The New York Dime Library No. 1053 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

Mf af “Sb bid rc ? LF ose oe ee tel of the Red Hand, and he aimed a savage blow to clear the youth from his path. But coolly it was ied, and straightening up, the chief put himself on his guard, for he had met a strength that matched his arm, great as it was, and a skill he had not expected. ‘* Now at ye, yo sir, and remember that ‘you face Hurtel of the Red Hand.” ‘IT care not if you are the devil,” was the cool retort, and the two blades met savagely, twirled and twisted like fiery serpents, and then one was struck aside, and the other was sheathed in @ human breast. CHAPTER XII. HURTEL OF THE RED HAND, Tuer human heart which one blade had found ‘was that of the famous Hurtel of the Red Hand, and the arm that drove it was Kenton Cava- maugh’s. Maddened with A ae: the chief, though he had received his death-wound, determined to die posing shortening his own sword into a dag- Ber, © sprung upon Kenton, who had quic af rawn his own weapon from the body of his 402, and mepyes back, expecting him to fall. But the sudden blow with the shortened blade was skillfully parried, and once more the keen sword of the youth buried itself in the pirate’s road breast. But still the powerful man, tenacicus of life, frenzied by pain, and maddened with revenge, ee forward with his blade still shortened. And again Kenton Cavanaugh coolly met him, parried the blow, and then, by a most skillful movement, brought his sword down & on the good rights arm of the chief, cleaving it to the bene. The blade fell from the stricken hand to the deck, and like a statue the chief stood gazing upon the one who had given bim his death- dlow, and who met his gaze unflinchingly, while all around these two rested on their arms, watched and waited. ‘**Boy, you have killed Hurtel of the Red Hand.” In hoarse, deep tones the words came from the lips of the pirate chief, and then he fell his ‘full length upon the deck, while a wild ery broke from his crew, and in alarm they fled to their vessel, some of them falling into the sea. . Quickly the ceepoels mere cast loose, and the eavy sweeps o e er set going, while Captain Defoe cried: 5 . : ~ ‘*Back to your guns, men, and sink the ac- cursed craft!” With wild hurrahs the crew of the cruiser age to their guns once more, and shot after shot was poured upon the flying vessel; hut the pirates, oow despairing of capturing t: e ‘king’s craft, turned their own broadsides upon ber, and it became a running and hot fight, until one shot from the lugger cut away the foremast of his pursuing foe, and the chase ended, the h sails of the buccaneer, exten from deck deck, rapidly sending her out of harm’s way om ae superior metal of the gallant British tain. bs . E Weil, we’ve Jost the lugger, but killed her captain, thanks to you, my brave Cavanaugh, for, if you had not cut hin down he’d have car- ried us, that’s certain; if you keep on as you have begun to-night, you'll be our a be- fore [ am a post-captain,” and turning to Lord Manl ty he continued in a low tone: “The boy does need watching, my lord, and his example is worth following; but now to repair damages and head for port.” he cruiser was by no means in an enviable condition, for her decks had been torn by shot, her bulwarks and ng were shattered, the foremast hung a over the side, cut off fifteen feet above the deck, and dead and wounded lay around, more than a score in number, while many a brave fellow, able to move about, was nursing a wound. Willingly the men set to work, and soon order came once more out of chaos, and Kenton Cavanaugh, stealing a moment’s rest, as the skies tap rosy with the rising knelt by the side of the pirate chief, whoim he had placed near the wheel. “IT once saw in Castle Cor, when the earl sent for me-one day, the portrait of Sir Hurtel, and the servants said the Countess Lenore was wont to look at it each morning and evening, when no one was watching her; this man has the same splendid form and face, only it is older, sterner, colder than was Sir Hurte 8; yet J believe this is the earl’s brother, but I hope he and Lady Kate may never know that he was really a pirate.” So muttered Kenton Cavanaugh, as he knelt beside the dead chief, and sadly gazed upon him Raising the lifeless hand, he drew from it the blood-stained gauntlet, and his eyes fell upon a ange gold ring, worn upon the small finger. ““Abh, here is proof; it is the shiel of Sir Hurtel, with the crest of his house cut into the and it from the finger, he read, engraven within: - “ Hurtel of Castle Crag.” - The ring he pl in his own pocket, and Ter . x 4 boating : ' / ~ ee ae ee dropped into the sea, diving rapid] | goes straight. ’ ’ ‘. ’ 4 - > : , ys ’ . e » ‘ s 38 ~~ f- z= ~s ‘ ‘ wt os ~ “ ~ > SS, a On rt Veneer en > PNR La - = . ~ © > >. yt. a “ ‘ had J ‘ es ° tt “— ae ‘ . * ‘ “ be > ee ee ee eC eee r-rrtC—SOO Captain Kyd, the King of the Black Flag. ‘Captain, Hurtel of the Red Hand is the brother of the Earl of Belmont: see, here is his ring, and I would ask, for the sake of his name, that he be buried with the service of the church.” ‘‘A strange request to make for a pirate Cavanaugh, for, noble or king, a man as wicked as he was could never be prayed out of per- dition by the = of all the priests in Chris- tendom; but keep the ring and give it to the earl yourself, and as I can refuse you nothing, Sir Hurtel with a _— os * Thank you, Captain oe.” ** But who is to do the praying, Cavanaugh for I confess Iam not up in such things, an i — my bo ae would never reach the Great dmiral aloft, and we have no one on board who knows about such things.” ‘**T will recite the service, sir, for I know it by heart.” ‘**Do so, then, and bring our dead, too, within the bowlines; but give the poor lads the benefit first, so they’ll get a start of the bloody pirate, and we'll sink them to windward, and drop the old fellow over to leeward, and that will give them another advantage over the red-handed wretch.” Kenton smiled at the words of his captain and slipping the ring upon his own anger, wen forward and gave orders for the buri The dead chief was sewn up in canvas, a heavy shot attached to his feet, and the body laid on the lee side of the deck, while the dead men of his crew were thrown unceremoniously into the ocean. — Then the dead officer and crew of the cruiser were prepared for their watery grave in like manner as was Hurtel of the Hand, and all hands were summoned to attend burial. With caps off, and bowed heads they stood, while Kenton Cavanaugh, ina clear, earnest tone, recited the burial service of the church of England, and one by one the bodies were down into the depths below, thereto remain forever. At last it came the turn of the pirate chief and four seamen raised him unfeelingly, an were about to hurl him headfirst over the bul- warks, when there came the ringing order: ‘** Hold!” The men turned in surprise, ahd all eyes were fixed upon Kenton Cavanaugh. ‘*Men, that is the dead body of a human being, es he what he might in life, in death he is sac The stern rebuke was rage enage felt, and Hurtel of the Red Hand, cnce the lonely exile sunk quietly into the waves, of Castle Oras, e view of human goze, but his forever from t | crimes to live in romance and story until time shall have an end. - A few moments of silence followed, and then the crew dispersed, a ry mast was skillfully rigged, sail set, and qth cruiser headed for “Cavanaugh, I intend to put into port to re- pair, and I will send you on with the written re- port of my cruise to the Lord of the Admiralty, and youcan get your commission as second lieutenant at the same time, for no one deserves it more, and then you can Join me at Queens- town, days from this.’ Kenton Cavanaugh’s face flushed With pride, for his dreams of ambition and fame were being rapidly realized, and he said earnestly: “I thank you, Captain Defoe: I cid but'my duty, and am glad of your praise; but, sir, if you remember last night, when we sailed, we | saw a fire on theshore, and I told you that it was mv own home?” ée Yes.” ~* : ‘Well, sir, my father dwelt there alone, and I am_ most ous regarding his safety, and wows request that I can visit my home ere I re- urn. : . ! “ Assuredly: I gave you thirty days, thinking ou Paty ike a week or two to see the sightsin ndon. “No, sir, my father and myself have sailed there several times; I would rather spend that "Rta you plese Cevanaagh: the report wil you please, Cavanaugh; the re w be ready as soon as we reach port, and you can start at once; and, by the way, I will tell Lord Manly, as he may wish to send: some word home, for you go near le Meredith, I believe?” ‘Within three leagues, sir,” But Lord Manly said he would not trouble Kenton har ae as he was just going to London, but wo st a letter as soon as they reached port, and i, woul ive soone Fawise Mere a arrive r at The next day the cruiser reached her haven and, armed with his official dispatches Kenton Cavanaugh went ashore, accompanied by Lord Manly, who was to return with the boat. At the mail dispatch office the two you men separated, Lord Manly grasping the han of Kenton warmly, and wishing him every suc- cess; but as he walked alone back to the land- ye the bont awaited him, he muttered in a triumphant tone: Lope ‘* Instead of a smile from Lady Kate of Castle Cor, my proud fisher lad, will find Death to welcome ‘you, if I culetahie raph, and my letter : ” you have be so base, as I have found ous ‘Manly of Meredith to be; well, © day of CHAPTER XTTl. GLAD TIDINGS AND SAD TIDINGS. WHEN the Earl of Belmont and his servante reached the beach, they found there the body of Dermot Cavanaugh, the old fisherman, with several ghastly wounds in bis breast to show what had killed him. The humble, though comfortable home tad burned to ashes, and the assassins and incendia- ries bad fled; hot pursuit instantly commemed, yet witbkout avail, for who they were, or from whence they had come, no one knew, and a mystery bung over the scene, as it did ove Castle th. Pained deeply at what bad happened, Luuy Kate and Lady Grace both urged the earl todo all in his power to find the murderers, and he spared no expense to do so; but days went by and not the slightest clew to the guilty ones cculd be found. One afternoon, some two weeks after the death of old Dermot, Lady Kate and ber cousin went cut for a ride on horseback, accumpanied ae by a groom. favorite place for them to visit was an old chapel, rapidly crumbling to ruin, and from vex a grand view of the ocean and inland was visible. Reaching a halting-place they left their horses with the servant, and wandered on foot to the spot where they loved to sit and view the scene to seaward and landward. Not far away ran the high road, and far im tke distance, rising over the crest of the hill, they saw a Lorscman coming leisurely along. Presently, he drew near the ruined a and haliing, gaxd upon the scene with evident admiration. His face was turned away from the two maid- ens, yet they saw that he was attired in uniform wore a cloak bargirg from his shoulders, an sat his steed like a thorcugh hors: man. And as tbey lcoked, from their position a bundred yards away, they saw two men on foot cautiously approach the rider, who, uncon- scicus of their presence, still gazed at the beauti- ful scene stretched cut for miles around him. Cautiously, noiselessly they approeched, one of thim carrying a musket; and then, even the two maidens knew that some cr'me wes intend- ed, ard utterly fearless, Lady Kate called out loudly, to warn the horseman of danger. Her clear voice reached his ears, and be turn- ed, just as the man with the gun leveled and The report, a puff of smoke, a startled neigh, ond the animal ridden by the stranger fell in bis tracks, while the two men rusbed upcn the fallen rider. But, though taken wholly by surprice he was rot unnerved, and in an instant was upon his feet, bis sword drawn. - To strike down the nearest man witha sweep- ing blow of his blace, and spring u the sec- ond was en instant’s work, while with the musket he wrencbed from bis band, he felled him to the earth, bis skul) crackir g under the fearful blow. ‘Well, that was a narrow escape, and it causes me to foot it the rest of the way, for my poor horse is cead; but whore warning cry was that, and certainly in a wcman’s voice,” and the man locked around him; but seeing no one in sight, continued, while he bent over the man who had fired upon bim: “These felluws don’t look like foctpads; but what else than robbery can ha n their mo- tive in attacking me—oh, I know this one now? be was once a servant at Meredith Castle, a he is the very one whose neme I saw on the let- ter which Lord Manly posted two weeks ago,” Thrusting his hand into the pocket of the dead a he withdrew it quickly, saying in a low ne: ‘* And here is the very letter.” e seal was broken, yet bore the Meredit& crest, and opening it, the face of Kenton Ca ——- became deadly pale as he read haif- aloud: “DENNIS Day: o “On sailing from the bay I saw by the 165 Os old Dermot’s cot that your work was well done; but the one to whose life you were to put an end, was cy the cruiser, having unfortunately shipped that afte ‘*But that one returns home in a few and then the work must be t groughiy scars be ehire turn by the northern highway, leading by Casti< Cor, and on horseback, | of by , 80 le 8. ‘The ruined chapel will be a good place to lie m wait for and when I learn that you have finish- ed bim, I send you the one hun pounds, be- sides what I promised you. Pa ‘Be discreet, pe pe Mig k wine out of our head and all go well; but a miss, an would not give a farthing for your life, or that your accomplice. Dest this letter as soon as read, ans ~<a > dois the work, come to me.”’ There was no signature to the letter, but whet need was there f r any? The crest told ths writer’s name, if the letter had not done so. ‘Well, Mister Dennis Daly, you made t miss, my noble lord warned you against, anc joel you or your accomplice pre worth & hing now; but who would believe Lat " * - * - * . a Be ; \ / \ " <— - lr b. eYele) <= TP oan %, 7 ) [| c Le = Cy eee At ra