Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 181 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

the corner, a bottle of wine in front of him, and a cigar between his teeth. ith his assumed walk he approached the table, and dropping down into a chair, said ina maudlin tone: ‘“Sefior, drink a glass with an old friend, won't you?” {do not know you, sefior,” was the quiet reply. ‘But T want to know you, sefior, for I like your people; wish I was an American my- self.” At this the seaman took a second glance at the speaker who had forced himself upon him, and there flashed in his eyes a quick glance of recognition. But not a muscle quivered, as he said with a light laugh: ‘* Well, sefior, as youlike Americans, and are pressing in your invitation, Vll drink with you,” * All right; call for the best in the shop.” The wine was called for, and evidently know- ing the’young seaman, Vique brought a far dif- ferent kind from the villainous stuff he served to his ordinary guests, and the Spaniard paid the score from a well-filled purse. ‘*You speak Spanish like a native, sefior,” said Major Alvarado, after they had drank a glass together, ‘*Tam a native of this island,” was the quiet reply. he major started, for he was now certain of his man, and said in his maudlin way: ** You remind me of a poor fellow I met some years ago, and whom I deeply pitied, for I was | half his way of thinking.” ‘*Who was he, senior?’ indifferently asked the seaman, **Campas Caliente was his name.” ‘‘Ho conspired, with others, I believe, to free Cuba from Spain; but was captured and sen- tenced to be garroted.” “That is the man; poor fellow, I would give much to see him now, for I have good news for men of that stripe.” “Indeed! then your wish can be gratified, for, seflor, Tam Caliente, the Conspirator.” ‘“‘And you are ie prisoner,” was the sup- ressed words, as the major drew from his ~som a pistol and leveled it directly at the heart of the Cuban. A light laugh broke from the lips of Campas Caliente, and in an easy way he said: “Why, Major Enrique Alvarado, you have overreached yourself in dogging my steps, for you have but to see that this table sets back in an alcove, and oe upon either side of you to observe the slightest movement on your part will be the signal for your deatb.” The horrified Spaniard did glance to the left and then to the right, and he turned pallid at what he saw there. And no wonder, for a sliding panel in each wall had been pushed aside, and from them = peared two hands holding pistols almost in touching distance of his head. ‘* What means this outrage upon an officer of the crown? ‘* Ho! good men and true! to the rescue!” and Major Alvarado wheeled toward the saloon to summon aid from those present. But with horror he saw but a blank wall be- fore him, as a large sliding door had noiselessly closed up the entrance to the alcove. ‘Major Alvarado, your voice can never be heard by those without, so sit down and-hear me,” said the seaman, sternly. Involuntarily the major sunk into his chair, = his vision of blood-money fading from his ew. ‘*You did all you could some years ago, when, asa boy, I was led intoa conspiracy, to have me garroted. *“You captured me in my own house, and your act broke my poor mother’s heart, and she died, never seeing me again. ‘* Her death I lay upon you. ** Again, when I might have been cleared by the Junta that tried me, you urged them to pass sentence of death upon me; but I escaped that doom and fled to America, : ‘Now you have tracked me here, and in doing so have discovered secrets that no man unless he be a member of the League, must know and live. ‘*To save your life I have no power: but to show you that I do not willfully put you to death, I will give you a chance for your life.” ‘‘In the name of the Virgin! what is it?” asked the terrified man, for he felt that his love of blood-money had led him perhaps to death. “I will go, with others, into the tribunal hall, on the floor above this, and will meet you with either sword or pistol. ‘Tf you kill me, I pledge you that you shall be set at liberty one week from to-day. ‘*If I kill you, then shall I be revenged, and not one of your friends shall ever learn aught of your fate.’ ‘You spoke of a League; may I not join it?’ eagerly asked the Spaniard, grasping like a drowning nan at a straw. \ ‘No, for no man who is Spanish born will be admitted. “‘Come, Major Alvarado, go with me, and i | nen reee The Scarlet Schooner. —_ prove yourself a coward as well as a vil- ain.” The words of the young Cuban aroused the Spaniard’s spirit, and springing to his feet he | cried, sternly: ‘Lead on where you choose; I will follow.” Along a passageway, lighted by a taper, although it was bright daylight, the Cuban led | the Spaniard; then up a pair of stairs, that gave back no sound to their steps, and into a | large room, the walls of which were thickly | padded, and were not broken by windows. Several tapers were burning at one end of the | room upon a table, around which several men | were seated, Glanciog up they seemed surprised at the ap- pearance of the Spanish officer, but the seaman said, quietly: , “Tt is Major Enrique Alvarado, my foe, | seniors, ‘“He dogged my steps here in disguise, and I have promised if he kill me with either pistol or blade, he may go free one week from this. **if L kill bim, Ll will have taken a load from off my heart.” “You may well promise that, Sefior Cam- pas,” said one of the men, and the others smiled, ‘*Tam ready, sefior,” and the seaman turned to the Spaniard, ‘*One minute, please,” and Major Alvarado hastily disrobed himself of his-disguise, and stood awaiting in his uniform. ‘‘ What weapons do you prefer, Major Al- varado?” politely asked the Cuban. The Spaniard was a superb swordsman, and readily answered: ‘*Swordg!” ‘As you please, sefior major; take your | choice of these,” and the Cuban laid a dozen upon the table, The major, after a careful scrutiny, selected the one that suited him, and Campas Caliente took up its match, and the two men faced each other, From the first the Cuban was calm, almost to indifference; but the Spaniard was nervous and very pale, yet fought with consummate skill. A few passes, a few parries and thrusts, and the combat ended, for Major Enrique Alvarado sunk upon the floor with the blade of Campas Caliente in his heart. Without glancing even at the man he had slain the young Cuban left the room, and then the pulperia, to come upon Don Diablo and a youth in disguise, and lead them back into the wine-shop. Ten minutes after his departure from the Tribunal Hall he reéntered it, accompanied by Don Diablo and his ‘pi companion, Instantly the eyes of the latter fell upon the prostrate form of the Spaniard, still lying where it had fallen, while the half-dozen men at the table were conversing as busily as before the fatal interruption, apparently unmindful of the presence of ¢eath in their midst, ith an exclamation of horror the youth started back, ery ing: “It is the body of Major Alvarado, the very man my brother wished me to A ‘Yes, it was Major Enrique Alvarado, but he is dead now, for I killed him in a duello a short while since,” was the unmoved response of Campas Caliente. CHAPTER XXV., A PLOT FOR A PRIZE, WHEN Don Diablo entered the Tribunal Hall there was an instant hush among the men at the table; their low, earnest conversation ceased, and all arose, for Campas had re- marked: ‘** Camaradas, here is the chief, our Bird of Paradise in the plumage of a common sea-gull; but come as he may he is welcome,” ‘* Welcome, sefor chief,” said the others, in chorus, though there was that in their manner that showed their welcome was from a whole- some respect of the man, rather than love of him, ‘*My young lieutenant, the Sefior Florida, sefiors,” said Don Diablo, by way of introducing his young companion, and then turning to Cam- pas Caliente he continued: ‘* Well, sefior, what has been done in the matter agreed upon when last we met in New Orleans?” ‘‘T am here in the garb of an American séa- man, you notice, chief?” answered the young anchor in the harbor.” ‘+ And what vessel is it?’ ‘* An American schooner.” ‘‘Ha! anchored near the Spanish schooner that lies off the old stone fort?” asked the chief, quickly. ‘*The same, Don Diablo; she is known as the Wizard.” ‘*T saw the craft, and never in my life did I behold such symmetry of hull and rig; she should fly like a hurricane, Campas,” said Don Diablo, with enthusiasm, ‘*She can fly like the hurricane, sefior chief, and stand up in a gale like a ship of the line.” / = —- = ——EEe “But sho isan American, and—” **Sefior chief, IT am not one to wish to do harm to an American vessel; the schooner was builtin Baltimore, and armed in Washington, but =a is for the Mexitan government,” ‘“* Ha! ‘Yes, sefior, and through courtesy, the Americans detailed three officers and twenty men to carry her to Vera Cruz.” ‘** A small crew.” ‘*No larger than a mere working one was | needed, for she was not intended to fight, only to run, until she reached her destination,” ‘True, and why did she come in here?’ “To bring dispatches to any American cruiser that might be here that Don Diablo, the noted pirate, had not gone down with his vessel, de- stroyed off the Florida coast, but had captured a United States schooner-of-war, and was again at sea,” ‘* Ah! well, that craft has also gone down, and [am here in a trim, swift-sailing lugger, so thoroughly disguised in hull and rig, that she lies within half a cable’s-length of a Span- ish schooner that has chased us for several days.” ‘* You are too reckless, chief, I fear.” “Ob, no! I take big chances, but they turn out well; when | a up, Lam ready to take my fall; but, tell me, what is your plan regarding the schooner?” ‘* When 1 discovered this beautiful craft, and learned she was for the Mexicans, I did not look further, or attempt to have one built, but slipped on boar | of her, and here I am,” ‘*And your plan?’ ‘* Well, sefior, knowing that Vera Cruz was her destination, Il sent half a hundred fine fel- lows, whom I knew of in New York, to Vera Cruz.” ‘** You sent them there?” “TIT wrote at once to Monsieur Vidoc there, telling him to send the lads, by various vessels, at once to Vera Cruz, and have them there ready to ship on board of an armed schooner that would come in and then fly the Mexican g. “The Mexican Government likes American sailors, and most of them are such, the others bein Gulf seamen from various lands,” ** Principall said oo iablo, with a smile. ‘* Wholly pirates, sefior chief.” “ Well?” . ‘*The men now in the schooner are my cattle; that is, 1 shipped them, and these will make sev- enty, and she needs a complement of a hundred for heavy work.” “‘T have the balance,” ** When the Mexicans get her from the officer now in charge, her crew can take her from the Mexicans, and—” ‘** By the Cross! Campas Caliente, you have conceived a noble plot to win a prize, and you go as my first lieutenant,” said Don Diablo. ** Thanks, sefior chief.’ ‘*T ran in here to see what I could get in the way of a “yo vessel, for though I have two, they are not large enough, and there are faster vessels afloat, and you know, Campas, J must have the fleetest craft that sails the seas.” “Tt is very necessary, sefior chief.” ‘When do you sail, Sefior Campas?” “To-morrow, as the schooner awaits an Amerlean cruiser expected in.” ‘*Good! Ill sail to-night and reach Vera Cruz ahead of you.” ‘You must have a fast vessel to do that, sefior.” ~ 4 ‘*She is fast; now I have business to call me elsewhere, and after dark I shall run out; Vique!” **Sefior chief,” and one of the men at the ta- ble arose and faced Don Diablo. ‘“T wish a dozen good men,” “You can have them, sejior.” **Send them out ina fishing shallop to meet me as I run out. “Tam in a lugger, with lofty stern and high bulwarks, and sails patched, so they will know her if I sail before dark; if after night, I will show the Wreckers’ light.” ‘*Si, sefior; you have lost heavily in men of late,” said the man addressed as Vique. “ True, and in vessels, too.” ‘‘The Sefior Conrado Marial reached you in safety, I — for I gave him your message?” ‘* Yes, an in time to save me from a bad scrape; but, poe fellow, he was knocked over- board by a shot froma Spanish schooner that chased us.” * And killed?’ cried every voice. ‘* Yes, he went to the bottom, r fellow.” igs na exchanged glances with each other, and Vique said, earnestly: **Don Diablo, you did not know, for the se- cret was well kept by the few who held it, that Conrado Marial was Estevan El Saltador?’ “Yes, he made known the fact to me,” was the ready reply. ‘* Ah, sefiors, his is a sad loss to us; and you, Sefior Campas Caliente, are next in rank to him in the Cuban League,” and Vique turned to- ward the young seaman, who answered qui- ‘etly: VSenors and camaradas, when Cuba needs my pirates, you mean, Campas?” (EONNIE KOOKS (E(0)