Beadle's Dime Library, No. 198 — page 16: what you’re looking at

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

16 The Skeleton Schooner. who held Mabel Mortimer in his arms, laid her in the bow while he turned and fired upon the daring youth. The bullet was well aimed, for it cut a gash ‘over his temple, causing the blood to flow freely, and the wounded youth to sway, as though about to fail, for the shock balf stunned him. But, recovering himself quickly, with a sav- age cry he sprung upon his foe and the two clutched in a deadly embrace, The combat at once overturned the boat, and Perey Wyndham with a cry of horror, saw the bound form of the conscious maiden sink beneath the dark waters, her eyes fixed appealingly upon bim. | | one of her kidnappers, and that it not only did not deter him from pressing on, but that his aim was most deadly even with the arm that had received the wound. The crashing blow with the clubbed oar she had also witnessed, and then she had been rudely dropped by her kidnapper who found it necessary to defend himself. Even in that moment of awful horror and suspense, Mabel Mortimer saw that Percy Wyndham regarded not his second wound, although she saw tbe cruel gash cut by the bullet, and that he strove hard to prevent his antagonist from upsetting the boat. But this was impossible, and the three went down together, the maiden confident that she With the onergy of despair he exerted his | was going to her death, for what power could strength, which had ever been great, in spite of his slender, elegant form, and grasped his adversary by the throat with a gripe that | seemed to make the bones crack. ; Savagely, as the two went beneath the wa- ters they fought, and the foaming and boiling caldron above them, showed how terrific was the struggle, and that it wasa battle of giants. But Percy Wyndham knew that not only his life, but that of Mabel Wyndbam depended upon him now, and he threw every effort forth to crush the throat of his antagonist be- neath his iron gripe. He felt the blows, the gripes of his foe, yet minded them not, and in less than a quarter of a minute, although it seemed ages to him, he knew that be bad conquered. No sooner had the gripe of his foe relaxed, than he dashed him from him, and arose to the surface, pushing bim further down into the depths with his feet as he did so. Once upon the top of the waters, and a breath of air revived him, and eagerly he looked around for the form he had seen go down into the dark depths, bound securely. It was nowhere visible, and he quickly scrambled upon the shore, and when the ripple made by his body, had died away, gazed down into the deep stream. At first all seemed darkness, but then his | eyes detected far below him, a white object, and head-first he plunged into the waters, and dove down, down, down, It seemed to him that the white form re- ceded from him as he approached it; and he shouted to it, in his wild energy to stay, al- though the waters rushed into his throat and nearly strangled bim. But at last he clutched the white dress, drew the slender form toward him, and then rose upward from the bottom. Then it seemed as though he would never rise, but that he was doomed to go upward, upward forever, with that fair form clutched tightly in his arms. But at last he reached the surface, and a few vigorous strokes brought him to the bank. Wounded, worn out, suffering, he staggered up the bank, bearing bis precious load and then, tottering, fell utterly prostrated and un- conscious. CHAPTER XXX. A FIENDISH THREAT. WHEN Mabel Mortimer bad been seized, at the grave of her father, she had uttered a cry that had quickly been stifled. Then she was securely and swiftly bound, her arms to her side, and enveloped in the large cloak, which one of her kidnappers had carried from the boat. Who were her enemies she had no means of knowing, for she had never seen them before; but she was a brave girl, and never for an in- stant lost her presence of mind. She remembered having seen her brother and Mr. Frank Forrester, reclining in the ham- mocks, in the shaded grounds nearest the bury- ing-ground, and to the former she had given one cry for help. Then she beheld the boat and its single occu- pant coming to her aid. She had seen Perey Wyndham often, when he little knew what lovely eyes were upon bim, as he sailed, or rowed about the waters, and, although she had taken her observations wholly ee a spy-glass, she knew his form and face well, Thus it was she saw who it was that was coming to her aid, although she knew how little cause he bad for doing so, or rescuing one of her name. Somehow she felt that he would save her, and at once she watched all that occurred. She saw that he was wounded by the shot of | | save her now. Her kidnapper was a large, heavy man, her rescuer slender and youthful, and she believed there was no hope, and gave herself up for lost. Mabel was an expert swimmer, arid a good diver, having remained under water many a time until she alarmed those who saw her, but bound as she was, and hampered by ber cloth- ing, she could do nothing, though she did not lose consciousness, and felt herself seized and carried upward trom the deep captps where she bad sunk, But was it her rescuer, or her kidnapper? It was a fearful moment of suspense, and then, just as she felt consciousness must leave ber she reached the surface, the air gave her strength, and she saw that it was Percy Wynd- ham that had saved her. | He fell, with her in his arms, and her long hair twisted about bim and across his face. At first she was powerless to move, but then she glanced up, and a glad cry came to her lips as she saw a well-known form approaching. It was her brother. **Good God! Mabel, what has happened?” He looked pale and anxious, and as ber bair and mantilla—for the cloak had fallen off—yet