Beadle's Half Dime Library Vol. IX, No. 230: The Yankee Rajah; or, The Fate of the Black Shereef — page 11: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

| oa when opened, revealed the face of a young and handsome man in the dress of an officer of the U. 8. Navy. | ess : : A wild cry burst from the lips of the Malay leader, and he dashed the picture to the earth and ground it beneath his heel. “The curse of Mahmoud upon his head, it is my deadly enemy, and I have work to do, for of all men I have hated in my time, there is none whom I hated so much as this man. Where did you meet him?’ ‘On the deck of the Wave Witch.” ‘It is well. Here I take my stan, behind the walls I have built up, and will fight until I ean fight no more against my enemies. Per- haps it would be better to fly and wait for bet- ter times. Idid not dream thatit was Arthur Carrington whom I met in the corridor—The villain still lives.” ““ We have no proas, Vi has sunk them all and we cannot fly,” said the captain. Bon | **Look you, Malay. He who can bury his kreese in the bosom of the man who sent me this message will have slain the Spirit of the Wave and until be is dead, there is no safety for the Malays.” “Tf Lhad known that,” cried the Malay cap- tain, “‘I would have slain him where he stood,” ‘* Would that you had.” ; : *‘T will do it now, Let me go back, and I swear by the spirit of my father that he has notlongtolive.” | ere ' ‘““Go, Owasso,” said the chief, “‘ but bear in mind that they will kill you.” : ““T am ready to die, if by so doing I can avenge the death of my brother.” The eyes of the Black Shereef gleamed with a strange light. If he could induce the Malay to kill this man, whom he so hated, it might be well with him yet. i ae “T will give you a message to him,” said he, quickly, ‘‘and while he reads it, you can plant your steel in his heart.” pete He caught up pencil and paper from a table and wrote rapidly for five minutes, Then he folded and directed it to ‘‘ Arthur Carrington; on board the Wave Witch.” This note he handed to the Malay, and kissing the hand of his master, the devoted wretch retreated quickly and made his way toward the schooner. before, he was received on board, and the Rajah, this time accompanied by hur rington, stepped forward to m : ‘* The message is not for you this time, Rajah of Gadong Beg,” saidthe Malay. ‘‘It is to this He pointed to Arthur as ho spoke, and atthe same time drew from the breast of his sarong the paper given him by his leader. ‘“‘T am to give this paper to the man known to the Malays as the Spirit of the Wave. Art thou he?’ he asked, -. bi art "ldo not know why I should hide it longer,” replied Carrington. ‘Give me the letter; 1 am the man you seek.” - _ “* Wait. Art thou he who guides the spirit boat under the sea, which has been so long the Malay scourge?” : ‘Ves, yes,” replied Arthur, impatiently. “Tam the man.” L “| wouldn’t brag of it too much before the Malays,” said the Rajah. * They ain't got any particular love for you, anyhow.” I do not fear the Malays. Give me the let- ter.’ _ ** You have made many widows, Child of the pea,” said the Malay. ‘*‘ Do you never feel sad when you think of that?” “*“Not when such wretches as you and your comrades suffer. Come; do notdally,” was the impatient answer. ay “The letter is yours,” said the Malay, in a peculiar tone. “Take it.” Arthur snatched the paper eagerly and tore itopen, At the first word, he gave a great cry and raised his hands to heaven. “ He lies!" he eried, fiercely, as he turned to the astounded Malay. ‘Tell him he lies like a dog, and that Isaidso. Will you doit?” _ ‘<I will speak, spirit,” replied the Malay. * Read it to the end.” | Arthur again cast his eyes upon the paper, when the Malay gathered himself like the black panther for his spring. A long kreese flashed for a moment in the light, and before any one had time to interfere darted at the breast of the | unsuspecting man. A cry of agony sprung to the lips of the Rajah as the murderer plunged » into the sea and made his escape, swimming tike a fish under water, and rising, but once be- fore he gained the shore. Then, shaking the blade at the schooner, he darted away amid a | As | The Malay