The captain prided himself on being perfectly free from all superstition.
He held in contempt the stories of ghosts of murdered men coming back to torment their murderers.
In fact, he was very much inclined to disbelieve in any hereafter at all, taking it to be only an invention of cunning priests, for the purpose of extorting money out of their silly dupes. But here was something, which, if not explained away, would go far to stagger his disbelief.
He was glad that the last exhibition had only been witnessed by himself, and that the men for the present preferred passing their nights outside; for, as he learned from Lightfoot, the noises were only during the night time.
This would enable him to continue his investigation without any interference on the part of the crew, whom he wished to keep in utter ignorance of what he was doing, until he had perfectly unraveled the mystery.
For this purpose, he gave Lightfoot and Black Bill strict charges not to inform the men of what had taken place during the night.
He was determined to pass the principal portion of the day in sleep, so as to be wide awake when the time should come for him to resume his investigations.
CHAPTER VII.
On the day after the first scene in the cave, late in the afternoon, three men sat on the deck of the schooner, as she lay in the shadow of forest covered mountain.
These were Jones Bradley, Old Ropes, and the man who went by the name of the Parson. They were discussing the occurrences of the previous night.
"I'm very much of the captains opinion," said the Parson, "that the noises are caused by the wind rushing through the chinks and crevices of the rocks."
"Yes; but, then, there wan't no wind to speak of, and how is the wind to make that horrible groan, s'pose it did blow a hurricane?" said Jones Bradley.
"Just so," said Old Ropes; "that notion about the wind makin' such a noise at that, is all bosh. My opinion is, that it was the voice of a spirit. I know that the captain laughs at all such things, but all his laughin' don't amount to much with one that's seen spirits."
"What! you don't mean to say that you ever actually see a live ghost?" asked the Parson.
"That's jist what I do mean to say," replied Old Ropes.
"Hadn't you been takin' a leetle too much, or wasn't the liquor too strong?" said the Parson.
"Well, you may make as much fun about it as you please," said Old Ropes; "but I tell you, that was the voice of a spirit, and, what's more, I believe it's either the spirit of some one that's been murdered in that cave, by some gang that's held it before, and buried the body over the treasure they've stowed away there, or else the ghost of some one's that's had foul play from the captain."
"Well," said the Parson, "if I thought there was any treasure there worth lookin' after, all the ghosts you could scare up wouldn't hinder me from trying to get at it."
"But, no matter about that; you say you see a live ghost once. Let's hear about that."
"I suppose," said Old Ropes, "that there aint no satisfaction in a feller's tellin' of things that aint no credit to him; but, howsomever, I might as well tell this, as, after all, it's only in the line of our business.
"You must know, then, that some five years ago, I shipped on board a brig engaged in the same business that our craft is.
"I needn't tell you of all the battles we were in, and all the prizes we made; but the richest prize that ever come in our way, was a Spanish vessel coming from Mexico, With a large amount of gold and silver on board.
"We attacked the ship, expecting to make an easy prize of her, but we were disappointed.
"The Spaniards showed fight, and gave us a tarnal sight of trouble. Several of our best men were killed.
"This made our captain terrible wrothy. He swore that every soul that remained alive on the captured vessel should be put to death.
"Now, it so happened that the wife and child (an infant,) of the captain of the Spanish vessel, were on board. When the others had all been disposed of, the men plead for the lives of these two. But our captain would not listen to it; but he would let us cast lots to see which of us would perform the unpleasant office.
"As bad luck would have it, the lot fell upon me. There was no shirking it.
"It must be done; so, the plank was got ready. She took the baby in her arms, stepped upon the plank, as I ordered her, and the next moment, she, with the child in her arms, sank to rise no more; but the look she gave me, as she went down, I shall never forget.
"It haunts me yet, and many and many is the time that Spanish woman, with the child in her arms, has appeared to me, fixing upon me the same look that she gave me, as she sank in the sea.
"Luck left us from that time; we never took a prize afterwards.
"Our Vessel was captured by a Spanish cruiser soon afterwards. I, with one other, succeeded in making our escape.
"The captain, and all the rest, who were not killed in the battle, were strung out on the yard-arm."
"Does the ghost never speak to you?" asked the Parson.
"Never," replied Old Ropes.
"I suppose that's because she's a Spaniard, and thinks you don't understand her language," remarked the Parson, sneeringly. "I wonder why this ghost of the cave don't show himself, and not try to frighten us with his horrible boo-wooing."
"Well, you may make as much fun as you please," replied Old Ropes; "but, mark my words for it, if the captain don't pay attention to the warning he has had, that ghost will show himself in a way that won't be agreeable to any of us."
"If he takes my advice, he'll leave the cave, and take up his quarters somewhere else."
"What! you don't mean to say you're afraid!" quietly remarked the Parson.
"Put an enemy before me in the shape of flesh and blood, and I'll show you whether I'm afeard, or not," said Old Ropes; "but this fighting with dead men's another affair. The odds is all agin you. Lead and steel wont reach 'em, and the very sight on 'em takes the pluck out of a man, whether he will or no.
"An enemy of real flesh and blood, when he does kill you, stabs you or shoots you down at once, and there's an end of it; but, these ghosts have a way of killing you by inches, without giving a fellow a chance to pay them back anything in return."
"It's pretty clear, anway, that they're a 'tarnal set of cowards," remarked the Parson.
"The biggest coward's the bravest men, when there's no danger," retorted Old Ropes.
To this, the Parson made no reply, thinking, probably, that he had carried the joke far enough, and not wishing to provoke a quarrel with his companion.
"As to the affair of the cave," said Jones Bradley; "I think very much as Old Ropes does about it. I'm opposed to troubling the dead, and I believe there's them buried there that don't want to be disturbed by us, and if we don't mind the warning they give us, still the worse for us."
"The captain don't seem to be very much alarmed about it," said the Parson; "for he stays in the cave. And, then, there's the Indian woman and the darkey; the ghost don't seem to trouble them much."
"I'll say this for Captain Flint," remarked Old Ropes, "if ever I knowed a man that feared neither man nor devil, that man is Captain Flint; but his time'll come yet."
"You don't mean to say you see breakers ahead, do you?" asked the Parson.
