Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 346 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

oa 2 seg - ‘ *, ‘ ~ —* Ee oes ows eee Sg ew ~ > _ <2 3. ee ~. a Pyas ta * Re ee _—-— | > * ~ a 7 - - - < nee‘ re: -- a Se ge Sr See * a ~* + ” Wad y)- -_ . a a oom ¥ ? ‘ - a "4 > 7 a? be m ’ : * L* a - * will kill you, vow has been registered to do so..” ‘hand yet upon her heart, her right the knife she had so nearly driven into the broad breast of the youth. ly. exhausted, when suddenly the daring middy arose on a wave so mear. But that one was the Smuggler Queen, and beheld him words, uttered viciously: ‘Ha! you here, Sir Miday? Then I have joy in seeing you die with me!” — ‘““No, I have come to save you, for I can- not see you die while I have the power to rescue you,” he shouted back to her, and put out his hand as though to grasp her. But instantly she threw herself back, while she raised the small knife, which she had drawn from her bosom, and cried sav- agey, ‘*Boy! murderer of my father! do not touch me, for rather than owe my life to you, I will drive this blade into my own eart!’’ As the woman hissed forth the words, a curling wave struck her full in the face, and, stunned by the blow, she went down beneath. it. But Irving Brandt had seen the wave com- ing, and diving, had avoided its shock, while at the same time he grasped the woman. firm- ly in his arms. Then came the jerk as he reached the end of his rope, and for an instant he believed | | | —_——— sss that it would give way; but it held firm, and | lashing the woman, now wholly uncon- scious, to him, he began the gigantic act of dragging his weight and hers back to the wreck, Inch by inch he made his way, his hands blistering and bleeding, as now and then a wave would force him backward; but at last he got under the lee of the ship’s sides, reached the reef, crawled upon it, and then over the buws to safety, dragging the wo- man after him, and then falling breathless and senseless upon the deck. Thus the two Jay for some moments. Then the woman awoke to consciousness, and seeing her position, with the midship- man’s arm about her, she sprung away from him, as though he had been a snake, and dropping upon her knees a few feet distant, clasped her hands and cried piteously: -‘*God in heaven! Lowe my life to him! ‘‘ Yes, he has saved me/ the murderer of my port father has saved the life of his chil ;, ‘‘Oh God! the thought is terrible, to owe it that I live to that boy. ‘But is he dead?” She gazed in breathless earnestness upon the limp form of the youth, and then said: ‘‘No, no, it cannot be that he is dead thus. _‘**No, no, not when I have lived that I may kill him and thus avenge the past. ‘‘Tia! he moves! he lives! and right now can I drive tis knife to his heart! right now ‘can I get my revenge!” Upon her knees she now crawled toward the prostrate youth, her right hand grasping her little dirk, her left pressed hard upon her heart, as though to still its beating. Nearer and nearer she crept, until she bent over the youth, her hand upraised. Then she shrunk back, still upon her knees, and cried pitifully: ‘‘No, no, Iam no coward to strike at one ‘who is defenseless. ‘1 will bide my time and another time I idshipman Brandt, for my As the woman spoke the youth suddenly assumed a sitting posture and gazed about ‘him, and then upon her. The winds still howled, the waves still roared, one every now and then bursting it- self over the stern of the wrecked ship, and rushing forward with irresistible fury. The woman still crouched near, her left rasping In a moment he seemed to take in the sit- uation, and said calmly: ‘Are you angry because I saved you?” ‘Yes; why did you not let me die, rather than owe my life to you?” she said, bitterly. ‘‘T would not have let even that mutineer ee erish, could I have saved him, and certainly not you, a woman.” | ‘‘Boy, how came you on this ship?” abruptly asked the Smuggler (Queen, as though angry at the pobleness of his nature. ‘‘ | came on board as a passenger, to go to Mobile.” Ocean Guerrillas. —SESES_w aa ‘“To dog my steps?” ‘‘Oh, no; for I knew not what had become of you, after the night I put you in my car- a ery escaped her lips as for the first time she | riage to send to the city, until I saw you in near her, and then came her | the Vulture’s cabin.” ‘‘Do you mean this?” ne aflie's ‘‘T have not seen you on board.” ‘‘No; 1 kept my state-room after seeing you,” ‘Then you were watching me ‘*On the contrary, I did not care to meet you.” ‘Did you fear me?” ‘“‘Had I dome so, would IT have allowed you to go free from the lugger, come to your rescue when those mutineers drove you to the rigging, and risked my life to save youa while ago?” ‘“‘No, you surely do not fear me,” she said, musingly. “ Why should I?” “‘ Have I not vowed to kill you?” ‘Oh, yes; but you will think better of that.” ‘‘ Never! for I here, on my knees, upon this storm-swept deck, with God’s anger rag- ing about me, swear to one day take your life, boy,” and the woman raised her hands upward as though calling upon Heayen to register the fearful vow she made. CHAPTER VIII. AFTER THE STORM. To the woman’s vehement vow against his life, Irving Brandt made no response, but rising to his feet, and still suffering from his violent exertions, he walked as far aft as he dared, to note just how long the wreck would last. Rita remained where he had left her, crouching beneath the shelter of the wind- ward bulwark, and her eyes upon the youth, whenever a flash of lightning enabled her to see him. ‘The wreck will soon go to pieces under this fearful thumping, and then it will be another swim for life, with the chances all against us,” he muttered, as he felt the tre- mendous shocks beneath his feet, as the hull rose and fell upon the waves. . ‘Every boat has been torn off; but a raft might be made, if that stubborn woman would help me. “The island lies yonder, dead over the bows, and if we could make the raft fast, let a& wave sweep it over the reef, we could then swim to it and take our chances at reaching the land. “Well, I can but try her.” Walking forward again, the midshipman halted near the woman and said: ‘“You certainly do not wish to die, do you?’ ‘*No, I wish to live for revenge,” was the quick retort. ‘‘ Well, whatever your motive may be, lady, if you are willing to help me, I believe we can save ourselves.” ; “Save yourself, boy, and leave me to my ate,” te No, I can save myself only with your aid,”’ es How 9” ‘The hull is pounding itself to pieces.” “‘T- hear that,” ‘‘It cannot last more than a couple of hours at furthest, and together we can build a raft.” ‘Of what?” ‘‘There is ample rope in the hold, and the state-room and cabin doors, with a few extra spars below decks, will serve our purpose.” “The raft will not go against this sea,’’ ‘*We can launch it, made fast by ropes and watching our chance for a high sea, let it go over that reef. | “Then we can swim to it, and, if I re- ©)? t member right what reef we are on, it is only a league to the island.” ‘ You area brave youth and I wish I did not have to look upon you as my foe,” she said, softening a little. ‘Well, for the present we must work as friends. “Will you help me ?” a ‘Then you tie the spars together as I bring them up on deck.” The woman arose and followed him to the spot amidships which he selected as_ the place to launch his raft, and the work was begun, both working harmoniously together, but in silence, except it was necessary for one or the other to speak. In less than an hour the raft was com- pleted, and a stanch affair it was. Then Irving Brandt seized an ax and be- gan to cut away the bulwarks, while the woman. made the raft fast to the bows with long ropes. At last the opening was made, and then provisions were brought from below and lashed on, and a huge wave, flooding the decks, bore the raft off upon its bosom, and thus on over the foaming reef right through the breakers, The ropes tightened with a loud twang, and then Irving cried gleefully: ‘“Now we must go, for so far all has worked well.” “You go first.” ‘No, I will not leave you,” firmly re- sponded the midshipman. ‘Tam a good swimmer.” ‘‘It matters not; we go together.” There was something in the youth’s man- ner that commanded obedience, and seizing a rope she lowered herself over the bows, down upon the reef, where she stoed waist- deep in water. Instantly Irving followed, and said sim- y: ‘Now come!” A wave, larger than usual, came sweeping along, and rising upon its crest, they were swept clear over the reef. | ‘* Look out for the raft, that you do not strike it too hard!” cried Irving, and a mo- ment after he grasped it, and throwing his arm about the woman, dragged her on board. She shrunk from his touch, but unheeding her act, he quickly severed the lines, and the raft drove shoreward at a terrific pace. Watching with the lightning flashes the midshipman soon beheld the and ahead, and cried, as he caught a fair view of its outline: ‘It is as I thought, the Witches’ Isle; but we can land, though not without danger.” ‘Tt is said that the island is haunted,” re- marked the woman, with a shudder. ‘Well, if it is not now it soon will be by us,” “Do you not believe in witches, boy?” angrily asked the woman. ‘‘No, nor in ghosts; but I have heard many ne fi stories told of yonder island by men who I do not think would inten- tionally deceive me,” answered Irving, who though utterly fearless, was yet not wholly free from the superstitions that ruled that age, when our revered ancestors were most- ly firm believers in spooks and witches, the evil eye and mysterious charms. — Suddenly, as the raft went driving shore- ward, there came a mighty crash astern, and Rita cried out: ‘That ends the ship.” “Yes, she has gone to pieces; you see that we were none too soon in leaving,” was. the cool reply of the midshipman. ‘And again 1 owe you my life,” was the bitter reply. ‘‘ And will again, unless you are a bolder swimmer than I think, for hark how the surf beats yonder on the island.” ‘* Yes, it is too wild for the craft to land.” ‘‘Then we will anchor until the sea runs down, for you see | brought a mud- hook.” “Yes, you have your wits about you in danger, that is certain; but see! there is a light upon the island!’ and the Smuggler ueen pointed to a pale-green light that was. visible dead ahead. ‘‘It is doubtless a ship’s green lantern; some one is there before us.”’ ‘*But who?” ‘* Perhaps the mutineers.” “They were in the rigging when the crash came and were swept with it into the sea, so could have no lantern.” “True; then I do not know who it is.” ‘‘Perhaps it is the witches’ light, for see how green it is.” ec es.” ‘Boy, we are doomed,” said the woman, aa th he youth made no reply, but kept his eyes fixed upon the strange, weird light. Suddenly it moved to and fro, then in a circle round and round, and then began to dance up and down, while right in the face of the storm came to the ears of those two GomiGcneo “ <S