Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 181 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

The Scarlet Schooner. 13 age hight, and willowy and graceful in every motion. She was dressed in a sailor suit, and wore it as though not unaccustomed to man’s attire. Her eyes were intensely black, and restless her brows dark and curving, and her hair, as I have said before, a golden red, forming a strong contrast to her eyes and rich complexion, For an instant or two, after entering the eabin, neither the chief or his fair visitor spoke, and the silence seemed to embarrass the man, for he gave his head an angry toss, and said: “Tam waiting to hear your story, Alma?” ‘*And I am waiting, Don Diablo, to know if this is the greeting you extend to me after a separation of months.” ‘*Pardon me, Alma, but I was worried with the vexations upon me; and, besides, your suit, I think, kept me aloof,” and with a siffile the ag bent over and kissed the woman on the ips. But yet she seemed not satisfied, for without returning the kiss she asked: ‘* Are you tiring of me, Reno Quesala?” ‘Nonsense, Alma, don’t be silly.” “Tam not silly, sefior; but let us discuss that which is more agreeable to you than love-mak- ing seems to be of late. ‘You have lost your vessel I believe?” ‘Yes, she was crippled badly by a Spanish cruiser, and I set her on fire and escaped to the Florida coast in my boats.” ‘And lost yeur treasures that had cost so much blood to gain?” ‘The greater part, yes; the balance that I could not take, I ivided with my men.” ‘** And could you not get another vessel?’ ‘Yes, [have a plan on foot to get possession of a splendid craft, and shall soon know if it is successful; but to keep afloat I captured a small American schooner, and it was wrecked in a toeaao and all on board, excepting myself, ost. ‘‘Ah! your namesake never deserts you in danger or distress,” said the woman, with a sneer. ‘*No, the devil certainly protects me,” was said in the same tone as that in which the wo- man had spoken. ‘‘Where were you wrecked?” asked Alma, after a pause. ‘*On this coast, some leagues from here,” ** And how, without a crew, did you get pos- session of this goleta and yonder lugger, that ' holds her own s0 well with her?’ ‘‘ Alma, it is for me to question, not you,” was the angry retort. ‘* As you please; I merely questioned, as you seemed not to wish to inquire of me what has happened at your stronghold,” was the indif- ferent reply. ; “You say it was attacked by an American cruiser?” eS be “* And demolished?’ “Utterly.” —. ‘* How did the vessel get into the bay?” “ By the channel.” ‘* Of course; but who was her pilot?” “* Ramilez, your lieutenant.” bi Ha} By the Virgin! but he shall swing for this. “Tt is eatebing peters hanging, sefior chief.” ‘* He has fled then?” ** He certainly is no fool.” “‘Go where he will I will yet hunt him down for this treachery,” and had Ramilez, the trai- tor lieutenant, caught sight of his chief then he certainly would have felt that were he in his wer nothing on earth could save him from a earful fate, CHAPTER XX, ALMA’S STORY, So Liege | incensed was Don Diablo at the treachery of the map he had trusted, that he paced the cabin in silence, bis lips set, his eyes burning for revenge and his hands clinched. It was seldom that Alma had seen him so deeply moved, and to break in upon his tower- ing rage, that she felt would break forth in some ungovernable act, it would be madness to attempt to quell, she’said, pleasantly: ‘‘ What care you for the loss of the strong- hold, when you have other places to seek, and two such vessels, as are this goleta and yonder lugger? 5 rue, they are the means for obtaining something better, and.there is a rendezvous or retreat, I have long thought of going to, and which will be better than the old one.” Almost like magic his manner had changed, and the storm of rage swept over. Seeing it had passed the woman asked: ** Had you done aught to wrong Ramilez?’ ‘‘No, otber than trust him, which 1 should never do, knowing the frailties of man’s na- ture, ‘* Judging from your own failings?” she said, with a sneer, ‘* Yes, judging from my own nature, I should trust no Man,” ac Nor woman?’ “Ay, Alma, nor woman, too,” he said, bit- eats ** You do not trust me, then?” ** Yes, in your love for me and truth to me.” ane a) me ned ened ant y do you laug e asked, an ere ** Don Diablo, I have for some time felt that you were fired of me and wished that you could not trust me.” ‘* This is nonsense, Alma,” ‘* It is not nonsense, sefior, as I can prove. “You knew that your Lieutenant Ramilez loved me, or professed to, and you left him at the stronghold when Pes sailed on your last ree hoping pe would win me from you—” a — **No excuse, sefior, for your spy set on me betrayed you to me, and—’ “ : e shall die for his treachery,” hissed the chief. ‘*He is beyond your reach, Don Diablo, for he is already dead; he fell fi hting the Ameri- can sailors to aid my escape from the island,” ** He lied to you, Alma; I did not set Marti- nez upon you as a SPY i You ie, Don Diablo, for I know that you ‘** Well, on that account you were not untrue to me,” sneered the man. ‘No, but my truth to you cost you your stronghold.” The chief laughed doubtingly. ** IT tell you that which is true.” ‘*Prove it.” *“Ramilez told me of his love and begged me to fly with him, and that he would live a different life. ‘* He had jewels sufficient to turn into a for- tune, and said that you did not love me, and that he would make me his wife, while you had dragged me down to a life of shame.” ‘** He pleaded well,” was the scornful remark. **'Yes, but he pleaded in vain, for I drove him from my presence, and he left, swearing re- venge upon both you and I, ‘That night he left the stronghold in a small polacca alone, and when next I saw him he stood. at the wheel of the American cruiser, running her into the island bay.” “Well, he got his revenge against me.” ‘** He got more, for the United States Govern- ment pardoned him for bis valuable services and made him a seaman, I heard from a wound- ed sailor we captured.” ‘* Bah! he will return to piracy.” ‘‘ He may, but he has ruined you.” “Why, Alma, you talk like a child; he led the Americans to capture a stronghold I have long thought of giving up, and they gained thereby some dozen old guns, burned a few cabins, destroying some small polaccas, and killed, or took as prisoners, some four-score men. ‘“*Granted that he had this revenge on me, and for what I don’t know, where was his ven- geance against you?” ‘‘Ah! he intended to capture me, too, and then have the cruiser wait in the bay for your return and seize you and your vessel.” ‘Had he succeeded in this, he would indeed have had his revenge.” ‘‘But he did not succeed, as I put to sea in an open boat, though we had to fight to reach the shore, and night coming on aided us.” 4 0, besides yourself?” quickly asked the chief. ‘Martinez, your spy; but he was slain, and the one who killed him I shot, and, one of my followers dragged him on board the boat; but he died before morning.” ‘* And who came with you, I asked?’ “‘Half a dozen of your best, men; but we would have been taken again had not we spied the goleta running in, and recognized on her decks familiar faces. ** We hailed her, she stood toward us, and we were picked up, just as the American cruiser, piloted by Ramilez, was coming in chase of us. “Telling what had happened to the officer in command of the goleta, he set all sail and we escaped from the cruiser and headed for the Red Latroon, where he said he had left you in the lugger of Conrado Marial, which several times I have seen at the stronghold. ‘**Now tell me, Don Diablo, how it is I find Sefior Victorio Nunez and a score of your men with the goleta, when you said all on the Ameri- can vessel, which you captured, were wrecked, excepting yoursere, As Alma asked the question it was evident that she felt suspicion that Don Diablo had spoken falsely to her, and she fixed her eyes upon him. with a look that was dangerous, from the glitter in them. CHAPTER XXT. JEALOUSY. THE implied jealous suspicion in the mind of Alma might, at another time, have passed un- heeded by the chief ; but his guilty