hid the face of Perey Wyndham, he knew not who it was. ‘Oh, brother! thank God you have come!” she cried. ‘*‘ But, in Heaven’s name! what has happened, Mabel?” ‘* Release me from these bonds, brother, and _ I will tell you, for you must see that I am tied bands and feet.” He quickly bent over and. severed the bonds and aided her to her feet, and then he beheld the form and face of her rescuer, and turned deadly pale, The blood was oozing from the gash in the forehead of Percy Wyndbam, and his coat, having been torn in bis struggle with the kid- napper, a rent in the sleeve showed that bis shirt was saturated with the same crimson cur- rent of Jife. Like a madman did Mark Mortimer gaze upon his foe, and once more he asked the ques- tion, and in deep, husky tones: *‘ What dces this mean, Mabel Mortimer?” She was angered by his tone and manner, and replied, somewhat coldly: *‘ It means, Mark, that I was seized at the grave of our father, as I was placing flowers upon it, by two men, who bound me and threw a cloak about me. “They carried me to their boat, in which was a third person, and [ would have been borne off, taken, God only knows where and for what purpose, had not that gentleman, Mr. Percy Wyndham, come to my rescue. ‘‘He was wounded, but killed one of the men with his pistol, knocked another down with his oar, and though a second time shot, as you see, he grappled with my assailant, the boat was nearly upset, and I rolled into the water with them, ‘‘Mr. Wyndham was victor in the death- struggle, and then dove down and brought me up from the bottom, where I lay, and then be- came unconscious from loss of blood and utter prostration, I think it must be. “The boat, half full of water, floats there, as you see, with two of the wretches in it, and I am saved through the courage of one at whose hands we had no right to expect it, and it is but right that we should do what we can now for this brave young man, and forget that he is a foe.” ** Never!” He almost sbrieked the word, and then add- ed,. savagely: ‘* What was he doing on the water when an hour ago bis father was buried?’ “That I know not.” ts sls» eee e>-~-et “Strange, for Forrester went to the grave to meet him there, and the boy turns up, and my friend is not to be seen,” said Mark Morti- mer, as though speaking aloud his thoughts. ** You seem more interested in trying to ac- count for the presence here of Mr. Wyndham, Mark, than you do in endeavoring to restore him, or in the safety of your sister.” “T am horrified at this occurrence, Mabel, and for all on earth, if I possessed it, I would not have you saved by this man.” “‘Ah! you would rather have had me stolen, or even die?’ ‘Frankly, yes, for I expected to face this man in the duello some day, but after this I would not dare call him out, or accept a challenge from him.” ‘God grant no more blood be shed, Mark. ‘Percy Wyndham killed our father in a duel, and it is said from just cause, and then wouvded poor Duke who sought to avenge him. ‘Now you have slain Ais father, and for the love of Heaven let this vendetta end there.” ‘‘ By Heaven, but it shall end!” “‘What mean you, Mark?” she asked, fright- ened by bis strange manner and look. *‘Tbat man shall never return to conscious- ness,” was the diabolical threat. CHAPTER XXXI, A GIRL AT BAY. ““MARK MORTIMER, I am ashamed of you.” Mabel spoke with the utmost scorn in her tone and look, ‘‘And I am ashamed of you, Mabel Morti- mer, for allowing your life to be saved by that accursed being whose hand is red with the blood of our father.” “Ay, and who saved the life of one whose brother’s hand is stained with the blood of his father.” Mark Mortimer winced under this shot, and then looked upon his sister with intense sur- prise. Her nature had been ever so dovelike, he was amazed now to see the talons beneath the feathers. But he seemed determined to carry out his fiendish purpose, and stooped over to raise the prostrate and unconscious form in his arms. As he did so, a pistol fell from his breast pocket upop the ground, and with a quick movement Mabel stooped and seized it, ‘Oh, don’t fear, sis,” he sneered, ‘‘ I do not intend to shoot him.” “What is your intention then?’ she asked, firmly. ‘“Well, you see, three men went to kid- nap you, when Percy Wyndham, forgetting the vendetta between our families, nobly weat to your rescue, shot one of the kidnappers, smashed in the skull of another, and saved you from the third by jumping overboard with him, but lost his life in so doing.” ‘* But he is not dead, yet I fear he will die, if you do not stanch that bleedirg from his wounds, brother.” ‘*Oh, yes,” he continued, with a fiendish sneer, ‘‘he is dead, for he died in trying to save ycu, just as J, alarmed by the firing came upon the scene. “See, I will prove my words,” and he raised the form of Percy Wyndham in bis strong arms, for Mark Mortimer was an athlete. ‘“What would you do, brother?’ asked Mabel, hoarsely. “Just end bis career by letting him drop into the lagoon.” ‘“You would drown him?” ‘‘No; he will drown himself, you know, sis- ter mine, and of course / am not to blame for that.” ‘‘Good motber! is this my brother, Mark Mortimer, who speaks these words?’ cried the girl in a terror. ‘‘Tt certainly is, sis, ‘Preservation of self is nature’s first law, and I intend to end this vendetta right here, and live in peace. ‘‘ Now let me pass, for this fellow outweighs his looks fifty pounds.” The young girl hesitated, but only for an in- stant, and then her face became livid, and drawing berself up to ber full hight, she said, in a voice painfully distinct and threatening: “ Mark Mortimer, that man took my father’s life, and you balanced the debt by killing his father; but be saved mine, at the risk of bis own and against fearful odds, and I swear to you, brothor though you be of mine, before IOO €om ‘ (E ‘S co