Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 128 — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

94 last night.” ---aeeger — - - . - - - — eee 5 ee . -_—— — ee ee i — —- -— -_—-—_-—- spoken, and in a loud tone, and in French, the Indians into the woods in hot pursuit, one of landlord asked: them to utter a how] of terror, and come flying *'Whio comes?” back toward the cabiu, while bis cry of alarm Still wearing his priestly garb, the Chevalier | startled the others into a ee retreat. answered, in a deep voice: | ‘* What is it, sir?’ yelled Captain Hernandez, ‘* \ holy father seeks rest beneath thy roof, | who was rubbing himself after his fail, which my son.” _ had been by no means a light one. A bar was removed, a key grated inthe lock, | ‘Oh, senor! the devil! the devi)!” howled and the door swung open, and in stepped the | the frightened man, crossing himself, and rapid- chief. _ly mumbling his prayers. There were six men in the room, besides the ‘“‘The devill wnat mean you? Speak, or | diminutive French landlord. They were mus- will prove a worse enemy than his Satanic cular, bold-looking fellows, dressed in boots, majesty,” and the Spanish captain drew his duck pants, woolen shirts and tarred tarpaulins, sword. while in their belts were a knife and pistol. “Oh, sefior! it was in truth the devil! horns, The room was large, had a bar atone end,and hoofsand tail, and I ran right into his arms and behind it shelves filled with bottles, while sev- felt his hot breath in my face. At first I fell eral tables, benches and chairs comprised the | down to pray. but-feeling his cloven hoofs, and furniture. knowing he liked not prayer, I sprung to my At the entrance of the supposed padre all | feet and fled. Ah, santissima! santissima ! arose and crossed themselves devoutly, while | my soul will be damned.” the leader of the West Indian fishermen, or | he manner and wild recitalof their comrade coast traders, for such they were, stepped for- | impressed all, even to Captain Hernandez, and ward and said, with deep respect: the flight of the Chevalier was momentarily “Thy blessing, padre!” forgotten; but, remembering how dangerous a With well-feigned piety the Chevalier be- | foe be was, the Spaniard determined to face stowed his blessing, and, dashing off a glass of | even the devil to get bim in his power, so, call- choice wine handed him by the keeper, he said, _ ing to the men to follow him, he drew his sword addressing more particularly the leader, and in | and dashed into the forest, followed however Spanish: | only by the lugger’s skipper. ‘“You are the crew of the West Indian lug- | A loud et and then bitter curses, poured ger. under charter of Captain Manuel Hernan- ‘upon the luckless head of the devil-finder, fol- ez?” lowed, and the captain came out of the woods leading the horse that had been ridden by the “We are, padre,” was the answer. *T left the captain to-night, and I have or | Chevaiier. ders for you, my son.” ‘“‘It is the buccaneer’s steed, you egregious ** Ah! no mishap has befallen him, then?” fool! Had I known before he was here I would ‘“*A mishap, yes; but it will not be of long | have followed in bot haste, and perhaps over- duration, yet detain him a sufficient time to an- | taken the rover; but now we have no time to noy the Sefiorita Stella, who is on board your | linger, for bis vessel is evidently lying in some lugger, and I have come to take her into my | lagoon not far away, s@ come! to your boat, keeping, as also the treasure-kegs you have on | men, and we’ll send the lugger flying out of board.” | danger!” ““Sent he no written order, holy padre, or his It was evident that the lugger’s crew were signet?” asked the lugger’s captain. | anxious to redeem themselves in the eyes of the ‘Is more needed than the word of the priest | man who held the purse-strings, and giving of nee church, my son?’ asked the Chevalier, their dead comrade and the Chevalier’s horse sternly. | in the msoping of the tavern-keeper, they bas- ‘** No, no; forgive me, holy father; but I have | tened to the water’s edge, where a yawl was in my keeping a fair lady left with me by the | drawn up upon the sands. captain to with my life, and also atrea-| Shovivg it quickly into the water and spring- sure of thousands upon thousands of pesos, and § ing in, Captain Hernandez himself taking the it is but natural I should be careful in what I | tiller, they pulled with strong stroke out upon do, for our master has paid us liberally, and | the Jake, and then headed parallel with the feft us with the intention of returning hither ~ a - darkly-wooded point of land ap peared ahead. ‘*There lies the lugger, sefior captain,” an- nounced the skipper, pointing to where the masts and hull of a vessel were dim)y visible, and heading for it, the boat soon ran alongside. **Now, up witb your anchor, and spread sail, Tolosa!” ordered Don Manuel. ‘* Whither, sefior?’ was the quiet question of the West Indian skipper. ‘*Out into the lake, and then along the coast until we discover some secluded lagoon to hide in, until the corsair puts to sea, for he dare not remain long in this quarter.” ‘* Si, sefior,” and the anchor was soon up, the sails set, and before a six-knot breeze the swift lugger was gliding along over the dark waters, and Manuel Hernandez breathed more freely, for hope of escape was before him, while capture meant the loss of the Sefiorita Stella Enderos and the “egy which he had so vilely taken on of. But, just as the dark shores were growing dim in the distance, he geve a sudden start, strained his eyes, and then burst forth in bitter maledictions, for, relieved against the black | | “You are forgiven, my son; your lugger is at anchor, he said, in—” ‘The mouth of the lagoon half a mile dis- tant, holy father. What are thy wishes?” fore the Chevalier could reply there re- sounded without the rapid clatter of hoofs, a | sudden halt was heard, and into the still open door strode Don Manuel Hernandez! CHAPTER XXIX. THE FLIGHT AND PURSUIT. Av, the sudden, unlooked-for, and certainly undesired presence of Captain Manuel Hernah- dez, the very personage from whom he was professing to be a messenger, it is unne to state the Chevalier was taken aback, shough he did not exhibit by act or word any discon- certion, for he had been too often in despe- rate situations, where cool courage alone could save him, to exhibit nervousness, even though the odds were fearfully against him. ‘‘Ah, my son, lam glad you have come, for I was just telling your camaradas that I had seen you in the city,” said the Chevaher, with the utmost sang froid of manner and speech. Don Manuel, in spite of the evil life he led, held the priesthood of his church tod sacred to contradict a padre, so said, inquiringly: > *Then we have met before, holy father? wks . Sige orgive my treacherous memory. Curse you! ve eyes; and curse him! he and rena yr ‘, stunner Ae, the Rad 5 a i as the ae he and turning to an crew, and the lugger’s skipper - ®@ Skipper, he continued fiercely: tily : pst = Cover this creeping craft with every inch of “*Sefior, the holy father told us he came as a | canvas she ean sptead.” messenger from you.” Si, sefior; but El Maldito sails like a whirl- ne tncur Ee of are Chevalier’s he hee Se Be | wind, oa the eto Ssh te gf ao een bitter ou Manuel Hernandez to start, while he cri curses broke from the lips of Captain Manuel out in a loud tone: Hernandez, for despair dan the fear of death “What means this, padre? Do the priests of | clutcbed with icy fingers at his heart, and the rs onl go on armed, and wear uniforms be- | Peery ne lifetime tramped like grim spec- neath their robes? ers before his vision. Without replying the Chevalier suddenly | And, under all the canvas that would draw, bounded forward, his trusty blade in one hand, | her lateen sails bellying out as hard as boards, and his pistol in the other, and the Spaniard and her skipper keeping her on her course as was poe ta to the floor write oat tt eas | whe - a ae flig x3 the sia tnough one of the lugger’s crew who oO . im fe 1omely lugger lew over the waters, leaving a dead in his sracke: | foumittg wake far behind her, and petting And then Joud cries, curses, and rushing of | eight knots out of a six-knot breeze. eet pore but ey of I teawink: ‘ u = | by an ae Se Re ta ee Her- evalier bounded, and th imself | nandez watched herrapid flight for a few mo- astride of the pages waiting steed of Don | ments, and then turned his gaze upon the phan- Manuel, he dashed off like the wind, followed | tom-like vessel dashing on in pursuit, for it was by a volley of pistol-shots and impreca jong, as.) now evident that she was in chase. : he disappeared, apparently unhurt, in the dark ‘**Holy Virgin! she gains upon us,” he cried, magnolia forest. , background of the Magnolia forest, there sprung into view. the white, spectral form of a large vessel—a schooner under full sail. “Sefior, it is El Maldito!” said Tolosa, in a | husky whisper. in a pitiful tone ‘“ After him, for it is Belmont, the Buccaneer! **Tt is El Maldito, sefior,” was the Taconic re- A hundred onzas to the man who brings him | ang of Tolosa, his hand as firm asa rock upon down!” cried the discomfited Captega Hernan- ; the tiller. dez, springing to his feet livid with rage,and = *‘In the devil’s name, what matters that, To- the hope of the golden reward sent the West losaf” angrily asked the Spaniard. The Chevalier Corsair: nr ee ne ee i -- C- — — -— — +e ee ee el Ci ee ‘* A curse