Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 210 — page 28: what you’re looking at

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

28 ——s_--- + etn eee + ee owe ee Then, too, honest vessels would have given her a wide berth on account solely of her very rakish and saucy look. Her sails. were new and set without a wrinkle, and she certainly could spread a vast amounf of canvas. Her hull and spars were painted black, the former being relieved by a belt of white pase- {og around ber. | «Her crew were dressed in black pants, blue shirts and white skull-caps, while the group of officers vpon the quarter-deck were attired in a Mexican garb that was very handsome. As she moved slowly along, close inshore, a flag was visible fluttering from the peak, and there were no other colors visible. it was a black fleld with a red hand grasping what appeared to be a hangman’s noose, or rope. That was all, but it was a suggestive flag oortainly. The movements of the craft, which had ap- peared strange to those who saw her, that she had little sail spread, was coming close in- shore,.and when she came to an inlet, would run into it, if there was depth enough for her, and if not, would send a boat in, Then, when a lagoon, or bayon, was come to, the.schoonrr would.be sure to anchor off of it, and send a boat to examine it. That she was evidently searching for some- thing, none who saw her could doubt. Bat what could it be, there on that coast, to cause a vessel of her piratical look to be so diligently examining every curve aod lagoon on the coasé was what puzzled thoss. who asked the question. At last the schooner ran into the mouth of a lagoon, and disappeared from the view. Luffing up sharp, sbe dropped anchor, and a moment after a boat pulled away from her side, and went on up the sluggish stream, with tree-lined banks, half hidden by the mossy drapery that buvg gracefully from the brauches and in many places trailed in the dark waters, In the boat were four oarsmen, a coxswain at the tiller, and standing in the bow a sieuder form with a face which, once seen, could never be forgotten, for it was that of Bessie Gito, in her character of Captain Bess, It was evident that she had taken ber posi- tion in the bows, to act as pilot through the mazes of the lagoon, and its tributaries, for ever and anon sbe would give some order to the coxswain, who would bead as directed. Turpving from the main stream into a smaller one, the skillful pilot carried her boat through scores of devious water- ways, some of them so narrow that the oars had to be shipped, and the craft pulled along by the branches of the trees, or grasses upon either side. At la-t a broad expanse of water appeared before them, which showed that a large lagoon was not far away. Tbe men resumed their oars, as the stream in which they were widened, and presently the boat glided beneath a huge tree that grew upon one bank, just at the point where the smaller bayou flowed into the larger. The tree bad a list toward the stream, and its branches, with their huge drapery of moss, covered the entire mouth of the little bayou, and formed a natural arbor over the water. Just as the boat was about to glide out into ‘the large lagoon, Captain Bess suddenly seized the branches overhead with ove hand, and | pointing with her sword, held in the other, cried to her men, in low, stern tones: ve: your lives, silence ! ** Behold the skeleton crew !” At that instant, straight past the mouth of the small lagoon, going swiftly and silently down the Jarger stream, was a large boat. It was not two lengths away from the point of the blade of Captain Bess, moved in per- fect silence, for its twelve oars rose and fell seemingly without sound. In the stern sheets, his hand upon the tiller, ’ gat one who was evidently the commander of the boat, and bis gaze seemed bent over the heads of his crew. But it was not that a boat with thirteen men in it was gliding by with muffled oars that so startled Captain Bess and hef men, who turned at her words to gaze where she pointed; but it was the sight which their eyes fell upon, that seemed to freeze the very blood in their hearts with horror. The boat was long, painted black, and urged ‘by tweive oars, also of sable hue. But the varsme?: They appeared to le living .eletons. Buccaneer Bess, the Lioness of the Sea. The one at the tiller; the men at the oars, all looked Jike Death itself. They pulled. with strong, steady stroke, the oars moving noiselessly in the oarlocks, and the dark waters of the lagoon seemed to give back no splash, as the blades fell into it. The oarsmen, upon a closer look, seemed, however, not to be simply skeleton forms, for they were apparently flesh and sinew, with the white bone outlined upon them, and with a ghastly head that seemed in reality a grinning, hideous skull.’ On swept the boat, and then Captain Bess ordered: ‘‘Mvffle your oars, men, for I will follow that boat.” The order was quickly obeyed, and into the lagoon swept the cutter, and at once went in pursuit of the skeleton crew. At last, in the gathering twilight a glimmer was seen ahead, “Tt is a battle-lantern. “See, it flashes through an open port. ‘‘We have found the Red Rover, lads, so back to the Lioness wiih all speed,’ cried Captain Bess, Instantly the command was obeyed, and fol- lowing. the network) of bayous unerringly, Captain Bess piloted her little boat back to the schooner, which al once spread her sails and stood along the coast in the darkness, her men at the guns, and the silence of death on board. CHAPTER L. THE DEATH GRAPPLE. As the Lioness glided along close inshore, suddenly a sharp prow was seen to shoot out from the darkness, which, taking shape, soon became wholly visible as aschooner of majestic propcrtions, ‘*Tt is the Rover! * Fire!” Captain Bess fairly shrieked the words, and luffing up sharply, the broadside of the