Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1117 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

Oe EN RR TR RT RN ae eee love to see the great world the books tell about end which you have seen, ‘*It is hard for me to believe that there is Jand beyond that water I see all around me; and yet I have seen ships go by often, and they must be going somewhere and coming from somewhere, “T love this island, Mezrak, but I would like to see what else the world has in it.” “ And you shall, master, for our sloop will soon be built. ‘‘ Come, let us go down and work on it now.” The black led the way, and in a cove, pene- trating into the rocks and forming a basin some sixty feet long by twenty wide, was a small craft with a single mast. For years that craft had been building, and the perseverance and skill displayed in its con- struction was marvelous. It was about thirty feet long by twelve in beam, had a single mast and bow-sprit, and a small cabin aft, It had been roughly but strongly built of the yacht’s timbers, the keel having been laid on the sand, which, after the bull was complete, had been dug away around it, allowing the water to run in and float it, Both Mezrak and Merle had worked at it for six years, and, with blocks and ropes, the mast had been stepped only a week before the evening the two skilled builders are presented to the reader, the one seated meditatively upon the rock gazing seaward, and the other practicing with the dueling pistols of his father, Montezuma. As they reached the little vessel Mezrak said: ‘* We will go to work on the sails now, mas- ter, and finish them up, and then we will paint her and all will be ready.” ‘‘ And I am to be captain and you the crew, Mezrak?’ said the boy. ‘Yes, master, for you already handle the yaw! well, and it will take little time for you to learn to manage the sloop.” ‘Ships have names, Mezrak?” ** Yes, master.” ‘Then our ship must have a name,” ‘Yes, master.” “What shall it be?’ “TI leave that to you, master.” ‘*My name is Merle Montezuma?’ ** Yes, little Sidi.” ** And my father’s was Montezuma?’ ac Yes.” ** Tt would look like what the books call van- ity, Mezrak, to name it after me.” “ As you please, master.” ‘““My mother was the Princess Mildred?’ ‘Yes, master.” ‘¢ Are boats female, Mezrak?’ “They can have feminine names,” ‘So they can; I remember now. ‘‘My mother was very beautiful, as her miniature you gave.me shows, and this boat is what the books call ugly, so I won’t name it Lady Mildred. ‘‘ Are you ugly, Mezrak?” ‘Yes, master,” was the frank and truthful avowal, ‘Then as you and the boat are alike, I'll call it Mezrak, and it will protect me and serve me, and you do the same, so that will be its name.” “Thank you, master,” ‘“‘Tf it is half as good as you are, Mesrak, it will be a splendid boat, ‘But where are we to go in it?” ‘First we will learn to manage it thorough- ly, master, and then we will go to Vera Cruz, where you can go to the Padre’s college to learn more than I can teach you.” “ Will you go to school with me, Mezrak?” ** No, master.” “You don’t know anything?” ‘e No.” ‘Don’t you want to learn?” ‘No, master; I only want you to learn, that one of these days you will be a great man.” And thus the reader has been introduced 6o my boy hero, as he was slowly making his way from boyhood to youth, unmindful of the 1} . ‘ ry ” : a” r * c re 2's 4,* i+ re " eet, - : . ot Te tee - * 149 ey a ee a. ter, E * r a , oe ‘, it a Merle, the Middy. ee career before him, and which Destiny had al- ready carved out for him to follow, A week more and the Mezrak, sloop—Merle Montezuma, captain—was completed, and from that day the boy became a most skillful and daring sailor, and gloried in running the rocky gantlet in and out of the island in the darkest and stormiest nights, and which caused Mezrak to pronounce him a true son of his father. CHAPTER XV. A STRANGE VISITOR, Two more years have passed away, and we find Merle a youth of fourteen, straight as an arrow, and grown more handsome in every feature, For two terms he has been at the Padre’s college in Vera Cruz, where he was entered by the faithful Mezrak, who eimply said he was the son of a wealtby ranchero up the coast. The two had run down to Vera Cruzin the Mezrak, which Merle had indeed discovered to be a most homely, though seaworthy craft, when compared with the numerous trim ves- sels seen at anchor in front of the city. Merle bad been taken up to the college and entered as a student under the name of Merle Monte, and as a bag of gold bad been placed in the hands of the worthy padres, no questions were naturally asked, though the youth had been instructed by the black as to what false- hoods he was to tell. Leaving Merle to gain knowledge, Mezrak, the faithful guardian of the treasure, had re- turned to the island, and there remained alone until the end of the first term, when he sought Vera Cruz to carry the youth back with him for u few months. Merle was most delighted at the prospect, for in spite of his better knowledge of the world, he dearly loved the lone island; but he persuaded Mezrak to invest in a trim little craft of schooner rig that was offered for sale. This