Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 104 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

14 ——>- fram that accursed den of misery to die now,” was the determined rejoinder. ** Then, if we go over, senor, I willeling to you; you do look like one to defy Fate, and the good ou. loved the good old man, Pablo?” “Much, senoryand when I came iuto the cel and found you there, and you swore not to de- sert him while he lived, was drawn toward you, too. Tes. the oe old padre forgave me my every sin, for | confessed to him, and it never old ei told me never to desert. you,” 0 “cc Montezuma, the M I so much as cost me a peso—only a little extra | work, and if you had not come I was to fulfill in important mission for him. Sainted Virgin! butt how the wind blows.” “This is a calm sea, Pablo, to what I have seen. castle anyway?” ‘Yes, senor, as soon as the padré died; I | prince among men. Had di d I | would not now be in this boat, heading for yon | his sc ] I } | ashore at night with his treasures in the boat. cared not to remain after he was gone, an was glad of an offer of service with you. You must be a rich man, senor, from what the padre told me?” ‘1 will be soon, Pablo. Do you know, for a landsman, good Pablo, you got meav stiff little boat? I could not have selected a better one myself.” “Gracias, senor, but I got an amigo, who ‘was a sailor, my sister’s husband, to buy it for me; it was he that rowed us out from the beach; but, senor, how glad I would have been if the padre could have lasted longer and been with 4 | “Yes, worthy Pablo; it. would have been a great joy for me; but, poor old man, he had lived his allotted time, and was ready to go. ‘*T do not believe he would have lived through the night if I bad not come, for sight of me calised him ites to life a few hours longer.” ‘* And he would not.allow you to lower him down from the cell, senor?” |. _ **No, hence I remained with him until. he diéd, and then carried him through the tunnel and buried him by. the side of another poor un- fortunate who had died in that horrid prison.” ~~. SP hye heard, no noises outside the cell after I left, senor ?” “Once I heard footsteps; but the. jailer who took your place evidently believed that the cell was unoccupied, as you told him, and my a) A key, kept him from endeavoring to fin ou ** And you did not doubt me, senor ?” ‘*No,” answered Merle, sternly. - “You did not, know but that when I promised to go and get your clothing in Vera Cruz, buy a boat for you, and meet you off the beach below the castle, Ye what I might be playing you senor “Yes, I knew you would prove true,” dryly returned Merle. | “ Because the padre trusted me?” “ No.” “Why then, Senor Merle?” ) ‘“* Because I read you, amigo Pablo; because, when I gave you the ‘Jewel the Padre Dolores had given me, and told you I would double their lue if you proved faithful, I knew I could you, for I saw that you worshiped the god that most men do—gold.” “Ah! senor, Ido love gold, and I have here elose in my jacket, the riches you have given mé; I knew not the padre had such wealth, . ‘He found jewels easier to carry than gold, Pablo; but you befriended the poor old man, and I shall mopOy yo for it. You shall be a rich man, Pablo, and | will give you good wages for serving me; if you fail me, I will kill you with- on n or remorse, as I wo ave done t hesitatio I would h d in the cell, had I not. read your sordid nature, and have known that 1 could trust you,” and Merle spoke with an earnestness that proved to ig Aabou that oe entered into the service a gerous master. if to change the subject, he asked: “Did you have any trouble, senor, in getting out of the cell?” ‘None, whatever; the padre’s rope, and one that I had, were amply long enough, and per- feetly strong—I lowered the mementoes of m a life in a first, and then swung myself out and reached the ground in safety.” ‘*The hole was doubtless seen the next morn- ing b the guards, senor?” 