Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 128 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

_———s ee es ee Oy te er ee oe ee island of the West Indies under the rule of old Spain, and, followed by his men, who did ih- deed look like grim specters in the gloom, he soon came out upon a rolling lawn, beyond which glimmered the white walls of a grand old hacienda, from the windows of which gleamed one solitary light. The order came not from the chief, but from. a man dimly visible in the shadow of an orange tree; but the word was yet on his lips when, with the spring of a tiger, the outlaw was upon him, his iron clutch upon his throat, and his strength hurling bim to the ground with a force that slightly stunned him. ‘‘Mercy, sefior chief, mercy, for it is Her- ez!” gas the frightened man.°: With a light laugh the chief raised him to his feet, saying, calmly: **Be more circumspect, Sefior Hernandez, in halting a lings of armel mea, bound upon.a us expedition. I believed that we had been betrayed, an | the soldiers were upon us ”. **Oh, no, the night patrol has gone its rounds, sefior, and my gcld pot the bugler to do his gh: as I agreed with him; did you not hear ‘* Yes; I was no fool to venture here without; is all safe?” ‘“‘Assafe asa Rrevevare at night,” answered - man, speaking in Spanish, as the chief had one, **Then we will goon at once. I have given orders to my men that there is to be no blood- shed; they are to have the gold you point out to them, and the jewels, which you can easily bear off, are to be yours.” ** Yes, sefior; that is our compact.” “Then it shall be carried out, though I hate to aid in such work, and would not, were it not that I have a score to settle with Don Ivan.” ** He is not at home, sefior.” ‘Such you told me in Havana was to be the case; how many servants are there in the man- sion?”’ ** About a score, but they sleepin a distant wing of the hacienda.” ** And the fort is a mile away?’ ** A short mile, sefior, 80 we must work in si- lence.” “So be it; now lead the way to your thieving work, Don Hernandez.” ** You are severe, sefior.” “Tam truthful; it is a despicable deed you are guilty of, Munuel Hernandez, but when you saved my life, six months ago, in Havana, I ledged myself to serve you when asked, and I my word, though it is to rob your own kindred; but I sweeten my conscience with the thought that your kinsman put to death nine of my crew ; that I givemy men the gold, touching not one peso myself, and am getting rid of my obligation to you; now let us have the thing over. ‘* Sofior ohief, your words are insulting,” and Don Hernandez’s tone was in evident anger. **T never choose my words in addressing a villain, sefior ; but lead on, for I want no quar- 11 with you,” was the haughty reply. : _A imu imprecation came to the lips of ‘ the young Spaniard, for such he was, but there was something in the tone and manner of the leader that checked further words, and he si- lently led the way across the lawn. | In sil they reached the mansion and ieeeibed bles in shadows of the walls, in front of an arched doorway leading into the “ Rest here; I will open it from within,” said 4 : open it from within,” s ernandez, in a low tone, and he disap- peared around a wing of the mansion, and like statues in ebony, as they looked in the dark- op stood the buccaneers, awaiting his re- rn, Having gone to the rear of the dwelling, ' which w.sa large, rambling and most elegant old structure, occupying a full acre of land, Don Manuel Hernandez approached a portico, and tapped lightly at a door, ~~ hidden no oe was opened hy & “ No, Sefior Manuel; though the hour is late she is gre own salon,” angwered the hand- soind negress, . Tha visitor crossed the corridor, preceded by Minette, ahd was ushered into a large but luxu- young and pretty quad- him, bade nim enter. has my sweet cousin riously- hed sitting-room, off which was a iLal saber and toilet room. very of , and the whole sur- roundings, were cative of wealth and re- fined taste, and the fair mistress of the man- sion reclined upon a vale her fingers running lightly over the strings of a Spanis ola, In face and form she w3 exquis ul, possessing a yrnvinn ‘zat would shine re- splendent in any assemblage of lovely women; Mat eure was slight, Sess Sos of limb was and each her face was re algo the long fringed lashes aud. arched as were 16 lo J raisin ote her haire ng in massive braids aroun her, was the purest auburn in hue. in a white wrapper, half reclining, -_— ee ee ee ee ee - half sitting, with her tiny feet incased in jewel- | ‘* And yet I demand an answer, sefior, for ———_ ——_ eo - - —— -- —--—_ The Chevalier Corsalr. 