Beadle's Dime Library No. 341 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

t - : nl . Se ey -. on e—™ him, to keep off, as they believed, an evil spirit from the deep. Recognizing the voice of their chief, they put their hands to better use than crossing themselves, and soon had him in the boat. «« Now give way with a will, lads,” was the order, as the pirate captain took his seat in , the stern and seized the tiller-ropes. Away went the boat, straight for the brig, over the bulwarks of which hung the mate, anxiously looking for the return of the one who had promised him a treat. ‘‘ Well, messmate, | am ready to have you go aboard with me now, and if 1 don’t give you some of the best liquor you ever put in ke mouth, you can set me down as a land- ubber,” said the pirate captain, as his boat ran alongside of the brig. ‘*Ay, ay, I'll be with you in a second. ‘** Here, bo’sen, hold the deck until my re- turn,” and the mate went with alacrity over the side, and dropped into the pirate’s boat. ‘‘Give way, men,” said Captain Morte, and, as the boat moved off, he continued: ‘*You see how wet I am?” ** Yes.” ‘‘T made a misstep and went off of the wharf; but here we are, and you are wel- come on board.” The mate followed the pirate into his cabin, little dreaming of going into a tiger’s den in that peaceful harbor, and sunk into an easy- chair, while he gazed about him with con- siderable admiration at the elegance of every- thing around. ‘‘ You have handsome quarters here, cap- tain?” ‘‘ Yes, the craft was built for a privateer, and my owners bought her for the service they wished to put her in, and so left every- thing as it was.” ‘‘ What trade are you in, captain?” ‘‘ The free trade,’’ was the laconic reply. ‘‘ What is the free trade?’ ‘Taking cargoes wherever I can get them.” “Ah, yes, running the coast for cargoes from port to port?’ | ‘Yes, that is about it; but here is some of roy best liquor, and I do not wish you to be modest in drinking it. ‘* By the way, you might take a bottle or two back with you to your vessel to your captain.” ‘*You are very good; but I do not think he will return for a day or two, as they in- tended to push the pirate hard.” ‘‘T hope they will; but did he take all of his crew with him?” ‘All excepting myself, the bo’sen and four seamen.’ ‘‘ Well, you don’t need many men on board in port; but excuse me a moment,” Captain Morte left the cabin, and going on deck he said to his English lieutenant: “Puval, order eight good men into the ‘boat alongside, two at the oars and the others lying in the bottom so as to be con- cealed. ‘“When ready come into the cabin and run that fellow through the back with your sword as he sits at the table with me ” ‘‘Captain Morte, like yourself, I do not care to strike a man in the back, so let me get your boat ready, while I call Senor Riaz to do the red work you wish done,” said the lieutenant. ‘‘As you please, Duval,” was the indiffer- ent response of Captain Morte, as he re- turned to the cabin and took his seat at the table with his victim, The mate was already beginning to feel the liquor he had drank, for he had lost no time during the absence of the pirate, and said in a maudlin tone: ‘‘ Now let me sing you 4 song, cap’n, one that smacks of salt water.” ‘‘T would be delighted to hear it, sir, so take a bumper of this wine and begin,” was the cool reply. The doomed man dashed off the glass of wine, cleared his throat, and was just be- inning his song, when his words rung out into a shriek, as a slender blade was driven through his body. Grasping the point of the weapon as it rotruded from his breast, he tried to force it back out of the wound; but a firmer hand held the hilt behind him, and a sinister, dark face smiled at the act, while Captain Morte suid in a tone of perfect nonchalance: ‘*The senor must die, for my lieutenant’s The Sea Desperado. | blade is through your heart, and he is more | 5 after, while his vessel and her prize were than delighted to give you your death- | swiftly standing seaward Captain Morte was wound.” sailing alone in his little boat, back to the Calmly in front of his victim Captain | town where he had passed his boyhood days Morte sat as he spoke, an unrufiled expres- sion upon his face, and one hand toying with his glass on the table, the other daintily holding a cigar. With a groan, the poor man sunk forward upon the table, breaking the glasses in frag- ments, while Captain Morte said calmly: / in honor, to bring disgrace upon his riper years by crime. Up the silent harbor went the little boat until she ran in toward a dilapidated pier which Captain Morte knew that few persons frequented. Landing, he furled his little sail, and mak- ‘You did your work like an expert in as- | ing the boat fast, proceeded to the Mess- sassination, Riaz.” mates’ Anchorage just as dawn was break- ‘Thank you, senor,” was the cool re- | ing. sponse of the lieutenant, as he withdrew his | The bar of the inn opened always at an sword from the body of his victim and left | early hour, to accommodate thirsty souls the cabin with the air of a man who had done a deed that was most agreeable to him. CHAPTER VII. CAPTAIN MORTE'S TRIUMPH. LEAVING his murdered guest where he had fallen across the table, Captain Morte went on deck and found the boat and crew await- ing him. ‘Riaz did the work well, Duval,” he said to his English lieutenant, who stood at the gangway. ‘T thought he would, senor, as he is a natural-born cut-throat,” answered the lieu- tenant, ‘‘ Now stand ready with the crew to get the vessel under way and follow the brig out to sea, for in ten minutes she will