Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 346 — page 22: what you’re looking at

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

—. wl a eee a ie i> ‘ ' » < - ; t 4, P P nal ; — a se hate ae OEP , bie: oY. x, (FF < ee ee * ~~ = - 7) - - od 4. * ~~ ‘ uri ad “cary m« ae o Palafox?” 22 ‘Thus I drifted about as an outlaw, until, ashamed of my work, and for my child’s sake, 1 gave up the buccaneer life, hunted down the sea-rovers, and got a pardon for myself and crew. ‘Now you know me as I am; but I am not one to betray one who served me in out- law days, although you served yourself bet- ter than you did me, so I have never given a whisper that you were more than a money- lender.”’ ‘Oh, I knew you would never do that, Captain Palafox; but there is a balance due you in my hands.”’ ‘“‘T know it, and I want it, for it squares up my accounts with the past.” ‘“*T’ll pay it to you now; do you remember the amount?” ‘* Yes—seven thousand four hundred dol- lars.” “Right; but you are making as great a name under the American flag, captain, as you did under the black one.” ‘* Yes, and I shall make a greater one, and it will be an honest name. ‘1 do not seek to betray any of those whom | knew in my outlaw days, but all whom I catch upon the high seas I shall make war upon. ‘‘ Ah! thank you for this money, and here is raga in full,” This was written and given the money- lender, after the captain had counted the bills, and then he continued: ‘*Now, Rudolpho, I know that you are a good man at furnishing crews for red.work, spies for dirty work, and an assassin if need be, so I have come to have a talk with ou.”’ ‘‘Speak plainly, Captain Palafox,” said | Don Rudolpho, quietly. ‘*T shall, and not mince my words either. ‘*There is one family in this city that [ hold a deep interest in. ‘*T need not tell you that it is Colonel | Brandt, his son and daughter, and Mr. Brad- ford Carr, the young tutor, who so long rested under the suspicion of being a pirate. “Well, I do not intend that harm shall be- | fall any of those I have named, and I look to you that it shall not.” | ‘**To me?’ and the money-lender elevated © his eyebrows. ‘*Yes, to you, for whoever means them harm will seek your aid.” ““My aid?” ‘Don’t dodge, Rudolpho, for I mean) what I say, and I came to tell you to beware how you lend aid to any villain that intends harm tothem. . ‘‘The colonel is a fine old gentleman, but as weak as a drunkard where cards are con- cerned, and would stake his soul to win. ‘* He has been led into snares innumerable | and escaped; but don’t let any one urge you | ——_—-_______ to make Lim go wrong. ‘Again, Bradford Carr is a noble man, and he has suffered enough, and you must not help cause him more anguish. ‘Tle loves Miss Brandt, as she does him, and they are to be married before long, so don't put a stumbling-block in their way. ‘‘The young Planter Midshipman, Irving | Brandt, is pretty well able to take care of himself; but he does not wish to die from a knife-thrust in the back.’ ‘Why do you tell me all this, Captain - ‘* Because 1 know that you are interested in Barton Keys, the Sea Ghoul, and that his wife, the Smuggler Queen, looks to you to aid her in her wicked revenge. ‘If you can help her to get her husband’s neck out of the noose it is in, I have nothing to a“, “If you can, eluding all vigilance, help her cut a craft out, for him to again hoist the black flag, do so, for that is, in your busi-. ness, legitimate work. ‘ But keep hands off of the Brandts, or you make war with me, and, Rudolpho, you do not wish to do that.” ‘*No, captain, I do not.” “That is right, for if you do make war with them, I'll sacrifice you, by Heaven! ‘Now I have given you your warning, | and I have gotten my money, and I wi 4 leave, not to call again, Don Rudolpho, un- less you force me so to do,” The money-lender made no reply, and the daring man, whose deeds had won for him the name of the Sea I’ox, took his leave. Ocean Guerrillas. CHAPTER XXXVI. ‘** Indeed?” THE SEA FOX WARNED. ‘‘ Yes, and I know the craft they have CAPTAIN PALAFOXx had returned to the their eye on.” city sooner than he was expected back, and | ‘‘Ha! you are becoming interesting, my his suspicions were aroused that all was not | man.” going well for the Brandt family. ‘‘] know that there are those that are get- The mysterious disappearance of the Vul- | ting ready to cut a craft out and make a pi- ture, with Irving Brandt on board, he set | rate of her.” down not to wreck, but to capture, and he | ‘‘ How do you know this, my man?” was anxious to find out who had captured the vessel. He had his spies at work, and they report- ed that the colonel was playing cards again, and this Captain Palafox knew meant ruin to him. He was determined to ferret out all he could, and from certain things told him by his spies, he was confident that there was a crew being engaged for some secret work, and he was anxious to know just what this was. His visit to the money-lender was to give him a warning, should he be aiding any plot against Colonel Brandt and his family, and to also see if he could make any discovery that would serve him. Leaving the money-lender’s the captain re- turned to his quarters, changed his dress and appearance in a great degree, and then sought a handsome house in one of the most fashion- able neighborhoods of the city. In answer to his knock a servant appeared, and he said: ‘‘T would like to see my daughter, Miss Myrtle Marsden.” ow at the Academy the Sea Fox was leoked upon as a respectable sea captain of wealth, and, other than Irving