Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 128 — page 26: what you’re looking at

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

' her peak the flag of Great Britain, an 26 mm ee wre + ee re me - ——-— we + o Oe 30 oe ee eee a ee turned te see how near he had been to death, while Stella, with a shriek, threw her arms around her father, as though to shield him, as Jocko, furious with rage, shouted: ‘‘Oh, massee, massee, lettee Jocko killee badee man.” ‘* No, sir, stand aside I say! and go forward, or Tl have you hurled into the sea,” cried M. Noel, sternly, still standing between him and the Hunchback. ‘**Massee maddee wid Jocko,” said the dwarf, reproachfully. ‘** Yes, go forward, sir.” Silently the hideous black obeyed, and then M. Noel turned to Don Ivan. | ‘You have had a second narrow escape, sir, from death at Jocko’s hands; if your presence on board this vessel means harm to Don Hen- rico or Mademoiselle Enderos, as I believe it does, beware of a third attempt that yonder dwarf may make upon your life,” “M. Valverde, until ten minutes ago I knew not of the presence of yourself or of Don Hen- rico on this ship; but permit me to present to you my daugliter; Stella, this is M. Noel Val- verde, to whom I owe a larger debt of grati- tude than I can ever repay.” ‘* His dauzhter!” the words came with a sneer from Don Henrico; but showing no sur- rise, no matter what he felt at seeing an angel in form and face the daughter of a human monster, Noel Valverde raised his hat politely at the introduction and said: ‘‘Tt gives me pleasure to meet the Sefiorita Enderos,” and turning, with the easy courtes natural to him, he continued, with a glance of warning at Don Henrico: ‘‘ Don Enderos, you have met Don Ivan before, and so has Seforita Edna; but permit me to present the Sefiorita Stella,” and motioning to Manine, he also intro- duced her to the Hunchback and his daugh- ter. Though surprised, Den Henrico graciously ac- knowledged the introduction to the beautiful srirl, who was also most kindly received by both Edna and Manine. With his usual presence of mind, Don Ivan at once cast off all feeling of restraint, and entered into pleasant conversation with all, so that neither Manine or Stella dreamed of what had taken place in the past to cause hatred between those three men, or the deadly attack of Jocko upon the Hunchback. Though not believing the assertion of the Hunchback that he had not known of his pres- ence on board the ship, Don Henrico, with Jocko near, and the low, stern warning M. Noel had given him, felt little dread of an attack upon him, at least for the present, and led the way to breakfast, without the slightest annoy- ance upon his face; but with a determination in his heart that between the Black Dwarf and himself the Hunchback should never reach the’ end of his voyage. “Tt will be a pity,” he muttered, ‘‘for that beautiful girl's sake, to make her fatherless; but my life is worth more to me than can be such a father to her.” And, with this deadly intention in his heart, Don Henrico became almost gay, as they all sat together at breakfast; but in the heart of the Hunchback was a black resolve, too, that his half-brother should yet die by his hand, for, had not there been sworn a fearful treble oath that must be kept, that he might reap the full bene- fit _ scion if of Wabin fle ‘ nd away the won her voyage unmindful of the loves and hates on pour isd at length the green isle of Cuba hove in sight and still neither one of the half-brothers had died by the other’s hand, for Jocko's black face had kept Don Ivan from deadly action, and his ap- ng on deck, by night, always accompanied y his guardian angel, his beautiful daughter, had held in check Don Henrico and the too will- ing Black Dwarf. t, suddenly a sail hove in sight, an armed vessel, coming out of Havana, and carrying at away the swift clipper ship, for already had war been declared between England and the United States, and the unarmed merchantman had to fly from the cruiser, holding on her northerly course, and carrying Don Ivan and Stella forced passengers upon her decks, CHAPTER XLIV. RETRIBUTION, Wauen the Chevalier rushed out of his boy- hood’s home, leaving old Jacob praying in the library, he felt that his worst fears were real- ized, and that Conrado Costello had really got- ten Mabel into his power, through a clever story that he eame from him. As the two persuns had passed the cemetery, when he knelt by Marian Dalton’s grave, it seemed as though there was a certain familiar look about them; but in the moonlight he failed to recognize who were the two supposed lovers, yet, after hearing what Jacob had to say, he well knew that the path to the Trysting Tree led also to the shore, and that in the inlet that put in around the hill there was a good and quiet anchorage for a vessel. As he now bounded along the peth, he