Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 181 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

— ——- ee brave girl, whose terrified horse was plungin fearfully in the rough waters, while on land, their horses checked at the verge of the surf, was Don Isadoro and his party, and to all the wooded shores, and hills formed a wild back- ground. to the thrilling picture. Answering. the words of Don Diablo with a wave of her hand and a smile, though she was very pale, yet full of nerve and iron resolve, Nita Sabinas caught~the rope fhrown her, massed it around her: waist; and turning her 1orse’s head shoreward slipped from the saddle, Almost instantly she was drawu on board the lugger, and was in the’ arms. of Don Diablo, while.the little vessel dashed on, leaving the SURBERES and frightened horse swimming shore- ward. ‘‘Oh! Lhope he will not drown, for I owe to him my escape,” cried Nita, her first thought for her horse, and turning she gazed anxiously upon the bravely-stru oting animal, which, seemingly realizing that he had well done his work, was determined to save himself. Interested ulsoin the beast, Don Diablo and his crew. watched his course, while Don Isadoro and his friends rode rapidly to the point where he would Jand, and the Cuban seized his bridle as he came out of the water, ““Thank God he did not die,” cried Nita, fer- vently, and then, no longer dreading for the animal, she thought of herself, and said quick; “Te ted you to-night, Austin; but my brother had arranged a plot to entrap me, and recognizing you at the lugger’s helm, I impul- sively decided to escape.” ‘‘ Your brother had arrenged to entrap you, Nita?” asked Don Diablo, in surprise. ‘*Yes, above here two leagues lies a Spanish schooner of war, and her commander is my brother’s friend. ¢ Peeling sagared, after the clever capture of the lugger by El Saltador—” ‘El Saltador! what mean you, Nita?’ said the astonished chief. ‘*Why, did you not leave Estevan EF] Saltador to retake your lugger?” ‘*By no means; | left the man who proposes pe SS ol ae by which I got your brother’s goleta, “That was Estevan, the Leaper.” “Im ible; it was my lieutenant, and a dashing, daring fellow, too. His name is Con- rado Marial.” ‘Yes, he is the same; Conrado Marial Este- van was his name, and he is the son of the con- spirator, and is himself the one upon whom a price is set, and bears the name of El Saltador. ‘* Why, I knew him well, for he was my bro ther’s friend years ago.” “‘ By Heaven! but this is news to me. “‘The man served me well once in Havana, when I was recognized in a café and followed, and took me on board his lugger. “‘T suspected him of being an outlaw and a pirate, or smuggler, and he. me a member of a League that I know of, and to him I wrote when I was at your villa to come after me. “Well, so my lieutenant is the famous El] Saltador, is he? It was evident that Don Diablo had tempo- rarily forgotten himself, for his words caused ae to gaze fixedly upon him, and ask reproach- ully: “Your lieutenant, and you supposed him to be a pirate?” ‘* We have to employ any means, sweet Ni to carry oub our purposes,” was the prom answer, and without embarrassment, and he continued, as the shadow partially left her face: ‘“* We will soon see this famous El Saltador, for he awaits us with his lugger, some leagues from here in the Red Lagoon. ‘«Then hasten tliere, Austin, for this little craft is not one to escape from a foe in, and my brother you, see has already ridden hastily in the direction of the anchorage of the Spanish schooner, and Major Alvarado you see accom- panies him, while the American officer remains to escort the Sefioritas Vilno to their hacienda,” and Nita pointed shoreward, where Don oro and Major Alyarado were visible, riding rapid- ly down the Coast, while Guy Stanhope and the two Cuban dens had turned off on a road leading into the interior of the island. ‘* Do you know just where this schooner is. at anchor, Nita?’ asked Don Diablo, calmly. “Yes, in Island Inlet, beyond the entrance to our Day “T know it; they have two miles to reach there, and the schooner has three leagues to sail to reach this point, which, with delay of getting under way, will give us about six leagues’ start, which is enough on this boat with the half-cale now blowing. ‘Once oH bare the lugger and the schooner need as well give up the chase; keep her steady, Pablo, and head straight for thé Red Lagoon,” he ordered the man at the helm, and