Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 346 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

<a 4 7 ria Sse TT - eae: nian Si gh. Ocean Guerrillas. 13 to have, I received only your inheritance of death. “I see; had I delivered the things intact, Lady Maud would have been the victim. “Trying to steal what I believed to be riches, I was to be the victim. ‘So, ho, my pirate captain, I am yet alive, and so is the Lady Maud. ‘‘Now, to see what game I'll play against you; but first let me get rid of that dead boy. Ah! he goes to the old attic until I can take him to the river by night, for no one must know his fate.” So saying, he entered the room once more. The scent of the powder yet remained to a slight extent; but, raising the body quick- ly in his arms, he bore it by a secret door up a winding stairs. For some time he was absent, and had just returned, when a knock came upon the door leading to the shop. Hastily he put away the package and bag in a little box, and opened the door. ‘““A lady to see you, senor,” said the clerk. ‘*] will see her in my other room, the sanc- tum, Bono.” ‘Yes, senor.” ‘* And send Denton to me.” ‘*] thought he was in the room with you, ssenor.”’ ‘*No; he is not there.” ‘*He is not in the shop, senor.” ‘‘Then look him up, for I want him,” and Don Rudolpho passed on to his sanctum, the ‘‘c rio’ ity-shop,” where he had articles of ot all kinds, and from all nations, and .* +C. them with red histories in their get- ting, ..r the Don's largest business was in the booty of the sea rovers. There he received the lady visitor, who, as Bono had told him, awaited his pleasure. GHAPTER XIX. ‘THE SMUGGLER QUEEN AND DON RUDOLPHO. As the lady visitor swept into the room, ‘the money-lender recognized her at once. ‘The Lady Rita!” ‘* Yes; I am back again, senor.” ;. And most delighted am I to see you, dJady. But what success?” said Don Rudolpho, eagerly. be Ben Ow] lies out in the lake, disguised as a coaster.” ‘‘ And is ready for action?” “* Yes.” ; “‘And why the delay in the Vulture’s reaching port, lady?” “The Vulture will never reach port, senor.” ; ‘‘Ha! what do you mean?” cried the Don, excitedly, and it was no common thing for him to be ruffled out of his usual calm demeanor. ‘‘ She was wrecked in a severe storm.” ““Wreeked! and where?” ‘*On Witches’ Island.” **On that accursed island? But what was she doing off her course?” ‘““We had trouble on board, senor, for the young man you sent in charge of the crew, to start the mutiny and seize the ship, did his work but too well for his own interest.” ‘*] do not understand yon, lady.” ‘* You wished all of the crew who would lo so to desert at the last moment?” ‘1 did.” ‘‘Xnd you had some of your own men near to enlist in the place of those who did desert?” ‘1 did.” “And over them you placed your young <lerk?” “I did nothing of the kind, lady, for I placed an old seaman in charge; but your words open my eyes to a mysterious disap- rere that of Perdido, my confidential clerk.” ‘* Yes, he was the one, and the old seaman you speak of was doubtless the man we lost overboard before we got out of the river.” ‘‘ Perdido then was the devil who deserted ‘me to further his own ends; but I listen with | pleasure to your story, lady.” ‘* Well, senor, it is soon told; but I believed that Perdido was the man you placed in «harge, and he was the one who got rid so ‘| up, and I put the boy in irons, an promptly of the one you did put over your crew. ‘* He also sought to kill me, for the jewels he knew that I carried with me, and he led | the mutiny; but there was a passenger on | board who barred his way.”’ ‘By Heaven! that midshipman.” ‘Trving Brandt?” to Ray ‘‘He it was. And you knew that he was going?” ‘‘ No, lady, I knew that he went from his father’s lips; but tell me of him.” ‘‘Well, Senor Don, your traitor clerk chased me to the yard-arm in a storm, and rather than that he should have triumphed, I would have sprung into the sea; but just then | the Planter Middy.,, who had pretended ill- ness and kept his state-room, appeared from below and brought matters to a different ter- mination. | ‘* But I will not tire you by the whole story; but simply tell you that pelos into the | sea, the ship struck, and all went overboard | except the midshipman, who had the good | sense to run into the cabin and thus escape the wave that washed the cecks. ‘*Coming upon deck immediately after he saw me off on the waves, for the lightning made the sea as bright as day, and attaching | a rope to himself and the ship, he sprung overboard and saved me, and I assure you | against my will.” ‘* He is a wonderful fellow, Lady Rita.” ‘* His wonderful career is ended now, Don | Rudolpho.” ‘* What, is he dead?” Unheeding the question, the Smuggler Queen continued: ‘*I was saved, as I said, and together we where again he saved my life. ‘* Worn out, I sunk down to rest in a ra- vine, while he went off to investigate a nom, green light we had seen upon the island. ‘‘ How long he was gone I know not; but he came back on a run, aroused me, and my ears were filled with unearthly shrieks, the | baying of hounds, and cries of night birds. ‘We fled along the shore, found a boat, and put out to sea. ‘The next day my own lugger peoree me sailed for my father’s old retreat.” ‘* After he had saved