Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 181 — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

18 ‘*Sefior captain, you are a trader, I believe?” said the middy. ‘* Yes, sefior Americano, a coast drogher.” “And you are out of what port last?” . . Havana, sefior, and bound back to Trini- ad. ‘*And yonder fast flyer?” ‘*Is a pirate, sefior.” “Hal as I thought, and Don Diablo is on board?’ Don Diablo in his disguise suddenly had a brilliant thought, as he imagined, to get rid of Alma, the woman whose sin was in loving him, and he said, quietly: “Yes, sefior, the chief, Don Diablo, is on board, and you have a ¢hance to overhaul and sink him, for your vessel is fast.” ‘*T will take him alive.” ‘* Impossible, sefior, for you seem to have a small crew, and he hasa large one; but you can send him to the bottom with your heavy guns, for be will never surrender.” ‘* Yes, we can do that, aud thus rid the sea of a monster in human form, ‘*Did he rob your vessel?” ‘*Of the money IL had for my employer, sefior: a few thousand pesos.” “It is too bad; well, I will leave you, and if Don Diablo’s life don’t go down ere yonder sun reaches the western horizon, I am very much mistaken. ‘*T thank you captain, and adios,” The midshipman sprung back into his boat, which at once pulled for the schooner, while the daring chief stood watching him, a grim, strange smile upon his face. Once on board the schooner, and the beauti- ful vessel filled away in pursuit of the goleta, new nearly two leagues away. CHAPTER XXXII. THE BUCCANEER’'S RUSE. “You are right, Stanhope; the goleta does sail like the wind,” said Lieutenant Warburton, as the schooner Wizard got well under way in pursuit of the fast yacht. ‘* Yes, sir, she’s a witch for sailing, as I saw when I was on the Spanish schooner; and Don Diablo had a trim-looking lugger too that was a skimmer of the waves; but we are gaining on E] Saltador.” ‘* Yes, this vessel is simply wonderful, and before night we will overhaul the goleta, and open on her, though itisa pity to mar such a Prey craft with our guns.’ “We'll have to do it, sir, for, from what I know of Don Diablo, I am confident be will not strike his black flag, and if we don’t catch her before night he’ll dodge us in the darkness.” ‘“Tbat is what I am afraid or, as we have but a few hours to sunset, and I have been served that trick before; but in spite of his speed we are going one third faster.’ “We'll get near enough to kee an eye on him at any rate, lieutenant,” sai Guy Stan- hope. ey sincerely hope so; but, as I said, these West ony cee are up to as many tricks as a girl at a ball to get ners. “Some of them will lower their whole top- hamper, spars, yards and all before a chaplain could say his prayers, and they lie so low in the water we might dash almost over them with- vom seeing them, and every man on the look- out. * Again, some of them will furl every stitch of canvas, and present nothing but two slender sticks to discover her by. ‘‘T was cruising lass year in the Vidette, on the coast of Cuba, when a sail was discovered in the offing. ‘*She was a little fore-and-sfter, as trim as a swallow, and skimming along over the waves ata rapid pace. “y pos after with all sail I could carry, when she changed her course and scampered awa wing-and wing dead before the wind; but find- ing I was gaining on him he hauled bis wind and went off with a free sheet and the wind on his gk beam. **] stuck to his wake, however, and just after nightfall was within a half-league of him, and a my compliments in the shape of a ball after ‘‘He did not notice it, however, so I set studdin’-sails forward, and fore-and-aft main- ff-topsails, having them sent up and bent for purpose, and then I began to walk up on im ‘It was a starlight night, but quite dark, and I had all the crew on the look-out that the little rascal should not give us the dodge. ‘Well, do you know that I[ got so near I was thinking about ordering a boat lowered for boarding, when a score of voices sung out: ‘** The chase has disappeared |’ ‘Il immediately brought the vessel to the wind and all eyes swept the sea, but nowhere was he visible; then I put the vessel away again and cruised round in a circle: but nowhere could the little craft be discovered: but when day dawned I saw him quietly oo hagl to a league distant, and