Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 206 — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

EEE Eo 7 to dinner on the yacht when I come next week. ek. | the group in the summer house, continued to shall signal you by a tricolor. If you have mind | stand off and on, in the same leisurely manner, till the brigs were almost within gun-shot, when © Atpent Detworr.” she spread another sail and moved off toward ~ ah | | the epen ocean, as if to taunt her adversaries What does he mean by that*” mused the | with the sight of the flag flying at her peak. governor. ‘“‘ There is something more than | and she laid her course so as to cross that of bravado in that, So he intends to hoist the | the Penelope, as if she wished to get all three tricolor.”’ | «+s... 4 | of her foes together. “ But it is not recognized as a flag,” objected |“ « Strange,” observed Bertrand to bis master Captain Harwood, scandalized. “that such a small vessel should stand toward ‘itis a pirate’s flag,” answered Sir Hudson | that frigate. It looks asif the man were bent spitefully; “and the man who dares to fly it | on self destruction. If he once gets within gun- within sight cf this island witl meet a pirate’s | chot of the large vessel, she will sink him with fate.” Bey ties! 2 ‘Serve him right,” quoth the honest Briton. & single broadside. “Tf ld known what was in those letters, Sir Hudson, I'd have cut off my hand before I'd bave taken them, and [’'m only sorry 1 didn’t blow the rascal out of the water as it was.” ** Was his felucca armed?’ asked the governor interrupting. ‘*Not that I saw, Sir Hudson, but there’s no telling; there’s so many Yankee inventions about nowadays. Between you and me, Sir Hudson, I’ve always thought we was very fool- ish not to lick those Yankees well while we were at it. They’ll trouble us yet, some day.” ‘“* You’re quite right, captain. If there’s any- thing I hate worse than I do a Frenchman it is a Yankee.” you notice, Bertrand, from this elevated spot, ‘‘ And that’s well said,” answered the captain | how one appreciates the roundness of the earth? of the Bombay Castle as he took his leave, to /1 can fancy I almost see the curve of the tell his first mate that Sir Hudson wasa very | ocean pleasant person indeed,” Bertrand made an impatient movement. “Tecan only think of the peril of our poor friend, sire.” ‘*You are wrong, count. nature are always to be admired. beside this grand sweep of water, seem to be our human aims and deeds. All of Europe could be | whelmed in that ocean before us, and not a ship need sail any the more carefully. St. Peters and the pyramids might be dropped uhder the spot where those pigmy vessels are now sailing, and no man could find them, if he marked not the place where they were’sunken.” ‘The frigate has fired a gun!” said Bertrand dryly. ‘ All your majesty’s ideas of philosophy will not save the felucca, if she holds her course that way.” The emperor smiled. ‘*But see. She has changed it, and now they are all after her, one behind the other, while— ah—whatis that?” He looked long and keenly at the felucca, then handed the glass to Bertrand. ‘* Tell me what you see, count,” he said. Bertrand took a long look. ‘*T see nothing, sire.” “ Look at the bow of the felucca.” ‘‘T see it, sire. She is making a great foam as she plows the water.” ‘‘True; more than she should. But do you not see the reason?” ** No, sire.” ‘‘Simpleton. Do you not observe that she has something white that hangs into the water before her?” ‘*Yes, sire. I see that.” ** And you do not know what it means?” ‘*T am not a sailor, sire,” ‘*Then you are foolish. A man should learn everything he has a chance to acquire in this world. He will find the use of it. I remember when I was a lieutenant, being in arrest for ten days, with no companion but the ‘ Spirit of the Law.’ It was dull reading, but I mastered to eat good dinner, come. ** Your friend, watching through the glass. On sailed the brigs, and it became plain that they were gaining on the felucca, for, first one, then the other, began to fire at her, and al- though the shot fell short, it was evident that the gunners were encouraged to go on further. Bertrand sighed. ‘*T fear, sire, our poor friend will pay a pen- alty for his rashness. He will be taken cap- tive.” ‘* He will not,” was the unexpected reply of the emperor. ‘ He is leading them on for some purpose. I cannot tell what, yet. Ah! the frigate has raised her hull from the water. Do a a CHAPTER XIV. THE TRICOLOR. Day after day passed by in the monotonous round of duty at St. Helena, where public in- terest was concentrated on a single man and he | a prisoner; and it began