again turning to Nita he continued: “* But the surprise of discovering I had El Sal- tador with me, prevented my asking how your brother had intended entrapping you?” ‘“*He feared your return, and seeing that I loved you with my whole heart, and good or bad, did not intend to give you vp, it was his in- tention to get me on -d the schooner and a then carry me to Havana, where my. father now is, and then it would be decided what was best to be done with me.” ‘* And they have, failed, for, 1 have you now with me, thanks to your love and daring; but, Nita, how learned you this?” ; “Through Alena, my octoroon maid; my brother, as he believed, bought her over by making up a paper giving her her freedom, and she learned all his plan, and secretly, as he be- lieved, got my baggage together. “Fearing that vessel, my brother arranged a horseback ride, and by accident we were to come upon the schooner and be invited on board; but I bad made up my mind to seemingly acquiesce and to escape in Havana and find you.” ‘Bless you, my noble girl; and you have found me, and within a few hours the hol padre of the hamlet near the Red Lagoon sha make you my wife; but see, there 1s a party moving along on shore.” The maiden glanced an instant at what had caught the quick eye of the chief, and cried, ex- ultantly : “It is the vehicle carrying Alena and my baggage. *‘ Now, Austin, I will not come to you a beg- gary bride.” ‘**T will put inshore and get your baggage and your maid, sweet Nita; Pablo, run yonder point, for it is still water there.” The lugger luffed-up within a short distance of the shore, just as the ox-drawn vehicle passed along the highway that ran only a few “ ea a a led high in th t n the luggage pi igh in the wagon sa Atana. the GbOTOOR and Hee face gleamed with delight at beholding her mistress, The transfer to the lugger was quickly made, the slave driver of the team ordered back to the villa, and once more the little vessel headed along the coast in the direction of the Red La- goon. As she gained an offing Don Diablo glanced astern and said, calmly: ‘** There comes the schooner in chase. **Pablo, we must make this craft fly, for it has a rich freight on board not intended for Spanish booty.” CHAPTER he Ge A MUTINEER’S FATE. As the lugger sped along under full sail, though the wind was increasing in violence every moment and the sea was very rough, Don Diablo took the helm of the little craft, and by pis side Nita Sabinas took a seat and watched im, She recalled, as she glanced backward and beheld the Spanish schooner coming rapidly on, that the life of the man she loved was in deadly peril, and she remembered how he had saved that life in his escape from the villa, by swear- ing to sacrifice her. ut, as she gazed on his face, wholly indiffer- ent to the danger that threatened him, if the oursuing vessel overtook him, her admiration or the man rose the higher, and she loved him the more. ' True, he was more than double her years, yet he did not look it, Could a man so hardened by crime as must be Don Diablo, still wear the handsome, fasci- nating face that he did who had professed to love her? . Such was her question, and she answered it herself. ~ The truth was, Nita Sabinas had become fas- cinated with the man, and he held her wholly at his mercy. She had saved him the day of the wreck, she had nursed him in his suffering, and she had drank deep of the intoxicating cup of love, and cared not fe she would find dregs in the bottom. She had listened to his low, musical voice in bare | her stories of strange lands; she had e been held spellbound by his voice in song, and charmed by his master touch upon her harp and guitar, while he had proven self an tof no mean worth, and, in fact, had brought her under his influence as the snake does the bird. That he was other than he bad represented himself she feared; but yet she loved him, and she would cling to him, come what might, and be his crimes upon others as black as midnight. That he thus held a charm upon her which she could not shake off, Don Diablo well knew, and he loved her as he had never loved but one woman before; one woman who had proven false to him when he was a mere youth, and had made him, by that act, the guilty man he had become, for, driven to madness by jealous fury, he had taken her life and the life of his rival, and fled to the sea for refuge from his crime. ; Since then he had hated womankind, and had delighted to bring misery upon them; but