Beadle's Dime Library No. 109 — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

a 9 AS ee Tal ce EET ‘*T have but done my duty; but I beg you to tell me one thing.” ‘* Name it.” ‘‘ Have you harmed Lieutenant Cavanaugh?” The old spirit of the woman broke out at the question, and she said sneeringly: * Lieutenant Cavanaugh;” but changing her mood instantly, she continued: Ca tain Kyd, ‘‘Harmed him bodily I have not; harmed him | in heart and brain I have; but now I will tell you nothing, yet, within the arbor, where you leave this horse, you will find a bit of paper, and it will tell you the fate of the man you seek knowledge of, and it will be the truth.” **T thank you, Zebel; and he is not dead?’ eagarly said the maiden. ** He is not dead.” ‘*Ttis well; here is the bundle of clothing and this horse you will find at the arbor; and i need not tell you that any moment lost is fatal to you, for the peasantry are rising to-night on all sides, and to-morrow, if taken, no power can save you from the stake.” ‘*] know it well; and that I am not burned to you will I owe it; but I will not say that I will ray for you, maiden, for my prayers would fall as curses; I will not say bless you, for that would bring you ill-fortune; yet I will tell you, that the only time in long years that Zebel the Witch has been made to feel that she hada heart is this night, and you have touched it— farewell.” She turned away, but Lady Grace recalled her. “Stay, here is a purse of gold for you.” “Girl, I need no gold; I have jewels that would ransom a prince, and gold sufticient.” ‘‘ Then farewell, and may your life be differ- ent, Zebel; remember, I shall look for the paper in the arbor.” ‘“*T shall be there.” Lady Grace waved her hand, turned her horse, and away bounded the splendid animal, his rapid hoof-strokes causing the lowly dwellers in the roadside houses to believe that Sir Hurtel’s ghost was abroad on one of the mad rides of long years before. But without attracting attention, Lady Grace, who had secretly taken her horse from the stable, dismounted at the rustic arbor, secured the animal, and entered the castle unseen, and with her daring night adventure unknown. But all through the night she was most rest- less and =e with the sun sought the arbor in the castle park. The steed was gone, and upon the wall, pin- ned there with a sharpened peg of wood, was the promised paper. In her tremfling hands she grasped it, and read: **Him whom thou wouldst know the fate of, has cast honor to the dogs, and the black flag to the breeze. Beware of him!” ‘What can she mean? No, no, no! itis false, for Kenton Cavanaugh could never be a—a— pirate, no! no! he could never become the ruilty thing she would make him,” and burying ber face in her hands, Lady Grace burst into tears. CHAPTER XXXtT. THE CRUISER AND THE PIRATE, Just prior to the close of the seventeenth rentury, the king appointed the Earl of Belmont Governor of the hari Province of New York, with his head-quarters at New Amsterdam, now the great American metropolis, but, two centuries ago, a town not larger than a score of its massive squares of to-day. ; As the coast of America at that time was in- fested with audacious buccaneers, whose voy- ages extended from Maine to the (Carolinas, the earl was ordered by the king to fit out a swift- sailing yacht to carry him across the ocean, and which also might be used in the Colonial waters as a cruiser against the ruthless pirates. But in those days delays were many, advan- tages for building vessels were not what they are now, and it was two years after his appoint- ment as governor before the Earl of Belmont set sail for the New World. And in that time the seas had been the scene of many a daring attack, upon even armed ves- sels, the free rovers, and the navies of Spain and England were kept busy hunting down the merciless corsairs, that flaunted their sable flag - with reckless impunity. Hardly had the Fejotcing death of the far-famed Hurte before another chieftain sprung suddenly into existence and spread terror along the whole English coast, defying the cruisers sent in Pp - suit of him. And he was known as The Kyd. Finding the work laid out for him by Zebel, the Witch of Death Castle, dy accomplished, Lord Gerald of Castle Cor cruised about under a general commission to drive piracy from the high seas, and having made several captures of buccaneer crafts, he had received the personal thanks of his king, and, in his own estimation, become a terror to the outlaw rovers of the deep. As one of his captures had been made shortly after setting sail in the really trim craft that had been placed under his command, not twen- begun