Beadle's Dime Novels No. 87: On the Deep — page 37: what you’re looking at

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

A OONSOLING THOUGHT. 89 “Ah! it is dreadful!” faltered Grace, with tearsin her eyes ; “his poor mother! his poor mother !” “ Be consolidated, I beg of you,” said Block. “ The suffer- ings of the mother won’t endure for a long time. . She’s old, and will soon join her son in the fields of martyrdom.” “Where we must all go to, sooner or later,’ put in Tom. Rocket. ‘So, dry your eyes, my dear lass, and keep that consolin’ thought in your mind.” “Ay, ay; but blast me if I think it’s a yery consoling one, either, to a young lady in her teens,” cried Capstan, “ though it may do on a pinch.” “Tf Tve said any thing wrong,” said Rocket, with an ex- pression of deep concern. upon his broad, honest face, “I beg the lady’s pardon. I was a-thinking of the blessin’s of Chris- tianity, when I spoke.” “ This isn’t a fit time for a moralizing biography,” exclaimed Block, ‘“ with that schooner a-comin’ up, hand over fist. She isn’t two-thirds of a league from us now.” . “ God help the girl, if she falls into the hands of those de- mons !” muttered Capstan, with a shudder. : “Yonder comes the fog!’ cried Loring, hopefully. The wind is freshening every moment. ‘We'll soon be hidden by the mist !” . “J don’t know, lad, I don’t know !” responded @apstan, shaking his head. ‘Tm sartain it'll come just a minute too late.” : Block, overhearing this speech, carefully scrutinized the fog- bank, the outer edge of which was now about a mile astern - of the schooner, and he mentally acknowledged that the skip- per was right. On reflecting a moment, a sudden idea oc- curred to him which he lost no time in expressing to his com- mander. The reader will please bear in mind that the two boats and the schooner were heading directly before the wind. In order, therefore, to prevent the capture of both boats, the mate pro- Posed that the cutter should be kept off on the starboard tack, and the launch on the opposite or larboard. The sails could be easily trimmed to enable the crews to accomplish this ma- Neuver, which Block had no doubt would result in the escape of the boat containing Grace Greenville. The schooner’s commicbooks.conn