Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 369 — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

then they were told to step up to the table and write ‘“‘ yes” or ‘‘no,” and throw the slip in a box that was there. This each man did, and not a word broke the silence of the impressive scene. At last all had voted, excepting the officers, Captain Vernon and Mate Glendon, and the votes were counted by the former. ‘* Men, there is not a vote here that is not in favor of the death of the prisoners. The three men groaned, while Gaspard said. ‘* You will not dare to murder us.” ‘“‘This is not murder, Gaspard, as you know, for this League has its laws and must be governed by them. ‘You are guilty and you must die,” said Skipper Vernon, sternly. ‘You will not kill us?” ‘‘My poor man, | beg you to spend your breath in prayer, for you are to die, and within the hour, for so your doom is pro- nounced,” The skipper then turned to the silent circle of men and continued: ‘* Men, there are eighteen of you, I see. ‘‘Six of you are to be the executioners of each man, and three of your weapons are to be loaded and three unloaded, so that you will not know whether you fire the fatal shot or not. ‘* You are to be cool, take perfect aim, and fire at the word when I give it,” ‘*Glendon, you load the muskets and form the men in line.”’ The guns were then loaded, half with bullets, half with powder only, and the men came up in twos and took them. Then the prisoners were placed with their backs against the rocky wall, their piteous pleading for life enough to melt a stone, vet received in stern, grim silence by all whom they had wronged. In front of each doomed man stood six executioners, and all were ready for the word. ‘Skipper Vernon, for God’s sake give us another chance,” cried Gaspard. ** Your sentence has been passed.” ‘Well, you'll regret this, for I have written out everything for your daughter, and if we go not back, she will know all; but if you pardon me and let me go my way, I will never reveal the secret.” Skipper Vernon's face grew black at the man’s confession that he had written a state- ment to Madge, of the secrets of the League, and in a voice of thunder he shouted: ‘‘Ay, you beg for your life, but would see your two comrades shot, while you have struck at me after death, as you think, by writing to my daughter. ‘But see, you paid Silly Sam well to have him deliver this package to Madcap Madge, and he gave it to me, so you are thwarted in your last act of deviltry, while, what you have written here is a tissue of lies from beginning to end, and so is this second pack- age, which you wrote to the commander of the Scorpion, telling him how to find Ver- non’s Smuggler Retreat. “You are foiled, Gaspard, and the gold you have hoarded goes to your shipmates here! “Men, are you ready?” The wretched traitor groaned and dropped his hevl upon his breast. “Ready!” said the eighteen executioners, as one man. ‘‘ Aim at the heart—fire!”’ The muskets flashed together, and the reports commingled resounded iike a piece of artillery, while the three traitors fell dead in their tracks. ‘‘Glendon, on board the sloop I found the money of Gaspard, which he had been hoard- ing up in Boston. ‘‘ It amounts to a snug sum for each of the band, so divide it, ‘‘ Now I must. return, for I see there is a fair breeze springing up; but expect to hear from me soon. ‘‘Good-night, my comrades,” and the strange man walked away, rowed out to the sloop and said: ‘We will sail now, Melmer.” ‘* Yes, sir; for we have a good breeze; but is all over?” ‘‘Yes all is over, and you are second mate of the League in Gaspard’s place.” ‘‘T thank you, sir; I shall endeavor to de- serve the promotion,” and as Melmer spoke The Coast Corsair. 19— the little Madcap swung away from the large | week on that cargo of sugar; oh! here is a sloop, the freshening breeze filled her sails, | customer, and a stranger,’ and Mr. Bentlcy and she glided out of the secret basin in the | turned to the door as a gentleman was usher- island rendezvous of this mysterious band of | ed into his private office. men. | Hewas a man dressed in the hight of fash- _ion, with something the look of a fast man CHAPTER XXVIII. mrt ca bo my oe eee spectacles, . Ps ‘*Mr. Bentley, 1 believe?” i RS in arn ceene “Yes, sir, Jacob Bentley, the senior , partner of the firm of Bentley & Co., ship- ping merchants, sir, and wholly at your ser- ° vice; what might I call your name, sir?” ““My name is Kennard, sir, andI am @ sailor in search of a vessel.” ‘* Ah! but you look like a—” the old man He pursed up his lips, rubbed his spec- | caught himself, for he was about to say city tacles, and muttered to himselt several times. | dandy, but said instead—‘‘a city-bred gen- Just then a clerk came in from the outer | tleman, sir.” office, a man who looked to be the very one! ‘‘ Looks are often deceiving, sir, as you for such an employer. have doubtless found out.”’ ‘“ Vezey, I have a letter here from Doctor | ‘‘T have, especially in your case, sir.” IN a shipping office in the city of Boston, a man of middle age, wearing spectacles, and with the shrewd face of one who meant business in all his transactions, was seated, engaged in reading a letter that seemed to contain considerable interest for him. Brandon.” “Now, Mr. Bentley, I am, as I said, a ‘“Yes, sir, I recognized his superscrip- | sailor, and I wish a vessel for the Scuthern tion.” trade, so she must be fast and stanch, and yet be able to carry well,” ‘“*] see, sir. ‘‘A brig I have, that—” ‘*No, L wish a schooner, and I was told you had one laid up, that you might part with.” ‘The schooner is not mine, sir, but be- longs to one of my patrons, sir, and was built for privateering, but came out too late. ‘*T have just had a letter from her owner, asking me to send her to him to bring his family and furniture here, from his home on the coast of Maine.” “Indeed! that will prevent my getting the vessel.”’ ‘* Well, sir, she has to be fitted up first, and a crew put on her; but after the doctor arrives she will be for sale.”’ ‘‘ Who did you say owned her?” ‘* Doctor Brandon.” “Indeed! of Brandon Hall? An old friend of mine, who has the grandest home in the Kennebec country; but | had not heard of his intention to leave.” 7 ‘* Yes, he is coming here bag and baggage, for the wickedness of his son has broken up his mother’s health. “There isa great deal of wickedness in this sinful world, Mr. Kennard,” and Jacob Bentley sighed dismally. “There is indeed, sir; but if you have not engaged a skipper and crew, sir, | would like to offer myself and men, for I have a dozen fine fellows here under pay, and doing no work for it.”’ ‘““That is bad; but are you able to give references, sir, as to your ability as a skip- ‘‘ Doubtless; but he is coming to Boston.” ‘* Yes, sir.” ‘Not for a week, but to live.” ‘“* No, sir.” ‘““T say yes, Vezey.” “+ Ves... gir. Y ‘‘He wishes to have the tenant at once notified to leave the Milk street residence, and have it put in perfect repair.” ‘* But will the tenant vacate, sir?” *‘ Will your grandmother take snuff, Ve- zey? He must leave, for Brandon says so, and we are to give him his rent free, as an inducement, for the time he has had the house.” ‘‘T think I can arrange that, sir.” ‘Yes, I guess you can, with a bonus on our side of the ledger.”’ ‘* Yes, sir; but when does he come?” “‘ Within three weeks.” ‘*This move is sudden.” ** Yes, but his son’s acts, and death have broken up his mother’s health, and they all want a change.” ‘* Yes, sir: and Miss Joyce is coming too?” “Of course, but you hav’n’t any show there, Vezey, for she refused me a year ago, and you are certainly worse than | am in rey respect.” ‘Yes, Mr. Bentley,” and Vezey smirked. ‘But that is not ail, sir.” “No, sir, you are rich, and I but a poor clerk,” ‘‘l was not thinking of my riches and your poverty, Vezey, but there is another thing.” ‘* Yes, sir.” “You remember the schooner that Bran- | per?” don had built for a privateer, intending to ‘‘My dear Mr. Bentley, I can bring you arm and equip her, and then present her to | any numbcr of references; but come, | will his son as a privateer?” | buy the schooner, after a trial trip, if she ** Yes, sir.” suits me, and pay you cash for her. ‘“‘The war ended and spoiled that game, ‘Now, you go along, and let her trial and there the schooner has laid ever since.” | trip be up to the Kennebec and back, and ‘* Yes, sir.” I'll charge nothing for my services or my ‘“‘ He wrote me to sell her, some weeksago, | crew.” and now he says I am to ship a crew for her | Jacob Bentley saw here a chance to make and send her on after his luggage and family. | considerable money, so he said: ‘‘ He says the packet schooner would not ‘‘T eannot go myself, sir; but if you are run into the little harbor near his home, and | willing to take the schooner up there and he would have to haul his things many miles | back for nothing, you can do so; but of to the village, and so he will use the | course I do not wish it known that I allowed schooner.” her to go without recompense, as other sail- ‘*A good idea, sir.” ing-masters and seamen would not like it, as. ‘‘And then he says he will sell her as she | it would them throw out of a job.” will be in condition.” ‘‘T see, sir, and I-will give you a receipt in “* Yes, sir.” full for one month’s pay for myself and ten “Now he is to have a pilot there ready to | men.” } go off to her and run her in, whenshe arrives | Jacob Bentley was delighted, and his mind _ and signals, and he wants her at once put in | ran: 4 ‘Ten seamen at twenty dollars each, two | hundred, and seventy dollars for a skipper, making two hundred and seventy dollars Brandon will have to pay me. “lam driving a good bargain, but must — make other perquisites in this matter.” | Then he said aloud: | ‘‘Captain Kennard, I am going over to have a look at the vessel, and youcanac- © company me.” So the two went together, and the skipper _ was delighted with the craft, and suggested — a number of additional improvements. | ‘‘ All these cost money, sir, and only fora — short run would not pay.” “— ‘‘ Yes, but Iam sure of buying her, and — will give you a deposit of a thousand dollars | on her, if you will make the additions lask, condition, and made comfortable.” “* Yes, sir.” “I will go down now and take a look at her, see what is to be done to make her com- fortable, and look upa skipper and crew, while you go and see the tenant in the Milk street mansion.” ‘‘] will go at once, sir,” and Vezey de- parted, and left his employer lost in reverie. The thoughts of the shipping merchant ran as follows: ‘* Now Vezey ought to save us a hundred on the Milk street house, and he'll get an ex- tra ten for himself, the sly dog. ‘“Then I should make a couple of hundred in getting the schooner ready, and a five off the crew each, and something from the cap- tain, so I'll then get back my losses of last rr LL cgi a4 cor GomiGcnee cS —_