Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1139 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

2 —--— wee - oe ooo ee ee a a big spread of canvas. Anchored, too, I should judge. She’s got a kinder wicked look to me, cap’n, and— Consarn it all, thar goes the sun, an’ it’s on- sartin what that chap ralely is.”’ “At any rate we’re safe enough from him for the present,’’ replied Captain Zeke, ‘‘That chap’s a Rood piece to leeward, an’ if I ain’t mistaken we'll ave another breeze afore eight bells, Best say nothin’ yet to the crew about what we think until we're more sartin.”’ ‘All right, sir.”’ ‘‘ An’ keep a sharp look-out in every direction, for there may be more of them fellows around. I'll snatch a few hours’ sleep now, so as to be ready if anything should turnup. Call me at onceif you sight yng suspicious, " é mate began pacing the deck, uneasily watch- tng the flapping sails, and oceasionally whistling for a breeze. e paused at length beside the sailor who held the wheel. ) ““Steerageway on yet, Tom?”’ “ Barely, sir; she keeps her head, and that’s all. in’ yer pardon fer the question, Mr. Rogers,’’ he added, ‘but, what war that craft to leeward?”’ “Don’t know, Tom. Some coaster between these islands, perhaps.”’ ‘** No coaster in these parts, sir, you knows it,” was the = reply, “at least not schooner-rigged,”’ You've a good pair of top-lights, Tom,” said the mate, dryly; and fearing the inquisitive man might ask too many questions, the mate left him. In those latitudes the sun sinks very rapidly; hence by this time it was dark; but, contrary to the usual custom, not a light was shown on bo the brig. The mate had intimated to the crew that they were in dangerous waters, but that was all. Nothing but the flapping of the sails against the yards served to denote her presence in the darkness. The mate, lighting a pipe, had perched himself upon the weather-rail, and was busy revolving in his oe subject of the strange craft they had sighted. ‘On deck, the crew on watch were listening to a yarn, spun by one of their number. ‘“‘Steerageway’s gone now, sir,’’ announced Tom Longstreet, the helmsman, in the course of another half-hour. “T'll just take a smoke myself while we're waitin’ for a breeze.” He filled his pipe carefully, and struck a match. As he was about to apply it to the tobacco, his keen éeye—for he could almost see in the dark like an owl —suddenly glanced over the rail. “Sail on the weather-beam!’’ he shouted, as the watch dropped unused from his fingers, “Thunder! she'll be into us if they hain’t careful.” CHAPTER IL. THE PIRATE’S PRIZE. ‘“‘Syn's bringin’ the wind with her!” he added, quickly, ‘Then, raising his voice, he yelled: ‘Sheer off, you lubber! Are you drunk? You'll be afoul of us in another minute!” The mate, who had been sitting with his back to- ward the spot, turned suddenly to see an immense spread of canvas slowly but surely bearing down up- on them; but, even then he did not suspect the tru ay ay until the stranger rounded up and shot along- e, The next instant a crowd of swarthy villains were clambering over the sides. * “Defend yourselves, men! We're boarded by pi- rates!” rung out the deep voice of Job ,Rogers. Rhee the deck for one minute and [ll bring you elp!’ ‘‘Down with the pirates!’ cried Tom Longstreet, seizing an iron belaying-pin from the fife-rail. As he spoke, the first villain in his reach dropped to the deck with a crushed skull. _ Alas! the alarm had been given just five minutes ‘oo late. Like a swarm of angry bees, the pirates poured over the side of the brig. Brave Tom smUs street went down under a savage blow from acu Job Rogers, the mate, had placed one foot upon the companion-way to give the alarm. .\ At that instant the leader of the villains struck him over the head with the butt of a pistol, but not be- fore he had managed to yell out—*‘ Pirates aboard, % & In less time than it takes to narrate the affair, the Brig Nancy Jones was in full possession of the pi- tes rates. The latter—some two dozen swarthy ruffians in all -~stood grouped together near the quarter-deck, Savage-looking fellows they were, that regarded a human life as nothing. Desperadoes of ¢very nation were represented iu their motley faces, Their pis- tols and cutlasses still glittered.in their murderous hands. The crew of the brig who were still unharmed had managed to retreat to the forecastle and bolt them- selves in. Their enemies were now waiting an order from their leader before renewing the attack. The ‘atier, a giant in size, was standing near the wheel, a of sardonic satisfaction resting upon his ugly eatures. His black, wiry hair was partly concealed by a gaudy handkerchief twisted around hig head. mMho liar of his shirt was thrown wide open, reveal- ng airy, muscular chest, tanned by exposure.. ilor to the core, ae was none thé less a hagiened scoundrel, “Well done, my brave lads!” he exclaimed, in somewhat thick tones, as if he was already under the influence of liquor. ‘‘ Well done, I say! Have you finished the crew, Carlos?” “ ane re barred in the forecastle, sir,”’ replied the sailor addressed, “Waw! haw!" roared the pirate; ‘caught like \ ~ Beadle's Half-Dime Library rats ina trap,eh? By all the saints! we'll have some rare sport with them before we leave this craft. Some of you jump on board the Isabelle and get fen- ders out that she may not rub all the paint from her wretty sides. The rest of you can guard those tricky | ankees, until I see what bled on this time.”’ So saying, he returned his cutlass to its sheath and | descended the companion-way. Two of the pirates ° had already been before him to clear the way. | As he entered the cabin, his eye fell upon Captain | Zeke, whose arms were now pinioned tightly behind | him, There was a ghastly wound in his left temple, from which the blood was still flowing. ‘““A crack in tne skull, eh, Cap!” exclaimed the pirate, with a coarse laugh, as he leaned against the cabin table and eyed the bound man with a sa- tanic grin. ‘Sorry to make you so much trouble,” he added, coarsely, ‘* but, you see, we’ve been somewhat out | of luck lately, as you Yankees say, and sec we had to take up with even such trash as this, althoveh it ain’t what we deserve.” ** You'll get it yet, never fear—a, rope arouna your villainous neck,”’ said Captain Zeke, defiantly. ‘*Keep a poEnes on your jaw-tackle, shipmate,”’ growled the villain, deliberately spitting a stream of tobacco-juice in the face of his helpless victim. Talk a little more civilly to me or I'll toss you over to feed the sharks. Where’s your papers?” Wounded as he was, his arms tightly pinioned to his sides, and at the mercy of the cutthroat before him, it would have been madness to refuse an an- swer. ‘You'll find them in my desk in the state-room yonder,” he said; reluctantly. cir pirate turned on his heel and proceeded to the spot. The first article upon which he laid his hands, was a heavy canvas tn 3 ‘*Gold!? he muttered, gine t as he shook it up to listen to the musical jingle of the coins. ‘ Not such a bad haul, after all! Now, then, to see what there is below hatches.” Tossing the bag carelessly upon the cabin table, he next drew Out a bundle of papers and sat down to peruse them. He was a rid hand in Gecip ering. the English language, and it took him some little time to sady out the articles enumerated. ‘** Not a bad cargo,”’ he exclaimed in satisfaction. “Tt’s a long time since I’ve seen so much capital be- tween one vessel’s decks. By all the saints, here’s a passsneer list, as I’m a sinner! Mrs. Colonel San- ers and—a petticoat aboard,eh? That’s better yet! That is, 1 mean, if she happens to be young and good- looking. I say, skipper, whereaway have ye stowed this bit of cargo?”’ The old captain’s face was as pale as death. “For God’s sake, spare her! he gasped. the brig and all that’s in her, if you ,b the lady from your cluteches.”’ **Oh, ho!” chuckled the pirate; ‘‘ how comes it that yous so deeply interested Mm the matter? Maybe he woman is a widow and you’re looking after her ourself? However, you'll have enough to do to ke care of yourself, just now, I fancy.’’, There was a dangerous gleam in the rascal’s eye as he turned and left the after cabin. His eye had caught oP of a door which he rightly conjectured led to the lady’s quarters. ; No sooner was his back turned than the two scoundrels who had remained to guard the skipper, roceeded to help themselves to liquor. Their roy- ng eyes had been quick to see the decanter which stood in the captain’s state-room. So sudden and con pietP had been the capture of the brig that even the watch below had not been disturbed in their slumbers, Nor was it strange that the lady—a sound sleeper and ignorant of danger—had not been disturbed. The pirate turned the knob of the state-room door. It was locked from the inside, In no way disturbed by the fact, the pirate drew off fora moment. Hurling the weight of his pow- erful frame against the obstacle, the door gave way with a crash, As it flew open, the lady started up suddenly from a sound slumber, with a cry of ter- ror. The swinging lamp above her threw a dim light on the scene. Try Instinectively divining the truth, she cried, in ac- cents of terror: | ‘For God's sake, spare my boy!" j “* Bother take the brat. I’ve not laid eyes on him yet,” exclaimed the pirate, gazing gloatingly on the woman before him. Blind to all but that, he had not ind of a prize we’ve stum- | ‘“*Take ut spare ‘before neticed the cot of the sleeping child close be- side him. 2 ‘* Ah, there he is,"’ he added, as the child awoke with .a cry of ‘*mamma,”’ A sudden thought darted through the pirate’s evil heart. Snatching the tefrified child from his couch, he eyed him with a savage scowl. His ruse was successfui. Without a thought of her own danger, actuated on- ly by a mother’s instinct to protect her own, the beautiful woman sprung forward to snatch her child from the ruffian’s grasp, As she did so, the villain released the child and threw his brawny arm around her. ‘‘Ha, my beauty!’ he said, ‘‘give us a kiss from those pretty lips, and you—”’ But the sentence was never completed. At that instant a door at the opposite end of the cabin flew open with a crash. With one bound a dark object was upon him, and an iron first struck the villain a blow that sent him Eeoing against the wall, half-blinded by the sudden attack. ° CHAPTER IL. A SUDDEN INTERRUPTION. In another instant, the pirate had recovered his scattered wits. ‘*Ha, curses on me, but who is this?’’ he cried, as his pisto] flashed from his belt. . ‘‘Job Rogers, the mate of this craft, you biack- hearted scoundrel!’ was the cool reply. It was indeed the courageous mate, who, recover- ing from the pirate’s blow, and finding the quarter- deck deserted, had crept around and entered the cabin by the forward door, to be on hand at a most critical moment, ‘*Mate?’’’ snarled the meat in another moment. Job Rogers stood deg ad hisenemy with a gleam of defiance in his eyes, but he made no reply. Seeing that his enemy was unarmed, the pirate ut- tered a contemptuous laugh and shoved the pisto} back in his belt. Confident in his own strength, and on his guard, he feared no living man. The woman, her eyes turned peawnel upon the pirate, waited breathlessly for what wou ” ensue. ‘‘T haven't had that kiss yet, my beauty,” said the scoundrel, as he again made a movement as if to snatch the child. But, even as he did so, Job Rogers was upon him like a thunderbolt. ; Ere the pirate could fairly realize the fact, the iron fingers of the mate were clutched in a viselike gripe around histhroat. § | *Help!’’ gurgled from his ag as he strove iv vain to release his piStol from his belt; ' It would have been all up with him in another mo ment, had not the two rascals from the after-cabin hurried to his aid. A strong blow from the butt of a pistol caused the mate to relax his gragp. Seeing his danger, and before the pirate could col- lect his scatte senses, the mate turned upon his new assailants. Striking out right and left the clear- ed his way, and with one bound reached the deck. The three men were close behind him. As the first one touched the deck he received a blow from that iron fist that laid him bleeding and senseless at the mate’s feet. Quick as a flash the latter seized the pistol that had fallen from the ruf- fian’s grasp. Turning it full in the faceef the second scoundrel, as he touched the deck, the resolute de- fender pulled the trigger, and the man dropped dead, his brains scattered around him, The leader at that instant leveled his own weapon and fired. eed. Job Rogers felt a sharp, stinging sensation in his left arm, but in his excitement he heeded it not. Reaching out those terrible arms, he seized his ene- my in his powerful grasp, and poising the bulky, form for an instant in the air, he hurled him over the vessel’s stern into the sea. The rest of the pirates, taking the alarm, came rushing aft in a body to their leader's aid. A storm of bullets began to whistle around the head of the courageous mate; pulling the slide of the compan- ion-way, he sprung into the cabin and closed the doors, then he sprung to the captain's side and hur- riedly released him. “Keep a stiff upper lip, Cap!’ he ‘baid, coolly. “We kin hold our own ag’in’ the whole pack of em, now.”’ “Ah, if we could only get a chance to arm the crew!’’ sighed the old man. “As it is, the scoun- drels will only scuttle the ship and drown us like ratsinacask. Thank God, the lady is spared from these wretches, at least. Better go down in the old craft, like brave sailors, than die like dogs at the hands of such rascals.”’ While this scene was transpiring below, a no less important one was taking place above. e wind had gradually risen, Fp still light. Glancing to windward, one of the pirate’s crew ut- tered a cry of alarm. The moon was slowly rising, and in its faint light they could see a large ship bear- ing down upon them. A sudden panic seemed to seize theni at the sight, Like a pack of frightened wolves, they hurried pell- mell on board the schooner. AS hey reached her deck, a saw the form of their leader ong amidships. Drenched from his recent yioapap and supported on each side ty ee arms of two of his followers, his eyes shone like those of ademon, The spot where he stood was red with blood, and no wonder. . One of the pirate’s feet was entirely missing! Still, the determined villain was the master of his men, ‘Bring the woman with you, lade,” he cried, oarsely. 5 Too late, senor,” was the reply. “ The mate has taken the odd trick by barring the cabin doors, and yonder comes a fellow that means us mischief.”’ blr pirate glanced over his shoulder at these words. ; Then he cried suddenly: “Pass up that keg of pores boys, and cut the fuse to five minutes. ‘Throw it down the brig’s hatchway, and bundle on board the schooner. Lively, now, lively!” The men needed no urging now, for their experi- enced eyes had shown them that the ship approach- was a man-of-war and meant fight. quickly as possible the brig’s hatches were lifted and the powder-keg lowered among the with the fuse burning. Then the line holding the schooner to the brig was cut, and dropping astern, the pirate put up her helm and fell over before the wind. Her huge spread of canvas and light draught en- abled her to walk rapidly away in the rising breeze. The pursuing vessel at first only suspected ioe ng wrong from the manner in which the two | craft were yawing about. As she approached near pirate; ““vou’ll be shark's . / mf