Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 346 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

eatin pel A. Sg ER gS he es ——_ _ °°." 2 nll * 7 eS ee eee . - « . = = oo, Hee ee ee eg eee —— =<. , - ho ~.1 —_ -* é > se & — r . = ag & - + a ~~" : * : x a= ——s— ~ ee Aas a + = 7 - ‘ — —_—_ a ‘‘T recommembers you, young massa,”’ ‘“‘ Indeed! have we met before?” ‘* Yes, massa,”’ ‘“ Where?” ‘‘T has blessid mem’ry, chile, and I doesn’t forgit you, an’ I hain’t gwine ter, nohow.”’ ‘* Where have we met?” ‘* Does yer recommember one day when yer yacht, de Lady Maud, was anchored in de ribber fronting de city?” ‘‘ She has been anchored there often,” ‘‘Dis was special ’casion, massa, and you was on de deck, and a big ship run down leetle boat wid two ole niggers in it,” ‘‘ Ah, yes, I do. remember you now, for you are the old auntie I pulled out of the water.” ‘‘Truf! Gospil truf, honey, I is dat same ole oman, an’ | hain’t forgitted it nuther, ‘Yas, you did jump right inter dat mud- dy ribber, an’ you jist sabe my life and give me some money to git dry clothes with, and I remembers it.” ‘Well, it would have been better had I allowed you to drown, old woman, than to go to the bad and herd with outlaws.”’ ‘*’Tain’t so, chile, ’tain’t so, for L was a- herdin’ den wid outlaw pirits, an’ my ole massa’s. lugger were lying out in de stream den, an’ | was going ashore to market, when I got upsetted; but I must be going now, oung massa, and I wants you to recommem- ber dat I is your friend.” With this the old outlawed negress took up her lantern and dishes and departed, while Irving muttered: ‘My friend, yes; but what good now, here in this place, can the friendship.of that poor old negress do me? ** Alas, none!” Yet it was pleasant to feel that there was one on board the vessel who was his friend, and his thoughts turned then to the smug- giler lieutenant and he mused aloud; ‘‘Granger seemed to look kindly at me; but how he has fallen. ‘* Only to think that a short time ago Bar- ton Keys and Chester Granger were the reatly admired beaux at the Blue Anchor nn. ° ‘‘ Now Barton Keys is to die asa pirate, and Chester Granger is a smuggler, and I, I will doubtless be killed by the Smuggler Queen.” In her next visit to the prisoner the old negress was less communicative, and Irving could hardly get her to speak to him; but one afternoon she came in earlier than usual with his supper and said; “Young massa, I is going to let you go soon arter dark.” ‘‘Why, what do you mean?” asked the midshipman, with intense surprise. ‘‘ Well, chile, de lugger am a-runnin’ close to a island, and—” ) ** What island?” ‘‘T dunno, sah, but it am a very good-size island, an’ Missy Rita bab say that you swim like a.fish, and I intend to set you free, sah, git off dem irons, and you kin go quiet through de cabing, get out of de stern port, which am very large, and drop down inter de water, while de lugger am goin’ along, so nobody know not’ing about it.” “ But you will get into trouble, my good woman.’ ‘‘ No, sah, for I buses you terrible when I talks ag’in’ yer, an’ dey won’t neber suspect me, an’ if Missy Rita do ‘spect some ob de mens.and kills em, dey will be preci’s little loss, massa.” f This statement the youth could not contra- dict, so he said: ! ‘‘ Well, my good old auntie, I'll take the chances of the swim if you will set me free, and here is some gold for you.” ‘‘No, sah, 1 don’t touches your money, fer you done pay me already in sabin’ my ” life ‘‘ No, sah, I has feelin’,” and the old ne- gress walked off; but it was not long before she came running in greatly excited, and bearing in her hands a couple of pistols, while she cried: ‘Quick, massa, quick! for dere am a bet- ter way ter sabe yerself, sah, as dere am trouble on deck. ‘‘Heur am. de weepins, and I follers yer wid more, fer | doesn’t use ’em myself. - “JT hain’t got no key now, but. I guesses we kin git dis chain loose.” | With this she thrust a piece of iron, which Ocean Guerrillas. —— she had brought in with her, through ‘the ring to which the chains were attached, and uniting their strength they broke it. ‘*Now, massa, go: fer God’s sake and sabe Missy Rita,” cried the old outlaw negress, thrusting a pistol into each manacled hand, and then gathering up several other weapons which she had brought with her. ‘*@uick, sah, dis way, and I follers yer wid dese weapons,” W hat had happened Irving could not know; buthe certainly could not get himself into any worse trouble, so he seized the pistols and | hastily left the hold. | For a moment the light dazzled him, but clambering up to the deck, he suddenly came upon a scene which the reader has already witnessed, for it is the attack upon the Lady | Captain and her lieutenant by the crew of | the lugger. Springing forward, his chains dangling | about him, his dark hair waving in the wind, for he wore no cap, a pistol grasped in either hand, and the old negress, bearing a cutlass and several other weapons, close upon his heels, the Planter Midshipman shouted, in a voice that was stern and threatening: ‘* Avast there, mutineer hounds, and hunt your kennels, or I fire!” CHAPTER XIV. THE SACRIFICE. Hap a thunderbolt burst from a, perfectly clear sky, it could not have startled the crew of the lugger, and the Smuggler Queen and | Granger, more than did the appearance upon tho deck of Irving Brandt, the young Plant- er Midshipman, in his irons, with the old outlaw negress following him closely as a ‘‘ walking arsenal,” The youth was in irons, it was true, but still he was dangerous, for he held a pistol in either hand, and he looked the one to use them, while