D COPYRIGHT. 1884. av Bum: & Axum. M. anim"; a: 00.,‘Publisfiers, I “blah” Every (JAMES SULLIVAN. PM)an ’1 . 379 Your! Street. 'ork. >- __._.A_ .V v H. _. V. V _, ,_ 7. “-7 [THE SEA own}: The Lady Captain of 4 the Gulf. A Romance of Piracy on thé American: Coast, and a Companion Story £6 " The Pirate ' Priest." and “ Cutlass and Cross." .__.~.-...___r __ ——f— —'———v ~- BY COL. PRENTISS INGRAHAM, smon or “an, THE mm,” “uox’szMA, THE MEnmLEss,” “mmmwcn, mm nvccnvnxn,” “me BILL, m PISTOL on» 9801,. “ WILD BILL‘B GOLD TRAIL,” ma, ETC. s ‘\;‘\b\\- ‘g“"; _ g;\‘\.\:<;~ ‘xs ‘ \\ .\ \W’ -' . LADY cmun’s moxie vmci’ém m wows; “ mm» mm urea. mm..An mm: m m roman; ' ton 1 run opmn m: mu m m: mam AND WILL BURL nus LAMP mo m rowan-neural!” rm aim afiww‘a‘hg » The Sea Owl; The Lady Captain of the Gulf. A Romance of Piracy on the American Coast, and a Companion Story to “The Pirate Priest,”-and “ Cutlass and Cross." BY COLONEL PRENTISS INGRAHAM, AUTHOR. or “MERLE, THE MUTINEER,” “ MONTE- zvsm, THE MERCILESS,” ETC., ETC. CHAPTER I. BRANDED BY ms OWN HAND. A MAN sat alone in the cabin of a small lug- ger. ' It was night, and the cabin lamplight fell full upon him, revealing a rm of superb physical beauty and race, combined with strength and a face t at was full of expression and power. Each feature seemed perfect, and no one would have said that Le was otherwise than a ve handsome man, and only the closest reader of umen nature would have detected evil and treachery beneath the mask of noble manhood which he wore. He was dressed in the garb of a common sea- men, yet looked the officer beneath a dis- guise. The vessel’s cabin was handsomely fitted up, with many articles of luxury, comfort and beauty upon every hand, and, but for the war- like weapons here and there visible, might have been mistaken for a lady’s boudoir aboard shi . Gitomans, Persian rugs, easy divans and other furniture, no two pieces alike, were visible here and there, while crossed cutlasses, pistols, dag- gers and a stack of arms occupied positions ware they could be readily grasped in time of ne . “ Well, I am tired of being coo d u here in this smuggler craft when, now t at t 0 die is cast and am branded by my Own hhud an out- law, I can daring! raise the black flag and skim the seas as a pirate. “The beautiful Rita is a charming compen- ion, and does all she can to make my time ass pleasantly until her father's return; but I eel, or all that, that I am little more than a pris- oner, and I long for the coming of the smuggler cagtain, when this hiding away in aJagoon will on . “ Once I tread the deck of a gallant craft, I will begin my revenge against Bradford Carr— the man who, as my rival, h brought me to what I now am—and I shall wer the groud head of the haughty beauty, Maud Bren t, by making her a pirates bride. “ Hal hal what a sweet revenge will be mine once I raise the black flu abova my decks, and I will be even happy in t e carryin out of my glans to strike at my rival and my ove- Ahl its, you are welcome, for my thoughts are mood to-night.” An the man turned his 'gase upon one who just then descended the com panionway and en- tered the cabin. The one who entered was a maiden, whose years had perhaps reached twenty, and whose ace was more attractive by its rilliant eyes and fearlessness, than through its beauty. Still it ..as. a countenance to command re- spect, to win idolatrous love from men, and yet to cause fear of giving her reason for anger or hatred. Her voice was low and winning, yet full of strength did she care to raise it to a higher key, her form was rounded and graceful and her manner fascinating, while she seemed to a refinement that looked out of place on a lug- ger, which the man’s remarks had given the idea was an outlaw craft. “My spy reports a vessel in the offing, head- ing in-shore, Mr. Key 3, and it must be my father with your craft,” said the maiden, and her tone and look was one of re ret. “ Hal I grant that it be, or 1 long to be away,” he cried, and then seeing a look of pain gull! over her face at his words, he added, ten- or v: “ Not that I am a‘nxious to leave your sweet companionship, Rita, but Iioug to bury thought in busy action, and to get a chance to strike at my face.” ‘ You are revengeful,” she said calmly. “ Yes, I am toward those who have brought ruin u n the,” he answered fiercely. ' “ as the brand of outlawry upon you not placed there by your own hand, Mr. Keys?” came the question. He started at her words and gased flxedl into hiertsuperb eyeawhile an angry flush passedover h s ace. But checking any anger he might have felt, as said, in a cool way: . “You shall know just why I was forced to brand myself a'Cain and an outlaw, Rita, and also why I now thirst to hoist the gate flag. “You are aware that I am son of a The Sea. Owl. wealthy planter upon the Mississi pi river, but you are not aware that my love 0 cards caused me to draw so heavily upon my father, to pay my debts, that I was fonced to seek some heiress to form an alliance with to cancel the indebted- ness. “ That heiress I found in Miss Maud Brandt, whose plantation home is some leagues from here on these shores. “ I met her at the Blue Anchor Inn, the old Spanish mansion, which, once the haunt of pirates, was turned into a summer resort by an enterprising Yankee, whose guests are the aris- tocratic people of this coast country.” “ I know the place well and the people who frequent it, for many of the ladies wear Jewels and laces which my father has smuggled, ’ was the cool reply. ‘ “ Doubtless, sweet Rita' but to my story: " At the Blue Anchor nu I met the lovely heiress, Maud Brandt, and she is the richest lady in the South, and the most beautiful I ever looked upon. “ She was engaged, however, to Soule Ra- velle, a oung planter of great wealth whom she herd y knew, for the two had been pledged in childhood; but for this I did not care. “At the home of her father, Colonel Brandt, wasayoung Merylander, the tutor of Maud’s boy-brother, Irving, and I could see that she loved the tutor, as he did her. “ But neither did I care for that, and began my plot, with the aid of a friend, Chester Granger, who was my slave because he owed me money. “I laid a plot into which I led both Ravelle and the tutor, whose name was Bradford Carr. “ I wished to get rid of Ravelle, for he was engaged to Maud, had made his will in her favor, as I knew, and I owed him largely. “ I wished to get rid of the tutor because the heiress lovad him, and he was a dangerous man, as I had reason to know. “ Well, my plot was successful, for Ravelle was killed, and Bradford Carr was accused of his murder, tried and sentenced.” “ Yes, I heard of the whole affair,” said Rita, in the same soft tone in which she had before 3 ken. p2 But Bradford Carr