Beadle's Dime Library No. 151 — page 28: what you’re looking at

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

: ** Get ready,’’ the master added, and then said to . an old sailor who had followed him: ‘“ You know what I recommended to you, Wells,’ he said; ‘I reckon on you, and intrust the look-out to you.”’ ‘All right, master,’ the sailor answered, Bhs bn rah —_ cut your cable without fear, I will keep a bright ; -out,”’ i “All right; get in, men, and double-bank the : oars.”’ Some forty sailors, who were well-armed, like ‘their predecessors, let themselves down, one after the nthe, by a rope that hung over the taffrail and got into a second boat, which Master Lovel had ordered to be gy ready, and of which he took the command. e started at once and steered after the captain's pinnace, whose direction he was retty well acquainted with, saying every now and hen to the rowers, in order to increase their soe “Give way, my lads, give way, all!’’ and he added, as he chewed his enormous quid, with a cunning smile, “ It was very or I should let my old fellow have his face scored by those brigands of Mexicans, who are all as crafty as caimans."’ So soon as he had left the ship, the captain, leav- ing on his right hand a small fishing-village, whose lights he saw flashing through the darkness, steered tting-out point, where he probably hoped to safety. After rowing for about three- quarters of an hour, a black line began to be vague- ly designed on the horizon in front of the boat, The gave his men a sign to rest on their oars for a moment, and taking up a long night-glass, he care- pene Snomained the coast. In two or three minutes a ut up the glass again, and ordered his men to give way. a All at once the keel of the pinnace grated on the - gand; they had reached land. After hurriedly ex- ony the neighborhood, the crew leaped ashore, — only one man as boat-keeper, who at once ushed off, so as not to be captured by the enemy. | _All was calm, and a solemn silence reigned on the | Lom coast, which was apparently deserted. The captain - pe assured himself that, for the present, at any ‘Fate, he had nothing to fear, concealed his men be- | some rocks, and then addressed Tranquil. “It is now your turn, old hunter,’’ he said. er: the latter replied, not adding another word, He left his hiding-place, and walked forward with ey" = a pistol in one hand and a tomahawk in the other, 2 ee a Sy at intervals to look around him, and listen ; ‘to those thousand sounds, without any known cause, ss» which at night trouble the silence, though it is im- , ible to guess whence they come, or what pro- ee them. On getting about one hundred yards from the spot where the landing was effected, the hunter stopped, and began ier whistling the first : of a Canadian air. other whistle answer- -\ ed his, and finished the tune he had purposely broken off. Footsteps were heard, and a man _ ghowed himself. It was Quoniam, the negro. |) aes **Here lam,” he said. ‘Where are your men?” Laie “ Hidden behind the rocks close by.”’ ig “Call them up, for we have not a moment to s, lose.”’ _ Tranquil clapped his hands twice, and a moment later the captain and his men had rejoined him. “Where is the person we have come to deliver concealed?” the captain asked. ' ““Atarancho about two miles from here. I will | Jead you to it.” iy _ There was a moment's silence, during which the F _ aptain studied the negro’s noble face, his black }) )' flashing ~ ie which glistened with boldness and honor; and he asked himself whether such a man — eoul be atraitor? Quoniam seemed to read his thoughts, for he said to him, as he laid his hand on ss the Canadian’s shoulder: » ———--—s *** Tf Thad intended to betray you, it would have S been done ere now.: Trust to me, captain; I owe my ‘ S . to Tranqvil. I almost witnessed the birth of the Maiden you wish to save. My friendshipand grati- +: aa tude answer to you for my fidelity. Let us start.” - ‘| And without saying anything further, he placed | __‘Dimself at the head of the band, which followed ose og hollow way that ran between two hills. , ee e incidents we have just described were ta place on the beach, two persons, male and female, seated in a room, modestly though com- _ fortably furnished, were holding a conversation, % _ which, judging from the angry expression of their _——sefaces, seemed to be most stormy. These two per- _ sons were Carmela and the White Scalper. | ar” was half reclining in a hammock; she was re, al and suffering, her features were worn, and her _ Ted ey showed that she had been weeping. The Sm r. in the magnificent costume Of a Mexican Campesino, was walking up and down _ the room, champing his gray mustaches, and angrily ines 3 his heavy silver spurs on the floor. . “Take care, Carmela!’ he said, as he suddenly halted in front of the young woman, ‘you know - ‘that I crush all who resist me. For the last time 1 fora dise id : Ed * * —t : _ ask you: Will you tell me the reason of your con- = good to tell you?’ she answered sadly, ip “for you would not understand me.”’ “Oh! this woman will drive me mad,” he ex- claimed, clinching his fists. ___ * What have I done now?” Carmela asked with alk Sets ar othing, nothin * Py i“ .’ he answered, as he resumed hen at the end of a moment he fe ed to the maid and said, “ You hate me then?” ae armela replied by shrugging her shoulders, and Bea's hay ott from : Rie “ Speak!” he said, seizing her arm and squeezing _ it fiercely in his powerful hand. _ . bitterly: liberated herself from his grasp, and said “tT fancied that since you left the western prairies if fave hen contented yourself with ordering your slaves to pare MIR PY, ye a your victims, and did not descend to the — part of hangman.”’ ay “Oh!” he said, vere ape § . ~~ ©Come,”’ she continu a, Vad * , ‘this farce wearies me so let us bring it to a finale. I know you too well now not to be aware that you would not hesitate to nes pueets to odious extremities, if I would not submit an your wishes, Since you insist on it I will explain ony ins * oughts to you.” 3% __ Drawing herself up to her full hight, and fixing on | hima bright and challenging glance, she continued i ae firm and distinct voit! * As if a — ~~ me ———— EE. ie 5 eee el me mee ee — 4 ‘Pas m “You ask meif I hate you? No,I do not hate you, I despise you!” re Silence, wretched girl!”’ ‘* Yourself ordered me to speak, and I shall not be silent till Ihave told youall, Yes, I despise you, be- cause, instead of respecting a sei irl whom you coward as you are, carried - ff from her relations an friends, you torture her and become her executioner. I despise you, because you are a man without a soul; an old man who might be my father, and yet you do not blush to ask me to love you, under some ignoble pretext of my resemblance with some woman I have no doubt you killed.” ‘**Carmela!”’ ‘** Lastly, I despise you, because you are a furious brute, who only possess one human feeling, ‘the love of murder!’ because there is nothing sacred in your sight, and if l was weak enough to consent to your wishes, you would make me die of despair, by taking a delight in breaking my heart.” “Take care, Carmela!’’ he exclaimed furiously, as he advanced a step toward her. ‘* What, threats!’’ she continued, in a loud voice. **Do I not know that all is ready prepzred for my | mae m Summon your slaves, master, and bid hem torture me! but know this, I will never consent to obey you. .I am not so abandoned as you may feel inclined to suppose; I have friends I love, and who love me in return. Make haste, for who knows whether I may not be liberated to-morrow, if you do not kill me to-day ?”’ “Oh, this is too much,” the White Scalper said, in a low and inarticulate voice; ‘so much audacit shall not pass unpunished. Ah! you reckon, foo child, on your friends! but they are far away,’’ he said, with a bitter laugh; “we are safe here, and I shall make you yield to my will.” ‘*Never!"’ she exclaimed, with exaltation, aud rushing toward him, she stopped almost within grasp, adding: "7 defy you, coward, who threaten a woman,” Help! ‘the White Scalper exclaimed, with a tiger yell. All at once the window was noisily burst open, and Tranquil entered. “I think you called, senor?’ he said, as he leaped into the room and advanced with a firm and meas- ured ee ‘“* My father! my father!"’ the ged eh shrieked, as she threw herself into his arms with delight; “you are come at last!’’ The White Scalper, utterly astonished and startled by the unexpected appearance of the hunter, looked around him in alarm, and could not succeed in re- gaining his coolness. The Canadian, after eney replying to the maiden’s warm greeting, laid her geney on the hammock, and then turned to the ‘hite Scalper, who was beginning to come to him- self again. ‘*T ask your pardon, senor,’’ he said, with perfect ease, “for not having advised you of my visit; but you are aware we are on delicate terms, and, as it is possible that if I had written, you would not have received me, I preferred bringing matters to the point,” “And pray what may you want with me, senor?” the Scalper dryly asked. ** You will permit me to remark, senor,’’ Tranquil replied, still with the same placid air,’ “that the question appears to me singular, at the least, in your mouth. Isimply wish to take back my daughter, whom you carried off.’’ ‘Your daughter?” the other said, ironically. ‘** Yes, senor, my daughter.”’ ** Could you prove to me that this young person is sre! your daughter?” ‘* What do you mean by that remark?” ‘**7] mean that Dona Carmela is no more your daughter than she is mine; that consequently our claims are equal, and that [am no more obliged to surrender her than you havea right to claim her.”’ ‘That is very vexatious,”’ the hunter said, mock- oes f ‘Is it not?’ the White Scalper said. Tranquil gave an ironical smile. ‘*T fancy you are strangely mistaken, senor,”’ he said, rig his old calmness. “ A p99 ** Listen to me for afew moments. I will not en- croach on your time, which no doubt is valuable, I am only a poor hunter, senor, ignorant of worldly affairs, and the subtleties of civ tion. Still, I be- lieve that the man who adopts the child in the cra- dle, takes care of it, and brings it up with a tender- ness and love that have never failed, is more truly its father than the man who, after giving it life, abandons it and pays no further attention to it; such is my idea of paternity, senor. Perhaps I am mis- taken; but, in my idea, as I have no lessons or orders to receive from you, I shall act as I think proper, whether you like it orno. Come, my dear Carmela, we have remained here too long as it is.”’ The maiden bounded to her feet, and placed her- self by the hunter’s side. ‘*‘One moment, senor,’’ the Scalper exclaimed; ‘** you have learned how to enter this house, but you do not yet know how to leave it.”’ And seizing two pistols lying on a table, he point- ed them at the hunter, while shouting—“ Help! help!”’ Tranquil quietly raised his rifle to his shoulder. “*T should be delighted at your showing me the road,’ he said, peacseDy: A dozen slaves and Mexican soldiers rushed tu- multuously into the room. ‘* Ah, ah!"’ said the Scalper, “I fancy I have you at last, old er-killer.”’ ** Nonsense,’ a mocking voice replied; “not yet.” At this moment the captain and his men dashed through the window which had afforded the Cana- dian a ‘passage into the room, and uttered a fearful ell. An indescribable medley and confusion then gan: the lights were extinguished, and the slaves, mostly unarmed, and not knowing with how many enemies they had to deal, fled in all directions. The Scalper was carried away by the stream of fugitives, and disappeared with them. The Texans took ad- vantage of the stupor of their enemy to evacuate the rancho and effect their retreat. ‘** Father,” the maiden exclaimed, “I felt certain you would come.” “Oh!” the hunter said, with ineffable delight, “you are at length restored to me.” ‘Make haste! make haste!”’ the captain shouted; ‘ | . An. on ‘ 5 ait a bar ——————— oe -_<--= ~. — - _ oe The Freebooters. | ee ‘ ‘who knows whether we may not be crushed by su- perior forces in an instant?”’ At his orders, the sailors, taking the maiden in their midst, ran off in the direction of the seashore. In the distance drums and bugles could be heard calling the soldiers under arms, and on the horizon the black outline of a large body of troops hurrying up, with the evident intention of cutting off the re- treat of the Texans, could be distinguished. Panting and exhausted, the latter still ran on; they could see the coast; a few minutes more and they would reach it. All at once a band, commanded by the White Scalper, dashed upon them, shouting—‘* Down | with the Texans! kill them! kill them!”’ . ‘ - " 4 Ay ~ wd Se 4 « , leu 4” ~ s -_ é a ead ‘*Oh, my God!’ Carmela exclaimed, falling on her knees, and clasping her hands fevently; “ will you abandon us?” “Lads,” the captain said, addressing his sailors, “we cannot talk about conquering, but we will die.’ ‘We will, captair,’’ the sailors answered unani- mously, as they formed front against the Mexicans, Father,” said Dona Carmela, “ will you let me fall alive into the hands of that tiger?” * No,”’ said ees as he kissed her pale fore- ; ‘here is my dagger, child!”’ “ Thanks!” she replied, as she seized it with eyes a with joy. ‘Oh, now lam certain of dying ree pe Lest they should be surrounded, the Texans leaned their backs ainst the rock, and awaited with leveled bayonets the attack of the Mexicans. ‘‘Surrender, dogs!'’ the Scalper shouted con- temptuously. ‘** Nonsense!’ the captain answered: *‘ you must be mad, senor. Do men like us ever surrender?” ** Forward !"’ the Scalper shouted. be ts ego mnn _— wor — — with or sc e rage n heroic a rigantic st e then began, a combat impossible to desttiie “of three hundred men a thirty; a horrible and merciless carnage, in which none demanded quarter. while the Texans, certain of all falling, would no succumb till buried under a pile of hostile corpses, After twenty minutes, that lasted an age, only twelve Texans remained on their legs. The cap ' Tranquil, Quoniam, and nine sailors, remained aiona, accomplishing prodigies of valor. ‘* At last!’’ the Scalper shouted, as he dashed for- ward to seize Dona Carmela, ‘* Not yet,’’ Tranquil said, as he dealt a blow at him with his axe. The Scalper avoided the blow by leaping on one side, and replied with his machete; Tranquil fell on his knee with a pierced thigh. ;, A. h!’’ he said in despair; “she is lost! my God, Oo %? Carmela understood that no hope was left her; she therefore placed the dagger against her bosom, and said to the Scalper: ‘One step further, and 1 fall dead at your feet!” In spite of himself, this savage man, terrified by the resolution he saw flashing in the maide’s eye, hesitated for a second, but, reassuming almost im- mediately his old ferocity, he shouted: “* What do I care, so long as you belong to no one else!” And he rushed toward her, uttering a fearful yell, Terrified at the immense danger to which his daughter was exposed, the hunter collected all his strength, and by a superhuman effort, once more stood menacingly before his enemy. The two men ar 9, a terrible glance, and rushed on each other. Carmela, almost dead with terror, lay stretched out between the two foes, forming with her person a barrier they did not dare to pass, but over which the crossed their machetes, whose blades met with an ill- omened clang. Unfortunately, Tranquil, weakened by his wound, could not, despite his indomitable courage, sustain this obstinate contest for eny length of time, and consequently he only delayed ;ora few moments the fearful catastrophe he wishe:. to pre- vent. He understood this; for, while w.elding his machete with far from common dexterity, and not allowing his enemy time to breathe, he looked anx- ay ae him; Quoniam was fighting like a lion »y his side. “Friend!” he said in a heart-rending voice; ‘‘in the name of what you hold the dearest, save her; save Carmela!” * But yourself?” ‘‘ Well,” the hunter said nobly, ‘‘it is no matter what becomes of me, providing that she escapes this monster, and is happy.” Quoniam hesitated fora moment; a feeling of re- gret and pain rendered his face ogee But at a last glance from the hunter, a glance laden with an ex- ression of despair impossible to describe, he at ength decided on obeying him, and lowering his ax, which was ee with blood, and red up to the wood, he stooped down to the maiden. But she suddenly started up, and bounding like a lioness, shrieked: frenziedly— ‘‘Leave me! leave me! he is dying for me, and I will not abandon him,” And she resolutely placed herself by her father’s side. At this moyement of the girl, for whom the were Aghting so desperately, the two men fell back astep, and lowered the points of their machetes; / but this truce was but of short duration, for after a moment of respite they rushed once more on each mg ogee a and rp ten recommenced the withnew fury, an e contest went on ney aed than before. CHAPTER XXV. FORWARD! Is ine mean while, Master Lovel made his men row vigorously, in order to reach land as soon as possible. But whatever desire he might have for haste, it was impossible for him to reach the shore so soon as he might have wished, for not knowing the coas and steering, as it were, blindly, his boat ran severa times upon submarine reefs, which caused him to lose a considerable amount of time by forcing bim to change his course; hence, when he at last reach- ed the shove. the captain had landed long before. The old sailor had his boat tied up to the cay tain’s in order that they could be used if required, and then leaped ashore, followed by his men, and ad- vanced cautiously inland. He had not proceeded man By ey. however, ere a tremendous noise reac his ears, and he saw the sailors who accom- anied the captain debouch from the hollow way in auler: and closely pursued by Mexican soldiers. “comic . 2a6. US —————s es i ai—e ’