Beadle's Dime Library No. 162 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

, ‘ ~ The Mad Mariner. The Mad Mariner: Dishonored and Disowned. A Sea and Shore BRomance of Wrong and Retribution. BY COLONEL PRENTISS INGRAHAM. AUTHOR OF *‘ MERLE, THE MUTINEER,” ‘‘ MON- TEZUMA, THE MERCILESS,” ‘* CAPTAIN KYD,” ‘'CORSAIR QUEEN,” ETC. PROLOGUE, FALSE VOWS. ** DARE you, Neil es stand there before me, and in the sight of God, and say that you do not love me, and that yeu have done mea wrong you will never repair?” er was a woman, and one of ex- treme beauty of face and form, and she faced a man of erking appearance, and whose face aled as he met her ee Bow fixed upon m, with a look that seemed to read his inmost soul. The two stood beneath a linden tree, whose branches cast them half in shadow from the rays of the setting sun. hind them, some bundred yards away, and rustling amid evergreens, was a cosey cottage, and around them the scene was one of beauty, and lured to repose; but within their bosoms there was no quietude, for storms of emotion filled them. ‘* You misunderstand me, Clarice; I said not that I had ceased to love you, for 1 do love you with all my heart; but I am forced to give you up, to marry another, as it is the inexorable de- mandof my stern father,” said the man in an embarrassed tone. =n reat | her? You, who once pages our troth to me before God’s altar, dare say his?” and the woman’s voice was full of sar- casm. ““T have told you, Clarice, that I feared I would lose you, and so deceived you, and, had this marriage with Grace Gerard not been forced upon me, I would have, after the death of my father, claimed you as my wife, and had a aneereoare ceremony performed.” “Legitimate ceremony, Neil Gregory? Why, 1 went in the stillness o = i with you to that little ivy-grown church, and was bound to you by the service of the Book of Prayer, and—” “‘ But, Clarice, I have told you that it was the sexton, whom I bribed to perform the cere- pane f and not the minister.’ ‘* And to your shame that you confess it; but s0 be it, Neil Gregory, you have cruelly wronged me, and I have no claim upon you— yes yes, Iforget. I have a claim, and would God I bad not, for upop my poor child now rests the stain of dishonor.” * [ will always support you, and our child, Clarice, and if Grace should die, you shall then become my wife as you deservo to be.” ‘Never! Neil Gregory, our paths in life divide this night forever. **'Your gold I will not touch, for thank God I have my home, humble as it is, and I have health and talent that will bring me a support. ‘*Go, sir, and remember, never darken my door again.” ** Clarice—” ‘** Go! else the woman will become the fiend.” She pointed down the path, and one glance into her burning eyes, and the man of coward heart shrunk away, mounted his waiting horse and ae away from the spot that had been his trysting place with the pvor girl he had so cruelly wronged. CHAPTER L THE OATH. THE lights flashed brightly forth,from a d old mansion that stood on a hill, overlooking a vast landscape on either side and the rolling ocean in front. It had been the home of the eval for three generations, and ere long it was —— to the fourth, Neil Gregory the heir and only child. Upon a lounge in the vast lor lay the father, who for years had been held down by paralyis, and now knew that his days were numbered, His hair was snow-white, and his dark face was strangely stern, while upon every feature was the impress of suffering. He was D eiy coy up With silken pillows, so sehr oie = sie neost bre me we room was rightly as in an on of some gala one to be enacted there. ii At the head of the invalid stood his faithful valet, and to him he spoke in a voice that was | yet full of wig og leet ‘*Varnum, is it not time they were here?’ ‘Yes, sir, about time.” | “Tt was kind of Judge Gerard to allow the marriage to be perfo here, as other could not, have witnessed it; and [am glad the are not going to have a crowd, for I hate crowds. ‘*Remember, Varnum, when I die I want no rude gazing upon me, or a large concourse of curious people to follow me to the pave 4 Let me be sent to my last rest in quiet, Var- num. “Yes, sir, I will see to it.” ‘‘ Hark! are not those the carriages coming?” The valet stepped to the window and gazed out into the darkness, just as two vehicles panes up to the large stairway and came to a alt. ** Yes, sir, they have arrived.” ‘*Then Call Master Neil.” The valet obeyed, and going into the hallway saw Neil Gregory descend from the floor above and advance to meet the visitors. In they came: first an elderly, dignified gen- tleman with a kindly face, and having on his arm a young and beautiful maiden, whose h was bowed as she entered, Next came an elderly lady, leaning on the arm of a gentleman whose * a hese indicated that he was a clergyman, while bringing up the rear were a youth of eighteen and young girl of sixteen, whose resemblance to the maiden in advance proved conclusively that they stood to her in the relationship of brother and sister. The party were all in full evening dress, and advancing toward them Neil he tad | greeted them with a courtly grace that seemed natural to him, and while the housekeeper led the ladies to their rooms, he ushered the gentlemen into the vast parlor where his father lay, helpless and dying, for it was evident that his sufferings were near an end, and that his pain-tortured body would soon find rest. A short delay, and the clergyman took his stand in the center of the room, and the bride- groom and bride stood before him, and a hush fell upon all. The bride, as beautiful as a poet’s dream of pure womanwood, was flushed and trembling, while Neil Gregory was calm, but as white as a corpse. Had he seen a pallid, haggard, flerce face pressed against the window. pane, and her form crouching down without in the darkness, bis coward heart would have broken all restraint, and caused him to go beyond the bounds of self- control, At last the words were spoken that made Grace Gerard the wife of Neil Gregory, and then there broke forth from without a shriek so wild and piercing, so fullof anguish and of de- spair ae , that it seemed like the cry of a lost soul on the threshold of perdition. And away in the darkness bounded a slender white form, gliding through the ornamental grounds, down the hillside and into the forest, where suddenly