Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 255 — page 24: what you’re looking at

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24 The Pirate Priest. as she raised above the horizon rapidly, and | his new-found friends what he had overheard then hastily descended to the deek, Instantly his orders rung out to his crew to crowd sail on the brig, and, as the vessel | forged swiftly through the waters, heading | away from the stranger, he turned to his mate, and said: *“ I know the craft.” *‘ What is she, senor?” “Our old enemy Bernardo,” “‘The buccaneer?’ cried the mate turning pale. * Yes, and we must run for it, as you re- member his threat,” ‘To massacre every one on board your ves- sel, senor, should he capture us again?’ ** Yes, in revenge for the trick you played him io Vera Cruz?’ “Tled him into a trap which nearly sent him to the yard-arm, and would have done so, had be not taken desperate chances and mado bis escape. “He sent me word afterward, that when next he overhauled me on the high seas he would kill me and all with me, and it has leaked out, so that I get few passengers now, and find it bard to ship a full crew.” All this Bradford Carr heard, for he stood near the captain and his mate, idly leaning over the top-sail and gazing at the distant ves- sel, which was steadily gaining apon the brig. ee | the captain tell the mate. Not one of them showed the slightest quiver of fear, but simp!y crossed themselves and be- gan to tell their beads, Nearer and ncarer came the schooner, and the Spanish captain, realizing what fate await- ed him, made what preparations he could for defense, or at least to fight unto the bitter end. At last, just as the sun set in the Gulf, the schooner fired her first gun, and sent a shot-so near the brig that it splashed spray upon her deck, Still the brig held on her way and shot after shot now began to fall thick and fast about the flying vessel, the captain standing grimly at the helm and holding her on her course. ‘‘That is Bernardo, for I recognize him as he stands by the sideof bis belmsman,” said the captain as he turned his glass for an in- stant upon the schooner, ‘That is bad,” he continued as a sbot plowed along the decks, cutting down two of his men, Still he held on, and hot and fast the shots were poured upon the brig, hitting her sails, splintering her spars, cutting gullies in her decks, tearing through her bulwarks and spreading death and suffering on a!l sides, At last a shot came that shivered the taff- rail and a splinter was driven into the heart of With the knowlejge he possessed, of the | one of the padres. feui between the Spanish captain and Ber- With a groan he sunk into the arms of nario the Buccaneer, Bradford Carr thought | Bradford Carr, who, believing him still alive, that he bai made a mistake in hitting upon | bore him down into the cabin, just as a Lroad- the brig as a means of conveyance from his | native land. CHAPTER XLIX, THE PADRES OF ST, ELMO, side was hurled upon the brig, which seemed to sweep her decks. A moment after the schooner was laid alongside the brig, half a hundred men fol- lowed their desperate leader on the deck of Ir did not take Bradford Carr long to dis- | the fated vessel, and then came the merciless cover that the brig was being overhauled by the vessel in chase, at a rate of speed that would bring her alongside in a few hours more, If the craft was the schooner of Bernardo the Buccaneer, then the chances of escape were slim indeed be well knew. At the time of which I write the West In- dian waters, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico were infested with buccaneers, a few of them being noted as most cruel wretches with no mercy in their souls. “ Among them Bradford Carr bad heard the names of Bernardo and Brazos, both Spaniards, as the most bloodthirsty monsters, and he was glad to feel that the passenger list of the brig and her crew were small, there not being over a score of souls on board, all told. In the passenger list there were a merchant of Vera Cruz and five Mexican priests, known as the Padres of St. Elmo. Tuen came Bradford Carr and the captain and his crew. The padres were a dark-faced set of men, wearing their long gowns and caps, and stood apart among themselves, while the Vera Cruz merchant was willing to talk to anybody who would listen to bim., Seeing that the schooner was indeed an armed vessel, Bradford Carr said to the captain, addressing him in perfect Spanish: “Do you recognize that craft now as Ber- nardo’s vessel, senor, siuce you have had acloser look at her?” ** Ah! do you know the craft, too?” quickly asked the captain, ‘No, senor, but I overheard wHat you said to the mate.” ** Well, senor, it is Bernardo’s schooner, and I tell you that those padres are the Jonahs that have brought me ill luck, for I never carried a priest yet that something did not go wrong he- fore the voyage was ended,” “You are severe upon the ~, senor, for they are good men and will have to suffer with the rest.” ** Not they, for Bernardo will never harm a padre, do what else he might, and if you bave any influence with them you had better ask them to pray for the good of our souls, for we are asgood as murdered, every one of us ex- cepting those Jonahs.” Bradford Carr said no more but walked over toward the padres and addressed a few words to them in Latin. Instantly he caught their attention, and then he told them that he had been a student of their church, and the right hand of fellow- ship was at once extended to him. Together they stood watching the coming schooner, and Bradford Carr made known to | } ery in stentorian tones: “Cut down every soul on board! **Spare no man, for I have doomed all that sail on this craft to death!” Wild yells followed this cruel order, and then arose the cry: ** Hold! back, you devils, and touch not those holy men, for are you blind that you see not that they are priests?’ The men fell back at the startling command of their leader, and the fight bad ended, the brig had been taken, and all that remained alive of those that bad been aboard were the five padres of St. Elmo. These holy men stood in a group, silent and stern, amid the death and ruin about them, for Bernardo the Buccaneer never raised & weapon against a priest. CHAPTER L. PADRE BIANCO, Ir did not take the buccaneers long to clear the brig of her dead, repair damages and hare ber ready for sailing, for Bernardo’s men were but too well used to such work, and much practice had made them perfect in the duties devolving upon them as sea cut-throats, The padres, at the request of Bernardo, had gone into the cabin and remained there through the night. Early the next morning, when the repairs were made and he was to sail, Bernardo found the padres kneeling around the body of a man that lay upon the floor dead. : At his coming they went on with their prayers, and in respectful silence, with hat off, he stood awaiting for them to finish. As be stood there, his dark, evil face lighted up by the dim cabin lamp, be looked the fiend tuat be was, for the presence of death, and the pious padres, with their prayers, could not soften a countenance branded deep with a thousand crimes. At last, still chanting tho prayers for the dead, the padres arose and bore the body of the dead man on deck and cast it into the sea, Bernardo following them, and commanding silence from the crew. As they completed their sacred duty, the buccaneer leader said to them: ‘““Holy fathers, I knew not that you were on board this vessel, else I would have allowed ber to go unmolested until another time. “But ber captain sougbt to have me hanged, and played me false, and I swore a vendetta against him, and the fishes are now feeding upon his body. ‘* But whither do you go?’ ‘To the Monastery of St. Elmo, in Mexico,” said one, whu appeared to be spokesman. ‘‘ Well, as I send this prize under an officer eee to my retreat, he shall land you at the monas- tery, or at least all but one of you.” ‘‘ We are brothers, and must go together,” said the padre spokesman. ‘* No, one of you must remain with me.” * And why is this?” ““T will tell you, holy fathers, that of late I have met with reverses, and I went to the Indies to consult a witch as to the cause. She told me that luck would follow me if I carried upon my vessel a holy man.” “‘ Not against his will surely, my son?” ‘Yes, padre, the witch told me that I must even land at some convent or monastery and get one before the full of another moon, unless I met with a holy man traveling upon the sea. “On this brig I flad five, and one of you must go with me on my schooner.” The padres talked together for a while in Latin, which Bernardo did not understand, and then the spokesman said: ‘“* We are five brother padres, and our duties call us to our monastery; so that you will bave to look elsewhere for a priest, my son, and curses not blessings will follow you if you heed the advice of a heathen witch—one ac- cursed of God and man!” . Bernardo uttered an oath, and muttered something which the padres did not understand. An ignorant Spaniard, swayed still by the religion he had disregarded and outraged, he yet was governed more by the superstition of the age in which he lived, and bad gone to a pretended witch to covsult her as to his wapt of success of late. He had ever before respected priests, and meant to do so now; but he stood in abject fear of the power of the witch, and was deter- mined to obey her commands, come what might. The padres watched him closely, though they showed no sign of fear for the result, and after a moment of thought the buceaneer decided upon his course, and said: ‘One of you shall go with me, and you may draw lots as to who it shall be.” The padres glanced at each other and said a few words together, after which the spokes. man said: “If we refuse to draw lots, my son, what will you do?’ ‘‘Order my men to seize one of you, and carry him on board my schooner there.” They saw that be was determined, and after a further conversation, the same one who bad before spoken said; “My son, we will draw lots to see which one. of our number shall go with you.” ‘You are wise, and I promise you that your- comrade, whose lot it falls to to go with me, shall be well treated,” Then calling to one of his men to bring bimy a small bag, be placed in it five bullets, one of which he made a mark upon which he would. know, Then, at bis command the padres thrust. their hands, one by oue, into the bag and drew out each a bullet. ‘Let me see them,” said Bernardo, and the five padres held forth their bands, the bullet they had each drawn being between tbeir fingers. Glancing at the different bullets, Bernardo, the Buccaneer, said in a loud tone, as he looked at the one held by the last padre in the row: ‘‘ Here, Senor Priest, you hold the marked bullet, and it falls to your lot to go with me upon my pirate schooner.” Not a word was uttered by the other four, while the one who had drawn the fatal bullet said calmly: “T accept the alternative, Bernardo, the: Buccaneer.” “You do well, and you shall not regret it. ‘“Now give me your name, and while the: men are getting your kit on board, bid your brothers farewell.” ‘** My name is Padre Bianco,” was the reply, and, after a word of farewell to the others, the chosen priest sprung ligbtly on hoard the schooner, the grapnels were Cast off, und the two vessels swung apart, Padre Bianco waving farewell to his brothers, from whom he had been so cruelly separated. CHAPTER LI. THE PADRE STRIKES BACK. Wuen the two vessels, the pirate schooner and the brig, her prize, had placed consider.. able distance between them, Bernardo Called: out to the padre: Eomicboo SS) <¢om : \ uit