with Nita Sabinas it was different, for she had saved his life, and hearing the basest accusations against him, still loved him, and he swore that he would never desert her. Such were the thoughts that were flitting through the brain of Don Diablo, and the young and trusting girl at his side, as the little lugger would not go on board the | «& — ——— — bounded along, her heavy prpeente of canvas threatening to drive her under the waves, adh we was t a seaman, ey iar rescued the lu » fr estruction a sud- den iatenient's “of the tiller, when the crew thought it would be impossible. to have her re- cover from the incline upon which sudden gusts of fierce wind would force her. “*Had we better reef, sefior captain?” asked Pablo, really alarmed for the lugger. ‘** Pablo, do you.not know me better than to sugpes what I shall do on my own vessel?” said Don Diablo, in his calm, but threatening way. o But, sefior, you are making us all take fear- ful chances for life,” persisted the Spaniard, as the lugger gave another swoop to leeward, but was rescued most skillfully. “Pablo, go forward!” was the stern com- mand, **'The men are with me, sefior, in thinking the risk you make us take is terrible.” ‘* Then for you, my dear Pablo, there shall be no risk; it shall be a certainty.” With the last word of Don Diablo he threw his pistol forward, which he had hastily drawn from his belt, and with the flash the Spaniard fell to the deck, and a lurch of the lugger car- ried him off on the wild waters. With a stifled cry, Nita Sabinas hid her face in her hands to shut out the scene, for the wildly ages eyes, from which life had not yet fled, were turned upon her, as if to implore mercy, and the hands grasped convulsively at the crests of foam. “That seemed cruel, my dear Nita, but it ped an incipient mutiny in the bud,” said Don Diablo, in his cool way, addressing the aze fixed u maiden, but with his the crew forward, all of whom had verre their feet at his act, but quickly crouched down again at catching his burnin wer fixed upon them. **Ohb! it was cruel! deed?” cried Nita, tearfully. ‘* Nita, I do not know all these men, for they are not of my old crew, and knowing that there is a price on my head, and a rich one, too, and expecting a large reward from your father for restoring you, they would wiilingly give me up to yonder pursuing vessel.” She seemed not to hear his last words, but only to dwell on the first: “Knowing that there is a price on my head.” She looked him now fairly in the face and said earnestly, yet in alow tone: ‘*There is a price on your head then?” “r Yes ” ‘You have deceived me then?” “ec Yes. » ‘*You are not Captain Austin Aubrey?’ ‘ce No ” ‘*Not an American?” ‘*'Yes, but I acknowledge no land as my own.” **Oh, Heaven have mercy!” “The sea is my home, Nita.” Tyger 9 flag?” ‘*] will describe them to you, Nita.” ‘© Them?” ** Yes, for I carry two.” Two?” ee . 7 te, Ty as eri peak, another at the fore. ‘* At the peak I fly a flag of sable hue, with a red arm and hand ad g a white skull.” He paused, but she made no reply, and her face was bowed upon her knees. Then he continued: ** At the fore I carry a flag with a green field, representing the and flying over the waters is the form of an old hag, or Gipsy, in black.” ‘*Mother of God, have mercy! you ive the well-known emblem of the Sea Gipsy Corsair, the vessel of—” she paused, as if oppressed with horror, and he said in his quiet way: **Of Don Diablo.” - ; ‘His vessel, the Sea Gipsy, was sunk by an ———— cruiser off the north coast?” © - * xyes.” © ** And you are—” ** Don Diablo men call me, Nita.” The very softness of his tone kept her from crying out in horror, and she remained silent, and no word was spoken for some time. Then she said plaintively: **Oh, how could you deceive me thus?” ‘* Because I loved you, Nita, and loving you would not give you up, be I what I a was the answer, and he laid one hand softly upon her shoulder. , ‘But, as though stung by an adder, she sprung to her feet, crying angrily and with flashing eyes: ow could you do sueha — ** Back! do not touch me, for I hate you, Don Diablo, the Pirate.” CHAPTER X. LOVE AND HATE. HARDLy had the stinging words left the lips of Nita Sabinas, when there was heard a ring- ing shout forward, and the half-dozen men who formed the lugger’s crew came running aft ina body. “Down with him, and sell his head, lads!” shouted the leader. another. “Take him alive! he’s worth more,” yelled io GOMIicdoOoks (EO)