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i epee Seerstmene
THE LOG CABIN LIBRARY. | oo 8
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rubescent mutton-chop whiskers were also sacrificed, and before
Spence Sturges was fairly conscious, he was about as much
changed as it was possible to conceive.
To add to his discomfort, Jack Clewline had fastened a pair
of manacles on his hands, and‘a set with chain and ball to his
feet, so when he was permitted to rise at Jast, he found himself,
‘as Jack said, ‘‘in limbo.”
Finding that his skin was still on, though there was a terrible
’. smarting about his head and face, and that there seemed no signi
oe
_the word.
of-an intention to take his life, Sturges mustered up spirit
enough to bluster a little.
“When Lord Dunmore hears of this outrage, blood will run
in torrents!” he cried.
“Aha! Ze little manis mad! Zere is danger zat ze bite. I
shall pull his teets!” cried the doctor, and he produced one of
the horrible, old-fashioned tooth-drawing instruments, called a
turnkey. ‘‘Hold him fast, Monsieur Pompey—hold him fast till
I pull his teets.”
Pompey saw what {the doctor meant, and grasped the poor
wretch by the shoulders, and drew him back over his knees as
he knelt on the deck. In a second. more the doctor had
wrenched his mouth open, fastened on a huge molar, wrenched
it from the jaw of the howling wretch, while the crew roared
with laughter to see the horrible contortions of the miserable
Tory. .
“Mercy! I will not bite! I——”
His promises ceased as the iron went in on the other side of
his mouth. It. must lave been an ‘eye-tooth that came this
time, so terrible was the screech of pain that came from his
ips. :
Quicker than thought his iron was fast again on a huge front
tooth. . :
The next second out it came, ‘and while blood gushed
literally in torrents from the mouth of Sturges, the doctor
shouted:
*Zis is numbare tree. Zere are but forty-sevane more!”
Oh no, Ishall die! .Kill me at once. Do not murder me by
inches,” groaned the wretched man. ‘ .
«Will you go home to your own huntiug den and stay there,
and it honest patriots alone after this?” said Ned Pemberton,
sternly,
“You, yes—save me from this fiend of a Frenchman,
and——” ey .
“Aha! Ze bite is not all gone. I must have anozzare toot!”
cried Le Berte. ,
“Mercy! Imeant that French geatleman,” groaned the vic-
tim. .
“Aha! Zatis bettare’ Ze bite is not so,strong,” said Le
Berte, with asmile. - :
“Well, I will let you go on one condition. You are to go to
' your home, stopping at the Cedars on your route, to carry a
letter from me to Mr. Maynard, your very particular friend,”
said Ned. -
“T’ll do it—I'll do it, only save me from more torture. My jaw
is all wrenched to pieces.”
“Sare! Do not speak bad of my skill, or I shall try to im-
prove. Shall I take anazzare toot?” “
' “Oh, no, In mercy, spare me. You are very skillful.”
'. “Eh, bien! Iam satisfy, if you appreciat.” :
“Will you swear to let patriots alone after this if I let you go?”
cried Ned Pemberton. soe
“Yes, yes! I will swear to anything you ask.”
“And to deliver the letter to Mr. Maynard in. person at the
_ Cedars?”
-“Yes, yes, I will! But please take off these irons.”
“Oh, no; you must wear them in honor of your visit to the
Rattlesnake, until you reach home. Swear todo that also, or
the doctor goes to work again.”
' “T swear it! Iswear it!’ groaned the poor wretch.
“With uplifted hand.” \
“With uplifted hand,” moaned Sturges, suiting the action to
“Then you shall go.” |
It was after midnight when they were sent back on the route
‘they came, Pemberton having mercifully allowed the feet irons
to be taken off from Sturges, so that he could ride on horse-
back. :
The crew of the schooner were now allowed to go to rest, for
there was no danger of any further annoyance that night. But
they. were called up at an early hour to putin two seow-loads
of cured pork and bacon, which had arrived after’ daylight;
and now, fully ‘provisioned, the Rattlesnake was ready for
sea,
- Captain Pemberton, or Rattlesnake Ned, as hia’ enemies had
dubbed him, was all ready to cast off moorings before noon of
the day which followed tho hoisting of his flag, and with a light
oo . ' : A
breeze from the westward, under all sail—that is, main and fore-
sails, jib, flying jib, and two gaff topsails—he stood down the
river.
