Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 369 — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

The Coast Corsair. RR RRR I A OOO OO OO LA a i ‘‘T am skilled in surgery and I told him he must die, and he became repentant, and sent me for you. ‘He bas a confession to make.” ‘One that death alone wrings from me,”’ hoarsely said the dying man. ‘‘ Why confess to me?” asked Madge. ‘‘ Because you can tell those whom I have wronged.” ‘7 will do all that I can.” ‘*When I am dead this old man will tell rou who I am. ‘* Now, let me say that I follow the sea, and my acts have been lawless, ‘*You know the Brandons, girl?” “Yes, I know them, if they are alive.” ‘Well, I had cause to hate one Noel Bran- don, who as an officer did his duty, while I, as a sailor, disobeying orders, deserved my | left alune with Madge. | punishment. ‘‘He was not as severe as 1 would have been with one of my men, as I have been for far lighter offenses than I committed. ‘‘He had me flogged, and I swore re- venge. ‘| bitterly kept my oath. ‘I knew that he was hated by his two superior officers, and I knew that they owed him large gambling debts, and so, after he had killed the one in a duel, and was dis- | I will speak now. } ; me, missed, I deserted, dogged his steps, and | chance gave me my cue to act. ‘‘His captain went ashore, stopped at the same inn, and I saw my opportunity. “T knew the captain had drawn a large | | sum of money, and when he went to his | room I waited. ‘He did not come out, so I, listened and heard him breathing heavily. sail on was seized by pirates. | ‘‘T went to the stage office, where Lieu- | tenant Brandon had left his belt of arms, rolled in his cloak. ‘“‘] took them, as by mistake, leaving others. ‘* | returned to the hotel, opened the door, it was not bolted, entered, and I killed the captain and robbed him, leaving the things 'wished to make me one of them, and I ac- Government officer, has been digging up the booty, and the share that has been civer to him and his crew has been twenty per cent. ; the balance he has turned over to the Govern- Like a statue the Hermit Sailor stood, and saw the men bear him away. Then the others started to follow, and Cuptain Buntline said: ‘*Miss Madge, you will come to the inn?” ment.” ‘*No, I return home at once.”’ ‘‘My father a Government officer?” gasped “It is dawn now, and you will need break- Madge. ‘* Yes, did you not know it?” ‘*No, nor suspect it; is it true?” ‘“ Would I speak falsely to you, child? fast.” ‘*T will give her some breakfast; I wish to | speak with her,” said the Hermit. | So they departed, and Madge was left alone | with the Hermit Sailor. 'at my suggestion, and though bearing the | brand of a smuggler, a pirate, even, he has CHAPTER XXXIX. served well his State. THE HERMIT’S LEGACY. ‘“He formed a league, bound them to- ‘My child, I asked you to remain, that I | gether by oaths, with death the penalty of might speak to you,” said the old Her- | betrayal, and has, in his vessels, done a vast mit Sailor in a low tone, when he had been | deal of good. : ‘‘Believed to be a smuggler by smug- ‘‘T am glad to remain, sir.” | glers, he has sought their haunts and cap- ‘“‘T wish to tell you something of my life, | tured them, and he it is that has cleared this child, and, as I may drop off at any moment, | coast mainly of outlaws, he and his band, but only the chief officials have known it, and he has borne the brand of an outlaw to ac- complish good. ‘“‘A wretch, dwelling in one of the up counties, was receiving smuggled goods. ‘‘He pretended to be an honest man, and was believed to be a legitimate merchant. | “Your father tracked him down, found ‘“We could not break the match her pa- | he was even cheating the smugglers, by run- rents had made but in one way—by death. ning off with their goods, to sell them in ‘*T forced the man to meet me in a duel, Boston, and knew that he was a cruel mur- and I killed him. | derer. “He was the commander of my ship. | §o he ran him down in his sloop, took ‘“‘IT was sentenced to be hanged, and she I | him from the packet schooner and hanged loved saved me, by rescuing me from prison. | him, as he had orders from the admiral to ‘* We fled together, and the vessel we set do.” | ** Was the name of the man Job Jennings?” ‘I fought so well for my bride, that they gasped Madge, suppressing her excited feel- ings with the greatest effort. a ee ‘And my father’s vessel?” ‘* He had two, one the Blue Bell, the other ‘Tam an old man, and an Englishman. ‘‘T was surgeon in the English navy. ‘T loved late in life, never having met my | ideal woman until I had reached two-score years. | ‘‘She was pledged to another, but loved cevted their terms. | ‘Thus I became a pirate leader. ‘““My wife went with me the world over, | and our child, the man you saw die here a_ its counterpart, the Kidnapper.” there of Lieutenant Brandon to criminate | him. ‘“You know what success I met with. ‘“My name on board ship was Ned Bron- son, but my real name this old man will tell you after I have slipped life's cable.” Madge was too deeply moved by what she had heard to speak for some minutes, and then she said: ‘Can you sign your name to this confes-— sion, if