Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 574 — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

—= ah oS —— gf a a 2 =a ay ee oe FE I oS ORI A A Ry a ge bat Poe - oo eee 5 - ’ rs - ak * - | ~ -~ . * ~ a # _<" : oF 13 hundred miles distant on the broad, lonely seas, headed none could knew whither, though it was strongly suspected that the fugitive criminal would at first make for his native Porto Rico, or some other of the West India islands with which he might be equally familiar. Through ‘ influence,” that too potent factor in American courts and politics, Charles How- land’s new trial was brought about on the fol- lowing Monday. Fortunately a jury was secured without any difficulty whatever. His witnesses were at last produced, together with the testimony with respect to the fountain en, , The district attorney declined to prosecute, and the trial, of less than four hovwrs’ duration, resulted in a unanimous verdict of acquittal. Judge B—— reviewed the remarkable case in all its bearings, and publicly expressed his pro- found regrets for the injustice which the ac- cused had been compelled to suffer throug con- spiracy and the force of circumstances, The district attorney added a few words in a Similar strain. Howland walked out of the court-room a free and stainless man, As a matter of course, the order for Burley’s arrest had been issued, even before this result was reached, but to what end? Since the news and particulars of his felonious escape were al- ready in everybody’s mouth or hearing. ** Fat@er,” Eleanor had said on tne day pre- vious to this, ** the sloop yacht Ganymede, which I was told could beat the Fearnaught, is for atv e8.” ** Oan she beat the Fearnaught, papa?” “The Ganymede? Bless you, yes, my dear; can outsail her any day, or anything afloat!” ‘*Is she ready for sea?” **T believe so; with the exception of her crew. ** Poor A—— had’ made ready for a long voy- age in her to Norway, I believe, just before that unfortunate attack that carried him off,” ‘* Father, I want P ip to attend to purchasing the Ganymede, and making her ready for me, without an hour’s delay.” ‘** You’re in earnest?” ** Most gravely in earnest,” ‘* What do you want with the Ganymede?” ‘*To overhaul the eh. sei and bring | Jobn Burley, otherwise Juan Borleo, to jus- tice. ‘** Hallo!” : ‘That is it, papa. Charles and I might as well escape this dreadful publicity, besides spending our honeymoon in this way as in any other. Please don’t delay.” ‘*Good enough! But I understand A——’s executors are asking twenty thousand dollars for the craft,” **T believe I can draw a check for that amount, and more, too!” ‘*T should say say so.—I only wish I could myself.” , ‘* Then obtain the refusal of the Ganymede for me on the spot, and attend to obtaining officers and a crew without delay. I would set sail within two days following upon my hus- band’s acquittal, if possible. “ If you are very Bi joe} good, papa, you shall accompany us.” 39 ) onel Sherwood had accordingly secured the yacht. After that he had been so fortunate as to engage for her, among others, such of his __ old officers and crew of the Fearnaught as Bur- ley had so arbitrarily turned out of their employ- ment, to make room for the creatures of his lot. The purchase money was paid; but twenty- our hours had been required for completing the provisioning of the vessel; and on the Wednes- day morning following the acquittal every- thing was in readiness for the voyage of pursuit. By noon that day the Ganymede set sail, the gg as having thus had four full days the s . The pursuer slipped through the Narrows be- _ fore a stiff northwester, aud headed away for the Caribbean. | Besides the bridal couple, there were on board as passengers, Florine Duprez, Miss Jerusha Bigbee, who had refused to remain behind, Col- | onel Sherwood, who had temporarily suspended his business, or what the rascality of the Creole had left of it, and Hugh He geyee who had glad- : y, managed to avail himself of this opportunity or the only continuous vacation in which he _had indulged himself in many years, CHAPTER XXIX. ! THE PURSUIT. _ THe Ganymede proved herself worthy of her utation, | Even a comparative tyro, with the knowledge of comparison to go by, could have perceived her superior sailing qualities to those of the Fearnaught, crack craft as the latter had been. considered in her class. | _ Her spread of canvas was far greater; she flaw over the waters like a veritable thing of life, __ and she was, moreover, a stancher vessel, more _ dikel ' to outride a storm in safety than her \ Old Falcon’s Double. of perfect as a skimmer of the seas. But, bless your hearts! she was little better than a