conscience was quick to note her words, and believing that she might, in some ey have gleaned the real truth of his meeting Nita Sabinas, he said with apparent frankness: ** Alma, don’t be suspicious of me without a cause, “When I was wrecked on the Cuban coast, I certainly could not tell those who rescued me—” ** Who rescued you, Reno Quesala?” asked the woman, quietly. ‘Why, I was dragged from the surf by the servants of a wealthy planter and carried to his hacienda with a broken arm and nearer dead than alive, **Of course I could not say who { was, and, as particles of the wreck proved what vessel it was that went ashore, I took the name of her captain, which was Austin Aubrey—” ‘Austin Aubrey!” cried the woman, spring- ing to her feet, her face pale as a corpse, ** Yes; do you know the name?” “Know the name?” she asked, with sup- a 5 passion in her tone. es ‘Reno Quesala, did you take the life of Aus- tin Aubrey?” She looked at him in a way that made him tremble, brave man that he was, 7 Do you speak the truth?” “1 do.” ** You captured his vessel?” aa Yes. ” ‘* Where was Austin Aubrey?” **Ashore, with a number ot his men and nearly all of bis officers; the one in charge was a midshipman.” ‘* His name?” she said, imperatively. **Guy Stanhope.” ‘*1 do not know him,” ‘Well, who is this Austin Aubrey?” ‘A captain in the United States navy.” “That I know j but what is he to you?” ** My brother.’ Your brother!” é Yes ” ‘‘ By Heaven! I believe you are right, for F remember now your name is Alma Aubrey.” ‘True; I was going on the clipper ship, which was overhauled by the pirate Ricardo, to join my brother in New Orleans. ** After a fierce fight with your rival, Ricar- do, you captured his vessel, and I was saved by him to fall into your hands, Don Diablo. “I was a foolish, romantic school-girl then, just out of boarding-school, and my head was full of handsome buccaneers, and you were my ideal rover, and, being kind to me, mistaking your deviltry for love, I loved you devotedly, and was easily led by you into what I then be- lieved was a marriage, but which I now know ‘| was performed by one of your crew rigged eut as a padre. **So be it, Don Diablc; you made a fool of me, and I need not complain of my lot; only, if I believed you had harmed my noble brother I would kill you, so help me Heaven!” There was no doubting that she meant what she said, and the chief knew it, . But his face was emotionless, as he said: ‘I did not kill your brother, Alma, and the facts are as I told you.” *“‘T rejoice to hear it; now tell me how you left ehe hacienda, where you were so long the gues ‘‘ Well, I wrote to Havana to Conrado El Saltador, whom I knew then ay as one of the League, but whom I have since learned was the famous conspirator El Saitador, whom—” ‘“'Yos, I have heard of him; well!” “I sent a letter by one of Don Isadoro’s crew—” ‘Don Isadoro who?” ‘*'You are strangely inquisitive, Alma?” ‘It is my interest in you, Reno; but who was this Don?” ‘“lsadoro Sabinas,” ‘* Well?” . **One of his crew, for he owns his yacht, or rather did, as this is the craft, I recognized as a man who had served with me, and he oarried my letter to Conrado Marial, asking him to come in his lugger for me.” ** And he did so?” a Yes. ” “And he brought your men with him?” hak so Ha sin ge had Ft tegen of ing on secret service in Havana, a crew short he took them.” tei “ Well?” . **That is all, Alma.” ** All there is to tell, or all you care to tell?” ** A}l I have to tell.’ “Think }”? “Curse you, girl, what ails you?” said the chief, angrily. ‘Nothing; itis you, Don Diablo, not I, that has an ailment.” ** What do you mean?” “Has Don Isadoro a daughter?” ) ** What?” He saw her dangerous eyes glitter, and know- ing how far she was acquainted with all that had happened at the Villa del Florida, he said, forming bis decision how to act with his usual promptitude: ‘*No, Alma, Don Isadoro has no daughter, but he has a sister,” ** A sister?” a Yes. ” ‘Ab !? Driven on by her manner he continued: “It is of her that 1 wish to speak to you, for 1 owe my escape to her.” ** Indeed?” CONNIE DOOLKS (E(0)