esca ed, through the aid , of Pelafox the Pirate I be ieve; and the vessel which he took passage on was captured by Bern- ardo the Buccaneer, and all on board put to death exce t several priests, one of whom been kill , and the tutor, assuming his robes, was spared, but taken on the outlaw craft as chap- lain—some old witch having told Bernardo that he must, have a padre on his ship to meet with success. “I have heard this, and that the suggom padre, Mr. Carr, won the crew over, seis the vessel, and thus became known as the Pirate Priest though he in reality used his vessel to hunt own‘ irates,” remarked the maiden, who listened wit the deepest attention. “ Oh, yes: the man had been educated for the riesthood, d was a student, I believe, in Baltimore, w en he saved the life of Colonel Brandt, who brought him South with him. “ He scoured the sees a the Pirate Priest, how- ever, and, todo him jus ce is a thorough see- man and a brave man; but my old friend, Chester Granger, who had also turned pirate, attempted to capture the padre buccaneer, but got caught, turned State’s evidence against me, and I was thrown into jail, tried for the mur- der of Ravelle, found guilty, and sentenced to die on the gallows. “As I told you and your father, Rita, the night that you dragged me from the waves into your skit! when I was drowning, I esca by killing the ne 0 keeper and wounding t e jai - er; and here am, awaiting the return of your father, who will bring me a vessel in which I can make a fortune on the high seas. and at the same time reap revenge upon Bradford Carr.” “ And Miss. Brandt?” asked Rita, in a voice hardl audible. “ l I shall lower her proud headiby mak- ing her my bride, after all.” “That will be my sweetest revenge,” and the man’s face became almost devilish in its look of malignant oy at the thought. Rita sig ed, hit her full red lips almost viciously, and rising, said quickl : “I will see if there is any ot er news about the sail in the offing, for I sent the man back to the mouth of the lagoon.” - ‘f Ah, yes! and I pray that it be your father with my vessel,” answered Barton Ke s, the fugitive from justice, and self-conf mur- derer, rising and following her to the deck. Upon reaching the deck all was dark and dis- mal about them, exce ting the stars above, re- flecting their sparkle n the waters below. The lu'ghger, a trim-looking craft. lay at an- chor in e middle of a small walled around with cypress trees, whose branc es were festooned with the grey moss common to the Gulf shores. Out of the basin led innumerable bayous, or lagoons, which formed a network for lea es, and through some of them vessels ooul be gamed, by a roundabout course back to the All was stillness there on the lugger, but the splash of the alligator and the shriek of a night- bird were heard shoreward. The basin was as smooth as a milhpond, not a ripple disturbing its surface, thouglra good brezze fanned the treetops. ’ As the man and maiden stood looking out over the dark scene, toward the bayou that led to the Gulf, a boat suddenly came in sight. It wasa small skiff and held a single occu- nt. - “Ho the skiff!" cried the maiden, raising her soft voice to a high and stern pitch one would not have believed it capable of. “The Sea Owl‘s Spy.” came the answer from the occupant of the skifl, and a moment after the man clambered over the high sides of the lugger and stood before Rita, the smuggler’s daughter. CHAPTER II. THE PIRATES mar. THE man who confronted Rite on the lugger’a deck was a tall, lithe fellow, attired in sailor costume. “Well, Leon, what of the vessel in the off- ing?” asked the maiden. ‘ It was the schooner of Palafox the Piste, senorita,” answered the man, speaking with a Spanish accent. The light from the cabin falling upon the feces of Rita and Barton Keys, showed a look of jo come upon that of the maiden, while the f - tive from justice fr0wned and hit his lips. “ Then it was not my father returning, as Mr. Keys had hoped?” , . ‘ No, senorita, and it may be weeks at, be- fore the Sea Owl returns, answered he see- man. “True, and I will improve the time, lady, if you will be good enough to aid me,” said Barton eys. “ I will do all in my power, senor, to aid my father’s guest,” was the re ly. “ Thank you, and I wil need the lugger and the assistance of a few good men. while, know- ing good Leon here, as I do, I will ask him to serve me well and his reward shall be ample.” “I. am at the service of the senor, if such is fie will of my captain’s daughter,” responded on. “ It is my will that you do as the senor Keys desires, and as he wis es the services of more men, Leon, you had better start at once for the rendezvous of the other lugger."' “ There is no hurry, senorita, for the men; butI will~as Leon to eta small sail-skid ready with prov one for a a or so, and be ready to accompany me‘ along t e coast to-morrow at; dawn.” Rita started at his words and asked quickly: “Where would you go, senor!” “ To the Brandt Plantation." “Hal would you dare go there?” U Ye. n “ You will go to your death,” “ I think not, after you have given me your ‘aid in disguising me. “ But, while Leon prepares for our little voy- age, come with me to the cabin and you shall know my lot.” Without reply Rita followed her outlaw guest once more into the in ger’s cabin, and seating himself at the little ta e, under the full glare of the lamp,while the maiden threw herself upon .a divan back in the shadows, he said: “ You are aware of m desire for revenge upon Bradford Carr and ud Brandt, Rita?’ “ Yes, Senor Keys.” “ Call me by the name your father gave me— that of Bark), for it maddens me to hear the one I have dis ced,” he said bitterly. “ As Senor arto pleases,” was the reply. “ W ell, a brilliant idea has crossed my mind, by which I can get ample revenge u n the man who is now dwelling in honor at randt Plantation, again the tutor of that reckless oun Brandt, and the pledged husband of the ant ful Maud, while I, his rival, am a fugitive from the allows.” “ I am istening, Senor Berta.” said Rita, as the man paused. “My (plot is to destroy the reputation of Bradfor Carr forever, and make him suffer Xhitlle’diving, the agony of the damned who are ea . “ You are almost savage in our hatred, senor," and Bite 8 ke with a shu der. “ I am toward t ose who haVe wronged me." “But on did not explain to me how it was that the enor Carr wronged you?” “ He has stolen from me m bride.” “ Ah! did on love her so early then?” “Yes, an no, for I have never loved any woman, I believe, though she is all that can make a man idoliae her. " But I had formed 1:: plans to get her. and I was thwarted by Brad ord Carr. who, in ex. mag me, made me what I am now forced to me, and for this I hate him. “ Now I shall go with Leon to the Brandt Plantation, after you have thoroughly disgpised me, and deliver to Bradford Carr a letter. “ A letter, and from whom?” “ Pu rting to be' from your father. the Sea. Owl, 0 using,” he will leave Brandt Plantv ./ l l \ / COB-m4 alarms—sn- D‘MHI (EU O 9!? 