Beadle's Dime Library No. 307 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

12 The Phantom Pirate. = TFTOHeFTN - OTOr.OTFT?TOS OHO eel _3O T_T eee SSs—s*" * Keep the beacon visible, and try and lure that craft to destruction.” ' ‘Tt is a ghost craft, father,” was the answer. ‘“We shall soon know whether she can be destroyed, or is indeed the phantom of some wrecked craft. ‘* She comes.on bravely,” said Wambold. ‘*'Yes, and fearlessly; that woman at the helm seems to have no fear of consequences,” remarked Leo. ‘Is ita woman?’ asked the wrecker’s wife in a whisper. ‘‘That I know not; what say you, boy?” an- swered the wrecker, and then he added: ** Look close, for your eyes are younger than mine,” ‘*T judge it to be a woman on account of her long robe, father.” ‘* And so doI: but Lita has a glass with her, so bail and ask her what she can make of her,” ‘* What is it at the helm of yonder craft?” “A woman.” ‘* Are yonsure?” ‘*T have my glass on her, and the form is that of a woman, though she possesses the strength of @& man or—’ ‘* Or what?” ‘* 4 ghost.” ‘*Can you see her face?” ‘‘] have tried to—there! I see it now, and— Great God! it is a skull !” 7 moan came from the three people upon the cliff. They alarmed others by their supposed super- natural acts, their Death’s Head Beacon and in other ways, and now when brought face to face with the very powers they pretended to -use, they were appalled to discover that which they could not account for. The weird craft was before them, white and hostly; a black feminine form was at her elm, with a skull face, and about all pervaded a glare that came from the wreckers knew not where, so that aes were indeed alarmed, and momentarily hid their eyes with their hands, as they lay full length upon the rock, their faces looking over the edge of the cliff, so that they could peer down to where Lita crouched for ger at one side of the huge white skull-lan- rp. Upon again raising their faces they beheld the weird craft almost under the shadow of the Death Rock, and watching her, until she was within a few lengths of the Pitfall Reef, the wrecker called out: ‘* Out with the beacon, girl, and if she works her way out of that danger, I will indeed be- lieve that it is the ghost of a vessel.” Almost caeapearet the Skull Beacon me dark, and the rattling of the blocks showed that - girl was hauling the canvas covering up be- ore it. This done she turned to look at the strange craft, almost beneath her feet, when a cry from the cliff caused her to glance down into the dark depths below her. ** Great God! she has passed through the cut in the reef,” cried Wambold, the wrecker. It was true,as Lita saw, for the vessel had not been wrecked, but on the contrary, bad passed through the narrow gap in the reef, and was then heading directly for the opening in the rocky wall of the island. Quickly Lita ascended to the cliff, and joining her now appalled companions, they hastened to where they could look down into the ravine. As they reached a point of observation, they saw the weird craft shoot into the basin, go about, as though on a pivot, then came two splashes, as dark objects were thrown over- board, and the little vessel again glided from sight into the pass between the walls of rock. ushing back to the cliff once more the four denizens of the island saw the weird craft glide out from the shadow, pass out through the reef, run the gantlet of rocks beyond, and dis- appear, a mile away, as though it had suddenly sunk forever beneath the waves. “God bave mercy upon us!” groaned Wam- bold, as he led the way to the cabins, the others following him in silence, wholly awed by what they had seen. CHAPTER XXIV. THE WARNING TO THE WRECKERS, THERE were three of the wreckers of Death Rock Island, who passed an uneasy night, after the sight they had seen of what they could not but believe, in their superstition, to be the phan- tom of a vessel wrecked by their acts, Those three were Wambold, his wife and son. As for Lita, she sinned in obeying the com- mands of those who were all she had to love, without being fully conscious of her wrong- doing, and the compunctions of conscience she felt at her acts, were simply caused by the _natural goodness she possessed and her tender- ness of heart. Though herself managing the Death’s Head _ Lantern, which sent a thrill of borror and dis- may to all who beheld it, she did not know what harm it did from ever having been told ‘sup so, and she had been