Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 172 — page 21: what you’re looking at

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| | touch of those fellows laid upon us, Mantan- zas.” The lieutenant shuddered and made no reply, and taking his bearings, from objects on shore, the Black Pirate headed for the inlet. Nearer and nearer drew the death-ship, and nearer drew the brigantine to the shore, until suddenly the Black Pirate called out: ‘‘[ am wrong, for yonder is not the clump of trees I formerly steered by, but they are further up the coast; ready, about!” Bat, as the brigantine’s bow swung round there came a sudden thump, she careened over, a shriek followed, and she was hard aground upon a sand-bar, while the waves breaking over her deck, and her keeling over so sud- denly, hurled the crew into the wild waves. There were shrieks from many, and yet not one felt like struggling to reach her decks again, as they beheld the death-ship coming directly for them, The Black Chief, with his crew, had been hurled into the foaming waters, and with the others he felt that he must die, for the waves were dragging them along at a fearful rate, and land and sky and hope seemed shut out of gaze forevermore, for who could live in that maelstrom of waters, with the land yet miles away? Running close in to the stranded brigantine, the death-ship stood off and on for a few tninutes, and then suddenly into her rigging went white forms, and heg sails were rapidly taken in, and she was stripped to meet a furious storm which had suddenly loomed up over the pine forest onshore, and was driven pea ward. : And as suddenly had the stiff sea breeze that had been blowing died out, and with her bow pointed to meet the coming gale, the death- ship let fall her anchors, a boat left her side, and ten minutes after half a dozen white forms were on board the brigantine. A moment after the storm came sweeping seaward, the wall of water pushed before it raised the brigantine upon its top and bore it off the bar, and then it was seen to suddenly be under control of its helm, for it luffed sharply round, its head to the gale, its an- chors were let fall, and it too lay quietly rid- ing out the gale, and not a cabie’s length from the death sbip, 4, CHAPTER XXXVL ST. VALE’S PLOT. WaeEn Leon St. Vale had backed off so sud- denly from the gallows-ship, as the weird craft was also called, it was with the impulse of horror that momentarily pervaded him, and the idea that had gone abroad among seamen that all meeting the ghostly craft were doomed to die. But an instant of reflection showed him that if her crew were all dead he bad nothing to fear from the craft, while the storm that was rusbing upon them gave him every cause for anxiety. ‘‘Give way, men! pull hard for the vessel,” he cried. The men demurred when he continued: ‘That gale will swamp us, and on yonder craft we can meet nothing more than death. ‘*Give way, I say.” The long-boat moved forward once more, was guided alongside the brig, and Leon St. Vale sprung on board. ‘‘ Lively, lads, for here is a haven in the stern,’ he called out cheerily, and inspired by his manner all sprung to obey. Lena La Rue was first aided on board, then came the others, and the crew sprung to obey orders to get the vessel’s head to the gale, and the long-boat was cast adrift. Then came the tempest, raising the brig high upon its rolling waters, and causing the ghastly forms in its rigging to swing wildiy about. . But Leon St. Vale commanded his crew to stand at their posts, the brig was laid to, and there lay until the storm was ridden out, By dawn the seas were no longer in a wild chaos, and St. Vale took a look at bis capture. He found that the stores on board remained intact, although the vessel had been robbed by the Black Pirates of such light articles of value as the vile crew could hastily carry off. The dead and wounded left on the decks had been washed overboard; but in the rigging swung a score of forms, hideous emblems of the capture of the Petrel by the pirates. But in the cabin was a surprise that gave Leon St. Vale great pleasure, for there in his — — _ Li. oF . The Black Pirate. own state-room lay wounded Captain Cuthbert, and upon the floor near was a seaman, also suffering from a wound. The leg of the captain had been broken by a bullet, tho arm of the seaman had been shat- tered, but they had recovered consciousness after the departure of the pirates to find that they alone were left of the gallant crew, and together they had aided each other as best they could while the veseel drifted aimlessly about the seas. lt was a fearful story of horror and suffer- ing which Captain Cuthbert had to tell; but be almost wept with joy at his rescue, and one of the captives of the pirates being a surgeon, his wound and that of the seaman at once received the needed attention, Then St. Vale told of a plot he had formed to make the gallows-ship serve as a means of punishing the Black Pirate and his crew, and Captain Cuthbert and the passengers readily agreed to it, ’ Making himself known to the pirates in his true light, St. Vale promised them full par- don if they aided him and instant death if they declined, and they saw that he meant what he said, while, being armed, and with not only the two male captives, but also Lena La Rue and the wounded seaman of the Petrel stand- ing at his back with weapons to aid him, the eight pirates gladly consented to obey him if he would give them a written guarantee of pardon for their past offenses. This St. Vale did, and by night all the Petrel was ready for her cruise under her new commander, To prepare her for this voyage, St. Vale had just cut down the bodies in the rigging and given them proper burial, after which lay figures were swung up in their place, Then the tattered sails had been replaced by others found on board, and lanterns, with reflectors of green glass, had been so arranged as to throw light upon the