Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1117 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

2 | » ea _— > ~ : 4 A ‘4 -_* 2 > = = ae A <> j, = 2 . . x S x ' «a a : . . = . + , , -. : he > . “~ am * . a ,-? Pd . Pry te Som ey m4 rs —— rt — - . aes je *aer e%* 7 * ad « Eta — oa s . : a -@ _ « - * x “—* > bs a ™ se >’ = eee si tye t od. a Ne a ea ae se Fy. ete” Poe ~ “28% ae oy” 9 , «@ ee The crew, for the most part, were men of Mexico, with a sprinkling of all nations, who had served with him before bis reign in Persia, and they numbered hardly two score; but he had a few Nubian and Abyssinian slaves on board, and he well knew that the cruiser could gain no easy victory over him. His determination was to seek America, and there find a home to settle down in for the remainder of his days, and he crowded the yacht with all the canvas she could stagger under in hope of escape, But suddenly he saw a dark cloud in the West, just as the cruiser was within range, for as the wind had increased and the waters grown rough, the hull of the larger vessel had forged faster through the waves, “That storm: will save us, Mezrak,” said Montezuma, addressing the slave who had aided him in his figbt with the soldiers, and who was his favorite body-servant, and one he knew he could wholly trust, ‘*The Sidi knows,” said Mezrak, with deep respect in tone and manner. On with increased speed under the rising wind, and without taking in an inch of canvas, the fugitive craft flew along, until suddenly the cruiser, who was creeping up fast, luffed and sent a broadside after her foe. jt was well aimed, cut away the bow-sprif, and brought the main Jateen sail down to the deck with a run. “Clear the decks! Prepare for action!” The erders broke in ringing tones from the voice of Montezuma, and bis crew sprung with alacrity to obey. In the mean time the cruiser rushed on, pour- ing in her hot fire, under which the men of the yacht found it most difficult to work, repairing the damage done and rigging a new bow-sprit, As the cruiser came nearer it was evident that the prince intended to board and carry the craft thus by main force of numbers, But Montezuma gave orders to open heavily, and called out to the boarders to repel boarders, selecting all his slaves for this desperate work. One glance he cast at the cruiser, and then, turning, dashed down into the cabin and threw himself by the side of the divan upon which lay the form of Mildred. She was as white asa ghost, her eyes were closed, and over her were bending two female servants, one of whom held in her arms a roll of silk that enveloped a tiny baby form. ‘* Mildred, speak to me,” said Montezuma in a low, earnest tone. The eyes slowly opened and a smile hovered upon the lips, but no word came. ‘* Toolah, is there no hope?’ he moaned. “You are preparing for action, Sidi?’ asked the old slave nurse in answer to the question. ** Yes.” ‘* Then she cannot live, Sidi. “See, her life is flickering now, and the bat- tle will kill her,” ‘* Yet it must be fought, Toolah.” “The Sidi knows best.” ** The prince is here to tear her from me.” “He will find but her clay should he con- quer you, mighty Sidi.” ‘‘And the child?” and Montezuma glanced furtively at the roll of silk in the arms of the nurse, ‘Ts a brave little boy, Sidi,” ‘* She has seen it?” | ‘Yes, Sidi, and smiled upon it as she did upon you just now.” ‘‘Heaven grant she live to rear the boy, our boy, to manhood.” _ The words were uttered like a prayer would have been, and, stooping over, Montezuma kissed the white face of poor Mildred. Then he turned and imprinted a kiss upon the brow of the tiny babe, just come into the world in the midst of the roar of the guns and howling of the coming tempest, With stern, white face the brave man then returned to the deck to meet whatever fate wag in store for him with the fearless front he had ever shown in direst danger. : , “ ant "a POA ” oe i 5 4 . vt Ppanil . anh, a lL. , -, f =) > e446 ee ~ <, . fe” . a ae y satel © ve ie SP a as y oie Fie ) ee A is 7 ag , ‘ . - x A neath sa pe ‘Tt a e. Mee wheal t a a. Pity « sow Dp ae eae ees os ’ 4 - i > 3 = m ; 4” es ee ee Ee eee eee ee eee Merle, th ; ne ee ee eee eS —_ — ee ee etm CHAPTER IV. THE SEA FIGHT. Waren Montezuma again stood on the deck he found the moon hidden from sight and dark clouds scurrying ominously across the heavens. The sea was tossing wildly, and the yacht struggling hard, as once more it gained head- way. But there, not balf a dozen cables distant, was the cruiser, and her guns were flashing forth red flame, which Sudah, the Bash-Sota Rais* of Montezuma, was returning with a will from the small cannon on board the Nemesis. The crew were stripped for the fray, and worked their guns and the vessel well, while the boarders, a fierce, motley set, stood ready for the savage combat they knew must come, Fiercer and flercer grew the combat as the vessels drew nearer together, and more savage grew the sea and looked the skies, until it was an appalling sight, But Montezuma’s brave heart did not quail, although he well knew he was to fight treble the number he could bring into action, and a demon foe in Prince Kaluta, Nearer and nearer the cruiser came to the Nemesis, pouring in a terrific fire, that strewed her decks with dead and dying, shattering ber bulwarks and rigging, and threatened to sink her. But calm and stern stood Montezuma, a great sorrow in his heart, for he felt that those fearful guns would drive the little life re- maining from poor Mildred, his wife, and the one being in all the world that held him to earth. ‘ And the tiny baby boy, whose young ears must resound with the roar of