Beadle's Dime Library No. 341 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

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Wie Oe oe 4 14 _—- Here, Duval, pay this man what he considers his smack worth.”’ “She is worth a thousand at least,” as- sured Walter, anxious to make out of the pirate all that he could. “And the cargo, you forget?” put in the skipper, with an eye to business. ‘Yes, I had forgotten that,” answered Walter. ‘Will two thousand dollars pay you, Walter?” ‘ Yes, captain, it will just about cover the loss.” ‘“Then pay him that sum, Duval.” “ Ay, ay, sir!” responded the pirate lieu- tenant, who acted as paymaster of the out- law’s vessel. ‘‘T will claim nothing, Master Rupert, if you will only let my friend go free wit. us,” said William Walter, as the lieutenant hand- ed him the bag of gold containing the sum agreed on. ‘‘l pay you because you once served me well, and | release you for the same reason. “Tt isnot my habit to pay out, but to take, and you may consider yourself in luck, for neither is it my way to spare life but to take it. ” ‘And you will keep the student on board?’ ‘“T certainly shall.” “You will not harm him?” ‘‘T will carry out the sentence of the law upon him. He was doomed to die upon the gallows, and I will pass sentence upon him of another kind, and be merciful.” ‘‘T thank you for that, Master Rupert,” said Walter, while Frank Shields stood silent and stern, looking on. ‘‘ Yes,” continued Captain Morte. ‘‘I will allow him to take his death in his own hands and walk the plank to perdition.” All started at this terrible sentence, and though Frank Shields was horrified, not a muscle of his face changed, and his bright, fearless eyes met those of the pirate chief un- flinchingly. “Good God! you will not do that cruel wrong, captain?” cried William Walter. ‘7 will! and I now sentence him for the second time, and my sentence is that he shall this night walk the plank. ‘Duval, put that man in irons until he is wanted,” and so ordering the pirate captain left the desk, while William Walter and his unfortunate companions stood aghast at the fearful sentence that had been passed upon the poor student after his escape from a fate that could not have been worse. CHAPTER XXI1Y. THE JEW PEDDLER. A wrx passed away after the capture of the smack by the Winged Witch, as Captain Morte had named his vessel, and the little seaport town that had been the scene of so rouch excitement of late had not yet quieted down. The fact is, the remarkable escape of Frank Shields from jail had put the people in a fer- ment, and the greatest effort had been made to find some trace of the prisoner, but with- out effect. The jailer had told his story of how an officer of the navy had come with a prisoner, who had been so violent that he had been placed in the death cell. This the others connected with the jail, and the driver of the vehicle, had corroborated, while the little craft that had brought them ‘into port was boarded and her crew arrested. All they could say was that the supposed officer had chartered them at a seaport up the coast to bring him and his prisoner there, and had paid them well for the work. A note was found in the cell, which read: “IT regret to abuse the hospitality of even a jailer; butit is necessary under existing circumstances, for I have determined that my friend, Frank Shields. 2 pom sentenced to die, shall not perish on the gallo ws. ‘) ‘An expert with tools I let myself, my bogus pris- oner, and the real one, out of this jail, and no pur- suit need be attempted, for we will not be found.” There was no signature to the note, but it told the story of the escape, and, all the cir- cumstances taken together, it cleared the jailer of complicity in the escape, in the minds of the officials, who could not really blame him for being taken in so cleverly, though many of the townspeople, temem- bering the bribery case of \ illiam Walter, ee a cL i The Sea Desperado. could not but think that his successor was in the*secret. As Frank Shields had certainly escaped, without hope of recapture, the affair became a nine-days’ talk, and then the gossip turned upon the pledge that Helen Hayward had made to become the wife of a pirate. All well knew that Rupert Mortimer, bold as he was and reckless, would not dare to come to claim his bride, and wondered how he would communicate with her. Every effort had been made to meet him, should he run his vessel irito port, and | cruisers were running up and down the coast | in the search for him, going south as far as | the Delaware, and north to the Kennebec. It was hoped most devoutly that some of | the searchers would come up with him, for | not only were there nearly half a score of | American vessels-of-war on the hunt, but | several English cruisers in those waters had | joined in the lookout. | As the pirate chief had said that Helen | would hear from him when the month went | by, it was certain that he expected to be on | hand at the time, and that he had not left the | coast was known, as there were vessels com- | ing in almost daily that had been overhauled | and robbed by the daring pirate. These vessels reported the brig as possessed ———S— rr ee, Some days after when alone in her room her maid, Lucy, came and whispered out- side: ‘Tt is me, Miss Helen.” Opening the door for her Helen saw that Lucy had something to tell, for her manner was mysterious. _** What is it, Lucy?” she asked. ‘*A man is in the Sea View Arbor, miss, and wants to see you.” ‘““A man? Who is he?” “A Jew peddler.” ‘“ What does he want with me?” ‘He came to the house and worried your mother nearly to death to buy