"Not in the way of our business, I don't mean," said Ropes; "but, I've had a pretty long experience in this profession, and have seen the finishing up of a good many of my shipmates; and I never know'd one that had long experience, that would not tell you that he had been put more in fear by the dead than ever he had by the living."
"We all seem to be put in low spirits by this afternoon," said the Parson; "s'pose we go below, and take a little something to cheer us up."
To this the others assented, and all three went below.
CHAPTER VIII.
All Captain Flint's efforts to unravel the mysteries of the cave were unsuccessful; and he was reluctantly obliged to give up the attempt, at least for the present; but, in order to quiet the minds of the crew, he told them that he had discovered the cause, and that it was just what he had supposed it to be.
As everything remained quiet in the cave for a long time after this, and the minds of the men were occupied with more important matters, the excitement caused by it wore off; and, in a while, the affair seemed to be almost forgotten.
And here we may as well go back a little in our narrative, and restore the chain where it was broken off a few chapters back.
When Captain Flint had purchased the schooner which he commanded, it was with the professed object of using her as a vessel to trade with the Indians up the rivers, and along the shore, and with the various seaports upon the coast.
To this trade it is true, he did to some extent apply himself, but only so far as it might serve as a cloak to his secret and more dishonorable and dishonest practices.
Had Flint been disposed to confine himself to the calling he pretended to follow, he might have made a handsome fortune in a short time, but that would not have suited the corrupt and desperate character of the man.
He was like one of those wild animals which having once tasted blood, have ever afterward an insatiable craving for it.
It soon became known to a few of the merchants in the city, among the rest Carl Rosenthrall, that Captain Flint had added to his regular business, that of smuggling.
This knowledge, however, being confined to those who shared the profits with him, was not likely to be used to his disadvantage.
After a while the whole country was put into a state of alarm by the report that a desperate pirate had appeared on the coast.
Several vessels which had been expected to arrive with rich cargoes had not made their appearance, although the time for their arrival had long passed. There was every reason to fear that they had been captured by this desperate stranger who had sunk them, killing all on board.
The captain of some vessels which had arrived in safety reported having been followed by a suspicious looking craft.
They said she was a schooner about the size of one commanded by Captain Flint, but rather longer, having higher masts and carrying more sail.
No one appeared to be more excited on the subject of the pirate, than Captain Flint. He declared that he had seen the mysterious vessel, had been chased by her, and had only escaped by his superior sailing.
Several vessels had been fitted out expressly for the purpose of capturing this daring stranger, but all to no purpose; nothing could be seen of her.
For a long time she would seem to absent herself from the coast, and vessels would come and go in safety. Then all of a sudden, she would appear again and several vessels would be missing, and never heard from more.
The last occurrence of this kind is the one which we have already given an account of the capturing and sinking of the vessel in which young Billings had taken passage for Europe.
We have already seen how Hellena Rosenthrall's having accidentally discovered her lover's ring on the finger of Captain Flint, had excited suspicions of the merchant's daughter, and what happened to her in consequence.
Captain Flint having made it the interest of Rosenthrall to keep his suspicions to himself if he still adhered to them, endeavored to convince him that his daughter was mistaken, and that the ring however much it might resemble the one belonging to her lover, was one which had been given to him by his own mother at her death, and had been worn by her as long as he could remember.
This explanation satisfied, or seemed to satisfy the merchant, and the two men appeared to be as good friends as ever again.
The sudden and strange disappearance of the daughter of a person of so much consequence as Carl Rosenthrall, would cause no little excitement in a place no larger than New York was at the time of which we write.
Most of the people agreed in the opinion with the merchant that the girl had been carried off by the Indian Fire Cloud, in order to avenge himself for the insult he had received years before. As we have seen, Captain Flint encouraged this opinion, and promised that in an expedition he was about fitting out for the Indian country, he would make the recovery of the young woman one of his special objects.
Flint knew all the while where Fire Cloud was to be found, and fearing that he might come to the city ignorant as he was of the suspicion he was laboring under, and thereby expose the double game he was playing, he determined to visit the Indian in secret, under pretence of putting him on his guard, but in reality for the purpose of saving himself.
He sought out the old chief accordingly, and warned him of his danger.
Fire Cloud was greatly enraged to think that he should be suspected carrying off the young woman.
"He hated her father," he said, "for he was a cheat, and had a crooked tongue. But the paleface maiden was his friend, and for her sake he would find her if she was among his people, and would restore her to her friends."
"If you enter the city of the palefaces, they will hang you up like a dog without listening to anything you have to say in your defence," said Flint.
"The next time Fire Cloud enters the city of the palefaces, the maiden shall accompany him," replied the Indian.
This was the sort of an answer that Flint wished, and expected, and he now saw that there was no danger to be apprehended from that quarter.
But if Captain Flint felt himself relieved from danger in this quarter, things looked rather squally in another. If he knew how to disguise his vessel by putting on a false bow so as to make her look longer, and lengthen the masts so as to make her carry more sail, he was not the only one who understood these tricks. And one old sailor whose bark had been chased by the strange schooner, declared that she very much resembled Captain Flint's schooner disguised in this way.
And then it was observed that the strange craft was never seen when the captain's vessel was lying in port, or when she was known to be up the river where he was trading among the Indians.
Another suspicious circumstance was, that shortly after the strange disappearance of a merchant vessel, Flint's schooner came into port with her rigging considerably damaged, as if she had suffered from some unusual cause. Flint accounted for it by saying that he had been fired into by the pirate, and had just escaped with the skin of his teeth.
These suspicions were at first spoken cautiously, and in whispers only, by a very few.
They came to the ears of Flint himself at last, who seeing the danger immediately set about taking measures to counteract it by meeting and repelling, what he pretended to consider base slanders invented by his enemies for the purpose of effecting his ruin.
He threatened to prosecute the slanderers, and if they wished to see how much of a pirate he was, let them fit out a vessel such as he would describe, arm her, and man her according to his directions, give him command of her, and if he didn't bring that blasted pirate into port he'd never return to it himself. He'd like no better fun than to meet her on equal terms, in an open sea.
This bragadocia had the desired effect for awhile; besides, although it could hardly be said that Flint had any real friends, yet there were so many influential men who were concerned with him in some of his contraband transactions. These dreaded the exposure to themselves, should Flint's real character be discovered, which caused them to answer for him in the place of friends.
These men would no doubt be the first to crush him, could they only do so without involving themselves in his ruin.
