Beadle's Dime Library No. 18 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

islands, until at least twenty of them could be seen. “J thought, sir, that you said these islands were uninhabited!” cried Allen, turning to Quiestra. “T repeat it, that they are not. Oolcefrinas is amusing himself at your expense. He in- tends to learn you the game of hide and seek, [ presume. I will wager that you will pull om island to island, all day, and yet not see e living man on any of them!” “ Yet men have lighted those fires!” “ Yes—men or women! But it isnot likely they'll care to remain near them on 80 warm a day as this |” “T's soon see!” anid Allen, and he ordered every boat on board to be got ready for serv ice, and prepared to go himself in his gig. “ Are you not going to join our boat expe dition, senor ?” asked he of Quivstra. “Tf I thought you'd eatch Colecfrinas, } would!” said the Spaniard. “ But feelin sure that you will not, I think I shall be more comfortable with my cigar, under your awn- ing, than I should be sweltering in a# boat, and fighting musquitos among the islands !” “ As you like, sir—as you like!” said Allen, secretly thinking that, despite his fieree looks, the seior was not mueh of a fighting-man after all. In less than a haif-hour, Allen, with more than four fifths of his men in every boat be- longing to the vessel, was pulling away toward the island. And Quiestra smiled grimly as he sdw them depart, for well he knew how fruitless would be their toilsome search. Every officer had been a volunteer on this oecasion ; and all were allowed to go but t ¢ plethoric and rather apoplectic-looking d«.o- tor, who, under orders, was quite willing to !'e- main upon the vessel, beneath a cool awnit g, where he could indulge in his favorite drit gE eold brandy punch, to his heart’s content. Por he had laid in a good quantity of lemoiis, brandy, and sugar, and the vessel was wll provided with water-coolers—that most neove- article in such a climate. he orders of Allen to the doctor, when he left, were to keep the few men he left him on the alert, and to fire a gun if any sails hove io sight. He was to remain on deck, and also to keep a look-out aloft. ‘“« And am I to be cap’n ?” asked the doctor, of Allen. “You are to act as such in my absence. Remember that every gun is loaded ; and if ou should be attacked, defend yourself to the Tast, and blow up the magazine before you suffer yourself to be taken. If you don’t, Pl) blow you up if we ever meet on earth, or even in a hotter place!” “ How long d’ye mane to be gone, eap’n dear?” asked O'Shaughnessy. “Eknow not. Notlong, I hope; for l expect soon to find these audacious villains, and mean to. make short work with them !” ’ A sardonic sneer flitted over the face of Qui- estra, but it was not noticed, for his head was turned in another direction. And in five minutes more, Allen and all the boats’ crews were gone, and soon lost to sight among the islands. “There goes as good a heart as ever bate beneath a blue coat!” said heen pgp et ne he gazed after his departing leader. “T hope the day is a long way off that calls him out o' the world. Let’s drink his health, senor!” “With pleasure, but you must drink it in some ehoice old liquor that I brought on board with my stores. Itis Castillian brandy, bottled forty years ago!” “Oh? bedad, it’s niee—~it must be. Ili ‘rink the cap’n’s health a dozen times in good liquor !” "Gulecken smiled, and invited the doctor to the state-room which had been assigned to bim, and there opened his liquor-case. The doctor was delighted beyond measure with the favor of the liquor, and required but little arging to repeat his potations. And they soon so opened the sluices of his generous na- ture, that he made not the slightest objection when Quiestra made the proposition to take a eouple of bottles up and treat the few men on deel although it was strictly against the rules ofthe vessel to give them a drop beyond their regular allowance of matt liquor. he men did not refuse—alas!' sailors sel- dom do, though ram is their deadliest foe; and she brandy was eager!y drank by them. tasting, as it did, better than the common but pure whisky which was supplied as their ration. But the liquor produced an unexpected effect on all hands. Not twenty minutes had The Sea Bandit: elapsed before every man on board, Quiestra excepted, had sunk into a profound stupor. He had, of course, not partaken of the drugged liquor, though he had pretended to do so, he moment that he was satisfied that every man was powerless under its effeets, the bold villain went to the quarter of the vessel nearest to the land, and waved a orimson handkerehief toward the shore. A moment only elapsed before three large boats with heavy crews were seen pushing from amid the thiek bushes, and they were soon alongside. “Spring aboard quick, 1ay men, and do my bidding!” eried the pirate, as the boats came on “Let every gun be spiked. Empty the magazine of powder, and carry it to our near- est hiding-place. Take all the small arms. That fone will set the vessel aleak, and give her crew some pumping to do when they get back!” The pirates were strong-handed, and the or- ders of their leader were soon obeyed. “Rip their sails into ribbons on the spars ; but don’t cut @ gasket so as to let them fall!” was his next order. This done, another thought occurred to him. “TI see that feather pillows and beds are plenty in the cabin, and there is tar forward, in the rigging-room. The Yankee captain left his vessel in charge of men when he went away. Let lim find them transformed into geese on his return !” The pirates caught the idea of their leader in an instant, and, with great glee, set to car- rying it out. The helpless doctor and the srew were dragged to the quarter-deck, strip- i of their clothing, and then tar, followed feathers, was so quickly applied to their nude forms, that they soon fost all resemblance to anything human. In truth, neither in the feathered kingdom nor elsewhere could any- thing like them have been produced. No ot who has not seen @ person tarred and feath- ered can for a moment imagine the utterly ludicrous appearance which a human being makes in that condition. The pirates having finished their work, now bound each man side by side, in a sitting pos ture on the deck, and placed the doctor before them, with Allen’s fall dress cocked-hat on his head, and a plate, and knife and fork before him. Upon this the pirate chief placed a slip of paper, on which he had written: =» “ The: e ese of Colcefr When pi thay will Coreaty OF the pa = Pht ny peer, He had just done this, when one of his men, looking to seaward, cried out: ‘‘A sail in sight !’ Coleefrinas instantly seized his glags, and sprang into the rigging. “Tt is strange,” he muttered, as he saw a small vessel doubling a point of land, and head- ing in toward him. _ “ That surely is the yacht of the Marquis de Regla; but what should it be doing in these waters at this time? There mey be treachery in this!” e descended to the deck, and instantl; bade three or four of his men to go in the cabin, and put on the uniforms of the Ameri can officers. ag CHAPTER XVIII. Ina SHY short time, the men whom he. head selected, because they spoke English fiu- ently, were dressed in the uniforms of the American officers; and many more of his men he caused to dresa in the cast-off garments of the tarred and feathered seamen. Then Col- cefrinas glanced at the American flag yet flying at the flag-staff of the schooner aft, and eau tioning his other men to crouch low behind the bulwarks of the vessel, again took his glass, and closely reconnoitred the approach- ing yacht, : A grim smile made its appearance as he re cognized his late acquaintance, Captain How ard, of the Pilot, on board. So soon gain in my net, young bird !” he muttered. “ You'll not escape so easily this time. Let me see; he has twelve on board, besides himself—yes, thirteen; a dark-haired stripling of a boy stands beside him. If I can only coax them alongside, their capture will be tioodlese and-easy |” He now gave some direetions to, one of his | uniformed men, and rather coneealed his own figure, by standing back of the mainmast, so that he could not be seen by those on board of the schooner, which now was near, if any there were using the spy-glass, Jn a very short time, the yacht came. within hail; but Howard was too fmpetuous to walt for a hail from the sehooner. “ Alligator ahoy !” he shouted. tain Allen on board ?” “No; he has gone ashore in his boat, but willbe off soon !”’ replied one of the uniformed pirates, obeying the low-toned direetions of his chief. ‘“ What vessel is that? and where are you bound ?” “A private craft, with important news for you. I'll ron alongside—the yacht is small, / and ean be dro el astern like a long-boat !” replied eda: earclessly, without suspecting for an instant that he was addressing any one but an American naval officer. “ Stand ready to make her fast the moment she touches our side, and board, and take her without firing a shot!” said Colcefrinas, in a low tone, while his dark eyes flashed, and his face flushed with exultation. A moment later, and the yacht, rounding to in the wind, lowered her sails, while ey shook, and shot alongside, steered by the skill- ful hand of young Howard. But searcely had she tbached. the schooner’s side, when Colce- frinas, with at least twenty or thirty of his desperadoes, leaped upon. her deck, and, quicker than we can describe it, every Ameri- can was a helpless prisoner. The young man who had assisted Howard to et the yacht, turned as if to fly ; but as the et of Colcefrinas touched his arm, he ut tered a low scream, and fainted. “Hol! A pretty masquerade for the daugh- ter of the Marquis de Regla!” he muttered, as at a glance he recognized Maraquita through her disguise. Then, as he raised her with one arm, he turned to Howard, who was already bound, and in the hands of a couple of his men, and said: “ You have made good use of the life - time I gave you, senor captain!” Howard, to whom this sudden turn of the tables was a perfect mystery, made no reply ; he was too mad with himself, as well as his ne captors, to speak. “ Get ready for the shore now, my lads ; we ave off for the rendezvous !’’ cried Colcefrinas to his crew. “Make tow-lines fast to the yacht: she belongs to a friend of mine, and I will tow her in!” “You'd better wait awhile ; there are three “Ie Cap American men-o’-war but a little way up the coast, coming down to pay their respects to you!” said Howard, tauntingty. “Thank you for the news. I'll honor their desire when the inclination suits me!” said Oolcefrinas, hanghtily. And he bore his still insensible burden, poor Maraquita, into the cabin, while his followers were preparing to tow the away. Seeing writing materials on the table, he wrote a line to Allen, saying : “* Coloefrinas, disliking to see a Cuban taking part against a Cuban, has borrowed the Sefior Quiestra, and, also, another and much dearer friend of the gallant Hentenant’s, whom he promises to takeespecial care of, aa she seems rather careless of herself! And Cola- frinas would recommend his American friend to stndy the character of Job, while he continues to search for those who will ever be near him, though invisible '” Hauling the American flag down, and then re-hoisting it half-mast, union down, with thie note fastened to it, he eprung baek into the yacht, which was cast off and taken in tow by the iratical boats; and in a few moments they all i behind the islands which lay be- tween the opén sea and the main land. And, glancing back, Colcefrinas saw, just as the yacht was disappearing, the head-sails of one of the American vessels coming down the coast «Just in time to avoid trouble!” he mut tered ; and then he hurried into the cabin, te see how the Senorits de Regia fared; for he had given directions for one of hig men to use restoratives while his own time was occupied, He found her not only recovered from her swoon, but her weakness and terror had passed away, and indignation and anger had taken ite — vue dark eyes finshed as she scorn- said ; wT find the so-ealled Senor ein occu. ied in his true oocupation, at last |’ i “You do, fair lady; and having much pains to learn it, shall have plenty of; time and o portunity to make further obser , way vations in th L” said the pirate, with a sarcastic smile. i “ You dare not detain me from my, father ! E « You need not low named yess i new you already . came to warn ry American commander, so pinta take and hang you, as you deserve!” e taken #0 — (E(o) MIG (e (@) JOO! Ss