Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 181 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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. the chief alive, threw on the hea stunned him, and he felt that all was lost. 8 “The gal sides with us,” cried a third. It was certainly a critical moment for Don Diablo. The sea was running very high, and the lug- r was rushing through it at a speed that hreatened to send her to the bottom, pressed as she was with all her canvas. Her decks were fairly drowned with water, ‘the wind and waves were momentarily increas- ing, and astern, two leagues away, came the schooner in chase, and also under clouds of can- vas. His hand was upon the tiller of the lugger, and alone guided it through the wild sea. His crew was rushing upon him with cutlasses and pistols, and he was one to six in the strug- gle for life. Upon the windward side of the lugger, cling- ing. the ratlines, stood Nita Sabinas, her face white, her lips stern, and her eyes turned with reproach, indignation and sorrow commingled, upon Don Diablo. And the chief? Stood at the helm, calm, resolute, and yet with a glare in bis dark eyes that was baleful, and fearful to look upon. On rushed the crew of the lugger, the golden reward they hoped to get, caueine them to forget tle er of the sea, should the lug- ger be left to itself. ** Back, devils!” The cry broke in eS thundering accents from the lips of Don Diablo, and his right hand held a pistol, while bis left still firmly grasped the tiller. ; ““No, Don Diablo, we will have you dead or alive,” shouted one of the mutineers, and he sprung upon the chief, But there was a flash and report and the man fell dead in the cockpit. What followed was the work of an instant, for, compelled to release his hold upon the helm, the lugger swept up into the wind with terrific force, and tons of water fell upon her psi carrying one of the mutineers off to t eath. But. the others, shouting to each other to take hemselves upon him with their cutlasses, and a fierce, combat was begun. Tennis swordsman, Don Diablo, who had hastily drawn his blade, parried their attack, and under other circumstances, where he had a firm footing, might have kept his adversaries at bay. But. standing below them in the cockpit, with the lugger riding wildly, and pressed hard by men who also knew how to use a sword, they got under his guard and he was in their grasp. No, not in the grasp of the four, for one lay dead beneath his feet, and another hung back, blinded by a blow across the face. Powerful as he was, Don Diablo felt that he was in the power of his assailants, for a blow had greatly weakened and halft- But no, there suddenly came a sharp report, and one of his adversaries let go his gripe of his throat, staggered back, gras hold of his wounded comrade, and a lurch of the lugger which cart a huge wave on her deck, sent them both to a watery grave, At the same moment another shot was fired, and Don Diablo’s last foe went down in a heap. But on him fell the tall form of the chief, jus as Nita Sabinas sprung.forward, and threw her- self down by hisside. — . ‘No, no, he is not dead! he shall not die, but i for me, for in spite of his crimes I love m. a Such was her cry, and she placed her hand over his heart as she spoke. ‘*He is Teeny. unconscious; stunned hy the last blow saw dealt him; but he shall not She glanced quickly over the sea as she spoke, and saw that the Spanish schooner was creeping upon them. Instantly, a thorough sailor, from her living on the water and being taught by her brother in early childhood, she got the lugger again under way, and os all her strength, held her on her course, while at her feet lay the prostrate form of Don Diablo and the mutineer or. Away flew the vessel once more, and Nita Sabinas muttered ssernly: ‘‘ Better that I run this craft beneath the waters than live tosee him garroted as a pirate.” CHAPTER XI. HO! In the rough waters that the little lugger had to struggle through, the nish schooner stea- dily gained upon her, until the six miles of an hour before were di ished to five. At her feet still lay the form of the man she had told she hated, and yet loved to such a de- gree of intensity that she had come to his aid ne hopeless struggle, and taken life to save Presently a dash of orey in bis upturned face aroused him somewhat, and, after awhile his eyes slowly opened. But they seemed dimmed, and were fixed upon no object, roving listlessly. The Scarlet Schooner. ‘Great God! can the blow have crazed his brain?’ she cried, in tones of commingled an- guish ard terror. He heard her voice, and, with a seeming ef- fort turned his gaze upon her. She smiled and spoke to him in a low, sooth- ing, loving tone, for she dared not leave the helm to approach him. He lay quiet for an instant, seemingly soothed by her tones, for his eyelids again closed over the bedimmed orbs. ‘*Oh, will he die, after all? must I lose him forever? ‘Or will he go mad?” were the questions that sprung to her lips, Again the eyes opened, and much of the dim- ness was gone, and he smiled faintly, while he | passed bis hand across his brow ot: | $he watched him anxiously, and heard his sab Bidet words: “You hate me then, Nita?” ‘No, no, I do not hate you; I love you with all my heart. “Only live and I shall bo happy,” she an- swered, fervently. **T shall not die, sweet one, though you were the kind angel that saved me just now.” He arose to his feet, glanced astern, and then down upon the body of the dead seaman. Without a word he bent over and raising it in his arms cast it into the sea, while in spite of herself Nita Sabinas shuddered at the perfect indifference he showed at death. “We are now captain and crew, Nita, and we must do all we can to escape from yonder Spaniard.” ‘‘He is gaining fast,” replied the maiden, glancing astern. ‘Yes, his large hull helps him in this rough sea; but he shall not e us,” he answered, me ‘* What would you do, Aus— No, no, I can- not call you by that name, for it is not your own,” she said, excitedly. Call me by my own nams then, sweet ‘“‘T know it not.” “it has not been breathed by my lips for long years, and all who know me believe me to be a Mexican; but Iam an American, and long ago, when I knew no crime, when I was as in- nocent of ag ey as you are, my name was Nevil Vane, and I was the last’ of my ‘‘Nevil Vane; what a p RP ENEY, name! oh, that you had never been forced to change it for—” ‘‘Reno Quesala, the Mexicap Corsair, or Don Diablo, the Red Rover,” he said, bitterly. ‘*T will call you Nevil,’ she remarked, quickly, as though tochange the current of his thoughts, and seeing that the schooner was more rapid! gaining as tho waves ran higher, she added: ‘But what are we to do to escape from yonder vessel?” “Tam within a league of the shore, as you see, and will head for it and beach the lugger; cence in the forest we can defy pursuit, for we can seek some hacienda, get horses and go on to the Rea Lagoon, if you cannot walk.” ** How far is it from here?” ‘Three leagues,” “Then hold on as long as you can; but in the mean time I will go into the cabin and prepare what things I can take with me and rouse poor Alena, who seems stupefied with terror.” ° Descending into the cabin of the lugger Nita found her octoroon maid crouching down in the midst of the pile of baggage, wailing and weep- ing in an agony of terror and misery, for Alena was no or, and what with seasickness and fright at the struggle on deck, and the belief that they were in the hands of pirates, she was nearly beside herself. But Nita gtr ge her fears and bads her come on deck and get some fresh air, as a panacea for her seasickness, and, with the light-hearted- ness of her nature, Alena was soon herself once more. With calm face, and watching every motion of his vessel and his pursuers, Don Diablo held on his way until less than a league divided the schooner and the lugger. Then, seeing that to hold on along the coast would result in the overhauling of the lugger before two hours more, his keen eyes glan along the wooded shores for a good place to run in and make a landing, and he said, quietly: ‘* Make a package of such things as you need, Nita, and Alena can carry them, while I wi care for you.” ‘‘Youintend to run ashore then, Nevil?” she d. *“‘ Yes, it is our only chance to escape, for the schooner is coming rapidly after us— Ha! by the saints! we are saved!” His cry turned the eyes of both Nita and the octoroon in the direction of his gaze, and they beheld a large vessel standing out from the land and having come, apparently, out of the very forest, for no inlet was visible. ‘‘It is the lugger of El Saltador, Nita; he has seen our flight, and is coming to our aid,” ‘‘ But can he reach us ere the schooner does?” “Yes, for ponder craft can almost fly,” ‘‘ But the schooner may fire upon a larger ves- sel than this one.” —_——— **Let them do so; Conradocan answer back.” “But