Beadle's Dime Library No. 18 — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

perate people, did not look upon piracy as a crime, and regard it with an eye of horror, but thought more of it as an honorable war- fare, in which all that was taken was a prize to the victor. Was not all the world against her people, and were they not right to prey upon the world? She thought so, and knew no better. Who could blame her? After hearing all that Mariana had to sa about her escape, and also of the damage thick the pirate had sustained in the night-attack, Allen began gently to ask how the pirates were situated. Mariana now had her most difficult tusk to perform. Womanlike she appeared to tear to attempt to pilot the Americans to the strong- hold of the pirates, and she also said they had several. And she so greatly exaggerated their numbers, that Allen. believing a! she said, felt that it would be folly with hir foror to attack them in a body, but he hoped to separate them and cut them off in detail, pre- vent, their marauding excursions, and finally to harass them into leaving those waters for- ever, or else utterly to alae ¢ them. And he forebure that evening to push his inquiries or requests further, and left Maraquita and Mari- ana to themselves, with the true delicacy of a gentleman. CHAPTER XXXITX. “T am truly obliged to your serene highness for permission once more to stand in your resence,” said Monona, mockingly, to Colce- rinas, when, after finding the guard removed from her door, she had ventured from her chamber to that in which he lay. “JT did not want to be annoyed by your false sympathies, until I found that my wounds were not of a serious nature, and my recovery likely to be retarded by a woman who no longer loves me!’ said he. “ And whom you never loved, you might as well have added.” “ You can have it so if it pleases you, mad- ” “T will, Iam sorry that you are likely to recover ; there will be one person greatly dis- appointed by it.” “ Yourself, I presume ?” ‘ “No, sir; yet another!” “ May I asK who ?” “Certainly: his Satanic Majesty, whose prime-minister you are on earth. He needs you below, where promotion awaits you !” “Your endeavors to be facetious are very amusing, madam.” “ Do they annoy you, sir?” “Not at all, madam; you may continue,” “ Not if it pleases you. How can I annoy you ?” “ By cutting your own throat.” “That I shall not do until I have seen Col- cefrinas hanged. It will take a strong rope t hold you , sin is heavy !” “a abate cable would scarcely sustain your weight, madam.” “A chain of gold will, when I am your wid- ow and heiress to your ill-gotten wealth.” “ When you are, madam, may I roast !” “ Doubtless, you will be roasting about that time, You ought to follow the example of your illustrious prototype, Blue Beard. He used to kindle a fire of brimstone in his hold and go down there to see how long he could stand it. With your prospects before you, ou should harden yourself to sulphureous Ramil soon as po-sible.” “T will, madam if you will bear me com- ” “Aht I eee your old passion is returning. You Prog wish to have me by your side “ Yes, if it is te suffer |” “Well, I regret that I eannot oblige you. If you have no objections, I will take a walk in the fresh air. I am sorry the Yankees have so disabled you that I cannot have the pleas- ure of your company—very sorry! Should I see a better-looking man, I may ask him to escort me.” “ As you please, madam; no folly of yours can now anger me—no act of yours injure me I hate you now as bitterly as 1 once loved you warmly. Were you not a woman, I would feed the sharks with your carcase. As it is, I despise you.” ; 4 The eyes of the fierce, hating woman fairly blazed with anger. ‘ “ Eduardo Colcefrinas,” she hissed, “ you may hate me—I care not for that; but, by the living God! you shall find that I am not to be despised (” The Sea Bandit. “ What do you mean, my gentle-tempered love ?” asked he, with a sneer. “That if you know when you are well off, ou will give me and my child gold enough to love in comfort in some land far away from the contaminating atmosphere where you dwell, and let us depart at once.” “ You are modest in your demands, I will ive you gold, and let you go, out of pity; but your daughter loves me too well to leave me. She will gladly remain in your place.” “ Monster, you lie! She loves you not!” “You had better ask her. If she will go with you, you both are free to po “If you have any honor left, will you eay that on your honor ?” “Tf I have any honor left, I renew the prom ise on my honor, madam.” “ Colcefrinas, I will take you at your word ; for I will not believe you to be 8o quite lost to self-respect as to basely deceive me where you have passed your word, I will see her; and if she says she loves you—if she dares—” The mother gasped: she could not utter the horrible thought. “ Well, madam, if she does—what then!” “T will drive a dagger to its hilt in her heart and my own!” cried the woman, raising her voice almost to a shriek, and clenching her hands together, until the nails sunk deep into the palms and the red blood gushed from be- neath them. “I willsee her! I will see her!” she cried. And, trembling with excitement, she left the house. “ Tf you find her!” muttered the pirate, glad that she was gone; for the excitement had been too much for him. He was so weakened, that he was obliged to summon a servant to give him a stimulating draught. CHAPTER XL. It seemed strange ; but Allen had consent ed to the request, strange as it was, of Mari ana, that if her mother came off from the shore, she was to be kept concealed from her; nor was her mother to be informed of her es- cape. The reason she gave for this was, that her mother was of a variable and fickle nature, and in her anger so careless, that she might betray her whereabouts to Colcefrinas; and Mariana seemed to fear him as if he were some demon possessed of more than mortal power. And well for Mariana’s plans was it that she had made this request; for, on the evening following that of her arrival on board, her mother came as before; and this time for