But all this helped to convince Flint that his time in this part of the country was pretty near up, and if he meant to continue in his present line of business, he must look out for some new field of operations.
More than ever satisfied on this point, Captain Flint anxiously awaited the arrival of the vessel, the capture of which was to be the finishing stroke of his operations in this part of the world.
CHAPTER IX.
When Captain Flint had decided to take possession of the cavern, and fit it up as a place of retreat and concealment for himself and his gang, he saw the necessity of having some one whom he could trust to take charge of the place in his absence. A moment's reflection satisfied him there was no one who would be more likely to serve him in this capacity than the Indian woman who had rescued him from the fearful fate he had just escaped.
Lightfoot, who in her simplicity, looked upon him as a great chief, was flattered by the proposal which he made her, and immediately took charge of the establishment, and Captain Flint soon found that he had no reason to repent the choice he had made, so far as fidelity to his interests was concerned.
For a while at first he treated her with as much kindness as it was in the nature of such as he to treat any one.
He may possibly have felt some gratitude for the service she had rendered him, but it was self-interest more than any other feeling that caused him to do all in his power to gain a controling influence over her.
He loaded her with presents of a character suited to her uncultivated taste.
Her person fairly glittered with beads, and jewelry of the most gaudy character, while of shawls and blankets of the most glaring colors, she had more than she knew what to do with.
This course he pursued until he fancied he had completely won her affection, and he could safely show himself in his true character without the risk of loosing his influence over her.
His manner to her now changed, and he commenced treating her more as a slave than an equal, or one to whom he felt himself under obligations.
It is true he would now and then treat her as formerly, and would occasionally make her rich presents, but it would be done in the way that the master would bestow a favor on a servant.
Lightfoot bore this unkind treatment for some time without resenting it, or appearing to notice it. Thinking perhaps that it was only a freak of ill-humor that would last but for a short time, and then the great chiefs attachment would return.
Flint fancied that he had won the heart of the Indian woman, and acting on the presumption that "love is blind," he thought that he could do as he pleased without loosing hold on her affections.
In this he had deceived himself. He had only captured the woman's fancy. He had not won her heart.
So that when Lightfoot found this altered manner of the captain's towards her was not caused by a mere freak of humor, but was only his true character showing itself, her fondness for him, if fondness it could be called, began to cool.
Things had come to this pass, when Hellena Rosenthrall was brought into the cave.
The first thought of Lightfoot was that she had now discovered the cause of the captain's change of manner towards her. He had found another object on which to lavish his favors and here was her rival. And she was to be the servant, the slave of this new favorite.
Flint, in leaving Hellena in charge of Lightfoot, gave strict charges that she should be treated with every attention, but that she should by no means be allowed to leave the cave.
The manner of Lightfoot to Hellena, was at first sullen: and reserved, and although she paid her all the attention that Hellena required of her, she went no further.
But after awhile, noticing the sad countenance of her paleface sister, and that her face was frequently bathed in tears, her heart softened toward her, and she ventured to ask the cause of her sorrow. And when she had heard Hellena's story, her feelings towards her underwent an entire change.
From this time forward the two women were firm friends, and Lightfoot pledged herself to do all in her power to restore her to her friends.
Her attachment to Captain Flint was still too strong, however, to make her take any measures to effect that object, until she could do so without endangering his safety.
But Lightfoot was not the only friend that Hellena had secured since her capture. She had made another, and if possible a firmer one, in the person of Black Bill.
From the moment Hellena entered the cavern, Bill seemed to be perfectly fascinated by her. Had she been an angel just from heaven, his admiration for her could hardly have been greater. He could not keep his eyes off of her. He followed her as she moved about, though generally at a respectful distance, and nothing delighted him so much, as to be allowed to wait upon her and perform for her such little acts of kindness as lay within his power.
While Hellena was relating the story of her wrongs to Lightfoot, Black Bill sat at a little distance off an attentive listener to the narrative. When it was finished, and Hellena's eyes were filled with tears, the darkey sprang up saying in an encouraging tone of voice:
"Don't cry, don't cry misses, de debble's comin arter massa Flint berry soon, he tell me so hisself; den Black Bill take care ob de white angel."
This sudden and earnest outburst of feeling and kindness from the negro, expressed as it was in such a strange manner, brought a smile to the face of the maiden, notwithstanding the affliction which was crushing her to the earth.
"Why Bill," said Hellena, "you don't mean to say you ever saw the devil here, do you?"
"Never seed him, but heer'd him doe, sometimes," replied Bill.
Now, Hellena, although a sensible girl in her way, was by no means free from the superstition of the times. She believed in ghosts, and witches, and fairies, and all that, and it was with a look of considerable alarm that she turned to the Indian woman, saying:
"I hope there ain't any evil spirits in this cave, Lightfoot."
"No spirits here dat will hurt White Rose (the name she had given to Hellena) or Lightfoot," said the Indian woman.
"But the place is haunted, though!" said Hellena.
"The spirits of the great Indian braves who have gone to the land of spirits come back here sometimes."
"Do you ever see them?" asked the girl, her alarm increasing.
"Neber see dem, but hear dem sometime," replied Lightfoot.
"Do they not frighten you?" asked Hellena.
"Why should I be afraid?" said Lightfoot, "are they not my friends?"
Lightfoot perceiving that Hellena's curiosity, as well as her fears were excited; now in order to gratify the one, and to allay the other, commenced relating to her some of the Indian traditions in relation to the cavern.
The substance of her narrative was as follows:
She said that a great while ago, long, long before the palefaces had put foot upon this continent, the shores of this river, and the land for a great distance to the east and to the west, was inhabited by a great nation. No other nation could compare with them in number, or in the bravery of their warriors. Every other nation that was rash enough to contend with them was sure to be brought into subjection, if not utterly destroyed.
Their chiefs were as much renowned for wisdom, and eloquence as for bravery. And they were as just, as they were wise and brave.
Many of the weaker tribes sought their protection, for they delighted as much in sheltering the oppressed as in punishing the oppressor.
Thus, for many long generations, they prospered until the whole land was overshadowed by their greatness.
And all this greatness, and all this power, their wise men said, was because they listened to the voice of the Great Spirit as spoken to them in this cave.
