Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 1014 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

+ = s-).¢ . a — oo. = i i ee ye Ora * { - ba te — I J wd € ” # fw — twenty-five Akkas and the eight whites, started to bring Ciptain Brown to terms. Wita the exception of the old chief and a guard of ten men, who traveled slowly in the rear, the party pushed on so rapidly that about nine that night they were within a quarter-mile of the V olunteer. Leaving the main body, Longa, with the white men, went forward to reconnoiter, and quickly discovered a dozen Kitongas lying near a piie of elephants’ tusks—evidently awaiting embarkation, Lying out in the river was the V olunteer, and from the noises and boisterous singingon board, Captain Brown and his men were eujoying themselves to the fullest that unlimited rum and freedom would permit, ‘*He’s probably carried the piracy question to-day, ’n’ they're celebratin’ the golden pros- pects t’-night,” said Blood, as they listened to sounds of revelry. ** Bet he didn’t say anythiu’ about their beauti- ful chance of a hempen halter,” returned Tur- ner, Longa, meantime, had returned with the main body, and, placing his men so as to surround the Kitongas, stepped into the light of the fire, and demanded their surrender—promising that they skould not be harmed if no resistance was made, Having no right to expect suco leniency, the Kitongas, being hopelessly outnumbered, eager- ly accepted Longa’s terms, and were bound and placed under guard, This was scarcely done, when the fun aboard the Volunteer changed to fighting, first simply fisticuffs, (as the watchers afterward Jearned,) ee this quickly gave place to knives and pis- 8, Even had they wished to go aboard those: n shore had no means of reaching the schooner, and they could do nothing but listen to the y«lls and curses of their late comrades, who were forestalling the work of the hangman by shoot- ingand stabbing each other. Soon, twoor three jumped or were driven overboard, and the cries that followed announced their fate. Slaves invariably attract sharks, ‘‘They must be getting used up,” observed Frank, as at the end of a half-hour, the shots became less frequent, while the cries and groans increased. The fighting which began below, had been carried on later on deck, where the struggling forms could be plainly seeh in the moonlight but one by one these disappeared from view, un- til at the expiration of an hour none remained, and nothing broke the stillness of the night, save the groans and curses of the wounded and dy- ing, **Isn’t it horrible!’ exclaimed Ned, shudder- ing as his imagination pictured the scene of slaughter, ‘* Very—but we ain’t in it, an’ it’s on’y a case o’ dog eat dog after all,” returned Blood, ** Yea see, mates, what we've escaped by tryin’ t? do these here lads a good turn,” said the boat- swain, turning to the other sailors, ‘*Ay,ay, Tom; an’ lucky it was we shaped our course ’cordin’ t’ the way Blood ’n’ yerself advised,” replied old Dick, ‘*T wish we could get aboard; we might be able to do something.” putin Ned. ‘Just listen to those groans!” ‘*Let’em groan!” growled Blood, in a barsh tone, ‘let ’em groau all they like! What ’d they do with you?” Ned remained silent, and Blood continued: ‘““We can’t do anythin’ until mornin’, any- how, an’ not then till we build a raft; so we might as well turn in,” CHAPTER XI, THE BLACK FLAG—AND WHAT FOLLOWED, AS no one could rest—at least, no white man— within hearing distance of the schooner, the en- tire party moved further up the river, where, large fires being built, and sentinels stationed, a rested undisturbed until morning. ith the first streaks of dawn Ned was up. He could scarcely rest until then, thinking of the wounded and dying, without anyone to give them a drink, for he had decided that it had been a pty to the death; as, indeed, it proved. lood was inclined to be angry when Ned awakened him with a request to ‘‘ get up and build that raft,” but, his lixing for the boy over- came his dislike for those aboard the schooner, .and, arousing the entire party, he set them at work, and by the time breakfast was prepared, the raft was lying on the beach, ready for launch- ing. The river was shallow, and, after