sud- den'y etopped, for out ef the islet ¢l.ded a ves- | | ae a — gl + == - = = 7 = eS = = > we - - = 3° 7 1:53. ae ee a ee ee 8 ee sel, which, in spite of her lateen sails being changed to make her appear a barkatine, a very unusual kind of craft in those days, yet a style of rig that would attract less attention in a North American port than a three-masted caravel, with huge lateen sails; besides, it dis- guised her beyond casual recognition, from any vessel’s crew that might know her. Remembering how his own beautiful schooner had been skillfully metamorphosed into a clumsy brig, the Chevalier understood thecheat at once, and down the hillside be dashed at full speed, found his two men patiently waiting in the boat, and springing into the stern-sheets gave the order to pull for the schooner in a manner that caused the rowers to lose no time. “Did you see that queer craft running out just now, sefior chief?” asked one of the men. ** Yes, it is the game I am after.” ‘*T thought sbe hadn’t an honest look, sir, and she came sneaking out from inshore somewhere as though she had been in mischief.” ‘*She has been—way ’nough!” and the boat touched the schooner’s side. ‘*Up with that boat lively, lads! Sefior Al- varez raise the anchor and set the craft under sail, and, as soon as we have passed the fort, call the crew up, for there is work ahead of them,” was the stern order, ‘“ Ay, ay, sir; but there is a gentleman wait- ing to see you, sir; he is in the cabin, and it is our late guest, Midshipman Nevil.” “Ah! and seeing that his orders were al- ready being obeyed the Chevalier entered the cabin, and gaid pleasantly, as Walter Nevil arose to meet him: ‘*Glad to see you back, Mr. Nevil; but have you news for me?” ‘* Yes, sir; we went on board the Huntress, and Mr. Frayne making his report, Captain Sylvester bade me return and say to you that after the schooner dropped the _ brigantine astern, she came upon the cararel in the dark- ness, and a running fight of some hours fol- lowed; but the caravel escaped in the darkness, and seemed to be heading for Boston harbor, though inquiry among the shipping, which 1 was ordered to make, shows that no such vessel has run in.” ‘You are mistaken, Midshipman Nevil, for, as you saw how thoroughly | disguised this schooner, with false bulwarks, and changing ber rig, so has the caravel been metamorphosed, and, you may say to Captain Sylvester that she has just put to sea, and that Conrado Costello has my sister Mabel in his power.” ‘Ob, Captain Belmont! is it as bad as that?’ cried the midd , with much sympathy, calling the Chevalier by his middle name of Belmont, which he had assumed when outlawed. “Tt is true, sir; but I am now getting under way, and shall follow the caravrel to sea, and though he ran away from the brigantine he cannot from El] Maldito.” “I wish you success, sir, and Captain Syl- vester will not be far astern of you, when he learns that Miss De Lisle is in that man’s wer,” and ing the Chevalier’s hand in arewell the noble-hearted young middy was soon in his waiting boat, and on his way back to the brigantine, on board which there was great rejoicingat the return of Haro)d Sylvester and himself, for Lieutenant Frayne had in- tended to go ashore in the morning and report the capture of his commander, and a midship- man, and their supposed death at the hands of cruel pirates. As though fortune favored Conrado Costello, the anchor of the schooner could not be raised, it having in some way become fast in a rock on the bottom, and the cable had to be cut, so that precious time was lost, and the cararel had pio a Jong start, before the schooner was airly under way. Then again the wind, that had been fresh up the harbor, died away when the schooner was off Nick's Mate, and she hardly moved through the water, while afar off at sea a six-knot breeze was blowing, and with a — the cara- vel was discove dashing swiftly along, and steadily changing her rig back to her lateen And yet the schooner could have made better time, if under her regular rig; but the Chevalier dared not, in the very entrance to the harbor, throw off his disguise, as the fort might disable him, and with the foe he sought in sight. Pacing the deck with an impatience the crew had never seen him show before, the Chevalier turned his gaze upon the distant caravel, and then over the side, to see if the schooner was really moving, and thus it went on until the east grew rosy with the ep of dawn, and a brisk breeze sprung up with the rising sun. Then away glided the disguised vessel, until once free of outgoing and incoming craft, there was a stern order from the ehief: “On deck, all of you, men! Up with those ns, lads! Down into the hold with those xes| ll gi A LE Se Tt SE Ee The Chevalier Corsair. Merrily the crew sprung to work, and like | msagio the fruit-boxes disappeared from the decks, and out