Four times during the year, at the full of the moon the principal chiefs and medicine men, would assemble here, when the Great Spirit would speak to them, and through them to the people.
As long as this people listened to the voice of the Great Spirit, every thing went well with them.
But at last there arose among them a great chief; a warrior, who said he would conquer the whole world, and bring all people under his rule.
The priests and the wise men warned him of his folly, and told him that they had consulted the Great Spirit, and he had told them that if he persisted in his folly he would bring utter ruin upon his people. But the great chief only laughed at them, and called them fools, and told them the warnings which they gave him, were not from the Great Spirit, but were only inventions of their own, made up for the purpose of frightening him.
And so he persisted in his own headstrong course, and as he was a great brave, and had won many great battles, very many listened to him, and he raised a mighty army, and carried the war into the country of all the neighbouring nations, that were dwelling in peace with his own, and he brought home with him the spoils of many people. And then he laughed at the priests and wise men once more, and said, go into the magic cave again, and let us hear what the Great Spirit has to say.
And they went into the cave, as he had directed them. But they came out sorrowing, and said that the Great Spirit had told them that he, and his army should be utterly destroyed, and the whole nation scattered to the four winds.
And again he laughed at them, and called them fool, and deceivers.
And he collected another great army, and went to war again. But by this time the other nations, seeing the danger they were in, united against him as a common enemy.
He was overthrown, killed, and his army entirely cut to pieces.
The conquering army now entered this country, and laid it waste, as theirs had been laid waste before.
And the war was carried on for many years, until the prophesy was fulfilled that had been spoken by the Great Spirit, and the people of this once mighty nation were scattered to the four winds.
This people as a great nation are known no longer, but a remnant still remains scattered among the other tribes. Occasionally some of them visit this cave, to whom alone its mysteries are known, or were, Lightfoot said, until she had brought Captain Flint there in order to escape their pursuers.
"Is the voice of the Great Spirit ever heard here now?" enquired Hellena.
Lightfoot said the voice of the Great Spirit had never been heard there since the destruction of his favorite nation, but that the spirits of the braves as he had said before, did sometimes come back from the spirit-land to speak comfort to the small remnant of the friends who still remained upon the earth. To those she belonged.
This narrative of the Indian woman somewhat satisfied the curiosity of Hellena, but it did not quiet her fears, and to be imprisoned in a dreary cavern haunted by spirits, for aught she knew, demons, was to her imagination, about as terrible a situation as she could possibly be placed in.
CHAPTER X.
When there were none of the pirates in the cave, it was the custom of Lightfoot, and Hellena to spread their couch in the body of the cavern, and there pass the night. Such was the case on the night following the day on which Lightfoot had related to Hellena the sad history of her people.
It is hardly to be expected that the young girl's sleep would be very sound that night, with her imagination filled with visions, hob goblins of every form, size, and color.
During the most of the forepart of the night she lay awake thinking over the strange things she had heard concerning the cave, and expecting every moment to see some horrible monster make its appearance in the shape of an enormous Indian in his war paint, and his hands reeking with blood.
After a while she fell into a doze in which she had a horrid dream, where all the things she had been thinking of appeared and took form, but assuming shapes ten times more horrible than any her waking imagination could possibly have created.
It was past midnight. She had started from one of these horrid dreams, and afraid to go to sleep again, lay quietly gazing around the cavern on the ever varying reflections cast by the myriads of crystals that glittered upon the wall and ceiling.
Although there were in some portions of the cavern walls chinks or crevices which let in air, and during some portion of the day a few straggling sunbeams, it was found necessary even during the day to keep a lamp constantly burning. And the one standing on the table in the centre of the cave was never allowed to go out.
As we have said, Hellena lay awake gazing about her.
A perfect stillness reigned in the cave, broken only by the rather heavy breathing of the Indian woman who slept soundly.
Suddenly she heard, or thought she heard a slight grating noise at the further side of the cavern.
Can she be dreaming? or can her eyes deceive her? or does she actually see the wall of the cavern parting? Such actually seems to be the case, and from the opening out steps a figure dressed like an Indian, and bearing in his hand a blazing torch.
Hellena's tongue cleaves to the roof of her mouth, and her limbs are paralyzed with terror. She cannot move if she dare.
The figure moves about the room with a step as noiseless as the step of the dead, while the crystals on the walls seem to be set in motion, and to blaze with unnatural brilliancy as his torch is carried from place to place.
He carefully examines everything as he proceeds; particularly the weapons belonging to the pirates, which seemed particularly to take his fancy. But he carefully replaces everything after having examined it.
He now approaches the place where the two women are lying.
Hellena with an effort closed her eyes.
The figure approached the couch; for a moment he bent over it and gazed intently on the two women; particularly on that of the white maiden. When having apparently satisfied his curiosity, he withdrew as stealthily as he had come.
When Hellena opened her eyes again, the spectre had vanished, and everything about the cave appeared as if nothing unusual had happened.
For a long time she lay quietly thinking over the strange occurrences of the night. She was in doubt whether scenes which she had witnessed were real, or were only the empty creations of a dream. The horrible spectres which she had seen in the fore part of the night seemed like those which visit us in our dreams when our minds are troubled. But the apparition of the Indian seemed more real.
Could she be mistaken? was this, too, only a dream? or were the two scenes only different parts of one waking vision?
To this last opinion she seemed most inclined, and was fully confirmed in the opinion that the cavern was haunted.
Although Hellena was satisfied in her own mind that the figure that had appeared so strangely was a disembodied spirit, yet she had a vague impression that she had somewhere seen that form before. But when, or where, she could not recollect.
When in the morning she related the occurrences of the night to Lightfoot, the Indian expressed no surprise, and exhibited no alarm. Nor did she attempt to offer any explanation seeming to treat it as a matter of course.
Although this might be unsatisfactory to Hellena in some respects, it was perhaps after all, quite as well for her that Lightfoot did not exhibit any alarm at what had occurred, as by doing so she imparted some of her own confidence to her more timid companion.
All this while Black Bill had not been thought of but after a while he crawled out from his bunk, his eyes twice their usual size, and coming up to Hellena, he said:
"Misses, misses, I seed do debble last night wid a great fire-brand in his hand, and he went all round de cabe, lookin' for massa Flint, to burn him up, but he couldn't fine him so he went away agin. Now I know he's comin' after massa Flint, cause he didn't touch nobody else."
