Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 206 — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

=! .roile an | thought—” One Eye, the Cannoneer. ‘* Halt!” was the stern reply. come tbat overme. Halt, or VU make a hole M ” And the governor saw the man level his musket. ‘“‘What do you mean?” he shouted, ‘ Don’t you know me, sirrah?” ‘*Sirrah be blowed,” replied the sentry. ‘‘I knows my orders. Sir ’Udson’s past long ago in bis carriage like a gent. You’re a bloomin’ French spy, you are. ‘Alt, till I call the cor- poral of the guard.” “Call him then, for Heaven’s sake'” cried Sir Hudson, too anxious to appreciate the hu- mor of the position, ‘Ay, ay, Pll call im; but you get down off that ’orse, and be blowed to ye,” was the ma- jestic reply of the sentry, who, like all old sol- diers, aepnly relished the authority conferred on him by his post, And the Governor of St. Helena had to get down off his horse, take a seat on a rock, covered by the sentry’s musket, and wait for the call to go round and summon the corporal, who came up angrily, crying: ‘* What's the row ’ere, in ’Eaven’s name?’ When he approached and recognized the face of Sir Hudson, which be did at once, he could only ejaculate: “Good ’eavens, Sir "Udson, what’s ’appened ?” ‘“ Who fired that gun?” was the only reply of the governor. ‘The escape gun, I mean?” ‘*T dow t know, sir; but the fort’s alarmed and the patrols is out. We thought you’d gone to Longwood, sir.”’ “Why?” ‘* Beg pardon, sir, but warn’t it your hexcel- lency as drived that way ‘arf an hour ago?” Sir Hudson listened, and was more puzzled than ever; but he took his determination ina moment. ‘** There’s a plot on foot, corporal, but I think ‘we’re in time to beat it,” he said. ‘“ Run back to the fort and tell the officer of the day to send me a horse, a cap, a pair of spurs, an dragoons. I’m going to Longwood.” The corporal ran back, and the sentry said, respectfully: *“"Ope you don’t blame me, Sir ’Udson. Did.’t know it was you, sir.” * Blame you? No; youdid right. You say you saw my carriage go by here?’ ‘Yes, sir, and the orderly gave the word all correct, and told meas ’ow Sir ’Udson was a- goin’ to pay a night visit to old Boneyparty, sir. ‘* Did you see any one in the carriage?” “Yes, sir, there was an ossifer, as I took for Captain "Enry Hedgerton of ours, sir, and he looked to me, savin’ your presence, sir, jist as drunk as a lord, page vid as he went by.” ‘You can’t | a dczen | Be pie the station, sir, and they sent it on to the fort to fire the gun.” “You did right, sir.” Jones breathed more freely. The governor frowned thoughtfully and asked after a pause: ‘** When did you last see the general?” ‘At sunset, sir, when he came in from the summer house.” ‘** The summer house?” ‘* Yes, sir. He’d been there all the after- noon?’ ‘* Has that been searched?” Jones started. ‘*No, sir. I thought—” “Go and search it at once. guard. Tllgotoo. Get lights!” Bertrand, who had been listening to the col- loguy, began to feel uneasy. He knew that it was essential the emperor’s mode of escape should be kept secret till the morning if possi- ble; and be bad not had time to leave the house since be smuggled out the emperor. He interposed therefore. ‘‘If I may presume to advise, sare—”’ “You may not!” was the governor’s stern reply. ‘‘Z command this island, sir. Go to your room under close arrest.” Bertrand bowed, and observed sarcastically : ‘‘ When a coward bas power, be is sure to use it like a tyrant.” Sir Hudson took no notice, but went out of the house, ordered up all the guard available, sent an alarm to the 53d, and then proceeded to the summer house. As they came near, they were surprised to hear voices in French, and saw that the little structure had more than one person in it, among whom Sir Hudson, to his intense relief, per. ceived the figure of the emperor mupportes in the arms of a big-bearded man, while Count Montholon and Gavroche were kneeling by his side, The English governor advanced, holding up a Jantern, with two soldiers by bis side with Stay, call the cocked muskets, and, as he did so, heard the emperor utter a faint groan. In another minute the Frenchmen realized _ that they were seen, and Montholon started to Here they heard a clattering of hoofs, and up | rode the squad of dragoons Sir Hudson had sent | for. In feverish haste he buckled on the spurs | brought him, mounted a fresh horse, and dashed | ed on the road to Longwood, only a a half away. off