rigging, and give the vessel a most supernatural look. When all was in readiness the Petrel was put on the hunt for the Black Pirate, St. Vale knowing in what locality he would find him, and if missing him intending to sail directly for the island where he felt certain to meet him. ! The reader has already seen the result of St. Vale’s plot, and that the Black Pirate and bis crow had been driven to doom by their own superstitious terror at beholding the death-ship in pursuit of them, When the morning dawned the sea had run down sufficiently for the Petrel to range along- side of the brigantine, and then the captors beheld the result of their capture, for the brigantine had been wholly deserted by her red crew, and the treasures, for which so much innocent blood had been shed, lay scattered in confusion about the cabin floor, not even the Black Pirate remembering his gold and jewels in his terror, As St. Vale wasin a quandary what to do with his two vessels, for he feared to trust the pirate crew, a sail suddenly hove in sight, and a ery of joy broke from his lips as he turned his glass upon the stranger and recognized the Vulture. Laying in under the shore, and with the Vulture a long way off, he feared they would not be seen from her decks, and instantly gave orders to fire heavy guns as a signal, The scowling looks of his pirate crew, as they obeyed the order, showed that he had not mistrusted them without cause, for they had already planned to seize the vessels and bead for the island with them, where they could soon man them with crews from the ports of the Carribee Islands. i But now they dared not make the attempt, as the Vulture might sight them, and all would be lost. Sullenly they fired the guns, the reports reached the ears of those on the brig-of-war, and soon after she came treading toward the two vessels as they lay at anchor. To picture the surprise and joy of all on board the Vulture would be impossible, when they discovered that Leon St. Vale was in com- mand of both vessels. No, there was one exception to the general delight, and that one was Lieutenant Kent Lo- max, for he believed he would now have it all his own way, as he had already set going again the insinuations that Leon St. Vale had turned pirate, and not meeting him, as prom- ised, off the Bermudas, with constant hints of the easy way in which he had been captured, 21 had even caused Sir Roslyn, and especially Lord Cecil to begin to doubt the young officer too. | But now the secret was out, he had redeem- ed himself, and won fame as the destroyer of the Black Pirate, and the captor of his brigan- tine, besides solving the secret of the death- ship, and the world would unite in singing his praises, while, what was bit ess to the heart and soul of Kent Lomax, Lady Eve Alstone, and even Sir Grey, would welcome the victor, after the dangers he had known and triumphs he had -won, not to speak of the riches the pirate vessel would bring. CHAPTER XXXVIL CONCLUSION, OnE balmy afterhoon the town of Halifax was startled by the forts thundering forth sa- lutes, and hastening to the look-outs, the citizens beheld three vessels coming up the harbor. The leading craft was the Petrel, better known along the coast as the death-ship, or gallows-ship, and to the distant erver the lay figures still hanging in the rigging looked indeed like human forms. Bebind her came the well-known brigantine of the Black Pirate, and following in their wake was the Vulture, “The Vulture brig-of-war has captured the pirate and brought in the gallows ship,” cried Sir Grey Alstone to his daughter, for, seated in their carriage, they were among the observ- ers of the incoming vessels. This remark of Sir Grey Alstone was seized upon by the crowd, and it went from lip to lip. But when the three vessels dropped anchor, and boats put off from them for the shore, it soon became known that Leon St. Vale was the victor, and bis name was shouted over the town until the shouters were hoarse. And up at the elegant mansion of Sir Grey were assembled the dignitaries of the town, to greet Sir Roslyn Stannix, Captain Cuthbert, whose wound bad so far recovered as to enable him to go on crutches, Leon St. Vale, the hero, Lord Cecil Milnor, the two captive gentlemen, and last, by no means least, Lena La Rue, whom Lady Eve had welcomed most kindly and made her guest, And ere many days rumor flew around that Leon St. Vale was to take command of the Pe- trel, late the gallows-ship, as Captain Cuthbert would retire from the navy, and that his first officer was to be Lord Cecil Milnor. But it was also rumored that before they sailed on a cruise to continue the good work of driving piracy from the high seas, that Lieu- tenant Leon St. Vale was to lead to the altar Lady Eve Alstone, while it was to be a double wedding, as Lord Cecil Milnor would -marry Lena La Rue, the pirate’s captive, and a New York beauty and heiress. But, whether rumor was true, and true love ran smoothly in these cases, is told in the sequel to this romance, ‘‘ Tbe Ocean Vampire; or, The Heiress of Castle Curse.” THE END. DIME DIALOGUES AND SPEAKERS FOR SCHOOL EXHIBITIONS AND HOME ENTERTAINMENTS. Dialogues, Nos. 1 to 29 inclusive, 15 to % popu- lar dialogues and dramas in each book. Each vol- ume 100 12mo pages. Speakers, Nos. 1 to 2% inclusive. Each speaker 100 pages 12mo, containing from 50 to 75 pieces. YOUNG PEOPLE'S SERIES, Dime Book of Winter Sports. Dime Book of Summer Athletic Sports. Dime Gents’ Letter Writer. Dime Book of Etiquette. Dime Book of Verses. ° Dime Book of Dreams. Dime Fortune Teller. Dime Ladies’ Letter Writer. Dime Lovers’ Casket. Dime Ball-Room Companion. Dime Book of 100 Games. Dime Chess Instructor. Dime Book of Beauty. te" The above books are sold by newsdealers everywhere, or will be sent, post-paid, to any ad- dress, on receipt of price, ten cents each. BEADLE & Apams, Publishers, 98 William st., N.Y. ee eS a en - - ‘ ees rh . m - ~* * - + «\ Se o- .. ~ & 4