the lugger that anchored in the bay was unarmed.” ‘Her guns were in the hold; take my glass and you will see iron fe he oy chained at each port, now,” cried Don Diablo, exultantly, and even then the little lugger seemed to nd more swiftly forward at sight of the vessel com- ing to her aid. CHAPTER XII. WALKING THE PLANK. THAT those on the Spanish schooner recog- nized the large lugger, that had so suddenly stood out from the shore to the aid of Don Di- ablo, was evident from the excitement on board, for, in spite of the fierce wind that was blow- ing, reefs were shaken out of the sails, and her course was so changed as to get into a posi- tion that would have the two vessels between the Spaniard and the land. Unmindful of this maneuver, and, in fact, not apparently minding the presence of the cruiser, onrado Estevan signaled to Don Diablo to run further inshore to get into the lee of the land, where the waters were not so rough, and the two luggers were at once sailing fora given int, the wind on the starboard of one and the rboard of the other. Discovering their intention, the Spanish com- mander at once opened fire upon the larger lug- r, hoping to cripple her, but, seeing that the wo would be alongside of each other within a few moments more, he was urged by Don Isa- doro to fire upon the little craft. ‘‘ Bat, your sister?” said the young Spaniard, with surprise. ‘* Better be killed by your fire, than become what that devil will make her,” was the stern Pespopse, ‘““You mean it, Don Isadoro, that I shall fire on the little lugger?”’ ‘‘[ do; it is the only hope to save her, and death will be a relief to her.” “Forward there, at the guns!” called out the Spanish captain. pag oe ay, sefior,” answered the bow gunners in a breath. ‘*Turn your guns upon the smaller craft; but fire to cripple her sticks, and not her hull!” The order was quickly obeyed, and the third shot brought down the ngger § foremast. A shout went up from the Spanish schooner at their success; but Don Diablo, with a mut- tered oath, sprung to his feet as his crippled vessel broached to, and, drawing Nita toward him, said, calmly: ‘* Have no fear, my brave girl; Conrado will soon reach us,” ‘“‘T do not fear, sefior; but that shot tells me how bitterly my brother feels toward me, for be would rather see me dead than your bride,” she answered, instinctively discerning why the schooner had fired upon them. It was now a critical moment for those on the little lugger, for the waves dashed over her decks, and, alone, Don Diablo was unable to lower her remaining sail, which, as the boom was caught by the wreck of the foremast, ihe to capsize it at any passing gust of wind. The schooner was also coming on at full , and was scarcely two miles away, while the lug- ger was fully half that distance from them. But.calmly Don Diablo and Nita stood await- ing the alternative, while Alena, weeping and ware had thrown herself prostrate upon the eck. A few moments thus sy we away, the schoon- er firing steadily at both luggers, and then the rescuing craft swept around under the stern of the smaller one, the skillful hand of Conrado Estevan laid her alongside, a dozen forms sprung down upon the deck of the crippled po- lacea, and the next instant Nita Sabinas was on the buccaneer. A rags ies ¥ re ber Pag hey ensayo r maid, and the men w er baggage, sho detppoared in the lugger’s cabin, lea on the arm of Don Diablo. ‘*Set that craft on fire, lads, and jump on board, for we must get out of range of yonder Spaniard’s ,’ called out Conrado Estevan from the helm. Quickly his order was obeyed, and the two luggers swung apart, the smaller one on fire, just as Don Diablo came from the cabin. , ‘The seiopita dro this, captain,” and An- ton placed in his hand a crumpled piece of pa- er. = Glancing over it the face of the pirate chief rew black with passion, and his eyes fairly lazed beneath the dark brows as he turned tlem upon Conrado Estevan, as he shouted: ‘*‘Ha! traitor, you shall die for this! forward there, Mendez, Vincente, Gomez!” “« Ay, ay, sefior captain,” cried a trio of voices, and several seamen came aft at a run. ‘*Do you obey me on this deck, devils, or yon- der man?” and he pointed to Conrado Estevan. ‘You, good oe , answered a number of voices, fairly frightened at the livid face and burning eyes of the pirate chief. ; ‘Then rig a plank for a traitor to walk to his death on.” " All looked startled, but those ordered sprung ooo <S (F©@) afl (C (E()