Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 255 — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

* _ ' = wy who had remained on board over night, said that she had plunged and dived until he thought she would ride under, although ‘she was anchored in a cove outside of the full blast of the tempest. Had it been the intention of the guests of | the Blue Anchor to sleep late, as was their | wont, that morning a circumstance occurred | to arouse them at an early hour. That was the dashing up to the door of a party of horsemen, headed by Dick Dresden, the jailer, ‘Hullo, Dick, what’s wrong?’ sung out Cap- tain Jake Curtis, who was ehjoying his morn- ing pipe as usual upon the front piazza. ‘* Wrong enough, Captain Jake, for my jail was robbed last night.” The words were spoken in a crisp tone, clear and cutting, and they reached the ears of the sleepers who were just turning over for their second nap, and sent them to the window. ‘“Your jail robbed?’ asked the genial land- lord, springing to his feet and advancing to- ward the horseman. ‘** Yes, sir, and of its most valuable prop- erty, while that of a poorer kind was not touched,” “T did not know that you bad such rich property in the jail, Dick.” ‘*T had prisoners, sir, and have prisoners yet, but there is one missing.” ‘Hal and who is that one?” ‘¢ It is Bradford Carr, who was to be hanged next Friday.” * Thank God for that!” ejaculated Captain Curtis, with a heartiness that caused Dick Dresden to say: ** I see that you, too, are glad of my mis- hap; but, though I felt sorry for that young man and boped he might be cleared, as it turned out otherwise, it was my duty to hold and to hang him. ** But now he has gone,” “And I am glad of it, for it would take more juries than could be gathered around here to convince me that Mr. Carr was guilty. ** But when did he get away?’ * Last night.” ** In the storm?” ‘* Yes,” “‘ How did be escape?” ‘* He was aided out of jail.” ** But who aided him?” *“*A band of half a score men,” ** But who were they?” ‘They all wore masks, and at first I be- lieved they were a party of young men about here who sympathized with Mr. Carr, but they retreated to the Horseshoe Inlet, and boarded a vessel, which at once put out to deep water,” “< No!” “Yes, and I am going along the coast now to see if I can hear of a craft being seen to an- swer her description.”’ “They played a bold game, Dick, who- ever they were,” “They did, indeed, and were as cool about it as could be, ‘‘ Moke, my negro boy, aroused the vil- lagers when they captured mo and some half- hundred came to the rescue,” ‘Why did they not capture the whole party?’ ‘‘ Bab! can a cat catch a wolf?” *¢ Not easily.” ““ Well, we pressed them to the Horseshoe Cove and fired upon them, but with what re- sult is not known, but you know I am not a a man to miss my mark, and I aimed true, “* But their leader threatened to fire a heayy gun from his vessel upon my party, and they broke for the woods in such a stampede that I only was able to collect them with me by this morning.” *‘ Well, this is remarkable, Dick.” “Tt is terrible for me, as it hurts me to lose & prisoner.” “No doubt, and justly so, for you take Pride in your duty.” You did not see such a craft going by, Captain Jake?’ ; F: What kind of a craft, Dick 7” large lugger.” <8 she armed?” Yes, she must have been, or her captain could not have said he would fire on my party.” “He could have said it, Dick, if he could not have fireg,» “That is soy “ About What time was it, Dick” “cc a nn A The Pirate Priest. - ee eee $e ‘‘Karly in the evening, for the lugger was out of sight before midnight.” ‘No, I never saw the vessel, Dick, for it was too bad a night for me to poke my head out; but here’s Master Irving Brandt, and he’s always around in a blow, for he likes ’em, and if anybody saw the lugger, he’s the one,” This was an accidental shot from Captain Jake, but it hit the target, and Irving, who just then walked up, flushed crimson. But be kept his nerve and coolly asked: ‘‘ What is it I saw, Captain Jake?” Dick Dresden told his story, and Irving re- marked: * Yes, I was out last night, for I was anx- ious about the Lady Maud, and you can see that I had reason, Captain Jake, as she has dragged her anchors fully the length of the cable,” ‘‘ But did you see a lugger ?” ‘Oh, yes, Jailer Dresden, I did.” ‘When ?’ eagerly asked the jailer. ‘‘ Last night.” ** Where?’ ‘‘She was standing seaward, about a quarter of a mile from here, reefed down and yet driv- ing along at a fearful pace.” “Well, I declare, that is a clew,” said one of Dick Dresden’s party. ‘*T don’t see tbe clew, as the jailer and his party saw the lugger themselves, and she was then standing seaward,” coolly said Irving. ** But that was at the Horseshoe Cove.” ** Well, she could not get out into deep water unless she came by here, and that proves she is not up the coast in any of the inlets. ‘* But I will signal Boss to come on shore, for he may have seen the lugger too, and know which way she headed.” Boss was signaled and soon came on shore, and, in response to the jailer’s questions said that he bad been on the deck of the Lady Maud until the storm blew over, and had seen a lug- ger go by. ‘‘ Was she going fast?” “Yas, Massa Jailer, as dough de debble were arter her.” ‘** And which way did she head?” ‘She run down toward Fisherman Inlet and luffed up.” “What?” ‘* Yas, sah, and I looked at her from de night- glass and see her drop a boat. overboard.” “A boat?” “Yas, sab!’ ‘Who was in it?’ ‘A man, sah.” ‘A mar?” *‘T didn’t see no odder, sah,” “Then which way did she go?’ ‘Out to sea, sah.” *‘ And the boat?” ‘I looked for de boat, sah, but de waves was running too sassy for me to see it,” ‘You don’t think it was sunk?” ‘‘Guess not, sah, for de man dat hab de narve ter go ober in dat sea, c’u’d take keer ob hisself, I reckons,’ “This is indeed aclew, and I thank you, Master Brandt for sending for your boatman for me.” ‘You are entirely welcome, Jailer Dresden,” said Irving coolly, and he added: ‘Tf you will take a suggestion from me, I would, if in your place, go all along the coast as far as the Dismal Forest, and even in it—” ‘‘No, sir, there is no need of going that far,” cried one of the horsemen, and others quickly echoed his opinion. ‘‘ Well, as far as you deem it necessary to try and learn where the boat landed,” ‘‘You are right, Master Brandt, and I will do as you suggest. ‘‘ Come, men, we have a clew now, and must follow it up,” and Dick Dresden and his men dashed off at full speed, while Captain Jake Curtis said dryly: ** He’s anxious to get back his man, but those who so daringly planned the escape of Mr. Carr do not mean that he sball be taken.” “That is my opinion, Captain Jake,” said Irving, as he turned and walked down to the shore with his negro boatman. CHAPTER XLI THE CLOUDS DISAPPEARING. Mavp BRANDT, after having seen the lugger driving by to go to the rescue of Bradford Carr, had stood like a statue at the window, afraid to turn away for an instant. ee Ellizette was alarmed at the manner of ber mistress, but whenever she spoke to her, was commanded in stern tones to keen silent. It seemed ages to the watcher, but at last a ery broke forth from ber as her eyes once more fell upon the lugger, dashing by as though on the very wings cf the wind, With earnest gaze she wai ched her, until she disappeared in the darkness and gloom, and then she said fervently: ‘“‘Heaven, [ thank thee!” Turning away from the window, to tbe sur- prise of Ellizette, she called to her in pleasant tones, and the quadroon was at once at ber side, ““T expect you think I was cross to night, Ellizette; but I would not have missed what I saw for worlds, and I did not wish to be dis- turbed.” “Yes, missy, if was a grand storm, but it was too fine for me, for the thunder was so terrible I expected to see you struck every minute.” ‘‘ Well, Ellizette, the storm is over now, and I shall retire,” and Maud was soon buried in deep slumber, But the clatter of hoofs aroused her early the following morning, and springing to her window she heard all that passed between Dick Dresden and those with whom he was conversing. **Saved—free! Now indeed I am bappy, even if I never see him more,” and Maud clasped her little bands togetber as though uttering a prayer of thankfulness for the safety of Bradford Carr. The guests of the Blue Anchor were early to breakfast that morning, and the one topic of conversation ‘was the escape of Bradford Carr. Most of those who had known him well re- joiced at his escape from an #2 nominious death, while others shook their heads dubiously, and wondered what it all meant, and what would come of it all. Chester Granger and Barton Keys entered the breakfast-room with anything but cLeer- ful faces, for they had heard all, and when asked for their opinion they gave it freely. ‘*T believe that the fellow was a pirate, and that his crew helped him off,” said Chester Granger, viciously. ‘You certainly do not give my father credit for much sense, sir, to think that he wuld engage a pirate in Baltimore and bring him into his family as my tutor,” hotly said Irving Brandt, and Chester Granger was silenced by a kick under the table from Barton Keys as be was about to make some hateful response, while the latter said pleasantly: ‘* You misunderstood Granger, Irving, for be did not mean to say your father would knowingly engage a man whose antecedents he knew nothing of, but that be had unwit- tingly done so.” ‘““You surely have the good sense, Mr. Keys not to suspect that Mr. Carr was other than he represented himself?’ said Irving, “Of Mr. Carr’s past life I know nothing, Irving, and care less, ‘*He was most clever in bis way, a gentle- man, a man of accomplishments, and I liked him immensely, but when I found that he so coolly killed poor Ravelle, then I had to feel. that he was under false colors, ** Still itis pleasant to know that bis aristo- cratic neck is not to be stretched by the bang- man.” Upon the subject of Bradford Carr’s escape Maud had little to say, and her manner warded off all conversation, while the colonel was inclined to believe that the young tutor. bad indeed been in league with outlaws, .as such cerfainly must have been the ones who aided him, h / - “They were pirates evidently,” said the _ Spanish Don, who was a guest at the Blue Anchor. “If they had been pirates, sir,” answered Irving, who was ready to take up the cudgel for his tutor, “it is remarkable that they were so tender in regard to human life. “‘ My idea of pirates, from all I bave heard of them, is that they are a lawless and murdering set, and if these masked men had been buccaneers, why did they not kill Jailer- Dresden instead of binding him, and why was it: that when pressed by their pursuers they did, not fire upon them? “‘Why, they even did not return the fire of” the villagers, although Jailer Dresden asserts. that he killed one. EOLA (C S (E() JOO