Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 475: "The Black Ship"

# The Black Ship

This serial story by John S. Warner, published in Beadle and Adams' weekly dime novel series (Vol. XIX, No. 475, August 31, 1886), begins with a dramatic maritime rescue. A merchant vessel founders in a violent Atlantic gale with passengers including Clara, a young woman traveling to America with her uncle Mr. Snowden and aunt Mrs. Bryce. The ship fires a distress cannon. Nearby, British naval Lieutenant Harold Merton commands a man-of-war; recognizing the signal, he maneuverers his vessel to assist despite the treacherous sea. His crew rescues the passengers but arrives too late to save the merchant ship's remaining crew—it sinks with catastrophic loss of life. During their time aboard the rescue vessel, Merton and Clara develop affection that culminates in their betrothal by summer. Chapter II shifts to coastal Georgia in May 1776, introducing a hidden harbor near rocky headlands, suggesting political intrigue or adventure during the American Revolutionary period.