Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 128 — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

a ee —— a f 18 and itis war to the knife between us now, and if an accident should happen to the lugger, and we fall into his power, | know that | would have to die, unless you saved me.” ‘* And how can I save you, Manuel?’ “By oe a falsehood, cousin mine; by say- ing that / did not, against your will, bear you away in the lugger, but took you to New Or- leans, where you became my wife—” ‘*No! no! no! I cannot do that.” “Then I must die.” There was something in his tone so sad and reproachful, that it went to her tender heart, and she said quickly: ** No, I mek te with him for you.” “Your pleading will do not an atom of good, for he will feel that he has been injured by my act in carrying you off against your will, after he has set you free, and he will put me to death, while, if I let him know that it was because of the hatred your father bore me, that you went with me and became my wife, and beg him then to spare your husband and your treasure, he will do it, for I know the man.” ‘‘And if I tell this base falsehood, Manuel, what is to be my fate when he lets us go free?’ ‘“*T will carry you by night to your home, and your treasure too, only I will beg that you let it be known that Ll was captured by the buc- caneers in trying to save you, and then, cousin mine, I pledge you never to cross your path again, and to lead a different life.” “Is this ne given, Manuel, only in the face of death?” ‘*No! no! for what care I for death? A sol- dier, it may come to me at any time, and with- out you, l! care little to live; I give you the verry in good faith, and—” ‘* The schooner is gaining, sefior, and the lug- er is driven her best,” said Tolosa, calling out own the companionway. ‘* You hear, cousin Stella?” said Don Manuel, sadly. Rising and approaching him, the beautiful girl laid her hand upon his arm, and her voice trembled as she spoke: ‘Cousin Manuel, if word, even a falsehood, or act of mine could save you from a cruel and ignominious death, I would see your phantom form ever before my eyes, if I refused it, and [ grant your request—” ** Bless you, Stella.” * Hear me! I grant it, but upon one condi- tion. ‘Name it.” “That you call Tolosa into the cabin, and in his presence, swear that you will return me at once, and in safety to my home, ay, and my father’s treasure with me; will you do this?” ‘¢ Yes, willingly, cousin mine, and from this moment I will lead a changed life.” ‘*God grant that you may; now call the lug- ger’s captain.” Don Semel hastened to obey, and when the two came into the cabin, the maiden said: ‘*Sefior Tolosa, my cousin is to take an oath that if I tell the captain of the pursuing vessel that I willingly went with him to New Orleans, and there became his wife, and beg his release with mine, that he will at once have you sail for our island, and place me in safety, with m father’s riches, at my own home, and | will pledge myself to pay yourself and crew liber- ally.” | vit is as you wish, sefiorita; Iam but your slave,” said Tolosa, politely, ‘*Now, Don Manuel Hernandez, kneel.”’ With a scowl the Spaniard obeyed, and draw- ing a gold crucifix from her bosom, she said: ‘* Press this to your lips, and swear by all you deem sacred on earth or in heaven that you will keep the et you have made me, under pen- alty of eternal damnation,” ) er voice fairly rung in its intensity, and in- voluutarily Don Manuel and Tolosa uncovered their heads, while the former turned a deadly hue, and the hand that held the crucifix trem- bled violentl , as he said in a low tone: “ T'swear! “It is enough; now I will keep my pledge to you; come, I will go on deck with you.” She threw her mantilla around her, drew her black lace vail over ber head, and went to the deck, and gave a glarice astern. Instantly a cry broke from her lips, for the schooner, looking like a huge, flying one was but a short distance away, and rushing down upon them like a whirlwind. CHAPTER XXXT. THE CHEVALIER’S PRIZE. WHEN the Chevalier Corsair dashed away from the lake-shore cabin, on the steed of Don Manuel Hernandez, he soon placed the shelter of the woods between himself and danger, ote his horse reeled under him, hard hit by es But be urged the frightened and suffering animal on, and, apparently fully understanding the way he was to go, guided him free of all ob- stacles in the darkness, until he dashed out upon the open beach. There the horse staggered badly, and dis- mounting, the corsair patted him kindly on the neck, saying sadly: ee ots of his foes. . The Ch ——_—_ ae = — — — ‘¢ Poor fellow, you have saved me and your life has been the sacrifice: but the brute must