Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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SIR HENRY MORGAN, BUCCANEER By CYRUS TOWNSEND BRADY, Anther of "The Southerners/* "Fer Love of Country/* "The Grip of Honor/* Etc. COPYRIGHT?. 1905. BY G. W. DILIINGH AM COMPANY i * "And Mercedes?" asked Alvarado. "You, have no longer any right to question. Ah, well; it is just that you should hear. The girl goes to a con Tent The only cloak for her is in our holy religion-and so ends the great race of De Laras!" ."No, no," pleaded Mercedes; "send me not there! Let me go with him!" She stepped nearer to him, beautiful and beseeching. "My father," she urg? ed, "you love me." She threw her aims around his neck and laid her head croon his breast Upon it her father tenderly pressed his hand. "You loved my mother, did you not?* she contin? ued. 'Think of her. Condemn me not to the living death of a convent-away ?rom him. If that man be his father as? I cannot believe it; there is some mistake; 'tis impossible that anything so foul should bring into the world a man so noble-yet I love him! You know him. You have tried him a thou? sand times. He has no qualities of his base ancestry. His mother at least died like a Spanish gentlewoman. My fr,rds, gentlemen, some of you have known me from my childhood. You have lived in our house and have fol *Gc? heh me!8 cried me captain. *I carnot!1 lowed the fortunes of my father; you have grown gray in our service. In? tercede for mer <) ' ~Y?hr~excellehcy,'' said old Don Cae? sar de Agr?mente, a man who, as Mer? cedes had said, had literally grown gray in the' service of the viceroy and who was of birth scarcely inferior to fels own, "the words of the. Lady Mercedes - move me profoundly. By Tour grace's leave, I venture to say tbat she bath spoken well and nobly, sad that the. young Alvarado, whom we have seen in places that try men's souls to the ejrtreme^ath al ways com potjtd himself as ? Spanish gen tleman should. This may be a lie. Will you not reconsider your words? Give the maiden to the man. I am an old sol? dier, sir, and have done you some serv? ice. I would cheerfully stake my life to maintain his honor and his gentle? ness at the sword's point" - ^He speaks well, Don Alvaro!" cried Captain Gay oso, another veteran sol? dier. "I join my plea to that of my, comrade,' Don Caesar." "Gentlemen, I thank you," said Al? varado gratefully, looking at the little group. "This is one sweet use of my adversity. ..I knew not I was so be? friended" "You hear, you hear, my father, what these noble gentlemen say?" interrupt? ed Mercedes. *But" continued Alvarado sadly, "it is not meet that the blood of the prince? ly De Laras should be mingled with mine. "Rather the ancient house sh ou'I fall with all its honors upon it than Ire kept alive by degradation. I thank jon. but it cannot be." ."Your excellency, we humbly press you for an answer," persisted Agr?? mente. "Gentlemen-and you have indeed proved yourselves generous and gentle soldiers-I appreciate what you say. Your words touch me profoundly. I know how you fceL but Alvarado is right" "Sir," exclaimed a thin, faint old TOiee from the outskirts of the room, "no base blood runs in the veins of that young man. You are all mistak? en." "Death and fury!" shouted Morgan, who was nearer to him. "It is tbe priest: Art alive? Scuttle me, I struck j you down. ' I &o not usually need to ' give a second blow." "Who is this?" asked De Lsra. "Back, j gentlemen, and give him access to our person." 1 The excited men made way for a tail, pale, gaunt figure of a^nan clad m. the habit of a Dominican. As he crossed his Sun hands on his breast and bowed low before th^ ^viceroy the men marked a deeply scarred wound ripon his shaven crown, a wound re? cently made, for it was still raw and open. The maa tottered as he stood there. "Now, sir" said the viceroy as the priest seated himself OD a stool which w??ing hands had placed for him, *^oor name." Tra Antonio de las Casas, your ex? cellency, a Dominican, from Peru, bound for Spain on the plate galleon, ipa Almirante Eecaloe, captured by that maa. I was stricken down by his tj?rfpf as I administered absolution to the m *her of the young captain. I re? covered -vi crawled into the woods roc coa ^t and when I saw your solders, . p -?ellency, I followed, ifZ? -:;.y.r:y. a I n'.r- an old man and sore wowod^d.'' "Would tb ii noy bi ad Nt deeper, thou fais-, priest " reared Morgan in furious rage. _J^Be_stl2;'"- con. roy sternly. "Speak but another word untjJ I give yon leave and I'll have you g&gge?l You