Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 128 — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

24 ee | ee ee ee of the dark hull and shadowy rigging of the brigantine; but keeping close inshore, they soon pessed, and at last the yawl was headed for the secret arbor, where lay the lugger. As, at a low order from Saabetin. the men ceased vere: the quick eye of the pirate cox- swain caught sight of an object out upon the dark waters, and he cried: ** Lads, there’s the schooner; see, she has just swans OP into the wind and let fall her mud- OOK. ‘*You are right, and that accursed blind watch on the brigantine does not see her,” said Harold Sylvester, angrily. ‘*The watch are doubtiess hunting the lee of the bulwarks, sir, a night like this; but we must hasten to get El Maldito out of her danger,” and as the boat swept in under the moss drapery, a low, stern voice said: o! there, who are you?” ** Jacinto, Sefior Navarro: you keep better watch than the brigantine, for she neither saw us, nor the schooner, that lies at anchor a few cables’ length from her,” answered the cox- swain. ' ** Hal the schooner has run in then, Jacinto?” “She has, sefior, and must run out too, or the break of day will show her the brigantine in pistol-shot range.” ‘* She could not see the brigantine on account of the dark background of the trees; but who have you here, Jacinto, and did you see my friends safely to the city?” ‘*To the last question I answer yes, sefior, and to the former, ag th me to introduce Cap- tain Sylvester and Midshipman Nevil, of the American brigantine-of-war Huntress, for such [ learn they are.” **Do you mean it, Jacinto?’ asked the sur- prised Alvarez Navarro. ‘* We are such as he states, sir, and entrapped ourselves, believing his boat to be from the eutter; what is your will regarding us?” said Harold Sylvester. ‘* That the Chevalier Corsair, our chief, must decide, sir; but now please enter the cabin with me, and it is unn to say that an at- ae to betray us to those on your vessel will t in your instant death,” said Alvarez Navarro, with firmness, yet politely. “We have given our parole, sir, and will abide by our word,” haughtily answered the American captain, and they followed the Cuban into the | r’s cabin, where Tolosa lay upon 2. settee, and glanced up with surprise at the guests the lieutenant brought in. ‘*Befior Tolosa, are you well enough to take eommand of your lugger at once?” asked Al- Varez. ** Yes, Sefior Navarro, for my men are good men, if they did mutiny for the gold Don Manuel promised them.” ‘* Very well; I leave your lugger in your your crew as soon as they have Pp me on the schooner, which has run in and anchored near by; when your boat returns you had better remain where you are antil morning, and then the brigantine will set sail, and you can run out and head for home, and take my advice and stick to an honest e. ‘** T'l) do it, Sefior Navarro, for I am not a bad man at heart.” ‘* You have proven that, Tolosa; now here is a purse of gold the Don. left for ou; farewell, and good fortune to you,” and Alvarez grasped the d of the omy — he skipper and turned sa, tea to the two officers: _ When ready, gentlemen, | will send for ou.” . ° In a few moments he returned from the deck and bade Harola Sylvester and the midshipman to follow him, and motioned them into the stern-sheets of the boat alongside, and in which were visible, huddled together, gagged and in irons, Don Manue) Hernandez and the lugger’s ezsew, while at the oara sat the men of the schooner. ‘*Give way; steady all of you, and if a man s above a whisper I'll drive my knife to his heart,” came in the stern tones of the young ype. The oars, muffled at the rowlocks, and the blades wrapped in moss, fell silently into the water, and, out of the embowered basin moved the boat, heading then close inshore, but to- ward the lake. There, not two cable-lengths away, lay the Huntress at anchor, moving restlessly upon the waters, and tugging impatiently at her anchor, as though a thing of life, and conscious that mischief was going on beneath her very shadow. Further out, and rising and falling grace- fully upor tihe incoming waves, was the schooner, in full view, even in the darkness and storm, of the watch on the decks of the brigan- tine, had they not sought shelter from the howl- winds and pelting rain. Whose watch is it on board, Nevil?’ whis- pered Harold Sytvester. ‘‘Lieutemant Mudock’s, sir,” returned the middy, in the same low tone. re he shall be oourt-martialed for this night’s neglect, and every one of the watch shall ve flueged to impreve their eyesight.” NN testes —~ ——_ — —_—_ ———_——_. The Ee ee ee ee ee — -——— ee 0 ee ~ or a ‘You are speaking too loud, sir,” said the pirate lieutenant, sternly. ‘‘ Pardon me; but the gross neglect of duty on mny vessel made me forget, and—” ‘** Boat ahoy! what boat is that?’ came across the waters in ringing tones. ‘* They are awake on the schooner,” muttered Harold Sylvester. ‘* Tt behooves us to be ever on the alert, sir,” answered Alvarez, and before he could answer the hail, there came the stern order: ‘Stop that boat, or I'll sink her!” ‘*Ay, ay, sir; Lam Alvarez Navarro, sefior.” ‘Ay, ay, come alongside,” came the answer, **Oh, curse those lubbers! they are deaf as well as blind,” groaned Harold Sylvester, glanc- ing anxiously at the brigantine, hoping to see some sign of life on board. ‘*The storm drowns the sound of our voices, sir,” said Alvarez. ** But it does not make them blind; but, was not that your chief who hailed?” ‘* Yes, sefior; if was the Chevalier; but, here we are,” and the boat ran alongside the schooner, and the lieutenant led the way upon deck. ‘* Ah, Alvarez, 1 am glad to see you; but, why did youleave the lugger?” asked the Cheva- lier, meeting bim. ‘*She isin the basin, sefior chief, and I have given the seforita into the hands of her father; but, quick, sir, get up anchor, for yonder, in the shadow of the land lies the brigantine, and only the darkness and storm has prevented your being discovered.” ‘*Hal say eh so, my good Alvarez? Then up with the anchor at once, and we’ll put to sea in the face of the storm, for never do I wish to meet in a death-struggle tho brave man who commands yonder vessel.” ‘** Victor DeLisle, I thank you.” ‘*‘God in Heaven! who are you?” and the Chevalier Corsair started back as though a ser- pent had stung him. ‘*T am Harold Sylvester, and my Government has sent me to hunt you down.” ‘* There is some strange mystery here; what means this, sefior Navarro?’ ‘It means, Victor, that one of your men cleverly made me and Midshipman Nevil pris- oners; now you shall know all, but, now I warn you that you are in ree gol of ae oe by the brigantine’s crew, you had better slip off to sea.” ‘“Harold Sylvester, you are the same noble fellow as in the olden time, and it moves me to my inmost heart to stand in your presence now, and with the hand of infamy upon me; bu you are no prisoner of mine, and [ will sen you at once on board your own vessel, for—” ‘* Ho, sefior chief! a light! a light on the brig- antine! we are discovered,” cried Alvarez Na- varro. ‘SAY, ny then get to sea at once!” was the quiet reply of the Chevalier, as he turned to lance at the Huntress, on board of which | were flashing, and even stern orders eurd. “‘I am sorry, Captain Sylvester, that the safety of my vessel and crew prevents my re- turning you on board your vessel now; so you will have to be m wr anges Me td tut, who are those in that t?” he ed out over the side. ‘““The ! ’s crew, sofior chief, and the pris- oner, Don Manuel,” called out Jacinto, who bad remained in the boat with the Spanish officer. “Ha! I had forgotten Aim; bring him on board, Jacinto, and cast the boat loose, and get out of renge, my men, if you don’t wish to knocked to pieces.” To ungag and unbind the lugger’s crew was but the work of a moment with Jacinto, and then he aided Don Manuel up the gangway to the schooner’s deck, while the men in the boat, in spite of their stiffened arms from being beund, quickly rowed away in the gloom. ‘Ah, Don Manuel Hernandez, lam glad to moet you once more,” said the Chevalier Cor- sair with mock politeness, The Spaniard scowled, for the gag yet re- mained in his mouth, and the chief added: ‘‘Take him into the cabin, Jacinto; and, gen- tlenven, will you not also go there, for the brig- antine is getting ready to open upon us?” Withouta word Harold Sylvester and Walter Nevil followed Jacinto and his prisoner, just as the schooner’s anchor swung clear, her sails were set, and she darted away from her danger- ous position undor the very guns of the brig- antine. ‘Bravo! I never saw quicker work! and see Nevil, every man is stripped for the fight and a the guns,” cried Harold Sylvester, in admira- tion of tho splendid disciplino on board the schooner. ‘* And the Huntress is still at anchor, sir,” said the middy. “* Yes, and | fear Frayne will not follow, ex- pecting me out in the morning.” ‘* He shall know you are ou board, Captain Sylvester,” said the Chevalier Corsair, who heard the latter remark, as the two oficers hesitated at the cabin companionway. Beth turned with surprise, and the chief called out: ‘*A blue-light here, Sefior Navarro.” Chevalier Corsair. — tel! =—- eee ee ee ee ewe Ce ——— + — -<-—-- ee me ee ees pe. ew And, as he