Beadle's Dime Novels No. 94: The Mad Skipper — page 38: what you’re looking at

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

40 TH MAD SKIPPER. followed; the glances darted toward the deserters were now more fierce and frequent than before: it was quite evident that some scheme of revenge against the dwarf was being planned. “There is a handspike and a crowbar, Joe, on the deck be- hind us,’ whispered Frank. “The moment those fellows come toward us, we must pick them up, then jump. behind the windlass and stand with our backs to the knightheads! Do you understand ?” “Yees! yees! but you better go below and leave poor Joe to take care of himself. Me can run up the rigging.” “ Nonsense ; they would follow you.” “Me look out they not catch me. No use your getting your- self into trouble on account of little chap like me.” “Hist! Do you suppose I’d forsake you? you, who have done so much forme? If you hint at such a thing again I shall feel offended.” As he spoke, the sight of a large hand-saw which an islander had procured from the captain’s chest, and was bring- ing forward, cleared up his doubts as to the nature of the punishment meditated against his friend. At the period of ‘which we write, the éthctibe of “ cobbing,” as it is termed by seafearing men, was quite common aboard merchant and whaling vessels; that is to say, the luckless wight who gave offense to his shipmates, was at once thrown across the wind- lass, face downward, and held in that uncomfortable position while some one of the crew inflicted blow after blow upon his back with the flat part of a hand-saw. Frank determined that his chum should endure no such insult at the hands of the savages; in fact, Joe himself declared he would sooner die than suffer the outrage. In order, how- ever, not to get his friend into trouble on his account, he eprung toward the rigging, intending to run aloft, To his surprise and disappointment, he bad no sooner grasped the shrouds than he beheld the tall form of a New-Zealander, who had stealthily monnted to the top on the windward side, de- scending toward him! There being no other alternative now, he bounded over the windlass, and picking up the handspike, took his place by the side of Frank, who, crowbar in hand, - stood with his back to the knightheads. | The islanders glared at the two mena few seco seconds CONIC eh Be ea