breakfast, saplings were cutand trimmed into poles, With _——— Eee ae — eee -~-¥_¥-<5--- a Middy Ned, the Runaway. the aid of these, and the tide favorinz, the first party—which consisted of all the white persons —reached the schooner. There was no sign of life as they approached, nor a sonnd heard as they made fast to the Volunteer, and Ne! expressed the opinion of all when, inan awed waisper, he said: ‘* They areall dead,” Climbing aboard, the first form that met the gaze of the visitors was that of the captain, a bloody cutlass in his band, and a half-dozen men witb cloven skulls lying about him, Allover tbe deck blood-covered men lay in twos and threes—some shot, some stabbed, and all but a few dead. Below the scene was not so bad, There was not enough room for much fighting, but in the cabin the first and second mates were found locked in deadly embrace, Allfound below were dead; but, of those on deck, sevenrecovered altogether, and a few nore lingered fora day ortwo, These men were un- conscious wher founi by Ned and Frank, who immediately, on boarding theschooner, began to search for the living, while their companions, apparentiv, cared only to see who were dead, and how they fell. The firat man to recover consciousness was one =: the old hands, who related the story of the ht, "As Blood had surmised, the captain called all hands aft, the previous evening, and after pic- turing the profit and pleasures of a pirate’s life, announced his intention of hoisting the black flag, and ordered those who objected to sailing under it tos ep forward, Only one man bad the inclination, or the cour- age, if possessing the inclination, to obey the or- der, and him the captain shot dead before he could speak a word, The man thus brutally murdered was known as ‘** Chips,”—the ship’s carpenter, a quiet, good- natured fellow who was liked by ali on board, and there wasan ominous muttering among the men as he fell, but tuis ceased, as the captain, pistol in hand, roared: ** Don’t stand there muttering like monkeys! If any of you have a complaint to make, step out and make it! We might as well finish tbis business, while I’ve got my hand in.” The men shrunk back in silence, and he con- tinued: ‘*No complaint, eh? Lucky for ye! To- morrow all must take the oath; to-night all can do as they please, Heave up a barre] of rum, and drink success to the ‘ Joily Roger’!” The men were not s'ow in availing them- selves of the captain’s liberality, and poor ‘* Chips” was forgotten until they began to get drunk—which was shortly before the capture of the Kitongas. Then the fate of ‘‘ Chips” be- came the subject of conversation, and much muttering and discontent was being manifested when a message from the captain summoned all hands to the cabin, The captain, who, with Bruce, had been drinking in the cabin, knew what was going on forward (having been informed by one of the new men), and, when the half-drunken crew staggered into his presence, began to abuse and tbreaten them, calling them mutinous dogs, and swearing he would shoot the first man ee speke or stirred until he gave the order to 0 80. As he uttered the threat, the second mate, who was among the men, lurched forward and the captain fired, missing the intended victim, but killing the man behind him, Even then the fighting might not have begun had not Bruce grappled with the second mate, who called on the men to stand by bim, On hearing the niate’s call for assistance, the captain fired another sbot; then the battle be- gan—a dozen or more of the new men fighting against their comrades, These men were armed, and had been ordered to remain sober, which gave them a great advantage over the others— and Bill Brown was a host in himeelf, Before this story was finished, the two boats, which were sent ashore immediately after boarding the schooner, returned with Longa, and all of his people that could crowd into them, but if they came with sight-seeing inten- tions only, they mst have been sorely disap- pointed, for, at Turner’s request, their young chief set them at work washing and cleaning up the decks, Many hands make quick, as well as light work, and by the time the sailors had carried the wounded to their bammocks, and attended to their wants, the dead