fulls To the sentay who Shallenged him he gave the | ‘word hurriedly, and inquire ‘* Who sent Yor a doctor here? Where is the General Bonaparte?” ‘*Mr. Jones can tell you, sir,” was the reply. **There’s been a regular row round ’ere, sir, | and I don’t know what it’s about.” Sir Hudson rode up to the door of the house, dismounted and rushed in, when the first person he met was Bertrand, to whom he cried: ‘* Where is the prisoner?” ‘*Gone where you'll never find him,” was the other’s scornful reply. ‘‘ His majesty is at sea before this.” CHAPTER XIII. THE ESCAPE FOILED. Sm Hunson deigned no reply to Bertrand. He had had many passages of arms with the ) his feet and faced the governor, demanding fiercely: ‘Wherefore this intrusion?” Sir Hudson smiled sardonically. He felt that he was safe as he replied: “Only a little visit of anxiety. We beard that the general was unwell, and I have sent for a doctor.” ** Well, do you not see he is unwell—no, dy- ing?’ snarled out the bearded man, savagely. **Morbleu, bad it not been for that, you devils of English would never have caught us.” Sir Hudson held up the lantern. ‘*Who are you?’ he demanded, ** Jean Martin, at your service,” was the scorn- fulreply. ‘1 came here to get his majestv out of your clutches, and, but for the hand of God, we should have done it. Do what you please with me. He will never leave St. Helena alive. Where is tbe doctor? You ean see he is needed.” Indeed it was evident the man spoke the truth. The usual pallor of the emperor had increased to a ghastly white, and he was al- _ most insensible, groaning faintly. Sir Hudson turned to Jones. ‘Get a litter and carry in the general,” he said. ‘‘Signal the telegraph station that it is all right. I blame myself for this night.” Then he waited silently, not attempting to interfere with the Frenchman, till Jones came back with two men and a stretcher, on which they laid the senseless form of the emperor. At that moment Napoleon opened his eyes, in a sleepy, bewildered manner, and said, in a low tone: ‘** What is this? Where is Duroc? Have the emperor’s attendants, in all of which he had | enemy moved yet?” been worsted, and he was too anxious to engage in a squabble now. ‘*Mr. Jones! Where's Mr. Jones?” he cried. Up came a young subaltern, pale and anxious | the form of Sir Hudson. looking. “Oh, Sir Hudson, it’s not my fault—” * Silence, sir! We’ve no time to lose. Who sent for that doctor?’ ‘+i aid, ae” ‘* What made you send?” ‘They told me the emp—I mean the general was taken very ill, sir, with cramps, and Doctor Autoumarchi was down at Jamestown, so I ‘“ You did right, sir, Well, what next?’ “ And then | thought to send for Dr. Smiley, of the 53d, sir, and sent off another or- derly after him; but he’d gone too; and at last H I thought I’d go in and see if I couldn’t help ‘myself, sir, And they wouldn’t let me into his room, Well, I knew that wasn’t right. Ger- vaise told me I must insist on seeing him in such a case, so I called out the guard, went in, and he wasn’t there, sir, at all, nor in the house.” ‘“* Well, siz” “Well, sir, I had the grounds searched, and he wasn’t there either.” ‘* And what did you do then?’ ' Jean Martin. | You are out of doors. ‘No, sire,” replied Montholon, soothingly. ‘Your majesty has been ill, that is all.” The emperor looked round till his eyes fell on Then he started vio- lently, and demanded: ‘What means this intrusion? that man enter my apartment?” Sir Hudson bowed sarcastically. “Your illness makes you stupid, general. You have been, it seems, trying to escape, and Heaven has shown you that it is on the side of England all the time,” The emperor listened and passed bis hand across his brow, then looked round till his eyes rested on The sight of that face seemed to recall him to his recollection, and he said to Sir udson: Ne ‘*T trust, monsieur, you will not visit the misfortune Heaven has sent on us upon this brave man, who has nothing to answer for, but fidelity to me.” ‘Of course, general,” was the cold reply, ‘the man will be tried by court martial for bis offense.” ** What offense, monsieur?” ‘* Aiding the escape of a prisoner of war.” ‘* But there is no war, monsieur.” Sir Hudson frowned, How dare — eee 17 **T have no time to discuss the question. He will be tried, and probably shot.” The emperor turned his head to Martin. ‘In that case, my friend,” he said, quietly, “it is time youescaped. Go at once.” ** Arrest him,” cried Sir Hudson; but the one- eyed