Colored News.
London, England, 1855-08-11 00:00:00

THE BUCCANEER.

CHAPTER 11.

THE roar of savage and licentious hilarity resounded through
the island of Fortuga, where Taureau's boat, containing
Montbars and a heavy cargo of hides made for the shore.
The notorious pirate, Van Horn, had just captured a Spanish
galleon freighted with silver, and his wild Flibustiers did their
utmost to disembarrass themselves as rapidly of their dollars
and bars as they had acquired them. Montbars was seized
with indignant astonishment when he saw the doings of the
savage horde on stepping ashore. In one place a party of
them was stretched out before a huge cask of wine, the tap
of which they had thrown away. The golden liquor run
without intermission into the cups held up to it, and it was
necessary to empty them as quickly as they were filled ; if,
therefore, any one wanted a cup, he just held up his mouth
until he had enough, and getting insensible, laid down on
the sands. In another part, the rattling of the dice box was
heard, enormous stakes were risked, and, almost instanta-
neously, the newly-created croesus was again transformed into
a beggar. In another place the brethren of the coast were
whirling round in the licentious dance with ladies of all
colours. Farther on two of them, inflamed by passion and
drink, were rushing to deadly but legalised combat under the
eye of a superior, and another party, with bare legs and
heads, formed in procession, and were about marching off to
the town with a view of offering up on the altar of the
church, in the name of the fleet, a costly monstrance cap-
tured with the galleon. Montbars was speechless from the
effect which this scene of horror had on him, while he was
left to himself by Taurean, who had gone in search of a
buyer for his hides. Suddenly a black maiden, to whom fear
of death had given wings, came rushing past him, and kneel-
ing on a rock by the shore, prayed as follows :—" Holy
virgin, obtain for me from my father in heaven, forgiveness for
the sin which I am about to commit, to appear before him
ere He calls me, and that, in order to escape a life of shame,
I throw myself, with all my sins, into the sea without con-
fession, and the holy oil of the last unction."
With quick determinntion the maiden rose for the fatal
leap. Montbars was just in time to lay hold of her, and he
grasped her powerfully. " What rash act did you meditate,
unfortunate maiden:" he asked in a tone of reproach, min-
gled with kindness, and she directed her splendid black eyes
to him with an expression of confidence.
" Oh, yes, this is the voice, this the face of a man, the
beautiful creature exclaimed. You have not saved me from
self-destruction with a view of sacrificing me to the savage
lust of your brethren l "
" No, upon my word of honour," said Montbars, looking
round courageously for the enemies whom he might have to
encounter.

" See! See! there they are already," exclaimed the
maiden. " Now keep thy promise, noble-minded youth, or,
if not, cast me into the sea yourself, that I may be preserved
from sin, and die by purer hands."
The young man now unsheathed his sword, when three
Flibustiers, heated with wine, came quickly along.

" There is the black devil," said one of ihem.''-

" Come to my warm bosom, and forsake yon cold rock,"
said the other, while the third cried out to Montbars, in a
commanding tone. " The wench belongs to all three of us ;
do not, therefore, expose yourself to inconvenience," my
young gentleman.
" The maiden has sought my protection," said the other
coolly and with firmness, " and whoever wants her must
obtain her through the medium of my sword."
" Your wishes in that respect can be gratified," roared
the robber, and presently three swords were pointed at Mont-
bars, who defended himself vigorously. He was already
bleeding from a wound in his forehead, when all at once
some one behind him exclaimed, Stand back," and a person

of imposing stature stepped between him and the combatants,
a drawn sword in his hand. White marabout feathers waved
from his velvet hat, which was richly adorned with precious
stones. Over .his doublet of gold a rich string of large
oriental pearls was suspended, and on his fingers he bore
rings of inestimable value.
"The admiral," exclaimed the Flibustiers, abashed, they

receded a few paces, and dropped their arms. "Three to
one," said Van Horn indignantly, `• and yet you dare call
yourselves Flibustiers i"
" Justice is on our side," replied one of the robbers,
who was the first to recoverhis self-possession. "We have
acquired the girl on the captured galleon. Heads or tails
was to decide to whom she should belong. We were in the
act of tossing up the dollar when she escaped, and this
youngster, who is not even a brother of the coast, disputes
her with us. Thus it happened that our just indignation got
the mastery over us.
"The maiden was just going to cast herself into the sea,

in order to escape froin these monsters," said Montbars with
the accent of noble indignation, " I devote my life to her
honour, be you therefore a generous judge, mighty admiral.
The man who is so well acquainted with the usages of
chivalry, I expect also knows its duties towards the ladies,"
Van Horn seemed pleased with the speaker, and said,
" You are, perhaps, somewhat bold, but that is a fault
on the right side. May I know who you are, young man ?"
The youth gave him his name. " What! the son of the
exterminator ?" inquired Van Horn, delighted.
" The same, admiral, and my nephew ; Taurean, answered
for him, having just made his appearance with his drawn
sword, with the intention of coming to the assistance of his
nephew."
" Well, you are no disgrace either to your father or your
uncle," continued Van Horn, shaking hands with him cor-
dially. He then addressed the three robbers with great
severity, and said, " According to our code, the prisoners
form part of the general booty, and I, as the admiral, am en-
titled to the choice of three heads. I select this girl from
among them, and present her to this young man. You have
disposed of that which was not your property, and, like
cowardly robbers, attacked a single individual, which is in
direct violation of my orders. You will, therefore, sur7
render your swords and remain on board as prisoners."

To be continued.