bad been tossed over- board and the decks washed down, The ‘‘medicine-man” of the Akkas, who came aboard in one of the boats, proved a veri- —— ee a table medicine man, for his knowledge of herbs, and skill in caring for wounds, enabled some of the men to leave their hammocks that eve- ning. Immediately after seeing the wounded placed in the hammocks, Ned’s attention was attracted by noise in the forehold, and, remembering the twenty slaves, he, with the assistance of Frank, removed the hatch, The unfortunate pegroes were in a pitiable condition, baving bad neither food nor water since noon the previous day, and had been driven frantic with fear during the fight. Ned immediately notified the boatswain who, after removing the irons, supplied the astonish- ed slaves with food and water, and then sent them ashore to be cared for by Longa’s men— the young chief promising to guard them to their home in exchange for their acting as car- riers as far as the village of the Akkas. After the removal of the slaves, an examiua- tion of the hold revealed the cargo, just as 1¢ was when the Volunteer left port, and, on in- quiring among the wounded, Blood learned that the suspicion he bad expressed, namely, that the captain intended to cheat the natives out of the goods, was nothing more than the truth, ‘‘ Well, I don’t see why Longa need wait for any other vessel,” said Frank, who had been among the party exploring the bold, ‘* we’ve got everything he wants.” ‘‘ And we've got what we want—a vessel to bring us home,” smilingly ooserved Ned, Yer’ both mgbt enough,” said the boat- swain, ‘' but who’s a-goin’ t’ navigate? | kin sail her, but who’st’ navigate her?” ‘‘T\| attend to tbat part of it,” quietly re- plied Blood, ‘*You!l Kin you navigate?” asked Turner, staring in astonishment, like the others, at the idea of a Common seaman understanding navi- gaticn. ‘* | said I would attend tothe navigation,” re- plied Blood, a little testily. ‘ I was not talking for amusement, but if you doubt my ability, you are at perfect liberty to manage it your- self,” This language caused even more astonishment thaa the statement that the speaker understoud navigation, and, evidently annoyed by the at- tention be had attracted, Blood walked eft, ‘* Just where he belongs,” remarked the boat- swain, as he watched the ex-smuggler, pacing back and forth. ‘* Just where he belongs, mates —reguiar quarter-deck talk ’n’ quarter-deck walk, Jim Biood may’ve had {a come-down, but he didn’t learn that kind o’ talk in no fu’k’sle.” ‘‘ Better ‘lect him cap’n,” suggested one of the men, and the boatswain’s prompt and hearty assent settled the question. ‘You two go’n’ask him what we're t’ do, ’n’ tell him we've lected him cap’n ” said Tur- ner, addressing Frank and Ned, who were as much astonished by the change in the ex- smuggler as any of the others, ‘‘ Very well; I will act as captain until we reach port,” Blood agreed, when Ned had, in his own way, made known the wishes of the men. ‘* And your orders?” suggested Ned, ‘‘{ will deliver my. orders,” replied Blood, and walking forward addressed the crew: ‘‘T understand it is your wish that 1 should actas your captain. ThatI am willing to do, but unless you are prepared to obey my orders without the slightest besitation, it will be better to appoint another. Do not let my knowledge of navigation prevent your doing so, for what I know is at your service,” Removing bis cap, and making an awkward bow, the boatswain replied: ‘*Cap’n, vou’re the man for the place, ’n’ the on’y one, If you'll tend t’ the navigation, Dll ‘tend t’? the bedience, Just give yer orders, if ye please—rigt, mates?” “ Ay, ay!” came the prompt and hearty re- sponse from the seamen, CHAPTER XII. A DANGEROUS SPORT. Srx weeks after the fight among the pirates, the Volunteer was again near the mouth of the Garonne—a spot much frequented by cruisers and privateersmen. At that particular period England and France were—fora wonder—at peace, Bordeaux, there- fore, wes a neutral port, and the Volunteer was still without the three mile limit, when the wind died away, leaving her rocking idly in a dead calm as night approached, ‘‘We have enough hands to manage, but not to fight her, so, we must keep a sharp lookout, €om CDO0O