said strange words, holy father, when you came into the hall You heard" "Some of tne conversation, sir, from which I gathered that this unfortunate man'-pointing to Morgan, who as one of the chief actors .in the transaction had been placed in the front rank of the circle, although tightly bound and guarded by the grim soldiers-"claimed to be the father of the brave young soldier." "Aye, and he hath established the claim," answered De Lara. "Nay, my lord; that cannot be." "Why not .sir?" interrupted Alvara? do, stepping forward. "Because it is not true." "Thank God! Thank God!" cried Al? varado. Indeed, he almost shouted in his relief. "How know you this?" asked Mer? cedes. "My lady, gentles all. I have proof irrefutable. He is not the child of that wicked man. His father is" "I care not who," cried Alvarado, "even though he were the meanest and poorest peasant so he were an honest man." "My lord," said thejpriest, "he was a noble "gentleman. Your^xcellency ," turning to the viceroy, "his* blood is as noble as your own." "His name?" said the o?d man, who had stood unmoved in the midst of the tumult "Captain Alvarado that was," cried the Dominican, with an inborn love of the dramatic in his tones, "stand forth. My lord and lady and gentles ail, I present to you Don "Francisco de Guz ! man, the son of his excellency the for ; mer governor of Panama and of his I wife, Isabella Zerega, a noble and vir? tuous lady, though of humbler walk of life and circumstances than ber hus? band." "It is a He!" shouted Hornigold. "He is Morgan's son. He was given to me as such. I left him at Cuchillo. You 'found him, sir" He appealed to the viceroy. "My venerable father, with due re ' spect to you, sir, we require something more than your unsupported statement to establish so great a fact," said the viceroy. "Your grace speaks well," said Mor? gan, clutching at his hope still. y"I require nothing more. I see and believe," Interrupted Mercedes. "But I want proof," sternly said her father. "And you shall have it" answered the priest "That cross he wears" "As I am about to die," exclaimed Morgan, "I saw his mother wear it many a time, and she put it upon his breast!" "Not this one, sir," said Fra Antonio, "but its fellow. There were two sis? ters in the family of Zerega. There were two crosses made, one for each. In an evil hour the elder sister mar? ried you" "We did, indeed, go through some mockery of a ceremony," muttered Morgan. "You did, sir, and 'twas a legal one, for when you won her-by what means I know not-m Maracaibo you married her. You were forced to do so before you received her consent One of my brethren who performed the service told me the tale. After you took her away from Maracaibo her old father, broken hearted at her defection, sought asylum in Panama with the remaining daughter, and there she met the gov? ernor, Don Francisco de Guzman. He loved her, he wooed and won her, and at last he married her, but secretly. She was poor and humble by compari? son with him; she had only her beauty and her virtue for her dower, and there were reasons why it were better the marriage should be concealed for awhile. "A child was born. You were that child. sir. Thither came this man with his bloody marauders. In his train were his wretched wife and her own boy. an infant, born but a short time before that of the governor. De Guz? man sallied out to meet them and was killed at the head of his troops. They burned Panama and turned that beau? tiful city into a hell like unto La Guay ra. I found means to secrete Isabella de Guzman and her child. The plague raged in the town. This man's wife died. He gave command to Hornigold to take the child away. He consulted me. as a priest whose life he had The pri?t teated himself on a stool ?pared, as to what were best to do with him, and I advised Cuchillo, but his child died with its mother before it could be taken away. .Ts?b?Tia "u? Guzman was ill. I deemed it wise to send her infant away. I urged her to substitute her rh*]/] " * - * ry* thc othi*r *nd?n?2 to /ide t.?r its reception at ?ucliino. and she gave lier child to the sailor. In the confusion and ter? ror it must have been abandoned by the'.woman to whom it was delivered: she, it was supposed, perished when the buccaneers destroyed the place out of sheer wantonness when they left Panama. I fell sick of the fever short? ly after and knew not what happened. The poor mother was too seriously ill to do anything. It was months ere we recovered and could make inquiries for the child. and then it had disappeared, and we found no trace of