of our presence, she wore round, hoisted "Ay, ay, sir!" and we wore round, so her studd'n sails and stood away in a south as to present our other broadside to the westerly direction. enemy.

"Pull away, cheerily," said the captain While this manœuvre was going on, to the men in the boats, who had lain on the bows of the Sea-Sprite had fallen off their oars in readiness. in the wind, so as to bring us side by side Slowly the Dart emerged from her hid- within half pistol shot. She returned the ing place-the sails were squared round fire with a vengeance, and several of our so as to present their broad surfaces to brave tars fell wounded or slain to the the wind, and away she darted in swift deck.

pursuit, like an eagle in quest of her prey. "Ready!-blaze away!" but the sound A stern chase is proverbially a long one; of our captain's voice was lost in the and so it proved in this instance. The thunder of the heavy ordnance. wind was light, and although we hung out| The battle now commenced in real earevery rag of sail, the sun was sinking be- nest. The cannon bellowed, small arms yond the sea, when we approached with- rattled, the combatants yelled, the dying in gun-shot of the rover. Not a soul could groaned, the iron thunder-bolt crashed, be seen on her decks,-she was worked riving the vessels' oaken timbers, and a as if by magic. dense sulphur cloud overspread the scene

Mr. Ramrod," said the captain, "clap a of furious commotion, so that we fought round shot into the long-tom, and let us with an invisible enemy. We could see see if we cannot make them show some nothing save the streaming lightning of signs of life." the cannon, or the fiend-like figures that Benjamin loaded the gun, and having worked our aftermost guns, begrimmed got it poised to his fancy, applied the with powder and blood, stripped nearly match. Away whizzed the iron messen-naked, and sweltering in their eager toil. ger. The chips flew from the stern of the As the smoke occasionally lifted, however rover, and a swarm of grizzly heads, be- the battered bulwarks of the enemy, longing to bona fule bodies, popped up the glimmering streaks along her black above the bulwarks, and then settled down waist, showed that our fine had been rightagain, like so many wild sea-fowl dis- ly directed; and the irregularity with turbed in their nests. which it was returned, told the confusion "Well done Benjamin!-I see you have that prevailed on her decks. Several times not lost any of your skill for lack of we attempted to run her aboard, but they practice." discovered our intention in time to avoid

The pirate, at length finding it impos- us. sible to escape us, shortened sail.

and

At length a discharge from the well-di"Now my men," said the captain, "to rected gun of old Benjamin, took effect in your duty!-let every gun be double shot- her fore-top. The topsail came thunderted-round shot and grape." ing down with all its rigging, over the

By a well-timed manœuvre, we ranged foresail. Having thus lost the benefit of up under her stern. Our men stood with her head sail, she rounded to, and her jibtheir arms extended, ready to apply their boom came in contact with our fore riglighted matches.

"Fire!" thundered Satan West.

ging.

"Now is our time!-into her boarders!" A storm of flame burst from our side, shouted Dacres, leaping upon the pirate's and the Dart reeled half out of the water forecastle deck.

under the recoil of the over-loaded guns. But the order was useless-they were The iron shower raked the pirate fore already hard on his track. A close and and aft, hurling those deadly missiles, the desperate struggle now took place. Pis splinters, in every direction, and doing ter- tols cracked, sabres gleamed, and deadly rible execution on her decks. Two more blows were dealt on either side, till a ramsuch broadsides would have sent her to part of the slain and wounded was raised high between the furious combatants.

the bottom.

"Helm a-weather-jam hard!" roared Gloomy and dark as arch-fiend, the pirate the captain. leader raged among his men, urging them