in the very locality where I had tost him. , ** Again I gave chase, and he held his lead until night, when once more he served us the The Scarlet Schooner. Ri Fink Re same trick, and from that day to this I have not seen him, and the men swore we had been chasing a phantom craft, but I knew better. We are gaining well on him, Stanhope.” ‘We are indeed, sir, and yet, judging from the distance run it will be good dark before we reduce the distance to half a mile.” ‘tT believe you are right, for he seems on his best sailing points, and we are on our worst, with the wind abeam,” Narrowly now officers and men on the schooner watched the chase, and though the American craft steadily gained it was evident that darkness might yet favor the cunning Don Diablo, for not one now doubted but that the chief was on the goleta, Nearer and nearer the schooner drew, as the hours passed, until at last the sun went down in the sea with the two vessels nearly a mile apart, But the breeze freshening a little the schooner gained more rapidly, and at last came the wel- come order: ‘*Clear that pivot gun for action!” ** Now let her have a shot to see if she will show her colors while we yet have light to see them,” called out Lieutenant Warburton. Instantly the large pivot gun belched forth fire, smoke and iron, and almost with the dis- or rge up went the black flag to the peak of the goleta. ‘* Well, he’s honest enough not to deny his calling at any rate; now, gunner, see if you can pitch the iron into his stern ports,” called out the young officer, for the first shot had been thrown over the goleta, Again the gun spoke, and the shot striking near sent the wpray upon the goleta’s decks. “Wait until we creep nearer, gunner,” or- dered the lieutenant, and all watched the rap- idly-settling gloom, the shadowy outline of the goleta and the splendid sailing of the schooner. **Now, gunver, let her feel your iron!” or- dered Roger Warburton when half an hour more had passed, ** She has disappeared, sir |” The ery fell like a broadside upon the crew, for every eye had been upon the goleta but a moment before. ‘* Helmsman, you have let her come up a few points,” cried the lieutenant. ** No, sir, she has not swerved; she steers like an arrow,” answered the man at the wheel. Roger ‘Warburton sprung to the binnacle- light, saw the course of the schooner was the same, glanced at the sails, and then said, em- phatically: ‘‘By Heaven! he has played me that same devilish trick I told you of, Stanhope; forward there!” ** Ay, ay, sir,” rung out the crew, in chorus. “Keep a sharp look-out, lads, and three months’ pay to the man who finds her!” Every eye was at once strained to catch sight of the goleta, and the helmsman said: ‘*She bore two points to leeward, sir, when I last saw her, for I sat here by the compass.” ‘Then let her fall off that much and run her straight for it!” was the order. And yet still the goleta could not be found. we you a blue light on board, lieuten- an ‘Yes, Stanhope, and thanks for the sug- gesticn,” cried Warburton, joyfully, and a mo- ment after the light was burned and every eye was watching the sea. = tba she has certainly gone down!” cried Lieutenant Warburton, with chagrin. ** No, look there!” It was Guy Stanhope that spoke, and he had erpepec Warburton’s arm and was pointing astern. There, not half a dozen cables’-lengths away, a dark object was seen floating si the sea. ‘*Ready about, helmsman! all hands to tack ship! Prively, lads, lively!” The ringing voice of the lieutenant sent the men ape ipging to their posts, for they discerned the truth that the quick eye of the midshipman had discovered the goleta, The boatswain’s whistle piped shrilly, the schooner’s head swept up to the wind, as though the hull worked on a pivot, and then, amid the flying of sheets and braces, the swing- ing of yards and swooping over of booms, her sharp bows were set the otber way, and like a racer she was dashing off in the direction in which Guy Stanhope had discovered the goleta. ** She had taken in every stitch of canvas, sir, and lay under bare poles: we must have gone within a couple of cables’-lengths of her,” said Guy Stanhope. ‘* A sail dead ahead, sir!” sung out a look-out forward. The next instant there dashed into sight the goleta under clouds of canvas, and from her decks rung out