6'0. 5’1! «at u, . .. .-_.M_‘ B _,___,._-__W_..,K , nolia forest alon The Sea Owl. 3 tion, and give up its heiress forever, to let him go free; but if not, threatening to kidnap her, pillage and burn the house, and hang him to the ard—arm.” . “ his is a fearful threat, senor.” “Yes, but it may force him to depart, and I will have a spy on his track to see that he never returns, while the field will be left open to me to secure Maud Brandt. ’ Now you kn0w my plot. Rita, and with the dawanill leave in the skiff with Leon, and deliver the letter in person to Bradford Carr and et his answer. “ f he refuses, then will he have cause to curse the day that he was born. “But how will you disguise me, fair Rita, for that man’s e es are piercing, and I will meet him face to ace, while if I should he pen to see that wild youngster, his upil, will have to undergo a scrutiny that wilee terrible, for I never saw a boy of his years know so . much.” “ I will disguise you, senor, so that Love’s eyes cannot recognize you even.” “ But it will be Hate’s eyes that I will have to face.” “Igor will the eyes of your worst foe know you. “ Good! now let us see what it will be?” Rita arose and went into a state-room, soon returning with an armful of clothing. These shelaid out before the man, and placing upon the table a heavy false beard and wig, Said simply: “Now, senor, robe yourself in these clothes, lad then I will hide your face from view.” Leaving the cabin she went on deck, and upon her return found the man arrayed in a sailor garb and awaiting her with some impatience of manner. CHAPTER III. was THREAT. BRANDT PLANTATION was one of those grand old homes, built by the early Spanish settlers upon the Gulf shores, and a few of which still tend to—day. Before the mansion was a small deep harbor, in which lay at anchor a beautiful sloop yacht and several smaller sail-boats, while skiffs and Him-boats were tied to the end of a wooden p er. The grounds sloped gently down to the snowy oh, and were ca ted with velvety grass, while the lawn was s aded here and there with a massive live-oak or magnolia tree. An ornamental mound, upon the summit of which was a miniature fort, an arbor of rustic beauty near the water, and flowerbeds scattered about, in the shape of stars and crescenta, made the picture one of great beauty, with the white stucco walls of the mansion in the back-ground. . Afar off, stretched the restless waters of Mis- sissi pi Bound, with the Golf‘s blue waters be- yon , and in the rear of the mansion were gar- dens and outbuildings, and then the dense mag- the front of which was a line of white ca ins, e quarters of the slaves. he mansion was large and roomy two : stories high, and with several wings that 'added A” a fig...“ 'her face toits randeur. In t e arbor overlooking the waters of the Sound, two persons were seated, the afternoon of the day following the scene on the smuggler bigger at anchor in the is con. he one was a maiden t at no one would have looked upon and not called most lovely, while rtrayed a noble heart and soul worthy of or exquisite beauty. Her 00m uion was a man, tail of stature broad-shou dered, fasc nating in manner, and with a face that was full of conscious power. The face was clean shaven, showing the par- fection of every feature, and the eyes were dark, piercing, and portrayed in their glances the intellect and refineme t of the man. The maiden was Man Brandt, the heiress, and. the man was Bradford Carr, the young Divinity student, who, in accepting the tutor- 3bip of Irving Brandt, had had forced upon him aaeries of adventures, sorrows and joys that seldom fall to man’s lot. Driven to fly from the Iowa, for a crime of Which he had not been gu lty, he had made him- self master of a pirate vesse , and, though hunt— ing dowu m-outlaws, had become known as the Pirate Priest. rough all Maud Brandt and her noble young brother had believed him gniltless, and When at last Bradford Carr had proven himself it by pointing out the guilty one, in Barton 9". back to the grand old homestead he had gas in honor, and the heireu and beauty had come his promised wife. After all the sorrows they had known, they now sat in the arbor happy in their love and hopeful for the future. kIsa that Irvi in yonder skifl, Bradford?” 3 0d Maud, as w th her face turned down the glut, her eyes had fallen upoua small sail. tgiftohlld spddenly shot into view. . r rv ng went gunnin , and there are two men in the boat,” answe Bradford Carr, m“ fl his eyes upon it. , a 0 can they be!” asked Maud, a feeling ml! coming over her, for she had been so ~‘~’.-..v . '.i4:.‘ 1" ~£W£h€§g~t~€r§’ Y" 5 . ‘,- ,)“ . , ‘g . «v messed-wry" accustomed to look for trouble of late, she ex- pected it at all times. “ We shall soon know, Maud, for their desti- nation is the Brandt haven,” was the reply, and in silence the two watched the little boat come on its way, until it rounded the arm of land that formed the harbor, and ran alongside of the little pier. Out of the boat then sprung a man, who came toward where Bradford Carr and the maiden sat, having evidently seen them there before he landed. His companion remained in the boat and kept the boat to the pier with his hand, not seeming- ly caring to tie it there. The man who advanced was bent in form, and upon his back was a bump, while his droopingr shoulders caused his face to bend con- stantly taward the ground. He was dressed in a sailor garb and wore a llzeltfin which was stuck a pistol and a clasp- m e. “Senor, I seek the Brandt Plantation!” he said in broken English. “ You have found the place you seek, my man,” answered Bradford Carr, addressing the man in Spanish as his black beard, hair and ac- cent suggested that he was of that nationality. “ It is here that the Senor Carr dwells, senor?" “Yes, would on like tosee him?” _ “I would, if e is the one whom men called the Pirate Padre, senorl” ’ “ Yes, he is one and the same, and I am Brad- ford Carr.” “You, senor?” “ So I said, my man.” “ Then it is you that I seek. “And what business have you with me?” “ To givn you this letter, senor,” and the man took out a sealed letter and handed it to the handsome young tutor, while Maud looked on in silence and in some alarm, wondering what the letter could' be about and who the writer was. Bradford Carr took the letter and with a firm hand broke the seal. As he glanced over the contents his face paled, but otherwise no expression came to show his emotion. ’ What he read. was as follows: “On board the Sea