Beadle's Dime Library No. 341 — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

OE Ee ee ew ee os me and I will tell you what I wish you to el re mr art ae re ne + ne ee Ce —it— ee ee — — ; — 1 The Sea Desperado. Could she nave seen him, as he then lay upon a bed of suffering, grim, stern, and de- termined not to die, she would have felt hope that Death must claim him and thereby save her. He had fought his vessel well, and was steadily gaining a foothold upon the British brig, when he came face to face with her commander | Springing forward he had driven his sword | into the breast of Lord Stanwix, and then, as Lord Stanwix lay in his room under the he was about to urge his men to follow him, | care of his servant, for Helen was wont to believing that now he was the victor, the | take charge of the wounded man during the wounded Englishman had fired and Captain | afternoon, when he seemed to feel easier, Morte had fallen back into the arms of his | and she could read to him. men. He was improving slowly, and the doctors Revengeful to the last, he had fired his last had said that without any uufavorable symp- shot at his foe, as he was being borne from , toms coming on his recovery was certain. the deck, and saw that he had hit, and hoped | that he had killed his brave adversary. But, without their leader, the pirates were , out a summons to the front door. anxious to retire from the battle, and Duval} Knowing that no servant was just then at had quickly given the orders to cast off the | hand, Helen went to the door herself, think- rapnels. F The two vessels swung apart, and, crip- | of-war, or perhaps a neighbor. pled as was the brig, Captain Morte ordered She beheld instead a tall, uniformed man, her to be headed seaward as long as the Play- ful was in sight, and then to be put away with all speed fora secret retreat which he ‘* May I ask if Miss Hayward is at home?” knew upon the coast near by. he said, bowing low, and with a courtly Before dawn the Winged Witch dropped | grace that showed the gentleman. anchor in a small basin, the existence of | ‘‘Ilam Miss Hayward, sir; will you walk which few who sailed along the coast ——_ CHAPTER XXXII. THE PIRATE'S MESSENGER. Mr. Haywarp had gone down to his office, his wife was out on a usual round of visits among certain cronies, and Helen sat alone in the library engaged in reading, though, as her eyes often left the page be- fore her and rested upor vacancy, it was very evident that her thoughts were not upon her book. i that was attractive. in?” answered Helen, wondering who he | ‘* He lives, then?” ‘Yes; but he is sorely wounded.” ‘* Will he recover?” and the question came in a quick gasp. ‘Yes, I think so.” ** Where is he?” ‘“ With his vessel.” ‘* Rumor had it that it was sunk.” ‘You mean in the action with the brig-of- war?” ‘* Yes.” ‘‘She was crippled, lost heavily in her crew, and her commander was severely wounded, Miss Hayward; yet the Winged Witch still floats as dangerous and vicious as ever; but can you tell me the name of her plucky foe, and who her commander was, for she was a British vessel?” Presently a firm step resounded upon the | | piazza, and the heavy brass knocker rung | | ing that it must be some one from the brig- | ' with a handsome face that bore in it much | } f | i “Yes; it was his British majesty’s brig-of- war Playful, Captain Lord Stanwix Sedge- moor.” ‘Lord Stanwix Sedgemoor you said?” and the man was upon his feet, his face white, his form quivering. Helen was amazed at his sudden and un- expected excitement, and answered: ‘* Yes, so I said, sir.” ‘Lord Stanwix Sedgemoor commanded that brig?” ‘** He did, sir.” ‘« And his vessel is now in this port?” “ita? ‘““May I ask if he was killed?” and the knew, and the crew were set to work | could be and why he had asked for her in- | man spoke almost in a whisper. repairing damages and looking after the | stead of her father or mother, as he appeared wounded. to be a naval officer. In his cabin meanwhile, under the care of gery and drugs as he was in villainy, lay the | Dunmore, of the sea service.” wounded chief, and his men knew that his | life hung by a thread. Thus days passed, and a change came for the wounded pirate. ‘*T am better, Duval; I will not die,” he said, grimly, to his lieutenant. ‘Tl am delighted to hear it, Captain Morte, | as soon as Helen had done so. for I feared you had received your death-| ‘‘ Weare, sir, and may I ask why I am wound,” answered his officer. ‘honored with this visit?” and Helen began ‘‘No, I will not die yet, I feel, though it , to feel a trifle nervous. will be long before I am well. | ‘*] would like to ask of you the terms of ‘* Now tell me of the brig.” | your pledge given a pirate chief some time ‘‘She is in the basin, where you ordered | since?” ’ me to go just after you were wounded.” Helen had almost expected that it was ‘* And her wounds?”’ something in reference to the pirate that her “Were by no means as severe as yours, | Visitor had come; but at his question she sir, for she is all shipshape once more,’ | turned a shade paler and asked eagerly: ‘That is good, and the crew?” ‘Is that wretched man dead or alive, ‘“‘We buried fifteen poor fellows, sir, and sir?” have as many more between decks with ‘*To whom do you refer?” wounds that keep them down.”’ ‘‘'That sea robber, Rupert Mortimer, who ‘‘Not as bad as I feared; but that was a | is known as Captain Morte, the pirate.” gallant foe we fought, Duval.” ‘Ah! it was to learn from you all that ‘‘ He was indeed, sir, and he was an Eng- | you could tell me, of your pledge to him lishman.” that I came hither, Miss Hayward.” ‘* Yes, and had the captain not fallen he ‘*Do you come as an officer of the navy, would have given us more trouble, for he | sir, seeking to learn from me all that will aid was a desperate fellow, and as soon as I | you to hunt down that man, or do you come could I ended him; but I was foolish to fight | from Captain Morte himself?” asked Helen an armed vessel, and wish | had taken your | sternly, advice and run for it.” ‘Before I answer yvur question, Miss “It cannot be helped now, sir, and you | Hayward, I must ask that you promise me must now devote yourself to getting well, full secrecy in all that | make known to you, so do not worry or talk any more forthe and, should it be necessary that I should present.”’ | meet any one here, that you introduce me as ‘*‘One minute, Duval.” | Lieutenant Dunmore, of the navy.” “Yes, Captain Morte.” | ‘*This isa remarkable request, sir, if you “What is the day of the month?” are not that personage.” “The twentieth, sir.” ‘“My name is Dunmore, Miss Hayward, “ Ah! then I have little time to lose, and | and I am a sailor. as I cannot be on hand to keep an engage ‘*T have come to see you on a matter that ment, Duval, you must do it for me. deeply interests you, and I beg that you ‘*] will sleep now, but to-morrow come to | promise to follow my advice where it does _ you no harm. do. ‘Will you do so?” ‘‘Anything that I can do, Captain Morte, ‘‘Yes; for 1 wish this suspense ended, as I will.” | I begin to feel that you come from one who, ‘‘T know that, Duval, and this mission I | wicked as it may seem, 1 had hoped was send you on is one that is full of peril to you, | dead.” and which you must handle with gloves, for ‘You refer to Captain Morte?”’ there is a woman in the case,” and with a **] do.” smile Captain Morte closed his eyes to rest, ‘‘ And it is his messenger that I am,” was just as the Spanish surgeon entered and said | the low reply. ’ angrily: Helen started to her feet, her eyes flashing, ‘Captain Morte, there are ninety-nine though she was deadly pale and trembled chances to one that you die, and here you | violently. are, chatting away as though you were ata For a moment she seemed as though about dinner-party, and I must not have it any | to bound from the room, but her strange vis- more.” itor said calmly: ‘*Bah, Sanchez, you will be hanged be- ‘* Sit down, please, Miss Hayward, and fore I die,” was the reply of the pirate cap- | hear what | have to say. tain, and his surgeon winced under the re- “It -t be better than you expect.” mark, She sunk into her seat again and gasped: to enter, which he did. ‘* Pardon my intrusion, Miss Hayward, but I come to see you upon a personal matter that I do not care to make known to others. ‘‘ Are we alone?” he said, seating himself ” *") } | a cc anna ‘No, sir; but he was dangerously wound- ed; had he not been, it is believed that Cap- | ‘‘Tam happy in meeting Miss Hayward, | tain Morte’s career would have been ended his Spanish surgeon, a man as skilled in sur- | and will introduce myself as Lieutenant ere this.” ‘‘Poor Stanwix! I hope he may re- Helen bowed and again invited her visitor cover,” said the visitor, as though speaking his thoughts aloud. ‘‘The surgeon says that there is every hope for him, sir, and when I saw him half an hour ago he was certainly looking better.” “You saw him half an hour ago?” asked the man in amazement. ‘* Yes, sir, for my father had him brought to our house, and his room is just across the hallway.” The visitor seemed almost shocked at this news, to judge from his face, and took several quick turns across the livrary and back, as though he was pacing a quarter- deck. Suddenly stopping before Helen he said in a low, earnest tone: ‘‘Miss Hayward, what you tell me sur- prises me deeyly, and in my heart I hope that Lord Stanwix may recover.” ‘“You know him then?” He started at the question, but said, after some hesitation: ‘‘T knew him long years ago; but let us speak now of yourself, for, as I told you, I come as a messenger from Captain Morte, the pirate.”’ CHAPTER XXXIII. A STRAW OF HOPE. \WonDERING at the emotion shown by the visitor at the mention of the name of Lord Stanwix, Helen was recalled to her own wretchedness by his remark that he was a messenger from Captain Morte. ‘“You said that Mr. Mortimer was severely wounded?” she said, by way of bringing the subject at once to a climax, ‘* Yes, and seriously.” ‘* And he sent you to me?” ‘ He did.” ‘* For what purpose?” f Lh made him a pledge a month ago?” ce i oi “'The time is up.” See,” ‘‘ And he is unable to appear.” ‘‘ Well, sir, what is to be done about it?” coldly asked Helen. ‘Tt will be months before he is himself again, Miss Hayward.” » ‘And must I suffer suspense all those | months?” she asked, wearily. ‘You pledged yourself, as I understand it, to become the wife of Captain Morte, if he released a vessel he had captured, her pas- sengers and crew, and touched not a single dollar’s worth of valuables?” ‘1 did, sir.” ‘* You sacrificed yourself for them?” ‘‘T did, for it was very evident to me that Captain Morte intende hanging one of the party, whose daughter is my dearest friend. 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