Beadle's Dime Library No. 307 — page 16: what you’re looking at

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

lel . s Se eee * pele 7 S _- —<———— 7 oo ee —- —— ———— est = 7 we Th ~~ = = 4 =) ~— > Fes — 16 The Phantom Pirate. and rescuing me, when you found I was cap- tured by the cruiser’s men.” “‘T did it because you were a good man, Bene- dict, and I needed you. ‘‘ Otherwise I should have left you to swing.” ‘‘ Well, sir, whatever the motive, I shall not forget it, for I would have swung within the hour, as they had the rope about my neck. ‘But have you decided upon any plan?” 6 Yes,” 4 ‘‘Do you mind telling me it?” ** No, and shall do so. “Do you remember the armed yacht that spoke the packet three days ago, and walked awav from her so?” “Yes, the Sea Owl, commanded by that daring young middy, Brandt, whom the Government commissioned for gallant service and appointed to cruise in the Gulf in bis yacht, and serve as a coast-guard?” ‘* That is the very craft, Benedict, and a more daring man than her young skipper, boy in oone though he is, does not walk a quarter- eck. “7 know him, and he knows me; but it is my intention to renew the acquaintance, for, you may remember, he said he would soon follow the packet into this port?” “Yes, sir.” ‘* Well, I wish to at once get a crew here, have them in readiness, on board some craft we must buy, and watch our chance to seize the yacbt.” “She is fleet as a bird, sir.” ** And stanch as a church steeple in a gale of wind, whileshe is armed and equipped thorough- ‘* Well, captain, now to get the crew.” “1 know nothing of this port, but suppose it can be done.” ““Ob, yes, for gold buys ready hands and brave hearts.” ** Well, Benedict, Ido not wish to be known in the affair, for my size makes me conspicuous, and it is pretty well known in the Gu rts that the Sea Monster is a giant in form, so | will quietly keep at anchor in the inn here, and let you work, ‘Here is gold for you, and you know that I wish to get a cheap craft and then a crew. ‘* Have you left the packet?” ‘No, sir, but shall go on board and do so, telling the captain I have a chance to get a trader to command. ‘* Then I shall look the barbor over for a ves- sel, and pick up men as I[ can,” ‘*Do so, Benedict, and remember that you are to be my first officer.” wE thank you, captain, and I will do my duty you. With this the newly appointed pirate lieuten- ant left the room, bound upon his evil mission to again sail the seas beneath the flag of a buc- caneer. CHAPTER XXXI. THE WATER WOLVES’ RED WORK. To say that Wambold, the Water Wolf, his wife and son were uneasy, after the finding of the oe coffins on the beach, would be to draw it mildly. They were at first horrified at the sight of the ominous caskets, and looked upon them as ill- om ned in the greatest degree. Their superstition, blunted in a manner by their own trickery in exciting superstitious dread in seamen, was kindled anew with full force. That the Ghoul Craft, as they called tho mys- terious vessel that bad put into the harbor in the storm, avoiding all dangers and running out in safety, had left the coffins they did not doubt. They had seen two dark objects thrown from her deck by the mysterious craft, and the cof- fins were certainly those objects. The vessel they had lured to wreck had come bows on, and striking a sunken reef with great force, had run half out of water and remained there, not going to pieces—so the ill-omened — could not have come from on board ry Some of her crew, then on deck at the time she struck, had been wasbed into the sea, and after being beaten to death against the rocks, hud been driven into the basin and cast upon the beach. Their bodies were searched, and then buried 3 the Water Wolves, Lita having been sent to "the cliff to see how many persons yet remained - upon the wrecked brig. The young girl sought a hiding-place in the rocks, whence she could look down upon the brig and yet not be seen. She beheld three persons only, one of them a sailor, to judge from his dress, and the other two evidently passengers. The brig’s masts had gone overboard when she struck, and her decks had been swept clean. But she was well up upon the reef, and the sca having run down greatly, no longer cast its spray over her, P _ She was upon the Pitfall Reef, not