I write it?” “Teast The hermit gave her writing materials, and she hastily wrote a few lines and read them | to the dying man. ‘‘Now may 1 go after a notary and wit- nesses?” *, Yes. - She darted out of the door into the storm, saved my life, when I was set upon by a and soon returned. Kennedy, the constable, Captain Buntline, | | me and a notary came with her, They seemed surprised, but Madge gave them no time, but read the confession she | Carolina coast, and was a rich man. had written. “‘Ts this true?” ; ‘“‘Tt is,” answered the dying man. “Ask for his oath while dying, Mister | servants set sail for another land. Notary.” The notary obeyed. ‘You swear to this as your dying confes- sion?” ‘* Yes,” ‘‘ You killed the man whom Noel Brandon was accused of killing?” ““l gig; ‘* And robbed him?” ‘Vou ‘Who gave you your death-wound?” ‘‘One who is now dead.” “Tt was Silly Sam,” and Madge told of the | knows not of. midnight visit. ‘Why went you there?” “For gold.” ‘¢ And why came you here?” ‘“‘T was flying, saw shelter, and wounded, I came here to die.” This explanation seemed to satisfy all, and then a silence followed. ‘The man will live but a short while, so I will call up the sexton and have him removed | for burial,” said the constable. A few moments more and the man died, without uttering another word. / come chief, and at last, in very fear of him, wife, and broken-hearted he let his estate go few minutes ago, was born at sea ona pirate | ‘‘ At last I know all; but you are the con- craft | fidant of my father?” ‘‘I amassed riches, and at last gave up the | ‘I have helped him all I could, and tried sea; but death took my loved wife from me, | to give to the Government all my hidden and in despair I went back upon the ocean | booty, and he got me a pardon long ago for as a rover. my crimes, so I can die content. ‘Il hoarded treasure, burying it here, there, | ‘‘ But remember, your legacy from me, a everywhere. | fortune not sullied lies here. ‘““T had left my son in the care of a good | ‘‘See! when I am gone I leave this hut, tutor; but one day he came into my cabin all to you, for I shall have the notary here and made himself known as a powder- | to-day. monkey who had been two years before the | — ‘‘See!” | mast on my vessel. He stepped to the bunks, touched a spring, ‘‘[ was horrified that he should know | and they swung out like a door. what I was; but knowing it I allowed him | Behind them was a hole in the solid rock, to remain and he was brought up a pirate. and in it was an iron chest. ‘* He sought often to take my life, and be- ‘‘ Here is the key, and this is the spring, so you know how to get your treasure. ‘“Come to see me again when you can. “* Now, good-by.” Like one in a dream, Madge walked out of the hut. The dawn had come, and clouds were skurrying along. But it had ceased raining. The wind still blew half a gale, and get- ting into her boat, as one might who walked in sleep, she mechanically took the tiller, hauled in the sheet, and the skiff darted away for Vernon’s Haven, CHAPTER XL, ANOTHER SURPRISE. TRUE to his word, Captain West ran in shore for Madge, and she was soon on board, accompanied by Melmer. Her father had not returned, but Philip had a letter for him which Madge had left. Poor Sam had been buried up in the pines, and the place was wearing a desolate look for Madge. No word of the Brandons had been heard, but the depredations of the Coast Corsair had been numerous. my son, I left the sea and came here to live alone, to die alone. ‘‘T had once met your father, and he had crowd, some of whom recognized me, | ‘Your father believed my story and saved | “He lived then on his plantation on the ** Adversity befell him in the loss of his to ruin, was sold out, and with you and his ‘One night the vessel was captured by a pirate craft, and I commanded her. “IT recognized him, and I gave him his freedom, and put him on a vessel bound in- to the Kennebec. ‘* He landed on its bank and made his home where it now is. ‘* Strange to say my steps, flying from my son, led me hither, and we met again. ‘* There he has lived, and here will die..- ‘* But, my child, I have treasures the world dwell, and ‘‘In a cave back of yonder bunks is a fortune. ‘‘{ pledge you it is not a pirate’s treasure, but my own inheritance, left me in England | by my parents, and converted into precious | fresh and fair for you, and you can soon stones, : reach Boston.” ‘‘T have kept it in hiding there, and all is| ‘‘1I will make her fly, Miss Madge.” yours.” And he did so, as far as a vessel can fiy ‘* Mine?” over the waters. “Yes; but believe me I would not give| Madge and Melmer watched her sailing you a dollar that was gained by piracy. critically, jotted down certain improvements, ‘All the hiding-places of my treasure, I | and Madge decided she could not get as good have been looking up, and your father, asa a craft, so said: 2 tain West. Madge bowed, and said: Eomichbooks ———— a Se ete eee ee Oe net cma A ee - — - - o ~ ~ _ ~ —_—— -_—-—-= gee ¥ ‘*Captain, crowd on all sail, the wind is wae - > . ‘‘He enlisted in the Government service * ‘**Glad to see you, Miss Madge,” said Cap-— SF: / ‘ . ° &e¥ . i”. > (Ee(@) | i \ ™ - .