of her love she had not seen for more than two years, and might never again see. She recalled how a brave young American FE se The Boy Insurgent, had risked his life to save those who were upon a sinking ship, and had nobly done more than his duty on that fearful night of storm. She remembered how he had sprung over- board tosave her life, where she had been borne off the sinking vessel by a savage wave, and had held her in his strong arms until his boat’s crew came to the rescue and picked them up. Again she remembered the next night, when the American’s little vessel was plunging through a rough sea, weighted down by its treble load of shiprwrecked humanity, a negro one of the sailors had been struck by the boom in going about, and knocked into the sea, and instantly had the master leaped overboard to save the man. And save him he did, bearing him up, al- though he had a broken arm, until aid came to them both. Was it a wonder that Estrella, thrown with this dashing, handsome young American for two weeks, learned to love him with all her heart? He spoke her language as he did his own, was her beau ideal of manhood, sung ballads in a rich, sympathetic tenor, and played the piano in the cabin of his yacht with the skill of a master of music, while he had a kind word for all, gave freely to the poor people whom he had taken from the sinking packet, and, with a smile as gentle as a woman’s, yet had the courage of a lion and a nerve of iron. He had promised to come to Villa Vista to see them, but had never done so, and hoping that some day she would meet him again, Estrella Christobal had kept her secret love in her heart, One afternoon, some three weeks after the de- parture of Isodor on his dangerous errand, Ks- trella sat upon the piazza of her little home, eazing down the bay upon the numerous sail in sight. Suddenly she started, as Buenita came rush- ing up to her through the yard, and said: ‘*Sen’rita, Juan says Senor Master’s yacht is in sight.” In an instant Estrella was hastening to a little summer-house in the garden, where a view of the bay could be obtained, unobstructed by the trees about the house. Buenita had gone after her glass, and handing it to her mistress, it Was at once leveled upon a distant sail, which Juan, the negro sandeniar, had recognized as Isodor’s sloop, Coming up at that instant, Juan said: ‘‘Tt’s the sloop of the Senor Master, sen’rita.” ** You are right Juan, and Heaven grant she bears my brother back in safety, and Bueno and the rest of the crew,” she added, as she caught the eyes of her maid turned longingly upon the distant sloop. ‘‘ Amen, sen’rita,” said Juan, while he con- tinued: ‘* Senor Master is all right, sen’rita, for he can take care of himself where men cannot.” ‘My brother certainly has a nack of getting out of scrapes,” answered Estrella, and turning her glass again upon the sloop, she said, after a moment: ‘Juan, do you notice that large schooner lead- ing the sloop?” | ‘“Yos, sen’rita, and she is one of the pleasure craft of these rich Americans, I think, ‘‘ And she’s fast, too, for she keeps ahead of the sloop with only three sails set, while master has all of his canvas out.” ‘‘ She is indeed fast, Juan, and seems to be in company with the sloop.” ‘6 She does so, sen’rita.” ‘‘Do you think she can be an American cutter that has captured the sloop?” asked Estrella, anxiously. “No, sen’rita, the cutter is up at the town now, for she went by this morning,” ‘That may be another of these American cutters, so often seen in the Gulf.”, ‘* Ts she armed, sen’rita?” ‘*T do not observe any ports, Juan, and there do not seem to be many upon her decks, ‘IT do hope she is not a vessel-of-war, that has taken the sloop,” said Estrella, and she gazed long and earnestly through her glass at the ap- proaching vessels. Nearer and nearer came the schooner and the sloop, until, leaving the regular channel, the pursuer headed in toward the inlet, where there was an anchorage before the cottage home. In her wake followed the sloop, and, unable to restrain her anxiety to know all, Estrella, ac- companied by Buenita and Juan, hastened from the garden down to the little pier jutting out a bundred feet into the water. The wind was light, the waters were just rip- pled gently, but the schooner came on swiftly, and taking in sail rapidly as she approached, drifted, almost, alongside of the end of the ae -- -ee- ee oe —- - oe eee pier, while at the same time three persons lec p- ed ashore, One of these sprung forward and claspe« maiden in his arms, while he said: ‘‘lam back again, sister mine, and I owe it to this gentleman, whom you will remeniber served us well once before. ‘*Captain Crittenden, this is my sister, the Senorita Christobal.” The young American had doffed his cap, and now bent low over the hand that was extended to him, and which trembled in his own likea frightened bird, Seeing the emotion of his sister, Isodor said quickly: ‘‘And sister, here is another genileman to welcome, Mr. Edwin Newton, the friend of Cap- tain Duke Crittenden, and | may add my friend too, for he has been most kind to me,” Again did Estrella extend her hand, but her emotion was such that she could utter no word, and leaning her head upon Isodor’s shoulder she burst into tears, CHAPTER. XVTi. THE CUBAN JUNTA. As soonas Kstrella Christobal recovered from her emotion, she controlled herself perfectly, and gave a warm welcome to Captain Duke Crittenden and his friend Ned Newton, invit- ing them at once to the house as guests of herself and brother. The invitation was gladly accepted by the yachtsmen, and Captain Crittenden ordered his sailing-master, Melton Field, to go on up to the city with the Red Belt, and have certain repairs done to the vessel, at the same time laying in a supply of needed stores. As the beautiful yacht sailed away, the sloop came to anchor, and Bueno rowed ashore, when an alfectinate greeting was given him by Buenita, for the others were now walking slowly toward the cottage. Seated upon the veranda that night, Estrella heard from her brother’s lips the story of his cruise, and how Captain Crittenden had come to his rescue and driven off the savage Licuten- ant De Garmo. Then I[sodor told how he had parted company with the schooner and goleta, to be overhauled after nightfall by the former, and Captain Crittenden had come on board the sloop, having recognized the youth the moment he had met him in the presence of the Spaniard. Begging him to come home with him, the young American had accepted Isodor’s in- vitation. ‘‘ And here we are, sister,” added the youth, ‘‘ Permit me to say, senorita,” said Captain Crittenden: ‘‘ That it was my intention to have visited you ere this, as I intended resigning my commission in the army; but as an Indian war broke out upon the frontier, and my regiment was ordered thither, I dared not offer my re- signation in the face of a foe, so served until six months ago, when I was severely wounded and came home, ‘My parents having died and left me a hanc- some fortune, I gave up my commission, senorita, bought the Red Belt, and cruised down the coast from New York, having your home in my mind, for I had seen an account of the cruel murder, for so I must call it, of your noble father, and wished to ascertain what fate had overtaken his family. ““T was within a few leagues of the seaport, near where you told me was your plantation, when I sighted the sloop being chased by the goleta, “With the affair I deemed I had no right to meddle, until I saw the sloop run up the stars and stripes, ‘Then I became interested, and when I ob- served that the flag was hauled down, and then run up again, Union down and at half-mast, [ gave chase with the result which your brother has made known to you, ‘Of course, after our meeting again, it did not require much persuasion on Isodor’s part to: get me to visit his home in America, and here I am, senorita, wholly at your service, and tempt- ed to enter sword and fortune, into the cause of Cuba to free itself from the yoke Spain puts up- on her colony.” The words of the young yachtsman were re- ceived with heartfelt joy by both Estrella and Tsodor, and until late in the night, they sat talk- ing over the bitter past, and hoping for bright- er days for Cuba in the future. Isodor also told his sister of his landing on the coast, the midnight march to the burial-place of his father, his short interview with Ninez De Soto, and the flight back to the sloop, fighting against odds, : ) 77% i / Lia