the old negress certainly was a dangerous reserve force, with her cutlass and armful of fire-arms. At the ringing words of the youth, the ac- tors in the scene on the lugger’s stern became, as it were, transfixed, and every one paused, forming a striking tableau for an instant as they gazed upon the midshipman advancing upon them. The mutineer ringleader involuntarily then released his grasp upon the Smuggler Queen, for he saw that one of the pistols coy- ered his heart, while the other seemed to be aimed at every one of his comrades, and Chester Granger found himself again free, So for an instant rested the scene, and again came the words: ‘To your kennels, hounds; the man that hesitates 1 kill!” ‘Say, young clipper, I'll not move one step for-—”’ The crack of the pistol checked the ring- leader’s words, and he fell dead at the feet of the Smuggler Queen. “Will you go now?” and the voice of the pape, aa rung like a bugle, and seizin the cutlass from the outlaw negress, and stil holding the other pistol, he began to advance, when, with an alacrity that showed their spirit broken, the smugglers rushed forward, keeping close against the other bulwark, to avoid getting nearer than possible to the one who had so promptly carried out. his threat. Then advancing, Irving Brandt stood be- fore the Smuggler Queen, who eyed him with a look that showed the intensest hatred. But Chester Granger spoke up quickly, and said earnestly: ‘‘Irving, we owe you our lives, and I feel that the Li dy Captain will now permit you to go free.” “Never!” and the word was uttered al- most with ferocity. Chester Granger turned upon the woman with surprise, and said reproachfully: ‘* Surely you will not consider him a pris- oner after this, Lady Rita?” ‘Yes, a hundred times yes, for he has saved my life before, and when he does so, it only serves to make me hate him the more.”’ ‘‘ Missy Rita, I hopes you'll let him go, for he awful good young man, an’ he do heapso’ good ‘for you jist now,’ said the negress, coming forward, and still holding the weapons, as she stopped by the side of the youth. ‘You do not ask for your life, sir?” 5 aa Rita, turning her burning eyes upon rving. “Tdo not humble myself to ask for what I know I will not receive,” was the haughty reply. ‘‘Ah! you know me, it seems, and-it is well you have no hope, for I will be merci- less; but yet 1 would like to hear you beg me for your life,” ‘* You will be disappointed, for that I will not do; but, did I so please, I have the pow- er here to force you to terms,” and he glanc- ed significantly at the weapons. The Smuggler Queen started uneasily, for she saw the truth of his words; but she said, in a voice that was hoarse with pas- sion: ‘‘ Use your power, and see if my iron will does not match your own, boy.” ‘‘ | have no desire to turn a weapon against a woman's heart, and I surrender myself again, trusting to you.” He held out the cutlass and pistol as he spoke, and Rita said chip fi ‘Granger, disarm him, for he is danger- ous, as we have just seen, even with his irons on.” With a sigh the smuggler lieutenant step- ped folwatt and took the weapons, while he remarked: ‘* Lady Captain, the crew may not yet be thoroughly tamed, so it would be well to free Master Brandt and allow him to remain in the cabin,”’ It was now too dark for the men forward to be distinctly seen, but they were grouped together, evidently discussing what had oc- curred, and the fate of their ringleader, who still lay upon the deck where he had fallen. But the Smuggler Queen was incorrigible in her hatred, and answered: ‘* No, he shall not again have a chance to aid me in any way, for we must part now and forever,” The lugger had swept up into the wind, when the mutineers had seized the Smuggler ueen and her lieutenant, and now lay to, rising and falling with the swell. The island was just visible from the deck, and upon it the eyes of the Smuggler Queen were turned. Realizing her intention, Granger said ear- i ‘You surely do not intend to carry out Bayt former intention, Lady Captain?” ‘é yy “But, Lady—” ‘‘ Silence, senor!” He obeyed; and turning to the midship- man the revengeful woman continued: — “‘Senor Midshipman, do you recognize that island?” ‘‘T do not know our locality, lady, and it is too dark to recognize its outline, if I have seen it before.” ae is the Haunted Island.” «< h!” It was all that he said, and if she expected to see him start with fear she was disap pointed. ‘‘T mean the Witches’ Isle!” ‘Yes, lady, I know it now.” ‘Tt is the spot we fled from.” “True, and it is well that we did.” ‘Ah! [am glad to hear you speay. thus; but now let me tell you, that you will have an opportunity of solving the myst zry of the Witches’ Island.” “Tl, lady?” ‘* Yes; here, Granger, take thes, keys and unlock his irons.” : ‘‘Ah, Lady Captain, it is kind of you,” said Granger, misunderstanding hex motive, ‘‘No, for if he went overboard he would drown with his irons on, while free of them he can swim, and I wish him to live and suffer yonder rather than sink here in the depths.” With a sigh Granger unlocked the man- acles, and Irving Brandt stood up no longer weighted down with chains. But the Smuggler Queen had taken the recaution to make the negress stand behind er with the arms, and thus keep them out of reach of the prisoner. ‘*Ho, men!” called out Rita, in a voice that she could throw from one end of the ship to the other, even in a storm, notwith- standing that her tones were soft and flute- like in conversation. The men started at the stern hail. What was to follow they knew not. Gomichboo cs Sera ~~ > . oe fi i fi p } 4 * . - . ? :