Beadle's Dime Library, No. 198 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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ee The Skeleton Schooner. or any one to see her, I will sell you both to the Cuban slave traders.” This threat was sufficient to cause both Nance and Phcebe to start, for slavery in Cuba was a tenfold worse lot than slavery in America, and the old woman cried: ‘Oh, Mars’ Parsy, P’ll mind mistis, sah, day an’ night, fore God I will.” ‘‘ And I too, Mars’ Percy, won’t let my eyes off of mistis, sah,” said Phoebe. ‘See that you keep your word then,” and the youta turned away, followed by Uncle Toby. Dismissing the coachman of the carriage that had brought them home, after a generous re- compense, Percy Wyndham told Uncle Toby what had occurred at the court, and have him explain to Phoebe that his mother must be considered as out of her mind until such time as he thought necessary to make known to her ee emmmen ee her son’s name, all claims to the inheritance, and still keep the secret; but then she deter mined to confess all, and this she did, to her husband, who, though shocked, readily for- gave her, and allowed the Mexican attorney to depart with no idea that he had just dis- covered that his wife had before been married, as she had supposed. But he swore to ayenge the wrongs sbe had suffered from Mark Mortimer, and, as_ the reader bits seen, sent old Toby the following day to ask an interview with the master of The Everglades. Believing that Toby had told him the truth, | he had set sail for New Orleans, little dreaming that his wife was determined to herself avenge the wrong, and not allow bim to. risk ‘his life against one who was wholly cruel to man and woman, and as merciless as be was cruel. Having gained an offing, Captain Wyndham his motives for taking upon himself the blame 'headed his yacht for New Orleans, and sat of her act. brooding over the past, and treasuring up with ‘At present, Uncle Toby, she cannot ap- | real joy the revenge he would bring upon the preciate that I did it to save her from the dis- bonor it would cast upon her, for she is too nervous and ill to think. ‘‘ But soon she will understand that it is best for the affair to rest. upon my shoulders, and then I hope all will come well.” Leaving the old negro on guard as before, at the front door, with orders to admit no one, the thoroughly unhappy youth sought his own room and paced the floor in bitter meditation. ‘Oh God! what a blow is this to fall upon us,” he cried. * Life, only a day ago seemed full of bappi- ness, and now it is over-burdened with gloom, ‘‘There is some dark mystery in the past yet to be cleared up, and my father must tell me all, for I would know why my mother sought the life of Major Mortimer. ‘“‘Tf Caleb had good winds, he reached the city this morning, aod to-morrow my father will return, and he will learn the fearful truth that J did not kill Major Mortimer. ‘Ah me! the whole horizon now seems black with clouds to me, when but yesterday all was so bright,” and seating himself at the window Percy Wyndham gazed out upon the lake, whose waves were rippled by a light breeze that fanned, yet did not cool his burn- ing brow, for bitter remorse began to enter his soul at the manner in which he had treated his mother, though it was to shield her from the world as a murderess. ‘¢T have acted for the best; but good God! what if she go really mad, and become a maniac?” The thought was so horrible to contemplate, that, stung with remorse, he buried his face in his hands to shut out the picture his imagina- tion had drawn and groaned in agony of spirit. CHAPTER XVI. THE TWO YACHTS. I WILL now return to the yacht, whose run- ning out to the Gulf had attracted the atten- tion of Major Mark Mortimer, who had recog- nized in it the form of his old-time friend and later enemy, Captain Percy Wyndham, who had, to punish him for his faithless conduct, called him out, and given him a wound which had so nearly proven fatal to him. Little dreaming that the man he was going to seek, to a second time demand a meeting upon the field of honor, was then gazing calm. ly at him from the forest clad shore, Captain Wyndham held on his way, bis band on the carved tiller of the swift sailing yacht, while his crew, of two negroes, lay forward balf asleep. A man of superb physical proportions, Cap- tain Percy Wyndham also possessed a face that was full of nobleness, though now it was dark and stern, for only the night before had he heard the dread secret which his lovely wife had so long kept from him. The Mexican attorney having arrived at Lakelands when its master was away wlth bis son, had seen Mrs. Wyndham, and then she knew that no longer could the secret be kept, for affairs in Mexico had undergone a change, and properties that would come to her son when he became of age, were left for her sig- nature under ber former married name, that of Nina Mortimer, as the rela‘ive leaving the property had left it to her child, and he knew her then as Mrs. Mortimer, and having lived since in South America, had held no commu- nication with his kindred, and was not aware of what changes had taken place. Mrs. Wyndham was tempted to give up, in man whom he had found so utterly false. In the long ago, when Mark Mortimer and Percy Wyndham were boys, they had loved each other as brothers, and the affection in- creased with their years, until there came be- tween them the fair face of. Belle Linton, Then the serpent in the nature of Mark Mortimer had shown itself, and by falsehood he had won. from Percy Wyndham tlhe one being of his love. To his credit be it said, however, for he was no coward, he had faced the cons+quences boldly, and nearly lost his life in his duel with his former friend. | Then, though little dreaming it, when he won and pretended to wed the Mexican beauty, Nina Valjos, he had again struck, at the heart and honor of that friend, but only discovered it when, after years of absence, Captain