there appeared before her what seemed to be a group o oy forms. Here she halted, and her eyes fell upon the white marble monuments above the Gregory dead, for it was the burying-ground of the wer f ‘*Neil Gregory,” and from the woman’s lips the words broke with thrilling earnestness: ** Neil Grogory, here, and among thy own dead, I kneel and swear that thou shalt rue the wrong thou hast done to me and mine. ‘‘Ay, thou and thine shall rue the vows you this night uttered, for I swear it here in this sacred spot.” CHAPTER IL. THE OLD TAVERN. A BOAT was stealing quietly along over the dark waters of a small stream flowing into Mobile Bay. So noiseless was its motion, that it was evi- dent the oars were muffled, and it was the in- tention of her commander to avoid observation from any of the plantacvion homes situated upon the banks of the inlet, or river. The boat was crowded with men, and nota word was spoken, until it was guided in to the shore, at a F geen where was visible a large, rambling old «tructure, that appeared to have in years past been a tavern. ben a low deep voice said sternly: “ Way ’nough, lads!” | The oars were raised from the r, and the boat glided silently to the low , and one man sprung out and made it secure. ** Come, lads, and get a Flas of grog, for the night is chilly,” a tall man, with a cloak thrown around. his shoulders, as he sprung ashore, and was eagerly followed by his crew of fourteen men. Up to the door of the old building they strode and three distinct — were given upon it, by the cloaked individual. ‘Who calls?” came gruffly from within. “* Arrow,” was the low nse. Instantly came the so of bars being re- moved, and the door swung open, revealing a stout man, with bearded and holding a lantern in hie hand. ie), come, an Shien: ia the “Well, Machino, I you are ready for m said the man on “Tam, senor captain; but come in and we will talk it over,” was the reply. Instantly into the house went all of the visitors, not one of them seeing a horseman who was near, quietly gazing upon them, hav- ing just ridden out of the moss-hung forest, and \ ——— | scuttle a ship at “Bnough! I 4 drawn rein in the shadows, as he beheld the group of men advance from the boat and ap- proach the ol@ building. “*That means mischief,” muttered the horse- man. “I have heard of bands of smugglers, and even pirates, having their rendezvous: here- about, and it would not surprise me if yonder ' old tavern were a nest for them, “‘T will reconnoiter, before I ask for shelter for the night.” He rode up to the side of the old house, the hoofs of his horse giving back no sound in the deep sand, and halting, he listened attentively. ‘““He heard the hum of voices within, and saw in an upper room a dim light, which he knew had been just taken there, as all had been dark before. Drawing himself up from bis saddle, into the brauches of a tree overhead, he managed to upon the roof of the yiazza, and creeping along it noiselessly, he glauced thicugh ti e window out of which the reys of Jight cinis ¢i+ve. It was asmall room, peorly turnis!+« with a cot bed, table and two chairs, aid the latter were occupied. Upon one side of the table sat the tall man who bad comé from the boat, and he had thrown his cloak upon the cot, while opposite to him was the stout individual who had opened the door to admit him. The window was boarded up but through the cracks the one on the roof could see all that occurred within, and also hear every word that vee said, as several panes of glass were broken out. One glance into the faces of the two men at the table was enough to show that they led bold, reckless lives, bad not their conversation told the listener as much. ‘* Well, captain what’s up, ‘that you need such a large force of men?’ asked the stout man, as he drew a cork from a bottle, and placed it with two glasses upon the table, “Pll try your wine first, Machino, for my throat is full of salt spray; ab, this is good in- deed,” answered the cne addressed as captain, and who was attired in a uniform, and wore a sword and — “It should be good, Captain Cloud, for it came from old Spain and never paid duty to the Government either.” ‘Pll warrant not, Senor Machino, if it comes from your cellar; but I'll tell you why I want more men, and sent my messenger to you to get them for me.” ‘*T am all attention, senor captain.” ‘*T had to leave some of my men in Galveston, some weeks ago, my departure having been hastened by the arrival of an American cruiser, and shortly after 1 had an engagement with a schooner that has been sent after me, and only escaped in the darkness and storm, though I lost a score of men in killed and*wounded. ‘This has reduced my crew to but twenty- seven all told, not enough to man my guns, and I have a ie, Prise almost in my grasp, but need more men to accomplish it.” * Well, captain?’ “There is anchored in the lower bay, unable to cross the bar, a large wets ship out of Liverpool, and richly freighted, besides baving a large nuinber of wealthy passengers on board. ‘“*Her crew numbers some twenty-five men, and with passengers she can bring some thirty- two or three to resist attack, so I care not to board her with less than half a hundred.” “You are right, captain, and you must be careful with that number.” ‘“*Oh! don’t fear: I shall use strategy, and I'll tell you my plan: “My schooner is anchored in the Magnolia inlet, and I dare not use her, for the ship would grow suspicious at sight of her, open on me with her guns, and alarm an American schooner, my old enemy, that lies two leagues up the bay. ‘So I wish to get your lugger, put my men rod hold, run Sneed on hor ow ship, hail, and or some extra spurs, an n lay alongside and board. : ee “The ngers and one watch will be be- low, and we can easily seize the craft, and I can tell you, Machino, it must be done to- night, for I have no time to lose, as lighters be sent down from Mobile to-mo to aid her to cross the bar.” “In the tap-room where I sent your men, caren there are thirty good fellows ready for wo +, Good! and they know what is expected of em “a They are “=! ? ae cut a throat or can ask no more: now where is your lugger?” ‘In the lagoon, two miles above here; 1 will — for her, and you can get off within an our.’ ’ “T must, for the attack will have to be made before daylight, and it is now nearly ten.” he conversation that the listener