Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 181 — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER LIT. THE NEMESIS AT THE HELM, Nor many lea there is an island, with bold, 10¢eky shores, which looks very uninviting to one sailing near in a vessel, Sunken reefs surround it in many places, with numerous little rock-islands rearing their dangerous beads above the sea, and causing the. cautious sailor to give the place a wide berth, The seamen of the long ago were wont to call the large island, with its attendant smaller ones, the ** fowl and her little brood. To the one who knew the narrow, tortuous and most dangerous channel running into the island, a different scene would present itself, for there was a small inlet, a creek, going into center of the rocky walls that sur- the isle, and once here a quiet basin the ver rounde was found in which a dozen vessels could lie at pre or be moored alongside a ledge of stone, Fronting on this ledge were several large caverns that extended back in the hills and formed a safe retreat. The secrets of this island were known at one time only to the buceaneers, and very few of these could guide a vessel through the channel even in calm weather. But, having had traitors in their midst, the island, as a rendezvous, was given_up by the buccaneers, and here it was that Howard De Vigne, the son of Don Diablo, had his haunt when he was searching the seas for his cruel fa- ther, which the reader of ‘‘Don Diablo” will well remember. While Nita Sabinas, in her disguise of cabin- boy, was on the Red Schooner, she had thor- oughly learned the secrets of the island and its channels, and here it was that she was going to take Colonel Navaro in the schooner, on the search for the pirate chief. : One stormy night, a week after her interview with Colonel Navaro in Vera Cruz, a schooner, under close-reefed sails, was approaching the ‘‘Hen and Chickeds ” islands. Her qualities as a stanch craft were being put to the test, for a wild sea was running, and a gale blowing, and yet the vessel was behaving lg and standing up like a line-of-battle shi Her decks were crowded with men, her guns were firmly lashed, and all sail not set was closely furled, while at her helm stood but one person, and he apparently a youth, though sev- eral officers, with their cloaks drawn closely around them, were standing near, That all on board, excepting one person, were anxious, could be seen by their restless motions, and the eager way they strained their eyes over the dark waters, and then turned them upon the helmsman, who was the oue that ap- peared not to dread the night or its dangers. ‘‘] fear you havea hard task, Nemesis, to ran in here to night,” said one of the officers stand- ing near, and upon whose face the binnacle light falling, revealed Colonel Fernando Na- varo, “No, sir, Ican run in readily.” ‘* Better wait until morning. 7 ‘*T am not at fault, sefior,’ “But I can see nothing, and in the day- light—” ; ‘The pirates can see us,” was the laconic in- terruption. A “True, but I would be willing to fight them, as the schooner has eighty men, and I have a hundred soldiers,” | ’ “Tf we did not surprise the buccaneers you would need them all, sefior.” ‘You are the pilot, so go ahead; but we are taking big chances,” and Colonel Navaro turned away to watch the white waters, for they were covered with foam, and the dark, forbidding pile of rock that arose ahead of them, With the wind on her port beam the schooner was going at a terrific rate of speed; but each rock ‘‘ chicken” was avoided with consummate skill by the daring helmsman, and darker, higher and more threatening the island rose be- fore them. : At length, it seemed that the schooner must dash directly against the rock, and Colonel Na- varo and the naval captain both spoke to the Nemesis, . Instantly came the cool reply: “Tf we wished to, sefiors, we could not go about here, as there is not room; but do you mark how white the foam is off our starboard and port bows, where the waves dash against the rock?” ; ‘* Yes, it is just what we do not like.” “Do you note that dead ahead you see no white foam?’ ‘* True,” said both officers. “ Well, there is the inlet.” . The next moment the schooner, instead ef dashing herself to pecs against the side of the rock, as it seemed she would, glided we. into the inlet’s mouth, and winding around a curve, was in quiet water. 