Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 206 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

| | tt ae ‘bronze. wJean Martin, — ee — ——-—- = — thousand francs a year, for ten years. The marshal never needed it, and has not drawn a sou,” Albert compressed his lips. ‘What is that to us?” he asked, dryly. ‘‘ We came here to do one thing. Let us keep to it.” Then he turned on Bissot. ‘‘ You have mistaken our mission sir. We are not come to levy contributions on you, but to ask payment of an order. Do you consent to honor it?” ‘“Of course, of course,” returned Bissot, ner- bin “Very good. Then the quicker we attend to it, the better. Let the mauarshal’s heirs settle their own business. I wish only to attend to mine. Where are these vessels, named in the order?” ‘Which are they?’ ‘*The Creole and Dame de Secours.” ‘** Both lying in the river basin, for sale; which will you take?” ‘“T don’t know till I’ve seen them, and then shall depend a good deal on the advice of my comrade, who is an old sailor. I trust our business is over now, and we can return to the upper air agai? Mr, Bissot.” * Certainly.” And the old merchant led the way back slow- ly, being uncertain in his own mind yet, as Jean Martin had intended he shoul(l be, whether the one-eyed veteran had the original agree- ment in his possession. When they had return d to the counting- room, be said coaxingly to Albert: : * | suppose you’d like the money first, I have no objection to letting you have as much as a hundred thousand franes on your individual note, and promise never to press you for it, ‘‘If what?” asked Albert, so sternly that the old man stammered: ‘‘ Nothing, nothing; never mind, How will you have the money?” ‘TI don’t want it till we’ve seen the vessels. Then I may take advantage of your offer, if I find I need the money. Please to send a man with us to the basin.” ‘**] will go myself.” And the clerks gaped in wonder to see the head of the firm going out into the streets of Havre with two common workmen, treating them with as much politeness as if they bad been princes. But M. Bissot was too intent on saving * of the mi lion francs he knew to be due to Mar- shal Ney’s heirs to think of appearances, and he courteously led the strangers along the quay to a large dock, where lay a number of vessels, when he pointed out two, and said: “The lugger on this side is the Creole. She measures three hundred tons, and used to carry a long thirty-two and some carronades—” Jean interrupted him. ‘* Where are the guns?” ‘‘In the hold. They are worthless now.” ‘* How worthless? Burst?” ‘‘No, no. They are good enough for that matter—good as new.” ‘*Then why worthless?” ‘Oh, who wants to buy guns now that the wars are over? They are only good for old That’s all,” “What are the carronades?” asked Albert. “ Thirty-two-pounders, monsieur, if you want them. but surely—” ‘‘We want them,” said Albert, decidedly. «« And now for the other boat, the—whbat is her name?” “The Chasse Maree, She is yonder by the stern of the Creole.” Albert looked at the two vessels without any technical skill, but forall that he could not help admiring them. They were both very low in the water, with sharp, snake-like hulls, and bulwarks unusually high and strong for such craft, as if meant to keep out a heavy sea. They looked neglected and dirty, to be sure, but that could not hide the graceful lines of their hulls, and he turned to Jean. ‘* Which shall we take?” Jean looked at them critically, then said to Bissot: ‘* How long has the Creole been built?” Bissot sighed. “Only two years. She cost a great deal, and has not paid for herself like the rest.” Jean grinned, ‘You mean not over three times. That's un- derstood. Well, I don’t want the old Dame de Secours. She was old in 1805. How man knots can the Creole make, wing and wing?” “Il don’t knuw. She was built by the famous Marcel, and was called the fastest lugger in the channel; but she’!l never pay now.” ‘* Why not?” asked Albert. : ‘* Ah, my friend, you are not a sailor, I see, She was built to run laces and silks, where a hundred tons is a fortune. Sbe measures three hundred, and does not stow over one hundred and twenty, after her stores are in, with the guns.” ‘“How much with a full magazine?’ asked uickly. Bissot looked round apprehensively. ‘*Not so loud. That’s all past and gone.” ‘* But how much?” persisted Jean. The old merchant lowered bis voice. ‘*T once sent her out with four hundred rounds on board, and thirty-five tons of laces to England. She sunk a revenue cutter and I cleared nearly a million frances.” ‘** But that’s all over now,” he added, with a sigh. ‘*' Ah, what times we had then. Now a bare fifty per cent. is all a man can expect, and these white coat royalist officers want thirty of that, to keep still.” ‘Even then,” observed Albert, dryly, ‘twenty per cent. strikes me as good profit, on a mercantile adventure.” Bissot shrugged his shoulders. ‘** Pretty good, if only—” “Tf what?’ . ‘Tf one is not used to two hundred net, and five hundred on some classes of goods.” Then his hearers could not help smiling at his rueful face, and Jean Martin said, briskly: **Come, come, we waste time. We will take oe | the Creole, and we want her full and stored—_ you understand? We are going on a trip acrcss the line, my friend, and need a new ship. How long before you will bo ready to deliver her?” Bissot hesitated. an information. ““{ can’t get youacrew. You must take the | pen gemma Y I shall sell her to you, and you will give a receipt in the name of the estate. She does not sail hence as owr vessel.” Jean Martin laughed. ‘* What an old fox. We will kill two birds with one stone. Now I)] wager that he charges us enough for the Creole to make the estate claim look small.” Bissot chuckled. ‘*Of course, business is business. Your order reads to charge to the Ney account; but I’m not bound to take your price.” Jean Martin turned to Delmont. ‘What say you, lieutenant? Shall we agree to this old cormorant’s terms?” ‘* We will take the Creole,” said Albert: ‘‘ and if we find we can get another vessel as good, ian we then we will only receipt for the price we should justly pay.” Jean Martin nodded eagerly. ‘*That’s right. These clippers area drug on the market now. This one is not worth more than a hundred and eighty thousand francs, with her stores in.” Bissot held up his hands in horror. ‘* My dear sir, you are crazy! A half million would not buy her. You forget her model, her finishing. Eb, mon dieu, you wish to ruin me.” ‘*Never mind what we wish,” said Albert uietly. ‘* You will come to our terms or i chal be obliged to present the order to the chief of ae and—” issot turned purple. ‘*My young friend, do not be rash. T ey would imprison you at once for a Bonapartist—” ‘* And you too, monsieur. You see we are desperate men, and have counted the cost. On the other hand, give us the ship at a fair valua- tion, and I will give you a receipt that will some day enable you to get the money back with in- terest, instead of losing it altogether.” Bissot looked doubtful. ** How?” Albert whispered. ‘*In the name of the emperor. He will yet Se back. You know if he keeps his word or not. Bissot trembled all over. [ll do what you want,” he said, huskily. “Tt shall never said [I deserted bim in his need. You shall have all that you require, up to the full amount of the Ney claim.” ——_ Then he and Jean Martin fell to discussing | the alterations and outfit needed for the vessel, 5 A en ee “Well. take the glass there, and read thé name.” The other took an observation. * Well, she is called ‘La Belle Creole;’ but what of that?” ‘** Did you notice the head-dress?” «year ‘* What was it?” ** A crown of some sort.” ** Well, don’t you see?” ** No, on my honor.” The elder man looked at him dryly. “Comrade, excuse me, but where were you born?” ‘‘In Brittany of course.” ‘Ah, that accounts for it. You never saw the Empress Josephine, That is ber head. She is la belle Creole, and that fellow is a rank ppeepertan who is rich enough to laugh at the cing. The younger officer shook his fist at the lug- ger, saying vindictively: ‘“Ah, accursed spawn of the usurper! Ill watch for you when you come back, and lodge We'll see if you'll flaunt your impious titles in the faces of the king’s officers.” From which it may be judged that the young man was an ardent royalist, which was the case, But inasmuch as the subject of his remarks was at sea, slipping through the short waves like a knife, he could not catch her, and be had to content himself with cursing, while La Belle Creole rapidly increased her distance from Havre. She had only hoisted a jib and main lug-sail, to work out, yet