on with threats and curses, in a voice of the red waters of life, that gushed in a thunder and sweeping down all opposition continuous stream from her scuppers. before his dripping blade. But Dacres, On the forecastle deck, where the last backed by his well-trained boarders, 1e-desperate struggle had taken place, I received them on the points of their pikes, cognized many of our crew among the with a coolness and bravery that made lifeless heaps. Poor old Ramrod, the gunthem recoil upon each other, like surges ner, lay there, with the black blood trickfrom a rock-ribbed coast. Thus the figh: ling over his swarthy brow, from a bullet continued with various success, till the at- hole in his temple. He had died while the tention of the buccaneers was arrested by might of the battle was yet upon him—and an unearthly shout in the rear, and the tall the fierce scowl which he darted at his figure of lercy was seen laying about foes, still remained on his rigid features. him with whirlwind impetuosity, his long. His hand, even in the agonies of death, untrimmed hair flying wildly in the com- had not relinquished its firm grasp on his motion of the atmosphere, his features cutlass, and the gigantic form of a swart working with the madness that controlled pirate, with his skull cloven down, close him, and his dilated eyes flashing with a at hand, showed that it had been swayed fierce unnatural fire upon his opponents. to some purpose. Poor Benjamin! I could All quailed before him. Wherever his have wept over him. He had been in the merciless arm fell there was an instant va- service from his earliest days, and the cancy. Although a score of cutlasses scars of many a sanguinary fight were were glancing meteor-like around his per-visible upon his muscular arms, and on son, as if by a spell he remained uninju- his bronzed and powerful chest. My red. At length his eye detected the pirate brave boy, Ponto, was there also, hangleader. Dashing aside all before him, with ing pale and wounded over the britch of one bound he was at his side. The fierce the bow gun. He had followed me when chief stared in amazement at the sight of we boarded, like a young tiger robbed of him whom he supposed many a league his mate. Although faint and helpless from the spot, if not dead, but quickly re- with the loss of blood, which belched at covered his stern and gloomy bearing. every heave of his bosom, from a deep "Monster! where is she?" shouted Percy. sabre wound in his shoulder, and which "Ask the sharks," replied the captain, had completely saturated his check shirt lunging at him with his sabre. and his duck pantaloons, yet his firmness These were his last words. Percy, was unshaken. I ordered one of our men quick as thought, drew a pistol from his to take charge of him, until he could belt and fired into his face. He fell hea- be looked to by the surgeon. "Not yet," vily to the deck, and the combatants clo- faintly exclaimed the generous child, pointsed around him as tempest-waves close ing to Mengs, the boatswain who lay over a foundering ship. wounded over a coil of the cable, with

The pirates, now that their leader was three or four grim looking buccaneers slain, fought with less spirit, and the vic-stretched dead across his chest, the blood tory was soon decided in our favor. Sooth from their wounds streaming into his face to say it was dearly earned; and many and neck.-"look to him first, he may be who sought the battle with a quickened suffocated."

pulse, and eager for the strife, were that "No, no, youngster," murmured the evening consigned to the waves. Of all hardy Briton, "I'd do very well till my the pirate's crew, consisting of nearly a turn comes, If I had this ugly looking hundred men, but thirteen remained un-craft cast off from my gun deck, and a can harmed. Heavens!-what a ghastly spec- of water stowed away in my tier !" tacle her decks presented! fifty stalwart After the prisoners were secured, I forms lay there stiffened in death, or sought the cabin' where I had ordered groaning in the agony of their deep Ponto to be carried. It was a richly gar. wounds, severed and mangled in every nished room, with berth hanging of crimway imaginable; and so slippery was the son, damask and amber coloured silk, Ja main deck that we could hardly cross it, gorgeous carpet from the looms of Brus. while the sea all around us was dyed with sels, and furniture in keeping. Opposite

the companion-way hung a superb picture tender-hearted fellow, "it almost made the of the virgin mother and her infant, and salt wather come intil my een, to see the over it a golden crucifix, while beneath, on poor man and the beautiful kilt leddy a rose wood table, lay a guitar, imple--an' whin I tould 'em as how the schoo ments for sketching, and various articles ner was burnin' and would be blown to for female employ and amusement. Indeed Jerico in a twinklin' all he said was to give one night have supposed himself entering me a terrible, ferocious-like scowl and the boudoir of a delicate Spanish belle, point with a loaded pistol to the compani rather than the domicil of a lawless rover. on; so I took his mainin' an' left 'em.' This I remember but from the glance of a Two other messengers, sent to take him moment. My attention was drawn to the away by force, met with no better success. occupants of the place. There lay my The flames were ready to burst out on wounded boy, by the side of a silken sofa- every side, and from each clink and crecouch, his face buried in the garments of vice around the hatches-which had been a female stretched lifeless upon it, and replaced and barred down--the smoke over them bent the tall form of Percy, ga- was darting up with the force of vapor zing upon the group with a fixed, vacant frmo a steam engine. The deck had become stare, which told that suffering could wring so heated that it was painful to stand upon his soul no longer-desolation and mad-it-the fire was fast progressing towards ness, had come upon him. His attitude, the run, where the magazine was situated. the expression of his features, and the low Thrice had the orderbeen given to quit the convulsive sobs and broken murmurs of burning vessel, but I could not forsake the boy, at once explained the scene. The my friend without one more effort to resone had found a wife, tho other a sister, cue him from the terrible fate that awaited in that inanimate form. I advanced near- him, if left behind. He still held the loader, in hopes that life might not be altogeth- ded pistol in his hand and sternly forbade erextinct. The pale dead face, upon which my approach. Poor Ponto had fainted the mellow radiance of sunset streamed from grief and loss of blood, and lay through the sky-light, was lovely as a ser- across his sister's body. I sprang forward aph's Her eyes were closed as if in sleep, and raised him in my arms regardless of the long braids of her bright hair lay un- the maniac's threats The pistol banged disturbed upon her marble forehead, and in my ear, but fortunately the ball passed there was no appearance of violence, save over me as I stooped, and I regained the where the sea green silk had been torn companion-way without injury. By

back from her bosom, as if in her dying ago- this time, he had drawn another from his nies, displaying a dark puncture, as of a belt.

