Blackbeard | Page 8

surrounded by a band of
ferocious desperadoes, who, with brandished weapons, stood ready to
execute the commands of their leader.
'Two of you take these ladies to the palace,' exclaimed Blackbeard,
'whilst the remainder of you will see the gentlemen safely embarked for
yonder ship.'
Although the earl and Arthur Huntington resisted manfully, their efforts
were unavailing, for whilst the two ladies were borne off in one
direction, they were quickly hurried on board their boat and compelled
by the threats of their ruffianly assailants to row swiftly towards the
noble Gladiator.




CHAPTER III.
Mary Hamilton and Ellen Armstrong Captured and conveyed to the
Pirate Palace. Contemplated Escape--Frustrated by Blackbeard. Ellen
afterwards conveyed on board the Pirate Brig.

In spite of their entreaties, the females were ruthlessly torn away from
their companions, and conducted by these remorseless ruffians to the
pirate's palace. Mary then thought, that the beauty and loveliness of the
island, which, but a few hours previous she would not have exchanged
for all England, she would now gladly quit for the meanest spot on
Briton's Isle.
Sweet Ellen murmured to herself that the horrible forebodings she had
in reference to the island, were but the precursor of what might be
expected. The grandeur and sublimity of its scenery, its isolated
position, being surrounded by the waters of the Atlantic--the unnatural
music and noises, all conspired to fill the mind of this young girl with
the idea that something was about to transpire of no ordinary
nature,--and neither was she deceived.
A great change however, had been wrought in the course of the last few
hours, upon the thoughts and feelings of our two fair captives, a change
which had caused reality to usurp for a time at least, the place of
romance, and constrained them to gaze with a vacant look upon the
superbly natural beauties of the island glen. Therefore with thoughts
concentrated upon their immediate personal prospects and fruitless
conjectures as to the complexion of their coming fate, the fair captives
mechanically followed the footsteps of their guides, who when they
had reached the bottom of the hill, suddenly stopped before the open
door of a long building which had been ingeniously constructed of
bamboo and other light materials well suited for the covering of a cool
place of shelter, under the heat of a tropical sun. There was nothing
farther, worthy of remark about its exterior appearance, with the
exception of its being so thickly covered on all sides by the luxuriant
and evergreen foliage of the surrounding trees, as to preclude it from
being seen from the tops of the adjacent hills, but its interior contained
four large apartments, two of which had been fitted up in a manner
luxurious, and even elegant.
Into one of these two rooms, whose walls were decorated and hung
round with the richest crimson drapery, and which was as richly
furnished in every other respect, did the strange guides usher their fair

prisoners, after which, they instantly retired, leaving our heroine and
her companion to consult together as they might see fit upon their
singular and mysterious situation.
'Do we dream dear Mary,' exclaimed Ellen, us she gazed wildly around
this strange apartment, 'or are we laboring under the influence of some
fairy spell of necromantic enchantment?'
'Would to Heaven, that it was so,' exclaimed Mary, in reply, 'but alas, it
is not. For the present at least, dear Ellen, we are in the power of
ferocious pirates, from whom, I hope we shall soon be released.'
'How?' asked Ellen, hardly realizing what she said.
'Through the agency of our friends on ship-board' replied Mary.
'Oh yes, I recollect now,' said Ellen. 'My father and Arthur have gone
on board our vessel, but I have seen nothing of Henry or Patrick, since
we first landed upon this fatal spot. Where do you think they can be?'
'I have been trying to convince my mind of their safety, ever since we
fell in with our cruel captors,' answered Mary, 'yet I cannot say that I
have succeeded in so doing. From the top of some adjacent hill, they
may have witnessed the scenes which transpired on the occasion of our
capture, and concealed themselves in some of the fissures of the rocky
cliffs, there to await assistance from the ship, or--'
'They may have been taken prisoners, by the pirates, as you call them,'
interrupted Ellen.
'Heaven forbid,' exclaimed Mary earnestly. 'But if that should be the
fact,' continued the fair girl, after a moment's pause, 'I feel greatly
consoled by the hope that they, as well as ourselves, will find a speedy
release from this horrible bondage.'
'I'm sure it will not be Captain Rowland's fault, if we are not very soon
liberated,' replied Ellen.

'You