Beadle's Dime Library, No. 198 — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

= ~ ea ee a a __-— ‘‘She looked anxious, and fatigued, and I heard ber voice and your sister’s conversing earnestly together for a long time after.” “This is strange.” ‘‘ But the strangest part is yet to tell.” ‘Ab yes, you sent your mau to watch her?” “J did, and to-day the boat was found adrift near the beach, in it was a broken oar and signs of an evident struggle, but the man was nowhere to be found.” ‘‘-You surprise me, Forrester.” ‘‘] was surprised myself, for Brace was a man few could handle.” ‘‘] will call Fidele at once and whip the truth out of her.” ‘You will do no such thing, for that would spoil all, and besides the girl belongs to your sister and not to you.” ‘* W bat shall [ do then?’ ‘““ Watch and wait, andsee what else we can discover,” “This you tell me, Forrester, gives me but further cause for trouble instead of freeing my mind from worry.” “Ab yes, you are financially embarrassed, I believe you said.” “You know it.” ‘* Name the sum.” “Forty thousand dollars will clear me,” ‘That much?” ‘Well, within a few thousand of it.” ‘What do you consider your sister’s inheri- tance worth?” ‘Two hundred thousand, and over.” ‘“‘She can get this by marrying only with your consent?” sé Yes.” “Then sign a contract giving her to me as my wife, and I will hand you fifty thousand in gold, when I have the paper in my hand.” Mark Mortimer sprung to his feet, crying: ‘‘ Good God! do you mean this?” “‘T do, for I love the young lady devotedly, ‘and that is saying a great deal for me.” “ But she does not love you,” “Never mind, I'll look after that myself, if you sign the paper.” ‘Fifty thousand you said?” se Yes. ” ‘Payable at what time?” “ To night.” ‘Tt is a compact, draw up the paper.”’ It was done, signed, and the notes paid over then and there. CHAPTER XXXIX, THE PIRATE, TRE man whom Percy Wyndham had made prisoner, the night of the chase after Fidele, was considerably alarmed at the predicament in which he found himself, and when Uncle Toby visited him the following morning with a substantial breakfast, he felt in no humor to talk. “Say, old man, what am I held for?” he asked. “ T reckon you know better than I do,” was Uncle Toby’s cautious reply. ‘*T did nothing.” ‘‘ Master seems to think different.” ‘‘ Well, I guess you’d like to make a neat lit- tle sum of money?” “No, for Ihas allI want for me and the old woman, and my gal Phoebe hain’t going to suffer any.” _ . Bat say you could get a hundred dollars a2 ard gold, would you take it?” | Or doing what, sah?” i _— Hye. that door unlocked to-night.” No, sab, hard gold, or soft gold, c’u’dn’t tempt me to deceive my master.” “Why, man, I might give you enouzgh to buy your freedom.” ‘‘T don’t want my freedom, sah, “T have all | want, and my master and mis- tis are always good to me, ‘No, sah, you is talking foolish, and your words are but idle wind to old Toby,» ‘¢ Well, tell your master I wish to see him, and Ill see what I can do with him,” “T guess it’s what he'll do with you,” gaia Uncle Toby, as be took bis departure. At dinner-time be told the prisoner that his master would see him that night, and not be- fore. And after dark a little while Percy Wynd- ham went to the lock-up. 2 : ‘Well, sir, you wanted to see met he said, sternly, . ‘Yes, I wanted to know what you intended doing with me?” The Skeleton Schooner. “T have not made up my mind whether I shall hang or shoot you,” was the stern reply. The man started, for he did not know bow near in earnest Percy Wyndham might be. ‘‘How have I wronged you, messmate?”’ he asked. ‘““You played the spy on the actions of a_ girl, and threatened her life and attempted mine, and it depends upon you, whether I turn you over to the law to deal with, or you go free.” ? ‘¢That is what I sent for you for, sir,” said | the man, politely. ‘‘ Ah! you have terms to offer?’ ‘“T have.” ‘¢ Well, what are they?” “Té the information I give you is worth it | you will release me?” | se Yes.” “‘ And give me a thousand in gold?’ ‘You value your information most highly.” ‘“T know what it is worth.” “Well, tell me what you have tosay, and I will give you your terms, if I consider your | information worth them.,’’ ‘Have you ever heard of the Skeleton | Schooner?” ‘‘ Ha! what know you of that pirate craft?’ cried Percy. quickly. ‘Remember, [ am to.go free?’ | ae Yes. ”? “Well, Schooner.” ‘* This is indeed news.” ‘‘ Worth my freedom and the thousand, eh, messmate ?” ** That depends upon what elise you know.” ‘‘Ask your questions, sir, and I'll answer them.” ‘Tell me all you know of the Skeleton Schooner?” ‘She is a pirate.” “That the world knows.” ‘She is as fleet as any keel afloat.” ‘So it is said.” ‘‘ She carries a full complement of guns.” ‘‘She must, to have beaten off the vessels of war she has.” “ And a large crew.” ‘ Evidently.” ‘‘ Her captain is a perfect sailor.” ‘*No one doubts that.” “ And has the courage of a lion.” ‘‘ Yes, that is admitted, pirate through he be.” “They say he is awful rich.” “ He has stolen enough to be, and killed men enough to float his vessel in their blood.” ‘‘- Yes, messmate, he is a terrible man, has a terrible vessel, and a crew that obey his every look.” ‘* All this you know?” ae ‘‘ Are you a pirate?” ce ] am.” “Then I am more than happy in securing you,” ‘‘ Yes, but you will release me.” ‘*T think not.” “Tf you do, and give me the one thou- sand I ask for, I will sell you the Skeleton Schooner.” ‘* Sell her to me?” ‘Yes, [ will betray her.” “Do this, and you are a free man,” eagerly said Percy Wyndham. ‘‘T will do it, and now I tell you the Skeleton Schooner is not five leagues from here,” ‘‘ Where is she?” ‘‘Repairing damages in a lagoon.” ‘“ How long has she been there?” ‘Two days.” ‘‘ How long will she remain?’ “ A week, or more,” ‘‘ Will you take me to where I can see her?’ “e Yes. ?? “ When?” “ To-night.” ‘* How shall we go?’ “Run along the coast in one of your sail- boats, carry a pirogue along with paddles, and I will pilot you through the lagoons to where you cau see her for yourself, and then all you | have to do is to raise a crew to take her | where she lies, as soon as you can get the men together. | ‘1 will go with you, captain, but I’m to be | nown as an honest man, you know.” | “Tl protect you; but as 1 go with you to- night alone, I shall handcuff and gag you, to be on the safe side,” ‘‘ As you please, captain, for I don’t wonder ——— I kuow all about the Skeleton | a eee eee ee ei a mmm 21 you doubt me; but I’m honest in giving up pirating, now I have about money enough saved to keep me honest on shore.” ‘* Well, we will lose no time, soI will iron you now, and gag you only when we reach the lagoon, where you say the Skeleton Schooner lies.” ‘Here are my bands, captain,” and the man held them crossed before bim for the irons, CHAPTER XL, THE PIRATE’S FATE, Percy WYNDHAM turned to take a pair of handcuffs from a nailon the wall, and, as he did so he received a stunning blow on the head _ that felled him to the brick flooring of the lock-up. ; And then, over his prostrate form, waving | the iron bandcuffs, which he had before secured for his murderous acts the self-confess-d pirate bounded, and fled away like the wind. But almost instantly Perey Wyndham arose to his feet, siightly dazed by the blow, but which had been, broken by his felt hat and a large silk handkerchief which he had in it. Passing his hand over his brows, to collect his scattered senses, he. then sprung quickly across the room to another door, which he un- locked with a.key taken from his pocket, and threw open. , A loud yelping greeted him, and the dim light of the lamp showed two enormous blood- hounds* chained to the wall. Without hesitation he stepped up to them, striking them sharply and commanding stern- ly: “Down, Death! Be quiet, Devil!” In an instant, he unfastened their chains, and leading them by their collars to the prison- room, he gave them the scent of the fugitive, and with threatening yelps they bounded away and disappeared in the darkness, while Percy Wyndham, as he followed them, said grimly: ‘‘ With Death and the Devil after him, he is doomed !” Down to the beach with tbe speed of a deer the man sped along, and reaching it, stopped to look for a boat. ; But seeing none there, and believing that he bad killed Percy Wyndham, as had been his intention, he struck off for the pier of Lake- i lands, knowing well that he would find there a boat which would carry him out to the yacht, and once on its deck he considered himself safe. But as be turned to go tothe pier he descried two dark objects coming toward him with the speed of the wind. A glance told him what they were, for they came on silently, as a bloodhound runs on a trail. The sight filled him with horror, and he was almost paralyzed with fright. To reach the pier would be impossible he knew, for they would catch him before he had gotten half-way to it. His ovly course was to take to the water, and he rushed into it, fell, struggled to his feet aud ran on, hoping to gain deep water, for the shore slopei out gradually. But his pursuers were upon his trail, and just as he held bope that a few more steps would carry bim into deep water, he stumbled and fell, and ere he could rise the bloodhoun were upon him. There was one long cry, savage growls, and the work of death went on to the end. A moment after, Percy Wyndham appeared upon the scene; but he was too late to do more than call the hounds off from tke mangled body and set it adrift to go out with the tide. CHAPTER XLI. THE MASKED MAN CALLS AGAIN UPON JUAN GITO. JUAN GITO was cleaning his boats one fine morning, after a blow had passed over during tbe night, when he descried a bout approach- ing. A glance was sufficient to show him that it was the disguised boat and its masked occu- pant. He pulled inshore and sprung out near where the fisherman stood. ‘‘ Well, senor, you have come to redeem your diamond ring, I suppose,” said Juan Gito. * At that early day bloodhounds were frequently found upon the plantations; but public opinion put down the use of them as barbarous, and it was a rare thing to find one during the later days of slavery on any Southern place, though they are still used in Cuba. >> GCOmtcnoeo <S= GO