OWL}> of! Gulf Coast. “ To the Saxon. Binnroim Cans. the Pirate Prlrs :- “Sworn—The writer is your bitter foe, and the enemy of all ou love, hence this letter. “As your 0e he will not allow you to dwell in happiness, and to hurt your heart to its inmost re- cess he commands you to give up the lady who is now our affianced wife. “ on are to forever leave Brandt Manor and Maud Brandt, going your way through llle alone. “If you obey, then all will be well, and your love for her will be proven by your giving her n . “ If you refuse. I threaten, and you will nd it no idle threat, for I am anxious and willingtocarry out my determination. “ My threat is that I will visit Brandt Manor by night, kidnap your romised bride, and pillage and burn her home, kl ling you, her father and her brother before her eyes. and afterward force her to become my bride. “Answer by bearer y-s. if you will go and thus save Maud Brandt, and no, if on refuse. “ But if no is the response receive, beware of the threat of Ta: Sn Own." Twice did Bradford Carr read this letter through, and then be folded it up slowly, placed it in his pocket and said sternlly: “Tell your master that I w' I make no terms with him.” ‘.‘ There is some other answer, senor,” said the man. N“;I;hen bear it back, for emphatically I say 0. “ But, senor, you surely—” “Silence, sir, and begone, or poor deformed creature that you are, I will hurl you beneath mv feet and stamp out our accursed iii...” The vonce of Bradfo Carr rung out like a trumpet, and his eyes fairly blazed as he gazed upon the man before him. Apparently alarmed for his safet the dc. formed seaman shrunk back, and wal ed rapil- Iy to his boat. “ Shove off, Leon for that man is as danger- ous as an enraged tiger and may detain us,” said the messenger, springing into his boat. “ He refused to comp y with your terms, senor, as I heard from his ringing words.” “ Yes, Leon; but I have threatened, so let him beware,” and Barton Keys. for be it was, took the tiller and headed out of the harbor, while Bradford Carr and Maud watched the skifl’s departure, the maiden with a most anxious look upon her beautiful face, for her lover had firme refused to show her the letter he had re- ceived, or to tell her of its contents, and it came to her heart that some dread evil was upon them. the nature of which it was beyond her power to fathom. CHAPTER IV. ml: couraor wrrn Tm: mmcnnacx SAILOR. A 01.00! had fallen upon the inmates of Brandt Manor. for Bradford Carr would not divulge the secret he held. of the mistsrious letter, not even to Colonel Brandt or is hand- some young pupil, but kept it locked in his own. isn‘: 3:541:13. -,. . . ,..-. f“ and at times stern. Some days after the visit of his disguised ene- my, Bradford Carr had been seen from a win- dow by Ellizette, the quadroon maid, of Maud Brandt, in conversation with a seaman, a mile d0wn the coast. V Ellizette had called to her mistress and point. edout th: young tutor, as he stood in a cove, fighting to the man who had just landed in a at. Turning a spy-glass, which she always kept in her room, to amuse herself with by gasing at vessels far out on the waters, Maud started as she recognised in the person with Bradford Carr the tall hunchback that had brought him the letter that had so affected him. “ Obi that I could hear as well as I can see through this glass, and thus learn the secret that Bradford Carr keeps from me, am". which has changed his whole nature,” she said, while tears dimmed her eyes. As she spoke her lover sprung into the boat and the stranger following, seized the oars anL. pulled out of si ht of the maiden behind a wood- ed int of la . alking along the shore, as was often his wont, Bradford Carr bad descried the skiff out upon the waters, and heading in, as though to land near him. ' His keen eyes at once recognised the bunch- back bearer of the letter, and be came to a halt to await the man's landing, for out over the waters came the hail: “Ho, senor! lay to, for I would speak with on.” y In ashort while the man took in his little sail, and seizing his oars, beached the skill. Springing out he saluted politely and said: “ I visit you again, senor.” “ And what message bring you this time. fellow?" sternly asked the tutor. “I come on my own account this time, senor.” ~ “ Hal what mean you!” “ Just what I say, senor.” “ Who are your “One who does not wish to see the threat in the Sea Owl’s letter carried out.” “Ah! you knew the contauta of the letter then?" “ Yes, senor.” Pei-ha you can tell me why I have the sum ty of your master, the Sea Owli' “ “y captain, senor, not my master.” “ ell, either you please; but tell me, if you know, why he is my bitter foef” “ As the Pirate Priest, senor, you may have done him much harm.” “True, I struck at pirates and smugglers alike: but now why are you here!” “ To serve you, senor. “ Indeed! how can that be!” “My heart is not so deformed as my body, senor, and I have mercy for the innocent.” The man spoke with feeling, and Bradford Carr was touched by the pathos in his voice and the sad look that came into his eyes, an said quickly: “Ah! sady not as be appear?” . ‘No, senor, though I am an outlaw, I am not one to make war u n the innocent. ‘ “You have suite much in the past, for I know of your sorrows, and I wish to serve you from two motives.” “ Name them!” “ First, senor, answer me if you intend to give u the Lady Maud as the Sea Owl demands “ Assuredly not.” , “ He has made a fearful threat, senor, if you do not. “ So be it, he will find one ready to meet him when he attempts to carry it out." “ But he will come with a score of men at his back. senor.” “ So let him.” “ You are a brave man, senor: but you would fall. and the Lady Maud would become the Sea Owl’s captive, and this is wh I would serve you and her, for I would ate to see you slain, and the more to behold her in the power of mv captain.” “You are kind at heart; but what is your other motive in serving me!" “ To serve myself, senor.” “ Ah! I half-guessed it: you want gold!” “ Yes, senor, a little.” V “I am poor, and can give you but little, served you me ever so well.” “Poor, and t on were the Pirate Priest!" “ Yes, so cal ed, ut no Ipirate, and the money gained by Ipirate rim turned over to my crew, for wan none thus earned.” “ Well, senor, I needed only a few hundreds, not for myself, but to buy over several of my comrades who are for sale for gold. “As for myself, I will et my y in using the you so, my man? Then you are as your calling make you I the Sea Owl hung up to “ Why, he is your ca tain. “True, and yet ‘my 0e, m.” “ Ha trusts mu.” “ Yes, and t t is why I can betray him.’ “ You are a strange man." heart, while his manner had become moroee, l *5 ‘ '. - v _ v). » h V‘ ‘5‘“,1, __...:... ta .-c..u.