Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 346 — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

Te ee a tix —_ 1 -_ «— — cs a “ om . gel > gaa - —_— - | P38 4. =* ‘ "j Tee ° Ne -s a * el S OSe ox, ar, S > mer - mo a —— oS — ——— dna! > a” oe — —_ * ys - ae } -— Pa ‘ — Se _ ee alle 5 > Ocean Guerrillas. 24 “You drive on to the lake with Granger and the others, and I will follow.” ‘‘But he will know you.” ‘é Oh, no, Brandt.” “He is away, sir, dining with Colonel | underhand work, except by the leaders in the affair, and he had no idea of permitting the ‘That is too bad; but I must see the officer ; men on that vessel to know his face and not in this disguise; but in command,” and Captain Palafox entered ; afterward recognize him as Don Rudolpho, you go on, and, hy the time you get sail | the quarters of that person to find him dis- | the money-lender. on the lugger and the anchor up I will be cussing with several others the affair of the there. | strange vessel that had just gone down the “Here, my man, is a cool half-thousand | river. for you, so do your duty.” ‘‘It was my schooner, sir, for I was told Away the carriage started, bumping, rock- | she had been boarded, and rowing out to her ing, jolting, but h not breaking, and into | anchorage I tound her gone. the city it dashed and drew up at the Red; ‘‘I must at once start in pursuit,” said Anchor inn. | Captain Palafox. ‘* Here is the place.” ‘* You will have to await the return of the Out sprung the Smuggler Queen, and the commandant, I am sorry to say,” said the carriage dashed on, taking the road out by | officer. the old canal—to the lake-road, while Rita **T will at once seek him then; but, as it boldly entered the Red Anchor Inn and ask- | will be a foregone conclusion that I can take ed to see Captain Palafox. the schooner, please have her manned and gotten ready, so | can start at once on my CHAPTER XXXIX., return.” THE OHASE. ‘1 will do that, sir; and only wish I had CAPTAIN PALAFOX was pacing his room | the power to allow you to go now.” at the Red Anchor with some impatience. The impatient captain was already off, and He felt worried, for he had taken the deep- | his driver, under a golden souvenir, was est interest in Irving Brandt and Maud, and , dashing along toward the Brandt villa at the was constantly dreading that their enemies | full speed of his horses. would bring some calamity upon them. Suddenly the vehicle swerved badly, and Presently a knock came upon his door. | then came to a sudden stop. He was expecting no visitor, and sothought | Springing out, Captain Palafox found the that it must be the old sailor, come with | horses frightened, and the driver alarmed at news for him. | what they beheld in the road. In obedience to his call to come in, there | ‘‘It is the Brandt carriage, and the coach- entered the Smuggler Queen, in her disguise man and others dead. as a sailor. | There has been red work here, andsome ‘*Ah! my lad, have you gotten into the , strange mystery to clear up.” wrong port?” asked Palafox, pleasantly. | Along the road the vehicle again dashed, ‘*Oh no, sir, for | came to see Captain and up to the door of the villa, when Colonel Palafox.” Brandt, the naval commandant, and the ‘*T am the one you are after, ther.” others present heard what had occurred. ‘‘T came to tell you that, as Iwas crossing | Instantly all was excitement, and spring- the river a while since in my boat, and com- |! ing into the carriage with Captain Palafox, ing from visiting a messmate’s mother who | the commandant drove rapidly back to the lives on the yon shore, | saw a number of | town. boats row alongside of your schooner.” A halt at the jail told the story of the ‘‘Hal do you mean this?” excitedly cried _ pirate chief’s escape, and dashing on to the Palafox. | navy quarters, the commandant bade Cap- ‘‘ Yes, sir; and she swung off quietly from | tain Palafox to take command of the Sea her anchor, set sail, and started down the |) Ghoul and start in chase. river under a cloud of canvas.”’ With what officers and crew he could pick ‘* Great God! can the craft have been seiz- | up the Sea Fox set sail, and the béautiful ed?” cried the captain, hastily putting on his | schooner went flying down the river under a storm-suit. tremendous pressure of canvas, and several ‘Tt looked to me, sir, as though she had | hours astern of the nimble-keeled craft she been cut out by pirates, it was all done so | was in pursuit of. quiet ” But Captain Palafox was determined that ‘‘By Heaven, but it may be so. the Sea Fox should never escape him, and ‘‘ You have done me good service, my lad, | those who had cut her out should meet full and you shall have service, if you wish it, | punishment, while, believing that Barton with me.” Keys was aboard, he made up his mind in “I do wish it, sir.” case of capturing the schooner that he ‘‘Then come with me, and I— would string him up at once, and stand ‘‘Can I not join you somewhere, sir, for I | no more chances of his escaping. must let my mother know I am going?” Calling his officers about him, he told them ‘* That is a good lad—ever be true to your | to get the men at the guns, and in spite of mother and you will prosper. the darkness and rain he began to drill them, ‘Yes, come to the navy quarters with all | for he knew that he had a fresh crew, many dispatch, and lose no time, for I shall throw | of them hardy seamen,and very few of them on board of the schooner, Sea Ghoul, every having been in close quarters at sea. | man I can find there, and go at once in| For hours he kept this drill up, until he chase.”’ . | began to feel that he would have a chance of ‘“Tll be with you, sir, in less than an | making a good fight. hour.” When, with the daylight the schooner ran ‘**Do'so, lad, for in that time I'll be off. out into the Gulf, the lookout sung out in ‘‘And here, leave this with your mother | stirring tones: while you are gone,’ and the generous sailor ‘* Sail ho!” thrust a small purse of gold into the hand of “1 see her: it is my beautiful Sea Fox, and the disguised woman, and then the two left | fleet as she is she will have a bloodhound on the inn, the Smuggler Queen to hasten after | her track. a vehicle to convey her out to the lake, and ‘‘Crowd on the cloth, lads, for yonder Palafox to make all speed down to the navy | craft is our game, and we must run her quarters, down.” In the mean time, the Sea Fox was head-| The words of their captain, and his ring- ing her way down the river under a stiff ing voice thrilled the crew, and they answer- breeze. ed with a cheer, as their swift craft went She had passed the Sea Ghoul at anchor, | bounding along over the rough waters of the but not unseen, as all on board had hoped, | Gulf, in hot pursuit of the daring pirate who for the officer in charge had noted her clouds | had so cleverly cut the Sea Fox out from her of sail, and trim look, even in the darkness, | anchorage. and, moun not recognizing her, had felt that something was wrong, and so sent re- port to his superior ashore. He in turn went to report to the command- ant, to find that officer away, and so nothin could be done, and the Sea Fox disappeare in the distance. CHAPTER XL. THE MONEY-LENDER’S BOLD GAME, HrneG away in his state-room on the Sea Fox, the money-lender heard all of the move- ments overhead, felt the schooner swing apie 5 after, however, a vehicle dashed around from her anchorage, and lie well over up to the stucco wall, and answering the as she caught the breeze and darted down challenge of the sentinel on duty, a man. the river. sprung out and entered the yard. Now Don Rudolpho was a most careful To his query as to where he could find the | man. commandant, came the reply: He never allowed himself to be seen in any Hence he kept close to his state-room. He believed that Rita, the Smuggler Queen, was on board, and Carlos Mendez had come down and told him hastily in a whisper that the pirate chief, Barton Keys, had been killed. The next day it would be time enough to have an interview with Rita, and get Cap- tain Mendez to land them on a certain island, where already he had ordered a lugger to come for them. Once he could have Rita know that her husband was dead, and that he, Rudolpho, loved her more than all else in the world, he believed that he could win her affection wholly for himself. As for his presence on board, he intended that Mendez should let it be known to the crew that he had been seized and brought for ransom, and therefore he had with him manacles to clasp upon his wrists and ankles, if needed to carry out the idea fully. With a satisfied conscience he turned in for the night, and did not awake the follow- ing morning until he heard a voice ery out loudly and excitedly: ‘*It is the Sea Ghoul, by Heaven! ‘‘And she is in chase!” Quickly he sprung out of his bunk and rapidly dressed himself. He knew that the schooner was at sea, for he felt her bounding over the waves. He heard the rapid movement of feet on deck, and he knew that the men were crowd- — all sail. hen he heard the distant boom of a can- non. ‘Great God! the Sea Ghoul is in chase, and has crept upon us during the night. ‘‘Now to see Mendez,” and the money- lender stepped out of the state-room directly into the eabin. Going cautiously to the stern ports, he be- held the Sea Ghoul rushing on under a tre. mendous pressure of canvas. The Sea Fox was also staggering under the loads she was carrying, yet the pursuer was gaining upon the pursued—he saw that plain- Then he crept up the companionway and peeped out. he Sea Fox was fairly flying and carry- om she could stand under. wo men were at the wheel, and the re- . mainder of the crew were at quarters. Old Mendez stood watching the chase and seemed anxious, and just then his son joined him A whistle attracted the attention of the younger man, and he came hastily into the cabin. ‘‘ Well?” asked the money-lender. “It is not well, for the Sea Ghoul is fol- lowing us, and she is being handled so splen- didly that she is gaining rapidly.” ‘You will have to beat her off.” ‘Tf we can, yes.” ‘« She is in good range now.” ‘“Yes; but seems to prefer to board us.” ‘Why do you not fire from your stern guns upon her?” ‘‘We intend to, as soon as she comes near enough to make our aim certain; but in this rough sea it would be useless af this dis- tance.” “* And the lady?” d **She is not on board.” ‘*What?” “‘T asked the boatswain about her, and he says she did not come out to the vessel,” ‘‘ She was dressed as a sailor-lad.” “True; but she did not come.” ‘‘Great God! can this be so?” and the money-lender rushed through the cabin, ex- amining the state-rooms. Of course Rita was not to be found, and Don Rudolpho grew black with rage. ‘‘Remember, if the Sea Ghoul takes us, I was brought off for ransom!” he cried. Carlos Mendez smiled, and answered: «And you escape while we are hanged?” “Tf I escape I can get you out of prison.” “T doubt it; but I must go on deck,” and the young pirate left the cabin. Don Rudolpho was in despair. His plot had miscarried. The Smuggler Queen had not come on board. | : “Ta : os : % liane eee ~ c . + = ome _ . ee nine < ,- Ps GOMmicvpoo = (Sa