Shadow Jack

This 1888 Beadle and Adams publication catalog and dime novel excerpt features "Shadow Jack" by Roger Starbuck, a maritime adventure tale set in 1814. The story follows the mutiny aboard the American brig Leopard, when Captain John Black—himself part-Algerine—hoists Moorish colors to recruit his crew into piracy against American vessels. American sailors including second mate Harry Marston, his young son, and the eccentric third mate Jack Thompson (nicknamed "Shadow Jack" for his thin build) resist. Armed conflict erupts in the hold as Marston threatens to burn the ship rather than see the American flag lowered, forcing Black into negotiations. The narrative involves hidden weaponry, strategic counterattacks, and nighttime reconnaissance as Thompson discovers the enemy sawing through the cabin's dead-lights. The text emphasizes patriotic resistance to treachery through action sequences and rousing declarations of loyalty to the American flag.