it. You, sir," pointing to Ilornigold, ''had gone away witn the rest. There was none to tell us anything. We never heard of it again and supposed it dead." "And my child, sir priest?" cried Morgan. "What became of it?" "I buried it in the same grave with its poor mother, with the cross on its breast. May God have mercy on their souls!" "A pretty tale, indeed!" sneered the buccaneer. "It accounts in some* measure for the situation," said the viceroy, "but I must have further proof." "Patience, noble sir, and you shall have it. These crosses were of cun? ning construction. They open to those who know the secret There is room in each for a small writing. Each maid? en, so they told me, put within her own .cross her marriage lines. If this cross hath not been tampered with it should.' bear within its recess the attestation of the wedding of Francisco de Guz? man and Isabella Zerega." "The cross hath never left my per? son," said Alvarado, "since I can re? member." "And I can bear testimony," said the viceroy, "that he hath worn it con? stantly since a child. Though it was large and heavy, I had a superstition that it should never leave his person. Know you the secret of the cross?" "I do,/for it was shown me by the woman herself." "Step nearer, Alvarado," said De Lara. "Nay, sir," said the aged priest as Alvarado came nearer him and made to take the cross from his breast; "thou hast worn it ever there. Wear it to the end. I can open it as thou standest" He reached up to the carven cross depending from the breast of the young man bending over him. "A pretty story!" sneered Morgan again. "But had I aught to wager I'd offer it with heavy odds that that cross holds the marriage lines of my wife." 'Thou wouldst lose, 3ir, for see, gen? tlemen," cried the priest, manipulating the crucifix with his long, slender fin? gers and finally opening it, 'the open? ing! And here is a bit of parchment! Read it, slr." He handed it to the viceroy. The old noble, lifting it to the light, scan? ned the closely written, faded lines on the tiny scrap of delicate parchment , "'Tis a certificate of marriage of" He paused. "Maria Zerega," said Morgan trium? phantly. "Nay," answered the old man-and his triumph rang in his voice-"of Isa? bella Zerega and Francisco de Guz? man and signed by Fra-An-tonio! Was it thou?" "Even so, sir. I married the mother, as I buried her yestereve upon the sand." ' m " : "'Tis a iget established," said the viceroy, satisfied at last "Don Fran? cisco de Guzman-Alvarado that was thy birth and legitimacy are clear and undoubted. There by your side stands the woman you have loved. If you wish her now I shall be honored to call you my son." "My lord," answered Alvarado, "that I am the son of an honorable gentle? man were joy enough, but when thou givest me Donna Mercedes" He turned, and with a low cry the firl fled to his arms. He drew her close ?My father! My mother!1 to him and laid his hand upon her head, and then he kissed her before the as? sembled cavaliers, who broke into en? thusiastic shouts "and crles"~of happy approbation. .There's more evidence yet," cried the priest thrusting his hand into the bosom of his habit and drawing forth a glittering object. "Sir, I took this from the body of Sister Maria Christi? na, for upon my advice she entered up? on the service of the holy church after her bereavement keeping her secret for there was naught to be gained by its publication. She killed herself upon the sands rather than give aid and comfort to this man and his men. Here, young sir," said the priest opening the. locket, "are the pictures of your father and mother. See, cavaliers, some of yon knew Don Francisco d*e Guzman and can recognize him. That is his TT^fe. She was young and had golden hair like thine, my son, in those days. You are the express image of her per? son as I recall lt" "My father! My mother!" cried Alva? rado. "Look, Mercedes; look, your ex? cellency, and gentlemen, all! But her body, worthy father?" "Even as her soul hath gone out into the new life beyond, her body was drawn out into the great deep at the call of God-but not unblessed, senors, even as she went not unshrlven, for I knelt alone by her side, unable by my wounds and weakness to do more serv? ice, and said the office of our holy church. "That which was lost is fonnd again Let us rejoice and praise God for his mercy. Donna Mercedes, gentlemen, my blessing on Senor de Guzman and noon ve all. Benedicite!" said the priest, making the sigu r>?