Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 206 — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

Ay os ———— — — _ — coat, and in another moment Captain Gervaise came hurriedly up, exclaiming: “This is against orders, general. You must instantly return to the house.” The emperor turned his head placidly. “Since when, captain, is it forbidden to me to take the air?” “Tt is not forbidden, but you are signaling to that vessel.” ‘‘My dear monsieur, what have we to signal with? Where are the flags?’ “That infamous pirate yonder is making sig- nals to you,” retorted Gervaise, sharply, ‘* and ou were seen to wave a white flag in answer. ou must come into the house at once,” ° The emperor laughed and rose. ‘‘ What makes her a pirate?’ he asked, “Is it the fact that she has just beaten your three vessels so handsomely? ‘To be sure, that is an- noying, but it does not make ber a pirate.” “ She carries the flag of no nation in Europe,” retorted Gervaise, sarcastically. ‘Pardon me, monsieur. It is a flag whose color was seen floating in triumph over every capital in Europe.” “Save one, general. Not London.” “Ah, true! Butthen, that was not your peo- ple but your sea that saved it.” ‘*General, are you going into the house, or do you wish me to call the guard?” It was the first time Gervaise had ever ut- tered such a threat, and the emperor’s eye flashed with some of its old fire as he returned, majestically: ‘*Sir, there was atime when I had a guard who would have cut you to pieces for less than that! Now I have none—only a jailer and turn- keys. You, I believe, play the part of police spy. Yes, sir, lam going into the house. {f have fin- ished my little conversation with my faithful follower, who has just beaten three English ships. When we are away you might try to continue the dialogue.” And the prisoner walked slowly to the house, while Gervaise advanced to the front of the summer house and looked down long and closely at the felucca, which had defied the whole Brit- ish force so far. He eyed her through a glass and saw that the one-eyed man was pointing a long rocket tube toward the shore, while the gorgeous Mexican, Delmont, was looking up through a telescope at the summer house. There is something peculiar in the feeling of aman exchanging glances with another a mile off through a powerful glass, with which each can distinguish the features of the other. It seems as if they were face to face at one mo- ment and far away the next when the glass is removed from the eye. Gervaise saw Delmont speak, and could fency, | from the movement of the lips, that he under- stood what was said, accompanied as it was by a gesture of pointing toward the summer house. The next moment he beeame sensible of the hiss- ing and whizzing of a rocket, coming straight to- ward him, and bad only time to jump one side and throw himself flat on the ground at the edge of the cliff just as the missile struck the summer bouse and’ knocked it into fragments, exploding in a manner that showed what a fear- ful projectile it might be in the midst of a town. Gervaise was a cool, brave officer, and as soon as he had satisfied himself that he was not hurt he leaped up and leveled his glass at the felucca again. : “There stood the Don on his quarter-deck, a scowl distortinge his handsome, dark face, and as soon as he saw the scarlet coat on the top of the cliff he pointed it eagerly out to the one- eyed man, who was adjusting a new rocket in the tube. | “It is I,” said Gervaise to himself. ‘“|That’s why he fired the rocket. Well, he’s a bold one, and I won't give him an excuse to send another messenger.” So saying he waved bis hand to the felueca and walked away from the cliff to the house, where he found the guard turned out and great excitement prevailing. yoy soon the heavy guns of the fort began to try the range of the Jaxing intruder, drop- ping sixty-eigbt-pound shot into the sea all One Eye, the Ca ee From Wrighbt’s report, it seemed that the first rocket burst in the head of his foretopmast and spread a rain of liquid fire over masts and sails, on which water had no effect, and which compelled them to cut away the masts to save the ship. It was necessary of course to refit the vessels, and the dock-yard proved so short of materials that it was finally resolved to refit the Penelope as far as the supplies warranted, and run her away to the island of Ascension to complete her equipment, On ia CHAPTER XvV. THE SECRET VISIT, THE Penelope sailed away for Ascension, and the Arethusa took her place, while the two brigs