Beadle's Dime Library No. 18 — page 16: what you’re looking at

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

4 " 4 MA) = == 7 — SS SS - —- — he — ea ee ‘ A eae oe a = of the captive; and her ‘ook gave treble force to her words. “Tt is well you do! If you lad ever dared to love him, this should have been your re- ward!” And the woman exhibited a dageer. “Better that than this eruel captivity !” said Maraquita, with dignity. * You shall be free! Mariano, come here replied th. woman, who was none other than Monona. Mariano, who had remained hidden from Maraquita’s sight by the curtains of the coueh, now stepped forward. ‘“‘Marinno, I accept your plan!’ said Monona, in a guict tone—but one of command. * You wiil change garments with this girl, and remain in her place. He dare not harm my child!” “I do not fear that he will, my mother—I am ready to do your b dding!” said the youth. Then, noticing the modest blush which sud- denly replaced the paleness upon Maraquita’s oheeks, Mariano added: “ Have no fear, lady. I am, like yourself, a maiden; but have worn a boy’s garb fron my childhood, by my moth- er’s command, Perchance, she will expiain to you why she so commanded. Not even iny muster has ever divined my sex. I pray you to exchange garments with me without fear ; my disguise will effectually aid in your escape ; for no one questions where Mariano goes. Your figure is much the same as mine in size —your hair can easily be arranged in the same way, and I have brought a cosmetic which will give your face the hue which the sun and wind has given mine. Do not delay, lady. Colcefrinas is away, but may return at any hour ; and we risk our lives to effect your re- lease. What we do, must be done quickly !” It needed no more argument to make Mats: quita devide upon her course—no further words to hasten her action. “ I am ready—do with me as you will!” sue said. And as womea, when they will, do with a will what they will, rapidly, so it required but a short time to make the required transfer of garments ; and as Mariana—as we are now to term her; the a and the o alone determinin the nominative masculine in Spanibsh-stndved across the room, no one would have believed but that she had always been used to the gar- ments she wore. Maraquita, though made to look exceedingly like what Mariano had been, did not move with the same ease; al- though she did very well, considering, also, that this was not her first masquerade in garments unsuited to her sex. Come, hasten now; we need delay no Jon- ger !’’ said Monona, impatiently, to Maraquita. “Take this dagger, Mariana!” said she te her child.. “I need not tell you how to use it, sliould he further strive to wrong me or thee !” Mariana took the glittering weapon, kissed her mother coldly, saluted Maraquita with a fervor that made her blush through her new sostnetie, and then waved them away. A moment more, and they were gone. She was alone. For a moment she seemed to fee] weak and like a real woman, for a heavy sigh broke from her bosom, and tears eame out from her great black eyes, and rolled down npon her breast. But she hushed the sigh, shook the tears from her ebon lashes, and, moving before one of the massive mirrors, sur- veved herself from head to foot. “De Regla’s child,” she said, “ is pretty, more childish than 1; yet not so beautiful by half! What will he say when he knows the eeeret so long and so well kept as this has heen? He will be angry at her loss, and, per- ehanee, will slay me! 1 shall not shrink from the blow that comes from his hands. But he inst not spurn me—he must not do that! I cau be his slave if he loves me—his death if he despises me! I would he were here—I am tired of captivity already! But I will try to sleep, and then I may dream as I have dreamed before—happy, such happy dreams !” And, in a careless way, Mariaia cast herseli u,.on the couch whereon poor Maraquita had tossed so restleasly, and soon was wrapped in a profound slumber, And there, for the present, we must leave her, while we turn again to the rough waters of the sleepless sea. hh CHAPTER XX1X. The day which opened upon Allen at the anchorage chosen by his eonsorts, was as clear and pleasant as if hurricanes never oceurred in those latitudes. It was as pleasant as some fair faces we have seen, which, to look on them. appear io be proof against the storms of anger The New York Library. a ee ee or the clouds of wrath. It o pened busily for Allen, for from each of his consorts he was receiving a share of good ammunition in place of the worthless trash which he had cast over- board. And the sun was not high in the east- ern sky, when he found his craft once more ready, not only for sea but for action—every- thing this time having been fairly tested and overhauled ; and before it had reached the me- ridian, he, with his consorts, was standing off the coast, each of t em diverging to the right and left—or, in more proper terms, to the eastward and westward—while he, with keen-eyed look-outs at the mast-heads, stood on the course which the gale had marked on the day before. His beautiful eraft now had every spar in its place—all of her light kites were spread, or such at least as she could carry close haul- ed on a wind; for the wind, though light now, had not changed io direction. Her gay flag floated from the gaff—her long pendant streamed from the peak, her crew seemed ag light in heart as they had proportionally beer saddened, when they found their powder worth- less. And when, ere yet the land was out of sight, the look-outs sighted a sail to windward on in-oluntary cheer burst from every throat, for the men seemed to think no other vessel] could be in their path than that for which they were in search. tina more, and this time with a heart beat- ing strong with hope and ambition, Allen gave the order to beat to quarters, and the men and officers sprang to their stations with an alac- rity which proved their anxiety to be at work to be at least equal to his own. The men were at once put to exercise, while the vessel rapidly clove the water in the direction of the just-discovered sail, Allen, taking his telescope, went forward to examine her, and when he saw that it was a vessel almost entirely dismantled, he did not doubt but that it was the pirate ; but wonder- ed why a man like Colcefrinas should not have sooner got up jury-masts and put her into something like working order. While he was thus cogitating, the look-out, aloft announced another sail in sight, a little to windward of the first ; and without having occasion to ask any questions, Allen at once saw the other stranger, which appeared to have been under little or no canvas, and had thus been nnnotice. But now, as if by magic, her taut spars were covered with canvas, and she seemed to haul up on the same course which the Alligator was heading. Allen did not need superhuman sagacity to understand how matters stood. He recog- nized the “ Pilot” by her build and rig in a moment, and knew intuitively that the dis- mantled vessel was some unfortunate mer- oliantman which had been taken by the pirate— perhaps been entrapped by her signals of dis- tress, and her spars, sails, rigging, ete., used to refit the storm-disabled schooner. But sad as the thought was, that the crew of the merchantman might have perished, p.