Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 346 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

be ; ' ; re on the life-raft a burst of mocking laugh- ter. . ‘‘Holy Virgin protect me!” Smuggler Queen, while Irving sternly: 3 “What heartless wretch can laugh on such a night?’ roaned the randt said CHAPTER IX. THE WITCHES’ ISLE. Tue small anchors which Irving Brandt had taken the precaution to put on the raft, were thrown out; but they did not hold, and were dragged rapidly shoreward. Nearer and nearer the shore the raft ap- proached, until the midshipman saw that the shock must soon come, and said: ‘“‘It will be a rough landing here, but we must free ourselves from the raft, and try it.” ‘““Must [ again owe my life to you?” hoarsely said the woman. “Oh, no! for you are a superb swimmer, I noticed, and can reach the shore; but you had better follow in my wake.” ‘“‘Ha! there is that strange light again. ‘Is it a warning for me not to accept life at your hands?” ‘If so, what warning does it give to me?” coolly asked the youth, ‘‘It warns you not to save my life,” was the quick response. ‘Well, warning or not, I'll not have your death on my hands, if it isin my power to save your life.” ‘*Better not help me, boy, for you have heard my vow, and I will keep it.” The youth made no reply to her threaten- ing words, but after a moment said: ‘‘Come, we must leave the raft.” Without hesitation she obeyed, and the two sprung into the sea, for the raft was al- ready in the surf. . Rapidly they were driven shoreward, the midshipman keeping close by the side of the woman, and watching for the best place to land. Suddenly he saw Rita throw her hands above her head and utter a ery. Instantly he seized her, and found her a dead weight in his arms, ‘Ha! that piece of timber was dashed against her,” he cried, as a piece of the wreck touched his hands, Then he made a bold and giant struggle for life, and though buffeted about, submerg- ed, and hurled forwaid with fearful. force, he reached the shore at last, and dragged himself and his burden beyond the cruel fury of the waves, | A few stunted pines grew upon the bank near, and thither he carried the woman, ex- hibiting a strength one would not have be- lieved he could possess. | Laying the slender form down he knelt by her side to see if she was severely injured, when she said faintly: ‘“T am all right; but something struck me and knocked me breathless.: ‘You have saved me again!” ‘‘ There was not much saving, for we were tumbled ashore together in fine style; but, . as you are all right, I will see if I can drag the raft out,” ‘‘And I will help you,” and the woman, whom he had believed seriously hurt, sprung to her feet and followed him down to the shore. The raft was there, and’ going to pieces; but the two dragged it ashore and managed to save the things lashed upon it. These were borne up to the shelter of the cliff and trees, and then the woman sunk down, utterly worn out, while the youth set to work gathering wood, and soon had a pile of fagots ready to light, when the Smuggler Queen called out: ‘* What! do you intend to light a fire?” ‘Yes, for I have some tinder and flint here in an oil-skin bag, and in this little ra- vine you can find a safe retreat, while I get together the things from the raft.” ‘But the light?” ‘“ What light?” ‘‘ The one we saw.” “Oh! I don’t mind that; and we need to ny. our clothes and get some rest.” he fire soon blazed up brightly, and the midshipman unrolled some bedding that had been securely wrapped up in oiled canvas and thus had kept dry. Some clothing for both had also been thus Lr LLL LLL mmm smmmenneeatiiaseserseeeeaeeceeeeececasasasasaasaaaaaasaaaaaasaaaaasaaaacsccasaascacccacamacassasaaaaal Ocean Guerrillas. 7 _--—- oe kept from getting wet, and the Smuggler | was almost paralyzed with terror, and utter- Queen threw some dry wraps about her and | ing no remonstrance she was led_ swiftly lay down to rest. along by the youth. Utterly worn out she sunk to sleep imme- ‘Where are you going?” she gasped, as diately, and Irving Brandt at once, walked | they sped along the sandy shore. noiselessly away from the fire. ‘‘Anywhere, so that we can place. dis- ‘“‘T don’t like that light myself; but I will | tance between us and what I saw back yon- see who held it,” he muttered, as he went up | der.” on the bank and stood glancing over the | ‘‘ And what did you see?” island. | ‘‘Do not ask me, but hark to yonder It was a wild, rugged spot, rolling here | cries!” and there, high in the center, and clad with; ‘They are the despairing cries of men, a growth of stunted trees, mingling with the baying of hounds and He had landed at one end of. the island, shrieks of night birds, and marked the spot where he had seen the |. ‘‘Oh, what does it mean?” said the Smug- weird light, so thither bent his steps, gler Queen. Fear the youth did not know; and yet, in ‘It means that this is indeed the Witches’ those days of superstition, especially among Isle— JUHa! see, a boat! a boat!’ those who followed the water, he could not | They had suddenly come upon alittle cove, but feel a certain dread of the spot where it | or inlet, narrow and deep, penetrating the was said witches had held their haunt for island, and there before them was moored a years, boat. Following the curve of the shore, he went | It was painted white, not large, but of a slowly along toward the point where the light | build that showed it to be a surf-skiff, and had been seen. the youth quickly aided the woman into it, ‘They say that no one ever sets foot on | and sprung in after her. this island and lives, unless he comes here to But not an instant