Not Guilty; or, Barefoot Billy's Fortune — page 7: what you’re looking at

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a > Len « : #¥e e Apt! . — " < ] = > ice ~ © pore one Se oe Tt eae EE er I . No. 76, oe rr ' proved one of the had ever met with. The Meteor had made slow progress, encountering head winds, and had been out from Boston over two months when ane ran up the Irish coast, and was entering the Irish Chan- nel. The day had been warm, but after nightfall the air was cooler. Lhe clear moon shone down upon the quiet waters, and the shi was under easy sail, when the lookout forward sighted with his glass a bright spot of light far away alead just upon the edge of the horizon, which he at once reported glibly to the officer of the deck. ‘‘What is it?” asked the mate. “A strange sight, sir—a vessel on fire, “Where away?” these words, an hour. “Straight ahead, sir,” answered the lookout, stepping aft a little. <‘‘It bears right for’ard over the bows.” And the boy touched his hat respectfully. “There is no light-house there,” obseryed Captain Evarts to his helmsman, as he turned his own glass in the direction of the strange light. Lhe captain ran up the shrouds, glass in hand, and soon made out the object of alarm. ‘It is fire,” he cried, ‘‘and a large vessel, too, And he quickly descended to the deck. ‘here she comes!” remarked a watchful youngster, in natty blue jacket and broad, turn-down man-o’-war collar. ‘There's another.”’ And two signal guns of distress boomed over the silent waters. “Reply to the signal!” shouted Captain Evarts, promptly, “and stand by to to lower away the gig and quarter boat. Bear a-hand now, lads!’ Boom! Boom! came the sullen sound of the signal guns, echoing mournfully over the silent moonlit waters, and bang! bang! went the report of the canon in reply from the deck of the Meteor, whose gallant and humane captain had resolved to reach the doomed vessel as quickly as possible, and at the same time give the periled sufferers notice that succor was at hand. “Now, Mr. Bracket,” he continued, addressing the officer of the deck. ‘fling out everything! Put on every inch of canvas you can spread. The wind is light. Make the most of it, and crowd her,” And the men sprang to the work of crowding on all sail with hearty good will. The stanch ship was now under full sail, and nearing the leurning ship, while half a dozen sturdy fellows stood by the davits, ready at the word to lower the two boats as soon as they should come within hailing distance of the fated vessel, the light of the flames of which now spread across the surface of the slightly heaving sea fully two miles. Lhe watchful youngster speken of was Barefoot Billy, now a light had on the Meteor, and a spunky, strong-limbed, venture- some little fellow he proved too. He stood with the rest of the fars at the rail, close tothe davits, and was bound to bein the first boat that touched the water. It was rare sport for him, though he was not yet fifteen years old. ‘Stand by, lads!’ shouted the captain. ‘Lower away.” And down went the quarter-boat upon an even keel, splash into the water, as six men sprang quickly into her, foremost among the hands being this boy. ‘Where are you going, dare-all?” yelled the master of the Meteor, as the boy jumped into the boat and seized the bow oar. ‘*What are you ‘bout there, Billy?” ‘Goin’ to help ’em out, your honor,” answered the lad, bravely, and raising bis hand to his little tarpaulin hat. “Give way! Lay to it, lads!’ sang out the third mate in the sternsheets of the boat. ‘It’sall right, captain,” added the mate, turning to the master. ‘‘He’s a good’un. He can pull an oar with the best of °em. Give way now!” And away shot the quarter boat, jumping through the water ata merry speed, as the six well-trained oarsmen bent manfully to their humane work. Lhe captain's gig quickly followed, and the long-boat was soon atthe Meteor’s side. In ten minutes’ time the leading boat reached the burning vessel, andthe others were shortly along- side. An indescribable scene of confusion, pain, and death was that on board the fated ship, when the rescuers reached it, in the Meteor’s boats. he quarter-boat arrived alongside, and up went Barefoot Billy nimbly by the main chains like a monkey, and with a bound he topped the rail, and came down upon the heated and simmering deck. Lhe men who were in the boat with him followed close behind. I should say.” quickly inquired the captain, who overheard for he had been lingering on the quarter-deck for evidently.” THE NUGGET LIBRARY. jolliest, smartest, and most useful lads they These, with others who had meanwhile come up in the other two cr " -2 cad : = ? sk i J ry ty « > 4 gtrRe Fe tga?) See aS im é . eo. 9 - Meteor’s boats, went busily to work. The periled