The Corsair King

ve

my. The English and Dutch agencies were perfectly aware that his ships were anchored in the harbor of Cape Corso. Who would venture to tempt Providence by putting to sea in such weather? The heart of the boldest pirate trembles when

ng and giving banquets. What else could they do in such terrible we

le quarter of the globe; in the harbor of Mydaw alone there were eleven ships waiting only for the King Solomon with its eighty

hung so low that it seemed as if they nearly touched the waves,

f lightning. A ship was visible far away tossing on the billows, i

ecks supplied with windows, which resembled a three-story house

ever and anon the waves tossed aloft one of the sharks swimming around the ship, whi

tempting to rig a jury mast in place of one which had been carried away. Another group toiled at the pumps, and four men were at the helm, straining ever

possible for us ever

in the clouds just now, th

are falling like ripe pears, o

mo's fire yonder at the mast-he

. "That means evil. The St. Elmo's fire usually appears

the ship about proved futile, the vast surge, higher than the highest mast-head, rolled nearer, its top crested with foam. The men clung to the rigging and bulwarks. Suddenly the King Solomon rose more rapidly, tossed upward on the towering wave, and the next mo

st-head!" cried Philip, "if it were not kindled by t

ect something wrong, too,

aw the spectre

t true,

was sailing against the wind. Shadows that looked like men were moving about her deck as if pulling on the ropes, and a misty shape, like the captain, glided to and fro. Terrified, I hailed the app

eans mi

eiled horizon, as they usually do when g

ly pointing into the gray mist, "I swear

he direction of his finger. The lightning fla

re i

alled the captain, noticin

r," one of them answe

can the vessel thr

ship," he said af

il in such a tempest? See how fast she approaches us! She d

ip," the captain repea

ils," mutte

ty that we cannot approach him, we would capture

om time to time the waves concealed it, but the ne

ually seem to be trying

tried to cut through the waves in that fash

longside, but was constantly baffled by the force of the waves which, like a stronger power, constantly tossed the t

e do not even fear the gale. Ha! How that lightning blazed

the crew of the King Solomon saw the large boat lowered.

ghty guns; Trahern could not imagine what

a gigantic figure stood erect, spite of the terrible tossing of the waves, and, raising a speaking trumpet to his lips, shouted in d

aker wa

hich bordered on insolence, ordered his men to fire

"they are under cover. Take your w

n whom we can fight and kill? Did any one eve

wn his arms

firing their weapons in the air and then throw

ndering to a force ten times smaller! Men!

em to attack the corsairs, who were already

the captain despairingly and, seizing a ca

uck up the weapon and would not let him

irates were masters

the trembling seamen fairly lost their senses when they found themselves in the presence of people whom they regarded as

e that twenty pirates, in a boat, amid the raging of a furious tempest, captured

awaiting the cessation of the monsoons and the arr

most fury when Robert Barthelemy entered t

transfixed by a lance, holding an hour-glass in one hand, with its legs crossed and a bleeding heart at its feet. The Fox-Hound's standard, on the contra

e of trumpets of the captured band of the King Solomon, to whose accompanime

anquet, to which, after some little hesitation, they sat down, with the exception of one man, Fletcher, who positively declared that he woul

, Barthelemy became kindly disposed, and told the captains that they co

he would accept no favors from pirates, and would not purchase his ship at the cost of

rs to fire Fletcher's ship and

t the ship's cargo consisted of eighty negro slaves and, as he did not kno

s flashed with a

his teeth, "Throw them into th

reply, but went to execute the order.

h shriek, which silenced the bacchanalian songs for a moment and stopped the

urnished by the flames consuming Fletche

into the sea the waves around were reddened; at each death shriek Barthelemy drained a glass of wine, mutteri

in. Barthelemy gave each a receipt for the ransom money which, preser

Captain -- of the ship -- eight pounds of gold dust as ransom money, for which we released the

helemy (Hen

e, shedding a magical lustre upon the sea. Barthelemy stood

e nor blood gave him peace and forgetfulness. Ah, he could win no forgetfulness, that swe

whoever gazes at them long has it drawn whith

is youth, painted in sweet, glimmering pictures, as unlike those

eaving garlands for his head, fastening them on with kisses

ances at the windows, where the darkness of the gathering night appeared, and the fire on the hearth died slowly, while William's heart began to swell with eag

ta, clinging to him, murmured tenderly: "How I love you; we will live and die together." William's head sank on h

earning and prayers. How her heart leaped when, on the distant horizon, she fancied she recognized the slender masts that appeared before her, and measured in her im

d Moody's harsh, strident t

he cast a half startled, hal

ip do yo

ing steadily for half an hour, the s

whose outlines had blended with the ship seen in hi

ox-Hound!" he cried.