"Did he frighten you?" asked Hellena.
"No; but I kept mighty still, and shut my eyes when he come to look at me, but he didn't say noffen, so I know'd it wasn't dis darkey he was after."
This statement of the negro's satisfied Hellena that she had not been dreaming when she witnessed the apparition of the Indian.
On further questioning Bill, she found he had not witnessed any of the horrid phantoms that had visited her in her dreams.
As soon as Hellena could do so without attracting attention, she took a lamp and examined the walls in every direction to see if she could discover any where a crevice large enough for a person to pass through, but she could find nothing of the sort.
The walls were rough and broken in many parts, but there was nothing like what she was in search of.
She next questioned Lightfoot about it, asking her if there was any other entrance to the cave beside the one through which they had entered.
But the Indian woman gave her no satisfaction, simply telling her that she might take the lamp and examine for herself.
As Hellena had already done this, she was of course as much in the dark as ever.
When Captain Flint visited the cave again as he did on the following day, Hellena would have related to him the occurrences of the previous night, but she felt certain that he would only laugh at it as something called up by her excited imagination, or treat it as a story made up for the purpose of exciting his sympathy.
Or perhaps invented for the purpose of arousing his superstition in order to make him leave the cave, and take her to some place where escape would be more easy.
So she concluded to say nothing to him about it.
CHAPTER XI.
About a week after the occurrence of the events recorded in the last chapter, Captain Flint and his crew were again assembled in the cavern. It was past midnight, and they evidently had business of importance before them, for although the table was spread as upon the former occasion, the liquors appeared as yet to be untasted, and instead of being seated around the table, the whole party were sitting on skins in a remote corner of the cavern, and conversing in a suppressed tone of voice as if fearful of being heard.
"Something must be done," said one of the men, "to quiet this darn suspicion, or it's all up with us."
"I am for leaving at once," said Old Ropes; "the only safety for us now is in giving our friends the slip, and the sooner we are out of these waters the better it will be for us."
"What, and leave the grand prize expecting to take care of itself?" asked the captain.
"Darn the prize," said Old Ropes, "the East Indiaman ain't expected this two weeks yet, and if the suspicions agin us keep on increasin' as they have for the last ten days, the land pirates'll have us all strung up afore the vessel arrives."
This opinion was shared by the majority of the men. Even the Parson who took delight in opposing Old Ropes in almost every thing, agreed with him here.
"Whether or not," said he, "I am afraid to face death in a fair business-like way, you all know, but as sure as I'm a genuine parson, I'd rather be tortured to death by a band of savage Indians, than to be strung up to a post with my feet dangling in the air to please a set of gaping fools."
"Things do look rather squally on shore, I admit," said the captain, "but I've hit upon a plan to remedy all that, and one that will make us pass for honest men, if not saints, long enough to enable us to finish the little job we have on hand."
"What is that?" enquired a number of voices.
"Why, merely to make a few captures while we are lying quietly in the harbour or a little way up the river. That'll turn the attention of the people from us in another direction, in the mean while, we can bide our time.
"It can," said the captain. "We must man a whale boat or two and attack some one of the small trading vessels that are coming in every day. She must be run on the rocks where she may be examined afterwards, so that any one may see that she has falling in the hands of pirates. None of the crew must be allowed to escape, as that would expose the trick.
"All this must take place while I am known to be on shore, and the schooner lying in port."
This plot, which was worthy the invention of a fiend, was approved by all but Jones Bradley who declared that he would have nothing to do with it. For which disobedience of orders he would have probably been put to death had he been at sea.
The plan of operations having been decided upon, the whole party seated themselves round the table for the purpose as they would say of making a night of it.
But somehow or other they seemed to be in no humor for enjoyment, as enjoyment is understood by such characters.
A gloom seemed to have settled on the whole party.
They could not even get their spirits up, by pouring spirits down.
And although they drank freely, they drank for the most part in silence.
"How is this?" shouted captain Flint, "at last have we all lost our voices? Can no one favor us with a song, or toast or a yarn?"
Hardly had these words passed the lips of the captain, when the piteous moan which had so startled the pirates, on the previous evening again saluted them, but in a more suppressed tone of voice. The last faint murmurs of this moan had not yet died away, when a shout, or rather a yell like an Indian war whoop, rang through the cavern in a voice that made the very walls tremble, its thousand echoes rolling away like distant thunder.
The whole group sprang to their feet aghast.
The two woman followed by Black Bill, terror stricken, joined the group.
This at least might be said of Hellena and the negro. The latter clinging to the skirts of the white maiden for protection, as a mortal in the midst of demons might be supposed to seek the protection of an Angel.
Captain Flint, now laying his hand violently on Lightfoot, said, "What does all this mean? do you expect to frighten me by your juggling tricks, you infernal squaw?" At these words he gave her a push that sent her staggering to the floor.
In a moment he saw his mistake, and went to her assistance (but she had risen before he reached her,) and endeavored to conciliate her with kind words and presents.
He took a gold chain from his pocket, and threw it about her neck, and drew a gold ring from his own finger and placed it upon hers.
These attentions she received in moody silence.
All this was done by Flint, not from any feelings of remorse for the injustice he had done the woman, but from a knowledge of how much he was in her power and how dangerous her enmity might be to him.
Finding that she was not disposed to listen to him, he turned from her muttering to himself:
"She'll come round all right by and by," and then addressing his men said:
"Boys, we must look into this matter; there's something about this cave we don't understand yet. There may be another one over it, or under it. We must examine."
He did not repeat the explanation he had given before, feeling no doubt, that it would be of no use.
A careful examination of the walls of the cave were made by the whole party, but to no purpose. Nothing was discovered that could throw any light upon the mystery, and they were obliged to give it up.
And thus they were compelled to let the matter rest for the present.
When the morning came, the pirates all left with the exception of the captain, who remained, he said, for the purpose of making further investigations, but quite as much for the purpose of endeavoring to find out whether or not, Lightfoot had anything to do with the production of the strange noises. But here again, he was fated to disappointment. The Indian could not, or would not, give any satisfactory explanation.
The noises she contended were made by the braves of her nation who had gone to the spirit world, and who were angry because their sacred cavern had been profaned by the presence of the hated palefaces.
Had he consulted Hellena, or Black Bill, his investigations would probably have taken a different turn.
