Beadle's Dime Library No. 103 — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

Merle, The Mutineer. 27 ‘‘You are kind, Commodore Brainard, to give the Ah ed the title of captain.” ‘Was his being a pirate any reason wh should not. hold the rank, when he hel the command?” demanded the commodore, curtl Mi ‘*No, sir, your reasoning is unanswerab e,” and the Monte Prince bowed as though he had nothing more to say, while he glanced at Cap- tain Caballos, who said, with another bow, ad hand on his heart: ‘‘Commodore, my Government sent me in chase of this vessel to discover if a state prison- er came off from Vera Cruz as a passenger on board.” ‘*The passenger lists will show, if you have his name.” ‘‘ We have examined, and no such name is on the books.” ‘* Then you are doubtless on the wrong tack.” “It may be, Senor Commodore; but may he not be in disguise? 4 ‘Why should I know aught of the state pris- oners of Mexico, Senor Caballos?” somewhat im- patiently angw ered the old man. ‘* Pardon, senor, a thousand pardons for wor- the pa you; but, i do wish permission to examine assengers.’ fi have not the honor to command this ves- se ‘* And the Senor Ralston refuses.” ‘IT am glad he has the nerve to do so, but if you wish it, to show that we do not desire to re- tard your search, I will ask the passengers to OO EE Ld come on deck, those who are not here now, and | step forward as their names are called—except- ing the ladies, for they must be free from im- pertinent scr utiny.” ‘* Gracias, gracias, Senor Commodore,” said Captain Caballos, and while the request was made to the passengers, who willingly acceded, he whispered to Don Felipe: ‘“*Caramba ! he is as cross as my of ninety; but, what an eye he are, I fear, Don Felipe, in the wrong “The wrong pers! senor, but the right church ; Tam confident erlino is on board this vessel in dis lise.’ ‘Then you eye every one faithfully for me.” *T will,” atid. of the passen ers of the Mexico ladies and children, each step ped underwent the scrutiny of he ey eyes of the Monte Prince. ** Diablo ! he is not here. penetrated his disguise,” said the Monte Prince, savagely. am sorry, indeed, for your sake,” and andmother as: but we w here.” pa yg geen his voice, Captain Caballos thank- _ caetiee a for their kindness, speakin in fair and also begged the pardon o Captain Ralston for the delay. aluting the commodore the two men return- ed to their vessel. ‘‘ Commodore, they think they have overdone the matter, and are going to pour oil upon the troubled waters by giving you a salute. As Captain Ralston spoke the flag of the Mexican cutter was dipped, and the guns thundered forth a salute. ‘* Dip the stars and stripes, mate, to the eagle and the serpent,” said Captain Ralston, and a moment after the two vessels were under sail, the Mexico ye Sats, sg her interrupted course, and El Saltador rushing sh ssid back toward Vera Cruz. CHAPTER % XXXIV. THE ARRIVAL, | WHEN the packet ship Mexico was once more bowling swiftly along, on her way to Wew Or- leans, the commodore approached Captain Ral- ston and said, barn “If convenient to you, Captain Ralston, I bape like to have a little taik with you pri- vee OL tainly, commodore; I am only too glad. Mer. Wortley take the deck, please. Now, com- modore, come into m own state-room. See, the Mexican is almost hull-down,” “Yes, both vessels are running very rapidly, and will soon drop each other; but, captain, al- low me to make known to you a secret, and one which I know you will keep as sacred.’ " Certainly, commodore; any confidence you | place in me shall be held inviolate.” ‘‘Thank you, sir; I feel that it will be so, and our expressed wishes awhile since cause me to fe oo you can sympathize with one in dis- | If here, I have not | excepting the | lace and ruby anchor which had been s forward and | a gam n ‘*'You! you the man that gave the eee Et yy ee Ee a Prince his quietus? No, it cannot be, for he was a mere youth, I was told.” ‘*So am I, captain, when my disguise is off— 17? The white wig was taken from the head, the long gray beard followed, and the handsome, youthful face of Merle was revealed, painted and stained, and with eyebrows and lashes whitened to resemble old age. ‘*T am dismasted now, certain, with surprise,” exclaimed the captain. ‘**'You need not be. I had learned something of the secret power of the Monte Prince, and for fear I might be followed and seized, and I know what seizure by Mexicans means, I sought a dis- guise at a Jew’s shop, and my eye fell upon this sea- lass and the name on it. know Commodore Brainard well; he is about my size, and I determined