ship, the Champion, of London, was a large _pas- senger vessel, but fortunately she had on board but abont thirty souls, besides the officers and crew, who comprised about as many more, Of the whole about one third perished. ‘T'he boats’ crews from the Meteor rescued and saved over a score of the sufferers. The quarter-boat, in which Barefoot Billy had planked himself at the outset, when she first left the Meteor, had made two trips already to and from the burnin wreck while the boy had remained on board, amid the smoke an fire, searching for the disabled or partially suffocated, dragging them up and out to lightand air, and subsequent safety, _ And upon returning for the third time, on her errand of mercy, it was thought that the burning ship was too far gone for the men to risk further search on board; for the master of the Champion, who worked as hard as any of his men, or the others, repeatedly cautioned all hands to keep clear of the ship now, for she had in the lower hold a magazine of powder which, when reached by the flames, must blow the hull into splinters.. This information had not been understood in the confusion, until everybody had, as was supposed, left the ship; but Bare- foot Billy was still on board, and could not be seen anywhere. The young mate who commanded the boat in which the boy had gone, now missed him, on his return from the Meteor, and hear- ing the warning ‘to keep away from the ship, he inguired: ‘Where is the boy?” ‘‘What boy?” answered some one in the other boat. ‘Our boy, Barcfoot Billy!” shonted the mate. But nobody had seen the lad for some minutes, and if was known that he had not left the burning ship in either of the boats. The fated vessel was still smoldering in the smoke and pare, and the fire was spreading below decks. Where was the oy? Though well-nigh exhausted and choked, Barefoot Billy was still busy below deck in his labor of love. CHAPTER IX. SAVED FROM THE WRECK. Billy was greatly excited, for, like many boys, he had always taken an interest in running with an engine to a fire. On board the ill-starred Champion, he had visited every state- room and berth in the cabin, and had already cleared these little rooms of more than a dozen half-unconscious and frightened women and men, whom he had carried, by main strength, or forced up and out to the boats, when he came at last to an apart- ment where he was struck with the sight of a beautiful little girl, a mere child, who was clinging with frenzied fear to the neck of & man about thirty-five years of age, or more, whom the fair creature was endeavoring to raise or awaken. “Come, miss,”’. shouted Barefoot Billy, sharply; ‘‘you must get out of this! And right lively, too—come on!” And lifting the man up in his stout arms, he sang out lustily: ‘Come, sir; you’ve no ime to lay here—sick or well. You'll be burned alive! Say—zup, now!” The little girl shrieked: “Pray don’t hurt him! Pray don’t!” ‘“What’s the matter with him? Is he dead?” boy, hurriedly, and gazing into the man’s ‘“‘No—no. He's sick and very ‘‘T should say so,” inquired the pallid face. weak. Poor papa!’ replied the boy. ‘But he sha’n’t die here, af all events. Up, man! Now we'll go it,” continued the boy, bravely. And he tugged away, lifted him, blew the smoke from his own parched mouth and lungs, drew the almost inanimate body of the prostrated man out on deck, and got him to the side of the ship\’s stern, out of reach of the flames—and into one of the boats—which ventured under the stern to receive him. _ “Keep off!” screamed the captain of the doomed vessel, fiercely; at this moment ordering his own boat away in haste. “Keep away, men. She must soon blow up! Keep off, I tell you! But Barefoot Billy was still on board, with the little girl. The man thus sayed was her father. She had clung to him to the last moment, and refused to leave his berth until he went. He was very ill, and had been so for two weeks, and did not realize either his peril or the condition of things atall. His sweet little daughter, about nine years old, stuck by him, however, for she jeopardy, was a pet, and had little real conception of their fearful at the moment when Barefoot Billy burst open their State-room door. When her father was lified down into’ the boat. she clasped her tiny white hands with delirious joy, and sank down by the rail, at the boy’s feet, exhausted with excitement, and Be pone cloud of smoke that overwhelmod them all for an in- stant. At the sharp summons of the nervous captain of the Champion, , . . / <s me Cc Oo at ih . * * al iy » ese ge : Aor Ae i : Foye are, 5 Te PR it - < * oad ~ ~~ @ - ’ . . a i. a gl «7, - a ' p42 i ’ , a - 4 7 é ~~ - ,? oe a. » ‘ 7 Poe, Sew / “ . a ry . Bd oe ad » - ~~ % 7 rae o. l= - f/% + ae 4 Ly ’ ‘ al * Py €, @ =e Ap ‘ -<*. 38 a © % Ye . *