Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 210 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

‘4 ‘* Mabel Mortimer saved your life, Percy Wyndbam?” - -“ Yes, mother, she came in the life-boat of The Everglades, with that insolent mulatto, Duke, three other oarsmen, and her quadroon maid, to.our. rescue, and, as I told you, saved all of us but poor Leo.” “That girl risked her life to save you?’ again higsed Mrs. Wyndham, “She did. take a fearful risk to do so, mo- ther,’ was the quiet reply. Mrs, Wyndham paced to and fro for half a dozen turns, and then stopping full im front of her son, said, in a low, trembling voice: ‘Percy, that girl’s father betrayed the friendship of your father long years ago, and stole from him the woman of his love, her mo- ther, who was fickle as the wind to believe and trust the traitor. . “When recovering from the wound your father gave bim in the duel that followed, that girl's father, Majer Mark Mortimer, was cruising in the Gulf to recuperate his shattered health, and came across a vessel in which was my father and myself in the power of lagoon pirates, and boldly rescued us from them. “ Alas! it bad been better had I died then, for he won my first love, for I was a mere child then, treacherously led me to the altar, for he was then a married man, and after- ward basely deserted me by a trick which led me to believe be was dead. “Retaking my maiden name, at the request of my uncle, who became my guardian when my father died, I met abroad your father, and became, as I believed, his wife. “Coming here, long years after, to his home to dwell, I heard who it was that was the master of The Everglades, and seeing him I recognized the man who had so basely be- trayed me in my Mexican home. “With that man living, I was not truly your father’s wife, and hence I sought to re- venge myself upon Major Mark Mortimer, and at the same time legalize my marriage with your father by the death of my bitter foe. “Your father, through my Mexican attor- ney, coming here about my inheritance, there learned all, and sought to call Major Mark Mortimer to auswer for his crime upon the dueling field. _ “You know the result, how I sent your father to New Orleans on a false scent, made a rendezvuus at Magnolia Arbor with Major Mortimer, and, with the aid of old Uncle Toby and my maid, Phosbe, forced him to fight me. **To save me Phoebe gave him an unloaded weapon. and he fell dead before my aim, while I, discovering what my maid had done, ‘was overcome and fainted, just as you came up, and at once told Mr. Massey and his son, who rode upon the scene, that you had shot Major Mortimer in a duel. ..‘ Abl Percy, you know that your poor father fella few days after, at the hands of t man’s son, and now you tell me that bel Mortimer, the daughter of the one I - ed, the sister of the one who killed your er, bas saved your life?” : ‘¢ Yes, mother,” was the quiet response. . Bhe had worked herself into a passion, by the bitter memories that crowded upon her, and again turning upon him, cried: .. “Perey, my son, dearly as I love you, I would rather have you dead this minute, than that jour life should have been saved by a ‘“Mother, this is unreasonable, for twice have I, though I never spoke to you upon the subject, served Miss Mortimer well, once sav- ing ber from kidnapping, and once from , bh,” mar gee God! is this true, Perey Wyndham?” almost shrieked the woman. “Tt is, mother,” “Then this can lead but to one end, if I do not check it, for she is beautiful, and, they @ay, good and lovely, while you, Percy, can win any woman’s love, “But hear me, boy, and I make the threat in deadly earnest, if you ever look upon Mabel Mortimer with one glance of love, if ever you forget the graves that are apen between you two, so help me high Heaven [ will kill her with my own band.” CHAPTER IX. TWICE THWARTED, _ Av the fiercely spoken words of his mother, Wercy Wyndham sprung to his feet, his fece Buccaneer Bess, the Lioness of the Sea. pale with anger, while he said in his deep, earnest tones: ‘*Mother, you allow your hatred to rule your reason for I am not one to seek to wed one whose name has brought sorrow, shame and misery upon us. ‘*'You jump too quickly at conclusions, an I must beg that you do not attribute either to Miss Mortimer or myself thoughts and inten- tions our minds have never dwelt upon, and which our hearts couid not for a moment tol- erate, ‘She was accursed with an evil father, whom she believes fell by my hand, and has a wicked brother who slew my father, and yet she is as pure of heart as she is ‘beautiful in face and form, and thus, wishing to square the debt of gratitude she owed an enemy came to my rescue risking her own life to do s0, and there the matter ends.” Mrs, Wyndham shook her head in an omin- ous way, but made no reply, and, as though utterly dismissing the matter, Percy contin- ued: ‘* Now it is our duty to see what can be done for that poor girl, Bessie Gito.” ‘True, for my heart bleeds for her in her sorrow and loneliness.” “T ordered the plantation carpenters to make a coffin, and I shall take it out in my lit- tle yacht and make a landing at the cottage and bury Gito, but you, mother, had better not attempt the rough voyage, for it will bea hard thing to beat up the coast ,in this tem- pest.” ‘*T shall go with you, Percy,” was the firm reply. “Very well, mother, and I will order the yacht gotten ready, for we must return before nigbt, if possible,” and Perey called Uncle Toby, gave him his instructions, and then sought his room to change his wet clothing for dry. Soon he reappeared in a storm-suit, and found his mother awaiting bim, and warmly clad aguinst the elements. The tempest in the meantime s»emed to steadily increase instead of blowing itself out, and the negro crew, assembled upon the yacht, shook their heads ominously. But Perey was determined to make the start, the coffin for Juan Gito