to personate him as nearly as possible, and bought me an un- dress naval suit, which, with the spy-glass, had doubtless been stolen by some sailor, and sold to the Jew. In a short while my make-up was complete, and I boarded you just as you had your anchor apeak.” ‘Yes, and you fooled those devilish Mexicans delightfully. By Neptune! if they were to re- turn, I’d fight for you before I gave you up.” a: No, rather than get youinto trouble I would surrender myself, come what might, now that you know me aslam. And you need not ap- peal to Commodore Brainard as witness in this matter of your vessel being searched.” ‘*Nor will Ll; the matter shall be a ie for, after all, they did no tpi but I will commo- dore you until we reach ‘It is perhaps best. One das: my dear cap- tain, you may know why I am thus disguised.” “Roy Ralston asks no man’s business, sir, that ‘“‘Let me know what will be the costumes worn by Miss Monteith and her three friends at the bal masque to-night.” ‘**T let massa know when dey comes down in de parlor to git in de carridge, sah.” ‘** Tt will be too late then—find out now.” ** How I goin’ to find out, massa?” ‘* Miss Monteith has a maid! ” ‘*’'Yes, massa—Louise.” * Here, give her these—there are ten of them, and tell her to find some excuse to come here for a moment, and I will give her as many more; tell her she must know the costumes which both ladies and gentlemen are to wear to-ni ah et? Hat return, if you serve me faith- fully, = will double the amount I promised you.” ““Come right in here, massa,” and the negro led the way through the portal into a court that opened upon a beautiful garden. ‘Wait there, massa,” and he motioned Merle to a seat in a small arbor, ‘Golly! dat am a prince! Why, dis nigger will hab as much money as Missy Mildred { got, ef dat emperor want ter know much more,” and he disappeared within the mansion. So long did he remain absent that Merle be- gan to feel impatient at his delay; but at length he came from the mansion, accompanied by a trim littie figure with a dark olive face that the | young man recognized as Louise, the quadroon _maid of Mildred. ‘‘Heah am de pusson, massa, as kin gib you all de informashun you desire on de subject dat we was discussing,” said the factotum, with an air of dignity that seemed to say to Louise: ** You kin take a bribe, gal, but I is beyond it.” “‘ My good girl, I sent after you to request of you a favor.” ‘*Is it to betray my young mistress?” asked does not concern him. Iam glad to have met | Louise, calmly. he and will serve youif it falls in my power. hey tell me you handled the Monte Prince Bron ire § would give my maintopmast to have mas 0 seen it w I must go on deck, but I'll see you at dinner, commodore,” and Captain Ralston left the cabin, confident that, if not a commo- dore, he had a man of much importance as pas- as the purser called the names senger, for he had been told of the princely neck- ed on e of cards. spite of ker delay, the fleet Mexico made a _Yapid run, and dropped her anchor in the muddy 4 | _ before the mast, after ian | —[]—$— ———S- — ———————— — -—t( — a ——— abt hsaredly, commodore,” responded Captain | Ralston, in surprise. ‘‘Captain, I am not what I seem. On your books | appear as A. Brainard, U. 8. Na name I gave to your purser, and the spy-g ass I have bears the name of Alfred Srainata’ Com- the | i | modore of the United States Navy, and thatled you, and others, with my apparent age, to ad- dress me as that distinguish gentleman. ‘¢ Now, allow me to tell you that business of a most important nature carried me to Vera Cruz; that I am an officer of the United States | navy, but wares incognito, and was regis- tered in the city ] ranchero, from Corpus Christi.” eft as Don Leon Merlino, a | Had a solid shot crashed through the cabin, it | would not have startled Captain Ralston more. _ languages as though they were Mississippi, in front of the Crescent City, just after dark, one pleasant evening. Bidding ‘Captain Ralston adieu, Merle, still in his disguise of an old man, went ashore and | sprung into a cabriolet in waiting for a fare. ‘“* Where, monsieur?’ asked the coachman. “To the Cabaret d’ Orleans,” said Merle, in perfect French, for, in drifting about from ship to ship asa lad, he had learned to s seve mother tongue. On German, French, Spanish and | English vessels had he served as cabin-boy or taken from the | Mexican’s hut where Don Fe pe had left him. ‘Tt was “ The Carnival” time in New Orleans, and the trottoirs were thronged with merry | citizens enjoying life, as they well know how to do, in that Southern city. Arriving at the Cabaret d’ Orleans, Merle se- cured pleasant quarters, and after a hasty meal he secured another cabriolet and drove along the Rue San Louis until the coachman drew rein in front of one of those elegant old edifices of for- | eign construction, inhabited by the old and | wealthy families of the city. Approaching the portale he rung at the door, and it was soon opened by a negro, with a pomp- | ous air and in livery. ‘Is the Mademoiselle Monteith in the city?” asked Merle. * Yes, massa, and in de house, too, but she ain’t wisibul jist now sah, ., kase she’s goin’ wid | her fr’en’s to de mass ball,” ** Then I could not see her, 1 sa y” “ Tain’t possible, ole massa: wish ’twas.” Merle sli ip a twenty- -five-frane piece into the hand of the negro. and asked: ball?’ ** Her guesterces, massa; dem as is wisitin’ de missy ” and the money was quickly deposited in the capacious pocket that yawned to receive it. “Their names, + my man?” **Yas, massa, de means Capt'in | Grenville my Missy Stelle, an’ | de oder capt’in, Sebasti’n, what arove ob | late from e Injies, whar de bery debil am bin y: Pera they all go to the Salon Sainte Louis to-ni ht?” es, Massa.” ‘** Look here, m and ebony friend: do you know what that is?” Merle placed a piece of gold | in the negro’s palm “Tt are a twenty-five-franc iece, massa; I — gits em changed offen for Missy Mildred.” ‘Well, do as I ask you, and I will give you | four more just like that one.” The eyes of the negro enlarged; to him it was \§ Le | | po ‘“ What friends accompany her to the mask | | ———— a fortune; but what was to be the service ten- | dered? ‘** What massa want me to do for him?’ he asked, warily. | “Not to betray her, but the costume which she and her friends will wear to-night to the uerade ball.” y do you wish to know, sir?” ‘‘For a reason I cannot explain; but upon my honor, 1 mean no harm.” Louise hesitated and looked at the butler. **I will pay most liberally for my informa- tion—here,” and Merle held out both hands, one dropping gold into the palm of Louise, the other cha the eager clutch of the butler, who mut- ‘*Dis man am a king.” Louise said, slowly: “TJ will tell you, sir, for I do not believe harm can come of it. Let me whisper to you, sir.” Merle leant forward and the pretty quadroon ave him the information desired, and thank- ing her he left the court, the butler ‘ushered him out with many a bow, and then going back to _ the arbor to see if some stray gold piece had not | been dropped during a display of such princely _ generosity. As Louise returned to complete the toilet of her mistress, she muttered: ° “He looked like an old man; but his voice _ sounded familiar, and I think it is one of Miss Mildred’s beaux, wishing to know how to find her at the ball; anyhow, I hope so. ** Well, he gave me gold enough to ease my | conscience, even if I had done a great wrong. Upon leaving the Monteith mansion, Merle drove to a costumer’s, and secured a suitable at- tire for the evening, ordering it sent to the Cabaret d’ Orleans. Dismissing his cabriolet near the palace-like structure of the Sainte Louis, now brilliantly ji hted ay the coming masquerade, Merle walk- on until near the the entrance he came upon a gendarme, idly smoking a le Papel. ‘* Bon soir, monsieur gendarme,” said, litely. “‘Good-evening, monsieur,” returned the uard, dashing aside his cigarette, for he felt that he addressed a gentleman. ‘“The mas tna have not yet begun to assem- ble, I believe ‘* No, monsieur, not for the grande mas rade; ‘put we have around us to-night masks and maskers innumerable,” said the gendarme, pleasantly. ‘‘We gendarmes alone appear in real character to-night,” he added, with a smile. Merle glanced at the crowded thoroughfares, _ where monks, devils, nuns, angels, white and gray, buccaneers, bandits, and innumerable re’s de capt’in an’ his wife—I | other maskers were making the evening merry with laughter, song and joke—many of them poor people from the French quartier starving themselves six months of the year to have a gay time at carnival.” ‘When are you off duty, monsieur?” “ At eight, monsieur cad glad enough will I be, that I may join in the festivities.” “Tt is nearly eight now; you will need money for your pleasure; here is an eagle for you.” ‘Wonsteur has some object in this?’ said the sul rised soldier. ‘“T have: I wish a ticket into the Salon Sainte Louis to-night.” ‘‘It is impossible for me to aid you, mon- | sieur.” ‘You mistake; you have admittance, in your _ uniform, to the’ hall, and can procure me a ticket in some way.’ ‘* The tickets are two eagles each, monsieur.” O}OO) <S: —_—_ SO Se Oe ee (COA MICE