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BOSTON, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1859,
velette. 5
PRICE FOUR CENTS.
[Drawn eud engraved expressly for The Weekly Novelette.]
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the Clerk’s Office of
the District Court of Massachusetts. ]
THR BLACK AVENGER,
A STORY OF THE SPANISH MAIN.
BY NED BUNTLINE
|contINvED.]
CHAPTER IX.
“ H¥e is come from the land of the sword and flame,
From the dread battles of the Spanish main,
The snow-plumes wave o'er bis victor crest —
Like a glory the red cross hangs at his breast;
The courser is black as black can be,
Save the brow-star, white as the foam cf the sea.
And he wears a scarf of broidery rare.
‘The last love-gift of his lady fair:
It bore for device a cross and a dove,
And the words, ‘I am yowed to my God and my love!’
He comes not back the same that he went,
For his sword has been tried, and his strength has been spent;
His raven hair has coarser grown,
And his brow has caught a darker frown,
And his lip hath lost its boyish red,
And the shade of the south o’er his cheek is spread;
But stately his steps, and his bearing high,
And wild the light of his fiery eye,
And proud in the lists were the maiden bright
Who might claim the Knight of the Cross for her knight.
“ Ar last, after seventeen years of bloody and terrible
strife we have conquered! Solonois is dead, you say!”
said a gray-haired but eagle-eyed old man to an officer
of middle age, who stood before him, in the reception-
hall of the government palace at Havana, on a clear
morning in the spring of 1673.
“Yes, Don Enrico, the pirate is certainly among the
slain! His body lies unburied, to bleach with its com-
rades, on the blood-stained rock of Tortuga!”
“« How many of his band have ye captured ?”
“But three. The rest scorned our proffered quarter,
i
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LOBO’S. MEETING WITH SOLONOIS.
and like their leader, fought unto death.. Our numbers
overpowered them, but had it not been for the traitor
sentinel whom our gold and a promised pardon won to
treason, we never could have conquered them !”
“Was my nephew in the fight?”
“Yes, your excellency, and bore him like a lion in
that fray; it was his brave hand which struck the
pirate-chieftain down !”” °
“ His hand? Indeed, I am revenged! | Now is this
well!” shouted the aged governor, while his eyes
gleamed with a wild, fierce joy.
“Send the boy hither to me, I would thank him;
his bravery deserves more than a passing notice !” con-
tinued the chief, not noticing the look of surprise which
his strange language had caused to rise upon the coun-
tenance of the officer, who bowed and left the room.
In a few moments a tall and manly youth entered,
one who from his appearance might be eighteen or
twenty years of age, and who was so exceedingly hand-
some, that we must briefly describe him, that our lady
readers may fall in love with him.
is form was graceful, his eye black, large and
sparkling with the bright light of youth and intelli-
gence; his brow fair and lofty ; his lips firm and finely
shaped; and on his right cheek was a singular scar,
crescent shaped, which, instead of marring, gave ‘an
appearance of manly life to his perfect features. His
hair, dark and glossy as the wing of the spotless raven,
hung in luxuriant curls adown his finely turned
neck.
A bright, glad smile was on his noble face as he en-
tered the room where Don Enrico awaited him, and as
he advanced toward him, in full musical tones he spoke :
“ Captain Narvaez informed me that you wished my
attendance, uncle !’’
“Yes, Juan, I wished to speak with you regarding
the late battle, and to thank you for your gallantry.
You have done credit to your name and ancestry !”
“T have only done my duty, uncle, in aiding to de-
stroy a horde of terrible murderers and sea robbers !”
“And so your sword gave the death blow to him, the
pirate-chief, the blood-fiend, Solonois !”
“He fell beneath my sabre!”
O, wild was the gleam in that old man’s eye as he
cried, “ Ay, boy—and he was—— no, I will’ not tell
mi
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a
Ny
[See page 115.]
you yet, for it is not all complete. She too must share
the next disclosure !””
“What mean you, dear uncle? I do not understand
these strange words!”
“You shall, boy,-you shall, when the right time
comes!” said the uncle, and there was a strong but
hidden meaning in his manner.
“Uncle, I’ve a favor to ask,” again said the youth.
“What is it, Juan?”
“YT wish to go into the country to your villa again. —
It will recruit me, and you know I hate a city life. The
fresh sea-breeze“and the delicious fruits and a ramble
among those hills will make me so happy!”
“Js there nothing but the sea-breeze and fruits and
flowers there, boy, to make you happy? Have not the
bright eyes of your cousin Luella something to do with
your wish ?” asked the governor, somewhat sternly.
The youth blushed as he answered :
“O yes, it will joy my heart to see her, uncle, but she
is my cousin, you know, and I never shall fall in love
with so near a relative !”
“She is—” the old man paused as suddenly as he
had commenced this remark, and then copfusedly
added—* You can go, Juan, but beware, sir, a cousin is
not to be a lover!” As he sternly made this last re-
mark, he gazed upon the youth as if he would read his
very soul, but the latter laughed gaily, and responded :
“‘O never fear that I shall love dear Luella other
than as a cousin, dear uncle !”
‘Cousins are dangerous relations !”” was the answer ;
but the youth heard it not, for with a light and hasty
step he had already left the room.
The old man arose from his chair and soliloquized as
he paced to and fro along the room :—“ His cousin! It
is well that he knows not the relationship that actually
exists between them. O well-is my plan of revenge
filling up. The father slain by the hand of the son!
Ha! ha! and she, she who dared to blacken the purest
blood that ever flowed in Spanish veins, she shall know
all, and when the three are dead--dead—then will my
revenge be complete !”*
For a time the governor paced up and down the
room muttering incoherently. At last he rung a bell
which was instantly answered hy 9 servant, to whora ho
gave the order; ,
