Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1139 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

G ' ear in the darkness ahead, like a flying cloud. The oretopsail had been blown clear out of the bolt-ropes. “Twill catch the rate,”’.said Captain ‘lark, grimly, ‘“‘ but we can af- ford adozen suchif we can only run down our game. 19 He then gave orders to get a new top-sail from the | sail-room and bend it at once. In a very short time the empty yard was crowded with daring sailors. It was no child’s play they were now called upon to ac- complish. And vot, in twenty minutes’ time a new top-sail had been sheeted home and mast-headed, by a hundred powerful arms. “Every moment tells now,” said Captain Clark, doy pully’ “Tf it wasn’t for deadening our headway, ’d be tempted to send him our compliments from the bow.gun. Never mind, though; let us°once get | near enough and we'll give him a dose that will be | still more effective. Ah! there he goes, as I expect- ed! He is heading his vessel through that narrow opening in yonder reef. Go for’ard, Mr. Jones, and | The Vixen shall follow | watch his course if you can. him through there or go to the bottom in the effort. It shall never be said that a Yankee has been out- done in daring by a scoundrelly pirate.” Even with a moderate breeze, and by daylight, the run through that long, winding, narrow passage was a most desperate undertaking. It can be easily imagined, then, what nerves of steel were required to attempt it in the darkness. Overhead, the wind howled and shrieked like de- mons clamoring for their prey, and the black clouds scudding across the heavens occasionally shutting out fora moment the moon’s fitful light. On dashed the pirate schooner, however, through the narrow Opening, which, a short Gistance away, was scarcely Re eL ED. Pedro Santillez had determined to run that gant- let, at. all hazards. Too well he knew the de- termined character of the cruiser’s commander be- hind him, It was on that same reckless disregard of danger that he had counted from thestart. He knew that there were but seventeen feet of water in the passage at high tide, while the cruiser astern drew eighteen, at least. At that moment—by his calcula- tion—the depth was not more than sixteen feet, scarcely sufficient to clear the keel of his own vessel. | | tense darkness was ct on the scene. Should the cruiser then attempt to follow, she must certainly be dashed to pieces upon the cruel rocks, Away. like .a. bird, the pirate schooner dashed through the entrance. On either side of her, the sharp, black rocks reared their angry heads, while the surf breaking over them was thrown high in the air in crested foam. Hardly a cable's length behind her came the gal- lant cruiser, her captain watching everything with a critical eye. War out on her bowsprit, wet to the skin with the dashing spray, the brave OUDE: Tae eres watched and noted every turn and twist of their slippery enemy. ure On eek rushed the frigate like a creature of life that seemed to have caught and shared the excite- ment of the chase. She, too, now has entered the | narrowest part of the PASEAED. ‘*Starboard!”’ cried the young officer, in clear, a ing words, which are passed from mouth to mouth to the helmsman, for no human voice can be heard far in that gale. , ! The huge ship changes her course a trifle, just in time to avoid a sharp section of the reef. So narrow was the escape that a broad strip of peut was scraped in an instant from her painted des. ,, | “ Btegiy 1" and she is off again in the chase. And s0 quic and. surely came the orders from the look-out that the huge cruiser doubles and bends safely through the tortuous channel. Far beyond, they could see the clear open sea, the int for which the pirate chief was heading. Stand- ees by the wheel, the latter individual was keenly watching every movement of his determined’ adver- sary, and every moment he expected to see her dash- ed to.pieces upon the rocks.’ But, minute after minute pantes and yet the expected catastrophe came not, * Ourses on her luck!” he muttered, ‘She seems to bear a charmed life, May her helmsman’s arm DS ow ulyzed, but I fear she will run through, after al ‘(ue pirate had left out one most important item in his ealeulation. He had-not considered the fact that the strong gale was driving the waters in to an unusual depth, His only hope now was that his adversary might make the least mistake; for the smallest deviation from that channel meant instant destruc- tion. * Atleast we shall ive him a pretty chase,” he nent as he glanc toward the open sea just ahead; Still onward came the cruiser, her bows answeri promptly, to the rudder. Once only her keel gra gharpty on the rocks, beneath as she ed over an unusually shallow spot; but, never for an instant did she lose her flying headway. The schooner's knife-like bows emerged into the open sea. vy “Good!” muttered the pirate; ‘‘ we are safely out of that scrape at last.” The next ot his helm was put hard down. As the Isabelle's head came up in the wind, the sheets were flattened and away she flew, Sapapent over with the force of the e and heading well up in the wind’s eye. CHAPTER X. THE ILL-OMEN. On, swept the