taught by Wambold and, his wife, yes, and by Leo too, that all people in ships were their foes, who would destroy them if they could, and consequently should be slain before they could kiJl them. With an easy conscience therefore, though a great desire to know more of the weird craft she had seen, and which had struck such terror to the hearts of her companions, Lita calmly sought her little cabin and retired to rest and to sleep, leaving the wrecker, his wife and son in the larger hut discussing the strange circum- stance, “Tt cannot be the work of the Phantom Pirate crew?’ said the woman, and in a tone very suggestive of the idea that she wished it w as. “No, the Phantom Pirate never could run into our harbor as did that craft, as you should know, Mabel, and besides the schooner was one- third the size of the Phantom.” “True; but I had hoped it was the Phantom,” answered the woman in a dejected tone, ‘And so I wish it had been; but where we can account for the one, for the other there is but one way to look at it.” ‘* And that way, father?’ queried the young wrecker, Leo. ‘That it is, as Lita says, a ghost craft.” “Heaven forbid,” almost groaned the wo- man. ‘‘-Yes, so say I, wife; but it is a myste which neither of us can solve, and I confess bave no desire to go to bed and sleep upon the remembrance of it.’ ‘‘Nor I, father,” said Leo, while the woman with a shudder remarked: ‘‘T have no desire to sleep myself, so I will brew us a punch and we can sift up, at least un- til we get sleepy.” ‘Do so, wife, and we'll see if the morrow does not drive the blues from us, and mayha that brig, which lies wrecked on the shelf, will bring us treasure enough to compensate for our fright about that accursed craft,” ‘fT think the brig was richly laden, father, for she was an American.” ‘* Ab! did you see her flag, boy?” “No, but her rig was American, and those Yankees generally send well freighted craft into the Southern waters.” ‘You are right, Leo, and a few more craft will enable us to leave this desolate spot and ye on our riches in the good land of the Yan- ees. ‘‘ You said the same five years ago, father, and you certainly have had the picking of a score of ships since then,” dejectedly responded the young man. ‘“‘ Yes, but I will soon have enough to bring me the sum I wish, and we can once more raise our heads as gentle people, who have the gold to rt their good blood, for we come of good stock, boy, and at one time the Wambolds could hold up their heads with any in the land; but I'll not talk of the past, but say that soon we will leave this drear place, seek a home in the United States of America, and there become honored among people. ‘‘Oh! that will be a joyous time, wife,” and the wrecker rubbed his hands in glee, at the an- ticipation of what his ill-gotten, blood-stained gold would bring bim in the future. ‘Yes, it will bea joyous time, Alfred, if it ever comes; but you seem to love this old rock, and fear to leave it,” responded the woman, placing three bowls of punch on the table before hem. “T love it for what it has brought us, wife, and when I have money enoNge. we will go.” “ We are very rich, now, Alfred; or at least have booty enough to bring us riches.” ‘Yes, but not enough for our needs, for we must live like princes, and a few more weeks will get us all we need, “This is a good punch, Mabel; just such an one as | have often drank in the old hall in dear old England—ah me! I must not recall the past.” ‘‘No, it were better not, far better not, for the past is horrid, the present all we have, and the future our only hope to repay us for what we have suffered,” said the woman, sadly. “* And what have you suffered, mother?” ask- ed Leo, who had been quietly sipping his punch. “Sh! Leo, my son, you must not ask ques- tions, for you will get no answers,” said the an. ‘*Still let me ask one question then, of Lita, if you will not tell me of your past.” iy ey what would you know of the girl, my son ‘She is not my own sister?” ‘You know that much, as she does also.” ‘* How came she with you?” “‘ While you were absent, years ago, on a run to Havana, we found her, as I told you, ona wreck that drove on the reef,” “T know you said so; but I always felt that you did not tell me everything.” “What else is there to tell, boy?” ‘*That is what I wish to know, for I discover- ed that there had been no vessel wrecked here during my alsence, and yet I found the little girl here, and very sick, too, upon my return. ‘She