Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 482 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

8 the two vessels, and certainly a very valuable cargo,” **T will pay any sum within reason, Senor Pirate.” ‘Well, we will discuss that later; but just now this is not a safe locality for my vessel, and I will have to ask you and your wife to become my uests upon my schooner.” ‘And do you pledge your word to ransom us, senor?” ‘*T have my price, senor, and it is within rea- son, so if it is agreed to all will be well,” was the reply. t was like adrowning man catching at a straw; but it wasa ray of hope and they could ' do nothing but submit, so the Cuban, Victorine, Liza and little Norma were taken on board the schooner, which at once stood seaward while the yacht and lugger followed in her wake, a prize crew in charge of them. Hardly had they entered the cabin of the schooner, when Rafael Rodriguez was forced to ive up his arms and a moment after he was put in irons and sent below decks into the hold. In vain was it that Victorine pleaded, for the buccaneer was deaf to her pleading. The next day, as she sat moaning in her cabin the lugger and yacht were brought alongside and a transfer of the cargo begun, This being done the negroes, excepting Liza, were put on board the lugger and dispatched under Carlos Conrad to one of the West India Islands to be sold, the sum to be turned into the schooner’s fund. **T hope, Senor Captain, you mean no harm to that lovely lady and ber gallant husband,” said Carlos Conrad before he set sail in the lug- er. ‘*No more than that I must have my price, Conrad, for their ransom,” ‘‘T am glad to hear you say this, for I could not bear harm befalling them. ‘‘ But where am I to rejoin you, senor?” ‘Off the Great Abaco, in the Bahamas, two weeks from to-day.” ‘* Yes senor, and let me again beg you to be merciful.” Belmont bit his lips as though vexed. He was not one too brook interference from any one excepting Carlos Conrad and he seemed to feel that he was going too far. But he merely waved his hand in the two vessels moved apart. The yacht was scuttled and soon after went down, while the schooner held on her way to- ward the Florida coast, at a point near what is now St. Andrew’s Bay, where was the rendezvous the buccaneer. As the fleet vessel 4 along over the sea Frank Belmont descended into the cabin and bade Liza tell her mistress that he wished to speak with her. - Victorine was in one of the state-rooms, and in obedience came forth with pallid, haggard face, and asked: ‘* Well senor, what have you to say to me?” **T have come to offer my terms, senora, which you remember I told you I would de- mand,” was the cold reply, and as she gazed in- to the face of the buccaneer the heart of the young wife sunk within her, for she felt that she could not see one atom of mercy there for her and those she loved. parting and \ CHAPTER XV. THE BUCCANEER’S TERMS. ORDERING Liza to go on deck, the negress dared not disobey, and with little Norma clasped close in her arms, started to go, when Victorine cried: ‘* Give me my child, Liza.” The negress obeyed, and the young mother clasped the little one to her aching heart. “Now, senor, lam ready to hear what you have to say,” she said. ‘* My dear senora, I would not have you look upon me as a foe, as you appear to do, but as a friend.” ‘‘ There is mockery in such friendship.” ““No, Isaved your life, and—” ** Would to Heaven I had died then.” ** Do not say so.” **T mean it,” ‘‘T met you then, and it was to love you, for no other woman but you ever touched my heart, and i have met beautiful women in my day, senora.” ‘*T deem it is a curse upon me to win such love,” was the cutting reply. ne o not be bitter, for I like it not, but hear e. “ ‘‘T am all attention, senor.” “*T told you of my love, and yet you wedded another almost before I was out of sight.” ‘““T wedded one I loved, senor, and whom I had no opportunity to tell you I was then en- gaged to.’ ' “ Well, Iam unforgiving, and, where I built up hope of making you my wife, and having you lead me into a life of honor, I became re- vengeful when I found that you had deceived “+ Tt was not deception, senor,” a it what you will, but you wedded an- 0 : Se , ae Ocean Tramps. “That other is now on my vessel, and his child is in your arms, ‘*You have asked me for my terms, and I shall now tell you what they are.” ‘‘T am listening, senor.” **T will spare your child to you if you will pledge yourself to become my wife one year from to-day.” ‘Senor! you forget that I have « husband,” and the face of Victorine flushed with anger. ‘* Now you have, but he must die, senora.” ‘Die!’ and the woman spoke in a tone of horror. ‘Certainly, for no man’s life shall stand be- tween me and you.” ‘* Holy Mother save him!” groaned Victorine. “Senora, your husband must die, and you and your child shall go to an island retreat I know of, taking Liza with you, and I pledge myself that you will be well cared for there, while I will keep away until your year of mourning is at an and, ‘‘Then you must become my wife, and should you refuse, then your child’s life shall be the | forfeit. ‘*T love you, and with vou for my wife, I will become a different man, and happiness will come to us both.” ‘* Happiness come to me as the wife of the one who murdered my husband, and forced me to marry him to save my child? ‘*On, man! if you have one spark of humani- ty in your soul, let me go from here with my husband—my child, ‘*T am rich—very rich, and my husband has | wealth independent of mine; but every peso of it will we give you to let us free. ‘* Be human, man, if man you be, and let us 50, and £ will pray for mercy to my dying day ‘or your guilty soul.” Frank Belmont’s face did not change an ex- pressiou at the pleading of the young wife. He was not one to feel pity, and not one to be merciful to man, so a woman’s prayers and tears could not move his obdurate soul, ‘“-You have heard my terms, senora, and it is whether you lose both husband and child, or lose one and save the other.” ‘*T would rather that you would put the three of us to death, senor.” “No, I will not do that, but I will see that your husband dies, and that you have the year’s respite that I offer, ‘‘Now I shall leave you, and give orders to sail to the island retreat I spoke of.” ‘“* And my noble husband?” ** Must die!” ** Heaven spare him!” ‘“‘ Appeals are useless to Heaven, as well as to me, senora,.” ‘“T cannot believe that you will be so vile a monster,” and the hope seemed to pervade the heart of the wretched woman, ‘You know now that I sought to kill him once, but I was merciful enough to act so that you should not know he fell by my hand. ‘*You discovered that it was [ who ran him through in the duel we fought, so it should con- vince you that I am one to keep my word.” ** Alas! I fear that you are!” ‘You will see that I am, senora, and my only excuse is in loving you, for love you I do with all my heart and soul,” ‘* Leave me, sir!” He turned and left the cabin, while with a moan of anguish Victorine sunk upon the floor in a swoon, still grasping her child in her arms. ‘“‘Go to your mistress, for she needs you!” said Belmont, addressing the negress as he went on deck, and Liza, with a cry of alarm, darted down into the cabin just as the lookout aloft sung out: ‘** Sail ho! ee ee ee CHAPTER XVI. THE CRUISER AND THE PIRATE, In the years between the war of the Revolu- tion and 1812 and as late as 1820 there was much outlawry js as the seas, for privateers, both English and American, had been fitted out to scour the ocean in quest of merchant craft from 1774 to 1787, and these did not always act strictly to the letter of the law laid down for Letters of Marque as they were called. Then in the years of this century again there were European nations at war, Spain, France and England, and also several of the South American countries in a state of ferment, and the result was that the privateers in some cases turned pirates, and the vessels-of-war of the dif- ferent countries were too busy fighting foes worthy of their steel to devote time to hunting down buccaneers. , As a matter of course this left the seas to the mercy almost of outlaw craft, and there were ge a number of vessels flying the American, nglish, French, Spanish and other flags, known as ** privateers” who were guilty of acts that were nothing more than piracies, Upon the day when Captain Belmont had the scene with poor Victorine in the cabin of his vessel, and made known to her his alternative as to the fate she was to expect, a sail was ighted just as he came upon deck, ‘ ver on the alert for a prize that might en- rich his treasure locker, or a foe to avoid, Cap- ust now, think is tain Belmont called out to the man