be my prize,” and Captain Morte went over the side into the boat, which at once headed for the brig. ‘‘Ho that boat!” called out the bo’sen, as he saw the boat coming alongside. ‘*Your mate drank too much liquor and we are bringing him on board drunk, and the captain sends a bottle for you,” was the re- ply of Captain Morte. “Your captain is a gentleman, messmate, to get the mate drunk and send me a bottle. ‘Come alongside, and I'll stow the mate in his bunk and the liquor I will drink to the health of all your crew,” and the unsus- pecting boatswain stepped to the gangway to suddenly fall dead from a blow on the head when a cutlass fell with terrific force, held in the hand of Captain Morte. A seaman forward, leaning half-asleep against the capstan was the next victim, and descending stealthily into the steerage the re- mainder of the brig’s crew fell victims to the red work of the pirates. ‘‘Up with that anchor, lads!” came the or- der from the pirate chief as he stepped to the wheel, and as half of the men manned the capstan, others began to set sail, so that the captured vessel was soon moving through the waters. Hardly had she left her anchorage wien the pirate craft in her wake began to follow, and silently the two vessels glided seaward, the bold act seen by no one who suspected the daring deed of the pirate in their very midst. Once out of the harbor and Captain Morte hailed his own vessel and ordered her to come to, at the same time bringing the brig up into the wind. Taking a boat he boarded the schooner, and after receiving the congratulations of his officers, he said: ‘Senor Duval, I wish you to board the brig and take charge of her, while Lieutenant Riaz will command this vessel. ‘You are both to sail to Smuggler’s Inlet, on the coast below, and there arm the brig with the armament of this vessel, which I will then set fire to and burn, for she is getting pretty well used up.” ‘‘And you, Senor Captain?” ‘1 shall return in the dinghy to the town.” ‘‘You run a great risk, sir.’ ““So I did to-night, yet got through all right, thanks to my lucky star. ‘‘But I have some work to do there, and, as soon as it is attended to, I shall join you at Smugglers’ Inlet. ‘Should anything cause you to leave there keep in the vicinity, for there I will come to search for you.” ‘*] will obey your orders, senor.”’ ‘‘T know that, Duval, for I trust you fully knowing that I can do so, though you are a little tender-hearted for a man who sails un- der the black flag. ‘* But now I must be off, as I wish to reach mere LLL, LL the town before dawn,” and ten minutes | i ee — after a night of debauch, and Captain Tom had just thrown open his doors when the pirate chief stepped up with a pleasant good- morning. ‘‘ Ho, Master Ru—” ‘“T am known as Captain Morte now, Tom,” was the quick response of the young outlaw. ‘‘ Well, it is a better name than your own to bear in these parts; but there is a pirate who floats it ‘oo.” “T am the one, Tom; but come, I want secret quarters with you for a while, and more, 1 want your advice and aid, so sur- render your bar to your pretty maid for a few days and devote yourself to me, for there is more Hatin? in it for you than you can make selling liquors in a month.” “I'm your man, sir, so come in at once and take a few hours’ sleep before breakfast, for I know you have not been abed during the past night.” ‘‘No, I have not; but I have done some good work, as you will doubtless hear before ong. ‘*But come, show me my room, and let me have the best breakfast you can furnish when you call me, which you need not do until nine o’clock, ‘‘Then breakfast with me in my room, for I do not wish to be seen, and I'll tell you what work I have ahead.” “T’ll do it, Mas— I mean captain, so come with me and I'll show you the best my house affords.” Captain Morte followed his host into the house, and soon was made comfortable in a really delightful room. Throwing himself upon the bed, he was soon fast asleep, seemingly unmindful of the pricking of a conscience, but happy in hay- ing triumphed in his unholy plot thus far, CHAPTER VIII. THE INSULT. Tue fortunate dent, Frank Shields, upon the scene, and his counted for by the fact that he always made it a rule to take a walk after several hours of hard work at his studies, and his steps natur- ally led him toward the home of the one whom he so dearly loved. He saw Captain Morte enter the grounds of the mansion, and wondered who he could be, and naturally his jealous mind asked the question: ‘Ts he going to see Helen!” He passed on toward the little promenade that overlooked the harbor, and soon beheld a man come out of the Hayward grounds, bearing what he at first believed to be a huge bundle in his arms. The man passed near him in the darkness». but did not see the student, and some uncon- trollable impalse led him to slowly follow him down the hill pathway toward the har- bor shore. resence of the young stu- — brave rescue of Helen Hayward, can be ac- . { ‘Surely he cannot be a burglar at this * | early hour,” muttered the student. And then, as he saw that the load was evi- dently no light one to carry, he said, half- aloud: “Tt looks as though it might be a human being he has in his arms.”’ All doubts on this score were soon set aside by the cry of Helen Hayward for help, as soon as as recovered from her swoon and recognized where she was. ‘¢Oh, God! I know that voice. ‘‘Tt is Helen’s!” The words broke hoarsely from the lips of the student, and he bounded forward to the rescue, With a result already known to the © reader. When he landed with the maiden, after JOO Geom (E gs) (E(0) 4 2 f —