* the cross CHAPTER XXIV. "IFTT:T' h],"'< ~'e ll] my fath fi A I eri0tl 5ierc0t-cs' kneeling 1/1.1 Alvai';u'i0's side. * y "Most willingly, my da ii giller.'' answered thc old man. fit helpmate indeed thou hast sh' thyself for so brave a soldier. By \ leave, your excellency. You wi]] dulge an old man's desire to bless marriage of the son as he did thai thc mother. No obstacle. I take now exists to prevent this most ha; union." "None," answered the viceroy as young people rose and stood bel him, "and glad I am that this ha; solution of our difficulties has com? pass." "My lord," said Agramonte, "ther not one of us who would not give he possessed to stand in the yoi Lord de Guzman's place." "Well, well," continued the old m "when we have restored order in town we shall have a wedding c< mony-say tomorrow." "Your excellency, there is one m thing yet to be done," said Alvarado soon as he could be heard. "Art ever making objections, Capt Alvarado-Don Francisco, that is. might think you had reluctance to bridal," exclaimed the viceroy in so little surprise. "What is it now?" "The punishment of this man." "I gave him into your hands." "Damme!" shouted old Hornlgold. wondered if in all this fathering a mothering and sweethearting and g ins in marriage he had forgot" "Not so. Tlie postponement I makes it deeper," answered Alvara gravely. "Rest satislied." "And 1 shall have my revenge in f measure?" "In full, in overflowing measu senor." "Do you propose to shoot me," ask the buccaneer chieftain coolly, "or 1 head me?" "You shall see." "When?" "Tomorrow." The somber, sinister, although u known purpose of the Spaniards h; new terrors lent to it by the utter i ability of the buccaneer to fores what was to be his punishment I was a mau of the highest courage, tl stoutest heart, yet in that hour he w; astonied. His knees smote togethe he .clinched his teeth in a vain efiFo to prevent their chattering. All Ii deviltry, bis assurance, his fortitud his strength, seemed to leave him. I stood before them suddenly an old, broken man, facing a doom portentoi and terrible, without a spark < strength or resolution left to meet J whatever it might be. And for tl first time in his life he played tl craven, the coward. He moistened h dry lips and looked eagerly from oi face to another in the dark and gloom ring that encircled him. "Lady," he said at last, turning 1 Mercedes as the most likely of his en< mies to befriend him, "you are a won an. You should be tender hearte< You don't want to see an old man, ol enough to be your father, suffer som unknown, awful torture? Plead fe me? Ask your lover. He will refus you nothing now." "An eye for an eye," said the gil slowly, "a tooth for a tooth, life fo life, shame for shame," her voice rii ing until it rang through the roon "In the name of my ruined sister, whose wails come to us this instan from without, borne hither on the nigh wind, I refuse to intercede for yoi monster. For myself, the insults yo' have put upon me I might forgive, bu not the rest The taking of one Hf like yours cannot repay." "You hear?" cried Alvarado. "Tak him away." "One moment," cried Morgan. "Hoi; father, your religion, it teaches h forgive, they say. Intercede for me!" His eyes turned with faint hope to ward the aged priest. "Not for such as thou," answered tin old man, looking from him. "I coule forgive this," he touched his batterec tonsure, "and all thou hast don( against me and mine. What suffering comes upon me I can bear, but thoi hast filled the cup of iniquity and mus? drain it to the dregs. Hark ye-th? weeping of the desolated town! I can not interfere! They that take th? sword shall perish by it. It is so de creed. You believe not in God" "I will! I do!" cried the buccaneer, clutching at the hope. "I shall pray for thee; that is ail." "Hornigold," cried the now almost frenzied man, his voice hoarse with terror and weakness, "they owe much to you. Without you they had not been here. I have wronged you griev? ously, terribly, but I atone by this. Beg them not to let me go, but only to kill me where I stand! They will not refuse you. Had it not been for you this man would not have known his father. He could not have won this woman. You have power. You'll not desert an old comrade in his extremity? Think, we have stood together sword in hand and fought our way through all obstacles in many a desperate strait -thou and I, old shipmate. By the memory of that old association, by the love you once bore me and by that I gave to you, ask them for my death, here-now-at once!" "You ask for grace from me!" snarl? ed Hornlgold savagely, yet triumphant "You-you hanged my brother" "I know, I know! 