Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 172 — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

——— . - > es -_— onatiiens eee ee me ee ee ee , -- —— ———wT. ’ a — ° . —! > + — on a comfort to be obtained on the long-boat. ~ The Black Pirate. a northward course she had been caught in the fearful gale, St. Vale felt doubts of her stand- ing the test. To put canvas upon her but strained her, and he put her before the gale until he felt that she was settling fast and that the end must come. Realizing that she was leaking at a danger- ous rate, he suddenly gave the order to spread what sail was necessary to lay her to, and then, as if in pity for the bold mariners the tempest abated. But the boats were stored with provisions, and those on board divided into three crews. With St. Vale in the long-boat went Lena La Rue, the three male captives, Frank, and eight oarsmen, and the rest of the crew divided themselves in the two cutters. One by one the boats were loaded and cast loose from the sinking schooner, and not a moment too soon, as, with a fearful plunge it went down into the watery depths, just as they got well cleared from her. For awhile the three boats, adrift upon the storm-swept waters, kept near together; but then there came a renewal of the storm, they were separated, and one was seen to sink be- neath the waves, and their comrades could lend no aid. Shortly after those in the long-boat lost sight of the remaining cutter, and they were alone upon the deep, with a frail support be- tween them and eternity. But Leon St. Vale was a thorough seaman in every respect, and he watched every mo- tion of the boat, every threatening wave and cross-sea, and those who were his comrades in danger and misfortune felt the utmost confi- dence in his ability to save them, if in the power of mortal man to do so. But though the tempest blew itself out the hours dragged their weary length along until a day and a night had passed, and then on un- til days had gone by and no friendly sail hove in sight to relieve them. In sympathy for Lena La Rue, St. Vale had rigged her up a canvas covering and made her as comfortable as the circumstances would admit, while, calling Frank to his side, as he sat at the tiller one night while the others slept, he begged her to make her true sex known and share with the maiden the little But this the pretended youth steadily and firmry refused to do, and St. Vale gave up the request, for he would not betray her. Having expected to be picked up by some vessel in a day or two, the long-boat had only carried a week’s provisions, and in fact the schooner’s stores had been very meager, and consequently the last cracker was consumed and yet no succor came, And thus it continued until death claimed one of their number, for a captive, never very strong, had succumbed to hunger and exposure, and was coolly tossed into the sea, while a voice forward muttered: ‘Who next?” All started and gazed upon the questioner. — It was Frank, white, hollow-eyed, haggard, and suffering, until St. Vale feared that her mind would go, And thus it went on, until all became hope- less, excepting that stern, silent man who now constantly sat at the helm, and kept the crew at work to keep their brains from plotting mischief, for he saw that hunger was driving them mad. Through tempest and sunshine, night and day, and at last in calm, went the long-boat, until one night when each man in that boat had begun to hate the others, came the scene that is the prologue to this story, and one of the thirteen survivors sprung into the sea, That one was the poor woman known as Frank, who had lived for revenge upon one who had cruelly wronged her, herded with pirates, and dropped the garb of her sex to hunt to death the Black Pirate. When she had proposed the one to die by lot, and thus destroy the unlucky number of thirteen in the boat, and saw that that lot fell upon St. Vale, the reader will remember how she, still believed to bea man by all except the lieutenant, sprung into the sea and dis- appeared from sight in its dark depths, And hardly had the waters closed over her form than the sail was sighted and found to be a weird craft, cruising the seas with the ghastly forms swinging in the rigging. And that craft was the Petrel, which had become known to many as the gallows-ship, . LLL LL LL LL LLL LL LLL LL CL Ct ttt. tlt --oo Se en CHAPTER XXXIV. CHASED BY DEATH. THe Black Pirate was not disappointed in his anticipations of reaping a rich harvest from the freighted merchant-ships coming out of the larger ports of the United States, from Port- land to Norfolk. He had taken a number of prizes, and several he had put crews on board and sent to his island retreat, while a schooner-of-war that had attacked him, he had sunk with all on board, and escaped capture by several large American cruisers, through his skill and daring. Each day his name was becoming more noted as the most deperate and cruel pirate that had ever been known, and vessels-of-war under all flags were hoping to capture him. Defying pursuit, gloating in his morbid nature and cruelties, the huge Black Chief sat in his luxuriously-furnished cabin one pleasant evening, surrounded by the spoils of a hundred captures, and counting over his treasures, while on either side of him was ranged the skeleton forms of his victims. It was a starlit night, and the wind was blowing fresh; but the brigantine was not run- ning very fast, as her foremast, in ber action with the schooner, bad been cut off a few feet by a solid shot, and the repairs made were only temporary until a new stick could be put in at the island, for which place the pirate craft was then heading. “Senor chief, there is a sail in sight!” called out an officer down the companionway. “If she is a slow sailer and a prize, head for her, as we may get another rich haul, Mautan- zas; but if she looks armed give her a wide berth, as the brigantine is not herself, you know,” replied the Black Pirate, continuing the counting of his gold and jewels. But in twenty minutes Mantanzas returned to the cabin, saying that the stranger had sighted them, changed bis course, and was com- ing directly after them. ' ‘*Then he’s armed and wants a fight, and in our crippled state we must fly.” Again the officer returned to the deck, and the chief returned to the joyous work of going over his ill-gotten treasure. But once more he was disturbed. ‘*Senor captain, that craft is gaining, and it looks strangely like the—’’ “The whut, Mantanzas?” was the calm ques- tion, as the lieutenant paused. “The Petre] !” “ What?’ “The one they call the gallows-ship, senor.” ‘Good God! the king’s cruiser that we made a galiows-ship of?” ‘* Yes, senor.” ** And in pursuit ?” ‘¢ Yes, senor.” Instantly the Black Chief left his treasure and rushed upon deck. He found the brigantine going along under all the canvas she could bear in her crippled rig, and under pressure of a ten-knot breeze, while astern half a league came a vessel evi- dently in chase, The eyes of every one of the crew were fixed upon the stranger, and no wonder, for even the casual glance showed that it was the Petrel. Though only a starlit night, the coming ves- sel yet seemed surrounded with a halo, a pale greenish light, that revealed the tracery of the rigging faintly, and the ghastly forms swinging in the rigging. She had just the canvas set that had been on her when the Black Pirate had set her adrift, and was certainly a queer-looking craft to be in chase of another. ‘‘ Her rudder has got jammed, and that holds her on her course,” said the Black Pirate, as if trying to find relief in what he kuew was im- possible. “‘A change of course will determine that, senor,” said an officer. “Then put the brigantine on the starboard tack.” At once the order was obeyed, and as the brigantine went round the stranger held on. ‘Ha! I told you so, for she does not follow our example,” cried the Black Pirate, in de- light. But the joy of all was short-lived, for, when reaching the very spot where the brigantine went in stays, the death-ship followed suit, and came dashing along on the starboard tack, ex- actly in the wake, and steadily gaining upon the pirate. ‘Damnation! she follows our wake like a hound on a trail,” said the Black Pirate, sav- agely. As he saw that the death-ship was still steadily gaining he called to his men to clear the stern guns and to open upon the strange craft. To a map they refused, and, unwilling to raise mutiny there, the Black Pirate himself swung the port stern gun round, sighted it carefully and fired. But not the slightest effect was visible upon the death-craft, although the ball seemed to go through the rigging. Again and again was the gun fired, and with no effect that could be noticed upon the brigan- tine, and with a superstitious horror creeping over him the Black Pirate ceased firing. Full of superstition himself, and by it, and his grim skeletons, curses and weird acts, holding fearful influence over his crew, the Black Pirate, now that he was face to face with something cf the supernatural, was deeply moved, and called out: “ A hundred onzas to the man that discov- ers a live buman being upon that vessel.” Every eye was now riveted upon the death- ship, and yet not one could see a moving form, ** Land ho!” The voice came from the maintop of the brigantine, and a long dark line had opened ahead which the Black Pirate knew was the North Carolina coast. He had hoped he was further off from the shore, and now saw that the death-ship was to windward, and if it increased its speed could head him off. Still he determined to make a desperate effort to get away, even if be carried away his masts. “ Up into the rigging, you devils, and set every inch of cloth the brigantine can dress in. ‘* Never mind the weak stick, crowd on the canvas, I say!” yelled the Black Pirate. The wind was now increasing and though the men fered for the result, they sprung to obey; but as they swarmed into the rigging, a cry broke from Mantanzas, and every eye was turned upon the death ship. In her rigging suddenly appeared a number of white forms, strangely ghostly in appear- ance, and instantly more sail was spread on her, as if by magic. Every man on the brigantine, at this sight turned deadly pale, for at last they felt that punishment for their red crimes was pursuing them. Even the Black Chief, whom no one ever had known to feel fear, or at least to show it, trembled violently, and his voice quivered, as he cried: ‘‘ Helmsman, put her dead before the wind for the shore,” Instantly the sheet halyards were let fly, and square before the half-gale that was blow- ing, the brigantine started for the shore. _ Following steadily in her wake, until reach- ing the spot where the brigantine squared away, the death-ship held on the same course, and a groan came from every man on the pirate craft, for they gave themselves up as doomed. CHAPTER XXXV. DOOMED. THAT the death-ship was gaining quickly upon the pirate the most casual observer upon the brigantine could see, and that the former was a supernatural foe, sent after them in punishment for their crimes, even the cruel chief felt was true. Nervously be paced the deck, almost fear- ful of looking at the strange craft in his wake, and the ghastly forms which he had tied in the rigging, and yet casting furtive glances at it, which gave him each time less hope, as the brig was now within half ofa mile, and the sickly green light which pervaded, rather than shone from it, displayed jts ghastliness in all its horror. ° _ About the decks, since the extra sail had been set, were visible forms in pure white, moving solemnly to and fro, and they but added | terror to the hearts of the pirates. ‘‘There isa bar yonder which I know has an inlet through, Mantanzas, but we can only get through at bigh tide, andit is yet an hour away, according to my reckoning; but we must attempt it, and if we fail there is but one course to pursue.” ‘“* And that course is, chief?’ ‘‘To spring into the sea,” ‘‘ How far is the land away from the barf’ ‘¢ A league or more,” ‘“‘Then we spring to our death?” ‘‘It is better so, than to have the clammy IJOO EGOMEE S co