too soon, for as he grasp- consult the witches as to the future. _ed the oars and shot away from the shore, ‘They also say that pirates land here to | two, greenish lights were seen coming like ask the curse of the witches upon their pur- | wind along the beach, directly for the spot suers, and to get charms to protect and give which they had just left. | them luck. | ‘They are bloodhounds, and they carry ‘Some say,’ went on Irving Brandt, mus- | those green lights about their necks,” ing aloud as he walked, ‘‘ that a vessel was | said Irving, and he bent to his oars with driven on here long years ago, and all souls | vigor. | . perished excepting one woman, a witch whom Watching the hounds, they saw them they had on board in irons, and were sending | halt at the water's edge, and then give vent from England to exile to America, as they | to long, deep howls of disappointment and did not dare kill her, rage. : “This old witch willed it to wreck the| The shricks and howls back in the ravine craft, and she alone, im irons, lived, and still | had now ceased, and.only the baying of the lives here, it is said. two huunds could be heard, mingling with ‘‘ Well, L'1l soon know just what power the | the roar of the surf. old hag has,” and then he came to a sudden | Down the inlet the youth urged the skiff, halt, for up a ravine some distance off, was | which began to toss upon the waves as it visible the same weird, greenish light. | neared the sea, and for some time no word ‘*There it is,” he muttered, as he turned | was spoken; but the woman broke the si- | | | into the ravine. lence with: It was a cut leading back into the. island, ‘What does all this. mean?” and had evidently been washed by the rain torrents seeking an outlet in the gulf, Following the ravine the boy Kept his eyes upon the light, It was now stationary, and had a pale reen halo about it that he could not account or. But, with that light in sight, he was deter- mined to know just what it meant. A walk of a couple of hundred yards brought him to a clump of pines, before which, mas! feet away, arose a cliff. In this cliff was a cavern, and the light came from within, and what it revealed filed the middy with a fecling of horror. On either side of the cavern, which had ev- idently been dug into the earth, stood a ghast- | ly sentinel, for they were skeletons. before them, : Around the edge of the cabin was a fresco “Yes, it is safer in yonder wild seas than of human thigh-bones crossed, and with a | behind us,” was the significant reply, and grinning skull alternating, the center-piece | the midshipman headed the skiff directly for pene a huge owl, the wild breakers, . : ithin the cavern was suspended thelamp | On and into them went the frail boat, that cast forth such a bright, greenish glare, | tossed here, tossed there, half-filled with wa- and its rays fell upon a scene that caused the | ter, and then emerging in safety info the sea midshipman, brave as he was, to quickly | beyond, which was rapidly running down, turn and fly from the ghastly sight, while, | for the storm had ceased and the waves no as he darted away, a burst of mocking laugh- | longer sprung in angry fury toward the sky. ter was heard and then the deep bay of | Bailing the boat out as best they could, bloodhounds as they rushed in hot chase the youth again took the oars and rowed upon the track of the mortal who had dared | hard and fast, as though anxious to place as place foot upon the Witches’ Island. —_— —. -—- CHAPTER X. ADRIFT, ‘*Heaven only knows.” , ‘«Do you intend to remain on the island?” ‘Not for the world,” “Where will you go?” ‘Out into the Gulf.” “*Tn this boat?’ | ‘Yes, for it is a surf-skiff and will live.” “‘T am so glad to hear you gay so, for I would not put foot on that worlds,” earnestly said the Smuggler Queen. “Nor I, for I saw enough to feel that it is indeed the hatnt of witches, if not of devils, and I fled back to you, not Knowing where we could go, or what to do to escape. ; ‘* But we are safe now.” ; ‘“With yonder surf before us?” and the Smuggler Suen pointed to the walls of feam island before dawn. : Thus hours passed away, Irving Brandt keeping up a steady stroke, and refusing to allow the woman to relieve him at the oars, ‘‘Come! for the love of God! we will be | At last the dawn appearcd, and the wo- torn to pieces if we remain here—hark\” | man was as'eep in the bottom of_ the skiff, Such were the words that broke from the | worn out, human nature having forced her lips of the young midshipman, as he dashed to succumb. ary into the ravine where lay the Smuggler Casting his eyes around the horizon, Ir- Queen, asleep. ving discovered the island leagues away, His words were startling enough, and she | and, even in the increasing light of day, awoke in alarm, to suddenly hear shriek | shuddered as his eyes fell 8 i the spet after shriek filling the air. where he had seen such a ghastly spectacle. There were heard voices then, human, The hulk of the Vulture could not be seen, brute and bird commingling, for wild cries | so he knew that it had gone to pieces. in the tones of despairing men joined in| Then, turning his eyes in another direc- with the deep growls, fete savage yelp, of | tion, he started as they fell upon a sail. hounds, while the hoot of an ow] and startled | It was a trim-looking lugger, not very far netes of a sea-hawk added to the fearful distant, and it carried a flag which he could chorus, ‘not discern distinctly, but it had a sable look In spite of her nerve the Smuggler Queen in thet dismal gray light, and those were (EC) (ECO AMUCE LOCOS) CS ~~ sland for. much space as possible between him and the _