Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 1014 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

Middy Ned, the Runaway. The voice of Hansen, meanwhile, was heard forward, directing the clearing away of the two bow-chasers which the Volunteer now carried, while Blood stood on the quarter deck watching over all—onepart of the crew preparing to meet the attack of the elements—the other part to at- tack the enemy. CHAPTER XxX, MORE OF THE CONSEQUENCES. THAT the ominous signs of the impending storm—the dark, threatening mass of vapor in the west (which was blending the ocean with the sky in a direction opposed to the currents of air) had not 2scaped theattention of those in charge of the Rattlesnake wassoon apparent, ** He is sending down all hislight masts,” mut- tered the master, and thinking this might in- duce Blood todo the same, repeated those words ‘* Yes—I saw that some time ago,” calmly re- turned the captain, and to Hansen: ‘*] think we have her in range now, eh?” ‘* Very good, Fire as we rise on the crest of the waves, for it’s her spars we want down when this blows over, ‘“*The fool is expecting a hurricane, and he will not be disappointed—but it will be of fire, to which this squall will be child’s play.” This was partly a shot at Turner, to whom Blood now turned, ‘* Now, sir, place us on the quarter of the brig, and you may make any preparations you please “Keep the weather gaugeat all hazards; and, if possible, remaiao just inthe angle which will be equally safe from bis broadsides, and difficult for any temporary gun to touch from his cabin _. * As far as meneuvering goes, the brigantine is in your banus for the present,” ‘*Thank ye, sir,” returned Turuer, hurrying aft, for the captain was now on the forecastle with Hansen, looking after the guns, and in less time than it takes to record it, the work of pre- paring the volunteer for the impending blast was under way and almost completed, For the previous half hour, the wind had been light and variable, which favored the brigan- tine, and enabled her to gain almost the desired position before the captain spoke, A strong sweeping gust now horalded the near approach of the storm, which burst a few min- utes later with a crash, to which the explosion of fifty pieces of artillery would nave sounded It was no time for man to war against powers of heaven were loose, and in all their fury. The wind howled, the sea raged, the thunder stunned, and the lightning blinded. But, amid all, Blood was unawed, unmoved, unchecked, and the moment the V olunteer gain- ed a position on the enemy’s quarter, began fir- himself directing the first shot, be brig and brigantine were now within balf-gunshot range, but, uvder such circum- stances, if was, of course, mere chance that caused the first shot fired to carry away the maintopmast of the former, The loss of the spar was at first attributed to the storm (though it seemed unaccountable) for the report of the gun was lost in the roar of the elements, but as another, and still another, spar followed, the people of the brig quickly con- cluded that the craft riding on their quarter was not there by accident, ** Yes, by the gods of war! She is firing on us! I saw the flash of the gun!” cried the first lieutenant of the brig, who was in charge of the vessel, Captain Wilson being below with his alarmed guests, As the lieutenant finished speaking, and turned to notify the captain. a sheet of flame burst from the lee-bow port of the brigantine, The shot struck the mainmast rather low down; splinters flew in every direction, and one of them stretched the lieutenant on the deck, _ As a brig carries but two lieutenants, and the second wasrather young and inexperienced, all was confusion when Captain Wilson appeared on deck, having been informed of what had oc- curred by a frightened middy. Whatever else he might be, the English cap- tain was a well-trained seaman, and quickly re- ystored order; but, try as he would, he could not —at all events while the squall lasted—bring a gun to bear on the brigantine, The latter continued to fire shot after shot, ' and shortly after the captain came on deck, the Rattlesnake’s wounded mainmast fell over the side, while a shower of splinters was knocked out of the foremast at almost the same moment, 7 , : : _ ar 4 a f ’ ‘ 4 Py if ’ os . , ’ } i 4 i ‘ > nd ee ee SOM Fe page Ce FD) PY pdt Sh fOcEE cei... i bh tak 3 ; — injuring (though not seriously) both the captain Springing to one side, Blood, firm asa rock and his remaining lieutenant, as well as many | met the rush with his sword-point, which passed others. clear shrough Wilson’s body! The strife of the elements was nov. abating, It was a mortal wound, as the surgeon of the but neither the officers nor the crew of the Rat- | Rattlesnake quickly declared, but Wilson was tlesnake, nor the vessel itself, were in condition | satisfied; his enemy wouldaccompany him to the to take advantage of it, and Blood seemed al- | other world, he thought, and that was all he most disappointed when he observed this, cared about, ‘* It’s all up with them,” he said to Hansen, ** You will not live long to enjoy your triumph, ** We could lie off here and riddle her, but that, | much as she is interested in you,” he said to as you know, is notmy object. Get your board- | Blood, who wasseated on a gun, pale and almost ers ready! overcome by loss of blood and the conflicting ** Mr, Turner! Put us across her stern—one | emotions raging within him. raking—then close! Blood paid no attention to the dying man’s ‘Use grape and canister, Mr. Hansen, and | words, and mistaking the reason, the latter con- the forecastle and quarter-deck guns only! tinued: ‘* Lively, now, my lads—make short work of **’T was my work—I who spread the report that ” caused the quarrel between you and ber brother; These orders were wey obeyed, and seeing | and when I had goaded you into firing at me, my the impossibility of avoiding being raked, and | work was accomplished; but you accidentally not knowing that the consequent destruction | went further than I possibly could bave gone, would be confined to his upper deck, and those | for your shot struck her brother, Then, you on it, Captain Wilson was about to lower his flag | were ruined, for, except nyself, no one suspect- when he recognized Blood standing on the fore- | ed