Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 674 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

: } ; / ) J | | { , ri ! \ psf } f ‘ quickly drew a Spanish vail, she wore fastened to a diamond-studded comb in her hair, across her face. ‘Pardon, my dear madam, but I am sure that we have met before, for your face comes back to me like a dream of the past,” and the captain seemed deeply moved. ‘No, sir, we are strangers, but I would like to know by what authority you bring my boat to, throw my son in irons, and hold my daugb- ter and myself prisoners on board your vessel,” ‘It is through a blunder of my lieutenant, madam, for I owe to your brave son far more than words can repay. ‘* He led me to the pirata retreat, and through him we captured it, and I last saw him by my side when he killed the outlaw chief with his cutlass, “Then I missed him, and returning to my vessel, [ found bim here in irons, ‘* Why, my noble young friend, did you desert me, though to your credit be it said, it was after the fight had ended.” The lad made no reply, and the woman said: ** He returned, sir, to his boat, and said that as the wind had lulled somewhat, and had chopped round off-shore, he wished to go to sea to avoid being tbanked for what he had done, or insulted by an offer of pecuniary aid, which, permit me to say, he does not need. ‘With his skiff out ahead, he was towing out, when he was seen and ordered alongside. ‘** Now, sir, may we go upon our way?’ ‘* Still mors of a mystery,” mused Captain Chadwick, while he said aloud: ‘*You are as modest as you are brave, my Jad; but you surely will accept your share of the rich prize we bave taken through you, for it will be an officer’s portion?” “No, sir, I thank you; I have no need for money, and you can divide it among the crew.” ‘‘ Well said, indeed; but let me offer you an- other reward in the shape of a letter to the Pres- ident, asking for a midsbipman’s berth for you in the navy, and that you report aboard my me for duty?” he lad glanced toward his mother, who said to him in Spanish: ‘* Accept the letter, my son, to be presented at will to the President.” ‘*T will accept the letter, sir, and thank you for your kindness,” **T will write it at once, unless you will all be my guests for the night.” ‘* No, thank you, Captain Chadwick, but we prefer to go at once upon our way,” said the woman, and her words caused the captain to turn quickly toward her and say, excitedly: ‘That proves that we have met before, for you called me by name. ‘*T was right in my surmise.” ‘You were wrong, sir, for I but just now heard my son call you by name,” was the cold reply of the woman. Captain Chadwick seemed disappointed, but made no reply, and seating himself at his table, wrote a letter of several pages, Then he said: F ** LieutenantsColston, I desire you to indorse this letter, along with every other officer now on board this vessel, the warrant officers as well. ‘*T will be glad to do so, sir, to atone ina measure for my rudeness and doubt of this lad’s ood faith, and I ask his pardon for it,” was the rank response of Lieutenant Colston. He then signed the letter, and the officers were called in, and upon hearing it read, also gladly signed it. ‘* Now, my gallant boy sailor, I beg to present you with this very elegant sword I took from the pirate chief whom you killed, and who was none other than Brand, the Reef Rover, whom the Government has been most anxious to cap- ture for years, So you see the value of your services. ‘* This letter I beg you to present in person to the President, and when you get your berth, ask to be ordered to my vessel. **As you will not accept my hospitality, you are again your own master,” and Captain Chad- wick gazed once more at the vailed face of the woman, ‘ But, she bowed and at once left the cabin, her hand clasping that of her daughter, while the lad followed, after a warm shake of the hand from the captain. : When the sloop, now under easy sail, cast off, the creWV gave three cheers for the brave boy, while Captain Chadwick said sadly to himself; “My God! ean it he Celine Chetwyn, whom [ ,so madly loved, and who would have been my wife had she not been fascinated by that outlaw fiend, Bazil? th ; A : —— ee ey, The Wizard Sailor. ** No, it is only a fancied likeness, and I am wrong; but who are they? What are they? ‘** Sea Gypsies, the boy said,” and the captain sighed at the memories of the past crowding upon him, CHAPTER VII, THE HOME OF THE SEA GYPSIES, SomxE months before the scene that opens this story, a woman stood upon thecliff that over- looked the harbor of _M-—— on the Massachu- setts Coast, and also commanded a view of the little seaport town of M——, a couple of miles away. An inlet flowed inland around the cliff, run- ning back for a mile or more, and upon the op- posite point, among a thick groveof pines, stood the cabin of Red Ralph, who had rowed Kenton Carr across to the home of the sorceress, The woman who stood upon the cliff, gazing out over the harbor upon the far stretching sea, has not changed much in the years that have passed since that night of the attack of the cruiser on the pirates’ camp in the Florida lagoon, and one who beheld her then would easily recognize the one whose face so moved Captain Chadwick as a memory of the past, As she stands there now upon the cliff, un- mindful of the height, for a misstep would dash her fifty feet below into the sea, she presents a weird, almost wild appearance, Her costume is of black velvet, trimmed with silver lace embroidery in various designs, a skull and crossbones being upon her heart, A red searf encircles her waist, and a scarlet tur ban is upon her head, adding to her pictur- gm apper rance. n her sash is a jeweled dagger, and she looks the one to use it if need be for it, Her hair is tinged with silver, and yet her face is still beautiful, her form still the perfec- tion of grace, About her neck, upon her wrists and fingers, rare jewels g!immer, a fortune in fact in gems met the eye. Behind her a few rods stands her home, a large and comfortable cabin, and itis furnished with almost luxury. And this strange woman, who, with