some of his wares, and she left him in disgust, after tell- ing him to get out; but he would not go, and she sent me to tell him if he did not clear out, she would send foraconstable. I told him, miss, and he said, in a whisper: ‘‘ Joost tells Mish Helen dat I must speak mit her at t’e arbor vat looks over mit t’e vaters,’” and Lucy mimicked the accent in a way that made Helen smile in spite of her distress. “T know of but one Jew that could wish to see me that I can remember of, and it cannot possibly be that one,’ said Helen, thoughtfully. ‘Miss Helen, it is my idea that it isn’t a of phenomenal speed, carrying canvas suffi- | real Jew,” whispered Lucy. cient for a vessel twice her tonnage, armed heavily and manned by a large crew so that it was very evident that Captain Morte felt it in his power to run away from any vessel too heavy for him to fight, and to make a good fight if driven to it. ) And poor Helen Hayward? I hear the reader ask. She went about her home, white-faced and calm, but it was evident that she suffered more than eye could see, and anxiously asked her father when he returned to his home to meals if there was any news of the capture of the pirate. ‘‘ No news.” This was his invariable reply, unless it was varied by a story told by some incoming ves- sel that had suffered at the hands of the buc- caneer. When Mr. Hayward had made known to Helen the escape of Frank Shields, it was at the breakfast-table, when a messenger from his officer brought him the news. ‘‘Thank God!’ exclaimed Helen, and burying her face in her hands she burst into tears. Her mother, a cold-hearted, ambitious wo- man of the world, said severely: ‘‘ Helen, what do you mean?’ But her father haa not the heart to scold her, and gently led her to her room. ‘Do you know aught of this escape, my child?” he asked in a tone of kindness. “Why do you ask me, father?” she an- swered, in a distressed tone. ‘‘T have noticed that you have had a Mew of late who was a stranger to me, an ee | ‘Father, you need ask ne no more, for I will tell you frankly that I did aid in the es- | cape of Frank Shields. More I will not tell you, and, but for you I would not now be pledged to become a pirate’s wife, but be | happy with the man I love; so do not cen- | ' sure me more, and do not let the oa | know that I saved poor Frank from the gal- lows, for it will do no good and only bring» more sorrow upon your already unhappy daughter.” Mr. Hayward was deeply touched at her wretchedness, and amazed that she had in such a masterly manner released the con- | _ could hear you.” demned prisoner; but he said, simply: ‘‘T will keep the secret, Helen, but I am | | _my heat break mit a stick, maybe.” happy that you did not fly with him.” ‘‘Tt would have been better had I done so, | than become what I have pledged myself to be,” she said, bitterly. ‘¢ And you really mean to keep this foolish ag to that dastard buccaneer?”’ ce O. ”) ‘‘T will never permit iv!” ‘‘Tt depends upon me, sir, not on you. _the house and reporte A sacrifice was demanded; I made it, and Iwill you.” live up to my pledged word, for he trusted | Helen started, her face flushed, and she said, hastily: ‘‘Find out where my mother is, and if I can leave the house without her seeing me, and I will go and see this Jew peddler.”’ CHAPTER XXY. THE MASK REMOVED. . Lucy was gone but a few moments, and then returned to report that Mrs. Hayward was dressing to go out visiting, doubtless to learn all she could of the gossip floating about the town, and in which her daughter’s name was so often mentioned. “Then you must go to the Sea View Arbor, for fear the man may go away, as mother will take some time to get ready.” ‘* What shall I tell him, miss?” ‘Say that I am detained at present, but will come as soon as | can.” Lucy slipped quietly out of the house on her mission, and found the Jew peddler waiting patiently in the arbor, and consol- ing himself by smoking a pipe. ‘Ah, you vas t’e gurral, Lucy,” said the Jew, with a smile. “Yes, I vas Lucy t’e gurrul,” said the pert maid, mimicking the Jew’s accent. “Vell, you vas a pretty gurrul, mine young fri’nt.” ‘‘1t vas more ash I can says for you, mine Bh fri’nt,” responded Lucy, with a serious. ace. “Dat vas so,” resignedly remarked the Jew, while Lucy added in her natural tone: ‘‘T told Miss Helen.” “Ah, dat vas good mit you leetle gurruls, ant I vas gives you somedings from my ack,” ‘‘T don’t believe you have anything in our pack worthy of my acceptance,” and ucy turned up her nose, ‘Dat vas maybe so; but vat did Mish Haywards say?” ‘That you were to remain here until she came,” ‘* Maybe she don’t comes.” ‘“Yes, she will be here as soon as her mo- ther leaves the house.” ‘Te olt ladys vas a tigers, don’t she?” Lucy laughed heartily and replied: ‘‘T only wish t’e olt ladys, as you call her, ‘Vell, I don’t vas vish so, for she makes. ‘‘ Maybe she would; but you wait here for Miss Helen,” and Lucy hastened back to to her young mis- tress that her mother was just starting off in the carriage and that the Jew was waiting in the arbor. , ‘| will go at once, and you come into the garden, Lucy, to be near if I should need So saying Helen left the house, and, ac- in my word and released me when he had companied by Lucy, walked toward the Sea. me in his power.” With a deprecating gesture Mr, Hayward left the room, and Helen remained alone, re- fusing admission to her mother’s knock when | she called to see her, View Arbor. ‘You wait here, Lucy,” she said, as they passed a rustic seat neara bed of flowers, and then she glided on to the rendezvous with the peddler. 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