Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 128 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

i 7 i * if . bi» he —=_=— SS SES . ad —< a ene ee - e ——— -_— —— a guards and citizens rushed en masse inte the dark allée; but the corsair was not there, for he had darted on to the end, and had ges taken off his heavy cloak and reversed it, wit the wnder side out, and which made of it the cape of a naval officer; then his ¢:apeau disap- peared, and a naval cy ornamented with a old band, was put upon his head, while a heavy Board also drawn from some inner pocket, quickly covered his face. Thus thoroughly disguised he had turned into a door, leading into a brilliantly-lighted wine- shop, or salon, and in which half a hundred ple were gathered at tables, some playing ominoes, others cards, and still more smoking papiletas, while all were drinking claret, Span- ish wines or absinthe. Toslip quietly into a chair, and call quickly to a pretty waiter to bring him a bottle of noyeau was the work of an instant; but, hardly had it been placed on the table before him, when into the cabaret dashed half a dozen guards and three-score of citizens, “Siere! are you gone mad that you enter a respectable cabaret in this manner, ciloyens?” ahve the proprietor, coming forward with an- ace. ‘** No, Monsieur Juan, but we pursue an out- law; the great Chevalier Corsair!” cried the sergeant, eagerly. ‘He is not here. I entertain only honest men, Monsieur Sergeant,” was the angry retort, while ail who heard the words of the sergeant arose to their feet in excitement. “Pardon, Monsieur Juan, I did not say you entertained such a guest; but be escaped from a cabriolet—here is the cabrioleteer, and he re- cognized him, and he darted into your cliée, and this is the only way he could have come.” “If he is here, you know your duty; my guests are before you,” said the cabaret-keeper, evidently not pleased with the idea of having such a famous character seek refuge under his roof, as it might compromise him thereby. Accompanied by the cabrioleteer, the guards began the search, eying every face closely as they came to each rson, and having first taken the precaution to lock the salon doors in the front and rear. Quietly, and without the least tremor of the hand, the corsair poured out a glass of noyeau, aud sipped it as complacently as though he were not the hunted man; nor when the searching party neared him did any ner- vousness appear. ‘*Ab! here is an officer of the navy! Mon- fieur, we are in search of a man whom you would doubtless give much to capture. Per- haps you heard? It was the famous rover whom men call Belmont, the Buccaneer, and also the Chevalier Corsair,” and little dreamin that the -apote worn by the man he idaraesedl had two sides, so utter’y different, the rergeant of the guards stopped at the table where the out- aw sat, and who answered, quietly- **T peard your assertion, monsieur; but there must be some mistake, for the corsair chief would hardly come to your city: besides, I saw him aboard his fleet schooner only a day or so ago off the Balize.” “And he escaped you, too, monsieur, as he has many another officer?” ‘Yeas; his vessel is as fleet as the wind.” * But, monsieur, this cabrivleteer says he rec- ognized the chief.” “ben you have seen him before?” and the corsair turned to the driver, who stood by trembling with excitement, **Oh, yes, sir; | went to Havana to visit my brother, who keepe a pulprria* there and our good ship was returning when we were chased ad captured by the pirate schooner known as Kl Maldito+, and which came down upon us like a tornado. Upon the deck stood the Chevalier Corsair, a tall, splendid-looking man with bronzed face, dark hair and eyes tha seemed to look you through and through, while brown mustaches shaded his meuth, ‘*And the man you saw on the deck of El Maldito was the one you now search for?” ask- ed the chief, q ietly. ‘Upon my honor, yes. monsieur; he went to the rescue of a young maide’, whom two men were a> using the license of Carnival to torture, and he drove ber to her home, where he left her; it was then that he unmasked, and I nized bim, so drove bim to the calaboose instead of the Rue St, Anne where he ordered me to put him down; but Le was too quick for me and got away.” “It is a pity, for vou would have enriched yourself by his capture. Aud he came in hore?’ ‘* Yes, sir; for he could have gone vo other place, as we have tearched the court into which the allée led, and all the doors, excering the one leading to this cabaret, are locked.” **Then, doubtless, he passed straight on into the street, unnoticed by any ia the erswd, Bon soir, messieure !” eud the supposed officer turn- ed to bis wine with the air of a man who desired to be no more worried. Taking the hint tke sergeant and his band of * A Spanish tevern, or wine shop, + About equivalem to * The Acoursed.” The Chevalier Corsair. aids went to the next table, and the next, until they came to a solitary individual, with dark, handsome face, and with the air and dress of a Spanish noble. ‘*Ah! here is a gentleman who fits your de- scription, garcon,” said the sergeant, as his eyes fell upon the stranger. ** He is strangely like him, Monsieur Sergeant, though not so handsome, or so tal!; but 1 may be deceived, and as his dress is similar it is best to arrest this one.” ** What means this insult?” and the stranger arose to his feet, his face working with anger. ‘*Tt means, sir, that you are suspected of be- ing the Chevalier Corsair, and upon such sus- picion I arrest you in the name of the muni- cipality of New Orleans.” ‘*Dastard! Lay not your hand on me!” and he threw the sergeant’s hand rudely aside, and continued, as he drew a short sword from be- neath his cloak: **T am an officer in the Spanish army, and I will submit to no outrage.” ‘Seize him! Seize!” rung out cries upon all sides, and, thus urged, the sergeant and his men were about to obey, when the former felt a heavy grasp upon his shoulder, and a deep voice said: ‘*Beware, monsieur, how you overstep your authority, for this gentleman is what he repre- sents himself. Don Manuel Hernandez, I greet you! It was the Corsair Chief who spoke, and ad- vancing, he extended his hand to the Spaniard, who glanced fixedly into his face, and saw there something which caused him to answer hastily: ‘* And, sefior capitan, I am glad to meet you, also. Perhaps these men will believe me now, when an officer of their government vouches for me. ** And you do vouch for him, do you, Monsieur le Capitaine?” asked the sergeant. ‘**T do, most assuredly. This gentleman is no more the Chevalier Corsair, than are you. Look elsewhere for the outlaw,” and the disguised chief seated himself at the Spaniard’s table and called for another bottle of wine, while the dis- — crowd moved slowly away, the cab rioleteer and guards cursing their ill-fortune in losing the reward offered for the capture of the famous sea rover. And, as the crowd fell back from tho table Don Hernandez, the omnes ke frowis kins- man of Don Ivan Enderos, smiled sweetly in the face of the corsair, and said, in a determin- ed, menacing way: ‘My dear Captain Belmont, you saved me from a most unpleasant predicament, and one look into your eyes told me who was my pre- server, for, though a cabrioleteer ma e me for you, there can be but one yours.’ | *“‘Don Manuel is inclined to be eompliment- ai fw answered the corsair, with a sneer. face as o, [am inclined to seek revenge, for, my por vb Chevalier Corsair, the fifty thousand offe for your head will replenish my purse, and I have you now in my power.” CHAPTER XX. DIAMOND CUT DIAMOND, Even taking into consideration that he heid the Chevalier Corsair wholly in his power, Cap- tain Manuel Hernandez, the handsome youn spendthrift, did not like the smile with whio the chief received his assertion of intended be- trayal, for there was something’ behind it that made him feel anything but pleasant. ‘*Perhaps you did not understand me aright, sefior; I said I would hand you over to the au- thorities and pocket the reward for your appre- hension,” he said, after a moment’s silence, in which the Chevalier had drummed on the table with his knuckles and continued his incompre- hensible smile, **Oh, yes, I understood perfectly, that if Cap- tain Manuel Hernandez would rob his kinsman and his beautiful cousin of their gold, he would willin iY betray an outlaw to get a reward offered for him,” and the Chevalier was as cour- teous as though he had no enmity against his companion, ** And | intend to do so, for, curse you, Cap- tain Belmont, after getting possession of the gold you returned it—ay, and the girl too, whom LI had gotten into my power.” “IT did so, for you falsely represented to me that your kinsman held your rightful inher- itance, and that he had no children, I discov- ered that the gold was his own, and that he had a daughter, whom you were revengeful against for having refused tbe offer of your hand. served you, Manuel Hernandez, for once hav- ing aided me to eseape in Havana when my life wes in danger. “But the debt I more than repaid, as vou know, and between us now there is uo feeling but enmity; 80 