Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 393 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

as a = . —————eEeeeeEe eee — oo — —_ —-— _—_—s or — 4s + — — ~ 9 ee ai who this strange man was that had known of | the existence of the treasure on the island, and had so successfully secured it. Then the negro heard mutterings against the leader, and he felt that trouble was brewing. Fortunately, for him the yacht was ~ egp ice well and nearing her destination, for his foor was getting low, and he felt the close confine- ment he was in. One afternoon when the wind was light, he heard the mutiny break forth and what fol- lowed. His sympathies were with the Convict Captain and against the men whom he had enriched, and he longed to save him, yet dared not. Soon after night came on, and Congo had made up his mind to act, for he had hit upon a scheme, which was to rig himself out in his diabolical costume, which had been his pride upon the island. Thus it was, when the mutineers were rejoic- ay eg Sod their fortune, what appeared to them Satan himself suddenly appeared before them, and in their wild alarm they sprung into the sea. To thus get rid of the men without a struggle was far more than Congo had expected; Fat hie ped no heed to them, sprung to the helm, and ld the vessel once more on her course, ‘while he said, as he glanced back over the moonlit waters: ‘*The treasure is in my keeping once more, and I will look up that man they set adrift, save | will seek some other hiding-place for it. ‘* A slave, I dare not possess it, but he can, and—well, [ll take the future as it comes.” So saying, he put back to try and find the drifting boat in which was the Convict Captain, and seemingly without a thought of the _ mutineers who had sprung to their ‘doom in the sea. CHAPTER XX. THE STORM PHANTOM. 2 ArteR Henry Harvey left the magnificent mansion of Count Leon Delorme, he sailed a ney, along on his way to his own home. ight skiff fairly skimmed over the waters, and knowing the Uy thoroughly as he did, he mechanically evaded all the dangerous rocks and reefs. With the breeze in his favor, and blowing strong, he made the run in little over an hour, ___ and landed at last on the shore of a pretty little _-—«-eove, with banks retreating upward to a timber- covered hill. BY sc, In the timber glimmered a bright light, and te aero t making his boat fast, the young officer took up _ his rifle and ascended the hill | He reached a white paling fence, and a large m5. dog et him with a welcome bark, and in- tee _ stantly the door of the house was opened and a - female form stood in the bright light. i" It was a pleasant house, and an old-fashioned ‘8 a: home, very substantial and very comfortable, and, fronting to the south it commanded a fine ry view or the island-spangled bay and the sea far i 5 : __ beyon bf hers was a large vegetable garden upon one ty = - side of the house, a flower garden on the other, anda lawn in front, with heavy timber in the _ rear, where were the out-houses of the farm. Altogether it was a most home-like dwelling nd if not compared with Clondland Castle an e estate, was a charming abode, The one who met the young man at the door ae | ! was a sweet-faced matron of fifty, and she said | ** Ah, Baie IT am so glad you are home, for father and myself were growing anxious about you.’ aes et son, you did not expect | to stay so late, and we waited supper for you,” said Captain Harvey, a hale, fine-looking old gentleman of Ef fifty-five, who sat in an easy-chair near the table. _“T am sorry I alarmed you, mother, but it was unavoidable, as [ will explain, and I have _ been to mapper though I will sit down with you while you have yours.’ ** Been to supper, Harry?’ said his mother. re, “es, mother, I took tea at Cloudland *~. Castle.” _ “Oh Harry!” ‘“‘ Why Harry!” ” Such ¥ were the exclamations of the old couple, _ for it was seldom that any of the natives ever the honor of a meal in Cloudland Cas- e. Then Henry Harvey told his parents all about his adventures of the afternoon, and they were amazed, and delighted at the happy ter- _ mination of the affair, while.Mrs, Harvey fay hen re ‘4 - Ss The young lady is very beautifnl, Harry, for I have seen her at the village church several times, and then she has passed here on horse- back, and always had a sweet smile and a bow for me, though we have never had an intro- duction.” ie _ “Yes, she is called an angel, while her father es is a stern, sad-faced man that no one seems to _ be able to get acquainted