to be spoken of on the island that General Bonaparte was growing worse dayly, and could not last many months. The excitement attendant on the daring at- | tempt at his rescue had brought on a paroxysm of his disease, which convinced his most ardent followers, that it would be impossible and use- | less to make another attempt, and even Sir | Hudson Lowe, with all his hatred of Napoleon, could not help being touched by the sight of his sufferings, and allowed him more privilege than be had been wont to, while not relaxing in the least bis vigilance. Three weeks had passed since the fatal night on which De!mont’s daring plan of escape had been foiled so unexpectedly, and the emperor had recovered so far that the doctor had allowed him to go out in the air in the daytime, and he had expressed a wish to be taken to the summer house which had witnessed the failure of all his projects, when the mys- terious felueca made her appearance in sight of the island, as Delmont had promised in his let- ter to Sir Hudson, flying the tricolored flag. She came boldly én with a fair wind, sailing to and fro as if to display the flag in bravado, ata time when the elope and Arethusa were cruising bull down, to windward and leeward of the island, while the seventy-four Hotspur and the ten-gun brigs Vixen and Fury, were lying at anchor in the roads of Jamestown. The emperor was lying back in a large in- valid’s chair when she came, and did not at first recognize her. Bertrand, who was in attendance with a glass, bad made her out some time, but did not dare to inform his master, till the sound of a gun in the harbor made Napoleon turn his head, and inquire: it, and found the use of it when I helped frame ‘What is the matter, Bertrand? Is any ship | the Code of France. So, too, on the voyage to coming in?” Egypt, I took care to learn all I could of naval The Grand Marshal bowed and said: **T fear, sire, that our brave and devoted friend, Delmont, is about to expose himself to fresh danger in our behalf. He isin full sight, with the tricolor displayed. It is a risk that is useless and foolish.” The emperor turned and looked at the little vessel for the first time with attention. matters. It may yet prove useful, if this trouble in my vitals does not consume me too soon. The felucca is towing a sail from her bows, because she wishes her enemies to think they can come up with her. See?” Through the glass the spectacle of the chase had become very interesting. The little felueea, gay with color, was dashing ‘*Give me the glass,” he said. along before the frigate and the two brigs, He surveyed the felucca long and steadily, | which followed under a cloud of canvas on the then swept the coast all round, till he rested on | same tack. the harbor when he remarked: ‘*The two brigs are making sail to fight him. It is a pity, Bertrand, that men will act with- out orders. He should not have come in again. But he is not a man to be judged like others, He has a purpose. He wishes to communicate with me.” **It is impossible, sire,” said Bertrand. “It could not be done unless he had wings, and if he had means to get a message to you, we can- not send one back to him.” ** | don’t know that,” returned the emperor, Every now and then one of the brigs would Aa and fire a gun, but the missile always fell short. Then the frigate would try the same game, and the larger cloud of smoke told that the metal she used was much heavier, while the path of the shot could be traced in lines of spray on either side of the yacht, never seeming to strike it. *‘It isa hard thing to strike a small mark in a heavy sea,” observed the emperor, as he watched the abortive attempts. ‘‘ But what is quickly. “I have seen wonderful things done | that? Morblew! a rocket!” in my time. Ah! there go the two brigs to Something issued from the deck of the meet him,” felucca in a little train of white smoke, hardly In fact the two brigs, each under a cloud of studding-sails, were stretching out of the harbor toward the distant felucca, while the frigate Penelope, out on the southern horizon, was er fast, her head laid toward the same point. The Arethusa could not be seen, hidden by the mountains of the island. The felucca, watched with intense interest by visible, and then came a big cloud in the midst of the frigate’s canvas, and they saw her luff up into the wind, while the smoke in her sails grew black and dense, and it became evident that she was on fire. The two brigs also luffed up and came to the assistance of their consort, when the emperor turned quietly to Bertrand. ‘You see the captain of the felucca is no ne Eye, the Cannoneer. | | ' } | Tbe emperor made no