Beadle's Half Dime Library Vol. IX, No. 230: The Yankee Rajah; or, The Fate of the Black Shereef

The Yankee Rajah; or, The Fate of the Black Shereef

This serial by C. Dunning Clark follows multiple plotlines in Shanghai and the surrounding seas. Captain Manton, a mysterious man of mixed European and Malay dress, harbors malevolent intentions toward young Ellen Darrell and her betrothed, Captain Harry Castleton, who commands the merchant ship Tokio. Ellen and her father, Mr. Darrell, plan to sail with Castleton to America. Saul Belton, a shrewd Yankee with remarkable fighting skills, befriends the party and reveals connections to other characters seeking revenge against Manton. When Manton's men attempt to kidnap Ellen during her departure, Belton and his associates rescue them. Aboard, Castleton hires a new mate named Will Wescott, whom Belton finds suspiciously familiar. The narrative involves maritime adventure, piracy threats from the notorious "Black Shereef," romance, and emerging conspiracies of uncertain scope.