spoke, one, two, three guns boomed forth from tbe brigantine, whose decks were lighted up with red glare, and her crew seen rushing about in evident excitement and confusion. But, at anchor as was the Huntress, the guns were badly aimed and the iron shot flew wide of the mark. ‘‘Now, Captain Sylvester, you and your young officer stand here, please; burn the blue. ight, sefior!” And the dazzling glare of the blue-light threw out brighter than day every part of the beautiful schooner, from deck to truck, and revealed to the startled eyes of Lieutenant Frayne and the crew of the Huntress their cap- tain a prisoner, with Walter Nevil by his side, and standing near the tall, splendid form of the Chevalier Corsair, their captor. It was a brilliant panorama for a moment, but one that sent dread to the heart of the crew of the brigantine, and when thé darkness once more shut the flying El Maldito from their vision, a wild yell burst from their lips, and the ringing orders of Lieutenant Frayne came to the ears of all on board the schooner, while, as the glare of the light died from before their eyes, they saw that the Huntress was in hot ursuit, following the buccaneer out over the black waters, that the storm was lashing into mad fury. But suddenly, out from the shadowy shore, burst flash after flash, and the glare showed the cutter at anchor and firing upon the rushing schooner; but, as in the case of the brigantine’s guns, they were not truly aimed. And g upon the now intensely thrilling scene, old Syivester and Walter Nevil saw the Huntress alter her course and stand clove in toward the cutter, while Lieutenant Frayne’s words were distinctly heard, as he shouted forth —_, his speaking-trumpet: ‘* Por s sake, Captain Dumont, do not fire upon the pirates, as Captain Sylvester and Mid- shipman Nevil are prisoners on his deck, cry of surprise burst from the cutter’s decks, and then the stentorian tones of the old weather-beaten captain shouted back: “Ay, ay, sir; but we'll run him down and carry his decks by boarding.” And both crews uttered a cheer that floated threateningly over the storm-swept sea, and the captive officers turned their eyes upon their captor to mark its effeot; but, calm, indifferent even, he stood near the wheel, and the crew, in grim and ominous silence, were at the guns stripped to their waists, unheeding the col blasts and dashing spray, and ready for the ' struggle, come when, or how it might. CHAPTER XLIL A BAD RETURNIBG. SrVERAL weeks bave passed away since the ae of the pirate schooner from the shores ot Lake Borgne, with the brigantine and cutter in full chase, and the scene of my story changer from the land of balmy breezes, the orange and magnolia groves of the Sunny South, to the oe winds and reck-bound coast of the orth, Rippled by the fresh wind that was sweeping in from the sea, the beautiful harbor of Boston was alive with sails of all kinds, from the fish- ing polacca of the New England coast to the stately frigate, or huge merchantman, just com- ing in from some distant lend. mong the craft coming up the harbor was a brig of two hundred tens, with high bulwarks that barely hid, however, the boxes of fruit upon ker decks. ~ Half a dozen dark-faced sailors were loung- ing forward, and her skipper, a man of fine build, and with a long black beard, was stend- ing at the wheel, while two or three other sea- men were near by, and watching with interest the shores that enveloped the bay. In spite of the brig’s clumsy look and rig, she moved through the water at a fair speed, hold- ing her own with a trim brigantine of-war that was algo heading for an anchorage in front of the city. , A glance at the latter vessel was sufficient to recognize the Huntress: but her whole look was that of a craft that had been in action, for her hull was searred by shot, and ker topmasts had been shot away. while her sails showed ragged holes where the iron had cut through em. The merchant brig went close inshore and dropped anchor, in almost the identical spot where some time before the privateer that had so interested Walter Nevil, the midshipman, had found an anchorage, while the vessel of- war swept further up the barbor and came to a standstill a short distance from the city docks. Hardly had the sails been furled on the brig, when darkness came on, or rather night, for a full moon lighted up the barbor and city; but with the dying of daylight the crew of the strange vessel seemed not to settle down to rest, as a boat was lowered from the stern davite, and soon after put ashore, and in it were three persons besides the two oarsmen. Landing under the shadow of Copps’ Bill the O}ONO) Goim G cS (E(@) ee A. es