she was passing the ae boats, staggering under all sail, as if they ha been anchored, and held her own with a large ship that had gone out before her under whole topsails and courses, not losing a foot after passing the Long Pier. So evident indeed was her superiority, that a curious group of officers was gathered on the taffrail of this very ship, admiring her, and one of them said in English: ‘‘By Jove, Tom, if I owned that hooker, I should be tempted to do something desperate with her. The old Penelope used to be counted as smart as any frigate in the service, but I be- lieve tbat chap’s actually overhauling usin our own wind.” This ship that went out before the Belle Creole was a British frigate, as was indicated by the trimness of her rig and general appear- ance, She had just come out of the docking basin at Havre, where she had been laid up for re being the first ship of ber nationality that ha entered a French port, save as enemy or prisoner, for a period of twenty years and more. “T don’t believe he can show us his stern in heavy work,” replied another officer, thought- fully; ‘‘ but I must admit he sails pretty fast. What’s that on the head, Charley Duncomb? You've got the glass,” | Lieutenant Charles Duncomb took down his glass long enough to say: ‘“‘ It’s a head of that poor Empress Josey, the one Bonev divorced, you know. The fellow must. be a Bonapartist. returned Chumley, ‘“*Shouldn’t wonder,” another Luff. ‘I think if [ wasa Frenchman I'd be a Bona ist. Old Boney’s a man, and that’s more than one can say for that fat old humbug, Louis the Eighteenth. I swear, Charley, I wish the old sinner would get up another war on his own account. I'd like a chance to pepper them.” Just at that moment, while they were still looking at the lugger astern, and making bets on whether she would come up with them with- out making more sail, one of the officers and when they at last separated Martin said to | coughed, and whispered: Albert: ‘‘The old man is not so bad after all. He ‘* Look out, Skipper’s sag Then they got off the taffrail in a hurry, and will fit us for sea so we can go round the world. | became very stiff and sober, as a tall, stern- Now we must look up a crew.” ‘* And where shall we find them, Jean?” ‘*Down in the fish town. sea wolves. Welll get men who will follow us to the pit.” CHAPTER IV. THE LUGGER, THREE weeks after the visit of the two work- men to the house of Bissot, Yvart & Co., a beautifully modeled lugger, painted white, faced man, with iron-gray whiskers, came up the compavionway, and touched his hat in I know the old | answer to the universal salutes. It was the captain of the Penelope. His entrance broke up the group at once, and he took the weather side of the quarter-deck mechanically, and began to pace up and down. Captain Wright was known familiarly to the sailors as ‘* Old Crabs,” on account of his silent, surey ways and the sharp severity with which he dealt out justice on the Penelope to officer and man alike, if either neglected duty, while with the head of a woman under the bowsprit, | be had never been known to praise a living soul slipped out of the harbor between the long jet ties, and found herself in a chopping sea, full of white caps. As she passed out, an old douanier or customs officer, on the long pier, remarked: ‘‘Tt must be a rich fellow owns that yacht, and one not afraid of telling his mind.” ‘Why so?” asked a brother officer. ‘Why? Plain enough. Look at her head?” “Well, what of it?” **'You see nothing then?” ‘Nothing but a figure-head—a woman—some Fanchette or Marie—” The other interrupted him. ‘Is that all? You don’t recognize the head?” ‘No. How should I? | | for anything. Yet Captain Wright had only been in the service a single year as post-captain, though he had entered it as a midshipman thirty-five years before, and had fought in the action between Lord Howe and Count de Grasse in the West Indies, before the United States had become a nation in the eyes of Great Britain. But that had been bis solitary ba'tle, and he had been in prison for twenty years in the midst of Paris. emerging thence at Napoleon’s ablication, in 1814, a man of fifty, witha hatred of France and everything French, only equaled by his bilter detestation of the emperor him-~- self, ‘That man made me lcse twezty rears cf my IJOO <eom CS) (G (E(0)