pilot- boat, compared with this beauty. Observe her freedom and ease as she fairly revels unaer the pressure of that immense mainsail, and without nosing under a particle. A daisy, my friends, a veritable paragon of the waves!” On the fourth day out they were so fortuuate as to communicate with a northward bound brig, that had seen and spoken the Fearnaught two days previously, and had been informed that her destination was Guayama, Porto Rico, This was encouraging news, for if not only proved that they were not only indubitably on the fugitive’s track, but gaining on her, and it moreover seemed to indicate no less conclusive- ly that they were destined to overhaul her at Port au Prince, if not sooner. On the morning of the following day, how- ever, Eleanor appeared at the breakfast table looking uncommonly serious, if not positively out of sorts. ** Captain,” she said, when Mr. Tidewell made his appearance, ‘‘I want you to change our course for Bermuda without delay.” Everybody looked up in surprise, except her husband and the officer addressed, the latter ob- serving the speaker with a deeply interested air, after the first look of surprise had passed from his face. ‘What can you be thinking of, my dear girl?” exclaimed Colonel Sherwood. **Of a good many things, papa,” was the re- ply, ‘“‘but especially of having our course changed, as I have indicated.” As she spoke she kept her eyes fixed upon Captain Tidewell. “Of course, Mrs. Howland’s authority is in- disputable on board her own yacht,” said that gentleman, quietiy. ‘‘But am I permitted to ask a few questiens?” ‘Any number of them, my dear captain,” with her accustomed smile, ‘*f would first ask, then, why you decide to have me change our course?” ‘‘ Because John Burley came to and an- nounced a similar decision with regard to the course of the Fearnaught at one o’clock this morning.” The general surprise, was increased, as may well be imagined, iowa still with the excep- tion of Eleanor’s husband and the Ganymede’s master. The subject was apparently not wholly new to the former, and the officer simply maintained his and growing interest therein. “You perhaps became aware of this in a dream?” he said. ‘IT did,” replied Eleanor, ‘‘ Listen: Toward the close of my first ong last night—for my best night’s rest is usually divided into two distinct and nearly equal portions—I was suddenly in- volved in a confused whirl of strange and unip- telligible dreams, ‘*Then there succeeded a calming, extricating sense of unity, and every! hing was distinct, ‘‘T was on a vessel that I knew to be the Fearnaught, and I was somehow made aware that she must be a hundred arn fifty miles due south of the eee position at that time. ‘* Bright starlight was overhead, a good breeze was blowing, and the vessel was scudding before it, headed south. ‘*T was near the wheel, at which a sailor stood motionless, pipe in mouth, attentive to his duty. Thoughtfully pacing the deck near at hand, back and forth, from one bulwark to the other, was John Burley, his arms folded, his chin bent on his breast. ‘* Suddenly rousing himself, he went to the companionway, and called down it: ‘Gando, Gando! come up.’ “The Creole captain presently made his ap- pearance, looking sleepy and irritable, ‘**T judge that we are now due west, or nearly due west from the Bermudas, Gando,’ said Bur- ley. ‘*** You are not out of your reckoning, Senor Barleo, was the reply. ** * Now then is ihe time to change our course,’ continued Burley. ‘** What! you are still bent on making for Bermuda, instead of Guayama? *““*Of course, I am. What have I been tell- ing these vessels we have spoken that our des- tination was Porto Rico for, save expressly to throw off of our scent any craft that may be in pursuit of us? *** Your fears get the better of you,’ Gando replied, somewhat sneeringly. ‘The sea is wide, no vessel can be pursuing us, and we could not be tracked if there were,’ _ mt free is for me to judge, capitano.’ « *¢* Alter the ship’s course!’ cried Burley, per- emptorily, and with a fierce oath, ‘or [ll know the reason why!’ 4 ** Oh! replied Gando, with sudden submis- siveness, and a shrug of the shoulders; ‘ for tnat matter, I am your subordinate, Senor Borleo,’ _ “He gave the necessary order forthwith, and the course of the Fearnaught was changed ac- cordin ly. fT still remained at ea side in my dream. A ‘ e g . % > aL oe theless, I was possessed of an overpowering de- sire to make Burley in some way cognizant of my insubstantial presence, ‘*As he had come to a stand-still while re- suming his thoughtful attitude, I went clcse up to him, or it seemed that I did, and whispered in his ear, but without his paying the slightest attention. Then it seemed that I fairly shouted his name, but still without producing the least effect. ‘**At last another thought occurred to me. Summoning all my dream individuality to my aid, so to speak, I whispered sharply in his own ear my own name, the one word, ‘ Eleanor!’ ‘* This time it Was a success, He gave a vio- lent start, looked all about him in an alarmed way, but of course without seeing anything, which did not seem strange to me, notwith- standing that I could look down over my own rson, so invisible to him, with the utmost real- ism and satisfaction, ‘‘ After resuming his hurried pacings for a while, he grew more composed, and seated him- self on the taffrail, over the phosphorescently sparkling but comparatively slow wake of the vessel, by reason of her having only just come about on her altered course, ‘* Another thought occurred to me, and going up to him again, in the mystery of my invisibil- ity, I hissed inte his ear these words: ‘ Falcon- bridge, the Falcon Detective! think you to es- cape his sleuthing pursuit by sea or land?’ ‘*The effect in this case was greater than I had looked for, ‘* He started up with a sort of gasp, lost bis balance, and fell overboard, yelling out with his accustomed presence of mind, however, ‘Man overhoard!’ as he disappeared, ** [ still remained a mere spectator of it all in my dream, ‘The alarm was at once given, and, as I have said, the yacht was not going very fast just then, i ‘* A boat was got out with such dispatch that Burley was rescued before he had drifted a dozen rods astern, where he was swimming gallantly.. ‘But just as they were lifting him over the gunwale, an enormous shark, with the water dripping in sheets of phosphorescent fire from its shining body, sprung entirely clear of the sur- face and snapped at him. ‘*' There was a sharp cry, and when Burley was brought on board the yacbt in a fainting condition, I learned from overhearing what the sailors said, that the shark had snapped off two fingers of his left hand. ‘*Then a mist seemed to envelop me, and I awoke in my cabin, with every feature of the dream photographed indelibly in my brain, ‘*T looked at my watch. It was five minutes past one. That is all.” This extraordinary narrative was listened to by all, with the interest which it so fairly chal- lenged, with perhaps the single exception of the narrator’s father, who had little respect for dreams, or for sentiment of any sort, for that matter, and who had seemed somewhat annoyed during the recital. | ‘*Pish!” he fretted. amount to?” ‘‘A revelation at times,” replied Eleanor, quietly. ‘*This: one shall certainly be accepted as such,” said Captain Tidewell. “The course of the Ganymede shall be altered forthwith, Mrs, Howland; the more readily of my own part, ermit me to say, inasmuch as from the ver our of our speaking that brig yesterday, have felt convinced that the information vouch- safed to her by the Fearnaught fugitives was meant as a blind forsuch as migbt be in pursuit of them.” He then quitted the table for the deck, and re- turned to finish bis breakfast with the gratify- ing announcement (for the young wife, at least), that the course had changed to southwest by west for Bermuda, in accordance with ber wishes,” . \'** For my part,” said Howland, as the repast proceeded, ** I do believe in dreams, out of my own experience, and have no hesitation in say- ing so. This one of Nelly’s impressed me won- derfully from the moment of her first telling it : ! ‘What does a dream me. ‘‘T also believe in dreams, and in the revela- tion that may come to us in dreams,” observed Tidewell, who turned out to be something of a mystic. ‘‘ We are mysteries even to our- selves, and the material is the only insubstan- tiality in our composition—the spiritual is the one and all,” ‘*T believe in ’em when they come true,” said Miss Bigbee, with her nose in the air, ‘* Now, for instance, I once dreamed that all the men in the universe came to me, repentant of their barbarous despotism over women in the ages past, and begging to place their sparkling dia- dem of imperial rule on my haughty brow, that I might condescend to rah lpg out things, Now that dream didn’t come true.” are ‘Is it possible?” grunted the colonel. ‘ aie i} if a | should try it again, Jerusha, particularly after a heavy supper, you might fetch up more satisfactori Well,” ——_— Spender hastened to interpose, “if a “Oh, she’s a daisy!” exclaimed Captain Tide- ve , her ori ter, on the second p Aaya “s. “eeree to think that th a And ingest. feature c the vision was Well, mn) ae fh hi ithe Fearnanght was littleshort © that I knew 1 was there but in # dream. 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