Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 128 — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

-_ - - -—- — — - -— ee es ee - . o ~———— —— ero ee the water as she has; but I feared for her to- | day, as | did not know how you were to get out | lateen sails, armed of the bayou, having heard it was choked up.” ‘* And soit was; buta freshet, such as choked it up years ago, broke the barrier a year or s0 ago, and I was aware of that, and expected to elu varro is away, we will have to do double duty, Morgan, so call me if 1 am needed,” and, with eee ee ee - ———— —. The Chevalier Corsair. —_—_—_—_—_ A AT At ‘‘She bas gone out, sefior; a three-master, | and manned, and as swift as the wind.” ‘*That is the craft; and she has gone to sea?” ‘*There, do you see yonder speck upon the 6 our pursuers as we did; as the Sefior Na- | horizon?” so ‘‘That is the craff you seek; she hailed a another glance at his pursuers, and then at the | coaster, bound up, put three passengers on Chandeleur Islands, through which the schooner | board, and then ran off as though she had been | in some mischief, and I guess she has, as I see | this cruiser in pursuit, and which I took for a | pirate at first.” was passing, the Chevalier Corsair descended to his cabin and threw himself into an easy- chair. And over his face crept a look of inexpressible sadness, while he said, as was his wont when alone, half aloud: ‘* How long must this life continue, I wonder? ‘‘TIn the mad excitement of the chase and desperate danger, [am content, for it chimes in with my humor; but now, when I am alone with the grim specters that rise from the past to haunt me, then it is memory will not vanish at my Penfing « esreo I see my once happy home in far-away Boston, my dear old father, whom I still love, in spite of the bitter curse he drove me from his door with, and my darling sister, who threw aside the love of noble Harold Syl- vester, for that of Conrado Costello, who would now drag her down to ruin as his wife. ‘‘ But, he shall not, for I have sworn to track him to the ends of the earth, ere he shall brin one sorrow upon her innocent life, for Goc knows, I have brought disgrace and wretched- ness upon all of my name. ‘*‘And poor, poor Marion! is it, I wonder, that because my hand placed a —_ between us, that her image no longer bhoids its impress upon my beart as in the olden time? ‘* And yet it does not, for before me each mo- ment rises the sweet face of that beautiful girl whom I found a prisoner in the ruined convent, and whither Conrado Costello’s baseness had caused her to be taken. ‘*Manine Valverde! a sweet name, indeed, and one I love to speak; but what have I to do with her? J, an outlaw, branded with the name of pirate, have noright even to turn my eyes upon her; yet, for her sweet sake, nevertheless, 1 would be willing to forever sink the guilty , and, as another being, wholly devote m ife to her; but could she love one whose han stretched out to her in pleading, was stained with blood? ‘* Ah, me, I fear not; I fear the love of the pure is forever shut out of my life.” Rising impatiently, with hands a be- hind him, he paced to and fro in the cabin, his brow contracted with a scowl, his lips sternly eas _ again throwing himself into his chair, said: ‘* By Heaven! I will do it; I will hunt down Conrado Costello, and bring Manuel Hernandez to the feck fay ga and then cast off forever the oke cf guilt { wear, and strive to win a name norable among men, for they will not then know me as Belmont, the Buccaneer, and the Chora lien Corsair.” , again he sprung to his feet, and then, while a derisive laugh broke from his lips, said, mart in ' ‘* Bab! what have J to do with honor? What hope have I for the future? What but regret in the past? ? ‘‘fam what I am, and with the brand of pi- racy upon my brow, I dare not raise my head among honorable people; no, no; alife of mad excitement must be mine, and a death upon an outlaw deck will be my fate,” and, as though unwilling to trust himself longer alone, he as- cended to the deck once more. Yet, as soon as he faced his crew every trace of the bitterness in his heart vanished from his features like magic, and once again he was the defiant, haughty Belmont, the Buccaneer. CHAPTER XXXVI. THE OARAVEL SIGHTED. © When the schooner, the day after its esca from the cutter and brigantine, —— the Pass & Loutre, at the Delta of the sere there was no doubt but that the cruisers had given up the chase, having lost the buccanoer craft in the darkness, for they were nowhere visible. Nor was the caravel to be seen, unless a tiny object far off on the horizon, and no larger than a sea-gull’s wing was her. Inshore, lying off the East Pass, a sail was visible; but it was at once discovered to be a pilot