ever yield to the human.” With another caress he left the dying ani- mal, who sunk down in his tracks witha low moan, and walked rapidly along the beach un- til it wound around into a lagoon, overhung with moss-draped ‘trees. Placing his fingers to his lips he gave three shrill, distinct whistles, and they were answered by the flash of a light out on the waters, or ap- parent'y from the other shore. As if satisfied, he waited patiently, quietly pacing to and fro, and seemingly little caring for the pursuit that had followed his rapid exit from the cabin. He had not long to wait before a dark object was visible upon the lagoon, and soon it touched the shore, almost at his feet, and proved to be a boat with four oarsmen. ‘* Welcome, sefior capitan; we are glad to see you back,” said the bow oarsman, politely. ‘Thank you, Jacinto; is all right on board?” ‘* As trim as though you were there yourself, sir; back to the schooner, sir?” ‘* Yes,” and at the answer the coxswain gave the order to give way, and the boat started upon its return. A row of two cables’ length and the dark shore on the other side of the lagoon loomed up; but the boat continued straight ahead until it | suddenly ay 3 alongside what was now visible as a schooner, but so moored in under the over- hanging branches of the trees, and draped with the funereal gray moss, that it would not be visible even in daylight to any one passing upon the water. At the gangway the Chevalier was met by a young man, with a frank, fearless face, as shown by the light from the eompanionway, and his attire, an undress of black, trimmed with silver lace, proved him to be an officer. ‘* Welcome, senor; it is with such dread that I see you trust yourself alone, that it is a joy to have you return,” he said, in an honest way that proved his greeting was sincere. ‘‘ Thank you, Alvarez; but get the schooner at once under sail, head out of the lake, and then come into my cabin,” and the Chevalier descended into his own luxurious quarters, for the interior of the vessel was oriental in its comforts and beauty. Throwing aside his disguise and the costume he had worn, he hastily robed himself in a uni- form, consisting of white velvet pants, a la Mexican in style, for they were slashed up the outer seams with yellow silk set in as far as the knee, and gold lace stripes and small gold but- tons running from his waist down; his jacket was of black velvet, the sleeves of which were like the pantaloons, trimmed with lace and buttons, and upon either shoulder was a gold knot signifying his rank, while a naval cap and a sash of silver thread encircling his waist com- pleted his very elegant uniform, with the ex- ception of a handsome pair of pistols, a jewel- hilted knife and a short sword he wore in a belt, which the sash concealed. Hardly had he completed his toilet, when Al- varez Navarro, his lieutenant, and a dashing, sad-faced young Cuban entered, and said, blr pe he gazed with admiration upon his superb chief: ‘‘Sefior captain, the schoouer is under way, and we are going along at about eight knots.’ ‘Then I will accompany you to the deck,” and glancing around him over his beautiful vessel the chief gave orders to the helmsman to head inshore and run parallel to it, while wey man was told to keep a look-out for a The schooner, even in the darkness, was no- ticeable as an exquisite model of symmetry, and her gaunt hull, tall, tapering and rakish masts, proved that she could cut swiftly through the waters, and be driven under can- vas enough for a vessel of twice her tonnage, Her decks were in perfect order, her guns shining like gold, every small-arm in its place around the masts, and her crew of eighty silent and on the alert; in fact, no cruiser under a legitimate flag was in better sailing and fight- ing trim, or could show better discipline, or a finer-looking set of men to handle ber in action, though they were gathered from a score of na- tions, from the China seas to the Gulf of Mexico. Gliding along with an easy, silent motion, there was something ominous in the vessel, which looked like a huge nightbird of the deep looking along the dark shores for some prey to pounce upon, **Sefior, a light lifts yonder!” said Alvarez Navarro, pointing off the starboard bow. ‘1 see it; it is in the window of the cabaret on the shore, and from which I escaped a short while since; ah! yonder is the lugger now, Al- varez,” and as the Chevalier spoke a dozen voices cried out: ‘* Sail ho!” “Ay, ay, I seo it, lads; helmsman, head for yonder craft, for it is the game I seek,” and out valier Corsair. _sefiorita and the gold off in, for she me i ee -_-—_— — = + $e ee — —_ — oe ae ee seemed to feel that there was duty for her ahead. And thus