handed him a metallic case, which The Spirit of the Wave | -athreatening gesture, “ But now, but t | think of it, and The Yankee Rajah. shower of musket balls, Once he staggered, as if hit, but recovering, gained shelter of the palace wall and disappeared from sight, while triumphant yells from the warriors on shore an- nounced the delight they took in the red deed of their comrade, | ‘* Bind up my arm, Tanais,” be said to a com- rade, extending his right arm, which had been pierced by a musket bullet, ‘This kreese is red with the blood of the Spirit of the Wave. He will trouble us no more,” The palace rung with yells of delight, which quickly brought the Shereef to the spot, and Owasso drew ois form proudly erect. _ ‘It is done, Shereef,” he said. ‘‘ My kreese gierced the heart of the Wave Spirit as he oasted of bis deeds.” The chieftain drew from his finger a ring worth the ransom of a prince and pressed it upon the finger of the Malay. ‘Take it,” he said, ‘‘not asa reward, but as a remembrance that you have done a noble deed anc one which may save us. Let us once drive av ay these dogs who beset us and I will think of a nobler reward. What do you want here, Zarina? Lam not ina mcod to talk with any save this chief, who-has slain Arthur Car- Tington.” ‘* Hal” _ The lips of the strange girl were parted and there was a wild lookin her eyes. Something in the name, whatever it might be, had awak- | ened her dormant memory. : ‘Arthur, Arthur,” she murmured. ‘‘ Where have [heard that name? What had his life to do with mine in the forgotten past? Killed, you say? Murdered by this man? Why was it done?” She fingered the dagger in her belt in a con- vulsive way and looked at Owasso with threat- ening eyes, and he shrunk back, _ tf There is death in her eyes. Oh, Shereef,” he said, ‘‘I bid you beware of her.” what you bave done, Owasso,” demanded the" sea rover. — k : ‘*T gave him the kreese after be bad read the’ paper. He cried out, 'Tell bim he lies like a dog!’ and I struck him, Then I plunged into fark; what is that the water and made my escape by swimming,’ “You have done nobly. sound?” — “It is the shout of the advancing men, my master,” replied the Malay chief, ‘‘ The enemy comes to assail us,” ‘My armor there,” cried the Shereef. “Where is my sword? ak, here it is,” He caught down a shirt of fine mail from the wall and put it on quickly, Five minutes later, with his sword in his hand and pistols in his belt, he rushed out and joined his men, who were in the outer court, resting on their arms. The attacking force had already landed, and were marching to the attack. In front came | the crew of the Tokio, armed with cutlasses and pistols and headed by Harry and Ned Btacey. Behind them came the men of the Rajah, in three divisions, variousl : condition, and full of fight, “ Boarders away!” yelled Ned Stacey. ‘ All you Tokios prepare to board,” With arevolver ineach hand the Tckio’s mew charged straight up to the gate of the palace, no one drawing his cutlass yet, and waiting for armed, but in good | the appearance of the enemy before they opened. fire. Grouped within the doorway, their wea- pons in their hands, stood the grim Malay fol- owers of the Shereef, and a withering volley was poured into the ranks of the advancing sailors, Every man fell, but the wild cries of delight had scarcely ceased to sound when they were on their feet again and on the charge. They bad only obeyed a command from Harry when they dropped to escape the first volley. he |}and they were too near the gate to give t | enemy a chance to reload. ‘Give it to them, Jads!” cried Harry. ‘‘ Let. ‘Woe to you if Ll ae ar cried, with | them see what Yankee tars can do!” let you go free.” She turned from them and passed into her | own apartments, which were next to those of the Shereef. As she passed in she saw the Ma- ee standing guard at the door of the room in which Nellie was imprisoned, and half paused. ‘No, no,” she murmured, “I cannot help her he time is not far off. The measure of the crimes of the Shereef is nearly full and his fate is clese at hand.” : res A letter lay on the floor near the door of her apartment, and she picked it up mechanically. It was the note sent