Beadle's Dime Library No. 316 — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

Lafitte’s Lieutenant. ee eee Elliot, whose appearance yet bore all the signs ‘‘'This promise seems to me too uncertain. of the terrible scenes of danger and fear he | My life is at stake, and 1 do not come to give had passed through; ‘but if you and Cap- | it away.” tain Stewart will grant me a few minutes’ private interview, [ have something to com- | eral McDonald, severeiy. ‘‘ We cannot shield municate to you of the greatest Importance.”’ | a criminal.”’ The buccaneer’s voice was agitated and ‘1 would advise that the rascal be at earnest, while his face wore an expression of | once put into irons and made to confess his concentrated malice. crime to a proper tribunal,” said Captain Captain Lennox surveyed him a moment | Lennox. in suspense, and then said: | _ **He deserves hanging by his own confes- ‘“Very well—you shall have it. But if | sion,” said Captain Stewart. this is gammon to claw off from punishment | pound with the villain, gentlemen?” for being ashore without leave, you'll get | Elliot turned as white as a sheet, during double.” these free-spoken remarks, ‘It’s no claw off, I'll take my oath, sir,” | of death in a remarkable degree, for a man answered Elliot, with great earnestness. | of his daring life. ‘“Your appearance and the manner you! ‘Gentlemen, if you act upon what I have have come on board, leads me to the belief | said, you will take undue advantage of a poor that you have some intelligence of import- | devil,” he said, with a sort of hysterical ance. Follow me to the cabin. But first | laugh. get a jacket and put on.” ‘*Silence, sir!’ said Captain Stewart. The state-room of Miss McDonald, as well | ‘‘ What shall be done with him?” as that of her father, and that of Captain| ‘If you arrest me, gentlemen, you will Stewart communicated with the central or | lose what I know, and which you will be glad main cabin by means of doors, the upper | to know, Captain Lennox. art of which was composed of Venetian | of Lafitte’s lieutenants.” linds. Miss McDonald had retired to her | state-room a moment or two before Elliot | peradoes are concealed?” demanded Captain came on board. She had closed her door | Lennox, eagerly. but a few seconds when she heard Captain | mission to get a pair of bracelets upon one of | “Then you have done murder,” said Gen- | ‘*Can we com-. He had the fear | } ’ It is about one | ‘‘Do you know where any of these des- | 23 ‘‘“You remember the Sleuth Hound, then?” ** Yes, sir.” “‘And how dare you ship on board of her? This is impudence enough to hang you!” said COaptain Lennox, angrily. ‘* Pardon me general, and Captain Stewart, but the fellow’s audacity warms me. | have said if I could catch one who was in that action, I would be willing to turn priest ever after- ward, and now the villain is here, I am for- bid to lay hands on him!” ‘*You shall have one of far more impor- tance, sir,” said Elliot, with sparkling eyes. ‘‘Does your honor remember seeing in the action, a young officer very busy in giving orders?” ‘*'Yes—a youth in a blue jacket?” ‘‘He was Lafitte’s lieutenant. He raised him in his cabin, and set everything by him; and he was as brave us a lion.” ‘* | remember him perfectly.” ‘‘ Well, he has now got to be a young man of one-and twenty, and is organizing a band out of the old fellows of Lafitte; and he is bold, skillful in piracy (from being so well trained), and having money at command, he finds it easy to raise a crew, especially as, | to Lafitte’s people, to be under him is almost “| would give my com- | Lennox enter the cabin and call up Captain them chaps. I owe them all a grudge for | Stewart. beating off the Sleuth Hound.” ‘What is it?” demanded the latter. ‘It is of one of his officers I was to give: “A man by the name of Elliot,” said the | you information,” answered Elliot, feeling former, speaking in a low tone, ‘‘that was | himself now quite secure. shipped in Havana, and who left the brig at ‘Give me such information as will enable the count’s, has just come on board in a | me to capture him, and you have my word ’ shore-boat, and he says he has some news of that we will make no inquiries into your own | importance for you and Ito hear. I have | private affairs.” thought it best to let him overhaul his news; ‘ And will the other gentlemen give me and ordered him down here.” _ their word?” Captain Stewart got up and entered the cabin. Elliot came down at the same mo-'| General ment with a look but half-assured, yet im- glances. pelled onward to his purpose, by his thirst ‘* Even if I had been one of Lafitte’s men for vengeance, at the remembrance of what myself?” asked Elliot, still doubtful, he had gone through. General McDonald ‘By the sword of Lucifer!” exclaimed appeared, being sent for to the deck by Cap- Captain Lennox, warmly, ‘the rogue is then tain Lennox. _one of that pirate’s fellows! I would have “Well, Sir Runaway,” said Captain Len- | sworn it from his countenance! Gentlemen, nox, as Elliot stood before them with an air ought we not to arrest him?” half-timid, half-audacious, ‘‘ we are now pre- ‘You have given me your word,” said an ao hear what you have to say. Out, Elliot, trembling, yet speaking with a bold with it. The pirate hesitated; glance at each of the faces bent sternly and his intimation,” said General McDonald. inquiringly upon him and for a moment his , ‘‘ The man is, without doubt, one of the pi- heart failed him. | rate’s former crew; but as our information “We wait, man,” said Captain Stewart, | comes from his own voluntary confession, impatiently. we cannot harm him.” “Well, gentlemen,” he said, in a husky ‘‘ Not unless he gives us better game,” an- tone, ‘‘ what I’ve got to say is a matter of swered Captain Lennox, looking