Beadle's Dime Library No. 388: The Giant Buccaneer — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

————— —— oe oo oe oe See ‘he was becoming too bold, and we would have Asland, and you can turn The Giant Buccaneer. ee CHAPTER XXIII. So a Rie ‘* Oh, yes, he will not be drowned, for he is Wuat the starlight revealed to the giant as | one to cling on, and to-morrow we will leave in he crouched in the thicket were, as I have said, | the schooner, and then capsize the smack and two persons, anchor her off some distance, so as to give the The one was the old Witch, in all her hideous- impression that we have gone under.” ness, and the other her hopeful son, in his dou-| “A good idea, mother.” ble-sided dress. ‘“You sent for me, mother?” Perdido asked, pledge you, and, once we have gained riches, I for he had joined the Witch just as the giant ieee a duty for you to perform, Perdido.” reached his hiding-place, while the footsteps of _ ‘* You have but to name it, mother.” some one going on up the ravine were heard, ‘“‘T know that, I feel that, boy, but, dis- and to whom the woman had been talking. ‘¢VYes: I had one of the men go on board to ask you to come to me, for I have news for ou.” ac And what can it be?” ‘* About the slave.” ** The giant” “* ‘Yes. ** What of him?” “He attempted to get rid of those three officers?” 4 Yes.” ** And take command?” “So I know.” ‘‘He hinted that his plan was to carry them | to the cliff on the east end of the island, and make them kill each other.” ‘““ Was he afraid of the work?” ‘Oh, no; he is afraid of nothing; but, as he was gone so long, I got anxious about him.” ** Indeed?” ““Yes; and my anxiety increased when the hounds came back alone.” ‘* Ah! what did you do?” ‘“T called the dogs, but they would not fol- ‘* But do you believe that he has escaped in that craft?” are the world, and you must help me in what I ask,’ ‘*T will, so tell me what it is?” ‘* Have you forgotten that you had a father?” | ‘*T do not remember him, mother, though you told me he deserted us.” ‘* Yes, he sought his own safety, and left you | and I to die amid savages upon a South Sea island. ‘** You were afterward taken from me, by a vessel, and I was left alone. | ** At last I left the hated spot, to look up my | boy and my husband. | ** You have I found, Perdido, and the hatred | in my heart tells me that I will yet stand face to | face with your father.” ‘You think he still lives?” ‘*T know it, for the Fates would not let bim die, except through the vengeance of the wife he so wronged, or by the hand of his son. | ‘* That shall be your duty, to hunt down your | father, my husband, and bring upon him full re- | venge for the past. | *]T have gold, and jewels, and booty that will low me, for you know he looks after them.” | bring more; but we must hoard up for some ‘*You should not let him take them from | time yet, and then we can live in Seecttry, and be Bd spend money freely to gain our ends. ‘‘T was doubtless wrong; but I went to the ** But return to the schooner, for it is best, and | prison caves and found all silent.” | I will see that all goes well on shore.” | ‘*They had left there?” With this the Witch and her son parted, | “* Yes.” A while the giant came forth from his hiding-place, | ‘‘ And then what did you do, Mother Witch?” and standing on the spot they had just left, mut- ‘‘T climbed up to the plateau and went tothe | tered: cliff.” ‘‘They think me dead, do they, and if Iam ‘¢ Were they there?” not, that it will be well to get rid of me. ‘“T wo were.” / ** So be it, let them work to that end, but warn- | “Which two?” ed as I am, I can thwart them. “The lieutenants.” ‘Now to surprise and disappoint Witch Zu- ** And the captain?” lah,” and he strode slowly on up the ravine to- ‘““Was not to be seen,” ** And the giant?” ‘‘ Was nowhere to be found.” ‘Ha! this looks strange; but what did you do then?” ‘‘T came back to the ravine where the sea- men are at work gevting the booty down to the CHAPTER XXIV. THE SKELETON BUCCANEER SETS SAIL. FILLED with delight, in the hope that her SE beech.” slave was dead, and her plotting for the future, “Could they tell nothing of them?” the Witch was working hard in her cavern, ** Nothing.” tying up her ghastly