you, lady?” ‘Why not? Because he had saved me should | forget that he had killed my father? ‘*Oh, no! I did not forget it, and I had my revenge, shongh he again saved me, for on my way here | ran toward the Witches’ Island—” ‘‘It is said that a vessel thus stecring is doomed, lady.” ‘Yes, so the crew said, and mutinied, and they would have killed both my lien- ‘*‘ Not Argylle, lady ?” ‘**No, it is Chester Granger!” ‘What, that wild young planter whom Barton Keys lured to ruin?” ‘*] felt that I had seen him before; but pray go on with your story.” ‘*] would have been sacrificed with Gran- ger, had not the ara eae freed by my old negress, come on dec the mutineers off. ‘Then I got my revenge, for I ordered him thrown into the sea, so that he would only have the Witches’ Isle to swim to for safety, and his going there meant some hor- rible death.” ‘‘ After he had again saved you, you did this?” reproachfully said the money-lender. ‘‘T say, yes; but he sprung into the sea himself, and then we all saw a sight which the Holy Virgin deliver me from beholding again!” ‘“What was it, lady?” ‘* A small boat, the hull a coffin, a lantern on the mast, a crimson sail, with skull and cross-bones upon it, and the helmsman a skeleton |” ‘Great God! “*T did,” ‘‘T have heard of this coffin-craft being seen before, but set it down as a sailors’ yarn.” ‘* It is no sailors’ yarn, but true; for I saw armed, and driven You saw this?” | / | built a raft, and went on it to the island, | tenant—” ‘*Argylle?” | ‘Yes, only his name is not Argylle.” it, and fled from it, while the Planter Middy boldly swam to it. ‘‘ We saw its bows strike him, and then no more, for the lantern at its mast-head went out and all disappeared. ‘“As soon as we could collect our wits, we set sail for the lake-shore, and here I am,” ‘‘Lady, you astound me with what you say; but though I deeply deplore the loss of the Vulture’s booty, 1 rejoice at the fate of the traitor, Perdido, and at your safe re- turn.” ‘* And what of my husband?” ‘‘He is in prison, but goes on board a ves- sel-of-war soon.” ‘Then we must act at once,” was the stern response of the Smuggler Queen. CHAPTER XX. IN THE SPIDER’S WEB. Wit Colonel Rupert Branct gambling was a passion that took such a strong hol upon him that he could not throw off the , craving, or resist any great temptation toa . game of chance. Well he knew that he had been a loser from his youth, and a heavy loser; but he would still tide must turn in his favor and he yet win heavily. His pledges to his dead wife, his vows to his children, had all been given in good _ faith; but when he was tempted he forgot all his severe lessons, cast the remembrance of his pledges aside, and yielded. So it had been a few evenings before when an irresistible impulse made him enter the Palace of Chance, that fashionable gambling- hell that had lured many a man to ruin, and whose gilded walls had echoed with many a Rites which had ushered a despairing ife into eternity. his luck would He had an idea that change, for all had worked well of late for those of his name, as Maud’s lover, Bradford Carr, had returned, no longer stamped with the name of pirate, which his mysteri- | ous and suspicious departure had put upon him. Then his son, Irving, had captured the Smugglers of the Rigoletts, and had ‘receiv- ed a midshipman’s rank in the navy, while his old foe, Barton Keys, the Sea Ghoul, had been taken and then lay in prison. Certainly, with all these happenings for good about him, luck would 1ot desert him, argued ihe colonel. ’ e needed money too for some purpose, and not wishing to ask his daughter for it, decided at last to try his chances. But luck was not on his side, as he found out after a few hours’ play, for he not only lost the thousand he entered the Palace of Chance with, but left the place eight thou- sand dollars m debt to the keeper, who believed him, as others did, a man of vast wealth. This loss had carried him to Rudolpho, the money-lender,. who, also believing him a rich planter, loaned him the ten thousand, as the reader has seen. With this sum Colgnel Brandt again sought the Palace of Chance at the first op rtuni- ty, and paying the keeper his debt, was about turning away when he was asked: ‘“ Won't you play to-night, colonel?” ‘No, thank you—I do not feel just in the humor.”’ ‘* Perhaps you would be willing to oblige me, sir, with a little game, though I am un- acquainted with you?” olonel Brandt turned upon the speaker, and saw before him a mere youth, dressed in an undress naval uniform, and with a bright, handsome face. At any other time he would have thought it an impertinence for the youth to seek him ° out as a partner; but now visions of that note to the money-lender rose up before him, and certainly the young sailor looked as though he had plenty to lose, for a diamond of great value glittered in his black scarf, another, its one was upon his little finger, and the seal ~ Oo his fob-chain was encircled by a small for- tune in precious stones. Few people were in the salon, and believ- ing that fortune might favor him, the colonel yielded, and answered: *} will play you, sir, if you so will, and also do me ihe favor to carry our bets in mind, and not put up money on the table, as boo eom ‘S (E treasure up the thought that the . ' : : -