with,” added Captain _ Harvey. hi have heard that she was engaged to (Sa Sus E oa <A him from death, discover who he is, and then we | a i eee ees eee 3333333335355 eee eee Oo “The Convict Captain. Preble Geis ahie wtratnice vint! vas kt, bad. Ea Peaks teicce but Heaven forbid! for he is a wild fellow,” Mrs. Har vey remarked. “He was there to-night, having driven up from Boston in his carriage; but, mother, how near is the relationship existing between Preble Bainbridge and me?” ‘* Well, his mother was my third cousin, Har- ry; but we hardly claim kinship, and they are too proud and rich to notice us,” said Mrs. Harvey. It was late when the three retired for the night, but Henry Harvey was up bright and early the next morning, and all that day he found it hard work not to take a run down the bay toward Cloudland Castle, The next day he said he desired to see if Miss Delorme had suffered any ill effects from her alarm, and so he sprung into his boat and sailed down to the castle. The welcome he received from both the count and @ueen made him feel at héme, and he was glad to find that Preble Bainbridge had de- parted. Thus it went on, as the days passed, Henry Harvey often going to Cloudland Castle, and always meeting with a warm welcome. He sailed with Queen about the bay, rode horseback with her through the country, and rainy days they oe chess, read, or sung to- gether in the par One afternoon Henry Harvey, Queen and Count Delorme were seated in the Overlook Arbor, watching a storm that was slowly risin from seaward, and also gazing upon a mia vessel out upon the waters, some half a league beyond the Haunted Island. t wasa graceful yacht, small, trim-iooking, painted white, and with her foresail, mainsail and jib set. She was cruisin was very light, an upon her dec ks. ‘It is a weird-looking craft, to be going along without a human being upon her,” said Count Delorme, gazing at her through his glass. ‘* Tf 1 was at sea, and saw her as she is now, I do not believe I could get any a ad crew to board her,” Henry ev’! responded And so they watched the agiaiiets yacht, and the rising storm until sunset. As the vessel _ opposite to the overlook ar- bor, she suddenly put about, apparently with- out the aid of buman means, and st back over her own wake, It certainly was a strange sight, and, deeply interested in the little vessel, now that darkness was coming on, and the storm was threatening to break any moment, the count called fora servant, sent for maps, and they determined to remain and see the outcome of it all. ‘‘T have done wrong in not going out to sea, and running her into a safe anchorage, for see, she will go down under that tempest. ‘* Ha! I will go now to her aid, for some one is on board!” and, unheeding the call of Count De- lorme, and the entr eaty of Queen to remain, Henry Harvey left the arbor, and hastened rap- idly down the cliff steps to his surf-skiff on the shore, and in which he had that day sailed up to the castle, fearing a storm might overtake him. “He will go to his death!” cried Queen, anx- iously. ‘Not he, for he knows these watersas no other man does,” was the count’s reply. A few moments more and the little surf-skiff under sail, shot out from the shadow of the cliff toward the Haunted Is’ and, which was a league distant nearly. But, hardly had it gone half the distance when with terrific roar, and livid lightning, with peals of thunder and howling winds the tempest swept landward from the sea. ‘‘ The strange craft will go down under this blast, ” cried the count. “ Ob, God! and so will the surf-skiff,” groaned Queen. Then the father and daughter, appalled by the fury of the tempest strained their eyes out over the waters. * That eraft isa Storm Phantom !” The count fairly yelled the words, and point- ed as he spoke out upon the sea, There, enveloped in a weird light, driving di- rectly upon the Haunted Island, was the strange craft, while, strangest of all, and visible by the spectral light there stood at the helm what ap- peared to be his Satanic Majesty himself. CHAPTER XXII. IN SUSPENSE. WITH eyes that never flinched Queen Delorme stood in the Overlook Arbor, her gaze out upon the black waters, now and then seemingly set on fire by the livid flames of the lightning be aWeeesne he f 7 the inky clouds, seemed to ap up Wil ery tongue the spra that lea heavenward under the blast of “the tence ‘Si The thunder pealed like fleets of ships of the line in battle, and the iron-bound coast seemed to rock under the shocks of the beating sea. The weird craft, with