as if he was life and death. It’s a yard-arm affair,” he « ready to fasten his grasp. ‘‘ See that you do added, trying to Impress them with the im- | it, or I will make an ear-ring of you to the ortance of what he had to say. larboard foreyard-arm, forshipping on board “That I'll be sworn, if you had anything | his majesty’s gun-brig.” to do with it,” answered Captain Lennox, ‘‘It is true, gentlemen, I served with La- laughing. fitte, and after he was pardoned by the Unit- This remark was by no means encourag- | ed States Government I quit him, as he was ing to Elliot considering the circumstances; | going to turn his arm against England, and he colored between fear and rage. He which, as I am an Englishman —” saw, however, that the other two gentlemen ‘That pardon is not recognized by the seemed to be more interested by what he British Government,” said General McDon- had said, and to them he looked as he con- ald, sternly. tinued: ‘“« ‘nd so being an Englishman,” said Cap- “It’s a hangin’ matter, and as I am in tain Lennox, sarcastically, ‘“‘ you would not some sort implicated, before I confess any- join the Americans. Tell that to the marines, thing, I must have your promise not to harm , Elliot! You know you have helped massa- me for what comes of my own confession.” | cre more than one English crew. By Hea- ‘You are bold, sir,’ said General Mc- | ven! I don’t know what prevents me from Donald. ; | swingizg you at the yard-arm at once. Go ‘“‘T cannot risk my life for nothing,” he | on!” said, with some impaticnce. ‘‘I possess, | ‘“‘T left him, as I said, and shipped in the gentlemen, information which you will be | Mexican service, I have been roving about lad toknow Butas I can give it only by | from one place to another since, till I ship- implicating myself, 1 must be silent unless | ped in this brig in Havana. You wouldn’t you are willing to give me your word that | | harm a poor devil for wishing to be honest, shall not suffer.” | and serving under his own flag?” he said, The three officers interchanged looks; a artfully. word or two passed between them in low | ‘‘ Well, what have you to say more? Why tones, and then nodding to each other affirma- do we find you coming aboard the brig ina tively, Captain Stewart said: _shore-boat? “Why were you missing?” de- ‘It seems that you possess the knowledge manded Captain Lennox. of some crime important for us to know; ‘Well, gentlemen, this is what I was and that you have obtained this knowledge coming to. When 1 was with Captain La- by being an accomplice. What this crime fitte, it was in the Gertrude, and—” is we are of course ignorant. But we give ‘““The very vessel I fought, gentlemen,” you this promise that if your information is said Captain Lennox, in an excited manner. really of importance to the Government you ‘‘So, villain, you were on board of her, and shall be unmolested.” doubtless in the very action!” Elliot reflected a moment. ‘*Yes, sir.” McDonald, after <== <a | | | cate. ‘‘ Yes,” answered Captain Stewart and exchanging | tone, stole a doubtful | *“We cannot in honor avail ourselves of | like old times come back again.”’ ‘The very youth | was speaking about to-night, gentlemen,” said Captain Lennox. They nodded in reply. “This is news,’ said Captain Stewart. ‘*Do you say he is organizing a crew?” ‘Yes, sir, and is now in treaty for a ves- sel.” ‘“‘And where is his rendezvous? How know you this?” demanded Captain Lennox, rising from his seat. “That is what I was about to communi- I have your promise, gentlemen, to be unmolested?” he asked, hesitatingly, ‘* Yes—most assuredly, if you give such information as will place this young buc- caneer in our hands,” answered Captain Stewart. ‘““Then I will hold nothing back, gentle- men,” said Elliot with great appearance of candor. ‘‘ This is the whole story: In Ha- vana is another lieutenant of Lafitte’s, by name Ricardo, a skillful seaman, but not a man of education like the other. Between the two a secret correspondence had been kept up for some time in relation to gettin once more on the ocean with a good dec beneath their feet. Ricardo was to collect a crew in Havana, and the other was to fur- nish money to purchase a vessel. Well, three weeks ago Ricardo had got his crew all told, and then sent to the other to tell him that a Baltimore clipper was there for sale in port, and that if he would come with the money he could purchase her low. He was to have the command, and Ricardo to be first lieutenant. I was to be second.” ‘*You!” exclaimed all three gentlemen. ‘*T promised to tell the whole truth, gen tlemen.” | “Out with it then, in Heaven’s name, anc ease thy conscience,” said Captain Lennox. ‘‘ The messenger sent by Ricardo was my- self. Hearing that the Sleuth Hound was bound for New Orleans, I shipped in her.” ‘‘A pretty shipment I made of you. But where is this young pirate chief’s retreat— New Orleans?” ‘You shall hear, sir. I shipped and came up the river, having a chart of the land in my eye, and found when we anchored that I was not far off from my man. We pulled up tothe villa, and while I was in the boat he came to me, expecting me; but, as the coxswain was in the stern, he did not speak, but passed oe, At the grave we met again, and there ‘‘ Avast, there!” cried Captain Lennox, who had been pacing the cabin with a very excited step, now turning full upon the sailor, ‘‘ was not your pirate the young man —the young count?” ‘* Yes, sir!” ‘‘T have it! The puzzleis solved! That's where I saw him! It was in the action with the Gertrude! It is the same.” All this was spoken with rapidity, and in the most extraordinary tone of energetic ex- citement. ‘‘ What means it?” exclaimed General Mc- Donald. ‘‘ How, Lennox! You don't say that—” ‘‘T do say, though, that the young man on Gomicbooks- co