paraphernalia for trans- portation on board the schooner. ‘‘ This is very strange.” It was some hours after midnight, but she ‘‘So I thought; but, Perdido, I have solved the mystery.” seemed untiring, and the weird surroundings “* How, mother?” caused the pirate seamen to work with the same ‘*T went back to the cliff, and I found there | energy, they being anxious to get away. the weapons of the three pirates, and also the | Piles of booty had been carried to the sea- slave’s long sword. shore, and boats from the schooner were trans- ‘*‘T had a lantern with me, and I saw that the | ferring it to the hold. edge of the cliff had been broken, as by a foot, or a body, and I knew that those other two had seemed to shrink from, but the Witch told them gone over.” | that they were to go too ‘* What! can it be so?” ‘* You have done well, Witch Zulah.” “Yes, the slave doubtless intended to throw At the deep tones of the the pirate captain over, and was dragged over | started, and a cry broke from her lips. himself, in some way.” She saw all her hopes dashed to the ground ‘‘ But he can swim ashore.” | by the return of one slre hoped was dead, ‘“ No, indeed, for that whirlpool under the cliff But she controlled her feeling and said: no man could live in.” ‘* Yes, I do not wish to delay here, as that boy ‘‘ Then you believe they are both lost?” may return at any moment.” **T know it.” p ‘* True, it is better for us to depart as soon as *‘ And what will you do, mother?” we can.” * My son, you must step into the slave’s shoes, **Ts all working well?” and command the schooner.” “4 Veks” ‘* No trouble with the crew?” ‘* None, for they would not dare.” “*T judge not.” **Whet of the three officers?” ** They are safe.” ‘* How do you mean, slave?” ** Pardon me, Witch, I do not now bear the name of slave. *“*T am Captain English, the Giant Buccaneer, and so I shall expect you to remember.” ** Ah, mother!” ‘‘Tt is true, and I am glad that he is dead, for been under his rule. ‘‘Now I will have you put me on the Death uccaneer, capturing only rich prizes, while I will use my false bea- cons to lure vessels ashore, and the booty they bring, you can dispose of, and we can get vast ‘* You cannot win success without my aid.” riches. “Mother, I will be guided by you in all ‘* True, nor can you do without me, so let one things. - Tdo not like the slave, and I am glad to get aid the other for the present.” rid of him, for I fear him,” : | “ We cannot do otherwise; but where are the “ And so do I, and, should he turn up, I think officers ou went to see?” " we ge — og 18 him from our way, as soon “s fa we d you 7 wey. were il as it is safe O sO, nd what does that mean - So I think,” answered Perdido. a That they are at the bottom of the sea.” Now return to the schooner, for, under the | “ You killed them, then? . circumstances of our seizing her, it is best that Oh, no, they killed each other. the men should have you on board to awe! ‘They are not where the pirate crew can find them.” | them, should they roam the island in the morn- * And you?” ing?” ‘‘ Will see that the work goes on here, so that | ‘“‘No, but I will now help you, for I do not we can sail before noon, as I am in dread all the wish be longer on this island than need time of that accursed boy coming back.” be?” ‘“‘ The midshipman?” ‘* Nor I, for I fear the boy.” + You,” ** He is one to fear; but the noon shall see us *¢-You think he will come?” set sail,” and with this the giant set to work with a will, and sending on board the schooner **T know that he will.” ward her cavern. | | —_—— es for an additional force of men, it was early | in the afternoon when all was in readiness to | but not for one instant did the ' “Yes, and all shall work to our welfare, I | The ghastly array of bones and skulls the men | iant the Witch | | ling against the power of the oe he crew of the schooner looked with awed interest upon the three strange beings that had so mysteriously taken possession of their vessel; think of relel- itch, or the buge captain she had placed over them. ome of them asked regarding their cfficers; but the Witch said that they had met their doom, and that their fate kad saved the schooner. Towing the smack out from the island some figured