flies faster than a blessing, sefior.” “Ah! meaning this craft for the blessing? Well, my swarthy skipper, your judgment is a littie off. I wish you were right, that we might be blest by escaping, but it looks doubtful to me.” ‘* And to me, too, sefior capitan, for she gains rapidly, and ere long we will have iron pitched into us, if we don’t heave to.” ‘What! do you think I would surrender to yonder man? Not if he blows your lugger, and all on board, to the devil, would I come to at his order; but, be dare not fire in these waters, as it would bring the American cruisers upon him.” ‘‘The Virgin grant us protection, sehior; but, El Maldito is coming after us like a tornade.” The words of Tolosa were true; the schooner was rushing on in chase like the wind, and ere long the end must come, be it what it might. CHAPTER XXX. AN OATH AND A PLEDGE. As the West Indian lugger drove on before a breeze that was constantly increasing im strength, Captain Manuel Hernandez paced the small deck with a nervous step, for each glance astern showed him that the ae pe schooner was steadily gaining, for only a mile divided the two vessels now. | Muttering bitter imprecations, he descended into the small, yet not uncomfortable cabin, and there paused as he bebeld upon a sofa, that stood beneath the transom, the form of a woman. Her face was buried in her hands, and her whole attitude was that of dejection; but hear- ing his footstep she raised her head, and the beautiful, though pale countenance of the Sefior- ita Stella Enderos was revealed. ‘* Ab, my sweet cousin, you wear a dejected look for one who hopes for stceor soon,” said Don Manuel, with a sneer. ‘*Tt is the dread that a cruel Fate i keep me in your power that disheartens me, for, when I glanced out of the fort a moment ago, it seemed that the schooner did not gain on us,” she answered, in a discongolate tone. After a pause of a moment the Spaniard said: “* Stella, if 1 have seemed to treat you harshly, it is because of my love for you, and—” ‘*Silence, sir! does your manhood permit you to use such argument to defend your cruelty?” she cried, with flashing eyes, ‘* You have heen cruel to me, Stella, for you have known well that [ loved you ever since you were a little girl, when I taught you to ride, and to sail a boat, and—” “Do not recall a past when I believed you honorable, Don Manuel; you showed your fons character too soon, and won my dislike, and now that I know you as you really are I hate you, for you have robbed my poor father ef bis child and his fortune.” ‘‘ All that L took from him I have on board this lugger—yourself, the-gold, and the jewels, and I tell you again, as I told you often before, if you will consent to be my wife, I will return you to your father, and with you his treasure.” ‘* Never, sir! you are far worse than the pirate chief, for from you I should lock for protection ; but he se me my freedom, and the treasure af my father, which you had plotted to rob him of, and when he placed me on board this vessel he believed that 1 was to go at once to my home; but you, Manuel Hernandez, lei astray, with your promises of gold, the poor men on this craft, and you bave held me prisoner, hoping to make me consent to become your wife, and go to my father with the fal upon my lips that you protected me, and saved my honor and the treasure; but I swear to you setior, 1 will never consent so to debase myself in my own eyes, be the consequences what they may.” ken in a low but distinct and firm She had | tone, and Manuel Hernandez knew well that he could not break her will, and with her refusal ringing in his ears, and the schooner steadily yr upon the lugger, he was in despair; but e determined to try once more, and said: **Cousin Stella, do you know what craft it is in pursuit?’ “TI do; you believe, at least, that it is the schooner Known as E) Maldito, and wbose chief set me free when, through your plot, I fell into his hands.” ‘* Yes, it is El Maldito, and the Chevalier Cor- sair in command, and if he takes us, / will be put to death.” . ““Your own actions only will be the cause, cousin Manuel.” ‘“‘Granted, Stella; but would you see me die?” % Aye a8 ot care to.” re ‘Remember the past y days we spent together at the hacienda, wisi ved cared for me, and called me your Jover-cousin—” ‘“‘Those days are in the past, Manuel, and if they lost their joy as years went on, itwas your hand that caused them to vanish.” ‘*T will admit that, cousin Stella: but remem- bering what we have been to each other, will you see me die at the yard-arm, when you ean save me?” ‘* Why should the Chevalier Corsair pnt you to death, when a short while since he gave yeu your freedom willingly?” ‘* Because we have met since, in New Orleans, Gomichbooks.co: > ~~