giant was too quick. The words were bardly cut of the mouth of Napoleon, when Jean Martin made a grab for the soldier next to him, taking him by surprise, and knocking his head against that of his next comrade with such force that both men reeled and fell senseless, In another moment he was into the bushes at the edge of the cliff, and had vanished with a taunting laugh, which they heard repeated a little later far below. And before they could recover from the sur- prise in which they were, Count’ Montbolon darted into the shrubbery, tore up something from the ground and threw it over the rocks, crying: The ladder!” ‘** Take care. Then be and Gavroche burst out into a scorn- ful laugh at the angry amazement of the Eng- lishman, who realized bow the daring escape had been effected. Sir Hudson was too cool to let any one know how mortified he was; but when they were all back in the house he set a double guard over Longwood, and spent the rest of the night in investigations which he pursued next day, suc- ceeding in discovering the following facts: The champagne at Delmont’s banquet was all drugged, and the cigarettes and cigars of- fered to the guests had been heavily loaded with opium, Captain Egerton, in a half drunken state, had left the banquet with Marquis Delmont, and bad given orders to Sir Hudson’s escort to take the visitor to Longwood and thence out to Diana’s Peak, where the carriage was found, next morning, the coackman stating he been instructed to wait there till Captain Eger- ton and the Marquis came back from a walk. They never came back; but Captain Egerton was found among the rocks, a little way from the road, tied hand and foot, and gagged with a dagger. He bad a confused recollection of getting a blow on the head in the dark, but who bound bim hecould not tell. How he came to give the orders to the coachman he was equally unable to explain. . He dimly remembered that the marquis coaxed him to do it for a joke, and that was all. But what had become of the marquis and the felucca no one could tell. The Penelope bad put to sea as soon as the night fog cleared away, and bad scoured the sea round the island, with ber consort, the Arethusa, but what had become of the yacht was a mystery that no one could explain till the Indiaman Bombay Castle came into Jamestown one day, and her captain paid a visit to Sir Hud- son Lowe, tv whom be said be had news to report. Sir Hudson, always on the alert, sent word that he would see Captain Harwood, who soon came in, a plain sailor-like man, and told his story. It seemed that the Bombay Castle bad fallen in with the gorgeous felucca that had excited sc much attention at St. Helena, and that the Mexican had given Harwood a letter to deliver toSir Hudson Lowe, claiming the governor as an old friend, and another to Captain Henry Egerton of the 53d regiment. Sir Hudson opened bis own letter, and found in it these words in French: “ Srr—But for the unfortunate illness of his ma- - jesty, the Emperor of the French, at the moment when his escape was assured, he would have been in safety ere this. Being apprehensive that you. in true English spirit,will take advantage of this acci- dent to heap insults on the emperor and further cur- tail his few privileges, I hereby warn you, Sir Hud- son Lowe, that if His Majesty die in your hands and I find that you have not treated him in a manner be- fitting his rank, after the date of this letter. I shall hold you responsible and punish you for it whenever we meet, in the same manner as I have sworn to unish the villain Wright, who commands the Pene- ope. Be warned, In a week from the time this letter reaches you, I shall appear before St. Helena and demand an answer. * ALBERT DELMONT, * Chief of the League of Liberty.” Sir Hudson laughed scornfully and tossed the paper on the floor. ‘The man isa braggart,” he said. ‘I shall not notice his letter, save to watcb for him when he comes. Wright will catch him. Let me see the other letter to Egerton.” ‘But it’s not for you, Sir Hudson,” the old sailor objected bluffly. *‘ Never mind, sir. I command here and I am responsible for the safety of the prisoner. This scoundrel may be trying to tamper with my officers.” ‘Tn that case certainly, Sir Hudson.” And the letter was delivered. It was written in English, every word spelled correctly, asif copied from a book. “My Dear CaprTarn Ecerton: ‘I thank you for your politeness teme. 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