'Twas a grievous error. I shall be punished for all. Ask them to shoot me-hang me" He slipped to his knees, threw him? self upon the floor and lay groveling at Hornigold's feet "Beg, you hound!" cried the boat? swain, spurning him with his foot. "I have you where I swore Td bring you. And, remember, 'tis I that laid you low-I-I"- He shrieked like a ma? niac. "When you suffer In that living death for which they design you, re? member with every lingering breath of anguish that it was I who brought you there! You trifled with me-?ocked me-betrayed me. You denied my re? ntier T trnwplpd at vonr feet A nd hee * Bcj, you hound i god you. Yo a spurned me as I do you low. Curse you! I'll ask no mercy for you!" "My lord/' gasped out Morgan, turn? ing to the viceroy in one final appeal as two of the men dragged him to his feet again, "I have treasure. The gal? leon we captured-it is buried. I can lead you there." "There is not a man of your follow? ing," said tlie viceroy, "who would not gladly purchase life by the' same means." "And 'tis not needed," said the boat? swain, "for I have told them where it lies." The utter uselessness of it at last came upon Morgan, and some of his courage returned. He faced them once more, with head uplifted. . "At your will, I'm ready!" he cried. "I defy you! You shall see how Harry Morgan can die. Scuttle me, I'll not give way again!" "Take him away," said Alvarado. ! "We'll attend to him in the morning.'' "2sow, we have had enough. See!" cried the old viceroy, pointing to the windows. "The day breaks. Take him away. Agramonte, to you I commit the fort. Mercedes, Alvarado, come with me. Those who have no duties to perform, go get some sleep. As for you, prisoner, if you have preparation to make do so at once, for in the morn? ing you shall have no opportunity." "I am ready now!" cried Morgan recklessly, furious because he had been balked in his attempt. "Do with me as you will. I have had my day, and it has been a long and merry one." "And I mine tonight. It has been short, but enough," laughed Hornigold, his voice ringing like a maniac's in the hall, "for I have had my revenge!" "We shall take care of that in the morning," said Alvarado, turning away to follow the viceroy and Mercedes. (To Be Continued.) Sleeplessness. .Disorders of the stomach produce a nervous condition, and often prevent sleep. Chamberlain's Stomach and Liver Tablets stimulate the digestive organs, and make sleep possible. For sale by all druggists. Lieutenant Allen, the new engineer at the Charleston navy yard, has ar? rived to relieve Lieutenant Walker. A Lively Tussel * With tha . old enemy of the race, constipation, often ends in appendi? citis. To avoid all serious trouble with stomach, liver and bowels, take Dr. King's New Life Pills. They per? fectly regulate these organs, without pain or discomfort. 25c at all drug gists. Miss Martha Aldrich, of Barnwell, will be sponsor and Miss Jessie Mc? Kay, of Columbia, maid of honor of South Carolina veterans at the New Orleans reunion. A Favorable Remedy for Babies. *Its pleasant taste and prompt cures have made Chamberlain's Cough Rem? edy a favorite with the mothers ol small children. It quickly cures their coughs and colds and prevents any danger of pneumonia or other serious consequences. It not only cures croup, but when given as soon as the croupy cough appears will prevent the at? tack. For sale by all druggists. Edmund Deas has called the Sta* Republican executive commit meet in Columbia March 2? Cleans tho ?Orino La :at Fi ult Syrup Ovu? lates thi iiver . . .eanses th? r. complexion a ot- 5. It is the best lax: MT. . children as it is 1 does not grip ;r sick nuch supe? rior to pills. . . -s and all ordinary cathar not irri? tate the stomac . ?. Du? rant's Pharmacy. J. I. Walker, whit- - ? scent "blind tiger" has been c ?d in the Lancaster court and sen.?need to pay a fine of $500 or serve one year in the penitentiary. He will not be able to pay the fine. Always Keeps Chamberlain's Cough Remedy in His House. *"We would not be without Cham? berlain's Cough Remedy. It is kept on hand continually in our home," says W. V/. Kearney, editor of the In? dependent, Lowry City, Mo. That is just what every family should do. When kept at .hand ready for instant use, a cold may be checked at the out? set and cured in much less time than after it has become settled in the sys? tem. This remedy is also without a peer for croup in children, and will prevent the attack when given as soon as the child becomes hoarse, or even after the croupy cough appears, which can only be done when the remedy is kept at hand. For sale by all drug 'BE SOBER' Says President Roosevelt "It is of incalcuable consequence to the man himself that he should be sober and temperate, and it is of even more conse? quence to his wife and his children: for it is a hard and cruel fact that in this life of ours the sins of the man are often visited most heavily uoon those whose welfare should be his one special care."