was carried on board, and soon after the graceful yacht, under close- reefed suils, headed out of the little harbor for open water, It was, however, but a few minutes before Percy Wyndham, who was himself at the helm with a negro to aid him, saw that it would be madness to attempt to beat up the coast agaiost the fearful gale then blowing, and while he could do so in safety, he put back, but with the greatest reluctance, ‘Mother, I shall take a vehicle and try the lagoon roads,” he said, as the yacht dropped anchor. A light wagon was accordingly gotten ready to bear the coffin, and mounting his horse alone, for Mrs. Wyndham was urged not to make a second attempt, Percy set off by land to reach the cottage of Juan Gito. But again was he thwarted, as the flerce winds had driven the lagoons beyond their banks, utterly overflowing the ridge road to the cliff, and once more he returned to Lake- lands, . Determined not to be thwarted, Percy set men to work to fit up his large yacht, the Jack-o’-lantern, which had been dismantled; but this was no easy task, and night came on to find the work not completed. Through the long hours of the night the mother and son sat in the library, waiting and praying for the savage winds to die away, and thinking of the lonely watcher with her dead in the little cliff cabin. But daylight came, and still the tempest raged, and at last the Jack-o’-lantern being gotten in trim for sea, the mother and son boarded her, the coffin was taken on board, the anchor hauled up, and under close-reefed sails the gallant and stanch craft beat out of the little harbor into the rougher waters. Her decks were swept by volumes of water, the gale forced her far over, until her bulwarks lay under, and in going about gn her tacks, she staggered fearfully; but the strong hand on ber wheel held her on her course in spite of every danger, for he was determined that poor Bessie Gito should no longer bear the fearful ordeal she was put to. | And watching the Jack-o’-lantern, pitching, reeling, bounding through the waters, was Mabel Mortimer, from her wincow in The- Everglades, and well she knew the mirsiom undertaken by the daring young sailor, and prayed for his success. She bad seen his failure the afternoon before in the Glide, bebeld him, with the glass, ride away from Lakelands with the coffin to try and reach the cottage by the lagoon roads, and all night long, having seen him retuin, twice thwarted, she bad watched through tbe storm to see the Jack-o’-lantern ret sail, for she had observed that he had put the crew to work to fit her for sea. Now, as the yacht faced the fury of the storm and put to sea, Mabel Mortimer watched and prayed for the safety of thcse on bcard, and that they might reach the baven of their hopes. CHAPTER X. DESERTED. Tae Jack-o’-lantern was certainly a most stanch craft, and was equal to almost any emergency, When a smuggler craft, she bed met with many a fierce gale in flying about the Gulf, and when afterward the private yacht of For- rester, the Freebooter, a man who, though s pirate captain, had dwelt part of his time in New Orleans, none knowing that beneath the mask and title of gentlemen he was a bucca- neer, the vessel had been admired by all who. saw her, aud was noted for her fleetness and stanchness. When Percy Wyndham had captured the Skeleton Schooner, and though Forrester, the Freebooter, bad escaped, bad also gotten pos- session of the Jack-o’- lantern, be kept the latter for his own use, turning the schooner over to. the Government. Now, when he set sail with his mother and the black crew of the yacht, to run up the coast to the home of the dead fisterman, Perey soon realized that the Jack-o’-lantern had all she could do to weather the savage tempest, which still kept up with unabated fury. But be knew the boat, was confilent in his owu skill and nerye, had held perfect confi- denca in his negro crew, so kept on in the very teeth of the tornado. At la:t the white cabin of Juan Gito was sightel in the distance, and the yacht was run into the little harbor near the humble but pretty bouse, Luffing up sharp, the anchors were let fall, the sails lowered and furled, and the yacht lay rocking upon the swell that drove into the basin. ‘Mother, the gale is blowing itself to death, and in a few hours it will be over, so that you can go ashore; but now I will go to the cabin,” said Percy. ‘‘But, my son, it is dangerous to lower a boat even in this harbor,” answered Mrs, Wyndham. ‘‘T shall not risk the lowering of a boat. until the sea bas run down, mother; but as every minute must be an age to poor Bessie, alons with the corpse of ber dead father, I will spring overboard and swim ashore.” “Tt is a great risk, Percy; but you are a superb swimmer.” “There is little risk for me, mother, and I deem it my duty to relieve the mind of that poor girl by letting her feel that sbe is not de-. serted, for she has evidently not seen the ap- proach of the Lantern.” ‘So I think, as the door remains closed.” Pearcy threw aside his storm-coat, and the next instant bounded into the wild waters, and struck boldly out for the shore. He was. a powerful swimmer, and urged himself through the foaming waves, and soon went flying on the crest of a huge wave far out upon the sandy beach. He turned and waved his hat to his mother, who stood on the yacht’s deck anxiously watch- ing him, and the sable crew broke forth ina ringing cheer at the daring and success of their young master. But the voices floating up to the oabin, brought not Bessie Gito to the door, and with a misgiving at his heart, for fear that some evil had befallen the young girl, or in her an- guish she had taken her life, Percy hastened his steps. As he went away he upbraided bimself for having left her, and not remained, io spite of her wish for him not to do so. Approaching the cabin he found all desolate and silent. | ' ; \ Gomicboo (E cS (elo) | | | | \ (Lf