Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 172 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

: | | | Ey — - ee my ; — ————— ee — ee The Black Pirate. but I shall pre to receive a foe, and if he The order was also heard on board the proves a friend there will be no harm done.” pirate, for suddenly the brigantine swung round She felt that his answer was evasive, and that | ona change of course, and the broadside of the he knew what the vessel was, and, as he de- | Petrel flew wild, while a volley of rn ina scended into the eabin, she stepped quickly to | came from the buccaneer crew, and with seri- the companionway and distinctly heard the | ous effect. words addressed to the captain: The next instant, with a skill that was mar- “She answers the description exactly of the | velous, the pirate laid his vessel alongside of the Black Pirate, sir, and you know he was expect- | brig-of-war, and over the bulwarks bounded a ed to bein this quarter, lying in wait for the | giant form with a black face, and at his back king’s treasure-ship with gold for the soldiers of | camo scores of his wild crew with savage yells the colony; but do not let Lady Eve suspect the | and fiercer mien. nature of the craft.” | But bardly had the Petrel’s crew, headed by This announcement of the young lieutenant | Captain Cuthbert and Lord Cecil, sprung to was of more importance than the game of cards | meet them, when a clarion-voiced pirate called and at once brought Captain Cuthbert on deck | out: followed by Sir Grey, who could not conceal ** Ho, senor! our foe comes!” his anxiety at what the stranger might prove Tho startling cry momentarily checked every upraised arm, caused the finger on triggers to waver, and brought a dead silence. be. Captain Cuthbert took a long look at the strange sail, now not half a league away, and _ Butin that instant every pirate saw what sailing on a course to head off the Petrel, and seemed to strike a panic to their hearts, and the said, emphatically: | huge, black chief shouted: ‘ ‘* Lord Cecil, you are right.” o your decks, buccaneers!” ‘It is the Blacx Pirate then?” coolly said With one accord they flung themselves pell- Kve. mell over the bulwarks, the lashings were cast “Why yes, Lady Eve, I believe it is; but | loose, and the brigantine swung away ere thé how did you know it?” asked the captain. | Surprised crew of the Petrel could understand “I overheard Lord Cecil’s remark to you, | the cause or recover from their surprise. Captain Cuthbert; but you will fight him of But they were not long in doubt, for, as the course,” | brigantine shot clear of the brig, a line of fire ‘Under other circumstances, Lady Eve, I | ran down her hull, and her broadside poured would be delighted to; but now—” | forth its deadly storm of iron. “You mean asI am on board you fear to Yet, not upon the brig, but upon another risk the fight?’ she said boldly. | foe, and that was a brig-of-war that was only “ Yes, Lady Eve, that is just it, for my or- | a short distance away, and heading directly for ders are to land your father and yourself in | the scene of combat. Halifax and then go after that buccaneer, if it At the fire of the buccaneer the new-comer’s is the one [ think, and I believe I know his rig | bowsprit was sii-t away, and the craft broached well enough to say that it is.” | to, which caused « -vild yell to come from the “Then, Captain Cuthbert, it is your duty, as | pirates’ decks, a king’s officer, to not let that knight of the | Going about at once, the Black Pirate squared Black Flag escape, and I request that you | away dead before the wind, and began a rapid forget my presence and give him battle.” | flight, crowding on eanvas, and at the same ‘* But Eve, my child—” | time pouring in a hot fire from his stern guns, ‘*Father, I would never forgive myself if | at the two English vessels, for that the new- that pirate should escape now, so let Captain | eomer floated the English flag, the flash of the Cuthoert do his duty.” guns plainly showed, “Lady Eve, you’ve for more pluck than ‘Pour your hail upon. him, Jads!” yelled moss men, and by old Neptune, but I will let | Captain Cuthbert, and his erew did thé best you see a good fight, for yonder eraft is the | they could; but the brig had been stripped for Black Pirate. | action, the pirates had left their mark, and ‘‘ Beat to quarters, Lieutenant Milnor, and | momentarily they were almost unnerved with we'll let that fellow know what our orders are.” | astonishment. The crew answered with a cheer the call to| But rallying, they quickly poured a fire after their guns, and in five minutes all was ready | them, and Captain Cuthbert was giving orders for the combat, and