Wyndham had returned to Lakelands with his wife, the very woman he had s0 wronged. ) , All these things did Captain Wyndham brood over as his fleet craft sped along, and it was no wonder that he clinched the tiller bard and muttered: ‘There can only be rest for me, and mine, ay, and honor, when Mark Mortimer is in his grave. : 1 “Then that secret will be forever, buried, and he being dead, Nina is truly my wife.” A perfect seaman, Captain Wyndham. me- chanically sailed his little yacht, it seemed, for his thoughts were too bitter and gloomy to allow him to think of his work. But he took advantage of every fresh puff, kept his bow well pointed and seemed to sail by instinct rather tban habit, ‘*There’s a sail away in-shore, Dot; can you make her out?’ suddenly asked Captain Wynd- ham of one of his negro crew. ** Don’t see her, massa.” “T doesn’t nuther,” were the replies of the ebony sailors, whose eyes did not seem to be as good as were their master’s. ‘* There, right in the shadow of that head- land, I see a sail.” ‘“ Thar’s suthin’ thar, that’s sartin,” said Dot, straining his eyes to their utmost. ‘Yes, an’ it hain’t a wery nice place ter meet comp’ny, master, they does say,” answered Philip, the second negro. “Why not, Phil?’ ‘They do say thet thar is pirates in them waters, sab.” “Well, we are not game enough for bucca- neers, SO we are safe.” ‘*Don’t know, master, fer pirates is awful critters, an’ folks does say as how they shows no mercy ter man or woman, white or black,” said Dot, who, with all the other negroes along the coast, bad a boly horror of the buccaneers of the Gulf, who were then doing considerable damage to the merchant craft trading on the southern coast and at South American ports. Captain Wyndham made no reply, but held on his course unswervingly. He knew the shores well, and but a couple of leagues from land, he felt his ability to seek a refuge should any vessel of a suspicious char. acter come near, His yacht, the Glide, was most appropriate- ly named, for it seemed to glide through the waters at a pace one would not expect obtain- able from the light breeze then blowing. It was a pretty craft of fifteen tons, with a small cabin, handsomely fitted up, and large enough for four persons, and a thoroughly sea- worthy boat. Captain Wyndham had often used her as @ conveyance to and from New Or- leans, or rather to a point on the lake a few miles from the Crescent City. As the negroes seemed worked up by their fears of pirates, who years before had had their haunts upon the very point of land under which their master had seen the sail, they kept a bright lookout, and it was not long before they also discovered the white canvas of a small craft, relieved against the dark-green background of foliage. ** Massa, that am a sail, sah,” said Dot. ‘So I knew, Dot, half an hour ago.” “Yer is right, sab, it am a sail,’ put in Phil. : ‘“‘ Well, do you make her out, boys?” ‘Not adzactly, sab. “She am a sloop an’ carries a heap o’ can- vas, while she goes along pretty sweet-like, consid’rin’ ther breeze are off-shore an’ she don’t git ther full of it.” ‘So I think, Dot,” and. Captain Wyndham called for bis glass and levéled it at the distant sail, | ' ; “Tt is a yacht.” ‘*'Yes, massa.” “A trifle larger than this craft, and I see. five persons on board.” : ** Does you know her, sah?’ ‘No, she is a stranger.” “Massa, / knows that craft, ‘sah!” suddenly broke in Phil, who had been making a telescope of his fists. “What is it, Phil?” “Yer bas heerd o’ ther smuggler yacht Jack-o'-lantern, sah /” , “Yes, and would give much to capture it, for it dodges all the Government cruisers sent after it on this coast.” “So it do, sah; but thet are ther same craft, sab,” — : “'The Jack-o’-lantern, Phil?’ | “Yes, sah.” — “Are you sure?” “Y is, massa.’ ~ | ‘How do you know, Phil?” “Yer see, sah, I were cook on ther cutter afore you comed back to the plantation, and we chased that craft often, I’kin tell you, sah. “T knows him by ther swallow-tail stern, ther long bow-sprit, raking mast and how low ther bull lies in ther water. ‘““'That’s the craft, sah.” . ‘Well, Phil, it seems to be bound the same way that we are, and if be can outsail the Glide I will be deceived, while, if I see no more men on board than the five now visible, ‘I shall try to carry him, for it will be a feather in our cap to capture the smuggler craft,” and Captain Wyndham seemed almost to forget his brooding in the enthusiasm of the gallant sailor that came over him. ‘We'll get a bullet in our head,” muttered Phil, while Dot said, dolefully, yet too low for his master to hear: . *“*T doesn’t want no feather in my cap.” It was evident that the crew of the Glide felt sorry that they had spoken of the smuggler, and were not anxious to risk life and limb in her capture, CHAPTER XVIL A MYSTERIOUS CRAFT. TRE Glide still held on her course, and as it was evident that she was gaining upon the strange craft, Captain Wyndham ordered all the sail set that could draw, and she began at once to creep up rapidly. The stranger seeing this, and also from the setting of extra canvas that it was evidently the intention of the Glide to get to closer quar- ters, also spread more sail, and seemed inclined to avoid her. The wind, however, was off-shore; and the heavy forest of pines and rocks kept the breeze out of her sails, so that the Glide rapidly gained. For a moment the conduct of the sailing- master of the strange craft seemed vacillating, for he went about, as though to sail back over his own course, and then once more headed to the westward ere he had gone a cable’s length. Then he stood further off-shore, as though to get better wind, and the Glide still gaining, he put in shore, and held this course for some minutes, when he once more kept to his old course. “That fellow manuevers most strangely, Dot, whatever he may be,” said Captain Wyndham, struck with the strange tactics of the stranger. ‘She do, sah, fer a fact.” (ECON NMC OOK e) cS (E (0)