The figure of the Indian having been seen by both Hellena and the black, would have excited his curiosity if not his fears, and led him to look upon it as a more serious matter than he had heretofore supposed.
But he did not consult either of them, probably supposing them to be a couple of silly individuals whose opinions were not worth having.
If any doubt had remained in the minds of the men in regard to the supernatural character of the noises which had startled them in the cave, they existed no longer.
Even the Parson although generally ridiculing the idea of all sorts of ghosts and hobgoblins, admitted that there was something in this affair that staggered him, and he joined with the others in thinking that the sooner they shifted their quarters, the better.
"Don't you think that squaw had a hand in it?" asked one of the men: "didn't you notice how cool she took it all the while?"
"That's a fact," said the Parson; "it's strange I didn't think of that before. I shouldn't wonder if it wasn't after all, a plot contrived by her and some of her red-skinned brethren to frighten us out of the cave, and get hold of the plunder we've got stowed away there."
Some of the men now fell in with this opinion, and were for putting it to the proof by torturing Lightfoot until she confessed her guilt.
The majority of the men, however, adhered to the original opinion that the whole thing was supernatural, and that the more they meddled with it, the deeper they'd get themselves into trouble.
"My opinion is," said Old Ropes, "that there's treasure buried there, and the whole thing's under a charm, cave, mountain, and all."
"If there's treasure buried there," said the Parson, "I'm for having a share of it."
"The only way to get treasure that's under charm," said Old Ropes, "is to break the charm that binds it, by a stronger charm."
"It would take some blasting to get at treasure buried in that solid rock," said Jones Bradley.
"If we could only break the charm that holds the treasure, just as like as not that solid rock would all turn into quicksand," replied Old Ropes.
"Did you ever see the thing tried?" asked the Parson.
"No; but I've seen them as has," replied Old Ropes.
"And more than that," continued Old Ropes, "my belief is that Captain Flint is of the same opinion, though he didn't like to say so.
"I shouldn't wonder now, if he hadn't some charm he was tryin', and that was the reason why he stayed in the cave so much."
"I rather guess the charm that keeps the captain so much in the cave is a putty face," dryly remarked one of the men.
CHAPTER XII.
While these things had been going on at the cavern, and Captain Flint had been pretending to use his influence with the Indians for the recovery of Hellena, Carl Rosenthrall himself had not been idle in the meantime.
He had dealings with Indians of the various tribes along the river, and many from the Far North, and West, and he engaged them to make diligent search for his daughter among their people, offering tempting rewards to any who would restore her, or even tell him to a certainty, where she was to be found.
In order to induce Fire Cloud to restore her in case it should prove it was he who was holding her in captivity, he sent word to that chief, that if he would restore his child, he would not only not have him punished, but would load him with presents.
These offers, of course made through Captain Flint, who it was supposed by Rosenthrall, had more opportunities than any one else of communicating with the old chief.
How likely they would have been to reach the chief, even if he had been the real culprit, the reader can guess.
In fact he had done all in his power to impress the Indian that to put himself in the power of Rosenthrall, would be certain death to him.
Thus more than a month passed without bringing to the distracted father any tidings of his missing child.
We may as well remark here, that Rosenthrall had lost his wife many years before, and that Hellena was his only child, so that in losing her he felt that he had lost everything.
The Indians whom he had employed to aid him in his search, informed him that they could learn nothing of his daughter among their people, and some of them who were acquainted with Fire Cloud, told him that the old chief protested he knew nothing of the matter.
Could it be that Flint was playing him false?
He could hardly think that it was Flint himself who had stolen his child, for what motive could he have in doing it?
The more he endeavored to unravel the mystery, the stranger and more mysterious it became.
Notwithstanding the statements to the contrary made by the Indians, Flint persisted in giving it as his belief, that Fire Cloud had carried off the girl and was still holding her a prisoner. He even said that the chief had admitted as much to him. Yet he was sure that if he was allowed to manage the affair in his own way, he should be able to bring the Indian to terms.
It was about this time that the dark suspicions began to be whispered about that Captain Flint was in some way connected with the horrible piracies that had recently been perpetrated on the coast, if he were not in reality the leader of the desperate gang himself, by whom they had been perpetrated.
Those suspicions as we have seen, coming to Flint's own ears, had caused him to plan another project still more horrible than the one he was pursuing, in order to quiet those suspicions until he should have an opportunity of capturing the rich prize which was to be the finishing stroke to his achievements in this part of the world.
The suspicions in regard to Captain Flint had reached the ears of Rosenthrall, as well as others, who had been secretly concerned with him in his smuggling transactions, although in no way mixed up with his piracies.
Rosenthrall feared that in case these suspicions against Flint should lead to his arrest, the whole matter would come out and be exposed, leading to the disgrace if not the ruin, of all concerned.
It was therefore with a feeling of relief, while joining in the general expression of horror, that he heard of a most terrible piracy having been committed on the coast. Captain Flint's vessel was lying in port, and he was known to be in the city.
There was one thing too connected with this affair that seemed to prove conclusively, that the suspicions heretofore harboured against the captain were unjust.
And that was the report brought by the crew of a fishing smack, that they had seen a schooner answering to the description given of the pirate, just before this horrible occurrence took place.
Captain Flint now assumed the bearing of a man whose fair fame had been purified of some foul blot stain that had been unjustly cast upon it, one who had been honorably acquitted of base charges brought against him by enemies who had sought his ruin.
He had not been ignorant, he said, of the dark suspicions that had been thrown out against him.
But he had trusted to time to vindicate his character, and he had not trusted in vain.
Among the first to congratulate Captain Flint on his escape from the danger with which he had been threatened, was Carl Rosenthrall.
He admitted that he had been to some extent, tainted with suspicion, in common with others, for which he now asked his forgiveness.
The pardon was of course granted by the captain, coupled with hope that he would not be so easily led away another time.
The facts in regard to this last diabolical act of the pirates were these.
Captain Flint, in accordance with the plan which he had decided upon, and with which the reader has already been made acquainted, fitted out a small fishing vessel, manned by some of the most desperate of his crew, and commanded by the Parson and Old Ropes.
Most of the men went on board secretly at night, only three men appearing on deck when she set sail.
In fact, no one to look at her, would take her for anything but an ordinary fishing smack.
