Beadle's Half Dime Library Vol. IX, No. 230: The Yankee Rajah; or, The Fate of the Black Shereef — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

The Yankee Rajah. ‘ Yor help all three were dexterously gagged with long cloaks, which were thrown ove¥ their heads and wrapped about them in many folds. ‘Bind them,” muttered a hoarse voice in the Malay tongue: ‘Ill take care of the girl,” He raised Ellen, still muftied in the cloak, when there came a ringing cheer and out of the darkness appeared a party of men who charged the assailants without a momeut's lesitation. Theseoundrel holding Helen in his arti. uropped his burden and drew a kreese, but before he could use it he received a blow which staggered him. .As he reeled back he shouted something to his men in an unknown tongue, and they sprung away in the darkness and disappeared, followed as quickly by theirleader, ‘¢ Let the skunks run,” said a cheerful voice which they recognized at once as that of the stranger Yankee Belton. ‘““ Wedon’t want them now. Better see you safeto your boat, reckon, Capt'n Castleton.” an “You will do me agreat favor,” replied Har- | ry. “By George, old fellow, you were just in time, and I beg your pardon for what I said not long ago. ; ‘i ‘Don't mention it. Me and my mates hap- ‘pened along this way, and of course I couldn't stand by and see a feller countryman abused by these yer heathen. That's right; stand up. Ain’t hurt any, are ye?” r ‘Nota bit,” replied Harry. ‘‘ Who arethese men with you?” | “Friends of mine—don't notice *em. One’s a dummie, and couldn't answer, an’ the other wouldn't if he could. Are ye all right, Mr. Darrel?” Lae ‘‘ Yes, yes; [ do not know how to thank you, ‘Then don't fool away your time trying it on, ‘cause it ain't no use. eep your weepons handy, fur them ugly heathen might take it into the’r heads to try the game over,durn *em,” _ They walked rapidly down the Bund, a giant Malay and a tall, silent white man following Jike shadows, and reached the water side, Har- | ry stopped and gavea signal whistle, _ “Ay, ay, sir,’ eried a hearty voice; ‘here is ‘the boat,” ; rae, ai The speaker appeared suddenly upon the wharf and came toward them. Saul Belton started and locked closely at the new-comer in the moonlight, Then he touched Harry on the arm and drew him aside, ‘Who is that chap?’ he asked, in a low voice, ‘** His name is Will Wescott, and he is my third mate,” replied Harry. “Knowed him long?’ "No; I shipped him yesterday.” ‘Where did you pick him up? “Our agents recommended him to me and he every inch a sailor, What do you mean!” ‘Waal, lean'tsay. Thar’s something in the critter’s voice, I dunno what it is, that don’t suit me. Sounded like a chap I used to know but I ain't seen him for sometime. Reckon he’s gone under, probably. He was a tough cuss, that one, and his name was Tom Keid, But come to look clust he didn’t have no sech bairdasthisone.” _ . ‘‘l consider myself Incky in getting him. Will you go on board with us?” _ “T calculate not. Wust, ‘cause I ain't got the ‘time, and second, ‘cause I’ve got to be out of this afore you sail.” ‘‘ Have you got a boat here?’ “ve got a way of gittin’ ont and probably | you'll hear on meag’in. I couldn't coax you to take the long trip home, could I, hey?” —**T should not consider that I had done my duty to my partners if [did that, My ship. is well armed, Pve gota splendid crew, and | am not afraid of all the pirates in the China seas.” “Oh, all right, all right; waal, I must be trottin’ Shake bands with the old man afore ye go. Good-by, Mr. Darrel; hope I'll see ye in Batavia, [ do, ef [ git thar afore ye. Good- by, Miss Ellen: don't forgit the old Yankee. Sakes alive; I used to hev a lettle sister to hum thet was jest about your figger, and ef it wa'n’t ae thet I dunno ez ['d hev taken so much trou-— ety a, % They stepped into the boat, which shot away | at once woder the strong strokes of the oarsmen, and the Yankee whistled a tune softly as he wabched them. a _ “Tell you what, Arthur,” he said, “that Harry Casileton is a mighty good boy, but he’s awful headstrong. Mebbe he’ll arn wisdom as the