its spectral light had fascinated both the count and Queen, as it dashed on, borne on the point of the tempest, di- rectly upon the Haunted Island. ) That strange form at the helm, the size of a along slowly, for the wind yet not a soul was visible ——_— ee eee C0.0000€00€0€_—_—_—oo 0 0 a ee 55 S553) 0399353580900 III —_ . - a as cm man, yet looking like a devil, held their gaze spellbound, The count was superstitious, strangely so, but then those were days when men believed in weird sights, and supernatural deeds being done, and even Queen was not wholly free from the failings of the day. To see a vessel that had seemingly bad no crew on board, stand off and on in the face of the ap- proaching storm, and then, when the tempest struck it, soon after night, to become enveloped in a spectral, greenish light, that lit up her decks, revealing the fact that she was stripped of all sail exc ge? a reefed staysail forward, and at her helm a being or demon, was enough to stagger a skeptic. And on they saw the vessel drive, seemingly borne upon the crest of the wall of foam that rushed on with the tempest, and it was heading directly for the Haunted Island. That fact in itself was enough to make one shudder, for the Haunted Island was daily be- coming a greater object of dread to the dwellers along the coast, and stranger stories than ever were told in the cabins regarding a spirit even in daylight having been seen upon the isle. Of course the count and Queen had heard all these stories, and the former was rather given to believing what he heard, and seeing the strange craft, which he had called a Storm Phantom, rushing directly upon the island, and with what appear ‘ed to be Satan at the helm, he more than ever was convinced that spirits haunted the isle. Watching the little vessel, they saw it dash right into the wild surf, bounding upon the reef- chain that encircled the island, and then the tral light went out suddenly and the craft isappeared. ‘*She has dashed directly upon the island, passing through the reef at the opening known as Pur satel Gate, father,” cried Queen, ex- cited! ell, that craft can go anywhere, my child; but see, there goes the surf-skiff, for I saw it by that flash of lightning. ery of joy broke from Queen’s lips, and she riveted her gaze out upon the black waters. Breathlessly the father and daughter awaited for another flash of lightning that might reveal to them the surf-skiff. Soon it came, seeming to lick up the ve waters as it skimmed over them, and the surf- skiff was again visible. ‘* He has taken in his sail,” cried the count. ‘Yes, and is rowing! I saw him distinctly,” Queen returned, ‘* He was not coming back, Queen?” ‘* No, father. he was heading directly for the Haunted Island,” was the hoarsely-whispered re- sponse, ‘‘Great God! he is doomed if he goes there,” the count cried, in real alarm. “ Yet he will go, father?” ‘Yes, nothing can stop him now; but how he lived out that tempest eaven only knows!” “He had his surf-skiff.’ ‘That was enough to Niseec's thousand surf- skiffs, yes, a ship of the line, and he caught it fairly, for he is only now getting under the lee of the island.” ‘* He is utterly fearless, father.” ‘‘ Utterly so, and a very remarkable man, ueen. g sage I only wish he was as rich as Captain Bain- ri Phy. father?” ‘*T have certain reasons for it.” ‘* Riches would make him no more of a man, father.” “Tt still would be better did he have vast: wealth, Queen; but see! there is his skiff, almost up to the island. “T saw it distinctly by that flash.” “So did I, sir; but do you fear aught will beppee. to him now?” “ What?” “T do not know.” “Why do you believe it?” “The island is haunted, my child,” “Do you really believe in that story, father?” ‘Have you not just seen a storm phantom dash upon it?” ‘*T have just seen something happen, father, that is a myst-ry I cannot solve in my mina by any reasoning. 4 ‘Then you should feel that the island is: haunted.” “tT have heard many weird stories to that effect, sir, but always looked upon them as old fireside tales.” “T know it to be haunted, Queen.” ‘“-You do, father?” ec Yes. ” ‘May I ask how you know it, sir?” “From observation, my child.” ‘*Do you mean for me to believe that you have seen a ghost there?” T do. “ Father!” “One day, Queen, I took your yacht and sailed out over the bay. ‘*T ran close in toward the Haunted Island te get a good look at it, and while peering into the ark pine timber upon it, I distinctly beheld a. 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