A ROMANCE OF THE WEST INDIES IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD EIGHTEEN HUNDRED AND TWENTY

Being a faithful account and true, of the painful adventures of the Skipper, the Bo's'n, the Smith, the Mate, and Cynthia

By Mrs. Schuyler Crowninshield Author of Where the Trade Winds Blow

ILLUSTRATED BY GEORGE GIBBS

NEW YORK D. APPLETON AND COMPANY 1898

Copyright, 1898, By D. APPLETON AND COMPANY.

All rights reserved.

To C. S. C.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTERPAGE I.—Our involuntary landing 5 II.—Our first view of the natives 29 III.—We change our camp, and Cynthia discovers a disturbing element 45 IV.—The skipper makes a prayer 68 V.—A mysterious flight 84 VI.—The pirates return 99 VII.—A villain meets his end and a prisoner escapes 125 VIII.—A living death 143 IX.—I am rescued 159 X.—The Minion points a moral, although he does not adorn a tale 169 XI.—The Bo's'n hides the treasure 189 XII.—The Skipper again enacts the rôle of chaplain 204 XIII.—I commit the error of my life 222 XIV.—We start out to lay a snare and fall into a trap 240 XV.—We meet some strange acquaintances, are made prisoners, and lose our only means of rescue 259 XVI.—The goat without horns 277 XVII.—I meet an old friend and lose my all 297 XVIII.—We find a new abode, and Zalee departs to seek succour 308 XIX.—We meet for the second time with "le bruit du gouffre," and i take another journey 325 XX.—I meet with the terrible black king, and voluntarily assume a task to regain my liberty 345 XXI.—I offend the King's foster brother, and am forced to take the consequences 368 XXII.—We engage in battle, murder, sudden death, and—freedom 393

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

FACING PAGE A Queen but yesterdayFrontispiece Pirates at play 134 The Skipper's marriage service 220 The Pythoness circled slowly around 284 Cynthia was standing on the very edge of the chasm 330 Sans Souci, the Palace of King Christophe 342 I placed my foot on his neck 355