Beadle's Dime Library No. 307 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

| | - > then said to have _ robbed him?” * * a The Phantom Yfirate. 15 him escort him to my library and then !eave him.” ** Yes, senor.” With this Senor Rudolph Ramon walked away, and soon after entered the viila. An hour or more passed, and, just as the sun was setting, a servant entered the room where Senor Ramon was seated and said: ‘‘ A visitor to see the senor.” ‘* His name.” ** He gave none, senor; but said he was anxious to see you on an important matter.” * Where is he?” ‘In the senor’s, private library, where Gra- mont bade me conduct him,” ‘Very well, I will see him,” and a few mo- ments after the visitor was confronted by bis host, the latter being in the garb of a padre, and in the former no one who had once seen him could fai] to recognize the giant seaman known as the Sea Monster. CHAPTER XXIX. THE PIRATE AND THE PADRE’S COMPACT. THE Sea Monster, when he called at the ele- gant home of Senor Ramon, was dressed in the attire of a gentleman of that age. His great size would have rendered him an object of attention in any crowd, and on this account it would be useless for him to attempt to disguise himself, unless he, in some way, changed his face with a beard, and then his iani form would naturally attract attention to im, and cause those who knew just such a man in the Sea Monster to suspect him of being that red-handed outlaw. He rose as the padre entered and bowed low, at the same time devoutly crossing himself, while he said in his deep voice: ‘We meet again, Senor Padre, as you seel have come to seek you here, as you directed.” ‘Yes, and I am glad to see you, Captain English, and trust you have carried out my in- stroctions and thereby won your price,” and the padre motioned to his visitor to resume his seat, while he took another near him. ‘Senor Padre, knowing me as you do, you would not be surprised at my attempting to de- ceive you. ‘In fact, I might say to you that I carried out your plans to the letter, and have now come for the balance of my blood-money.” ** And have you not?” ** No, senor. [ have not.” The Senor Ramon started, his face paling and flushing quickly, while he asked: ‘*Do you mean that you have not found the woman and her son?” ‘7 will tell you all, Senor Padre, that I have done.” ‘‘ Be quick, please, for I confess I am desirous of knowing,” and there was the indication im the man’s manner that he was indeed anxious, ‘*Well, Senor Padre, I shall make a clean breast of it,’ and the Sea Monster went on to tell of his adventures with the brig, the, yacht under the Planter Midshipman’s command, and the picking up of the boat’s crew, Also he told of how he had trusted Bono. ‘*By Heaven! that boy?’ cried the padre ex- \ citedly. ‘Yes, senor, a youth whom I had seen at the office of the money-lender, Don Rudolpho, act- ing as a confidential clerk, and whom I con- sequently trusted.” ‘* And where is he now?” ‘* He is at present on board my schooner,” ‘‘ Then you have him safe?” ‘‘No, senor, but he has my schooner safe.” “Pray do not speak in enigmas, Sir Pirate.” ‘¢ Nor do I intend so to do, Senor Padre, ‘But the truth is I trusted the boy, and he was, as I supposed, on the track of the woman and her son, when instead, he was very, very coolly laying his own plans to get possession of my vessel, ““T had met an old seaman, who had once sailed with me, but becoming conseience-haunted turned honest and left; but running through with his gold, he saw me and wished again to serve under the black flag. * This man I put to watch the youth, and the result was, he soon brought me word that Bono had set sail with half a hundred men, in the very craft that I had run up to the city in. ‘Of course [knew that he had gone to seize my vessel, and, wild !with passion, I knifed the sailor, when, if I had not done so, he would have been usefui to me, ‘ But I then had to pay a round sum to the tavern-keeper to hide his body and become my Py: ‘*He proved a good one, for he discovered that Bono was really the murderer of Don Rudolpho, tho money-lender, and had fled with the fortumo he robbed him of: *‘ Knowing this, 1 could not doubt the youth’s having taker the opportunity offered him by my blindness in bette him, of seizing my schooner; but why he did not put a rope around my neck I cannot understand, for he certainly had it in his power to do so, and I appreciate - his forbearance.” “You have cause to; but this youth is ae killed Don eidolcne eal ¥ . a ct + a > - , LA "c a a ‘ w if " > * : vt : Ma > oh we} ons ‘* Yes, Senor Padre.” ** Well, what did you discover regarding the woman and her son?” ; ‘‘The innkeeper found out for me that they had set sail some time before from the city, leaving in a small vessel, evidently a coaster,’ ‘*And he knew nothing more regarding them?” ‘* Nothing, Senor Padre.” ‘* And what is it your intention to do now, senor, that you are stranded by this boy’s act?” ‘*T shall hunt him down?” was the savage re- ply. ‘*But how?’ ‘*T have a few thousands that I can use, and it will not take me very long to get a vessel and a crew.” ‘You are right, senor; for, a marked man on shore, you can but live on thesea, where, with a fleet craft, you can afford to be at war with the world, ** But how did you leave the city?’ ‘The innkeeper engaged me passage on the vessel I arrived here in, and keeping my berth for a few days as an invalid, I was not suspect- ed by any one, excepting, I may say, one of the crew,” ‘* Did he not betray you?” “He intended to, but I slipped a round sum of gold into his hand the moment I saw him, and bade bim keep quiet about me, and he did, for he once sailed with me, and I promised him an officer’s berth with me again,” ‘You were fortunate not to be recognized; but when do you think you can get afloat again?” ‘*T cannot say, senor, as all my earnings were on my schooner, excepting the few thou- sands I have with me, and a man cannot work rapidly without plenty of gold, ‘* But I shall get afloat at the very earliest moment I can.” The padre arose and walked to and fro fora moment in silence, and then halting before the pirate, said: “Senor, I have a proposition to make you.” “Well, Senor Padre,” *‘T wish to buy you.” ‘*Buy me, Senor Padre?” ** ‘Yes, I wish to have you sell yourself to me.” “*T have heard of one’s selling himself body and soul to Satan, and think his Satanic Highness has a lease on me; but I never heard of a manselling himselt to one who represents the church,” said the pirate, in a tone that denoted surprise and curiosity. ‘‘Then you be the exception, for I shall pay a good price.” ** Done, Senor Padre; when am I to take orders as a priest?’ ‘* Bab! don’t be blasphemous by sucha thought as one like you becoming a priest; but let me tell you what I will do.” ‘*T am all attention, Senor Padre,” ‘*T will give you gold to buy the best vessel afloat, if you cannot cut one out, and to get a crew that will be worthy of you. ** You can fit her out thoroughly, and then set sail, destined to perform two duties. ‘All that falls in Nao way, such as prizes, capture, and they shall belong to you; but your aim shal be to capture that boy, Bono, and to hunt down that woman, the Witch, and her son, ‘* Find these three persons and bring them to me, and the vessel I buy for you is your own with allon board of it; while, for each one of the three I seek, I will pay you ten thousand dollars in gold on delivery into my hands, ‘In communicating with me come by night and I will arrange a series of signals by which I will know you; but never must you land in this town, or allow any one to know that you have dealings with me.” ‘T understand, senor, and gladly I accept your terms,” and the eyes of the Sea Monster flashed with joy at the thought of so soon being afloat once more. ** Now, here is gold for oS and here is a code of private signals, by which you can aay be gain entrance to my place, if you come by the water-way. ‘* But tell me, did any one from the town see you come here?” ‘* No. senor; for I learned that this was the Senor Ramon’s house from the captain of the vessel before I landed, as he was describing the place to his passengers, and speaking of the wealth of that gentleman. “You are his father confessor, doubtless, senor?” ‘** Yes, I am the confessor of the Senor Ramon. ‘‘But now you must depart, and do not, to any one, speak of your visit here, or mention the senor’s name. ‘* You will find ample gold here; but if you need more come after it, but come by night, and by the way I tell you, and remember, you are my slave until you have hunted down those three, the Witch, ber son, and the boy Bono,” ‘‘T sball remember, Senor Padre,” and the Sea Monster took his leave. CHAPIER XXX. © HE PIRATE'S PLANS. “‘SHn’s fleet as the wind, though small, and has three large pivot guns that are good at long : ® = tf oh. . ' : . ; - i — . : z & i £ a - é : , YJ : Fs : ‘e < pm eS Stage se ta ber) SAE dy Pe sa Ae Oe srt Pee ak NT (o} ; G ,00 SN COMICHOOKS.CO ee ey a kee asi _ range, and they are sufficient, for my aim is to avoid cruisers and not fight. ‘‘T think she isthe very craft for me, and with her speed and fifty good men on board I