Captain Joe; or, The Days of the Mint — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

60 HE HALFPENNY STANDARD. = —-— as Stop.” It was David Sherlock who spoke. “*Too late,” said Heidrich grimly. ‘‘ Dead men tell no tales, and this is a dead man, or will be.” Sherlock took a pistol from his pocket and placed the muzzle of it in Vandergrift’s ear— ‘Let him go,” he said, ‘‘or my finger is on the trigger and I send an ounce of lead through your brain.” The Dutchman was so completely taken by sarprise that he released his hold, and Lin- drake dropped heavily to the floor. Sherlock dragged him safely out of reach, then replaced his pistol with a laugh, . ‘*It was the only way, my Vandererift,” he said, with such an exact imitation of the skipper’s tone and manner, that the men looked at him in wonder and admiration. ‘‘ This man is my friend, and I answer for him. He shall have a fair trial atleast, and should he promise to keep our secret we can take his word.” Vandergrift put his hand to his peel before he could more than touch the butt Sherlock's weapon covered him. “Death and fury,” the skipper said between his teeth. ‘A thousand deaths, and ten times as many furies if you like,” said Sherlock, with a stern manner in his smile. ‘‘You know, Heidrich Vandergrift, how sure a shot I am, and I claim him as mine. He shall not be murdered now nor here.” CHAPTER XIII. THE TRIAL IN THE CAVERN. No one was more surprised, perhaps, than Lin- drake himself, when he found he had such a atauoch champion in David Sherlock, and grate- ful as he was for it he felt that nothing could save him. He gave himself up for lost when he made that unfortunate stumble down the steps, and the Dutch skipper’s powerful grip was fastened on his throat. Now, as he stood pinioned by two of Heidrich’s crew, and looked round at the dark, faces, scowling at him, he saw that he had little hope for merey, even if he cared to ask for it, and nothing was further from his thoughts than that. ‘‘Let him be brought here,”” Vandergrift said, taking a seat near the centre of the cave, ‘‘and since he has a friend in my old shipmate, Sher- lock, we will see what he has to say for himself, He shall have a fair trial though it must be a brief one.” ‘‘Give him a drink then,’’ suggested one worthy ruffian, grimly. ‘It may.be his last.” ** Good,” said Heidrich, whose sardonic humour was amused by the idea, ‘“‘he shall not go into the next world dry, inside or out, so broach a keg.” The man looked round for a gimlet, and not finding one, took the iron bar and knocked in the bung of asmall barrel. A dozen drinking eups— some of metal, some of horn—left there from some previous orgie—were on the rough table} and the man with the keg tilted the bunghole over one of them. As he did so he uttered an exclamation of dismay. “Mein Gott,” he-said, "tis powder.” Pas So it was. It filled the floor and poured over the table in a black.stream before the man who held the keg had the presence of mind to turn it: away. At the same moment it was snatched from him, and he was struck down by the ferocious captain. ‘ “Ten tousand deyvils,” .thundered Vander- grift. ‘‘ Down lights and hold fast to your man, Do you want us blown to pieves'?” The men who held the torches buried the ends of them in the floor, and so left the cavern in darkness for a few moments, In those few moments an agile figure glided swiftly in and was hidden behind a pile of kegs, close to where Vandergrift had placed the barrels filled with powder, ‘We will have no drink till this is over,” said Heidrich, rendered more savage by the danger they had so narrowly eseaped, “ yon shall have all the formalities of a proper trial, Lindrake. That, I thimk, is your name?” i ‘this is no schnapps, Captain | Captain Lindrake. ‘‘ Frank Lindrake,’’ was the undaunted reply. A captain in His Majesty’s naval service, and now in command of the coastguard station at Tregardon,.” ‘* Your age ?”” ** Thirty-five.” “ Too young to die” said Vandergrift,”” but you have no one to blame. You have thrown away your own chance of life—unless—” He paused and looked round at his men. Frank Lindrake was a handsome fellow, looking younger than his age, and though his face was pale he faced his foes with sucha gallant bearing and un- flinching eye that the Dutch skipper could not help feeling some compassion for him. “Unless” he said slowly, ‘‘ you will swear to | keep what you have seen a secret locked in your own breast and become one of us,” And if I refuse ?”’ ‘* You will die the death of a traitor and a spy.” **Come, Captain Vandergrift,” Lindrake said with a laugh, ‘‘ you can murder me if you like, but you cannot condemn me to death as a traitor or a spy. When I took the oath of allegiance as an officer I swore to do my duty faithtully and truly to my king and country—if I were a2 traitor to my oath what faith could you have in Ine as a member of your crew?” ‘When a man’s life is at stake,” said Heidrich, ‘he is at liberty to change his opinions or his religion ; and thoughif you consent to join us I would take your bare word for it, the ceremony of becoming one of our Brotherhood is too terrible to be forgotten. Your life is dear to, you I think ?” ‘Very,’ and they saw his eyes glisten for a moment, “I have a young wife and a little child, and I am the only son of my old parents ; but I would rather know that I have looked my last upon them than buy the privilege of seeing them again with my oath broken and my duty dishonoured.” ‘* Tg that your final reply 2?” ’ ** You will have no other while I live.” ‘Well, you are a brave man, and I am sorry for you.. When you say that you speak your own death warrant, Yet I‘will give you five minutes to decide—and reflect on what you throw away. You have been in the king’s service—how long ?” . Twenty years,” ‘And you are only a captain atill ; may re- main a captain for another oe il years, if you live—you have slow promotien and poor pay,”’ ‘‘T take my chance with the -rest,” said Lin- drake, quietly. ‘f Some must serve and wait and be passed over—we cannot all be admirals,” * But you must feel that you are unjustly treated and kept poor,” said Vandergrift ; ‘* while there is not a man in our Brotherhood who does not touch more gold in one year than you have earned in twenty—and you run no greater risk. A smuggler carries his life in his hands ; a king’s officer does the same.” “* But the.king’s officer dies with honour,” Lin- drake said ; ‘the smuggler, when he escapes death at sea, may fitid it on land with his neck in the hangman's rope,”’ ‘ And-what does it matter?”’ said the Dutch- | man, shrugging his shoulders ; ‘‘death is death, nothing less and- nothing more. As for the honour, the smuggler is an honest man compared to your kings and princes, whose every law is an opptession.and a robbery to a poor man. Look at the soldiers and sailors who fight their country’s battles, and if they are not lucky enough to get killed, are left to starve, crippled and half blind. Look at the taxes sweated from the working man, who can hardly ouy bread for his children—taxes that go to keep a lot of titled pensioners and royal courtezans ; and look at the press-gang and the lash, that is your king’s service—deny it if you can,” ‘There is too much truth in much that you have said,” Lindrake observed; ‘‘ but the bad laws of my country do not absolve me from my oath.” ‘« And that is your final reply ?” ‘The only one I have to give.” ** You shall still have five minutes to decide,” ‘“* You have had a fair trial, You have the secret of this cavern in, your possession now, and our lives and said VWandergrift. property would not be safe if you were free, Led your friend, Sherlock, say if I am wrong !” ‘* Task him nothing,” Lindrake said. ‘‘I am only sorry to see that he is one of you. Ido not want five minutes to decide in, I have stood face to face with death too often to fear it now. »I am as ready to die here as in storm or battle on the open sea, for I shall die in defence of my duty.” ‘‘Let him die,” growled the ruffian who had opened the powder keg by mistake. ‘‘There is no other way, and we do not want to stay here all night, Blitzen! we have cut a dozen throats in half the time.” “Captain Lindrake,” Sherlock said imploringly, ‘give your word that this night's ae shall be kept secret, and you shall go free. Do that, for my sake.” Silence,” said Lindrake, sternly. ‘'I know you now for what you sre, and if I were free I would denounce you with the rest.” Sherlock turned from him with a groan. All that he had done was in vain, and he could do no more, “You know your duty, men,” said Vender- grift, with gloomy brow. ‘‘ He is a brave man, and I am sorry, but he must die. The way is there ; drop hin downinto the water, and his body. will float out to sea when the tide begins to turn.” The two men who held Lindrake began to-drag him towards the fatal corner, and Vandergrift drew a pistol intending to stun him with a blow from the butt before he was plunged down. Up to this moment the revenue officer had not made the slightest resistance, but now, with the in- stinct of life strong upon him, he made a des- perate struggle, and though his captors were powerful fellows, he broke away from them ; he had neared the door when he was seized again, and the terrible struggle recommenced, when a elear young voice said— ‘Hold fos your lives !” Startled as the smugglers were at the umex- pected sound, they were still more startled when Dare Devil Dick sprang suddenly into sight, his eyes blazing like stars, and levelling a pistol at the Dutchman, spoke again. a ‘* Release him,” said Dick, ‘' or.you die.” Heidrich laughed aloud in derision, and was about to. move towards him when the daring boy did something that sent a thrill of horrow through every man; he drew a second pistol with his left hand, and put the muzzle of it in the bunghole of the powder keg. ‘‘ Release: Captain Lindrake,” he said, ‘‘ or by the bright sky I may never see again I pull the trigger and send you all to perdition vefore your time ; let me see a finger moved to harm him or me and I fire into the gunpowder.” There was no doubt that he meant it, though he involved his own heroic life in the yasrifice, and the ruffianly crew stood paralysed. The Dutch skipper was the first to recover his self- possession, ‘‘Let the captain go, my men,” he said, “and we will retire for the present. Captain Lindrake will not betray us ; he cannot, without sending that young tiger’s neck to the gallows with us, go we will go.” ‘Do not think of it,” said Dick. ‘* Let no man stir till Lindrake is safe, and when he has has been gone ten minutes you can file out one by one, but mark me, no attempt at treachery, or | bring the cavern toppling down upon your head, even if I am buried in the ruins,” ‘And he would do it, too,” said Vandergrift, looking at the lad with a glance in which baffled rage and admiration was blended. ‘* He is master of the situation at present. David Sherlock, you should be proud of your nephew.” ; ‘*T am,” said David, laconically, ‘*and he will keep his word, So let the captain go. I must truat to his mercy, and take my chance with the rest—unless, for the boy’s sake, he will keep thia night's work a secret,” For a moment the boy's gaze rested appeal- ingly on Lindrake, then his face grew stern again. ‘‘T cannot,” he said,” and will not, ask him to forget his duty.” © Dick,” said Lindrake, with deep emotion, “what I would not have done for any human being whom I love, or the sake of my own life, I coniclbooolkks. com