~.r'\i.-...‘.,o-- "thy; ._ *l. i i Z i f r.‘. 4 The Sea 0W1. " i "I am revengeful, senor, and when you re- fused so bravely to accept the Sea Owl’s terms, you won my respect, and I determined to save on and the beautiful lady, while at the same 'me I avenge myself.” “ You hate your captain then, for some wrong he has done you?” “I do, senor.” “ And would betray him!” “I will.” “Can you?” “ Yes, senor, if you are willing to take the risks.” - “ I am willing to risk my life, my man, to free the seas of a man so vile as your captain has the name of being.” “Then, senor, I will betray him into your hands.” “But how can this be done, for I have no force near that I can control 3” “None is needed, senor, for you can do all with the aid of mySelf and others.” “ What others?” “Those of the Sea Owl’s crew who are his foes, like me, and who will aid in his capture for a consideration.” “ But I have no money with which to bribe them, or at furthest, only a few hundreds of dollars.” ‘ “Senor, a few hundred will be sum tient; but it is more than gold the men ask that aid me.” . “ What then?” “ A pardon for their crimes.” “ I have no power to pardon them." “ Ah, senor, if you will pledge yourself that all who aid you in getting the Sea Owl and his swift sailing lugger into your hands, shall have a p‘irdon for their crimes, they will gladly give up their evil lives, as i will.” “ i think I can promise this, for the Govern- ment will grant my request.” “ A thousand thanks, senor; I will accept your ledge and make known my plan.” “ ell, m man—but let us go beyond that point of Ian , for I do not wish to beseen with you, and here we are in full view of any one in the u per rooms of the mansion.” “ on know best, senor,” answered the man and getting into the skiff the hunchback rowed to the spot beyond the view of Maud, who had been so anxiously watching from her window. A ain landing the hunchback saifl: “ glow, senor, my plan is to tell the Sea Owl that you have agreed to bu him off from car- rying out his threat, for rankly, he sent me here to see if I could not entrap you." “ You are certainly honest.” “ i am toward you, senor, but not toward the Sea Owl. “I will tell him that you will come on board to make terms with him, if he will run the lugger into the harbor, say ten nights from th s.’ “ Do you expect me to go alone on board the vessel?” “Yes, senor, for you will find three-fourths of the crew ready to obey your call. “ You will enter the cabin and at once cover the Sea Owl with your pistol, for he will ex- pect no danger among his crew, and I will rally my comrades about me and win or cut down those who are true to the captain.” Bradford Carr was silent for a moment, and then he said: - “So be it my man, I will take any risk to capture the Sea 0 N1 and his craft.” ‘ I am glad to hear you say so, senor, for now I will get my revenge; but as our craft will fly light, as far as gold in her lockers is con- cerned, I will have to ask you to bring along whahyou can for the lads, senor.” “ I will do so, my man,” and the two parted ‘lie hunchback to return to his boat and set sail, while Bradford Carr walked slowly back to Brandt Manor, his heart hopeful that he could ward off the evil which he had kept secret from all. _ CHAPTER V. THE TrcAP. BRADFORD CARR hnd borne his dread in silence and in secret, after the visit of the hunchback bearer of the letter to him. He did not wish to alarm Maud, or cause anxiety to her father and brother, and alone had intended to discover some place to thwart the Sea Owl, if in the end he had really to de- (\‘W' and give up the one he so dearly loved to I . .re her and those dear to her. His heart was too anxious to permit him to rest, and each night he had stood on watch. to guard against, and it was no wonder, that with his anxiety and loss of rest he became moody and fretful. After his compact with the hunchback sailor, he held hope, yet was still anxious, and nightly he walked the b ach unable to rest, and the eyes of love watching him so closely felt that something had gone wrong with him, which they could not fathom. At length the appointed night rolled round, and retiring early to his room, Bradford Carr waited until the rest of the family had followed his exam le, and then he walked out upon the moonlit awn, keeping in the shadow of the magnolias and live-oak trees. l Halting in the shade of a grand old oak he 17 maiden, whose hand was as flrm asa rock, as it gazed out over the waters, which were rippled y a four-knot breeze. “ The lugger is coming,” he muttered, as his eyes fell upon a white sai out upon the waters. Straight toward the harbor she came, and standin on b yond the arm of land that form- ed the fittle haven, laid her course on the next tack directly in toward the little pier. Running asteru of the Lady Maud, Irving Brandt’s pretty yacht, the lugger’s anchor was silently lowered and sail taken in, as though her commander did not wish to attract attention from the mansion. Then a boat left the lugger’s side and pulled noiselesst to the shore, one man being the only occupant. “ It is the hunchback sailor and he is coming for me,” said Bradford Carr, and turning his size upon the wing, where were Maud's rooms, e said sadly: “I risk much this night, my darling, for your sweet sake, and may Heaven in the end ring all round aright.” Little did he dream that at that moment, as he descended to the shore to meet the hunch- back, that the eyes of Maud Brandt were then upon him. “Ah, senor, you are here, 1 am glad to see,” said the hunchback, recognizing the tutor as he came down the lawn ale to the beach. “ Yes, my man, I am ere, as you are, true to promises made.” “And all works well, Senor Carr, for I told the Sea Owl that you had arranged to give him a large sum to buyI him «if, and he loves your goldwmore than 9 does his revenge against you. “He holds no suspicion then?" “Not the slightest.” “And the crew?” ' “Two thirds of them are of my way of think- ing, senor.” “ Well, my man, I go with you, hoping that all is right; but you are to accompany me, remaining by my side in my interview with your chief, and I pledge you my word, that if treachery is intended toward me, be my fate what it may, I shall kill you on the instant I sus t you.” he man started slightly, but answered: “This is hard, senor, that ‘you suspect me; but you are at liberty to kil me if I prove treacherous.” “ And I will, if in my power, mark‘ my words, my man. “Now row ‘me on board the lug er,” and Bradford Curr stepped into the little at and was followed by the hunchback. Out to the logger the latter rowed, and the two went over the side, and advanced toward the cabin. Bradford Carr cast his eyes over the craft and saw that she was of trim build, carried con- siderable