craft, waiting for some incoming mer- chantman going up to the city. As the Gulf rovers never interfered with the pilots, and in fact had some of them in their pay as spies, there was no need of the little craft taking flight at sight of the schooner, although her rakieh ap ce at once gave an idea of her lawless career, and the corsair having signaled for the skipper to stand out and meet him, he promptly obeyed, and soon board- ed the buccaneer. “J am in search of o West Indian cararel that is due coming out about this time,” said the Chevalier, as the weather-beaten pilot ap- peeenee where he stoed on the quarter- ‘‘And you have changed your mind?’ asked the Chevalier, with a smile. ‘*Partly, on seeing you, captain, for you don’t look like a bloody pirate; but then you hav’n’t got your colors at the peak.” ‘*T sail under no colors, my man; but here is a reward for your information,” and the Cheva- lier placed a handful of gold in the rough palm of the pilot, who said, reflectively: ‘*T guess I’ve overhauled you now, captain, a1 —- ~ - rrr er ew — - - - - - er eee — -_-——- - ee eae ee ee ee ‘* Ninetta, dry your eyes now, for you have been bemoaning the fate of the handsome Chevalier Corsair ever since | told you that we had nothing more to fear; see, be has es- caped.” ‘He deserves it, lady mistress, for he is a good man, and I prayed hard for him,” an- swered the quadroon. ‘‘How is the lugger’s master, lady?’ asked Alvarez Navarro of the maiden, who had de- votedly attended him since he had been sho | down by Don Manuel. ee ee ‘*Oh, he is much better, and one of his own men has extracted the ball, so I think he wih be all right before long: is it there that you in- tend to land, sebor?” and the maiden pointed wo a distant wooded point of land. ‘*Oh no, seforita; 1 dare not run in before nightfall, as our hiding-place must be kept se- cret; but, I promise you, if your father is still in the city you shall be under his protection be- fore two days.” ‘*] thank you, Sefior Navarro, and he will thank you, too; but oh, sefior, why is it that for honest cruisers don’t pay so liberally for | one like you, a man of refinement and educa-~ nothing, and from all I’ve heard, ’'m of opinion you is the dashing fellow they calls the Cheva- ier Corsair.” “It matters not who I am, my man, yonder caravelis my game.” “Youre a gentleman, sir, pirate or priest though you may be, and I thank you for your gold, which is good metal, even if it bears blood-stains; but seh od to you, sir, and ma you catch the caravel is all the harm I wi ‘ty a and the old pilot went over the side into is boat, while the schooner darted away in the wake of the distant sail with a speed that brought a shout of admiration from the crew and skipper of the little wwe sloop. ‘*Mr. Morgan, let the uty show whut she can do now, for yondercraft must bexvtun down, and she has a long start,” and ontering his cabin the Chevalier threw himself upon a vel- vet divan, and was soon sleeping as peacefully as a child, After several hours he was awakened by the pitching of the schooner, and going on deck he discovered that the wind was blowing a gale from the south, and that the vessel was driving along under more canvas than it was prudent to carry. “Her masts are bowed, sefior chief; but I did not reduce sail much, as the caravel seemed to be holding her own pretty well, considering the craft that isin her wake,” said Lieutenant gan, as his chief Joined him. “You are right: we have only raised half her sails above the horizon; but I can see by those that it is the caravel; but take in the a Morgan, for her eanvas s rs her, and she can still creep up a little on the chase.” “Tt looks as though it was gO to be an ugly night, sefior,” and the junior officer cast a look around at the gathering clouds. * Yes, it will come on to blow hard, doubt- less; but if it isa tornado we must not lose the caravel; she is heading south-east by east now, and, just as I thought intends round Florida and heading up the coast; but,” and he spoke rather to himself than to the officer, ‘‘there’s many a long, weary mile between you, Conrado Costello, and the one you seek, and an aveng- ing brother is in your wake,” and he turned his over the rough waters, which were now ushed into foam by the increasing wind, while the clouds shut out the light of the sun, and there was every indication that a tornado would soon be sweeping over the sea; but reel- ing, staggering and bounding under her huge amount of canvas the stanch schooner held on unswervingly in the wake of the vessel which the Chevalier Corsair had sworn to follow to the bitter end; but the winds and waves, which the daring corsair had defied so long, seemed to have conspired against him, for the hurricaen broke with fearful