on the arrow to the Shereef and she opened and read it, “That name again—the name of a murdered man, which haunts me like a dream, but half- | forgotten! The Cairncross—what had I to do with that ship? My brain will go wild if I I wonder that I did not kill Owasso when he boasted that he stabbed Arthur Carrington, Ha! the Shereef is here!" She suddenly confronted the chief as he came through the hall with Owasso and the other Malay chiefs in the company, and showed them the open letter in her hand. , ‘‘Hear me, Shereef,” she said, ‘‘you who |) alone know the story of my life, why isit that | the name of Arthur Carrington and of the ship Cairncross awakens such strange memories? Speak.” | | ‘ ‘The girl is mad,” cried the Shereef, recoil- ing, ‘‘and must be put under some restraint.” “Let no man touch meif he values life. I may be mad—I fear that it is true, but some- thing impels me to demand an answer. Who ain J, and what was he to me, this Arthur Car- | rington whose name is written here?” Hemade a sudden spring and seized her by the wrists, “Now, you tiger cat, I have you, — of my men shall be killed in your mad fits,” THE BATTLE IN THE GATEWAY—NED STACEY’S SHOT—MARCO AND ARTHUR. Zanina struggled madly in the Shereef’s rrasp and tried to free herself, but he held her ily, while he called Owasso to his aid, and bound her, hand and foot. they “T almost wish that Arthur Carrington still lived,” cried the Shereef, savagely, ‘that he might see me avenge myself. key. Farina was thrown into the room indicated, and the door locked upon her. She is secure, at least. or the present I | | fatal thrust, when a cutlass interp | threw up the blade, a Away with her, | Owaeso; put her in that strong room where the | white girl was, lock the door, and give me the | op Now tell me again | _The revolvers began to crack, and, aimed at the crowded ranks within the gateway, did awful execution. At close quarters the revolver is a terrible weapon and one which the Malays. had never yet seem in use. They fell in heaps, and the Tokios charged up to the very gateway, when they found foemen worthy of their steel. In the center of the gateway stood the Black Shereef, a sword in his right band and a long dagger in his left, His face was still colecaleds but his figure was so commanding thatall knew that the chief was before them. __A terrible battle took place in the gateway. Three men in succession, who encountered the pirate leader, fel under his trenchant blade,,. until Harry, thrusting the others aside, boldly assailed him. | ‘ Weleome—oh, welcome!” cried the hoarse voice of the Shereef. ‘1 have looked for you Jone my son.” | The blades hissed together and the pirate fought confidently, as a man fights who feels. that victory is only a question of time, But scarcely had they exchanged a dozen passes. when he knew that if he conquered Harry Cas- tleton he must put outall his skill, His men were hard put toit to hold the gate, for the sailors were pressing them warmly and giving them all they could do. It was only by sheer force of numbers that they were able to hold back the Tokio’s men, and tlie forces of the Ra- yah were rapidly pressing up to join in the at-- tac ‘‘ Make way there, make way,” cried a sharp, imperious voice. “The Black Shereef is mine:: let no one dare to touch him!” As be heard that voice the Shereef trembled /and his point sunk, for it was the voice of Ar— thur Carrington, Harry took advantage of the- | | moment to make a furious thrust, which struck No more | him fully on the breast, and the cutluss snapped | like a reed upon the woven mail, With a ery | of delight the chief drew back his elbow for a “ Ont of the way, captain, Find a sword and pitch in somewhere else.” It was stout Ned Stacey who spoke, “You are a nice duck, I don’t think,” he said, as he fired a revolver straight at the breast of the Shereef. ‘That will try your mail, I reckon,” eae _ The Shereef staggered back and fell, and the Tokio’s men darted forward to secure bim, But the Malays, roused to desperation, charged furi- ously and actually swept the sailors out of the zateway. Owusso caught up the chief and raised “There, there,” he said, quietly; “I'll be all right in a ny : 2