does not remember how she came, or in fact anything of her past, for I have asked her, although she was nine years of age when she came.” ‘‘She had been ill and delirious a long time, boy,” said his father. ** Yes, and it is strange that she should have been saved alone of all the crew,” ‘Oh, there were others, but they lost their lives in attempting to reach the shore, for you know I never allow any one to put foot here, bo .? XY, father; but knowing, as I do, that no vessel was wrecked while I was absent, I feel that you are biding something from me about the girl,” ‘‘Oh, no, Leo, there is nothing to hide, other than we believe her to be an heiress to great wealth, who had been kidnapped and taken on the vessel by those who hoped for a large ran- som, and we wish her to become your: wife, so that when we find her kindred, you can lay claim to her inheritance.” ‘*T am willing to marry her, Heaven knows; ae she says she does not know what love means and— ‘‘ Well, don’t urge ber now; wait until we leave this island, and then all will come out well, my son. ‘ Another of those excellent punches, wife,” and the wrecker turned the subject of conver- sation into other channels, and the tbree talked on until the punch had the effect of causing them to drop asleep in their chairs. It was after sunrise some time when Lita opened the door and looked in, She looked as fresh as a morning rose, and something like a sneer curled her red lip as she beheld the trio. ‘¢ Come, are we to have no breakfast, mother? and besides, I have tound something on the beach for you to see,” she cried. The three started to their feet, rubbed their eyes, looked ashamed, under the glare of day, of their superstitious fears of the night before, and the man said in ill-humored tones: “ What is it, girl?’ ‘¢You remember that the ghost craft threw something overboard when she ran into the basin last night?” ‘Yes, they threw two objects into the water, it seemed,’ answered Leo. ‘¢ Well, the storm has cleared away, the morn- ing is bright, and I have already been on the beach, and I found what had been thrown over- board,” ‘‘Ha! And the wrecked brig?” suddenly cried the man, seizing the silver pitcher and draining the remainder of the punch he observed in it. “The brig is safe on the rocks, but the sea is . too wild yetto go out.” ‘* Any of her crew visible?” ‘T saw three men on her deck.” ‘‘ Well, we must look to them, and at once, so come, Leo, while your mother gets us some- thing to eat,’ and the wrecker reached up toa bracket and took therefrom a rifle. ‘*But I have not told you what I found on the beach,” continued the girl, ‘“ Hal! a treasure-box,” “ Two boxes, but they are empty. ‘‘ Come all and see them,” Impressed by her manner they followed her to the beach of the basin, and beheld two dark objects lying there side by side, As they approached they glanced at each other in surprise, for they saw that they were coffins. They were sca their weight showed this, and upon the lid of each was a silver plate. Bending over, the wrecker read aloud: ** Alfred Wambold.” Y God! my name upon a coffin,” and he staggered back, his hands covering his face, while his wife uttered a cry, as upon the other coffin she read her name upon the silver plate: ‘“Mabel Wambold.” “Here is a piece of paper on each,” cried Lita; and upon the end, of each coffin was a card, where was written, in a bold hand; ‘‘A warning from the phantom craft, whose crew were lured tcdeath by the Skull Beacon.”” CHAPTER XXYV. BONO AND THE PIRATE, LET me now return tothe Sea Monster, whom we left on the way to New Orleans, where it was bis intention to carry out the orders of the supposed padre, regarding the woman whom men called a witch, and upon whose head a price had been set. It was a great oPapeo needs to the pirate chief to have the yacht escape him, as it had so cleverly done, and to be worsted by a vessel one-fourth the size of his own, and he mentally swore that some day he would have his gr eit the plucky boy commander of the little craft. Of course. he could not venture into New Or- leans with his scho.ner, so well known there, for he had cut her out from that port to turn her into a pirate, the vessel having before been in the Government service, so he looked about for a craft to seize in which he could run up to the city. “Why do you not disguise tain English?” asked the youth, our craft, Cap- 4 id eo Eboo om Se BR. oo + ae no, who stood. { _ ‘ y* I i, .S.CC = = i *