2 Doubtless but Pha 6 a puzzle to them, ot they could, not ny that ony eee al eseaped; the hole was there, the rope hang- ing from it, but the padre’s cell was su poked £o be unoccupied, and the hole in the flooring I filled uP, pressed down, and graveled over, so that it was not discernible. ‘“*T was supp to be dead thirteen year's be- fore; you igned your jailership and bold- ly left the castle, proving to your successor that ry wretch you had charge of was in his cell, and I had buried the padre a hundred yards from where he died, and the jailer who had be- led me for thirteen long years, had packed wn, with nly aid, the dirt I dug from the tun- “and stopped ‘up his end of it, so that the of that store ke will have food for re- | arenes in i ae a zee many a eome,” and Merle smiled ly. Fosu ke added” satel ] | | ' ° a ~ «4 ——_— > ‘‘But there was one mistake we made, good Pablo.” ** Senar?” ‘‘T should have lured the new keeper into the cell, killed him, or bought him, and with his keys liberated every poor unfortunate in his ‘tier of dungeons. It would have eased my con- science, Pablo; but in the work devolving upon | me, after your departure, I never thought of | it.” “But many of them are guilty, senor.” “That is not for you to say; spent thirty years in a cel), and wasas guiltless of wrong-doing as a man could be, _ If, from his frienship for a man who bad served at yr | e de- | lowed his fortunes through good and e Then it was your intention to leave the served no reproach, ; | ‘*T tell you, Pablo, Francisco Dolores was a “he been a traitor I | dred pepples in the vase since last he anchored island.” “No, senor; but do you know I have not breathed freely since the night I left the castle.” | ‘You should show more nerve, Pablo.” “Tt was the first and, second nights disap- pointment, senor ; when my brother-in-law and erciless. am innocent of | crime, and was imprisoned, and Padre Dolores — es wma 4 mounted with gold, and a long dagger, the hilt being an anchor of gold, set with diamonds and © rubies. What the age of the man was it were hard to discover; he might be thirty, he might ve sixty; but he was a Nubian, and his face was as full of manly dignity as his form possessed Jeonine grace and strength. , As he stood upon the island, gazing fixedly upon the coming boat, and now and then at the —_ approaching, he said; in a guttural dia- eet; “He is coming at last—the Vishnu guides him hither—and_ it is time, for I was left here when Yezdegerdian * was 1168—now it is 1208. ‘Yes, for thirty-five Christian years I have held my post, and I will win my master’s smile. ‘* Strange he has not come here for so long; I have thrown seven thousand and three hun- ooner yonder under the land and came ‘*He said he would come agatn one day and take me with him, and he will keep his word; but I supp see he xe hunts for the young master and the Padre Francisco. 1 would never haye been tired living here. had those two come, myself were at the beach with the boat two {as my master intended; they should; but the nights and you did not come, I was, fearful all Vishnu ruled that I should : guard the treasures, and the mighty eye of is was lost, yet dare not return to the castle to find out,” and the man shuddered. _. *T came-not, asI told you, Pablo, because I would not leave the Padre, Dolores until he died; he was there through faithfulness to m father und myself, and 1 would have gone ba to.a dungeon rather than desert him alive.” ‘Senor, yuu are a remarkable man, and God pity your enemies,” said Pablo, gazing with awe upon the marble-faced man at the tiller whose arge, melancholy, yet burning eyes were con- stantly fixed upon the island ahead... Merle smiled, but made no reply, and Pablo continued: ‘‘The sea is getting wilder, senor ?” « Yes ” ‘“ And the wind increases?” ce Yes ” ** See those clouds sweeping down upon us— they seem to trail in the sea.’ ‘Yes, Pablo, they come with a vengeance,” “ And willdrown us, senor ?” oried the shiver- ing wretch. ‘Not me, Pablo.” “ But J will die, senor, I know I shall die. I feel it here,” and the Mexican placed his hand upon his heart. | ‘“Never say die, Pablo; I would. have been dead long ago, and, if it were possible, would have died many deaths, if I had yielded, _. “But J will not yet yield to death, Pablo amigo.” There was a look of such utter defiance to fate in the face of Merle, a look so utterly un- fathomable, that the Mexican erépt ca wi him, feeling that he had the power to save ; _ ** Senor, you.do not fear nor man,” said Pablo, in an awed whisper. __. “Or the devil, Pablo,” replied Merle, with a bitter laugh. | " ree island is certainly the one you seek, se- nor “Yes, Pablo; Ihave not been there since I was.a few days old, but L recognize it from the padre’s description.” “ And it is yet how far off, senor ?” “ A league, good Pablo!” ‘¢ Weshall never reach it, senor.” “ T shall; but hold hard, Pablo!” As Merle spoke the storm was upon the de- voted little craft, which the skillful helmsman at once brought up to meet. But there came a rush of waters, a howling of winds, and then one, two, loud a