cruised to the north of the island, and everything resumed its usual monotony at St. Helena for nearly a week, At the end of that time the lookout on Diana’s Peak, where a new telegraph station had been established, signaled to the town that the felucca and American schooner had hove in sight to the north, and were beating up for the island again, All was astir in St. Helena at this news, and a smart lookout was kept for two days, during which no English ship came in sight, and the mysterious cruisers still sailed in company, On the third day they disappeared, going due west, and the cause of their baste was ap- parent when two British frigates made their appearance from the north, in pursuit, showing that the voyage of the Penelope had not been made in vain. The frigates chased the two consorts out of sight even from Diana’s Peak; and the distant echoes of guns showed that an engagement was oing on late in the afternoon, till night closed in and all became quiet. That very night, as Count Bertrand was standing by the ruins of the old summer house ie became aware of a light out on the sea, where there had been no vessel. when the sun went down, and, a moment later, distinguished a signal, that he remembered in the night-book, which ran, in French: “Tam coming to visit.” The count, having no means of answering the signal, went back to the house, where he showed a light at an upper window three times, and was rewarded by seeing the answering signal, out on the sea: “<7 understand.” Immediately he went down to the emperor, whom he found sitting in his chair, still dictat- ing, but unable to walk about, as he had been | wont to do. | Napoleon looked wearily up. The last few days had aged bim greatly, and given his face a wan, faded expression, with sunken ¢ye, that showed the ravages of his terrible disease, The pain which had been wont to leave him at times, was now constant, if not so acute; and the first manin Europe was rapidly sink- | ing into his grave, What is it?’ he asked. ‘The brave men outside signal that one of them is coming to visit, sire.” “Let them come,” said Napoleon, wearily. ““It may be for the best that they should see with there own eyes that it is useless.” Then he turned to his dictation. ‘*Go on, Montholon. We have no time to waste. Another attack may come at any mo- ment.” Bertrand turn:d away and went into the gar- den to conceal his emotion. The spectacle of their chief’s hopeless misery was too much for these devoted men, who wasted their lives in comforting him. Presently, as he was. pacing the lawn, a voice accosted the general: ‘* Good evening, count; you walk late.” It was Captain Gervaise. ‘I walk to suit myself, sir,” was the cold reply. ‘*I am nota prisoner, as you are well aware, captain,” Gervaise laughed tauntingly. ‘*No, but you are subject to rules.” ** What rules, sir?’ “Those of the governor. I am ordered to watch for suspicious movements on your part round her, and the Hotspur got under way and | and frustrate them.” moved slowly out, firing her bow-chasers as soon as she left the port, the shot -coming clese | served, sir? to the yacht. Then, and not till then, to the great relief of every one in the garrison, the felucca sailed away out of range, and they saw her pass the disabled frigate and brigs and stretch away to the southwest toa place on the horizon where a strange sail had made its appearance. The stranger came on, and could soon be made out from the island as a schooner of the fore-and-aft rig that had become known al- ready as peculiarly American. She was seen to close up to the yacht and sail off in company with her, when both vessels disappeared in the southwest, to be no more seen that day. Several hours afterward, the Penelope, Vixen and Fary came in under jury masts and such sail as they could spread, and Captain Wright went oa sbore to report to Sir Hudson Lowe, who was chafing and vowing revenge. a DN eee ——EE i — ' * What ey movements have you ob- dd, od knows his majesty is in no condition to make any.” ‘Perhaps not; but he may not be us ill as he professes,” “Sir, it is only necessary to look at him, to see that he is on the brink of the grave. Do you doubt it?” ‘T doubt nothing. But I say it is too late for you to be abroad. I have seen suspicious movements to-night—lights at sea—signals—” “ Well, sir anid what of them?’ ** Simply that I am going down to warn the Seep Bhi and that you must go into the ouse and remain there till I come back.” ‘* And if I decline to submit to be treated as a child or a fool?” “Then I shall put you all under sentries in your rooms, with the door open.” “You are ex-eedingly wise, sir. But suppose I go into the house as you suggest?” ‘You will be left alone, It is not my habit nnoneer. i eee ee Orr 0 ae eee ee oe Oe to annoy my prisoners, but I never give them a. chance to annoy me.” Bertrand turned on his heel and went into the house. As he did so, he heard Gervaise say: ‘‘Change your beat to the veranda, sentry, and let no one in or out till I come back.” “Very good, sir,” was the reply. ‘Let no one pass, sir? Not even officers?’ ‘*Qur own, of course, if they come on duty, but no one else.” ** All right, sir.” Then Gervaise went away, and when the count, for curiosity, tried at the back and side doors, he found a sentry at each, who said stolidly : ‘*Go back. No one to pass to-night.” So that Bertrand knew then that the captain must have obtained some inkling of the expected Visif. Meantime Gervaise mounted his horse and rode off to the governor’s house, where! e re- ported to Sir Hudson: ‘* There is a boat of some sort outatsea, by . the end of Longwood Ravine, sir, making night signals to the French, who have answered from the window. What is your pleasure?” ** Keep a close guard, sir.”’ ‘I’ve ordered all into the house, sir, and Vil defy a mouse to get in.” ‘That is right, sir. Anything else?’ ** Yes, sir.” “I think, sir, it’s about time an example were made of these people. If we could catch them in the act.” ‘* Easily said, sir.” Sir Hudson’s tone was dry. ‘* We have to fight fire with fire. Itis a hard task to cope with the intellect of a man like Bonaparte; and bis deluded followers are des- perate for revenge.” ‘Still, sir, if | could take a few of them, it would terrify the rest.” ‘‘No doubt. But we cannot afford to risk anything. Our salvation is, that the general is really dying; so all the doctors say. The day he dies, will be a day of relief to me, I assare you. Iam not fond of being abused by all the world, for doing my duty to my sovereign.” And Sir Hudson looked very angrily at 2 paper that lay before him, wherein he was severely satirized by the poet, Tom Moore, in the stinging lines beginning: ‘Sir Hudson Lowe, Sir Hudson Lowe, (By name and, ah! by naturé so),”’ The governor struck his fist on the paper, grumbling fiercely: ‘* Would you believe it, sir, this Irish nobody presumes to call me a lilliputian and make inso- lent comparisons between General Bonaperte and Gulliver, when the little people had him. It’s infamous.” Gervaise looked sympathetic. “Tt is the fate of all men who serve their country faithfully to be maligned, Sir Hudsen: but if we can make a good bona fide capture of some of these.French villains, it will offset hun- dreds such little squibs.” The governor grunted. He hardly thought- so. " T ital what do you want to do?” he asked at. ast. ‘* Permission to take some dragoons and patrol that valley. They came up there last time, and may do it again.” ‘Oh, [ve no objection to that. Take all the men you want.” And Sir Hudson turned again to the obnoxious paper, though it was five years old. He could not get the lines out of bis head, Gervaise left the room; went to the barracks and roused up a dozen men, whom he ordered to follow bim. "thy The island of St. Helena being only ten or twelve miles long, and six or eight broad, does not justify the use of cavalry to any great. extent; but Sir Hudson Lowe had insisted on a troop of dragoons to use as orderlies and dis- patch bearers, and their horses were so little —_ that they were always ready for a gallop. Therefore, in less than ten minutes after leav- ing the citadel, the British officer found himself Pera the steep path into the valley of Longwood, and riding slowly down toward the little guard-house at the head of the bay. ete him there, it is time that we went to the guard-house ourselves before the captain reaches it, for peculiar events were taking place there at the time. The guard-house stood on one sidé of a little rivulet, which emptied into a narrow and deep bay, and here was established a picket of a sergeant and ten men, whose duty it was to watch the bay, and keep off suspicious craft. On this evening the fog came down on the bay as usual, oltnging to the base of the cliffs, and the sentry had to patrol down by the water’s edge, while fection was stationed on the hill above the fogs, to watch the sea out- side, Had the night been a little clearer, this man’s duty might bave been performed usefully: but. on this evening there was no moon, and a Laze ECOmMIcboo ee S) co te Ee tS em ee 4 --- t ~ eae — 7