the shot was accidental, and you may be sure castle of the Volunteer, sword in hand, at the | I made no effort to correct the mistake. head of a party of boarders, ** ‘You miserable wretch! Is this the truth?” ‘“* Never! Never. by the living God! Ill sink | excitedly demanded General Elrington, bursting her first!” he cried; and, addressivug his crew | through the crowd, with desperate energy, continued: ‘* It is; but it’s too late to do him any good, or ‘“* My lads! that flag will never be lowered to | you would never have heard it,” replied Wilson, a deserter!” glancing malignantly at the motionless man on He was still proclaiming the lie that cost him | the gun. teeth, but it was only half believed by his own ‘He was young, handsome, wealthy, and—a crew. Howard. Why should he come between me ‘*Pikes aud cutlasses! All bands to repel | and the woman I loved? He had all the London boarders!” beauties begging attention to their charms, As he finished, the brigantine glided across | while I was devoting myself to one—one who in the stern of her helpless adversary, pouring in a | time would have loved me, had he not come be- murderous discharge of grape and canister in | tweenus. But he has paid for it—paid most passing, and, wearing round, ran alongside—her | bitterly!” boarders headed by Blood and Hansen, leaping Wilson had spoken strongly and rapidly, very on the brig fore and aft, unlike the feeble utterance of one on the verge Blood was the first to touch the deck, and | of eternity, but it was his intenso hatred that slipping in a pool of blood, fell on bis hands and | lent him false strength, and, when he ceased, his knees, He was up in a moment, but it came | lips were closed, for he never spoke again. near being his last, for, as he arose Wilson was Turning from the dead to the living, General springing at him, sword in hand, Elrington asked: In direct violation of his orders, Ned, unable ‘* Are you badly hurt, Howard?” to resist the impulse, had followed close on the ** No,” was the dull response, heels of bis captain, and as Wilson was about to ‘*Come, come! Rouse up, man! Alice sup- run the latter through, his sword was knocked | poses you dead. and, if only to relieve her, pull upward, and almost out of his grasp, by the per-Pyer together and follow me to the cabin, young privateersman’s cutlass, will prepare her for your coming.” This gave Blood all the opportunity needed, As the general uttered these low-spoken and, the next instant, the two captains stood | words, the face of the other brightened visibly facing each other, sword in hand, thirsting for | and accepting the hand which hvd been all each other’s blood, alon held out to him, he murmured: Both were perfect masters of the fence, and ** Thank you; I'll go.” for a few minutes the honors were even, A few minutes later the crews of both ships—the Rat- tlesnake’s men having surrendered —coming CHAPTER XXI. from svery direction, were watching the com- bat, which lasted *ully ten minutes before either A. HAPPY DEBOURMEN? received a scratch. CAPTAIN BLOOD, as we still will call him, en- The presence of his men among the crew of | tered the cabin of the Rattlesnake, but returned the Volunteer, the cessation of the firing and all | tothe cabin a half-hour later, with sparkling other noises, the men hanging in the rigging of | eyes and smiling face, the vessel alongside, all combined to make Cap- ‘* Here, Ned! You are wanted in the cabin tain Wilson aware of the surrender of the Rat- | of the brig!” be called out, on stepping aboard tlesnake, and he fought to kill, careless of the | the Volunteer. corsequences to himself, , Ned guessed by whom he was wanted, and Watching his opportunity, the now doubly | smiled, then looked ruefully at his sviled desperate man, instead of warding off, accepted | clothes, the point of Blood’s blade through his arm, and ‘‘Never mind your appearance!” urged shortering his own Junged at the same moment, | Blood. ‘‘ She wants to thank you for saving my He aimed at the heart, butonly grazed Blood’s | life, ribs—an effort to withdraw his sword saving ** Set the men—both crews—cleaning up and the latter’s life, repairing,” he continued, turning to Hansen, A piercing shriek startled thespectators of this | who bad followed him from the brig. strange duel as Wilson’ssword protruded through ‘* They are already washing down decks, sir, Blood’s clothing, and all turned in the direction | and will begin knotting and splicing as soon as of the cabin, whence the sound came—all except | that’s done. There are plenty of spare spars, Blood, who jerked his sword free, as Wilson | and as all the damage is above decks, we can turned bis head. have her ip readiness to sail before night.” On the quarter deck stood General Elrington ‘** Very good! I’m glad to hear it! Go ahead, supporting hisdaughter. Deceived by the cessa- | Ned! Come below, Mr. Hansen!” tion of the noise of the conflict, they had come on “That brig must be permitted to proceed to deck, and seeiug the men gathered aft, and bear- | England,” declared Blood, on reaching the ing the clash of steel, had gone on the quarter- | cabin. deck to obtain a better view of what was going “So I expected,” coolly returned Hansen, on, in time to see Wilson’s blade pass, apparent- ‘*Eh? You expected that?” ly, through Blood’s side, ‘‘ After the scene on the brig, I did—as does ‘Ha! Not dead yet!” cried Wilson, recalled | every one else.” by the movement which released his opponent’s ‘* And the crew: will they not feel sore over sword, and his own at the same time, the disappointment?” He fully understood the scene on the quarter- “Let them,if they will; but I do not think deck, and it was unfortunate for him that he | so, Every man-jack of them is as deeply inter- did, ested in your affair with the la—ahem—with Enraged, maddened by the thought that it was | the dead man and the old gentleman, as if it because of the danger of one whom he had done | were bis own affair.” all that jealousy and batred could suggest to ‘-Much obliged to them, Pm sure,” laughed ruin, that the woman he had sought so long to | Blood, adding: win had fainted, Wilson threw prudence to the ‘*Take out everything of value, not neces- winds, and rushed blindly at bis antagonist, sary to the safety of the vessel, She is well sup- y pO ft a ee (4 4 ‘ A => -