beware of how you cross my path in the future!” “Hal hal ha! I sought you not, for if was you who came to me,” rudely laughed the Span- ‘** That I know, and I did so, just as you came to my succor once; but you saved me for gold and I gaved you to repay that debt, whieh, as I | sl said, has been Jong overpaid. Now, you go your way and I will go mine.” ‘*Do you take me for a fool, to let fifty thou- sand pesos go through my hands, now that I have you in my power?” ‘*No, you are no fool, Captain Hernandez, and therefore you will not betray me,” was the calm reply. ‘* Ah! now you are sensible, Captain Belmont: how much do you offer for yourself?” “Tl retract my remark—you are a fool, Manuel Hernandez.” ‘Ha! you fling an insult in my teeth?” cried the Spaniard, with anger. ‘*Take it as you please, sefior.” ‘‘ But, it is foolish for me to quarrel with a man who has a halter around his neck, so I will simply again ask you what you wil pay for yourself /” ‘* Not one onze !” Be ge are you tired of life, and wish te ‘* Not by the halter, sefior; but, I offer you ne gold for my life,” ‘You are rich; you have captured many treasure-ships of my own Government, and fifty thousand pesos are not much for you to put in the balance against your life,” ‘‘ Not a peso, sefior; you have my answer.” ‘‘Then I shall call the keeper of the cabaret, bid him send for the guards, aud turn you over as the Chevalier Corsair, and my visit to New Orleans will not prove wholly fruitless.” ‘* And, sefior, if you betray me, I shall. make known the fact that the 4 norable Captain Manuel Hernandez, of the Spanish army, en- tered into a compact with the Chevalier Cor- sair to rob his kinsman, and—” ‘*Hold! no one will believe you.” “Then I can summon your sweet cousin, the Sefiorita Stella Enderoz and her maid, Ninetta, as witnesses.” ‘* And where will you find them,” sneered the Spaniard. ‘* Ha! that reminds me: Manuel Hernandez, I laced you and your cousin, with all ber fa- her’s treasure, upon a ing polaco1, whose skipper I paid to run you into the port near where I left you, and, yet, when Don Ivan En- deros was at home, two days after, his daughter had not returned; what means this, Sefior Span- iard?”’ and the eyes of the Chevalier burned like coals of fire as he turned them upon the young officer. ‘* Jt means, sir corsair, that J took possession of the polacca, and—” ** Nonsense ; the gkipper had four men with him, and you were but one.” “Gold “will accomplish, sometimes, whas stren gth and courage cannot,” was the suggest- ive reply. ' ‘Coward! and vou have the Sefiorita Ende ros in your power?” hissed the corsair, ‘““T have, my handsome Chevalier, and the treasure, too. Nay, more; I have also Belmont, the Buccaneer, in my power,” and a devilish light danced in the Spaniard’s dark pe while h © ye fingered nervously the hilt of his short sword. For a moment both men sat gazing at each other, and then the Chevalier Corsair said, in his deep tones, which showed how greatly he was moved: ‘*Don Manuel Hernandez, you shall rue this dastard deed.” ‘‘No threats, sir chief, for I bold the win- ning hand in this game, and your life his the stake. rere CHAPTER XXI. THD TABLES TURKED. THE cool manner of the Chevalier again non- lused Captain Hernandez; for when he threat- a that the life of the corsair was at stake to. see him wholly indifferent to an unnouncement which he thought would make his face livid, re- bounded upon himself, when it failed in the effect he had intended. | “You take it coolly, certainly,” he tersel said. ‘* While there’s life there’s hope, sefior,” war the smiling reply. ‘But, there is no hope for consider yourself worth what is willing to pay for you.” ‘And | do not; the Government flatters me, and if *twere known that the stories told of my numerous robberies of American vessels upon the high seas were utterly false, they would not offer a peso for my head. ‘*T command an armed vessel, it is true, Sefior Hernandez, and fly a flag of my own liking, but [am not the sea robber that I am represented. But, I am not on trial before you, so it matters not what I am, so 1 will bid you adios,” ‘Hold! I tell you, sir chief, you are my pris- oner,” and the Spaniard drew a pistol, at which vahndy as Gop dieemoeda-perty of gual nd, as they thus a yo emen separated themselves from the crowd in the cabaret, and went forward to the table that was empty, and pear where the two men sat. At a gianee the Chevalier, whe was fscing them, saw that oy were baval officers, and in full nniform, and it but increased bis peril, for ou—unless you e Government <S EComichboo (E()