Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 181 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

ro — —— -- — *“'True, it is doubtless a coffee drogher from some coffee plantation down the coast, putting in for water or provisions,” “A very trim-looking vessel for a drogher, captain, for she possesses a graceful hull and is certainly rigged like a pleasure craft,” answer- ed Nita, surveying the stranger attentively. ‘* You have a sailor’s eye, sweet Nita, to so quickly discover the fine points of that vessel; but, tell me, what.can have brought your brother back so soon from Havana?” **I cannot tell you, sefior; I hope no accident has befallen him.” ‘* T sincerely trustnot; a glass, please, Alena,” and he turned to the octoroon, who descended from the roof for an instant to soon return with a spy-glass. ‘ ‘* You can retire now, Alena, and say to Pa- _ blo that my brother’s Nita, to the slave, as the officer turned the glass upon the goleta, and said slowly, as the maid aisappeared: ; : “The vessel looks all right, fair Nita; but your brother is pacing his deck with bent head and angry tread, if I may judge from his bear- ing at this distance,” ‘What can have angered him I wonder? I trust he has no duello on his hands,” answered Nita, ati os . Captain Aubrey turned suddenly toward the maiden, and taking her hand said in a low tone: “*T fear I can tell you, cara mia, why he looks angered, and has returned; it is because he dis- likes me, and wishes that I had left the Sabinas casa de campo forever.” She turned her eyes upon him, and they were filed with tears, while she responded: ‘“‘ Austin, I dread to think that you speak the truth; but as you have now spoken of the dis- like my brother feels for you, I will be frank with you and say that he has forbidden me to love you. ‘*T told him that I had dra 7o9 from the sea and nursed you back to life, and that I loved ou with all my heart; but then he spoke to my ther upon the subject and he too commanded me to forget you. ‘*But I too am a Sabinas and have a will of iron, and refused. ‘Then Isadoro told mo that one, a caballero who met you here, said you were not an Amer- icano, nor an offloer, but—” ‘But what, Nita?” asked ‘the man, calmly, and witha yee smile, ' ‘Oh, it is horrible to believe he would say of you so vile a thing, but I will tell you; he said ou were one upon whose head a price was set.” ‘Why did you not tell me of this before?” ** Because I dared not, and my brother said he would go to Havana and bring oe of what you were, and trusting you I waited.” ** And were he to come now and make that charge against me, Nita?’ and he bent his fas- cina eyes full u ber own. ‘*T would not believe them if they swore it by the Mother 4 ** And if I were to ask you to prove you love me, would you do so?” oes brother has landed, and he roaches the hacienda.” Yea, and he is not alone, and those with him are strangers; who can a be “My enemies, perhaps,” he said, with. a light smile; but his manner was cool and resolute, as he asked the maiden to excuse him for a mo- ment, and descended from the azotea to his room. But almost immediately he returned, and over his shoulders was thrown a Spanish cloak, and the quick eyes of Nita Sabinas detected the glit- ter of arms beneath its folds. ‘‘Oh! Austin, what puget do Py: dread that you thus arm yourself?” she cried, in alarm. ‘“‘T dread no danger, Nita mine; I am only prepared to meet whatever may be forced upon tue,” was the smiling reply, and he turned, as a handsome, bronze-faced young Cuban ascended to the azotea, and, with three companions, ad- by toward where two stood. a aie ith a pale f hing eyes, and deter- yained Shah the Cuban confronted the reso- lute man and the trembling maiden, and said eternly; ‘“* Nita, my sister, go to your room and leave that man to me!” : ‘Brother, I obey no commands from you; this gentleman is the guest of our house, an sor shame that one of its mem its heir, thould offer insult to him,’’ was the ringing re- sponse of the beautiful girl. _ “Nita, that man whom you call a gentleman, isno American officer, as he represents himself, is not Captain Austin Aubrey, but he is one whose name is a terror on land and sea, and is none other than Don Diablo, the Red Corsair.” A startled cry came from the white lips of Tin, Pabinen, a0 tried MP lgser but a words found no utterance, an e tottered an would have fallen; but springing toward her the man who had been denounced as the famous buceaneer chief, one arm