"the Royal Fortune ought to go. You have drunk enough, we are

talk i

om the rum and sugar, when even the f

he supply is exhausted, get more. Wherever a Portuguese galleon appears on the

ey could count all her sails in the bright mo

scovered us and wants to escape. Skyrme, quick, do

rushed on her deck and, aided by a favorable wind, the pursuit of the unknown ship began, w

le English man-of-war, commanded by two of

that had been sent against him, the Swall

, and wanted to attack them at once, but were obliged first to sail around a large shoal known

he Fox-Hound to a point where the cannonading could not b

ag and dashed with the speed of an arrow toward the Swallow

death!" roared

a terrible thunder, sent a devastating volley upon the

olt which had fallen upon them. The deck was strewn with mangled corpses, the bl

, "what are you staring at? Up with the fl

the flag, and Skyrme's stent

and with it Skyrme, whose legs were torn off by a cannon ball. The pirates lost their self-co

t. "Shame and disgrace upon you! Stick to the ship

w, and had almost succeeded in reaching it with their grappling irons, when a third volley

. They could f

ands of the enemy!" gasped Skyrme, only half of whose gigantic

was no harm done. There was not powder enough to shatter the ship. The five pirates lay in the hold, burnt and swearing, as black as if they had been transformed int

ession of the wreck, whose deck wa

ere raised a

ravest soldiers could scarcely succeed in disarming the mangled giant, who, when his huge hands were chained in order to bin

low who, accepting the pirate's invitation, sat down to breakfast with him, became very friendly after his first glass of wine, a

man was called upon for his favo

, Barthelemy!" he said at last

ng," replied

rn the one which is being sung ever

ay the white

rsuit the bl

is my lov

s the pira

emy shu

you hear

girl, of whom your soul must not even dream; it

when?

s need'; and seizing our guns we rushed toward the sound. Three young girls came from behind the hill, pursued by three hundred negroes. The black rascals, shouting and yelling, were fast gaining upon them. The girls could not run fast enough, for they were dragging a large armchair in which sat an old woman

rthelemy in an almost

a long voyage and, as she was constantly afraid you would do the poor fellow some mischief, she added whenever she prayed for him the entreaty that God would sink Robert Barthelemy in the depths of the sea

rpse-like pallor, his eyes were fixed on vacancy

he has gone crazy!" whispered t

y on the shoulder. The latter started at the touch, and a look

ew him aside, slipped his arm into his, and walking fo

world. The sailor knows that he is doomed when he meets the spectre of the sea. My soul has such a spectre, and I encountered it to-day. I know not how or where, but I

head to foot, and then

k that he doesn't know w

e tables, only two or three remaining erect, disputing the

in s

ggering forward, they recognized in the appr

messmates from their dreams, pointed to the ship, and hurried to Barthelemy wi

led from the Fox-Hound yesterday and, in trying to es

tes in a trembling voice. "Before I deserted to you, I s

rnfully, "and suppose she is, would

en guns and is one of the

ifference. Who a

David Oyle-the

p, my men! Beat the drums, show the flags, spread every inch of canvas

unners went to their stations, and Barthel

was girdled with a Persian shawl; around his neck hung a broad gold chain, sustaining a glittering diamond cross, and in his belt were thrust pist

on him. Every one had the firmest belief

d to Moody and whi

hold by each other. I have decided to approach the enemy with all sail set, receiving and returning his fire. If he d

old pirate, clenching hi

all, throw my body into the sea. I wa

his head and gro

lemy drew his sword and, raising his h

, and the two ships, with their flags flutterin

red first, sixty guns thundering at the same instant. The Royal Fortune res

ours"; and as he spoke his forty guns returned the vol

from the Swallow's deck and Barthelemy sank life

son, saw him fall and, not p

ook the danger boldly in the fa

t of blood gushed fro

leaving his place at the helm, and throwing himself on

critical moment; nameless terror filled their h

he reached the body, and hastily seizing i

hrowing down their weapons, they surrendered. No man knew

on the other ship and, seizing a lighted slow-match, rushed to the powde

doing here?"

by, wrenching the match from his

d Scudamore. "Here is a traitor. Hel

p, others opposed it, and while the two parties were contending G

the whole crew