4. ____--. _ 8 — — ——<- - - set peers, and her small hands holding the bandoli, she looked like some fairy of an Ori- ental clime. ‘*Ah, it is you, cousin Manuel?” was _ her rather cold salutation; as the young man en- tered, and who now, as the lights of the room fell upon him, proved to be dressed in the uni- form of a Spanish captain, and possessed a dark, handsome, yet not & good face, for it was marked by reckless dissipation. ‘* Yes, cousin mine, there are some books in my uncle’s library I wish to look over for refer- ence, and, with your permission, I will spend. the night there, throwing myself upon the lounge when fatigned.” ‘Your room is at your service, Don Manuel, as you know, and we breakfast at nine, if you care to remain,” she said, in the same cold tone she had before used. “*No, I must back to my quarters at the fort, and in fact my search of the volumes [ refer to may not detain me long. Good-night, sweet cousin,” and approaching neaxyer, he continued ina whisper: | “‘T never saw you looking so beautiful before, and your charms but add to my intense love for u ** Need [ tell von again that your love for me is a vain hope, Don Manuel?” ‘*No, for it is not pleasant to hear. Good- night once more,” and, taking a lamp handed to him by Ninetta, he left the room, crossed a wide hall, and turned into a door leading into the wing of the mansion in the shadow of whose walls crouched the buccaneers without. Setting down the lamp he did approach the book-case u ane side of the room, but it was not to take therefrom a volume, as he had said, but to touch a secret spring, which caused the case to swing open like a door, revealing behind it a narrow portal in the wall. This door alse ytelded to a touch on a secret spring, and taking up the lamp the midnight ma- te ed descended a stone stairway to the cellars ow. ' The light showed it to be a stone vault, around the walls of which were rows of kegs and boxes, a seaman’s chest and stacks of arms. “Here is my treasure, and it is worth the entire gold,” he said, eagerly, raising the lid of the chest, and taking theréfrom bags of jewels of all kinds, for on labels attached were marked “6 Diamonds,” bd, Rubies,” sé Pearls,” se Opals,” ‘* Sapphires,” and so on. Into a leathern sachel he wore beneath his cloak, and fastened around his neck, he thrust the bags of gems, and then HKastening across the stone vault unbolted and unbarred a massive iron door, in which the key turned with a sbrieking sound that startled him, and which had been evidently unused for long years. As the door swung heavily back the tall, cloaked form of the Corsair leader stood at the threshold, the light of the “| falling full up- on him, displaying a darkly-bronzed face, stern, calm, fearless and’ strikingly perfect in every feature, een A It was a strangely youthful: face, too—under twenty-five. A dark-brown mustache sbelter- ed bis mouth, upon which rested a ‘sneer, as if called there by his own ignoble apn hedtems mid- |: night’ marauding, and dark, piercing eyes were bent upon Don Manuel, with a look of commi ee contempt and sternness. ‘* Well, sefior, the treasure lies there in those ‘Ai a et eh of the stealings?” ‘*And your share 0 es at beve them mes, a lieve you. ere, men, is your ty ; take it up and be off to the schooner. Mind you, no nojse or confusion.” ~The men entered, and raised the heavy kegs of gold and filed out of the vault, the chief and Don Manuel standing by in silence, But, as tho last keg was raised upon a pirate’s brawny shoulder, there.came a cry from the room above: ** Help! wens There are robbers in the vaults below CHAPTER II. THE CHEVALIER CORSAIR. “HASTEN there, you snails! Ill check pur- suit,” cried the chief, and he sprung up the stone acres down which now a flood of-light from the room above. <a As be bounded, cutlass in hand, into the chamber he started back, for before him, a pis- tol in her hand, and her eyes flashing, he be- held the beautiful form of Stella Enderos, ber eyes flashing, her bowom heaving, for she was determined in her father’s absence to protect her father’s riches, “Hala lady here?” and the chief started back in eH wy lowering his cutlass and dof- fing hispumedhat, ~ . ‘Ay, sefior, a lady here—the Sefiorita Stella Enderos,” she answered, proudly. ‘‘ Ig itso that Don Ivan Enderos has a daugh- ter?” ne the chief, completely amazed. “7% - his daughter; and what do you “That per were bard to answer to you, sefiorita,” he said, in an embarrassed way. . if hither this night to visit ay Demet i