Vixen, resistless as fate. She too made the opening safely and her danger was past. “Wow, my boys,” roared Captain Clark, through Beadle’s Half: ee —eQ——_— — -CtC _ his trumpet, “‘ round in the lee braces! | GE OU, and—”’ irate before we ¢%, at that | l _storm, broke from the lips of the Clark, when the last traces of the wreck had ————— + — = —— EE Aloft, some it before he could complete the sentence a gust of wind struck the devoted ship with the force of an | avalanche. Away went her canvas, torn into ribbons, and away went the fore-topmast broken short off at the sp The race was lost / A ery of triumph, swallowed up in the shrieking pirate’s ‘crew. Their own craft had heeled far over under that blast, but righted instantly and dashed gayly on. There were heavy hearts on board the ** Vixen”"’ at that moment. ‘* That ends the chase, for this season,’’ said Cap- tain Clark, gs £ ‘* How those scoundrels must enjoy this sight. onder they go, as saucy and de- fiant as ever, and I dare not even cast loose a gun in this heavy sea.”’ Under nothing but bare poles, the cruiser’s head was put before the wind, while the crew were busily engaged in getting new sails bent on the topsail ‘ards. Quietly and rapidly they worked at their sk. Then the new canvas was close-reefed, the ae set ¢<-, shey once more headed up in the wind. Captain Clark still held a faint hope that some- thing might, meanwhile, happen to disable his oppo- nent and give him a chance to overtake her. The wreck of the foretopmast, hanging to lee- Hy ag was cut adrift, for it was impossible to save it then. Sea after sea struck and broke over the cruiser’s bows, but the ship was strong and stanch, and it did no other injury than drenching her crew. And still the wind increased in violence until they were at last compelled to take in the mizzen topsail, already closely reefed. It was indeed a regular hurricane, such as the pi- rate had counted upon and prepared for, The black clouds Se this time had shut out all light, ae his course impossible to be noted by the ‘** Vixen.” The last the frigate saw of the schooner she was flying on as lightly asa bird. Then that pall of in- elow!"’ shouted Captain een cleared away. ‘‘ Let the watch on deck examine the guns and see toit that they are securely lashed. Let the life-lines be stretched along thedeck. “We will be able to do no more with that rascal until we have run into port and‘repaired damages, I fear. The scoundrels are game to the backbone, that’s certain. Who would have thought they would have dared to pitch into us in that lively manner?” He passed his trumpet to the officer of the deck as he spoke, and, with a sigh of regret, descended the companion-way to his cabin, Meanwhile the crew of the Isabelle were jubilant over their escape. Close-hauled on the wind, they knew that no square-rigged vessel could hope to catch her, Pedro Santillez was alone saypone’ with the re- sult, The marvelous escape of the cruiser in running that narrow gantlet troubled him. Notwithstanding the calamity that had afterward overtaken her, he looked upon it as an ill-omen, True, his enemy was temporarily disabled from parent but then, the broken spars could be replaced an en— He ground his teeth in rage as he thought of what would then ensue. Any other man in his position would have at once resolved to leave the locality which had grown so warm, to continue his career where he would meet with less persistent enemies; but this.pirate’s blood was up and he stubbornly re- solved to fight it out. ‘*No,” he growled, ‘‘T’ll beat that infernal Yankee yet, or go to the bottom in the attempt. At least,”’ e added, as he descended into his cabin, “I can blow the schooner to atomsif the worst comes to the worst. It shall never be said that they captured her, If I must be conquered, I shall die a death be- fitting my name.”’ He glanced, as he spoke, toward the end of a fuse projecting through a hole in the cabin bulkhead, Of all on board, Pedro Santillez alone knew that the other end of that fuse connected with the maga- zine, and there was sufficient powder therein to blow them all to atoms in the twinkling of aneye. | The thought seemed in a measure to calm his un- easy feelings. Gaing to his locker, he took out a brandy bottle, and tossed a huge bumper down his capacious throat. He was beginning to recover his confidence, At that moment there was a tap at his door, and he turned to see the crafty face of his lieutenant Sancho, peering into the room, ‘What now?” demanded the chief, re ‘‘ Pardon, senor,’’ was the reply; ‘* but one of the men has gue been washed down in the lee-scuppers by the last heavy sea that struck us, We got him out as soon as possible, but he’s badly hurt. Some of his ribs are mashed in, and I think his left arm is broken.” * What’s all that to me, that you should trouble me about it?” demanded the pirate, in some irrita- tion. **Couldn’t you send Frazer to him at once, without disturbing me?”’ ‘** John Frazer, senor?” “Oertainly! Must I speak twice before get my words through your thick skull?” ‘* But, senor captain, it is impossible; the man is not on board.” A red flush of e swept over the pirate’s face. His eyes glittered with a dangerous light, but, con- trolling himself by an effort, he said, sharply: ‘Surely, you must be mistaken, anche: I my- ‘Pipe down the watc you can -Dime Library. a self told you to see to it that every man except Baba should be on board this night, and you have never disobeyed me before.”’ ‘** Nor did I this time, senor. board when we raised our sails. John Frazer was op I myself saw him | while we were cutting the cable, and so did the ress of the crew.”’ ‘‘'Then he must be here now, unless he has been washed overboard,” said the pirate, decidedly; but as the recollection of the individual’s courage and daring came over his mind, he changed color. What if John Frazer were at that moment en- gaged in some plan to disable the vessel, and throw 1er in the hands of theirenemy? And there was the unguarded powder-magazine! “Let the schooner be thoroughly searched at once,”’ the pirate sternly ordered. ‘‘ Not a place big enough for a rat must be missed. You will fin him, never fear, and when you do, tie him securely, and bring him to me.”’ Sancho turned away to give the necessary orders, while the pirate chief hastily gras the end of the ek ad fuse, and drew it through into the cabin. | A dozen yards of it lay at his feet as he finished. “T nearly forgot that,’’ he muttered. “It would never do to have the men know what a jolly fate I have prepared for vhem if all goes wrong.” He threw the coil out of sight in his state-room, and sat ex 265 ea | waiting for the missing man to be brought before him. A full hour passed slowly by, and the pirate was beginning to grow impatient. But he would not go on deck to inquire, and thus betray his anxiety. At last, the ugly face of Sancho reappeared. He was alone. ‘‘Where’s your prisoner?” demanded the pirate angrily. ** Pardon, senor; but the man is not to be found. I'll stake my life he is not on board the schooner.” Yes, the mysterious individual known as John Frazer was missing. : Had he been washed overboard in the gale unno- ticed, or what had become of him? *‘Another ill-omen,’’ thought the pirate as he swallowed a second glass of brandy to steady his nerves. Then he said: ‘You men are as blind ag bats. I will look for him myself,”’ CHAPTER XI. WAKING UP JOB ROGERS AGAIN, Fark more uneasy than he cared to reveal, the pirate proceeded to carry out his purpose. As a matter of precaution he satisfied himself that his pistols were in order before starting. Then, conceal. ing S pone up his sleeve he proceeded with the search. It was not such a verv difficult task either, for the schooner had been unloaded of her late spoils. Only the usual water casks and NM gui took u the yoom in the hold, together with the spare sai and rigging always carried. The space over the keel was taken up with heavy pigs of, lead securely bolted down and serving as ballast. Close by the cabin bulkhead, stood the magazine, built of heavy timbers and covered with sheet lead. It was closed by a peculiar lock andthe key to it was in the pirate’s own possession, The peat ribs of the schooner, plainly visible, offered no place of refuge. So the search was fruitless. Phew was the last man that saw him?” asked the pirate. But all his keen questioning elicited was that Frazer had been seen just previous to the run from their retreat. There had been too much excitement since then to pay heed to who was around them and Frazer never was very sociable. ‘*He must have drowned himself then instead of coring te go to the bottom in our company lads,’’ said the pirate with a harsh laugh. “Well, I am glad we are well rid of him, anyhow.” The pirate returned to his cabin with a heavy scowl darkening his face. A thought flashed across his mind that perhaps the man swum ashore at the last moment. But, even if that were possible the dwarf would discover him, and he couJd do no harm + long as the powerful dwarf was there te oppose him, radually, however, he dismissed this th as impossible, and settled down to the belief that the man had been washed overboard unnoticed, Once more having recourse to the bottle, he threw himself on his b and was soon sleeping soundly. At pe the next morning no sn was to seen of their late pursuer. “*So,” mutte the pirate *‘ he’s. concluded to haul off and repair damages, it seems. We shall have e for acouple of weeks at least, It will take him fully that time to get such a spar as he needs, Meanwhile, Sancho, you can keep the schooner head- ed as she Tell the look-out to keep his eyes open. We will have plenty of time to pick up a few prizea and get back to the island before that Yankee can ter us again.” The e had abated considerably and the wind was still going down. Stopping only long enough = ase out her reefs the schooner again dashed ahead. Toward six bells (11 o’clock) in the forenoon, thé look-out reported a sail ahead. The pirate snatched up his glass hurriedly. ** Broad in the bow as a tub,’’ he muttered. ‘‘ Well who knows but that she may be worth our time? Been badly shaken up in last night’s gale, too. Kee the schooner as she is. We'll take a closer look at 3 anyhow.”’ e bled vessel, most of her top-ham rar- ried away, ws staggering slowly on mnder & tiehs ‘ a ee - eee ee CCC a oe eT nln ae — A \ Be Te $4 <i ar te W -