twocables’ \length distant, and a staunch, fine-looking craft ¢ to have her wooden bones upon the inhospitable shores of the island of the Water Wolves. ‘‘Those people are scared,” muttered Lita, referring to Wambold, his wife and daughter, as she sat in her rocky retreat gazing down upon the brig, but thinking of her companions. ‘‘ Well, I don’t wonder at it, for I’d hate to find a coffin with my name on it. me Ah! here comes father now, and he has bis rifle, ‘*I wish I dared call to those three people and warn them! ‘*But he’d throw me from the cliff if I did so, for his face is as black as a thunder-cloud,.” ‘* How many people are on the wreck, girl?” asked Wambold, creeping to the spot occupied by Lita. ‘**T see but three.” The man motioned her to the side, and took her place, at the same time gazing down upon the wreck. Behind him came his son, and then his wife, for she seemed not to care to return to the cab- in. It was very evideut that he was greatly shak- en up by finding the coffio. The man did not gaze long down upon those on the wreck, before he brought the butt of bis rifle to his cheek, his eye ran along the sights, and the report followed. A shriek came from below, and the Water Wolf quickly reloaded bis rifle and again fired. It was a strange act, even fora heart of stone, for the group he fired upon were two men bend- — the body of a third. t the second report another of the trio went down, while the third sprung to his feet and gazed about bim in a dazed kind of way. Then he gazed upward and beholding two little clouds of smoke floating away from the cliff, seemed to realize from whence the shots had come which had brought death to his com- rades, and quickly he darted toward the com- panionway. Just as he disappeared below a shot whizzed over his head, showing what his fate would have been had he remained longer in range of the deadly rifle on the cliff. A grim smile rested upon the faoe of the Water Wolf, as he rose to his feet and gazed down upon the wreck. ‘*There is but one left, Leo, and we do not fear him. **Come, wife, get us some breakfast, and by that time the waters will be quiet enough for us to go out to the wreck.” The woman called to Lita to accompany her, and they descended to the valley, from whence the two men soon saw a column of smoke aris- ng. After awhile, as the man on the wreck did not again appear, they went down to the cabins and had breakfast. “Girl, you row us out to the wreck, for Leo and myself must go ready to meet foes,” said Wambold. ‘*I will go, too,” said the woman. ‘“‘Why, wife, I believe you fear to be left alone, since we found the coffins,” remarked Wambold. “| do not care to be alone, and so will go with you,” she responded with a shudder, and the four started for the beach. The two coffins bad been filled with rocks and sunk, so that they did not meet their eyes, and getting into a life-skiff, they started out of the basin, Lita at the oars, the woman at the tiller, and the two men, armed with pistols and cutlass, ready to spring on board, It was a hard pull, for the waves yet ran — but Lita pulled a strong and steady stroke, and the life-skiff soon ran alongside the brig, under its lea. Springing on board, the two men were con- fronted by a man who just then emerged from the cabin. He was in civilian’s dress, and evidently a passenger on the ill-fated craft. From his lookout he had seen the skiff ap- eS a a and beholding women in it, he had readed no danger, and stepped forward to greet the wreckers. But in an instant he saw his mistake, as Leo quickly raised his pistol, and shouted in plead- ing tones: “Great God! don’t kill me!” But with the last word came the flash and re- port. ; He had appealed to one who was as merciless as his father, and the answer was a bullet in his beart. With a ery he sunk dead upon the deck, while the two Water Wolves sprung down into the cabin, the woman and the girl at the same time clambering upon deck, armed with cutlass and pistols, and serving as a reserve guard for the two men. CHAPTER XXXII. ALONE ON THE DEATH ROCK. For afew moments the woman and maiden stood in suspense after the disappearance below of Wambold and his son, and then the latter re- appeared. ** All right! no oneelse on board. ** He was the last,” he said, as he stepped to