over the of the Red Hand, ty leagues from Castle Cor, he took the oppor- tunity to tow his prize into the bay that his father might see what a daring son he had, and also to use this, his first exploit, as a means of winning back the love of his cousin, Grace, of Greyhurst Castle. Saluting the castle with his guns, the earl in turn saluted with the small battery mounted upon the battlement, and capped the Belmont flag in honor of the coming hero, while even Lady Grace forgave the past and welcomed the wanderer home again. Bat the haughty Lord Gerald had another mo- tive in visiting the little castle-guarded bay, and that was to see the Witch of Castle Death _ and make known to her that Hurtel of the Red Hand was no more. Though he knew that the death of that famous pirate must needs be stale news by the time he reached Castle Cor, he wished to prove to her that his intention to hunt cown the real heir to the earldom had proven good, not that he cared what. the Witch might think on the subject, but he had laid a plan to en- trap her, and, once in his power at sea, her life was to be the forfeit of the secret she held, and thus two, who might come between him and the inheritance of a proud title and vast estates, would be beyond giving him trouble. The Witch disposed of, the old nurse, who also had the secret locked in her bosom, would be the next victim, and then Lord Gerald would feel secure. It was therefore with a dread of evil that the young officer heard that the Witch had not been seen since the mysterious disappearance and <p osed death of Kenton Cavanaugh. e hoped, with many others, that she was dead, for all that was inflammable in Castle Death had been set on fire by the witch-hunters, and only the stone walls and towers remained, blackened with smoke, yet still grand in their ruin. True, the steed of Lady Grace had been missed from the Castle Cor stables, but that was set down to some thieving peasant, for that dis- creet maiden shed no light upon the subject, and kept her own secret with a tenacity, that, in a woman, was sublime. Being disappointed in really the main phipct that had brought him into the bay, and failing in his desire to win back the haughty Lady Grace to her engagement with him, Lord Ger- ald set sail with his prize in no very amiable humor, for a hero, either with himself or the world at large. Determined to win a name that would yet make the haughty maiden look kindly on him he scoured the seas in quest of foes, and, as have made known, made several captures of pirate crafts, the crews of which were promptl strung up to the yard-arm, a proceeding whic uickly gained for him a fame that caused the ree rovers to fly from his well-known cruiser in terror. Thus a year and a half passed away, and the earl and his family, were daily expecting the arrival in the bay, of the beautiful armed yacht that was to carry them to America, and over which, a young and distinguished officer from the colonies had been placed in command. Just as good-nights were being said in the grand agus! room of the castle, one beautiful moonlight night, the deep boom of a heavy gun made the windows rattle and caused a flutter of intense excitement. “Tt is the yacht, and that is her salute,” cried the earl, and, as he spoke there burst forth a ter- rible discharge of artillery, which caused him to exclaim: ‘* No; that is not a salute, but a broadside; hark! it is a combat—come!” The countess and the two maidens quickly followed him to the outer terrace, where already the servants had assembled in alarm, and there not a league away they descried two vessels, slowly approaching each other, and firing rapid- ly, the one upon the other. ‘Yes, itis a combat; and, by the Cross! it is Lord Gerald's cruiser; bravo! bravo for the bo ? The servants took up the enthusiasm and three hearty cheers were given for the young noble, while every eye was eagerly strained upon the combat, which each moment became hotter and fiercer. ‘‘ Lord Gerald has run his foe down upon the coast, to give us the wet. of a naval en- gagement,” said the earl, enthusiastically. “God grant his life be spared,” cried the countess, eagerly, ** Ay, God grant it, wife; but our brave sailors and soldiers must take the chances of life and death; ha! that was a good broadside, my boy! a few more like that, and— Good God! doI be- lieve my own sight?” ‘Yes, father, Gerald’s vessel is flying,” said Lady Kate, while Lady Grace replied, and with scorn in her voice: ‘His vessel is the larger of the two; he surely cannot be running from a foe that he is able to destroy.” ‘But he is, by our Lady! ha! how that devil ursues him; ply your guns, Lord Gerald! pour