her two children came to that lone home a year before, is known as ‘Salina the Sorceress,” and the ‘¢ Witch of Overlook Cliff.” One pleasant evening a pretty and unknown craft, trim as a yacht, had sailed into M— Harbor and.dropped anchor. A bandsome, dashing youth, clad in a fancy sailor costume, had gone ashore and had pur- chased the cabin on the cliff, then known as the Haunted Hut of Overlook, for its former occu- pants had been mysteriously murdered there and were buried beneath the very shadow of their home, Since then no one had dared go near the place of ill-omen, and it was said to be haunted. Skippers would not anchor off the cliff, and Red Ralph alone had the courage to pass it in his going and coming to and fro upon the har- bor. But those strangers in the unknown sloop, mother son and daughter, had dared make their home there. And they kept aloof from the townspeople, paying liberally for all thy got, and soon be- came dreaded and looked upon with suspicion, while the woman was regarded as a witch, an idea she seemed, for some reason known to her- self, to wish to encourage. Now as she stood there and turned her gaze from the sea, she beheld a pretty craft flying up the harbor, ‘There they come now, and sorrow only can come to the poor boy, I fear, from his visits to that girl, for her old fatber will never listen to his wooing bis daughter. ‘* But grand as your home is, old commodore, the boy is entitled to a grander one did you and he but know it,’ and she beld her hand out as though pointing to a lordly stone mansion on a hill below the town, and from the pier of which the little vessel had just started. Up past the town swept the pretty sloop, fairly flying along over the waters, and regard- ed ominously by theseamen on shore and on the packs of the various crafts at anchor in the har- or. On past the last vessel at anchor up toward the Overlook Cliff, and then heading for the in- let the sloop came, Upon ber deck were but two persons, a young man and a young girl, The former was at the tiller, and the latter sat near him, In the time that had gone by since that night 5 in §the Florida lagoon, Clifford Sweegan had grown from boyhood to manhood, His physique was superb, and bis face daring, intelligent, fearless, was one never to forget when once seen, so full of beauty it was and fascination. His costume however was still as picturesque as in his boyhood, for he seemed to cling to the fanciful in dress, and he looked more like a masquerader than a man meant for work, His sister was on the verge of beautiful wo- manhood, and face and form were in perfect unison, Her costume was sailor-like, yet like her brothers fanciful to a degree, and wearing as she did a red Turkish fez cap with gold tassel and diamond anchor stuck in it, she appeared also like a masquerader., As tbe sloop neared the cliff the two on her’ deck waved their bands to the woman on the cliff, and then around into the inlet swept the craft, the girl took the tiller and the young sailor sprung to the sails which came down with a run. Soon the anchor was let fall, sails were furled, and springing into a little skiff which had been in tow, the two rowed shoreward and ascended to the cabin where tke woman was now seated under the shelter that protected the front. Each kissed her affectionately, and then took seats near her. ‘* You look troubled, my son; has aught gone wrong with you?” asked the woman gently, for her quick eye had noticed the clouded brow of the young sailor. Almost yehemently came the words: ‘‘ Yes, mother, this life I am leading is wrong, all wrong, and I see it now in its true light.” Then springing to his feet he began pacing to and fro, while the woman muttered almost ine audibly: ** At last! much!” —_——_ CHAPTER VIII. LOOKING BACKWARD. THE woman seemed deeply moved, at the sud- den and vehement manner of her son, who wags always so very calm and dignified under the most trying circumstances, The beautiful Kate also seemed worried and glanced anxiously at her brother. ‘* My son, tell me what the trouble is?” at last said the woman, Instantly his manner changed, and seating himself beside her, he said in a low, earnest tone: ‘ Mother, I wish to talk to you.” ‘Well, my son?” ‘*'You will hear me in patience, will you not, for never have I given you cause for one cross word to me,” ‘* You bave been most dutiful, and not once have I ever bad cause to reprove you, Clifford, and what other mother can say this?” ‘‘Then hear, my mother, all that I have to say, and if [am wrong then forgive me, only I feel that I am right.” ‘‘T am listening, my son.” ‘‘ To begin, mother, let us look backward.” ‘‘ Why unbury the past, Clifford?” ‘*‘T will not say aught to pain you, mother. I will recall that you left your home for the love of one, my father and te’s, who was unwor- thy of you, for he wasa pirate. He was cap- tured that night when he expected to capturea merchant brig, and we long believed that he had been hanged, I know now that he is living.” ‘* Living! Bazil living!” and the woman feign- ed surprise, ‘Yes, for he is to-day Bazil the Buccaneer, and he is dreaded now as in the past. But, mother, while he was left upon the American brig with his boarders, our schooner with a handful of men drove on before the storm, They, having broken into the liquor store-room, became mad and sought to take our lives, yours and mine, [ overheard their plot and we shut them up in the hold and made our escape, reaching an island in safety.” ‘* T know all this, my son, 80 why recall it?” ‘‘ Simply to lock backward, mother, tofurther a pu I have in view. By a strange fatality, two nights after we landed on the island, the schooner drove ashore and every man left on board was lost. We went to the wreck the next day and rescued the treasure, burying it upon the island, and were enabled to strengthen our little craft we left the schooner in, and fit it out so that we could take a long voyage. You brought with you from the schooner fortune iu ems, but the main treasure lies on that island. e went from port to port and then to your old com I feared it, I have feared it, oh! s@ @ @ fo & ¢ : “_ >