reply; but continued | a ' | | ' a= fool. That was a rocket, and he has set the frigate’s sails on fire. The brigs are afraid of the same fate.” The audacious commander of the little felucca actually luffed up at this moment, and they saw several rockets issue from his decks, aimed at the sails of his pursuers, under which, in three minutes more, they were all on fire, and drifting helplessly down the wind, while the felucca, dropping the sail she had been towing, came skimming toward the island, with the tricolor flaunting at her peak safe from further pursuit. The emperor shut the glass, ‘* Now we shall see what he has to say to us. Bertrand, go to my library and you will find in the secret drawer in the table the signal book of the navy, as I hadit. He means tosignal to us, now that there is no one to interrupt bim.” Bertrand went rapidly to the house, The whole population of the island seemed to be so intent on the audacious felucca that they paid no attention to the movements of the pris- oner at the summer house, The fiery fate of the three pursuers, so supe- rior in apparent means of offense, had para- lyzed the defense of the island for the moment. Congreve rockets were by no means new in warfare at the time, having been used at the battle of Leipsic and by the British army on one or two occasion; but their use had proved so uncertain that little dependence was placed on them, though their effects were known to be terrible if they struck. The Hotspur, despite the fact that she was a seventy-four, did not dare put to sea after the felucca, and every one was watching the con- + ————— $$ + eo The wonders of | test of the two brigs and the frigate with the How petty, | flames, which they did not succeed in subduing till they bad cut away the masts and rigging, reducing themselves to drifting hulks, incapa- ble of further pursuit of anything. And the daring little vessel that had braved so many perils now stood on toward the island, still within less than half a mile of the ravine on which Longwood looked down, when, as the emperor had foreseen, she began signaling to the little summer house, in defiance of the Brit- ish garrison, Bertrand interpreting the num- bers as.the flag floated successively up, while Montholon waved a white handkerchief con- spicuously from the point. ‘Work quickly, messieurs,” observed the em- peror, calmly. ‘‘They cannot stop him, but they can come and send us into the house. Ah, pote ha I can see our friend standing on his deck, Through the glass | could see the little fig- ure of Delmont, the gold lace on his bright cos- tume glittering in the sun, as he stood watching the summer-house on the point, while the one- eyed giant, similarly clad, stood beside a rocket- tube, which was poised on a pivot-stand amid- we ertrand began to read out the message of the flags. “Is the pe better ? Answer—Yes— wave flag ; No—drop fiag. ": fag, the flag, Mostholon,” said the em- peror. ‘‘ That is a clever yonng man.” The next question that came was: “* Are you ready to try again ?” “Drop the flag, Montholon,” said the em- peror, shortly. ‘* Are you afraid of failure ?” This was the next interrogatory. ‘* Drop the flag, Montholon.” “Ts it too early ?” ** Drop the flag.” “* Is it too late ?” The emperor sighed as he said: ‘Wave the flag, Montkolon. Ah, my poor faithful fellow, you know not what it costs me to say that; but I cannot fight God and man together. Wave the flag,” he flag was waved, and Bertrand, through the glass, saw Delmont make a gesture of despair, which he interrupted to speak to the one-eyed man, pointing toward the telegraph station on the island. The count looked there, and saw the arms of the semaphore waving frantically, as if signal- ing a message, while another semaphore on top of the citadel was equallv active. The next moment the empcror saic: ‘*He has fired at the telegraph station. He sees they are trying to stop us.’ Then they heard acrash and explosion, as the huge congreve rocket burst on the telegraph tower and sent it into fragments, while a new signal went up to the peak of the feluceca, ‘What is it, Bertrand?’ asked Napoleon. “ Will you grant me an interview ?” ‘‘ How can I, Bertrand? No.” The flag was dropped, and another signal went up, which read: “Tam coming ashore to see the emperor. If he does not forbid me to come, let the flag be waved. I will enter d in disguise. There is no danger. Can I come ?” The emperor seemed moved at the ardent porsigeency of the request; bowed his head: and he flag was waved, just as they heard loud voices coming toward them: ‘They’re signaling; stop ‘em!’ Bertrand adroitly bid the book under his Ebooks com (E()