ie +d ¢ * a» the side of the dead man and coolly searched his pockets, while his mother went forward and as calmly did likewise with the two who had fallen before the rifle-shots early in the morning. ‘‘She’s got a rich cargo, wife, and it is not water-soaked, either, so we are in big luck,” cried Wambold, coming from the cabin, Under his directions then they all began to bring articles of every description on deck, and pile them on the lee side. This occupied them until late in the after- noon, they partaking of edibles found on board for a dinner. “The sea has run down enough now, Lita, to bring the sloop alongside, so go after her,” said Wambold. Lita sprung into the skiff and, seizing the oars, soon disappeared from sight in the cut in the rocky wall of the island; but in a short while the sharp prow of a stanch sloop shot out of the basin with the young girl at the helm. It was the larger of the two crafts that had been anchored in the island harbor, and, guided with wonderful skill, she was run out between the reefs and laid alongside of the brig’s stern, when the Water Wolves quickly made her fast. At once the work began of loading the little vessel with the booty taken from the wreck, and so earnest were the Water Wolves in their occupation that they again made a meal on the vessel, and kept busy until late in the night, when they slept in the cabin. With the first glimmer of dawn Wambold arose and waking his son, they ran the sloop into the basin and unJoaded it alongside of a small pier. Returning to the brig, they found breakfast prepared by the woman, while Lita was hard at work bringing the lighter articles of the cargo from below. Thus the work went on, until all that was valuable had been transferred to the sloop, or thrown overboard, such things as could be, to drift into the basin and land on the beach. ‘This is the best haul of ourstay here, wife,” said Wambold with enthusiasm, as they left the brig, after setting her on fire. ‘* By far.” ‘‘T shall at once load the sloop with the choicest of the cargo,and sail for Havana,” continued Wambold, ‘Yes, it is a good idea for us to begin to get rid of the great quantity of booty we have on band and turn it into gold,” “True, for we have enough in the store-house now for two loads for the sloop, not to count the cargo of tbe brig. ‘‘But L shall carry the most valuable first, and then follow with other loads according to their value, until old Hamtrank has our booty and we have his gold.” ‘‘ When shall you start, Alfred?” To-morrow bight, wife,” ““T shall accompany you.” sé What ” ' “1 shall go with you,” was the firm response, “ But you will not be able to do Leo’s work, wife.” ‘‘ Let Leo go too of course.” ** And Lita?” ‘‘ Leave her here to watch the beacon,” ** Alone?” “ Why not?” “* Will she remain?” ** How can she help herself?” ‘Well, if you say so, yes.” ‘*T do say 80.” ‘We might as well take take the girl too.” ‘“ And thus lose a chance of getting some rich prize that may be wrecked during our ab- True.” “We will not be gone very long, and—” ‘‘But, wife, since the finding of the coffins, the girl may be afraid to remain.” ‘Bah! can you tell me what that girl ever feared?” ‘*No, she certainly seems fearless; but then I would not have barm befall her, especially now, when we intend to be repaid for all the care she has been to us,” ‘¢No barm will befall her, my word on it,” “But may nct the phantoms yisit the is- land?” ‘‘ No, for the Phantom Pirate is not cruising in these waters now, as you know, and is not due here for a month.” ‘You are right, so we will leave the girl here alone.” This decision was earried out, for the next. night the sloop of the Water Wolves, laden down with her ill-gotten cargo, set sail from the island, and Lita stood calmly upon the cliff above the Death’s Head Beacon, watching it gliding away over the moonlit waters, and seemingly indifferent to the fact that she had been left alone on that dread rock, the home of the cruel wreckers of the Bahamas. CHAPTER XXXIIL BONO’S STRATEGY. Ir will not do to leave Bono too long neglect- ed, for he was by no means idle, during the scenes narrated in the last few chapters. It will be remembered that he was Jast seen by the unfortunate spy of the Sea Monster, ¥ -~ - . -% > = ei Ce On a= 5 ¥ + » P , * ¥ , : ots