2 ‘ Forging ahead, from the speed with which she dashed in, she went gently alongside the ledge of rocks and came to a standstill. es from the Cuban coast en and Chickens,” and not inappropriate- ly so, as they had the appearance of a barn-yard The Scarlet Schooner. ay The ledge was pist the hight of the bulwarks, and Sieg ng out the crew made her fast. ° ‘‘Now, sefior_ colonel, follow me,” said the helmsman, in whom the reader has already re- cognized Nita Sabinas, the Sea Nemesis. “Fall in, men!” came the stern order from Colonel Navaro. | ‘Ready, lads!” said the schooner’s captain to his crew. The next moment, with the Nemesis at their head, and holding a dark lantern in his hand, the party moved off, and entered one of the caverns opening upon the ledge. CHAPTER LIL THE PLOT OF THE NEMESIS. _ Wrra his dark-lantern sending forth a weird glare, and causing many wild figures, the forms of the marching men, to dance in fantastic style upon the rocky walls of the cavern, the Nemesis led the way. The cavern narrowed as they went, and at times became but a hallway, to again widen into vast di- mensions, and open into large rotundas, from which branched off a score of yas Sent : “T hope you know your way mm here, Nemesis,” whispered Colonel Navaro. a well as I know the channel to the island, sefior.”’ “Lead on, I am satisfied." And again they moved on in silence, until Colonel Navaro once more spoke: ‘* How far is it to the glen that this black hole leads to?” “Some few cables’ length from here, sefior.”’ ‘** And the camp of the pirates is there?” “Yes, sefior, the cabins are in the glen.” ‘And they keep no guard at the cavern en- trance?” “Why should they, sefior? No vessel can come in, ‘True; lead on!" Once more they moved forward, until again the colonel asked: “How many mén did you say were on the island y”’ ‘** Seventy-five.” * And we have one hundred and seventy-five with “ And the advantage of a surprise,” “True, but they will fight like devils.” ** All men will, sefior, for their lives; but go in single file here, for let 'me show you what on either side of us,” The Nemesis turned and held her lantern so as to show that they were on a narrow ledge of rock run- ning through the cavern, and as far as the eye could see down upon either side was blackness. Colonel Navaro shuddered, and said: ‘*How deep are these boles of Hades?” “Only some twenty or thirty feet, and they are full of water, for the tide runs in under the island; ha! there goes my lantern!” The lantern feli with a crash and rolled into the pit, striking with a splash in the water. “Don't move for your lives, sefiors!” called out the Nemesis, and all stood statues. ‘““Where are you, Nemesis?” cried Colonel Na- varo. But no reply came, ** Nemesis! Still no answer. ‘“* Sefior Nemesis, did you hear me call?”’ Dead silence followed. **Good God! has he fallen into the pit?’ “No, sefior colonel,"’ said the captain. , ** How know you, Captain Beldas?”’ asked Nayaro, re ry H pat, ‘he done so, we would haye heard him ‘* True,’ and again raising his voice Colonel Na- varo shouted: ‘** Nemesis!” No answer. , They waited in silence a moment, and then, in a voice hoarne with passion, Colonel Fernando Na- varo ; ‘*Sefior Beldas, we have been entrapped.” “Tt. would seem so, Colonel Navaro. ‘**And bya woman,” ~ ‘* A woman, sefior?”’ “Yes, a woman.” “Who was she?”’ “The one that a deserted us."’ “T thought that—” “You thought wrong, my nice Captain Beldas; that was not a boy, but a woman, and a beautiful one, too, ‘Her name is Nita Sabinas.”’ ‘You surprise me, sefior.” “She has just eke me; but she came to me in Vera Cruz, and told me she acted from revenge against Don Diablo, and I trusted her, came here, and here we are.” “* And likely to stay until morning.” “Yes, for a move may seud us to the devil.” a the pirates may come.” **Oh, I expect them. ‘ **And we dare not move?” — ‘*Oh no! we are like rats in a trap.” ‘Worse, for they can see out, and we cannot,” “What's to be done, seiior?” “Stand right here until morning, or the pirates come and shoot us.” This was by no means a pleasant prospect; but what could they do else? And there they stood like statues, afraid to move for fear of death, expecting the pirates each mo- ment, and silently ar eering Bod praying by turns, Like days seemed the hours, as they dragged away, and at times the men believed that day had come, and that darkuess ever rested in the cavern. But at last there was a dim, gray light visible, and watching it eagerly all saw it increase, until at_last the faces of each other became visible, and all could see their way, and then discovered how dan- gerous had been their position. The glass of the breken lantern lay at Colonel Navaro’s feet, but the holder of it was pone. Following the track of the greatest light, they soon came out into a small glen, and gazed into each other’s haggard faces. beautiful vessel in whose cabin I now these lines. the pen, the wild debts for a short time, and upon his re crash would come, if he had not money, Colonel Before them was a small valley, Only a couple of — in size, and fully a dozen rude cabins mei, their ew. bi Within these cabins not a soul was visible, though Cope evident that they had been very lately occu- Pp a ‘Back to the schooner!’ shouted Colonel Na- varo, and back through the cavern they soon wend- ed their way, and in ten minutes came out upon the ledge that overlooked the basin. ‘The schooner is gone !”’ The cry broke from every lip, and every face grew black with passion, But nst the ledge lay a polacca of some seventy tons’ burden, and toward this Colonel Na- varo and the others went. ‘ There was not a soul on board, and pinned to the tiller was a piece of pa r. Seizing it, Colonel Navaro read aloud what was written there in a fine, feminine hand. It was as follows: . ‘* MIDNIGHT. ‘* COLONEL FPeRNANDO NAVARO: “*Se8or:—Pardon me for putting you to any in- convenience, but as I desired a craft exactly like the one which Don Diablo, the pirate, so cleverly robbed your Government of, and had not the time to have such a one built, I took the liberty of borrowing the te you “*I say Lorrowing, for I intend to return it, or fail- ing to do so, its value to the Government. ** Not to desert you fully, after my plot to get pos- session of the schooner, I leave you a stanch, swift- sailing polacca, and she is provisioned for a month, so you will not suffer. ‘As Tam unable to leave you a pilot, I leave to say that you can only depart from this don a calm day, when the tide is running out. “Then put your boats ahead and tow out, setting no sail,and heading directly for the Ai/th ‘ chicken from the east; when you round that, your helm aport, head for the ninth chicken and leave it on your starboard, when you will be in clear water, ‘With regret at having deprived Captain Beldas, whom I esteem as a gentleman and brave officer and with no sympathy for you, whom I despise, f remain, Colonel Fernando Navaro’s foe, ‘THe NeMesis OF THE Sea,’ CHAPTER LIT. THE SCARLET SCHOONER, Ir would be eae to portray with wo or ury of Colonel Navaro and his fol- epee after reading the letter left by the Nemesis of the Sea. The officers swore, the men growled, and genuine anger was felt, and oaths of revenge against the wo- man were upon every lip. Remembering that he had but compromised his that the Navaro was nearly beside himself, and seemed upon the verge of madness. As the wind was blowing a gale they dared not run out in the polacca, so had to content themselves with remaining. But the next day and the next the weather was still bad, and not until the fifth after their arrival did they dare venture out, Then, follo the instructions given by the Ne- mesis, they safely gained re water. The polacca was a good er they found, but she was small, and they were very uncomfortable from the crowd on 4 Then, to add to their discomfort, a hurricane arose, and they were blown into the Caribbean sea, and from thence around the peninsula of Yucatan had un headwinds. : At last fair weather set in; but it seemed that Sa- tan still do their wake, as one night a vessel was seen in the distance, which at once gave chase. The polacca was put back on her course, and fled under sail; but the stranger gained steadily, and at dawn was not a mile distant. Then, with the full light ew po, oe n her, all on board the polacca looked at each otherin amaze- ment, and then again at the strange vessel. Thi t ~ it romero pecaee $s was the question upon ev and no won- der, for the strangé erayst was soartee. : It was a echooner of beautiful model, carrying she canvas of a racing yacht, armed, and sailing like a witch. Bat from hull to topmast she was a bright scarlet. Nearer and nearer she came to the polacea, though every inch of canvas was set, and the sails were wet to make them draw better. An be those on the polacca watched and They were armed oy with their pistols, muskets and cutlasses, and could hope to offer no resistance to the heavy guns of the stranger, though if board- ed, they knew ae wermeneue™ of them to render a good account of themselves. ~ ‘As the Searlet Schooher drew nearer all on board the polacca, even to Colonel Navaro and Captain Beldas, began to feel a superstitious dread of her. They could see that she was alm ost in their wake, and though only her lower sails set, was com along at a pace that was remarkable, for the polacca was fast and sailing well. Upon her decks her men were visible at her guns, and all on board the red craft seemed ready for ac- tion. Nearer and nearer she came until only a few hun- dred feet divided the two vessels. Yet no notice whatever had she taken of the po- lacca, other than to follow her, and a cable's length to leeward. Nearer and nearer until] the low hull, long, gaunt and asred as blood, was distinctly visible. Her ports were open, and from them truded guns, and they also were of the same scarlet hue, as were also the carriages, the stacks of iron balls piled up on each side the ports, the deck and inside of the bulwarks. The masts were long, raking, and painted a fle red, as were also the spars, while the sails refl back the sunlight from the same scarlet hue, Nor was this all, for crimson was the tinge upon everything, even to the wheel, at which stood two helmsmen. But, strangest of all was the crew, for they were Gom Gbiooks (E(@)