grape-shot below the snowy swell of the "Put away the pistol, and come with throat, from which the crimson blood me," I urged, 'the vessel is on fire and will oozed, slowly trickling down over her soon be blown to atoms.'

white and rounded shoulder. She had "He looked at me with a grim stare for probably been killed by our first raking a moment, then burst into an idiotic laugh. broad-side. That wild laugh is still ringing in my brain. "Fire! fire!" shouted a dozen voices on 'Ha! ha! ha!-Fire? fire? here it is, deck. I sprang up the companion-way. wreathing and coiling here! here!" The fore-hatch had been removed, and a dashing his hand against his forehead. dense volume of smoke was rolling up Perceiving that it was vain to reason from below. A glance was sufficient to with his madness, and fearing for the life show that no effort of ours could save the of the wounded boy in my arms I relucvessel, and preparations were speedily tantly left the hapless man to his fate. made to rescue the wounded, and aban- The boat had already put off for the don her to her fate. It being impossible last time, but I succeeded in prevailing upfor me to leave my duty on deck, I sent on them to return, and leaping in, soon reaa trusty Hibernian to rescue my helpless ched the Dart in safety.

boy and to inform Percy of our situation. The night set in wild and black as Death. He returned with a rueful countenance. Disparted and ragged masses of cloud "Ochone! Mr. Hickinsack," said the were rushing over the face of the heavens,

THE COUNTESS.

where once again, the soaring moon, and that same bright, solitary star, would show their calm faces through the reeling rack, On the 4th of October, 1829-I love apparently flying from this scene of tur- to be particular in dates a coach and moil and death. The increasing wind six drew up before the shop of the wellhowled mournfully through the rigging, and known jeweller, M. Rue St. Honore. The our battered hull staggered along the inky equipage was covered with a profusion of main writhing and shuddering on the surge gilding and heraldic divices and the liveries like a weary, wounded thing. of the footmen indicated high rank in the We followed in the track of the burn- possesor. The steps being adjusted, a lady, ing vessel as she fled along before the splendidly dressed, descended, and entered gale, awaiting in breathless suspense the the shop, where all the attendants, and even consumation of her wild career. The M-himself, were profuse in their atblack smoke interfulgent with tortuous attentions-anticipating every look and tongues of lurid fire, rolled in immense sign and displaying before her the most volumes over her!-the red flames darted costly diamonds and pierrieries.

up her masts, along the spars and rigging, The lady, with the most lofty nonchaand gushed in swirling sheets from her lance, selected jewels to the amount of ports and bulwarks, while in their fierce five thousand pounds, which were immegleams, the billows that ramped and ra- diately placed in a casket by the obsequived about her. glowed like a huge seeth-ous attendants, when, handing her purse ing cauldron of molten iron, and the gloo-to the jeweller, he found it contained a my clouds that lowered above were ting- sum, somewhat exceeding three thousand ed in their ragged borders, as with blood. pounds, and short of the requisite amount. Occasionally the jarring thunder of her can- The lady, with many, graceful apologies, non, as they becam eheated to explosion, and a momentary flush of vexation, begannounced to us the progress of the insidi- ged pardon for the mistake; desired M uous destroyer. to lay the parcel by until she could

But a still more thrilling spectacle awai-call again with the money, and giving her ted us. In the height of the conflagration as the Comtesse de L-, departed with the hapless Percy, bearing his dead wife all the ceremony and splendour that markin his arms, emerged as it were from the ed her first appearance.

very midst of the flames, and took a stand) The coach passed up the Rue St. Honon the companion-way. So strongly was ore, in the direction of the Barriere Neuilly the tall, dark figure relieved against the turned by the Place de .ouis Quinze, and glowing element, that his slightest gesture finally stopped at the house of the celebracould not escape our scrutiny. While ted physian in the Rue de Rivoly. The with one arm he spanned the waist of the lady alighted here, and was shown into supple corps, which apparently struggled the presence of the well-known Docteur to escape from his grasp, he waved the N, who arising from his seat at a taother on high as if exulting in the whirl ble covered with anatomical preparations and commotion around him. He seemed saluted her with his usual courtesy, and like the minister of some dark rite of begged to know why he was honoured heathenism, preparing to offer up a victim with his unexpected visit.

to the Moloch of his superstition.