Lion- ess Was poured upon the unsuspecting foe, The cruel shots cut through rigging and bull and for an instant all was dire confusion on board, But loud rung the order of the pirate chief, and immediately sail was spread, the helm was put away, and the schouner sped off like the wind, while the buccaneers, rusbing to their guns at onco began a hot fire upon the daring adversary that had so surprised them, Then began a hot and savage chase, the pirate schooner leading by nearly a mile, and firing rapidly from her stern guns, and the Lioness pursuing remorselessly, and pouring in a rapid fire from her bow chains. The two vessels were well matched in speed, the Lioness being a little the fastest perhaps, but ber advance was slightly checked by her guns, which caused them to sail about equal. . In guns and crew the pirate was the superior, with the advantage of having men who had been trained in many a red deck. And thus along the shore they sped, giving and receiving wounds, and dealing death upon each other’s crew. At last the pirate luffed up to round Cliff Point, upon which stood the cabin of Juan Gito, and, as she did so, he sent a broadside upon bis foe that caused terrible destruction upon the beautiful Lioness, Her fore-topmast and bowsprit were shot away, and checked by the wreck, she hove to, while many of her crew were slain, or wound- ed. This was the advantage the pirate sought, and instantly be put back for his foe, intend- ing to board. What guns that could be brought to bear upon the pirate were at once opened upon him, and Captain Bess, roused to fury, cried for boarders to repel boarders. Upon the deck lay Henry Harding and Boatswain Brail, both dead; but she had to aid her Raoul Langdon and Binnacle Ben, and with the remainder of her crew, she sprung to meet the attack. With great skill the pirate schooner was laid alongside of the Lioness, and over the bulwarks swarmed Forrester the Freebooter and @ score of his men. But they looked like living skeletons, in their black, tight-fighting clothes, marked with white, in imitation of bones, from feet to skull, Bui tose b ry-looking hands were armed re rr ne |S sss queens! with cutlass and pistols, and the same having manned the guns showed what damage they could do, With one bound, after reaching the deck, Forrester, the Freebooter, cleared his way te where Captain Bess stood. She met his advance, and their blades crossed, while she cried: ‘Now, Sir Skimmer of the Sea, answer to Bessie Gito for the past!” ** Great God!” With the cry the chief started back, his cut- lass dropped from bis hand, and Captain Bess, with a light laugh cried: ‘‘ Thus, Frank Forrester, I end your life!” She fired full in his face, and he dropped to the deck. But just then a second form, well known to her, dashed forward, sweeping all before him, for he was backed by his crew. ‘Holy Mother, you here, Mark Mortimer?” cried Captain Bess, for no skull mask hid the face that now was turned upon her, ‘‘ Hal it is you then, Buccaneer Bess? ‘* We are well met, and I will send you after your father,” was the savage retort of the man, who had now become a pirate cflicer. Bessie seemed almost unnerved by ‘her emotion at meeting the slayer of her father, and she would have been cut down by her bitter foe, had not Raoul Langdon sprung between them and caught the blow intended for her. As be sunk:tio the deck he cried: “For your sake, Bessie!” But ere Mark Mortimer could foltow up his advantage, there came a sudden shock against the vessel, and over the bulwarks, from a sloop that. had run alongside, came Perey Wynd- ham, with balf a hundred slaves at his back, ‘At them, boys, and cut them down!” The black crew gave a wild yell, and taken in the rear, the pirates, just in the moment of victory, were compelled to turn and meet them, Instantly the fight became most savage, but Percy Wyndham cut his way through the pirate forces, and joined by Captain Bess and her men, soon drove them to cry for quarter, or to jump into the sea to save their Jives. Seeing that all was lost, Mark Mortimer placed a pistol to his head to thus end his days of dishonor. But the band was seized with an iron grip, and a hoarse voice cried in his ear: ‘‘Hold! for your sister's sake I spare you the disgrace of dying on a pirate deck. “Quick! into the cabin of the Jack-o’- lantern and await my coming!” ‘*Good God! you aiding me, Percy Wynd- ham?’ cried Mark Mortimer, in amazement, ‘“Yes, but for your sister’s sake! hasten to obey, or you will be lost.” The man bounded over the bulwarks, upon the deck of the Jack o’-lantern, which had brought Percy Wyndbam and his slaves to the rescue, and disappeared in the cabin as commanded, Then the fruits of victory were gathered up, and Captain Bess gave a low wail of anguish, when ic was told to her that Forrester the Freebooter had been thrown into the sea, ‘¢ And Mark Mortimer?’ she gasped, as Percy Wyndham came near her, ‘“*Sh—! for his s'ster’s sake let it not be known that he died on a pirate deck,” said Percy. ‘‘ True; but is he dead?” “T saw him go over the side,” evasive reply. ‘* Then I must submit to fate, though I did hope to see Forrester hanged, and that my own hand would take the life of Mark Mortimer,” was the low reply, and, leaving all in the hands of Percy Wyndbam she retired to the cabin al- most overcome with emotion. was the CONCLUSION, THEr capture of the pirate schooner Red Rover, by Captain Bess, whose name of Buc- caneer Bess would cling to her also, created a great excitement on the Gulf coast, and all were glad that Forrester the Freebooter had at last gone to the bottom of the sea, for so it was reported of him. As for Captain Bess, she seemed to feel that her work was finished and gave all over to Percy Wyndbam to attend to for her, an, while he set sail for New Orleans witb cor schooners, she took the «ack Wlartcry to re com E 3, JOO (E (0)