Mezrak did, and the sloop in tow, for the black cared not to part with that sample of his ship-building handiwork, the two set sail for Treasure Island one dark night, when the wind was blowing fresh. A storm coming up, the Mezrak in tow labored so heavily that at last the black re- luctantly consented to cast her loose, and with deep regret the two saw her broach to, keel over on her beam-ends, and then sink from sight, In safety the yacht, which Merle also called the Mezrak, in spite of her beauty, for she was a beauty, reached the island, the boy proving he had not forgotten his cunning, or lost his nerve, by running her in through the break in the reef, though it was blowing a gale, The two months and a half Merle was away from the college, were passed mostly in cruis- ing in his yacht, until he became such an ex- pert sailor that after losing sight of land for two days, he ran unerringly back to Treasure Island. When it was time for him to return to the Padre’s charge, Mezrak sailed in the Jittle schooner with him to Vera Cruz, and there left him till another term had gone by, and his purse of gold was this time so well filled, that the youth was allowed to accompany the Superior upon a visit to the United States. This was a most delightful treat for Merle, and he returned to the college, after four months’ absence, with the firm determination that be would, like his father, also become an American, At last the second term ended, and prompt to the day Mezrak was on hand in the yacht. While Merle went on board, to greet the craft as an old and dearly loved friend, Mez- rak started up into the town to purchase some necessary stores, and watching his retreating form the “youth noticed a man closely obser- ing him. ilasy, he had noticed, eyed both himself and Mezrak curiously, but this man had not the appearance of curiosity in his look and manner, for it seemed something deeper. ee tw : sf ; ; ‘ , ; i , 7 « a = *), 4 e « i 1 wat : a. ‘ cy ; - s | é ; ~ : 9 ——— -- -—_—$ —-- + ry - ee ee Merle saw him follow Mezrak up the street, and shortly after he returned, and gazed earn- estly at the yacht, the boy apparently not no- ticing him. Presently he got into a boat and pulled alongside: ‘* Want a hand, young man?” he asked as he drew near, and he gazed fixedly info the youth’s face, ‘*No, thank you,” “You’ve got a trim yacht, and several messmates I have would like to ship with me on just such a craft,’’ said the man, ‘*'No, I need no one but myself and servant to man her,” ‘*'You can’t be going far in her?” “Yes, quite a number of leagues along the coast,” ‘You'll have a head wind if you run up the coast.” Merle saw that the man’s remarks were of a probing nature, and he determined not to gratify his curiosity, so he answered; “On, I don’t mind that,” ‘TI should think your father would be afraid to trust you out with only one ezlave, in as large a craft as that,” ‘Those who know me are not afraid to trust me in danger, and those who don’t, if opportunity offers, will find I am fully able to take care of myself,” was tre cool reply. ‘Well, you look it, my lad. ‘“‘T am sorry I cannot get a berth aboard, so good-by.” The man had spoken in pure Spanish, which Merle had learned thoroughly, during his stay with the Padres; but yet he did not look in the least like Spaniard or Mexican. He was tall, full bearded, with dark, earnest blue eyes, and a face that was resolute, intel- ligent, and reckless. He looked like a man of rank masquerading. in the garb of a common sailor. Merle continued reading, apparently, for he had a book in his hand, after the departure of the visitor; but he kept his eye upon the stranger, First, the man stood on the shore, as though in perplexed meditation. Then he started along the water’s-edge, turned, retraced his way to the boat, in which he had rowed out to the yacht, and springing in headed up the harbor. Still watching him Merle saw him run along- side of a small fishing smack of trim build, and then, other vessels coming in, as night came on, and dropping near, he lost sight of him with eye and memory. Soon after Mezrak returned, accompanied by peons bearing packages, the purchases he had made, and these being safely stored on board, the anchor was hauled up and the yacht was headed seaward, just as the shadows of night fell upon the land and water. Hardly had the fleet craft left the Castle San Juan d’Uloa astern half a league, when the moon arose, and Merle’s quick eye detected a sail in their wake, ‘It is the very craft that fellow boarded, for I recognize her by her high taffrail and long bowsprit,” he said, ashe bent his glass upon ber, and then he told Mezrak of the visit of the tall stranger, and the questions he had asked, To his surprise, when he described the man Mezrak said quickly: ‘¢ Ready about, master! Vera Cruz.” We will return to CHAPTER XVI. UNFORGOTTEN, THouGH Mezrak was the slave, for so he called himself, and Merle the master, the youth was accustomed to implicitly obey the black, Mezrak had been to him as mother, father, nurse, friend and servant, and his influence over the boy was great. He loved Merle even mcre than he would hie y s.com weer - f5 C2 . | ]