silence one by one— ee — _—_—— + a eS ee = sere 2 ee ee -_ ee ome eee my cousin, Don Manuel wep moe came ibrary and I find now, instead of him, yourself, and hear the clink of gold, the clash of arms and the voices of men in the vaults below.” ‘*It is, alas! too true, lady; but I knew not that Don Ivan had a daughter to share his voame and not of one peso shall you be rob- ‘* Robbed! In the name of the Virgin Mother, who are you?” she cried, in alarm. ‘*Men call me a pirate, lady,’ came in the deep, sad tones of tho chief. ‘“‘A pirate? Oh, God have mer lost!” and the young girl swoon sunk in a heap upon the floor. The chief would have sprung to her side and raised her up, but then a buccaneer dashed into the room, crying, eagerly: **Come, sefior chief, they lave signaled the fort in some way; the bugles are calling boots and saddles, and already we hear the tramp of cavalry.” With a smothered oath, and a glance at the unconscious maiden, the chief bounded from the room, darted out through the vault, and gave a loud rallying cry to his men, who, ex- cepting those who had borne away the treasure, awaited him. ** Where is Don Hernandez?” he cried. ** He has fled, sefior.” ‘*That gold must not go on the schooner, for that accursed Spaniard has deceived me as well as proving traitor to his kindred. Oneof you go, and bid Lieutenant Costello to leave that trea- sure on the cliff, while I check pursuit from yonder coming dragoons,” and calling his men around him, he dashed forward toward the , for [ am away and orange grove, around which wound the road © leading to the mansion; then he hastily arrang- ed his crew to beat back the first onslaught of the soldiers, after which they could retreat to the schooner before the troops rallied. As they left the mansion a man dashed out of the vault, and then another, and each bore in his arms a heavy burden. Keeping in the shadow of the mansion, for a while, they skirted the foliage to the right, and across the lawn from the orange grove, in which were gathered the buccaneers, and running with great speed, soon gained the cliff, and then the schooner, which now had her sails set, and huge sweeps out, ready to depart. As they entered the cabin with their burdens, the lights shone upon the faces of Don Manuel Hernandez, and a swarthy-visaged seaman of the schooner, and in their arms they held human forms. Hardly had they reached the schooner before there resounded above volleys of pistol-shots and the shouts of combatants; after which there was a silence for a few moments, proving Lae the troopers had been surprised and beaten m Then on the cliff above was heard the ringing voice of the chief, shouting: ** Ho, the schooner!” ; “Ay, ay, sefior,” answered the lieutenant, who had returned with the treasure-bearers. ‘* Is all ready to cast off?” * Ay, ay, sir; only awaiting you and the men. :; | ‘Then on to the deck, men, and lose no time, for these troopers are but eons EN checked. Ho, Sefior Costello!” he again called out, as the men clambered down the steep hillside. ar’ ‘« Safe in the hold, sir, and the hatches closed.” ‘“Maledictions! Did’ you not receive my or- ders to leave it ashore?” . ‘‘ No such orders came to me, sefior.’”” ‘(Open the hatches, and—hold! the troopers are: coming,” and checking his order, as the shouts of t mohareing soldiers, now reénfo were gees he quickly descended the side o the cliff, and gave orders, as he sprung upon the deck, to cast loose from the rocks, The sweeps moved the schooner clear, and the ils filling with the breeze that swept over che hilltops, she glided off from the land, just as the summit of the cliff became black with human forms, while the darkness was il- lumined by the flash of the pistols, fired after ge ric vessel, _ tthe shots fell harmless the decks, and, potting an offing, the wind filled the sails; then, ke a bird, the schooner flew out of the little bay, just as the deep boom of a was heard, and another, and another, until three had been in quick succession. " ims) are’ from the fort, and they are f) signalin Spanish cruisers in the harbor up thé coast,” ann ithechief. — ‘“‘And there go the answerin als,” re- — Conrado tello, the lieutenant, as the nt boom of cannon was heard. ** Yes, and we'll have to make the schooner fly, for we’ve got leagues to go before we reach open water. Steady as you are, helmsman!” aud the chief walked aft to take his place be- side the man at the wheel, when from the cabin came a piercing cry that made him s and bounding out of the companionwary, the phe streaming full upon her, was Stella Enderos GOMmiehnoo ‘SCO ; ! : : ce