Beadle's Pocket Library No. 379: Dick, the Stowaway

# Dick, the Stowaway

Charles Morris's "Dick, the Stowaway; or, A Yankee Boy's Strange Cruise" is a maritime adventure novel serialized in this weekly. The narrative follows Dick, a resourceful stowaway who hides in the cargo hold of the merchant ship Wildwing during a rough Atlantic crossing toward Liverpool. Discovered aboard at night, Dick creates the illusion of a ghost—appearing as a shadowy figure on deck—that alarms Captain Hastings and the crew, who attribute the sightings to supernatural causes. When Dick ventures topside seeking water, he's spotted again and pursued. Cornering him near the cabin, Captain Hastings nearly captures the boy, but Dick throws oakum into the captain's face and escapes. The resulting disturbance causes the helmsman to panic and abandon the wheel, sending the ship dangerously off course. Morris employs humor through Dick's colloquial narration and dialect, blending action with maritime detail.