the chase went on, the schooner gradually gaining and the lugger heading in- shore, as though it was the intention of her captain to beach her, and escape with the loss of his vessel. ‘‘T can send a shot into her, sefior,” said Al- varez Navarro. ‘*Not on any account, sefior, for the one I hope to save may be the victim of the shot.” The reply of bis chief caused the young Lieu- tenant to glance more attentively through his glass at the small vessel, for he had wondered why the Chevalier was in pursuit of game that hardly seemed worth the catching, and he said, after awhile: ‘‘That looks to me like the lugger we sent the has two patches in her sail just like that craft.” ‘* You are right, sefior; it is the same vessel and the Sefiorita Enderos is still on board,” was the quiet response; but it surprised the pi- rate lieutenant immensely. ‘‘Then t' ere has been treachery somewhere, sefior chief.” , ‘‘There has; the same one who proved a traitor to his own kindred is now proving even worse to the Sefiorita Enderos,” and the Cheva- lier went on to tell of what had happened to him in the city, and also at the cabin on the shore, to the great surprise and indignation of Alvarez Navarro, for, like his chief, he was ill- suited to a pirate’s life, and only a base wrong against him had forced him to fly for proteo- tion to an outlaw deck. As the chief went on with his story, the schooner continued to gain more rapidly upon the lugger, especially as the wind grew stronger, and at length her tall clouds of canvas almost towered above the deck of the lugger. ‘“‘ Alvarez, take the helm and shave the stern of the lugger, so that I can spring on board with half a dozen men; then shorten sail and keep alongside until I hail you.” ‘“‘ Ay, ay, sefior,” and the Cuban stepped to the helm, while the Chevalier passed forward, — to about a dozen of his crew to follow m. And upon the sharp bows of the schooner the little band took their stand, and waited, while they drew nearer and nearer the lugger, ‘*Schooner, ahoy! do P intend to run us down?” cried Manuel Hernandez, in angry tones, as the long, needle-like bowsprit hovered over their heads. ‘‘My helmsman has his orders, sir,” was the stern reply of the Chevalier, and, turning, he called back to Alvarez Navarro: ‘* Let ber fall off—steady! Follow me, men!” With a bound the Chevalier was upon the lugger’s deck, and following him came his me as bimble as cats, and ready for combat, shania the order be given. ‘‘ Well, sir, as you have the power, and we dare not resist, you do as you please, yet I would hke to know why you thus board an honest craft?’ said Den Manuel, placing himself with drawn weapon before the Seforita Stella. ‘Tt is to protect that lady, Manuel Hernan- dez, from a villain,” was the calm response, ‘*Ha! this to my teeth, sir pirate?” “Ay, and worse: we are not now in New Or- leans, with you holding the winning band, Cap- tain Manuel Hernandez, and 1 would advise you to lower your tone, for x y yard-arms are conveniently near, as you perceive, and I have boarded this vessel to take from you the lady you have so cruelly wronged, and to punish you for your treacherous act.’ ; ‘‘How mean you that I have wronged this lady ?”’ “JT released her upon learning of your in- iquity, and placed ber in the keeping of that EA and he pointed to Tolosa, the lugger’s eeper. And she preferred to remain under my a tection and became my wife,” was the trium- phant reply of the Spaniard. “Ha! Is this true? Sefiorita Enderos, I ap- | to you?’ ‘Yes, sefior,” was the firm response. ‘“‘Now what have you to say, sefior pirate? She went with me to New Orleans and there be- came my wife, intrusting herself and her treas- ure to my keeping, and I am now returning Pres to the hacienda of my kinsman, Dyn van. “Can this be true? The Sefiorita Stella your wife?” asked the Chevalier, with witherin scorn in his tone, and which called up the r blood into the maiden’s face, which the dark- ness alo: e prevented from being seen. ‘*'You bave heard the lady’s own words, sir corsair; need you ask more?” ‘*I would ask her kind permission to make her a widow within the hour, and run you up as an ornament to my vessel,” was the stern answer, and it sent a cold thrill to the Span- iard’s heart, and caused the maiden to say, earnestly: “Senor, I already owe you much, far more from the shelter of the dark sbores sped the | than I can ever repay: but yet I beg of you to beautiful vessel, and on in pursuit of the lug- | permit my—my Avsband, to go in safety, as ger she darted with increased speed, for the wind came free, and like a thing of life she you have once done before, and my every prayer shall remember you, for you are not - $$ —$ $e ee €om GDOOKS