canvas, and was evidently a fleet sailer. About a dozen men were visible, standing along the high bulwark and gazing over at the pretty scene landward. “Wait one minute, senor, and I will tell the captain you are here,” said the hunchback, pausing at the cabin companionway. “ No, we will go down together, sir, so lead on,” was the response. “As you lease, senor,” and the hunchback motioned to radford Carr to go first. “After you, sir,” sternly said the tutor, and the hunchback 'saw that one hand grasped a weapon, so at once preceded him. Into the cabin the two pasSed, Bradford Carr close on the heels of the eaman. The one there to rece ve them was Rita Res- tel, the smu gier’s daughter. She looke strangely beautiful in her Mexican attire, and arose with a smile of greeting, as the two entered, “The Senorita Restel, the Sea Owl’s daugh- ter. Senor Carr,” said the hunchback, by way of introduction. _ Bradford Carr was fairly dazzled. He had expected to meet a grizzly old pirate, and this bril iant woman confronted him. Thrown off his guard b the presence of a woman, he bowed low. wit the courtly grace natural to him, though it was to the dang-liter of an outlaw, and the hunchback said quickly: “Besealed. senor, and I will call Captain Restel from his state-mom.” As he s ke he assed through the narrow gangway ending mm the cabin, while Brad- ford Carr took the seat motioned to by Rita Restel. As he did so the Girl Smuggler suddenly turned upon him, and leveling a pistol straight at his head. cried sternly: “ Senor Curr, mm are m y prisoner! “ Submit quietly, and do not force me to kill you CHAPTER VI. THE MIDNIGHT FLIGHT T0 SEA. THAT Bradford Carr was wholly taken aback by the action and words of Rita Restel, his man- ner showed, for he made no movement, simply sitting in silent amazement, gazing upon the held the pistol leveled at him. Had the hunchback been the one who had thus faced him, the young tutor would have risked the shot and sprung upon him. But the hunchback had been foiled by the de- termination of Carr, to hold him responsible for treachery. . He knew that the tutor would kill him at the slightest suspicion that he had been .led into a tra . ’18) get him on board the tugger was his deter- mination, and this done, the tutor again i thwarted him by forcing him to remain with } im. ' Rita Restel had heard what had passed upon I! the deck, and instantly discovered that the hunchback was caught in his own trap, so at I once decided to aid him and glided into the tcjabin, a pistol concealed in the folds of her ress. It was a great relief to the hunchback to find her there, and he took advantage of it, to quick- ]v de t, under pretense of calling Captain Reste , but really to summon aid. To his amazement he saw that Rita had , grasped the situation boldly, and had the vic- i tim at her mercy. ’ ‘ Instantly be seized a musket from a bracket . over the state-room door, and pointing it at Bradford Carr, called out to the crew: “ Ho, men! to the rescue!” Down the companionway sprung the lugger‘e men, and they were ready for 8010!]. But Bradford Carr did not move, but sat in silence, gazing upon the maiden, whose face was flushed as she turned it toward the hunch- back. and said, proudly: i “ Captain Barto. there is your prisoner." 1 “Well, Sir Traitor, you have me in your power. “ But are you the Sea Owi’l” quietly said Bradford Carr, showing no excitement. “ I am not, sir; but you shall know just who 1 I am before very long,” was the answer, no 1 logger spoken with an accent. , hen turnin to the maiden, he said: i “ Senorita tel, I thank you for your 1 prompt service in my behalf. “Now, men, secure this prisoner, and hold him here until my return.” With this the hunchback went into one of the state-rooms, while Bradford Carr was placed in irons and a guard placed over him, Rita Restel the while quietly seating herself at the table and picking up a book, as though wholly ob- livious to the presence of the prisoner, who sat on a divan near a seaman standing by his side / with drawn cutlass. 1 After a few moments a tall form glided out 3 I l of the state~r00m which the hunchback had en- tered, and going on deck through the forward companionway, so as to avoid passing through the cabin, he revealed himself in ‘the moonlight as Barton Keys, the fugitive. “Leon, go on board yonder yacht and get her ready for sea, taking with you all that we wish to carry from the lugger. “I will return soon, but if you hear my sig- l nal come to my aid promptly.” 4' So ordered the fugiiive murderer, and sprin - . ingvinto the skiff alongside l e rowed shores-erg. } alking rapidly across the lawn, unmindful that an eye was upon him that mistook his - superb him and carriage for that of Bradford Carr, he sought the wing of the mansion where were the study and bed-chamber of the tutor. The door opening upon the piazza was un- locked and boldly he entered, for he knew the spot well. Once within he turned up the lamp dimly burning upon the center-tab e, and at once be- P gan a thorough search of the‘rooms. Selecting articles here and there, he made a ,‘ bundle of them and started upon his return to the shore. Again the one at the window saw him, and I wondered what all this meant. , ; But, with perfect trust in her lover Maud 3 Brandt could not believe that an harm was f‘ meant by the lugger’s strange vis t, and still ; gazed in silence, wondering how it all would 1' end. Reaching the shore the man who had allied himself with pirates, rowed out to the Lady .‘ Maud. 1 He found her deck strewn with luggage .3 brought from the lugger, and Leon met him at ‘5 the gangway with the remark: . “ All ready, senor, except to bring the Senor- ita Rita and the prisoner on board.” “ Do that at once, Leon, while I have the men get the anchor up and set sail on this retty craft, which we have exchanged the ugger for," was the answer. Leon departed for the lugger, and by the time he had returned with Rita and the prison- er, the Lady Maud’s anchor was up and sails set. The prisoner was taken by his guard into the cabin, and it could be seen that he had been se- curely gagged, for Rita, eVer cautious, had 'or- dered this done, fearing that he might‘cry out and alarm the household of the manor. -, Seizing the helm, as the yacht swung round and felt the pressure of the wind, Barton Key! ' The Sea. Owl. 5 headed her out of the harbor, while to his ears came along, iercing cry, that burst from the lips of Maud randt, as, from her window, she b held the pretty cra t flying out to sea and bearing with her the man she had so loved and trusted. CHAPTER VII. FACE TO FACE. . THE Lady Maud had not gained a cod 0&- mg, before all was shipshape on boa of her, for her well-trained crew, accustomed to stor- ing awa smuggled