and Maud Brandt, who had got her to go there, no one knew Myrtle Marsden, as she was called, as the daughter of a once noted sea rover. Entering the parlor the captain had hardly taken a seat when there came into the room one of those visions of beauty, a young girl just budding into maidenhood, which one now and then meets with in life, Graceful as a fawn, with large, lustrous eyes, golden hair and a form that was grow- ing into perfection of outline, Myrtle Mars- den was one of those girls whose character was as lovely as her face, and she had won the hearts of all at the school, from the madam to the humblest scholar. After a pleasant hour with his daughter, and in which the conversation was mostly about the Brandts, Captain Palafox Mars- den took his leave of Myrtle, whose eyes fill- ed with tears as she spoke of the Vulture so long unheard from, and upon which was Irving Brandt, for the young girl held a deep interest in the young midshipman. Leaving the school it was the intention of the captain to take a drive out to Brandt Mansion, when he was accosted by an old seaman, with gray head and hair, and the look of one who was in hard luck. ““I say, cap’n, excuse my hailin’ a man-o’- war, sir, when I’m nothing but an old coast- ing craft, but hain’t you the Sea Fox?” said the old sailor. ‘*] was once so called, my good man.” ‘‘T sailed under you, sir, some years ago. ‘“My name is Jack Doan.” ‘‘T don’t recall your face, my man; but I have had many a man under me in my day, and cannot remember all their faces. ‘*But you seem to have had an unlucky cruise, so here is a little gold for you.” ‘‘Cap’n, I thanks you, sir, and, as you shows the true sailor clean through, and hasn’t been sp’ilt because you carries a par- don in your pocket, I'll just tell you a se- cret,” ‘* A secret?” ‘** Yes, ~~ " ‘‘ What about, my man?” ‘‘About something you would like to know.” ‘‘Ah! well, out with it, and if it’s worth anything I'll pay you for it.” ‘Cap'n, it’s worth a good deal to a man to save his ship, hain’t it?” ‘Tt is indeed, my man.” ‘‘There is some bad men as follows salt water, and fresh water too, for that matter, in this town.” ‘Pll readily admit that.” ‘‘ Then there is a number as would like to take a good craft and go to sea in her, with the Py flag flying from their peaks?” se es,” ‘‘T know just such a lot of men.” ee ee ‘* From hearing.” vie gO > a ‘The plan hatched.” ‘‘ Where?” ‘‘In my lodging-house.”’ ** Aha! and the craft?” ‘Is the Sea Fox.” ‘* My schooner ?”’ ‘** Yes, cap’n.” ‘*Do you mean this?” “*T do.” ‘‘ Now, my old friend, as you haye told me thus much, I wish you to tell me more, and you shall be well paid, and here is a handful of gold to make your tongue run smooth,”’ The old sailor pocketed the gold, with many thanks, and then said: ‘You are gen’rous, cap’n; but it’s just like you, for you hain’t changed at all.” ‘But tell me what you know,” ‘‘ Well, cap’n, I has a number of ship- mates in my lod ig Rote and there has been a clipper-built fellow among 'em, with plenty of gold, getting ‘em to enlist for ser- vice at sea,” ‘‘Of course he didn’t want me, for I’m too old and shaky; but the lads told him I was square, and so he talked out before me,” ‘‘And he was enlisting men to steal my vessel?” ‘* He was doing just that, cap’n, and it is all to be done in one week from now.”’ ‘Then I will have time to look about me and prepare to receive them,” | ‘‘ Yes, cap’n, but there’s no hurry; and as you has been so generous to me before I told you anything, I'll just ship right now in your service, and pe back to my anchorage, and get all out of the lads 1 can; but you had better not show yourself, for if they thought you was in town they'd hardly try your craft, for they know you couldn’t be caught asleep. ‘It’s because you are away, or they think so, that they are after your craft.” ‘Well, Vll go to my quarters, and keep close, and I'll depend upon you, old ship- mate, to look after my interests, ‘‘Here is more gold for you, and if you get any news come to me at. once and I will pay you well, “Here is my address,” and Captain Pala- fox gave the old sailor the name of the inn where he put up. Then the Sea Fox walked on, saying to himself : ‘‘T felt that Lcould not be too watchful, for I knew there was more trouble brewing, and now to find it out and thwart them. ‘* My beautiful vessel, forsooth! Well, they shall not get her, that is certain.” But the old sailor was standing lookin after the Sea Fox, and as he disappeare around a neighboring corner, he muttered: ‘* Aha, Palafox, the reformed pirate, I felt that you would spoil all by your presence; but 1 have thrown you off the scent by put- ting you on your guard, and your pretty craft will be cut out this very night, while you are waiting for news from the old sailor. ‘Ha, ha, ha! Palafox, you well deserve the name of the Sea Fox, but Rudolpho, the money-lender, is your match every time,” and with a chuckle, the disguised money- lender walked back to his shop at a pace one would hardly suspect from one of his seem- ing years. CHAPTER XXXYVII. THE AMBUSH. As night began to cast its shadows upon the dark rolling Mississippi, and the Crescent City, the hearts of many began to beat more quickly for what might it not bring to those who were so deeply interested in the scenes that darkness was soon to cover. Colonel Brandt, in his elegant home, gave the order to his coachman to drive to the jail and hand to the keeper a letter which he gave to him, Then the planter nervously paced the JOO EGOmiic S ’ ; @ { @ Oo. ¥! oo ‘ t _ 9 = . al —" — ~ =