Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 25

# "The Boy Captain; The Pirate's Daughter" by Roger Starbuck

Beadle's Half-Dime Library, Vol. I, No. 98

This maritime adventure opens with eighteen-year-old Will Sinclair commanding the Swan, a yacht crewed by thirty youths sailing from Perth, Australia. During a violent storm, Sinclair demonstrates leadership by securing a loose mainsail to prevent capsizing. The next morning, old seaman Ben Bolt identifies a distant Malay pirate vessel in pursuit. As the yacht loses wind and becomes vulnerable, a pirate boat approaches with armed men. Simultaneously, a waterspout appears—double peril confronting the young crew. Ben provides handspikes and crowbars as weapons; the revolver-armed captain prepares resistance. The waterspout miraculously shifts course toward the pirates' boat instead of the Swan, forcing the Malays to flee. A rising breeze fills the yacht's sails, enabling escape. The narrative emphasizes Sinclair's courage, nautical competence, and the boys' steadfast obedience to their captain under extreme danger.