Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 128 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

mt, Me ’ | en ~ + ee + ‘Great God! you on board this craft, lady?” broke from the lips of the chief. ‘* Ay, sir, and, pirate though you be, I claim ur mercy *n1 protection from one whose eart is as bleck as Satan’s,” and the beautiful girl eropper upon her knees and raised her clasped hands, just as Don Manuel Hernandez appeared in the companionway behind her, and said aneriy: hol Sefior chief, that lady is my cousin and un- der my protection.” ‘No, no, no! A wild beast would be more merciful than he,” cried the maiden, ‘* Rise, sefiorita, for I claim the right to pro- tect you, and I pledge you that on this deck, though an outlaw flag floats at the peak, you are as safe as in your tather’s care.” ‘“‘Oh, Heaven bless you, sefior! But take back the words you spoke, in my home, and tell me that you are nota cruel buccaneer,” and she laid her hand upon his arm. ‘“* Alas! lady, I can but tell the truth; men call me Belmont, the Buccaneer.” ‘‘ Heaven defend me!” groaned the girl, and Don Manuel said, sneeringly: ** Now, cousin mine, you will admit that Jam your protector.” **No, a thousand times no! Manuel Hernan- dez, for it was you that brought me here, and into your hands, sefior, confessed pirate though ou be, I intrust myself and my honor to your ee id mare I pledge both shall be sacred,” and turning to Don Manuel Hernandez, he con- tinued: ‘“‘Sefior, as you are an unexpected est aboard my vessel, Lieutenant Costello as- sign you a berth in the ward-room, while my cabin shall be wholly at the service of your cousin as long as she remains upon this schoon- or,’ ‘‘ You shall rue this act, sefior chief, for you act now with me in your power; but the es may be turned, and then—” ‘*T will have no threats, Captain Hernandez. You deceived me in this nignt sdirty work, for I knew not that Don Ivan Enderos had a daugh- ter, or I would never have consented to this dastard deed, as I make no war against women; and pay pie and the gold we took from you, shall all be restored to your home in safety.” ‘‘4 pirate, and yet a chevalier!” murmured Stella Enderos, in a low tone, while a discon- tented murmur arose from the crew, for they had heard the words of their chief. He heard the threatening murmur, too, and turned quickly toward them. ‘Devils! do you threaten me, too? Who na raise his voice on this vessel against my w ny Not a voice replied; all remained silent, and again the chief spoke: ‘‘T pledge myself to this lady to return her- self and her father’s gold to his keeping; does any man dare dispute my will?’ Again no reply, and offering his hand to Stella, after glancing over the crew with pierc- her into the cabin, where Ni- look ed n the crouched u the floor, be Fog wien her any | herself. CEAPTER IIL TO THE RESCUE! Tat I may present to you, dear reader, the hero of my romance, at a time before the brand of buccaneer was upon brow, I revert to the past, when life held for him honorable as- pirations and ambitious hopes which cruel Des- tiny dragged down into the dust, and stained with ignominy a proud and noble name, One pleasant afternoon, two years or more before the opening of this romance, a large fleet of coast vessels were swiftly sailing through Long Island Sound, and heading for the narrow pass between Hart’s Island and Land’s Point, which form the entrance to the majestic sheet of water known as East river, and which at the time of which I write was yeh steadied b ps Tp on sneer of = earful whirlpoo iling surges and ragge rocks that have won the appropriate name of Hell Gate, for, with the wild velocity of a swollen cataract, it threatened death and wreck to the seaman who dared its dangers and foaming caldrons, ‘As the far-stretching fleet approached the the numereus sails drew closer and closer seater like a flock of snowy birds seekin their cotes, and the sailors upon the differen craft could admire the beauty of the graceful vessels near them, and express their joy or re- at their own speed as they ahead or “ —s of some oy far n the van was a large graceful brig, carrying clouds of canvas and steadily ~ js os the fleet; from forecastle to truck a mass of canvas towered aloft; even her an Rye was set, s0 anxious was her skipper to hold own with the scores of pire. in her wake, and all of which were striving hard to lead the way. Sloops, with heavy mainsails and gaff top- sails spread to the breeze, coasters with all set that would draw, and large and small schoon- ers extending their wide broad sheets, strug- ee ee ae + ee - ee - The.Cl