years go rollin’ by. Hush up—and git.” The three men slipped away just in time, for half a dozen men came hurriedly down the Bund and looked after the receding boat. “She has escaped me for the time being,” said one, who appeared to be the leader, in a 1s | langh broke from | face, | 9 | ELLEN'S SUSPIC | i low voice. “‘Curse that Yankee; but for all would have been well,” | All shall be well yet, Mighty Prince,” re- | plied a voice, in the Malay tongue. ae ‘* Hush,” replied the other, fiercely, ‘* Not my name or title here, for you know what. would happen if we were betrayed. Make the | _QOne of the men bent over the wall of the | Bund, and a green light flashed for a moment across the water and disappeared. .A few mo- ments later the dip of oars was heard, and a | large boat shot up to the place, the whole party embarked and were pulled out into the stream, Nota word was spoken as they glided on under the bows of the Tokio, the decks of which were lighted and every preparation be- ing made for aatline A momeut later a savage the shut teeth of the tall man in the stern sheets of the boat. “They think they have escaped me,” he mut- | tered. ‘' Well—we shall see,” ; After a half hour's pal they rounded to under the side of a beautiful felucca which lay at an- chor in the stream. The men sprung aboard, | and, after giving an order to the officer in charge of the deck, the leader went below. | Half an hour later the beautiful craft was slip- | xing out of the river heading for the open sea. Ene passed the forts without the usual signal, | and, once clear of them, spread her wings and» went flying on over the waves with marvelous | speed, leaving the shores of China rapidly be-'| him, AS morning broke the Tokio was well out to sea, walking the water with a grace only seen in shipping which slides on Yankee keels, she was a beautiful ship, and it is no wonder that Harry Castleton was proud of her. Ellen was on deck, enjoying the balmy air, and looking back toward the shores which she was leaving | | behind her forever. Harry, leaving the charge of theship to the first mate, was by her side, A wan stood in the waist not far from them, | issuing, orders to some of the hands who were working in the maintop, He was a good-look- | ing félow, perhaps thirty-five years of age, with a full beard covering the lower part of his 2. Ellen looked at hin closely, — ‘That is the man Wescott, whom Mr, Belton warned you against,” she said to Harry. ‘1 am sorry he is on board the Tokio.” Oh, be is all right,” said Harry. “It isn't | often you can pick up such a man as that when you are short of officers, I wish I had forty | such men in my crew.” The man was now shouting to the hands in | the lee shrouds, and his yoice had thetrue sailor ring. Ellen watehed him intently, | I don’t know how it is, but when [look at | that man I think of a treacherous tiger, Dhope | nothing evil may come from his being on | board.” Harry laughed lightly, and the conversation | turned to something else, and the shores of China faded from view as the good ship stood | out to make an offing, Mr. Darrel came upand joined them on the quarter-deck, | ‘What do you say to the advice of that strange fellow who wanted us to take the long- | , est route, Harry?’ ‘Lam not going to do it,” was the somewhat testy reply, 'Tive three passengers aAbRE tavia, and even if I had not, the Tokio is not going to | run for all the pirates in the China seas. You wouldn't have me do that, Mr. Darrel?" ‘‘T don’t know. The man seemed to be in earnest and went out of his way to do us a ser- | vice, ‘The longest way round’ is often ‘the shortest way home.’ ” ‘Tt cannot be done,” replied Harry. “I’ve got forty good men on my decks and carry guns enough to clean out all the pirates who dare attack us, and could show them a clean pair of heels in any event.” “Hush,” said Ellen, quickly. As she spoke Wescott walked slowly by them on his way aft. There was a peculiar glitter in | his dark eyes which the girl did not like, **T am satisfied that the third mate was lis- | tening to what you were saying, Harry,” she said, when the man had passed. ‘** Suppose he was, Nellie, You are unreason- able in your aversion to poor Wescott,” 4 * Perhaps [ am, but if IT have any seerets I | don’t want him to hear them,” she answered, pouting, es | The Tokio kept steadily on her course, and on the morning of the third day they were nearing the coast of Borneo, that strange island, as yet | zon, Even at that distance the | one on the port 80 little known to civilized man, Ned Stacey, the first mate, cast a sweeping glance a horizon and sprung down into the cabin. “I would Jike to see you on deck, captain,” he said, quickly, Harry followed the mate on deck and Ned pointed out three different sail upon the hori- young man. the Malay long the could make out the peculiar rig o proa. = 2 ‘* Don’t like their looks, captain,” said Stacey. _ * Nonsense,” interposed William Wescott. ‘1 haven't a doubt that they are as honest craft as we are,” } ; Stacey turned a quick look upo ace. _ ‘*¥ou are third mate of the Tokio, ain’t you, “Yes,” he answered, angrily. . “Then attend to your duty and let me do mine. I never want a man to stick his spoon Wescott answered by a single ominous flash of his dark eyes as he walked away, and Harry sprung into the cabin fora glass. For ten min- utes he watched the three sails intently, and then turned to Stacey, who was doing the same thing. ‘What do you say, Ned?” | Bad: looks fishy; them’s Malay proas.” _ “T am of your opinion. They may be all right, but I don’t like their looks, Pipe all hands,” The shrill cak of the bos’n’s pipe rung through n the man’s | the ship, and the watch below came tumbling on deck, ready for business, A whisper of danger passed through theship, but not a man blenched. |” Mr, Darrel came hastily on deck and ap- proached Harry, ; 4 ‘“ What is it, my boy?’ he said, in a burried tone. “* Keep Ellen below,” was the reply, “‘I fear that we are going to have a fight.” The proes rose rapidly, and at the same mo- ment there fluttered out from the gaff of each a black flag, with a red serpent coiled in the midile, % ‘The Black Shereef,” whis sailors, “ We are doomed men! pered the old CHAPTER VY, ABDUCTION OF ELLEN — THE MYSTERIOUS FRIEND, | NO one save those who had long sailed these seas could know the fear inspired by the name Of this well known sea rover. For ten years he had infested the narrow seas and his flag had become a terror to peaceful merchantmen, Even the few who had ever escaped from his merciless hand had never seen his face or could say what manner of man he was. He did not know the name of pity, and the men that yield- ed to him were doomed, There was no thought of yielding on the part of Harry Castleton, and his voice rung out cheerily: ‘Clear away the guns,” he cried, heartily. ‘We'll teach these lubbers that they have no easy prey in the Tokio, and tow the black wretch into the first port.” ‘Away you go,” shouted Ned Stacey, in- fected by the gallantry of bis loved commander. “We'll fight while a plank swims.” _ But there was no escape, ii they thought of slipping through. «A large proa lay off the starboard-quarter, a second off the beam, and bow, and all were closing in rapidly; and, even as they gazed, there shot out from a projecting headland another vil- lainous-looking craft, with the flar of the sea rover fluttering on high. : _“" Oh, see ‘em come,” growled Ned Stacey. ‘That's what they call fair fighting, I suppose: four to one.” : = 3 “Get out the ammuanition,” replied Harry. “Tl see to the small arms, Mr. Eason!" The second mate came forward quickly and saluted. — ; “T believe you are a gunner, Mr. Eason?’ asked the captain, ¥ « Ay, ay, sir.” — * You will act in that capacity then. See that the guns are ready for use quickly, and station the crew. You have no time to lose,” There were six serviceable guns on deck, but so rapidly did Gilbert Eason work, that in twenty minutes the crew were at their stations, stripped to the waist, and grimly waiting for orders, The ammunition was passed up and the Tokio ready for action. ‘‘ Head her for those fellows on the starboard bow," cried Harry. ‘Lf we can breakthrough Sec Omi OOK ssc Ol