can capture any prize 1 wish, and out-foot any armed craft sent aftey me. ‘‘ Yes, she willdo, and by cutting her out, I can save the purchase-money given me by the dre,” So mused the Sea Monster, on his way back to the inn where he put up in San Augustine. He was in luck, he considered, in having step- ped intoa position at once to give him a vessel once more, and he was determined that a very short while would pass, before he was again up- 9 an armed deck with the black flag above im, ‘*T remember that we spoke the yacht, as we came in, and that boy captain of ber said to our skipper that he would be in this harbor soon after our arrival. “Why, with half his sail set be just walked across our bows and dropped us, without the slightest trouble, and we had a good sailer too, 5S ** Yes, I shall just look about me for a crew, afd and if the faces of the men in tbis port do not “i belie them, it will not be hard to secure fifty | good cut-throats for my purpose. ‘‘Rgad! the padre will see that I have begun work in earnest, when he knows I cut out the armed yacht right in the harbor, and came lrg here alone and friendless, “a ‘Now who is this padre? Somehow I feel that I have met him before that day at sea, and , yet, for the life of mel cannot place when or where, ’ “Let me think! No, I cannot recall him; * but he certainly has money, and plenty of it, and this rich Senor Ramon must be bis backer. ‘*T should have liked to have met the senor. , ‘‘ Perhaps I might have recognized bim, ‘““He may be some retired prince, enjoying the luxury of his bard earnings, as 1 hope to some day. “Well, that boy’s running off with my schooner was a hard blow, for he has my gold with him in the secret locker of my cabin. at “But I shall get it back,if 1 capture the schooner, and my revenge too. ; ‘‘ As for the Witch and her son, I feelconfi- dent that she is up to her old tricks, wrecking ae vessels by false beacons, and I shall visit every hoe: island of the Indies but what I find her, t} “She left New Orleansin a small craft, so wat cannot have gone far, so I have hopes of cap- » oe turing all three of those I seek for the senor’s © Pee revenge and my own. aes ‘Tf I get the boy, and the Witch, I guess © their riches, with what I have made in the mean time, will enable me to carry out my cherished plan of returning to England and— on But I must * dwell upon that,” and the Sea Monster said no more until he arrived at the en, inn, where the landlord told him a man was ae to see him, os). He slightly started at this, but catching sight of the visitor, and recognizin the sailor whom . he had met on the packet-ship, and once had — been a member of his crew, he spoke to & : cordially, and invited him to his room, 758 The man followed him in silence, 7 He was a fine-looking fellow, evidently an American, and as evidently one who had been ; well-born, and been driven, by hard luck, or os crime, to become an outlaw. rile He had served as quartermaster onthe packet __ in which the pirate had been a passenger, and remarked as he entered the latter’s room at the inn: “Tt was lucky, captain, i heats you,forlI was looking about for work; buthereis your gold you gave me, and which I took, forlhad no chance to tell you that Iam not the man to play traitor to an old messmate, ortobe bought off with money.” whee ‘‘By Neptune, Benedict, but you have good mettle in you, and I have work for you,” assured the pirate. ‘ ‘*T am ready, captain.” 5 ‘“‘T am ashore now, but not for long,and I need your aid to help me get another craft.” “You, too, have been in ill luck, captain?” = “Yes, through the treachery of onel trusted,” said the A prc not seeming to remember that Bono had any claim to be sincere with him,and = that be would have killed him, had he returned > to him at the inn in New Orleans. pene ‘« My schooner was stolen from me,” OG * Stolen?” ine} ‘“Yes, and by a boy; but I shallretake her and have my revenge. Caton earns, 7 “Then I start on a cruise in searchoftwo others, whom I have pledged myself to find.” = “fam with you, sir.” Part as ‘‘ The first thing is to geta vessel.” eo pear ‘¢We can cut outsomecraft, sir” = = © “T thought of taking the packet, untila bet- ter idea came upon me.” aja “She is hardly suitable, captain; and be- — sides, her skipper and the crew were kind tome, _ and I would hate to see them suffer.” tualty £23 ‘Bah! you must get rid of all conscience and heart in our business, Benedict.” ae **T cannot wholly forget, captain, that have — a heart, or [ should cease to reme aber how you, risked your life to save me once, charging back — va ab. ~t La nd