ee ee a ee ee wee ee ee + es gled for the manatee ys for night was coming on, and the merchant fleet hoped to drop anchor in the still waters of the river fronting the city be- fore darkness should settle down upon and sea. The breeze was steady and blew six knots to a swift sailer, though the brig in the van and one other vessel were making seven out of it, and from the way the latter, a clipper-built schooner, sped along it was evident that she would not remain long among the lagging sail- ers, for steadily had she overhauled one after the other of the convoy, leaving them astern to gallantly pass others ahead, until, finally, she gained a position near the nimble leader of the squadron. Stretched to its utmost tension the schooner’s canvas forced her through the water at a speed that threatened to leave the brig astern, and seeing this the latter crowded on more sail as she headed for the usual channel between the island and the main, Observing the action of the brig’s skipper the schooner shook out her topsails, and gaining ies gous entered the narrowest part of the chan- nel to windward and abeam of her, the master- ly maneuver of her commander gaining a cheer from the crews of the other vessels, Continuing to.sail abreast for a short while, they approached a point where the main chan- nel wound to the left, toward the mainland, from which a reef of rocks divided it, and be- yond which was a narrow and dangerous pas- sage never attempted by large vessels. eeping through the safer channel the bri threw her fleet rival again astern, by the ben in her course; but in an instant the schooner’s studding-sails were hauled in board, her flying jib was set, her fore and main sheets were haul- ed aft, and, putting her helm hard up, she sud- denly changed her course and headed for the narrow and dangerous pass between the ae of rocks and the main, as though to head the brig off before she could get through the wind- ing channel. Another cheer of admiration, even joined in by the crew of the brig, greeted the schooner’s daring maneuver, and then in silence, the two beautiful vessels held on their way, leaving a snowy wake astern. After a sail of some minutes the two craft — approached each other, at the point where the rocky pass and the open channel met; the schooner now was half a length ahead, and pm sng 8 boldly forward as though intending to cross the bows of her rival and run her aboard. This maneuver was observed with consider- able alarm, not only by the crew of the brig but by a gentleman and youn girl who stood upon the quarter-deck, and n admiring the golden beauty of the afternoon, and racing of the mane vessels. : The gen eman and the maiden were passen- gers on the brig, from Boston and bound to ew York, and were Henrico Enderos, a Southern planter of Spanish descent, and his lovely daughter, Edna, on their way to their home in the South, after afew months of travel in the Eastern States, = ‘“t Captain, gpamtes bold craft will surely fall afoulof us if he steers that course,” dec Don Henrico, turning to the captain of the brig, a blunt, weather-beaten man of forty, who had eyed the schooner closely, from her first appearance in sight. ‘“* No fear about him, sir, after he has bad the luck to run safely through the ‘ Devil’s Bite,’ where I was cer he would knock off his fore- foot; but he carried all sail like the Flying Dutchman in a gale, and he can keep his dainty craft clear of my brig’s bows,” and he resumed his gaze at the beautiful vessel, which was more like a pleasure-yacht in grace and symmetry than a craft built for service, for her bull was long, narrow, and sat low in the water, while her bows were sharp, and, extending far be- yond them, was a needle-like bowsprit. Her m were single sticks, and her square fore and mainsails were large enough for a ves- sel of double her tonnage, which was about a hundred tons, and with her jib and flying-jib, and gaff topsails, it was evident that she was built for speed rather than burden. Upon her decks every rope was coiled and in veniect, place; only half a dozen seamen were visible, and they stood idly leaning over her high bulwarks and gazing upon the brig. he carried no colors, and upon ber quarter- deck were seen two young men, evidently offi- cers, for they were un uniform, The elder of the two held the wheel, and bad been the pilot who had managed his vessel in so mas- terly a manner. As Edna Enderos turned her eyes upon the helmsman she observed that he was a tall, slen- der young man, with broad shoulders, and a form that denoted botn strength and activity, while his face was dark, ex ingly