aloft and asked: ‘* What do you make her out, sir?” ‘* There is a fog-bank that hides her } sir—she is just there in that mist, and a schooner.” ‘** Doubtless an American cruiser, so we must be careful,” replied Belmont, addressing one of his officers. ‘Tt certainly is best, sir, for some of these American cruisers are very fast, and fight like bulldogs,” was the reply of the officer. The vessel soon after came into view, and was seen to be an armed schooner under easy sail, and standing toward the buccaneer craft. The outlaw had evidently already been dis- covered, for more sail was being rapidly set on the stranger, and ber men were at quarters, At her peak floated the United States flag. As an American, Belmont was never anxious to fire upon a war vessel of bis native land, or to capture a merchant craft flying the Stars and Stripes, and so he at once gave orders to stand away in flight. All sail was crowded on as soon as the course of the schooner was changed, and then it was seen to the regret of the buccaneers that the stranger was gaining. The cruiser was certainly a very beautiful vessel, Her deck was in perfect condition, every rope was in place, and her crew were a_ bold-looking set of tars, while her guns looked to be thorough- ly for use. She was a trifle larger than the buccaneer, but then her battery seemed not as heavy, and the crew perhaps numbered a few more than did Belmont’s, Upon the quarter-deck of the cruiser stood her commander, and near him several officers, the latter having a foreign look, while many of the crew also appeared to be Spaniards. — The commander was a man of thirty-eight, with a bold face, by no means handsome, and yet with an attractive smile. His eye was dark and restless, and his manner seemed like one who had confidence in him- self. ‘That craft is a pirate, I can swear, before he shows his colors, so will be worth capturing, Hernandez,” he said, to one of his officers. ‘Yes, Senor Captain, she is, if 1 mistake not, the schooner of Belmont the Buccaneer,” replied Hernandez in English, but with a slight ac- ent. ‘‘ Ah!” and the captain turned his glass upon the chase, as though the name of Belmont held deep interest for him. ‘Tam sure, Senor Captain, that is Belmont’s schooner, and if so she will be a rich prize,” said the lieutenant. ‘‘ She certainly will be, especially as Belmont has a lieutenant, I have heard, who once sailed with me, ‘* His name is Carlos Conrad,” ‘‘T have heard of him, Captain Sprague, and a daring fellow he is; but will you open fire now, senor, for we are in range?” ‘Yes, we will see if he has a stern gun that will reach us,” and a moment after a bow pivot gun on the cruiser opened fire. The shot cut through the sails of the fugitive schooner and buried itself in the sea beyond, A moment after astern pivot gun on the fly- ing, outlaw craft returned the shot, ut the shot fell short. ‘‘ We have him, Hernandez, for we can keep out of range and cut him to pieces,” said Cap- tain Sprague, with a quiet smile. ; ‘‘ When he sees your intention, senor, he will put back and fight you at close quarters, for he is a desperate fellow.” “True, but we must capture the schooner, Hernandez, so keep that gun going, but do not aim to cut away her sticks.” ‘‘ Fire at her decks, where the shots will tell on the crew.” : Senor Hernandez went forward to give the orders to the gunners, and soon after it was seen that the fire of the cruiser was doing much damage, while the shot from the buccaneer fell short. ‘‘ There! he is going to strike back,” said Her- nandez as the buccaneer wore around, having seen that it was useless to fly, as the pursuer was steadily gaining, and his shots were wound- ing the hull severely and strewing the deck with dead and maimed men. ' ‘‘We must fight him at close quarters, and more, we must take that schooner, for she is certainly a better craft than the one we have,” said Belmont, and he gave the order to put back and meet the pursuer in a conflict at close quarters, CHAPTER XVII. THE SEA DEVIL. BrLmont the Buccaneer realized that he had to meet a dangerous foe. He had always considered his vessel about the fastest craft afloat, and yet his pursuer crept steadily up on him. He had a long-range stern-pivot gun, to pro- tect himself in flight from a stronger foe, and he saw that the cruiser possessed one of heavier caliber and longer range. comicbooks.cor