as I am, I dare not show my face be- | distance, the giant captain had her capsized with her sails up, and thus left her drifting upon the sea. Then the schooner set sail from the fatal isl- and and went on her way to the Death Isle, the spot chosen by the Witch for her future | abcde. A sail of twenty-four hours, with a light breeze, brought them in sight of the island, a _spot noted for the many wrecks that it had caused, from the days of richly-laden Spanish galleons, down to the time of which I write, It was a reef-encircled isle, with an entrance here and there, which only a skilled pilot could carry a vessel through, and into its center al- most penetrated a lagoon, the banks of which were heavily timbered, thereby affording a secure hiding-place for a small craft. The Giant Buccaneer seemed to know the spot well, and, as the schooner pessed slowly ' around it, he pointed out to the Witch and Perdido the strong points in its favor. No one would have suspected the presence of the lagoon, from the view obtained of the island while passing, and so dange1ous was.the entrance through the channel, that the Giant Buccaneer got the boats out and towed in. Once she had set foot upon the land, the Witch said that she preferred it to the Haunted Island, and she at once selected her place of abode, and the entire crew of the schooner were set to work to fix up her home in as appalling a manner as her brain could suggest. A group of trees on one end were selected as the best spot for the display of a false beacon, to lure ships at a loss of their course, and the glass and lanterns were at once put up. Anxious to secure a larger crew as soon as possible, and begin his red work upon the sea, the Giant Buccaneer hurried the men in their labors for the Witch, and, during the several days’ stop at the island, having studied the channel well, he took the helm and stood out of the lagoon. Perdido accompanied him, as his first luff, and the old Witch stood waving them a fare- well, she having been left alone on the island. The crew found their new commander a man who was a perfect sailor, stern, yet not unkind, and one who would be obeyed, and they were not sorry of the change, especially, when taking charge, he generously gave to them one-half of the treasure found on board, and which had be- longed to his unfortunate predecessor, or rather had been stolen by him. As the island grew dim in the distance, the sit hailed the deck, and reported a sail in sight. All was at once excitement on board, and, as the stranger drew nearer the pirate officer, who had escaped the doom of his brother officers, said: ‘*T know the craft, it is the Sea Ow], a lugger yacht commanded by the Lady Captain who is also known as the Smuggler Queen.” ‘Whatever it is, Til give chase, for every craft afloat is my game,” was the stern response of the Giant Buccaneer, and be at once gave orders to set more sail and put the schooner on a course that would head off the stranger. As the two vessels neared each other, the little craft showed no anxiety at the presence of the schooner, but held on its way, evidently laying its course for the Balize. But after awhile, seeing that the pirate was gaining and was already within range, more sail was set on the lugger, and she went along over the waters at a lively pace. ‘‘ He has a small crew, and they are negroes,” said the junior pirate officer. ‘Yes, it is the craft you think, senor, for I know her, too,” said Perdido; and then he added: ‘She was captured by that middy that was wrecked on the Vulture with me, and who made his escape in the coffin boat. ‘** Do you make out who are standing upon her quarter-deck, Captain English?’ ‘*-Yes; and, by Heaven! I see the boy who es- caped from us. ‘ He stands on deck near the negro helmsran,, and the crew are also black. ‘‘ Senor Perdido, we wish to capture craft,” sternly said the Giant Buccaneer, ‘6 Yes, sir; but she sails well.” yonder ‘‘Crowd all on the schooner that will draw a. feather-weight of wind. ’ | ‘‘There! now she feels it, and is going mons well,” he added, after a few moments me. ‘‘ But, the chase has set more canvas, Senor Captain, and I think is gaining just a. - little.” (6) m epee — + | ( ‘ rs 4 ® Pa L a “. Ld