handsome, and fearless in a degree that denoted reckless g. ) Interested in watching the officers and crew of the strange and beautiful schooner, all mo- mentarily forgot on the brig the danger that Emiengty until Don Henrico called out sud- y: evalier Corsair. ee ee ee ee ee ee oS *‘ He will dare to attempt crossing our bov.s, on gant t was evident that the skipper thought so now, for he called out in ringing tones: . “ nlf! luff, I say! or we will run you down!” The young helmsman smiled, waved his hand, and held steadily on his course, while the cap- tain shouted: ‘* Blast their timbers, Pve a mind to cut their fancy craft in two.” ‘‘But the brig’s danger, captain,” said Don Henrico. ‘*That’s it; but Pll hold on a little yet.” The two vessels were now neariog each other rapidly, and it was certain that, if one or the other did not change its course, a collision was inevitable. Seeing this Don Henrico cried: ‘‘Captain, I beg you to change your course, or both vessels will go down.” . The captain saw that in a moment more it would be too late, glanced at the smiling and daring young helmsman, and weil knew that there was ne back downin him; then he shouted in angry tones to the man at the brig’s wheel: ‘*Hard! hard up, hard! Cast off the weather- braces! Let fly everything!” The brig slowly swung off from the wind, with the bows landward, and just in time, or the two vessels would have come together; but it was clear that the schooner’s daring helms- man had ex this move on the part of the brig’s captain, for he put the schooner directly in the wind’s eye and laid her alongside the merchant craft with a skill and precision that won admiration from all, and in an instant the two craft were locked together fore and aft. Springing from the bows of his vessel into the main-chains of the brig, the schooner’s com- mander saluted the merchant captain politely, smiling pleasantly when the latter said: ‘You area skillful seaman, young man, but I would like to know by what right you board my vessel in the manner you have done?” “In a word you shall know, my dear captain; you have on @ prisoner, a man under death sentence, and who is to be executed the day after his arrival in New York?” ‘**T have, sir; but, how does that interest you, may i ask?” “Simply that I have been in chase of you since leaving Boston, to take that prisoner out of your keeping,” was the calm reply. ** Never, sir!. That man was placed in my charge as a Government prisoner, and I wi not yield him up,” angrily replied the merchant tain. st But pre must, my dear captain,” was the equally firm response. ‘* Never, sir.” **'We shall see, captain.” | ‘‘ Ay, thatshall we see. Ho! men to the res- cue, for we have been boarded by a pirate,” and the captain’s voice rung out loud and clear, ae 229 ee while the dozen men upon brig rushed aft to aid their commander. CHAPTER IV. RUNNING A DEATH GANTLET. path npsie called onthe peoteliaeh talent: pi ” again ou me c n, and his crew at once answered by ashout and a rush aft, while Don Henrico placed his arm around Edna, as though to defend her with his life; but, ty her face whitened at this fear- ful discovery the brig’s commander had made, she showed no other sign of fear. Though the brig’s men were evidently bent on resistance, and their captain stood at bay, a pistol leveled at the heart of the daring young man who had just been branded as a pirate, the schooner’s chief stood calm and fearless, a smile even hovering upon his handsome face, until he saw that it really was the intention of the sail- Though apparently unarmed, and alone upon an .enemy’s deck, when the stern order was ken, and but one word left his lips, the crew that were pressing upon him obeyed instantly, ree with a quiet smile the young man then ed; ‘* Do not crowd me, lads, for one word from me will bring thirty gallant sea-dogs, from the hold of yon schooner, who will not see me sone’ It with.” Then he once more turn- ed to may aot ‘*Captain, I made a request of you, and now I demand the state prisoner to whom i referred ; will you surrender bim to me ey y amy to use harsh means, yet I take ‘Men, he has no one to back him, other than the half-dozen you see, so overboard with him!” and the captain made a move as eps 2a to carry out his intention, when, with a nimble his back against. seg the ung sailor bulwarks, bis hands were thrust into the bosom of his shirt and returned with pistols in gr and a long, shrill whistle resounded from “Back! don’t orowd me, or I will kill you!” The threatening command was unheeded, for the brig’s skipper pressed forward, his men were. EOMMICELOOOKS (E(@)