The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1890-11-14
CAPTAIN BRAND
THE PIRATE SCHOONER.
A TALEOFTHE SEA
PART u.

pAarm.
CHAPTER Xiv.
.oNA BED OF THoRNs.
Meanwhile tho girlish schooner tripped
away, far cut Of sight, and when the fog
lifted and the breeze came to blow it to lee.
ward she was once mtre tidily dressed in
snowy white, and splashing the water from
her black eyes, as tho last rays Of the setting
sun showed her the Tigers Trapin the dis
lance.
Henri. my boy. put your arms around
me again, as you did when lay in torture
on the trestle on that island. Have no fears
for me; We shall meet again. There! now
listen to me. Here is packet which l
wish You to carry TO Port Rico with this let.
ter. The old judge is alive, think. to
whom this letter is addressed, and it may
perhaps sooths his declining years, Iwish
10 take your little gig. with Danou and Der
Bown-no more force-and if. rs I believe,
that villain has returned to his forme,
haunt. will fulfil my oath to its very let
ter. Meanwhile, SO soon rs we have shov-
ed of, while the breeze still holds, run
down to the frigate-she is not three
leagues off-and you will be IN your yearn-
ing parents arms and those of the girl you
love before they sleep. There! know you
will think Of me. FAREWELL"
"Ho. ho!" said Captain Brand, rs he
stretched out his straight legs. in their can
vas castings on the sand of the little cove,
safe and sound. and not soul to share the
nicc supper Of tim; good old man Miguel!'
"Ho! ho!" continued he; here ut last!
No Babeitc to cook for me. no schooner,
nothing but that saunch little boat present.
ed 10 me by that generous fisherman, who,
fear. is drowned by this time. Well. let
us enjoy ourselves. Excellent red snapper
this! Sausage, rathertoo much garlic. per-
haps; but the brown bread and the aguard-
iente uncxceptional Blaze away, my little
fire, your sticks cost me much labor to dig
out Of my once comfortable house; but you
are better than gun powderany day.
Just to think Of the years that have
passed! That great bank of sand there,
over the sheds, nearlyas high as the cng
where my brave fellows once caroused, the
young cocoa nuts springing up on the crag
itself-nota vestige Of my old habitation
left, or the bright blades or pleasant guests
TO dine with me-" Here there was some.
thing of the old cold murderous scowl on
the captains face as he twisted the point of
his nose.
"Ah, yes! there may be my wary-eyed
Sanchez left, though the last heard of
him was in the Capilla. dungeon of the
Moro. And that'-grating his teeth and
glnring with his icy eyes Mt the fire as if
those two blocks of ice would put it out
doctor who pursues mel"
We'll. we'll, neither of those old friends
are here yet, and before another sun sets
shall bequeath the old den to them both!
Ho, no! with those solid Bugs of chink ling
metal shall leave them v it'll as much sand
and rocks as they chose to walk over. What
1 sly devil Twas to stow that treasure away
fora miny day! Never told living being.
Poisoned the fellow. too, who made the
lock! Capital joke, 'pon my SOUL"
This was the very last of the very few
jokes that Captain Brand ever enjoyed.
And now Think of it, wonder if my
thirsty old mate bones are yet lying there
in The vault. What was his name? such n
bad memory have! oh, Gibbs-Bill Gibbs
with one leg! Ho, ho!"
HaIe Captain Brand drained some more
aguardiente out of a cracked earthen pot
and slapped his fine legs with raptures.
"And those dear girls whe married me!
Lucia. too?'
The dirty wretch started as the wing of a
sea-hird swooped down over the pure in
let; and he thought he saw white forefin-
ger reckoning him on to his doom.
"Pshaw!" snid he, smoothing down his
filthy, tattered shirt with the finger Of his
mutilated left hand. "How nervous am!
But what bungle Pedillo made of that
And my good Ricardo. too!
What feast the sharks must have had on
his oily. weil-fed carcase! NIisericordia!
Ho! no! believe I'll bid my friends good
night"
Captain Brand stretched himself out ut
full length on the shelly strand, his boat
secured by n Glove hitch around his right
leg and riding calmly on tho little inlet; his
bald head, with the few dry grey hairs on
his temples, resting OH Miguel's sennit hat !;
and the thin scum of frosty eyelids drawn
over his frozen eyes-crncking their cover
ing at times-untll at last the pirate, aided
by fiery aguardiente. slept.
A few late Cormorants and sen birds sailed
over him in his fitful slumber, and uttered
a cold cry as if their pecking time had not
come vet, but would shortly as they sought
their silent retreats on the wall of rocks Oh Z.
posite.
And Captain Brand dreamed too!-of the
old laird, his father in prison; his mother
weeping over forged notes: the sleeping
unsnspecting people he had treacherous-
~ murdered: the pillages he had commit
ted; the men he had slain i'll open con fict;
those he had executed with his own private
cord; the poor woman who had died in
worse torments, when, indeed. even knife
or pistol, rope OF poison, would have been
n mercy; the agony and sufferings of those
who survived him: with all the concomitant
horrors which makes the blood run cold to
think Of. and which made the pirates blood
almost freeze in his veins-living years in
mlnutes-lid Captain Brand, as he lay there
on the chill sand in his troubled nightmare
ofa sleep.
"Ah! ali! ah!" chnttered the senom Ba-
mana pancha, at the other outlet to the in
let. rolling over on the ledge of the rocks
atthe Tigers Trap.
What has become Of my Ig-Ig-nacio
the one eved old villain who has perse-
cuted me for forty years? Why did cut
the old launch adrift before got in my
self? And here am alone and desolate on
this cursed island, and my Ig-Ig-nacio-
bless his spark of an eye-not come back Ia
me! All, Dios! Dios! what has become 81
the little man? He will kill me. cierto
when he comes back and finds the boa,
gone with all the money. which nearly broke
his thin back to bring here; but, cierto!
am diving OF thirst. and not shred Of
dried fish or jerked beef has gone into my
old mouth"
Yes, there has, Donna Pamela, for trs
then piece Of hawser-mid rope-raihel
dry, perhaps, for mastication-was placed
across your crying mouth that you nigh
bite upon, if you would only stop your OLE
tongue.
For while you were screaming on thu
rocks, and yelling for your Ig-Ig--nacio
who went back for the last bag Of gold tina
wasn't there. q light zig glided in like I
black-fsh. and u bigger black fish jumpe,
up and stopped your old mouth, Pancha
with that bit of hide rope. But il you vii
keep quiet. Pancha, and not exercise
Banou for the Evil One, that old nigge
will give youa cup of liquid. and treat yol
also to some white biscuits to mbble upon
All! you will, eh? and tell about that thil
curl Of smoke, which you believe to hav
been made by that coal eyed Ig-Ig-nacio
away up there by the inlet? Now keel
quiet agnin, old Lady Banana; aud Will
your screaming mouth is gagged, don't Gu
this small gig away, or else sho may navi
gate herself out to zen, ms did your Ig'
launch, aud you be left desolate again.
The tropical night was still; tho lizard
Wheeled, the breakers roared on the QUITE
ledge, the ripples washed unsteady on III