of the hol heavy guns, while the racks, with small-arms, encircled the masts, and the false bulwarks were taken off. were raised the | re ee ~~ ee eee ee ee --. meee A few moments more the old sails were taker down, one by one; the cross-trees were lowered to the deck and stowed away, and the snow- white canvas, the schooner’s mainsail, mizzen- sail, topsails, staysail and jibs were set with an alacrity that was remarkable, And, as though feeling proud to be herself once more, the beautiful vessel bent to the breeze and rushed over the waters with a speed that brought a wild cheer from her crew. ** Now show us the caravel, sefior,” cried Al- varez Navarro, with enthusiasm. “She was just there at daylight, a mere speck; but though we have lost her we will s0on raise her above the horizon, for, El Mal- dito, my beautiful bird of the sea, you are rac- ing with the wind itself,” answered the Cheva- lier, with pardonable admiration of his beauti- ful vessel. ‘Your prophecy was true, sefior chief; the loek-out sees the caravel,” said Alvarez Navar- ro, an hour after, and as he spoke there came the cheering cry from aloft: ‘* Sail ho!” ‘‘Ay, ay, Jacinto; I knew those eagle eyes of yours would soon find her; whereaway®” called out the Chevalier, with considerable excitement in his manner. ' ‘* Dead ahead, sir.” ‘* What do you make herf” ‘* There was a dead silence followed the ques- tion, and then came the reply, and it brought a wild yell from the crew. ‘* It is the lateen riy, sefior.” ‘* Noble Jacinto; those words shall make you a lieutenant on the schooner; descend to the deck, sir.” The man came slowly down, and was met by the Chevalier, who said earnestly: ‘““Sefior Jacinto, you have ever been a good man and true aboard this vessel, and I reward you now by making you next in rank to Lieu- tenant Alvarez.” A cheer answered the words of their chief, for the newly-made officer was most popular with all on board. With all sail set the schooner fairly flew along, and soon the lateen sails of the caravel were seen from the deck, and all eyes eagerly watched them as they rose above the horizon. ‘* Sail ho!” ‘Ay, ay; whereaway?” and the Chevalier hailed the top anxiously, for he dreaded a cruiser might appear and drive him away trom his game **In a line with the caravel, sir; it is a large vessel, a clipper ship, and—” ‘** And what, sir?” asked the chief, as the look- out paused. “The caravel is in chase of her, sir,” ‘‘Ha! say you so, my man?” and the chief sprung into the ratlines and quickly ascended the rigging and leveled his glass, ‘‘By Heaven! you are right, Soulé! She is within a mile of her, and there goes a gun for her to heave-to; but she still holds on— Hat another gun! and yet the ship refuses to come to,” and, descending to the deck, the Chevalier ordered every additional sail set that would catch a breath of wind. And, as the flying vessel fairly bounded from wave to wave, the sails of the earavel and ship arose more rapidly, the one pursued, the other pursuing, and the deep boom of the guns show- ing that the chased craft still beld on her course, unmindful of the iron hail sent after her. At length the ship was seen to steer wildly, and, coming to, it was made a that a well-aimed shot from the caravel had cut away her bow-sprit, and the gallant merchant vessel had been compelled at last to come to, or be sunk by her armed pursuer. And yet it seemed but a short-lived triumph for the crew of the caruvel, for, intent on their chase, they bad not noticed the schooner in their wake, until they 7 yn on board the ship, and some quick eye fell upon the coming corsair rushing down — them. To spring back upon their own craft; cut the lashings that bound the two vessels together was an instant’s work, and the carave stood away, as though to size her adversary, A short observation proved who her antago- nist was, and with her men at ber guns she changed ber course so as to meet the schooner. To gaze upon the two armed vessels, one could not but be lost in admiration at their exquisite vga of model, and symmetry of rig; while though the schooner was a trifle the largest, the caravel carried two more guns, and a score more men, But the two were beautifully matched fora eea-fight, the El Maldito’s greater a pre making up for what she lacked in metal and men. Instinctively feeling that it was to be a battle to the death, the crews of both vessels had gone to their guns without orders, and each craft was in thorough fighting trim, and the same feeling of hatred that inspired the two commanders was felt by the men. As they drew nearer to each other the clipper ship lay drifting upon the waters, all on board too deeply interested in the impending combat to notice the dead and wounded upon their own deck, or to seek safety in flight, for there was one on board the merchant vessel] who knew the EORMIEOOOKES (E(0) ; ~.