-President Roosevelt to the Miners at Wilkesbarre, Pa. Cures Whiskey and Beer Habit ORRINE is the only guaranteed cure for the drink habit, can be used at home, and destroys entirely the craving for drink, ?without publicity or loss of time. It quick? ly destroys the craving for intoxicants, steadies the nerves, restores the appetite and gives refreshing sleep. To cure without patients knowledge buy ORRINE No. 1; for voluntary treatment, buy ORRINE No. 2. Price, $1 per box. Cure Effected or Money Refunded. A registered guarantee in each box. Book on "Drunkenness" (sealed) mailed free on request. All correspondence confidential. ORKINE mailed (sealed) on receipt of price by the ORRINE CO., Inc^ Washington, D. C., or sold in this city by 38 DeLorme's Pharmacy, Sumter, S C. A SONNET. A Golden Cycle. Dedicated to Rt. Rev. Mgre. A. J. McXeaL V. G., by Rev. P. L. Duffy, LL. D.' Thou art a priest, a name almost di? vine, Over Christ's body-real and mystical. Sovereign! When from the altar thou dost call, Comes Christ in consecrated bread and wine, Thy God obedient to word of thine Thou Alter Christus, siners pardoning, Changing the sin-cursed soul into a shrine Wherein is throned our Eucharistic King. 4 Thou other Christ, to heal the bruised of heart, To wipe from eyes bereaved the streaming tears, The peace of God to sinners to impart. Thy heart of God's own through all the prayerful years, Thy hallowed half a century! And now This golden cycle aureoles thy/brow. NAVAL SCHOLARSHIP. A Competitive Examination to Be Held April lt?. "I hereby give notice that an exam? ination for two midshipmen at Anna? polis will be held in the State house at Columbia, beginning at 9:30 o'clock Tuesday, April 10, 1906, under the di? rection of State Superintendent of Education O. B. Martin, and two as? sistants. The examination will ?e writ? ten, and be by numbers, and the phy- | sical examination will be conducted by Dr. J. W. Babcock with the assistance of two physicians whom he will select. The physical examination will be held first and no boy who fails in it can take the mental examination. "Candidates in order to be admitted J to the academy must be well versed in reading, writing, spelling, punctua? tion and capitals, grammar, geogra? phy. United States history, world's history, arithmetic, algebra and ge? ometry. "The physical requirements are: No candidate will be admitted who is un- ^ der 16 years of age or over 20, who is deformed or afflicted with any disease. He shall not be less than five feet two inches, between the ages of 16 and 18, and not less than five feet, four inches between the ages of 18 and 20. "At this examination two principa will be named to fill the \:acancies now existing, and nates .' each vacancy alternate; art named so thal tr? iho event of tho principal's failing mentally ?r physi ( cd alternate :e? v-acancy. ; some of the alternates vb i have appointed heretofore : . j failed to put themselves to the necessary expense of appearing for examination, I give notice that in this case no boy will be permitted to stand the examination who does not pledge himself to comply with this require? ment, should he be given the place of alternate. After the selection of principals and alternates by this examination, those selected will have to report the sec? ond Tuesday in April at a place here- "1 after designated for examination, phy? sically and mentally by the represen? tative of the civil service. In case of failure then another opportunity will be offered at Annapolis on the third Tuesday in June. "This examination is only open to South Carolina boys who are bona fide permanent residents of the State and who are white. "I will be obliged if all State papers will copy this notice. "B. R. Tillman." Torture by Savages. ."Speaking pf the torture to which som? of the savage tribes in the Philippines subject their captives, re? minds me of the intense suffering I endured for three months from in? flammation of the kidneys," says W. M. Sherman, of Gushing, Me. "Noth? ing helped me until T Electric Bitters, three bottle jj pletely cured me." plaint, dyspepsia, b ' malaria; and restor * nervous to robust he teed ..!? druggists.