in your hot shot!” and the earl was wild with excitement. But landward flew the king’s cruiser, seeking he King of the Black Flag. ~ Se 19 a haven in the bay, and astern, under clouds of canvas, and gaining rapidly, came the enemy, whatever he might be, while both vessels were keeping up a hot fire, the one from his bow, the other from his stern guns. ‘*She gains rapidly on the cruiser, and—did you see her flag then?’ and the voice of the earl dropped almost to a whisper, and still greater pallor crept over every face, fur the wind com- ing from ahead, flaunted the ensign out flat, and the flashes of the gun now showed it to be the black flag of a pirate. Vith eager eyes and bated breath, all on the terrace stood watching the running fight, and a chill of horror went to every heart, when they beheld the pirate craft lay the cruiser aboard, and heard the wild yells of the bucca- neers as they sprung upon the decks, and the oe of small-arms and clash of steel against steel. _But then, above the din of carnage arose a ringing voice: ‘** Cease firing, all!” > Instantly the silence of death followed. ‘* What could it mean?’ the pirates asked each other. ** What could it mean?’ the crew! of the cruiser questioned among themselves, ; ** What did it mean?’ was the query of the earl and all on the battlement of Castle Cor, The answer came soon, and in the same ring- ing tones: ‘* Back to your schooner, buccaneers! this is not the vessel I seek,” And back to their decks clambered the pi- rates; their vessel swung away from the prize they had really taken, and away under clouds of snowy duck stood the mysterious craft, to the joy of the cruiser’s men, and the astonish- ment of all who saw the strange act. And into the bay put the cruiser, droppin her anchor close inshore. A few moments af ter Lord Gerald, flushed with the heat of bat- tle, and excited over what had occurred, came up to the castle, In an embarrassed way he received the wel- come extended to him, but as to the strange conduct of his victor could offer no explanation whatever; yet said: ** Recognizing, when we drew nearer, who was my foe, 1 knew that it was madness to fight, though in men and guns I outnumbered him; hence I sought safety in flight.” ‘We saw that, and wondered why a stronger vessel should fly from a weaker one,” said Lady Grace, with a slight sneer upon her pretty mouth. “The reason is, that yonder is the craft of The Kyd, my severe cousin of Greyhurst.” “What! that merciless and red-handed devil, who has gained the title of King of the Black slr, cried the earl, “The same, sir; he has defeated cruisers twice his strength, and seems to combat and kill for the simple love of imbruing his hands in blood.” ‘Tt is said that he has never been beaten off by an enemy, and, if he cannot with his guns make a vessel strike her flag to bim, he will run down and board her, and then the scene that follows is awful, and beggars de- et hy ta remarked the earl, ““Do you wonder then, sir, that I did not wish to meet him?” asked the young noble, hop- ing to find excuse for his lack of ee ie ‘I do, of course, Lord Gerald, for I cannot understand a naval officer shunning a conflict where the chances are equal even against him, and yet your own admission proves you were the stronger; but may I ask, why The Kyd so kindly spared your vessel and your crew? Was - ye (oa he found a foe unworthy of his stee Lord Gerald winced noticeably under this hot shot turned upon him by Lady Grace; but re- plied quietly: **T know not; my men were crying for quar- ter, when he suddenly advanced upon me, and I prepared to meet him: but he stopped short, turned away, and then gave his order to cease firing, and five minutes after he sailed away, “Pll wager my inheritance that it wasn’t through fear,” was the reply of Lady Grace, as she said good-night and left the room, a strange expression upon her beautiful face, and one the young officer neither understood nor liked, _. Once in her own chamber she glanced out of the window and gazed upon the white sails of the flying pirate and murmured: “After all, can Zebel the Witch have been right? It looks strange indeed, this sparing Lord Gerald, and I dread, alas! from all L have heard, that Kenton Cavanaugh is the one who has won the name of The Kyd: and if he be, it were better far that he had met his death in the castle, as all believe, ‘‘ Ah me! be he what he may, his secret I will keep locked up in my own heart.” CHAPTER XXXII. A MAIDEN’S WHIM. WHETHER it was that Lord Gerald of Cor was sick of the sea, or that he dreaded a second meeting on blue water with The Kiya, is \ w\ Eomicbooks,.col . ome > * ~ in . tt. alii . ’ _ -