the ah of Figg nw the pirate-chieftain in is stronghold. She brought to Allen a draw- ing of the rendezvous bay, and a chart of the entrance, drawn with her own hand; but she did not disclose the hiding-place of the trea- sure — determined, probably, to keep that knowledge for her own benefit, for the time, at least. Mariana, from a state-room close at hand, heard all this ; and she could seareely conceal her feelings from Maraquita, who remained with her. It may be imagined that, with her own feelings for Colcefrinas, she had not loved her mother very deeply before ; but now she felt for her no feeling of affection, and on] wanted a chance to escape from the vevsel, and expose her in time to save her chief and his band from the effects of her betrayal. With almost tremulous eagerness, ahe heard her mother agree to have a small beacon-light laced outside the entrance to the bay of ren- ezvous on the next night, and thus to aid the Americans in their descent upon the band. In regard to the numbers of the enemy and their condition, her statement and that of her mo- ther did not agree ; but Allen did not think of studying discrepancies. So entirely was he bound up in the duty upon which he and his brave colleagues had been sent, that he did not feel inclined to ask how many he was to meet: his greatest desire was, to know where ney were. e got the consul to go back to watch the movements of De Regla and the schooner in Matanzas—promising to follow or send a ves- sel to capture her after he had attended to the ease of the pirates at their head-quarters ; then holding @ council with the other officers, he made them acquainted with the rare good news he had received; and the evening was spent in joyous anticipation of a livelier night to ene nh Perhaps no men enjoy, proportionately with the hardships which hoe Meat suffer, life as do our naval offi ers; none can better ap ciate a social hour than they. Guarded against digsipation by a stern and severe discipline, . > nn --/ they can yet enjoy their friendly glass of wine, or more SD eraat Glens of “grog,” and a fra- grant cigar; and when in a “ knot,” can spin their “ yarus” with a gusto that cannot well be described or appreciated, except by one of themselves or one who has been of them—as is the case with him who pens these lines. And on this occasion —the honors of the “ mess” being duly performed by Aller, eome excellent punch brewed, and other indispensa- bles passed around—the officers of the little fleet. enjoyed themselves until a late hour. They had not much fear of another night at- tack: the last had probably taken a desire for nocturnal combats out of the main body of the pirates. It was late when Allen’s guests left him, and he retired at once; for Monona had gone back to the shore long before, and his other guests had gone to their state-rooms at an early hour, CHAPTER XLI. “ Where is Mariana?” asked Allen, on the ensuing morning, of Maraquita, as the latter came from her state-room, looking as fresh as a magnolia tinged with the morning sunlight. “ We wait breakfast now for her.” “T will see,” replied the young lady, “ if she is dressed.” She went to her state-room and knocked, but received no response. She tried the door, and, it being unfastened, she opened it and looked in. enlace was not there. Maraquita’s exclamation of surprise drew Allen instantly to her side. “Not here!” he exclaimed, in wonder ‘* Where can she be?” And instantly search was made in all other lake of the vessel where she could have gone; or he thought she might have risen early and gone to promenade on deck. But she was not to be found; and on examination, it was dis- covered that the small skiff in which she came, which had been fastened astern, was also missing. Maraquita now bethought her how Sere Mariana had been when they both heard Monona telling Allen about Coleefrinas and his posi- tion, and told Allen of it. “T see through the matter now!” said the latter. “ Mariana has been sent here as a spy ~——she has been to us with falsehood on her lips and treachery in her heart |” “TI cannot believe it!” responded Maraqui- ta. “She was the only one who was kind to me when I was in his power: her mother, even when she helped me to my freedom, was stern and harsh. There is some mystery in this; but I cannot believe that Mariana came as a apy ad “We will see. I shall learn, before mid- night, if my conjectures are right; for if she has been here as a spy, and discovered her mother's treachery to the band, Colcefrinas will know it, and be on his guard.” “ Even if it were 80, she would not betray her mother to his terrible anger !” “ Tt would not seem natural that she should —but crime, or an association with criminals, hardens every nature. There is no ‘imagining what she would or would not do. But this must not spoil our appetites: to breakfast, fair lady mine—to breakfast !” They had but just taken seats at the table, when a message from the officer of the deck announced a boat coming into the bay, with an English flag flying over her stern-sheets. The face of Allen flushed with pleasure as he received the m ‘ “Tf any of the English fleet are outside,” said he, “ they will gladly co-operate with us, and our force will be so strengthened that no position or defence of the pirates will avail them. If there is an officer in the English boat, let him be invited to breakfast with me,” he added, to the messenger. “ There are two, sir,” said the latter: “I saw them before I came below.” §& “Very well. Steward, place two more lates here, and let the cook do his duty. hese Englishmen live by eating! They’re in a good humor only when their bread-basketa are fall.” : : Maraquita smiled at this idea, for it seemed a re that one’s good-nature should depend on his feeding. But she had not time to make any remarks, if any suggested themselves to her, for two of- ficers were ushered into the cabin. Both wore the ecrown-and-anchor button of the royal navy ; but one was dressed in # black frock coat. and wore the spotless cravat of white, Wiuch wld that he was a chaplain in the saery, Cc Eomicbooks o)