the masts had gone—torn off close to the deck. And with the wreck of bs masts, sails and rigging, were dragged the two men—the Mexi- can shrieking loudly to the Blessed Virgin to ye) him—Merle ge oie en came a rom,the Me ° “* Senor, bate thie) for the love of God | save a wretch!” ; “Tt is impossible, amigo Pablo—my arm is broken, and I have no support,” was shouted back in reply, but there was no tremor in the thrid nes. : e ‘We are lost,” shrieked the Mexican, and he went down into the wild waters, not hearing the defiant response: “You will die, good Pablo; I shall not.” Then the darkness of the storm hid the scene from view of one who had watched the little craft for two hours bounding over the rough waters toward the island. It was a man and a strange one—standing bp a high point of the island and gazing over e sea. A man fully seven feet in hight—his_face as black as ebony and his form a perfect Hercules in strength. He was dressed in white trowsers, reaching to the knees, a blue silk shirt; wore sandals laced around the ankles, and a turban upon his head —a turban of white silk, and in the front of which was an anchor of rubies. Around his waist was a sash of silver thread, ang in it were stuck two strange-logking pistols, remain alone to nu is upon me day and night. “Seven thousand three bundred days—and to-day I must throw another. pebble in the vase; the Vishnu grant it be the last, for lam aweary. ‘‘ How bravely his boat comes.on, There ara two in the craft—Padre Francisco is with him: but I will get my glass and see.” 7 Turning, he hastily descended from the point and after a rapid walk entered a small jungle through which led a beaten path. : ym a pi ag oe ‘om — to a mass os pene iled in. wild, fantastic shape upon each othe Evidently a freak of nature during the glacial riod. " Amaoue these- diluvium washings of rocks the Nubian glided, and mec ey wy in a cavern, where, amid untold wealth of gold, jewels, silks velvets, laces, costly wihes and liquors, he had made his home for thirty-five .years—the faith- ful guardian of the island treasure in all that dreary time of wet. : When he issued from the cavern he had around him a heavy capote, and in his hand he carried a large spy-glass. . In the time-he had been absent from the point of land, the clouds had darkened mate ' and the sea grown rougher, while the winks tugged at his cloak so savagely he was forced te lay it aside. | veling the glass upon the approaching boat, post a more than a league distant, he mut- tered: “That is not the Padre Francisco, for I see his face now; the other I do not see on account of the sail. ayT ) ‘But I feel that it is my master; the Fetish warned me of his cope. ven ““Come, come, Fetish, bring the vision before ropping the glass, as he called out in a loud tone, as to an Imag being, he placed h hands tightly boar hits eyes ant’ dropped sac nees A moment he remained thus, apes er telligible words, and then he sprung to his feet, his hand upon the jewel-hilted dagger. | ‘‘Ttis not the master! I saw strange faces in the Fetish glass held before my eyes. ‘They come torob me of my master’s treasures; but they shall die—they shall die. ‘Ha! ha! ha! they are already in the hollow of the Vishnu’s hand!” and the strange bei bounded about with fiendish joy as the storn struck the little craft, and its crew were hurled When the first'rad gust of the gale had blow! en the first rude gust of the had blowm on, the Nubian again turned his cabs out over the waters. “The craft comes on afloat; but they were washed away to die, “The Vishnu’s eye is upon them, and he will sink them deep into the sea. “He is pleased with Valik because he has been faithful so long—has so long guarded the treas- ure, though bis master came not. But he will come; Valik knows he will come, for her grave is yonder, and By mighty master loved her as the sunlight of his heart. ‘‘ Ha! ha! see how the wreck drives on toward the island! Valik will meet it at the beach.” As he spoke the strauge creature leisurely de- scended to the shore, and took his stand at a point opposite where he expected the dismasted craft. to strike, ant folding his capote closer around him, awaited. | Nearer and nearer came the little hulk, until, upon the top of a mighty wave, it Was ome far up on the beach, and seizing it in ey aided by the water, Valik drew it ost out of reach of the waves. As he heptane a hid! a dark object upon the waters caught his quick eyes, and he gazed earn estly at it. .j Now on the top of a wave, now in the hollow EO)