The speed of the craft and her easy steerage more than satisfied
all hands that the vessel was second to nothing of her tonnage
oat. .
CHAPTER VI.
THE ‘*NIGGER.’’
Just before sunset on the day after the expedition had failed
to capture the Rattlesnake, Mr. Maynard’was seated on the
front varanda of his house, with Fanny by his side, when a sin-
gle horseman, mounted on a tall black horse of fine proportions,
was seen coming on a slow trot up the cedar avenue that led to
the house. :
*Huzza! There comes Spence Sturges to tell us of the cap-
ture of that young rebel, and the destruction of his piratical
schooner!” cried Mr. Maynard. .
‘It is a negro who is coming,’ said Fanny, a moment later.
“So it is, but he rides the favorite horse of Spence Sturges. I
hope nothing has happened to our friend:”
“Your friend, sir; not mine,” said Fanny.
Mr. Maynard made no answer; he was too anxious to hear how
the expedition had turned out, and the supposed messenger was
close at hand. }
‘Hallo, boy! Have you come from Captain Sturges?” hailed
the proprietor of the’ Cedars. : .
“Don’t you know me, sir? It has been a miserable failure,”
.| cried the old man who rode up.
Fanny Maynard looked one instant, and then she burst out in
a fit of uncontrollable laughter. ,
‘Fanny, what the duse do you see to luugh at. Nigger,
why don’t you answer my question?” cried Mr. Maynard, an-
grily.
— ‘Father, how can you address Mr. Sturges in that way. His *
face can be as black as his heart, and yet he is not a nigger.”
Mr. Maynard looked at his daughter in amazement, for he had
not even yet recognized Sturges, though Fanny knew his long,
lank form at the first glance.
“Don’t you know me, sir? Iam Spence Sturges, and this is
the way that infernal young rebel has treated me,” cried Ned
Pemberton’s unhappy victim, while Fanny Maynard laughed
till the tears rolled down her cheeks.
\‘‘Heavens and earth! Itis not possible! You, Spence Stur-
ges? Why, you are as black as the ace of spades. /Your hair
and whiskers. Where are they?” yf
“Shaved off, and my skin burned black with some infernal
drug, and half my teeth pulled out. Look here, too!”
And Sturges held up his manacled hands. . .
“The monster! He shall be hung for this, if there is law in
the land!” cried Mr, Maynard,- rushing down to his injured
friend. ‘‘Dismount, come in—I will have a physician here to
see if your color cannot be restored.” '
“TI can’t dismount. I have sworn to go home and ‘stay there,
and if I break my oath he’ll find it out and murder me,” groaned
Sturges. -‘‘Here isa letter he made me promise to bring to
you.” .
“My Dear Mr. Maynarp: .
“T take the opportunity of sending you my respectful regards, by
your old friend, Mr. Spence Sturges. Hé has been down this way,
and has got a little tanned, but I have no doubt will be white enough
the next time he meets yours, very obediently, - © ‘ .
: “Epwarp PEMBERTON,
“Captain of the Provincial
. - Armed-schooner Rattlesnake.”
“The young reprobate! He thinks this is a joke!”
“A highly-colored one!” cried Fanny, still laughing.
Sturges, unable to endure her mocking laughter any longer,
put spurs to his horse and rode away toward his own home
without offering another word of explanation to Mr. Maynard,
who could hardly control his wrath as he thought of the ‘‘out-
rage,” as he termed it. ,
CHAPTER VII. ‘
. AT SEA. : :
Before forty-eight hours went by, Ned Pemberton was fairly
at home in his new command, . bs
The wind had been light and baflling, antl only on the morn-
ing of the third day did he reach the open waters of Chesapeake.
Bay, where the swell from the outer ocean came rolling in to
tell him a stiffer breeze wduld meet him when once oufside. —.
Ned scanned the offing as his vessel drew ont near the capes,
and to his intense disgust he saw the masts of some half-dozen
4
The planter took the letter, opened it, and read these words: ;