They had not been out long, before they came in sight of a vessel which they thought would answer their purpose. It was a small brig engaged in trading along the coast, and such a vessel as under ordinary circumstances they would hardly think worth noticing. But their object was not plunder this time, but simply to do something that would shield them from the danger that threatened them on shore.
The time seemed to favor them, for the night was closing in and there were no other vessels in sight.
On the pirates making a signal of distress, the commander of the brig brought his vessel to, until the boat from the supposed smack could reach him, and the crew could make their wants known.
To his surprise six men fully armed sprang upon his deck.
To resist this force there were only himself, and two men, all unarmed.
Of these the pirates made short work not deigning to answer the questions put to them by their unfortunate victims.
When they had murdered all on board, and thrown overboard such of the cargo as they did not want they abandoned the brig, knowing from the direction of the wind, and the state of the tide, that she would soon drift on the beach, and the condition in which she would be found, would lead people to believe that she had been boarded by pirates, and all on board put to death.
After having accomplished this hellish act, they turned their course homeward, bringing the report that they had seen the notorious piratical schooner which had committed so many horrible depredations, leading every one to conclude that this was another of her terrible deeds.
Captain Flint, satisfied with the result of this last achievement, felt himself secure for the present.
He could now without fear of interruption, take time to mature his plans for carrying out his next grand enterprise, which was to be the crowning one of all his adventures, and which was to enrich all engaged in it.
CHAPTER XIII.
Captain Flint's plan for the accomplishment of his last grand enterprise was, as soon as it should be announced to him by those he had constantly on the lookout, that the expected vessel was in sight, to embark in a large whale boat which he had secretly armed, and fitted for the purpose.
After killing the crew of the vessel they expected to capture, he would tack about ship, and take her into some port where he could dispose of the vessel and cargo.
As, in this case, it was his intention to abandon the country for ever, he removed under various pretences, all his most valuable property from the cavern.
The schooner he was to leave in charge of Jones Bradley, under pretence that it was necessary to do so, in order to divert suspicion from him when the thing should have been accomplished.
The fact was, that as he should have no further use for the schooner, and having for some time past, feared that Bradley seemed to be too tender-hearted to answer his purpose, he had determined to abandon him and the schooner together.
At last, news was brought to Captain Flint that a vessel answering the one they were expecting was in sight.
Flint who, with his crew of desperators, was lying at a place now known as Sandy Hook, immediately started in pursuit.
Everything seemed to favor the pirates. The doomed ship was making her way under a light breeze apparently unconscious of danger.
There was one thing about the ship, that struck the pirates as rather unusual. There seemed to be more hands on board than were required to man such a vessel.
"I'm afraid there's more work for us than we've bargained for," said one of the men.
"They seem to have a few passengers on board," remarked Flint, "but we can soon dispose of them."
The principal part of Flint's men had stretched themselves on the bottom of the boat for fear of exciting the suspicion of those on board the ship by their numbers.
As the pirate craft approached the merchant man, apparently with no hostile intention, those on board the ship were watching the boat as closely as they were themselves watched.
As soon as they came within hailing distance, the man at the bow of the boat notified the captain of the ship that he wished to come along side, as he had something of importance to communicate.
The captain of the ship commenced apparently making preparations to receive the visit, when one of the men on deck who had been observing the boat for some time came to him and said:
"That's he. I'm sure I can't be mistaken. The man on the bow of the boat is the notorious pirate Flint."
The pirates were approaching rapidly.
In a moment more they would be along side, and nothing could prevent them from boarding the ship.
In that moment the captain of the ship, by a skilful movement suddenly tacked his vessel about just as the pirates came up, coming in contact with the boat in such a manner as to split her in two in a moment.
A dozen men sprung up from the bottom of the boat, uttering horrid curses while they endeavored to reach the ship or cling to portions of their shattered boat.
The greater portion of them were drowned, as no efforts were made to rescue them.
Three only succeeded in reaching the deck of the ship in safety, and these would probably have rather followed their comrades had they known how few were going to escape.
These three were Captain Flint, the one called the Parson and Old Ropes.
These were at first disposed to show fight, but it was of no use. Their arms had been lost in their struggle in the water.
They were soon overpowered and put in irons.
Great was the excitement caused in the goodly little City of New York, by the arrival of the merchant ship bringing as prisoners, the daring pirate with two of his men whose fearful deeds had caused all the inhabitants of the land to thrill with horror.
And great was the surprise of the citizens to find in that terrible pirate a well-known member of the community, and one whom nearly all regarded as a worthy member of society.
Another cause of surprise to the good people of the city, was the arrival by this vessel, of one whom all had long given up as lost, and that was Henry Billings, the lover of Hellena Rosenthrall.
He it was who had recognized in the commander of the whale boat, the pirate Flint, and had warned the captain of the ship of his danger, thereby enabling him to save his vessel, and the lives of all on board.
Captain Flint made a slight mistake when he took the vessel by which he was run down, for the India man he was looking out for. It was an ordinary merchant ship from Amsterdam, freighted with merchandise from that port. Though in appearance she very much resembled the vessel which Captain Flint had taken her for.
The reason young Billings happened to be on board of her was this:
It will be remembered that when the ship in which Billings had taken passage for Europe, was attacked by the pirates, he was forced to walk the plank.
By the pirates, he was of course supposed to have been drowned, but in this they were mistaken. He had been in the water but a few moments when he came in contact with a portion of a spar which had probably come from some wreck or had been washed off of some vessel.
To this he lashed himself with a large handkerchief which it was his good fortune to have at the time.
Lashed to this spar he passed the night.
When morning came he found that he had drifted out to sea; he could not tell how far.
He was out of sight of land, and no sail met his anxious gaze.
His strength was nearly exhausted, and he felt a stupor coming over him. Then he lost all consciousness.
How long he lay in this condition he could not tell. When he came to himself, he found that he was lying in the birth of a vessel, while a sailor was standing at his side.
The whole thing was soon explained.
He had been discovered by the Captain of a ship bound for England, from Boston.
He had been taken on board, in an almost lifeless condition, and kindly cared for.
In a little while he recovered his usual strength, and although his return home must necessarily be delayed, he trusted to be enabled before a great while to do so and bring to justice the villains who had attempted his murder.