! The lady, assuming an air of settled

At length arrived the dreadful moment melancholy, replied, "I can hardly comThe black hull seemed to be lifted bodily mand my feelings to tell you the cause out of the water. A volume of smoke burst of my unhappiness. My dear husband, over her like the first eruption of a volca- the Comte de L-, during the early no! A spire of flame shot up to the hea- years of our marriage, was all that a fond vens, filling the firmament with burning wife could desire; my slightest word, hint, fragments, while the clouds that overhung or sign was sufficient inducement for him the sea, where torn and scattered by the to obtain any object of my wishes; but tremendous concussion. A crush follow-latterly the scene is changed, (here her ed-a deep, bellowing boom, as if the so- voice became nearly inarticulate through lid globe had split asunder then all was grief,) he has become moody, sullen and darkness-dreary, void, silent as death! reserved; at times breaking forth into vi

ølent fits of rage without apparent cause, pardon, madame, tell the worst-always thus making my life a perpetual scene of best-what says Galen? No decipienmisery-in short, dear doctor, I more dum sed monendum;' but excuse me, madthan suspect he is touched with insanity, ame, while I make the necessary prepaand it is on his account that I now visitations."

you, to obtain your advice, which I con- So saying, he arose, rung a bell, and sider of more weight than that of any directed his valet to see his chariot at the other member of the profession, (here the door, and to order Jean, le porteur, and doctor much flattered, made a low dis- Francois, le cocher, to attend him imclaiming bow,) especially as the dreadful mediately; "and' hark'ee," said he in secret has been concealed from all his an under tone, " tell them to bring all my family not even his brothers and sisters apparatus des lunatiques, depechez, and having the slightest intimation of it. let them follow in my chariot. I will

"The following circumstance, doctor, avail myself of the carriage of the comhas especially influenced my present visit. tesse, (the lady made a bow of gratified My dear husband, the comte, wishing to acknowledgement,) and be careful to support the honour of his house, sent me remain in the ante-room till I call aloud, last spring to the noted jeweller M--, The servant retired, and in a few minRue St. Honore, with a carte blanche, utes announced every thing ready. The to select ornaments to wear at the ap-doctor entered the carriage of the comproaching festival. I at first hesitated tesse; his own chariot followed at a short but finally urged by his earnest protes- distance behind. During the ride he used tations, went to-day, and chose a few to every argument to assuage the grief of a trifling amount, more to please him than the lady, which would burst forth at times myself, as it delights the dear comte (her- with increased vehemence, until the honthe lady sobbed) in seeing me so splen- est medicin himself, hardened as he was didly dressed and supporting my rank. to the details of his profession, became But from the many similar instances I affected by sympathy. It seemed as if have observed, I have not the least doubt every tranquil moment only added to that, on being reminded of the fact he the violence of the succeeding paroxysm. will pretend utter incredulity, and on Passing down the Rue St. Honore, being assured of its truth, burst into those they reached the jeweller M, before terrible paroxysms which but too clearly mentioned, when the lady pulled the indicate the cause of his disorder. There- string of the coach and alighted. Upon fore, dear doctor, favour re with your entering the shop she desired Mto best-kindest advice-and-and-excuse take the packet of jewels, and accompany the feelings of a wife." (Here the lady her in her coach, assuring him of his pay applied her handkerchief to her face and as soon as she reached the hotel of the was silent). comte, adding, with a fascinating smile. The doctor, crossing his leg, and sup- that he could have no apprehensions, porting his chin upon his gold-headed cane, since the jewels were still in his keeping. began to cogitate; with his eyes half The jeweller, with a low obeisance of closed, and his body inclinins forward at flattered vanity, took the parcel into his an angle of forty-five degrees. "Hum hands, insisted upon handing Madame la madame, confine him-yes, madame, Comtesse into the coach, sprang in himwe must-a clear case, madame-the self, and, the coachman snapping his whip, humours, which, had they been pituital or the equipage rolled magnificently down salivary, would have been expectorated, the Rue St. Honore. having become sanguineous and melan- After a drive of a mile and a half, and cholic, have retrogaded upon the cerebel- crossing the Boulevards, they stopped at lum-hem-m-and, collecting within a splendid hotel in the Palace du Trone, the parietal developements, have par- celebrated in history as the site of the Bastially obtunded the organ of memory, and tile. The jeweller, with his packet, occœcated the mental perceptions-yes, alighted first, then the doctor, and lastly madame-water-gruel and flagellation-the comtesse; The doctor making a sign (here the lady's tears redoubled)-beg to his mermidons, they remained in the