Eve Alstone reluctantiy | to stand away in chase, when Lord Cecll said: went below with her father, and upon entering “ Pardon, Captain Cuthbert; but that fellow the cabin found Sir Grey’s valet and her maid | showed bow oseparate he was, and we would croséing themselves in holy terror at the fear of | bave had a hard ght of it, but for the coming the sea fight. of the Vulture, for I recognize our consort, and as she cannot repair to follow under a couple of hours, suppose we transfer Sir Grey and _ his danghter to the brig, and we go in chase?” “A good idea, my Jord; hail them and ask what damage, and if they will allow the trans- fer, for we do not want to fight that Black Pirate with a lady on board, as I ean now see. Lord Cecil instantly hailed and the answer came back to his question, that the repairs would take some time, they bad been in pursuit of the Black Pirate for several days, but would turn the chase over to the Petrel, and gladly re- echt Sir Grey Alstone and his daughter on ard. Instantly the boats were lowered, the baronet, who was delighted with the change, and Eve bade a hasty farewell, and in fifteen minutes after they were welcomed on board the Vulture by her commander, and away flew the Petrel in hot chase of the Black Pirate, As soon as Eve’s foot touched the deck she gazed eagerly around for the tall form of her sailor lover, Leon St. Vale; but nowhere was he yagible and a look of anxiety and disappoint- ment came over her beautiful face, just as her father unwittingly came to her aid with the re- mark, addressed to the Vulture’s commander: “ Sir Roslyn, is not St. Vale an officer on your vessel?” “He is, sir, or rather was; but God only knows what has become of him, as he went on board that craft five days ago, and we have not seen him since,” said Sir Roslyn Stannix sadly. Eve Alstone turned deadly pale at these words, and tried te ; but her tongue could give no utterance to what she would ‘say, and er father criedin deep surprise: ** Leon St. Vale on a board a pirate?” “It is true, Sir Grey; but come into the cabin with me, and as soon as we have made yourself and daughter comfortable, I will tell you the particulars.” Eve gave a slight moan, for there was that in the words and manner of Captain Stannix that sent a chill of dread to her heart. CHAPTER X, CATCHING A TARTAR. Tse night was clear, and starlight was suf- ficient for those on the Petrel to get a full view of the stranger. A light wind was blowing, and that the brigantine wis fast was evident from the six knots which sLe zeemed to be getting out of a four-knot breeas, while ber long, narrow hull, lying low in the water, and tail, tapering masts, proved also that she was intended for extraor- dinary speed, The glass showed her decks full of men, and at their guns, and a group of officers standing upon the quarter-deck. Captain Cutbbert, who knew the brigantine by sight, was most anxious to get in close range ere he opened, for on several occasions he had known the pirate to escape when he found his foe’s guns too heavy for him. For some reason too the Black Pirate did not epen fire, and only a few lengths separated the two beautiful, but saucy vessels, when Captain Cuthoert said: : * Lord Cecil, try your clear tenor upon him and find out what he says, please.” In trumpet-like tones they went across the waters frorn the lips of Lord Cecil Milnor: *‘ Ho the Brigantine, obey!” ‘“ Ahoy the brig of war, Petrel,” came back the answer in a commanding voice. ‘By Heaven he knows us; try him again, my lord,” eried the captain. ‘ Whi brigantine is that?’ ealled out Lord Yecil. ‘‘ Is not that the British brig-of-war Petre]?’ eame back the response which, Yankee-like, answered a question by asking one, “Ay, ay; who are you?” ‘* You are sent out by the king, especially to hunt down the Black Buccaneer?” was the ques- tlon. Ay, ay: that is one purpose; who are you?” eried the young noble. “ The eraft you are looking for I” The strange replies of the brigantine’s com- Silently sbe threw herself down upon a divan, mander had caused all on board the Petrel to be- ' and tried to smile her thanks as Sir Roslyn lieve that a mistake had been made, and that | showed her the quarters that were to be her he was not the Black Pirate; but now when he | own, and told her to command himself and crew stood revealed under his own confession, there | as though she were admiral. was a momentary excitement on the Petrel,| At last, umable to bear longer the suspense, and then eame in Captain Cuthbert’s hoarse | she said earnestly: tones: | “Sir Roslyn, as Lieutenant St. Vale is a ‘“* At your guns there, fire!” friend of eurs, will you please relieve eur minds SS sssssessstsssttesisseepesteestnssne le as to the meaning of your words, when yeu said he had gone on board the Pirate?’ , Mia Lady Eve, I will tell you all that ow. ‘We were becalmed the other day, and te- ward afternoon a breeze came bearing down from the northward, and bringing with it as trim a looking merchant-craft as I ever saw, as I believed her to be. ‘* When within a league of us the wind died away, and we were both hecalmed, and St Vale, who had been most attentively examinin the stranger, suggested taking the . gig dnd running aboard the brigantine. ‘‘ I consented, and he departed, with four men and a coxswain. ‘*]T saw him board, and a few minutes after I saw the boat coming back, and as it came near to our surprise we observed that St. Vale was not on board. “It was dark when the boat reached us, and the coxswain handed me a note, which he said Lieutenant St. Vale had bade him give to me. ‘Tt read, gag ThE “This is the Black Pirate’s brigantine, and I shall remain on board. St. Vaue.’ ‘‘ As the wind was now freshening up we gaye chase, and held on for days in sight, though Oe could not overtake the nimble-heeled rascal. “To-day night he had dodged us, and we were looking for him, when suddenly we saw the Petrel and the. Pirate close aboard of each other, and he beat a retreat at sight of us, and crippled us with bis broadside; but Heaven grant that the Petre! overhaul him.” Eve thanked Sir Roslyn in alow tone, and unable to account for St. Vale’s strange eon- duct, went to her state-room, and her maid dis- robing her, she threw herself upon her bed and wept bitter, scalding tears. CHAPTER XT. THE BLACK PIRATE. WHEN Leon St. Vale had fled in unnerved terror from the cell in the cliff of Rock Ruin, be had only been anxious to place distance be- tween himself and the ghastly secret that lay behind that stone door. The sudden collapse of the skeleton form of . a —— ° ~— ae - " « —a bis father, the rattle of the bones as they fell in. a heap upon the rock flooring, and the rolling of the skull into the sea had completely unnerved him, brave as he was. Had it been the bones of any other man than his father, whom he had so dearly loved and so sincerely mourned, be could have gazed wpon them with compassion tinged with horror; but to be the bony form of bis parent, whose death had been so cruel, so full of torture and ghastly enguish, made his suffering most poignant, and the chill at his heart took from it the ecol courage, and hastily he had fled from the weird scene, Returning on board his vessel he had seemed like changed man toward his brother officers, and hough he devoted himself to his duties, fror the day the Vulture pointed her prow to- — warc American shores, he yet had lost his bright smile, pleasant manner, and seemed to act he a piece of mechanism, rather than a huma’ being. Ma. y set down his changed manner to regret and r morse at the killing of Lord Aubrey Caver 7, and some pitied him; but when, after they bh 1 been weeks upon their voyage, and he had go: 3 on board the supposed merchantman, and co. ly written back word to his commander that it was the brigantine of the Black Pirate, the Sea Scourge, and that he should remain there, few knew what to think, while some slanderous tongues sowed the seed of calumny against him, and whispered that he had “‘ turned buccaneer.” To none of his brother officers, however, had St. Vale told the secret of Rock Ruin, and it weighed like a nightmare upon him, as the reader can well understand. Upon going in the gig to board the brigantine there was nothing about the craft that caused him to suspect her of being other than one of the trim American vessels that were then trad- ing with England, and not until he went over her side did he discover that the guns were so arranged as to be run close into the bulwarks, where a slanting canvas covering fastened from the rail to the deck hid them from ordinary eb- — servation. Also, instead of a score of seamen, which he had expected to behold, he saw a hundred crouching upon the decks, To retreat was impossible, to cry out to the coxswain would cause his death and the destrue- tion of the men in the boat, and with wonderful presence of mind and nerve he simply saluted, and said to an officer who greeted him: ‘“*T know what you are, and sought this op- portunity to join you: but my men know you © werd as a merchantman, so let them return with that idea while I remain.” The officer, an evil-faced man of forty, was evidently taken by surprise when he had ex- pected to surprise, and replied: “You know that this is the vessel of the Black Pirate?” ‘“‘I do, sir, and I desire to see your chief; but as yonder vessel of war, which is sent by (E| OOK) S : e€om — ' a * (@ s