around her waist, and drawing her to him, drew a dagger from beneath his cloak and cried, sternly; “Be I who I may, stand aside and Iet me pass, ov I drive this blade to her heart.” acht is returning,” said ! The Scarlet Schooner. Cee ee ee a eee a CHAPTER IV. | THE FLIGHT. . To depict the feeling of Isadoro Sab when he saw the tables so thoroughly turn upcen him by the daring man he had denounced as Don Diablo, the famous corsair, and whom he hoped to capture, would bei le. Devoted to his sister above all other human beings, he had, when suspicion was cast upon the man who was their guest, wished to save her from an alliance with him; and, to satisfy himself whether he was really Austin Aubrey, the alleged American officer, or none other than Don Diablo the pirate in disguise, he had gone to Havana and gleaned all the in- formation he could regarding the rover. He had also received from the Governor- General a miniature likeness of the chief, which had been found in the possession of some | maiden he had deceived, and was convinced was called, was none other than the corsair. The likeness had the same dark, fascinating face, with the brilliant. black bees and the re- solute, reckless mouth, half-hidden by a dark mustache. True, the miniature seemed the likeness of a younger man than was the one who called him- self Austin Aubrey, for the face seemed not to represent one over twenty-three or four, while his guest was fully forty, though he did not look so to a casual observer. Shipwrecked as he was by the tornado, and his life saved by Nita Sabinas, Don Isadoro and his father both felt that he was a dangerous per- sonage to be thrown in the society of the loved sister and daughter. But then he was their guest, and what could ey do? othing, unless they went beyond the bounds of hospitality. But when a neighboring t py ne said that he was confident that Austin Aubrey was playing a Isadoro had determined to save his sister, and hence his trip in his yacht to Ha- van a. There he learned that a small American vyes- sel, though of Cuban build and rig, had been seized upon the coast of Florida by a band of outlaws, who had boldly boarded her; in the absence of ths greater part of the crew ashore, and run her out to sea. This occurred but a couple of weeks before the loss of the vessel in the bay, and among the débris on the rocks were articles marked with the name of the American craft, which was the n Juan, As this little cruiser was commanded by Ca the’ doncfurion, ll ‘Weitign ‘Belg considered, the con on, @ co e Lory his guest was not what he represented him- Sailing to Key West he found there an officer of the runaway vessel, and showed him the miniature likeness of Don Diablo. i this your ag CE cetibtee no means, was : “De ou know who it isa incertae of?” was that the tga at Villa del Fiorida, as his home ’ e ;q ‘ ‘Tt resembles the buccaneer who ran off the San Juan, and set my men and a ho who were on board at the time, adrift in an open boat; but he was an older man,” returned the American midshipman. “Will you return with me in my acht, and see if one I show you is Don Diablo, the cor sair?” asked Isadoro, ‘*Willingly, sefior.” The result the reader has seen, for with Isa- doro Sabinas was Guy Stanhope, a handsome young midshipman of the United States navy, and acting as junior lieutenant of the San Juan at the time of her capture. “That, Sefior Sabinas, is not min oS Aubrey ; but he is the man who cepaee the San Juan,’ had been Guy Stanhope’s remark upon reaching the azotea and confronting the maiden and the man whose life she had saved. Isadoro’s eyes fla hed with triumph, for he was ambitious to win a name for himself by the capture of the corsair, Don Diablo, and believed he had him wholly in his power. But the bold deed of vs ior at bay stunned him, for all present saw thatif they advanced on him the result would be the*instant death of Nita Sabinas, and they started back in horror, while the young Cuban, white as a corpse, cried eadingly: me Gol pon are free, only spare my poor sis- “Go! and I will eek you on the high seas.” A bitter laugh, mingled with triumph, broke ens the lips of the daring man, and he re- ied: “Yes, I will go, my dear Sefior Isadoro, and I thank you for the hospitality you have ex- tended, and, if you wish to find me, you can look for me on blue water; but I warn you not to cross my path.” on “Go!” commanded the Cuban, sternly. The man did not change his attitude, still holding the blade in his hand, just