the cheery cry in a clear voice: ** Buenas noches, sefiors !” And almost in a minute’s time she was far astern. CHAPTER XXXII, RUN DOWN. ** READY about!” The sharp command rung out from Roger Warburton’s lips as soon as he could realize that the goleta had made sail, after her discovery, as if by magic, and had passed the schooner without a single shot. As quickly as the schooner could be brought about it was done, the drum beat to quarters, and away she dashed in full chase. Ahead, nearly the third of a mile, like a cloud on the waters, the goleta was visible, fly- ing along under all the canvas she could carry, and bending far over under the pressure of the ten-knot breeze. On board the schooner all was intense excite- ment, and the men eagerly and impatiently waited for the command they knew must soon come to open fire. ‘* We are gaining, sir, for I can see her yards now,” said Guy Stanhope. “Then I will open on him beforo he disap- ears again, and the men get to really believing itisa phantom ship, commanded by Satan in the form of Don Diablo, ‘*orward there!” ‘* Ay, ay, sir!” “Train that ne gun on yonder cunning scamp, and cripple him!” ‘“‘ Ay, ay, sir!” called out the gunner, only too anxious to obey. The gun was loaded, carefully sighted, the fuse lighted and applied to the priming, and away went the shrieking ball of iron, aimed with remarkable accuracy, and back to_ the ears of those on the schooner came the crashing of timbers and the groans of men hard hit. “ Bravo, gunner! you have hit him hard! now give him another!” And another shot was poured upon the goleta with the same fatal effect. ** Now luff! At the guns there! ‘* Let her have your broadside!” The schooner’s broadside went burtling upon the little craft, and then, for the first time, the goleta returned the fire from her small guns. ‘*Ah! that adds interest; I wondered if the famous Don Devil was going to let us hit him and not strike back; but Goddess of the Sea spare this, the most beautiful craft that skims the waves,” cried Lieutenant Warburton. ‘‘ And Isay amen to that prayer,” sung out Guy Stanhope. ‘And it is angwered, for see, they have missed us wholly. “ But don’t you spare them, lads! another broadside; fire!” Again was heard the terrific crashing of tim- bers following the schooner’s heavy broadside, and the firing on the goleta suddenly ceased. “She has got it! now Ill hail and ask if he has struck his sable flag, for I don’t wish to kill the Don—oh no! I wish to hang him. ‘* Ahoy the goleta /” and Warburton’s voice went ringing over the water. ** Ay, ay, Sefior Americano!” came back in a clear, womanly voice. “Have you struck?” ** No, sevior |” ‘‘The devil! he does mean we shall kill him; well, we’ll give him a little more iron. ** At the guns, there!” i Av OF. eel: ‘*Play your iron trumpets once more; he still} wants to dance to our music!” In response to the command of the lively young officer, the guns of the schooner again sent forth their iron hurricane upon the little goleta, until one of the masts was seen to go over the side, carrying with it her huge lateen sail into the sea, A cheer burst from the schooner’s crew; all except from the lips of one man. That one was Campas Caliente, the boatswain ; his heart seemed not in the wreck and death they were Boating upon the beautiful goleta, ** She is crippled and cannot Be a **T hope he'll strike now,” and raising his voice Lieutenant Warburton hailed once more, as the schooner went bounding along under the stern of the goleta: ‘* Ho, sir pirate!” “Ay, ay, Sefior Americano,” came the an swer in the same effeminate, yet rich voice as before. “‘ Have you struck?” “ce No PY The answer was more emphatic and decided than before. “T will sink you.” ‘** As you please, sefior.” ‘‘Give him another broadside!” yelled Lieu- tenant Warburton, angrily. And again the guns belched forth, and once more tke schooner went tearing by on another tack. ‘Do you strike now, sir pirate?” —_—_—_--_— CHAPTER XXXIII, A STRANGE PRIZE. THE stubborn refusal of the goleta to strike her flag, although a wreck upon the waters, and with the groans of her dying crew reaching the ears of those on the schooner, posses Roger Warburton and his men not a little. With but a score of men on his own vessel to work it, and also man the guns, he dared not CONNICLOOO_KSa(E@)