goods. soon found places for the uggege and traps brought from on board the lugger. As she went bowling along before a fair breele Rita Restel came on deck and took her stand the side of Barton Keys. “.We 1, Rita, h0w is the prisoner?” he asked. “Stern and silent, senor, for he bears his misfortune nobly.” ’ “Ah, yes, he has nerve and luck; but I will break both ere I have done wit him.” “ He is a superb specimen of manhood, Senor Barto, fully your equal I think.” “ Thank you sweet Rita, for the compliment, for Carr was a ways considered a kind of supe- rior to all other men in everythin ." “He is strangely handsome, an has an eye to read one’s soul, it seems.” “Ah! Rita, don’t fall in love with him, or I will fear to trust him with you.” “No! nol mine is a nature to love but once, Senor Barto," she said quickly, and, as though wishing to change the subject the man said: “ Well, Rita, thanks to your aid, we have n most successful.” “Yes, you have secured your prisoner, and exchanged the lugger for a ver beautiful craft, but, fast as this acht is, I don t if she can run awn from the a Owl.” » “ he lugger was fleet, I’ll admit; but she had some bad wounds from shot and shell, and needed overhauling greatly, while this craft is worth three of her.’ “ Ah, yes, and father will be delighted at the exchange I know; but will you see the prisoner toiiiiizmri “ No, I will have him taken into a state-room , and tomorrow, when we are anchored in the lagoon, will be time enough. “ Here, Leon. take the helm, for I do not know how to pilot this craft into the Owl’s Nest L i goon.” “Yes, sir, but the old lugger knew the way there, I really believe; but this craft is a beauty, 111}th will soon learn the smuggler tricks her- se . “ Her name is the Lady Maud, senorita, but I suppose you will change it?” said Leon, as he took the helm. “ Yes, we will call her after the in ger, the Sea Owl, for it would not be right'to orce the Lady Maud to figure as a smuggler,” answered the maiden. “ Then permit me to suggest a name,” said Barton Keys. “ Certainly, senor,” answered the maiden. “ Let her be known as the Lady Rita.” The moonlight showed plainly the smile of delight that crossed Rita’s face, at the compli- ment Barton Keys sought to pay her, and she answered: . “’1’! you so wish it, Senor Barto, I am will- m . ‘ I do wish it, and say all success to the Lady Rita,” and Barton K9 3 walked forward as though to glance over t e stolen yacht, though, in the past, having been an honored guest on I‘d on several pleasure cruises, he knew her well from keel to truck. _Along over the moonlit waters sped the acht with her outlaw crew, ahd, throwing six nots an hour in her wake, it was just sunrise when she glided into the bayou that led to the basin, 1:20 the smugglers had named the “Owl’s Rita had sought her state-room, the one which ad been Maud’s, to rest, and Barton Keys, happy in his triumph, had retired to the one Pecupied by Colonel Brandt, the prisoner hav- m been Placed in another one forward. echin the basin, by) way of the bayous, “"‘WBh W 10h Ihe was wed by the boats, he- $93119“ mOla-bun trees, the newly-baptized 1 .Y Its was made fast to the buoy of the “Her. and the crew sought the rest they need- ed. with no fear or being disturbed in that dis- milsl spot. n i U W“ We 00 n the mornin when Barton Key! "036. and founduRita awaigting breakfast 101 him, the table having been set beneath an awning upon the yacht's deck, The hm” seem“ PPOUd of their capture, and gtgn hetrlxlieal iivas over Barton Keys sent Leon ring 9 pr soner into '° big] tggmgoczwait his comit‘i: cabin and leave ra or rr had not been thus f with 'greater severity than tobe pairiirliéi‘i angvgonflnfd in a state-room. at m ght folio v he could . determined to take his misfortutiligtmtieollybut b” If not the smuggler known as Sea Owl who thiain the hunchbabgk, he wondered. ' e not remem r to hav ' “y W.” e harmed him in t.” He was distressed at the sorrow that must come to poor Maud when his absence was known, and he regretted that he had not told Colonel Brandt of the letter, and his intention to attempt the capture of the Sea Owl. But it was too hide the result. What would follow he of course could not! tell, and even to a man of his strong nerve the suspense was terrible; for he thought more of Maud’s anxiety than of his own danger. It was, therefore, a relief when Leon came to the little state-room and led him into the cabin. There sat the hunchback seaman, grim and silent. , Leading the prisoner to a seat, at the com- mand of the hunchback, Leon departed and Bradford Carr was alone with his captor. " Well, senor, you have been entrapped,” said the pretended hunchback, after a moment of silence. “ So it seems, by your treachery.” , “ I was faithful to myself, but treacherous to you whom I hate from my inmost heart.” “In what way have 1 ever harmed you, fel- low?” “ In many ways.” “ on say that you are not the Sea Owl?” H NO. 7) “ Who, then, are you?” “ Barto, the Buccaneer.” “ I never heard of such a “ You will ere long, for I at an early day.” “ Heaven rotect the defenseless then, for your heart is as black as fir flag, and your soul as deformed as your y,” boldly said Bradford Carr. At this the pretended hunchback laughed, and asked: “Do you remember, senor, of ever meeting me before?" “Never, before the day you brought me that threatenin letter, though you do remind me of one whom have met.” “Whom?” irate.” oist the black flag to for regrets, and he must , l gagement between Maud and himself, and. get “ A villain, of course, when you remind me of ‘ him!” “His nem 3, please?" “ Barton Keys.” “ Brpdford Carr, you have devilish fine eyes —-see! As the man spoke he threw of! his wig and false beard, and then the pea-jacket he wore, and along with it the hideous hump that had been so skillfully attached to it. “ Great Heaven! this day, Barton K‘eys, you were to be hanged. and I find you here,’ and in spite of himse f, Bradford Curr showed some emotion. “ Oh! es, I was sentenced to die to day, but Iescapeii: as you doubtless heard, and am at resent allied with smugglers, with the hope of gain even more.” “ ile wretch, you confess yourself what you are?” “Oh! yes, and why noty—for you will never appear against me.” » "You mean then to kill me!” coolly asked Brad ford Carr. “ Worse !” And the words were fairly hissed from be- tween the teeth of Barton Keyspas he turned his eyes full upon the face of the man he so ate . CHAPTER VIII. WHAT WAS WORSE THAN DEATH. BRADFORD CARR did not flinch at the fearful threat of his enemy, that his fate would be worse than death. . He kept his eyes upon Keys’s face and said, in his calm way: “There are man fates that can be worse than , death, for though lovo life, the grave holds no i terrors for me.’ “ I will visit upon you a fate that will make you long for death, Bradford Carr.” “What, for instance?” was the almost indif- ferent query. “ Oh, I know your nerve, and that if I struck you alone I could not brin a groan from your lips; but I shall hurt you t rough others.” “Villain! would you dare harm one who is as pure as an angel?” hissed Bradford Carr. “You refer to Maud Brandt?” “ I refer to Miss Brandt.” “Well, I will tell you just what I have decid- ed to do with you.” “ Do what you please with me, but spare )9 " I shall do just asI lease, air. You are in my power, and she shal be whenever I see fit to make her my risoner; but for the present, I shall let her su er through you.” “ Dastard l” “Oh, I do not mind your calling me hard 1 names, Carr, if it is anyJileasure to you. came here among us an won Maud Brandt’s heart, and I swore she should never be yours. I You 1, what I have to say; and can do me no harm, for, strong as I am, I know you are my master. “To win the lovely Maud I took Ravelle’s life, as you know, intending thereby to cancel a pecuniary debt 1 owed him, thus break the en- you hanged as his murderer and let the gallows remove in you the only rival I feared. “My glot worked so well that I forced old Colonel randt, who was in my power through his gambling debts due me to urge Maud to marry me; and to save her father she consent- ed, you being then scouring the seas as the Pirate Priest. “But you captured Chester Gran er—curse him !--—and he confessed all, so that took the cell you occupied in jail, and waste die on the gallows built for you. “But I escaped, like you, and like you cheat- ed the gallows; and, unlike you, have turned to be a real pirate, and have you now in my. power. “My life was saved by that beautiful girl, who so cleVerly captured you in the cabin, for the animal I was riding drowned under me in the lagoon, and she dragged me into her skit and brought me on board her father’s lu ger. . “ Her father is the old smuggler an half- irate known as the Sea Owl, and he would av driven a knife into my heart but for the beau 'ful Rita. “ But he did not kill me, and, recognizing me as one who had done him a favor once in a gam' bling hell in New Orleans, was glad to have me as a guest; and has now gone 08 to purchase for me, with money I gave him, an armed schooner, in which 1 shall scour the seas as a irate. “ In the mean time I have plotted to destroy you, and, with the aid of the fair Rita, have you in my power, and you need expect no mercy at my hands.” “ I certainly would not expect mercy from a tiger, so why from a brute such as on?” was the response of Bradford Carr; and t 0 face of his‘foe flushed with anger, while be half drop— ped his hand upon a knife in his belt. “ You cannot anger me, Carr, any more, for I hold so thoroughly the upper hand,” he said, quietly. But his prisoner made no reply, and the out- law continued: “ Now let me tell you that my plan is not to kill you, but to treat you well. “ hat is, you shall have a state-room below decks on my schooner, and there be chained, so that escape will be utterl im ible. “ As my neck is in a ga lows noose now, you may be certain that I shall protect myself with as fleet a vessel, strong an armament, and as good a crew as I can get, so that I can run if need be, and fl ht if am in a tight place. “You are to e my guest, and nominally the captain of my vessel.” “ In the name of Heaven, what do you mean?" “Just what I as ; for the craft shall be called the Sea Ghou , and I'will be worthy of the name I give her, and her flag shall be one made up of a cross and cutlass.” it '77 , “Don’t get excited. ,Carr, but hear me through. “ This flag, with myself dreSSed in the robe and hat of a Mexican padre, such as you wore, will cause me to be mistaken for you, It! we are about the same size, and something alike, though I do not claim to be as handsome a man, and we have another difference in that you are honest and I am not; but these little difler- ences will not be marked, ou know, while I will get the credit of being radford Carr—or, in other words, you will be considered the Pirate Priest 1” Bradford Carr fairly shuddered under the the words of his enemy, as they revealed the full enormity of his hatred toward him, and he said earnestly: “Keys, I beg of you as man to man, as I stand in your way, to kill me, and so let i' be known, rather than dishonor me as you threat- en for such indeed is worse than death." "So I believed, to a high-minded man like yOu. and such is to be your fate. “You see I will be a perfect fiend, aloeI hoist the cross and cutlass flag. and appear as ourself, and I will take your name, and sad the world to believe that you have turned pirate in earnest. “I will write Colonel Brandta letter, for I can forge your handwriting, and in it, tell him that you have taken up the cutlass with the c'oss as a sea-rover. “It will crush the proud heart of Maud Brandt, to know that her lover has become a pirate, and after she has been humbled and suffered, I shall kidna bride of the Ghoul o the Sea, for such will be the name that} will win. “Now, Bradford Carr, you know just what had sworn to make her my wife, and I will keep , your fate is to be. y oath.” “ Oh that I was free of these chains 1” groaned poor Cnrr. ~ “ But you are not, so will have to listen to “Devil incarnate!” almost shrieked the tor- tured man, and, forgettin his menacles, he made a spring toward the in uman wretch. But lie chains had been made fast to a ring- her and make her the . In- \ ammo. 4.... ... 6 ... -v.M—D-W~yn, fl... Ar1,I“‘.,w(. .. .h bolt In the floor, and he fell heavily his full length upon the floor, while Barton Keys, with a ht laugh at his anguish turned and left the cab 11. , CHAPTER IX. 1' n E s E A o w L . SEVERAL days passed, after the scene in the acht’s cabin between Barton Keys and his vic- im, and one night a large, armed schooner was towed into the Sea Owl’s Nest and drpjppled an- chor not far from the Lady Rita an t 8 lug- ger, that was the home of the smuggler captain, and receptacle for his smuggled booty. It was the new Vessel, bought y the old emu gler for Barton Keys. and that he had an eye or the beautiful. as far as a craft went, was very evident from his selection of the schooner, which was certainly a sea-rover that any man might be proud to command. The strange craft was greetedwith a cheer, by the men on the yacht and lugger, and then the smuggler captain went on board the Lady Rita, and met his pirate protege, who thanked him warmly for aving secured for him so beautiful a vessel. “ She is all ready for sea, Captain Barto, and only needs your services as commander, and to- morrow on can 0 on board," said Captain Restel, w c was a ark-faced, stern old sea