above the heart of the unconscious Nita, and thus, for an instant, the appalling tableau lasted. At length he broke the silence and the sus- pense with: “Tam not to be entrapped, Don Isadoro, so I carry your beautiful sister as a shield to my ety. By Never! I will tear her from your grasp.” ** Back! would you be her murderer?” sternly cried Don Diablo. ‘* Bette, that than what she may become.” ‘*Oh no! shé shall become my bride, if so she will; if not, she is free to remain in her home,” “She is not so fallen as to bind herself to an inhuman fiend such as you are, Don Diablo, the corsair,” ** We shall see when she returns to conscious- ness; now I leave you, for yonder lies my lug- erin the bay; but if you press me, Nita Sa- inas dies. **T swear it !” He turned as he spoke, and raising the mai- den in his uninjured arm, bore her toward the stone stairway leading down into the court. Every step of the way Isadoro Sabinas, Guy Stanhope and the others slowly followed him, et dared not ‘press him, as the point of the lade rested upon the bosom of the maiden, and the hand that held the hilt all knew was raerciless. Crossing the flower-garden, he passed down an avenue to the sandy shore and then sprung into the stern-sheets of the boat in which Don Isadoro and his party had landed from the goleta, As he was about to lay the maiden down to seize the oars, unable to stand it longer, to see his beloved sister thus torn from him, Don Isa- doro cried earnestly : **Come, let us rush upon him and tear her from his grasp!” A few started, but all halted as they reached the water at the ag "5 g words: ‘*Back! I say! Follow me, sefiors, and by High Heaven she dies!” ith a groan Isadoro Sabinas stood still, knee-deep in the waters, and, still shielding himself with the fair form from any pistol- shot, Don Diablo, with his right band, seized an oar, thrust it into the stern rowlock, and sculled swiftly away from the shore. Eagerly they watched him and saw him reach the side of the lugger and willing hands aid him and his fair burden on board. CHAPTER Y. A COMPROMISE. TH two-masted lugger which had en the bay in the wake of the goleta of Don Isa- tsalried perfectly quiet, es thotgh ier trew,did m pe yq as crew did not care to hold communication with the land. To an ordinary observer she would appear like one of the numerous coffee d ers that ply al the Cu between blas of Sie. tach leciiews wad the cities, vana generally being their port of destination with merc and the where stores for the presented the plantations are pu But to the eye of a seaman she appearance of a trim-lookin with hull rose ty indicating speed an sea-going ualities, © But half a dozen men were visible upon her decks, and one of these stood aft, and leisurely surveyed the shores. The crew were a mixture of Indian, Spaniard and negro, and were evil-looking wretches, though they were without doubt thorough sea- men. The one who seemed the commander, from his air and dress, was evidently a Cuban. He was of short stature, slender-formed, had small feet and hands, dressed in a certain dan- dified way, even though he wore only a blue jacket and white duck pants and tarpaulin. His face was youthful, full of determination, not by any means homely, and wore the un- mis ble stamp of refinement and intellect, in spite of his humble pee ‘‘Sefior, there seems to trouble ashore,” — one of the Spanish sailors, approaching ‘“‘T have noticed it; but I have received no sig- nal from the captain that he needs aid, and I ess he can take care of himself,” was the non- chalant reply. Butthe young commander of the lugger never- theless kept his glass turned upon the villa, and closely watched the retreat of Don Diablo, car- rying Nita Sabinas in his arms, while the others dogged is steps. , Anton, the es) has taken care of himself, and there has trouble,” remarked the Cuban. ‘* Si, Sefior Marial; el reine brings a ruest on board it seems,” responded Antoun, who acted as mate of thelugger. — Conrado Marial made no reply, but gazed more attentively at the scenes transpiring on shore, until presently he glanced at the lugger, somewhat anxiously, and said: ‘* Anton, we ran’ in too far; the tide is run- ning out and we are on the bottom.” it will be bad, if el capitan wishes to sail at onee, Sefior Marial.” “Yes very bad; if he is in trouble, and I do not doubt it, there lies the goleta to run up the coast after the Spanish vessel-of-war we passed at anchor awhile since; she could get here be- MICOOOKS (SO) (E(©)