-r- haps even then Jay bleeding on her decks, Al- len only joyed at the sight of the vessel be- ond, - in his hopes soon to have her under ‘ts batteries. But why, when thus evidently ready for action, she should fly from him in- stead of awaiting his approach, at first aston- ished him; but nautpasibadlicie that the sails of his consorts were in sight yet, his wonder ceased; and that especialy, when he saw that they had altered their courses, and had hauled on » wind in his direction. He now re- gretted that he had not left them at their an- chorage and sought the adventurealone. But it was too late for regrets. Having the retreat beat, he directed the energies of officers and men to trimming the sails and doing all that could be done to increase his speed. The en- emy was at least five or six miles to windward; and well he knew that the chase would be a long one if Coleefrinas so willed it—for the two vessels, if trimmed aright, were nearly equals. In less than an hour from the time when she was first sighted, Allen was close along- side of the dismantled vessel, which proved, as he supposed, an American merchantman, schooner rigged and Baltimore built ; and she had served but too good a purpose for the pi- rate when she fell into his power. Not a liv- ing soul from her greeted the approach of the man-of-war, and Allen was too eager in his chase to pause to hoard her. That he left for his slower-sailing consorts to do. But he ran so close that he and his crew could see the dead bodies of the butchered men, who had composed the crew of the unfortunate vessel, i -< ears ee re ee and more than one oath was re_istered to avenge the hapless creatures. The breeze grew fresher as the vessels stood off, and they soon had ail they could do to carry top-gallant sails with “a clear full” on, and the white caps danced merrily on the crests of the huge blue waves. From time to time Allen sighted the dis- tanee between the two vessels with nis sextant, to see if he gained; and frequently was he tempted to fire a challenging gun to wind-! wand to try and taunt his foe into bringing to for battle. But he wished, so long as he could, to keep the latter from becoming aware that he kad oosd powder on board; and as jie was very fast dropping his consorts astern, he hoped every hour to see the pirate heave to and give him ac .ance to close. But night was fast approaching, and he be. gan to fear that the wily villain intended in- deed to fly, and in the coming darkness might escape, when, while yet the sun was an half hour or more high, and the sails of his con sorts almost out of sight astern, the pirate was seen to take in his top-gallantsail, brail up his foresail, and make a show of preparation for action, by running off with the wind a little free. Cheers broke from the lips of the American crew when they saw this, for they felt that the ong-desired hour was now at hand. “Oh, for a few hours more of daylight!” muttered Allen, to himself, as he glanced at the height of the sun. “She will be ours before dark, sir!” said the first lieutenant, who had overheard his ex- pression. “ Perhaps—-but if she tries yet to escape us, the coming darkness will favor her. Her escape is all that I fear!” replied Allen. Still standing on under a press of canvas, the Alligator was soon within gunshot of the pirate ; and then Allen began to trim in his canvas for work. The enemy did not open fire, undoubtedly waiting for Allen to try his poor powder first; but the latter aetermining to hide the advantage which he knew he had, held his fire also ; and just as the sum began to dip beneath the western waters, ranged along the weather-beam of the pirate, and within hailing distance. Coleefrinas, dressed magnificently, stood on the weather-rail of his vessel, and hailing, said : “T am waiting for you to open the ball with @ salute, my gallant Yankee !” “ You shall have your desire, sir!” ghouted Alien, and at a wave of his hand, to the utter astonishment of the pirate, a crasning broad- side was poured into him, of shot not sent by Matanzas powder. “Hell and furies! De Regla has played me false |”? shouted Coleefrinas, as he sprung to the helm himself, to put it hard-a-lee, to save his vessel from being raked by the American, which was wearing around his stern, while the men were hurriedly reloading the batteries just fired.” ! ’ And the pirates, who, taken altogether by surprise, at first were panic-strack, now sprung to their guns ; and on both sides the firiag be- eame hot and heavy. And now the ski4 of the two commanders, as well as their bravery, was brought into play. Allen, finding that he could not so ma- neuvre as to rake his wily foe, sought to make the conflict brief by boarding him. But Col- eefrinas, much as he would have desired it had his crew been full, had lost too many men 1n the storm, and in the unexpected broadside, to risk a hand-to-hand encounter ; and he only sought to hold his own until night set in, that he might escape in the darkness. Pass- ing forward among his gunners the order to cripple the American in his spars, he managed by ekillful manceuvres to bafile Allen in every attempt to getalongside The gunners of the Alligator, only thinking of sending as many pirates as they could to eternity, poured in their grape and canister, and it was not until it was too late that Allen found. that only round and chain shot were returned, to knoc away his spars and cut his rigging. Darkness had come on, although from the very commencement of the action both vessela had been in the darkness of a cloud of smoke, when suddenly the fire of the pirate ceased— although it had been tremendously heavy until the very instant before it stopped. “She has surrendered !” shout pay a voice on board the American; and more than one dying tar lifted his head to hear those words—more than one man serely wounded ceased his groans, a8 they heard the ery. SiG (@) Gomichoo