force, the darkness shut down upon the and to save his vessel the chief had to run before the gale, which was driving in the very direction from whence he had come—back to the shores washed by the fa nha of Borgne and Chandeleur CHAPTER XXXVIL THE CUBAN OORSAIR’S STORY. WHEN Alvarez Navarro discovered, deck of the lugger, that the schooner had in some way cleverly eluded the two cruisers, and came ag eut of the Pass apparently un- burt, he could not restrain the burst of joy that arose to bis lips, and in which his crew of six men heartily joined. Alarmed by the wild ery of the buccaneers Stelia Enderos came quickly on deck, followed by her quadroon maid, Ninetta, who, since her mistress had been in the power of Don Manuel Hernandez, bad remained closely in the cabin of Shp lugger, weeping and bewailing her from the “Pardon, lady, for alarming you; but see, yonder, Bl Maldite has pobre. | and, as usual, the chief has laughed his pursuers to scorn.” Acry of joy came to Stellle’s lips elso, when the young officer pointed to the fl schoomer, and be turned to the guadroou: tion, can be what you are, a pirate?” Ninetta had returned to the cabin, the buc- | Caneer crew had gone ferward once more, and TR were watching the flying schooner, and her two pursuers far astern, and with the impulsiveness of her nature the maiden had appreached and laid her hand upon the arm of the young pirate officer, as he stood by the helm, which he ty At her question he started and his dark face paled; but he turned his fine eyes full upon her and said slowly, and in the low tones that seem- ed habitual to him: “Would you know why, Sefiorita Enderos, I am an outlaw instead of an honorable man, J will teil you, or have asked the question in eel. me there are palliating circumstances that you are what you are.” ‘*'You shall be the judge, lady, and, remen:- ber, that for the acts of m past life I offer no excuse, for, if 1 have sinn I have raised my hand against my fellow-men, 60 must their hands be raised against me.” He paused, and the maiden said, softly: *“‘T will listen to all you have to say, and if word of mine can give encouragement or com- fort, it shall not be withheld.” “*T feel oe Ithank you,” he said, and his voice trembled slightly; but, contro the emotion he felt, he continued: ‘*‘T am, as you doubtless knew, a Cuban, and there is no family in the island than mine, | think I can say without vanity; but then the very high position my father occupied among the peeple made him a marked man, and Satish ley ata kde o pan and, in a due ed he was arrested and thrown into Moro we his wealth, in a great m confiscated, for long years he was kept in a loathsome dun- geon as a felon. ** At last public opinion forced the Governor- General to pardon him, and he returned to his half-ruined home, just as an insurrection was on foot to wrest the Gem of the Antilles from pain. ‘“What he might have done I do not know, h | think he would have jeined the insur- gents; but ere he had time to decide, even, he was arrested as a rebel against the crown, found guilty by false charges, and phen within three days. ‘‘ His death, in such a violent way, killed my poor mother, and my aunt, my mother’s only sister, and myself were all who dared follow her to the — 7 — was Spanish batred against the family of Navarro, the insurgent— But, why do you start, sefiorita?” “T am listen , sehor, and deeply inter- ested,” was the quiet reply, though it was evi- dent that something the Cuban had said had deeply moved her. ‘* Even the slaves, the few left us, dare not ge to the grave of a dead Navarro, and my aunt, — myself, then a mere boy, buried her secretly y night. “Some days after, broken in fortune, my young and beautiful aunt accepted a position as governess toa you me to college in the United States, and it was there I met first the Chevalier Corsair, and knew his noble nature as it was; but, frona the day I touched American soil I have never heard from my aunt, and I fear that, in some way, she was by Spanish treachery, for she was intensely bitter against all the Cuban rulers, ‘Leaving college, I returned to Cuba, and Yas pt not what my father and my family suffered, I was very revengeful, and was easily led to join a band of Patriots, who in- tended to strike for the freedom of the isle; but alas! they were faint-hearted, one of them sold out both es for gold, and though he es caped with his life, ery 3 of thoze he betrayed were put to death, and I, among the heme, was sentenced to die by the garote, bat first to be branded upon the foreh and in the hand with red-hot iron, which was te burn into my flesh the word traiter. e€oilm S “Indeed I have, and your nature proves to | £0 I must suffer; if American lady, and sent (E() Ghoo ~ —— oe a a . —_ *