Unfortunately the vessel by which he had been rescued, was wrecked on the coast of Ireland, he and the crew barely escaping with their lives.
After a while, he succeeded in getting to England by working his passage there.
From London, he made his way in the same manner, to Amsterdam, where the mercantile house with which he was connected being known, he found no difficulty in securing a passage for New York.
Billings now for the first time heard the story of Hellena's mysterious disappearance.
It immediately occurred to him that Captain Flint was some way concerned in the affair not withstanding his positive denial that he knew anything of the matter further than he had already made known.
The capture of Captain Flint, and the other two pirates of course led to the arrest of Jones Bradley who had been left in charge of the schooner.
He was found on board of the vessel, which was lying a short distance up the river, and arrested before he had learned the fate of his comrades.
He was cast into prison with the rest, though each occupied a separate cell.
As no good reason could be given for delaying the punishment of the prisoners, their trial was commenced immediately.
The evidence against them was too clear to make a long trial necessary.
They were all condemned to death with the exception of Jones Bradley, whose punishment on account of his not engaged in last affair, and having recommended mercy in the case of Henry Billings, was committed to imprisonment for life.
When the time came for the carrying out of sentence of the three who had been condemned to death, it was found that one of them was missing and that one, the greatest villain of them all, Captain Flint himself!
How could this have happened? No one had visited him on the previous day but Carl Rosenthrall, and he was a magistrate, and surely he would be the last one to aid in the escape of a prisoner!
That he was gone however, was a fact. There was no disputing that.
But If it were a fact that he had made his escape, it was equally true, that he could not have gone very far, and the community were not in the humor to let such a desperate character as he was now known to be, escape without making a strenuous effort to recapture him.
The execution of the two who had been sentenced to die at the same time, was delayed for a few days in the hope of learning from them, the places where Flint would most probably fly to, but they maintained a sullen silence on the subject.
They then applied to Jones Bradley with, at first, no better result. But when Henry Billings, who was one of those appointed to visit him, happened to allude to the strange fate of Hellena Rosenthrall, he hesitated a moment, and then said he knew where the girl was, and that she had been captured by Captain Flint, and kept in close confinement by him.
He had no wish he said to betray his old commander, though he knew that he had been treated badly by him, but he would like to save the young woman.
Captain Flint might be in the same place, but if he was, he thought that he would kill the girl sooner than give her up.
If Captain Flint, was not there, the only ones in the cave besides the girl, were a squaw, and Captain Flint's negro boy, Bill.
For the sake of the girl Bradley said he would guide a party to the cave.
This offer was at once accepted, and a party well armed, headed by young Billings, and guided by Jones Bradley, set out immediately.
CHAPTER XIV.
When Captain Flint made his escape from prison, it naturally enough occurred to him, that the safest place for him for awhile, would be the cave.
In it he thought he could remain in perfect safety, until he should find an opportunity for leaving the country.
The cave, or at least the secret chamber, was unknown to any except his crew, and those who were confined in it.
On leaving the cave, the last time, with a heartlessness worthy a demon, he had barred the entrance to the cavern on the outside, so as to render it impossible for those confined there to escape in that direction.
In fact, he had, be supposed, buried them alive—left them to die of hunger.
Captain Flint reached the entrance of the cave in safety, and found everything as he had left it.
On reaching the inner chamber where he had left the two women and the negro boy, he was startled to find the place apparently deserted, while all was in total darkness, except where a few rays found their way through the crevices of the rocks.
He called the names first of one, and then another, but the only answer he received was the echo of his own voice.
How was this? could they be all sleeping or dead?
They certainly could not have made their escape, for the fastenings were all as he had left them.
The means of striking fire were at hand, and a lamp was soon lighted.
He searched the cave, but could discover no trace of the missing ones.
A strange horror came over him, such as he had never felt before.
The stillness oppressed him; no living enemy could have inspired him with the fear he now felt from being alone in this gloomy cavern.
"I must leave this place," he said, "I would rather be in prison than here."
Again he took up the lamp, and went round the cave, but more this time in hopes of finding some weapon to defend himself with, in case he should be attacked, than with the hope of discovering the manner in which those he had left there had contrived to make their escape.
It had been his custom, lately, on leaving the cavern, to take his weapons with him, not knowing what use might be made of them by the women under the provocation, to which they were sometimes subjected.
The only weapon he could find was a large dagger. This he secured, and was preparing to leave the cavern, when he thought he saw something moving in one corner.
In order to make sure that he had not been mistaken, he approached the place.
It was a corner where a quantity of skins had been thrown, and which it had not been convenient for him to remove, when he left the cavern.
Thinking that one of these skins might be of service to him in the life he would be obliged to live for some time, he commenced sorting them over, for the purpose of finding one that would answer his purpose, when a figure suddenly sprang up from the pile.
It would be hard to tell which of the two was the more frightened.
"Dat you, massa," at length exclaimed the familiar voice of Black Bill. "I tought it was de debil come back agin to carry me off."
"What, is that you, Bill?" said Flint, greatly relieved, and glad to find some one who could explain the strange disappearance of Hellena and Lightfoot.
"Where are the rest, Bill?" he asked; "where's the white girl and the Indian woman?"
"Debble carry dim off," said Bill.
"What do you mean, you black fool?" said his master; "if you don't tell me where they've gone, I'll break your black skull for you."
"Don't know where dar gone," said Bill, tremblingly, "Only know dat de debble take dem away."
Flint finding that he was not likely to get anything out of the boy by frightening him, now changed his manner, saying;
"Never mind, Bill, let's hear all about it."
The boy reassured, now told his master that the night before while he was lying awake near the pile of skins and the women were asleep, he saw the walls of the cavern divide and a figure holding a blazing torch such as he had never seen before, enter the room.
"I tought," said Bill, "dat it was de debble comin' arter you agin, massa, and I was 'fraid he would take me along, so I crawled under de skins, but I made a hole so dat I could watch what he was doin'."
"He looked all round a spell for you, massa, an' when he couldn't find you, den he went were de women was sleepin' an woke dem up and made dem follow him.
"Den da called me and looked all ober for me an' couldn't find me, an' de debble said he couldn't wait no longer, an' dat he would come for me annudder time, An den de walls opened agin, an' da all went true togedder. When I heard you in de cave, massa, I tought it was de debble come agin to fetch me, an' so I crawled under de skins agin."