artillery, would the shock not also break the slender thread that bound him to life? But, die who might, Montezuma felt that his kinsman was the murderer, and he would visit upon him all the vengeance in his power. The vessels were now at musket range, and the guns were firing rapidly, the waves were rising in fury, and heaven’s artillery joined in with the roar of cannon; and the vivid glare of the lightring paled the red flashes from the broadsides of the cruiser and the Nemesis, Apparently bearing a charmed life, Monte- zuma stood upon his deck, directing the com- bat, and seemingly unmindful of the dead and dying around him, A vivid flash of lightning showed him Prince Kaluta on the cruiser’s deck, and springing to a gun he ordered it double shotted, and him- self aimed and fired it, There was a cry of distress upon the cruiser that followed the shot, and Montezuma smiled grimly, for he hoped he had killed his cruel kinsman, But another vivid flash of, lightning showed him still alive, and at his feet several officers, who had fallen victims to the well-aimed shot. That moment Toolah, unheeding the danger, came from the cabin and stood by his side. “* My wife?” he gasped, as he beheld the woman. ‘She seemed to revive with the battle, Sidi, and I had every hope, until a treacherous shot cut its way through the cabin and killed her.” ‘‘Oh, God!” groaned Montezuma, and for an instant he seemed unmanned; but then he cried eagerly: “The child—my boy?” “‘ Is safe, Sidi.” ‘Praise to Heaven! But go, good Toolah, and shield my boy from harm, and I will avenge her, whom I loved more than life.” The calm sorrow of Montezuma was more fearful to look upon than had he broken into wailing grief, and there was that in his stern, handsome face and flashing eyes that showed the fight was to be one to the very death, and that Prince Kaluta would, receive no mercy at his hands. The cruiser was now almost aboard the yacht, and the guns of each were flashing fast, Middy. ' ——- + om adding their red glare to the vivid lightning that seemed to incessantly rend the heavens in twain, while the roar of the tempest rushing across the sea was terrible. It was evidently the intention of Prince Ka- luta to board the yacht and capture her before the storm coming down upon them should strike in all its fury. For this purpose, although he risked sinking the smaller vessel hy the shock of colliding, he ordered, his helmsman to lay the cruiser’s bows over the stern of the yacht, which was most skillfully done, Then over the bows of the cruiser came pouring the Persian sailors by the score. But ere ore-third the number ordered to board could get footing, and while the prince was preparing to spring upon the yacht, a huge wave tore the two vessels apart, snapping the grapnels as though they bad been cords, Another wave dragged the yacht a length away from her enemy, and just then the storm broke in all its fury, the darkness seemed im- penetrable, and all hands had to bern to the first duty of saving the vessels, or go down in the merciless flood. CHAPTER V. FOR A BROTHER’S SINS, , THE tempest that had rushed down upon the battling vessels, as if furious with man for showing anger against his fellow-man upon the mighty domain of the storm-king, tore them apart, and in the darkness and spray-filled air they were instantly separated beyond the sight of any eye on either craft, For a moment it seemed as if the yacht would never stagger up from under the floods upon her decks, and here and there was heard a snapping and crashing, that told of damage being done to vessel and rigging, and her crew held their breath and waited, while the Persian sailors bad crouched down forward to await the result. “Put ber before the gale, for she rides it well,” came in Montezuma’s stern tones, as soon as he saw that the yacht nobly withstood the shock. Under just enough canvas to steady her the Nemesis was put away before the storm, and went off like an arrow from a bow, She reeled under the pressure, dragged huge waves astern, and dived deep now and then, but she was safe. Once this was a settled fact Montesuma called to his crew to rally around him. They knew well the bent of his wild bamor, and quickly obeyed. In spite of the storm, and the danger to the yacht, he intended to fight it out upon the decks with the Persians who had so daringly boarded bim, He knew that they were slightly superior in force, and there was a tall, elegantly robed form in their midst, who he knew would lead them well. But he had eluded the cruiser, and those of her crew who had boarded his yacht must take her from him or die, ‘‘Come! there are your foes,” he cried im ringing tones to his crew, addressing them in the Persian tongue. He bad left three men at the wheel, with orders how to steer, had locked up the -sbin securely, and then, with his crew and his saves, rushed forward to the attack, The Persian leader and his men had crouched down in the forecastle, to see how the first shock of the tempest would treat the yacht, and find- ing that the noble craft was safe, they turmed to watch their foes. | It was but a few moments ere they saw that, in spite of the fearful tempest, and the driving, reeling, plunging of the Nemesis as she drove madly on before the gale, that Montezuma was going to add man’s fury in combat to mingle with the fury of the storm. ‘Ready all! drive them into the sea and the yacht is our own,” yelled the young Persian leader, and he ime I . ai ws « A, ot << A Ccomicbo “* ~*~ a - “wy 7, iw . ‘ a * Se aS - ad“, sprung forward, cimeter to hand, to meet the attack of Montesume, elated Nt Fy tele 4° ~*% 2% = hi “-_ ee TP) e = ae ae 4 ina oi OoKS.cOMmM