Beadle's Dime Library No. 18 — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

———— et tes weet a ee “ Yes, Eduardo—yes, better the loss of your life and mine, than to be awakened thus rudely from the dream of love which has made me so happy.” Pao And Monona’s voice began to tremble and her eyes to moisten. Coleefrinas saw that the woman-nature was struggling to come back, and with wily art he threw out a decoy to bring it further. " “ You have not lost my love, Monona!” said e. “ Why, then, did you seek to wed this De Regla’s. child ?” “T did not mean to wed her. I held her as & hostage for her father’s faith, for I had rea- sou to doubt that; and if we have no hold on the government officials, our homes here would soon be toc hot to hold us. Besides, there would be no market for our plunder, were not they our friunds.” “ You need not try to deceive me, Eduardo. I have known your movements too long.” “Vou do well to talk of deceit, madam, who have deceived me so long, and kept your daugh- ter as & spy upon my motions.” “If you term that deceit, by which I have concealed her sex, I am willing to bear the blame of it. So far I have preserved her from the wrong which has wrapped me in shame ; and I hope | have given her a courage to pre- fer death to dishonor.” A new thought—a new means to subdue the ene temper before him, suddenly flashed, as things had come, upon his abe ‘Do not think that regret to have discov- ered your secret, or rather to have learned the sex of your child. She is very pretty—very like what you once were,” said he, and a quiet smile stole over his cold face. Not now the jealous fears of a woman, but sll of a mother’s nature was aroused, and Mo- nona, pve as marble, threw herself at his feet. “Oh! for the love of Heaven! do not hint that she—she, my child, will suffer wrong at our hands! I know that no priestly lips ve ever pronounced the nuptial benediction for ua—-but oh! have we not been as man and wife in the eight of Heaven for long, long years? Eduardo—Eduardo! speak! You do not con- template this dreadful wrong ?” “ Where is Maraquita de Regla?” he softly asked, for he felt that Monona now would not refuse an answer. “She has gone on board of the American schooner, at anchor off the coast,” echbed the woman. “Ten thousand curses on you! Have you iven her up to him—to my deadliest foe? hall he conquer me in everything ? Off, wo- man! cling not to me nyw—oilf |” And he cast her from him with a foree that left her stunned and senseless on the floor. He did not pause to look at her, but sternly strode from the house. Meeting his principal officer, he asked : ¥ “« What was the plan of the expedition which ou were about to undertake when I returned, olano ?” “A night attack upon the Yankees in Tot tuga Bay, my chief. There are but three ves- sels; and if we took them unawares, we could kill every man or run them overboard !” “That is so. I have left the schooner ina friendly port to refit, and I would have liked to have had her crewin the fray. But it mat- ters not; we have men enough, and the attack must be made in boats. Muster our forces at once, and tell them that we will take those Yankees this night, for Z will lead the expedi- tion!” “Ay, ay, sir! It will be the best _news they’ve heard in a year. How soon will we start, sir?” “Tt will be dark within an hour—let all things be prepared within two. That will give us time to board them when they sleep the soundest in the mid-watch! Let the oars be muffled, and none but able men allowed to take an oar. This time we fight for safety and for revenge, not for profit.” The officer hurried away to obey the orders of his chief, and the latter returned into his house, for he had met the officer beneath the window, and but a step from the door. As he passed through the room where he had left poor Monona, he looked upon the floor, but she was not there. She recov: ered sufficiently to go from there. He went into the room where he usually sat, and where a sideboard was placed, upon which stood de- eanters of wine, brandy, ete. Of the last he took a brimming goblet, muttering ag he drank: “I will have her yet! His life or mine this time.” The Seki Bandit. ‘ Where is your mistress, Lisa?” he asked of aservant, who entered. *‘ She has just gone into her chamber, senor!” replied the negress. “Tt is well! Thatis the best place for her,” muttered the fierce man. And he went into his armory to prepare himself better for the even- ing’s werk, —- CHAPTER XXXYV. By good fortune Allen had several trunks of clothing on board, which had been taken from a vessel partially robbed, and deserted by pirates ; and in ashort time, by the aid of these, the lady Maraquita was enabled to robe herself in # manner becoming her sex. He was then less delicate about introducing her to his offi- cers than he would have been had she been forced to appear in her male attire. And he wished to introduee her ; for he deemed it ne- cessary to call a council of the chief officers of the little squadron together, and to give them information of the evident vicinity of a large rendezvous of the pirates, as was proven by her recent adventure. The council was held; and it was there de- termined on the morrow to start a large boat- expedition, which was narrowly to search every portion of the adjacent coast, and to penetrate any inlets, bays, or rivers which they might find. As it was evident, too, that there was danger of a surprise when a large body of men were so near, additional look-outs were ordered, and it was agreed to hoist the board- ‘ng nettings after dark, and adopt other usual recautions. As the vessels lay anchored almost head and stern in a line in the narrow bay, their defence if attacked would ve united, while it would extend the attacking foree. The recautions were taken not because the Amer- icans believed the pirates would really have the audacity to attack an armed force, but be- cause it was their duty to provide against its possibility rather than its Vingetiacs The night was dark ; had it been moonlight, Allen would have doubtless asked the lady of his love to promenade the deck, now deserted by all but the officer of the watch and the usual anchor-guard—for in no climate in the world are moonlight promenades more de- licious than in that flowery land. As it was, though, the hours flew on uncounted until af- ter the midnight wateh had been changed, Allen and Maraquita remained in the after. cabin of the schooner, conversing, for neither felt, like parting, even for slumber. Suddenly the hail of a sentinel was heard, shouting, boat ahoy !” An answer was given in Spanish, and Allen hurried to the deck, for he felt almost intuit- ively that it must be something serious to bring a boat on board at that time of night. On asecond hail, asking where the boat was from, and what she wanted, at the same time warning her not to approach without permis- sion was granted, a female voice Sep fied - “ We come to save you from surprise and destruction! For your own sakes let me see your commander, instantly !” Allen gave the order, and ina few moments the boat was alongside, and he assisted a fe- male over the side, whose form was concealed as well as sheltered from the night air by a large cloak. “Which is your captain? let me see him alone, instantly!’ she said. “Come into the cabin, madam!” gaid the oung officer. Then bidding the officer of the deck detain the boat in which she came until further orders, he preceded her into that apart- ment. | “ Whom have I the honor of addressing, aud what may the news be you have to impart ?” asked Allen, as he motioned the stranger to a seat. “That lady knows I am—I was — the slave of Colcefrinas, until his treachery aud brutal treatment forced me to ¢esperation and revenge. At the risk of my life I have come from his rendezvous with a faithful boat’s crew, whe are sworn to my service. He will attack yout vessels within an hour, with at least one thou- sand men, hoping to take you utterly by sur- prise. If you repulse him you shall see me again—if you slay him, and will let me have enough to make me and my child independ- ent in some far off land where we are unknown, and guarantee us protection until we are free from this region, I will disclose the hiding- place of his treasures. Now let me go, for I must return and avoid his boats, or IT am lost!” “Can I trust in what this lady says?” asked Allen of Maraquita. «whether we were 19 — — -——-@ eee -— “T think you can. Her hand gave me my freedom!” said the senorita. “Lady, would you not be safer to remain here ?” he asked of Monona, “ Thus forewarn- ed, we can easily repulse those who attack us, and edterward I can better serve you, perhaps !” “T prefer to return, senor—my ch.ld may be in rn og ; for she is yet a prisoner, in place of this lady !” “Tt shall beas you wish. And you have my thanks for this warning!” “T need no thanks, senor! I avenge myself in warning you. But, beware, he is even now near!” She waited no longer, but was gone in a mo- ment. Allen saw her over the side, and then hastened to send word to his colleagues to pre- pare for the impending attack, and himself su- eintended the necessary operations. The bréddatdes of the vessels were sprung 80 as to completely cover the entrance of the bay— the guns were depressed so as to sweep the surface of the water within pistol-shot—they were loaded to the muzzle with grape-shot and bags of musket-balls—all of the small-arms were changed, and the crews of the guns sta- tioned, All the lights, except those usually shown by vessels at anchor, were put out, and the strictest silence enjoined, so that those who intended to surprise might believe in their suc- cess until it was time to turn the tables on them. The men and officers had been at their stations an hour at least—it seemed longer, for suspense hangs weights to the wings of Time— and as yet no sound of the expected enemy was heard. “T shouldn’t wonder if that woman had do- cieved us, and had only come as a spy to see repared or not!” said his first lieutenant to Allen, ae the latter leaned against the quarter-rail in a listening attitude. “‘ Hush—I hear the low dip of oars! Be ceady vo throw up the blue lights the moment I vive the word !” was Allen’s low reply. To other ears than those of one who watched anxiously with the hope of Fame in his heart, the”sounds would have been inaudible, but soon they became so distinct that at almost the same moment the look-outs of the three vessels hailed. At that instant, a shower of rockets and blue lights thrown up from Allen’s vessel lighted the little bay up with the glare of day, showing its entrance filled with boats which were stealthily pulling toward the vessels — boats crowded with armed men. Hithertse they had been silent as death, but now, seeing that they were discovered, with wild yells and maddening shouts they dashed toward the vessels. The guny searce needed sighting; and in a minute, with one terrific sheet of fire—one earth-and-ocean-shaking sound, the united broadsides sent their freight of iron and lead among the miserable wretches, While yet the wild echoes rolled from isle to isle, the crash of splintered boats, the shrieks of dying men, end the bubbling groans of drowning ones rent the air. The havoc was terrible, yet it did not utterly check the onslaught of fhose terrible men. More boats were crowding into the bay, and these, with those which had escaped the first dreadful fire, still dashed on with a brav- Fe a th of a better cause. ut to load and fire, with great guns and small, from their yet bloodless decks was an easy affair for the Americans, and they poured in a fire so deadly, that but a few boats came near erough to attempt to board. Coleefrinas, who had led in a small, swift rowing gig manned by but half a dozen men, shouted his war-ery all in vain—though escap- ing every shot, as if by magic, he dashed to and fro, and sought to urge his fo!lowers into line and on to the attack, he could not rally them beyond a second attack, and then at last, with the loss of at least two-thirds of his band, when he was wounded badly in three different places, he sullenly gave the order to retire. The action had lasted but a few minutes, and the Americans hed not a man killed, and but a few wounded by the random shots which had reached them. It was almost a bloodless vic- tory on their part. Allen was in cestacies ; and though he sent out boats to pick up such wounded wretches as would accept quarter, and to destroy those who had swam to the islands, and yet resisted, or sought to escape, he scarcely desired to spare one of them. “It's strange that they should want to be saved from drowning, or a more dacent one of bladin’ to death, when they're sure to be hung if they live!” muttered the doctor, while he oe comicbooks.c¢ e