Finding himself surrounded by four or five armed and desperate men, Huntington, concluding that resistance would be in vain, signified his readiness to follow them, whereupon he was led by two of their number to the cavern above alluded to, whilst the remaining pirates bestowed their attention upon poor Patrick O"Leary, whom, (as he had not yet recovered his powers of locomotion,) they lifted upon their shoulders and bore him away after his master, much in the same manner as they would have carried a slaughtered beast.
Having arrived with their prisoners at the place a.s.signed for their confinement, the pirates conversed amongst themselves, as follows:
"I say, Poplin," exclaimed one who seemed to be a kind of petty officer, "what do you suppose our captain intends to do with these two bear cubs that we have here?"
"I cannot say, Mr. Pepper," replied the person to whom that worthy had spoken, "what he will do with that red-headed son of a mushroom, that lays rolled up there yonder, like a bundle of half dead lobsters, but as for the other one, he, you know, killed Pedro, and I heard the captain say that he would be hanged."
"Then of course he will be, so that settles that affair," replied Mr.
Pepper, very coolly. "But what do you suppose, Poplin, he is going to do with that fine lady, that he"s got up overhead there?"
"Which one do you mean? He"s got two of them," said Poplin.
"Ah, yes, so he has, I recollect now. I mean both," said Pepper.
"I cannot tell only about the youngest one," replied Poplin, "whom the captain is going to take on board the brig."
"What, has the pretty little craft arrived?" asked Pepper.
"She has," rejoined the other.
"Then its all over with the Indiaman."
"Of course it is," replied Poplin, significantly.
"But the Indiaman you know," suggested Pepper, "carried double the number of guns that the brig does."
"She carries a Captain Rowland also," said Poplin, drily.
"Ah, I understand it all now," said Pepper, "so let us confine the prisoners, and then go up and see the fun."
So saying, a few moments afterwards, Pepper and his companions departed, leaving Henry Huntington and Pat to their own reflections.
What these reflections were, we shall leave for the present to the imagination of our readers, and resume in our next chapter the further adventures of Blackbeard, Arthur Huntington, and sweet Ellen Armstrong.
CHAPTER VI.
_Interview between Blackbeard and Ellen--Attempted Murder of the latter. Interference of Elvira. Blackbeard"s Departure.
Elvira"s History. The Escape._
After having ordered her close alongside the East Indiaman, Blackbeard immediately descended to the place where sweet Ellen Armstrong was confined as a prisoner, and addressed its occupant, in the following manner,
"So Miss Armstrong, you acted the heroine to perfection, this afternoon."
A look of utter loathing and contempt, being the only answer which the fair Ellen deigned to bestow on the pirate"s words, he continued:
"You must certainly be mad, my lovely lily of the valley, to look so scornfully upon me, who at present holds in his hand the power of thy life or death."
"As I am well a.s.sured that you will use the awful power you speak, to put a speedy end to my wretched existence," replied Ellen, "I must beg of you, instantly to retire, and thus rid me of your hateful presence."
"Stop, stop, my pretty Miss," exclaimed Blackbeard, "not quite so fast, if you please. In the first place you must learn, that I have at present no intention of taking your life, but on the contrary, I intend to make you my wife, as soon as circ.u.mstances will permit."
"Pirate, fiend, villain," exclaimed Ellen, starting up from her seat and confronting Blackbeard, with all the majesty of injured innocence, "learn, that rather than become the wife of a desperate robber like thyself, Ellen Armstrong will die, die by her own hand, and--"
"Ha, ha ha, there you go into heroics again," interrupted the pirate, in a tone of scornful irony, "but I will soon find a way to bring you back to your senses. Now, listen," he continued, after a moment"s pause, and in a tone of voice changed to stern severity, "listen I say, to my words, and mark them well. From the curious scenes which transpired awile ago on the deck of this vessel, in which you chose to act a prominent part, I could draw but one inference, and that was, that you was deeply in love with Arthur Huntington, and now I would ask of you, if this inference is correct."
"Had you any right to put such a question to me, I should not hesitate to answer it," replied Ellen, who by this time had attained a sort of desperate courage which enabled her to bear up under the unaccountable horrors of her situation.
"If I have not a right, you will now perceive that I have the might to compel you to answer," exclaimed Blackbeard, who having become by this time, thoroughly infuriated, drew a poniard from his belt, and advancing, towards Ellen, who sunk pale and terrified upon her knee, at his approach, he continued:
"It is far from my wish, Miss Armstrong, to harm even a hair of your head; but you must, (and mark me, I speak not unmeaningly,) you must, I repeat, answer my question, fairly, and without equivocation. Do you love Arthur Huntington?"
Ellen shuddered, and averted her head, but answered not. Finding his fair prisoner was not disposed to reply, Blackbeard, exclaimed with a horrid oath,
"I tell you, girl, that the pirate of the Roanoke, is not to be tampered with. Again, and for the last time, I command you to answer my question.
Will you do so?"
"No," replied Ellen firmly, "I will not."
"Then your blood be upon your head!" exclaimed the pirate, as springing suddenly forward, he inflicted a severe wound upon the person of sweet Ellen Armstrong, with his poniard, which caused her to fall fainting and bleeding upon the floor of the cabin.
"My G.o.d, what have I done," muttered Blackbeard, as he gazed upon his prisoner"s prostrate form.
"Murdered your sister!" exclaimed a shrill female voice, which emanated from a person who had entered the cabin unperceived, just after Ellen was wounded.
"Ha, who is that, that speaks of murder!" exclaimed the Pirate involuntarily.
"It is your mother, Elvira, who accuses you of having murdered that beautiful girl, who now lays gasping at your feet," replied the strange female, who although she was far advanced in years, beyond the prime of life, still possessed a tall and commanding form, together with features, which, though they were somewhat wrinkled and withered, had once been pre-eminently fair and beautiful.
"Avaunt! hag," exclaimed Blackbeard, as Elvira ceased speaking, "begone I say, and if ever thou darest to call thyself, my mother, in my hearing, I will stab you to the very heart."
"Am I not thy father"s wife, Herbert?" replied the female.
"You say so, and it may be so," rejoined Blackbeard, "but at any rate you are only a social one."
"If even that is allowed," answered Elvira, "you must own that it legally puts me in your mother"s place."
"By the bones of Captain Kid, it sounds well and appropriate for you, to talk about legality," replied Blackbeard, ironically, "you, who hast been born and bred amongst those, who acknowledge no laws, except those of their own making. Go to, you"re an idiot."
"But I am not a murderess," replied Elvira.
"That is more than I could swear for," said Blackbeard.
"At least I never killed my sister," rejoined Elvira.