Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1165 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

eee ee from the dark shadows of the Highlands, and headed up toward the Narrows. About half the distance across the bay had - been run, when the moon arose, and its bright light fell upon the snowy white canvas of an ap- proaching vessel, which under a cloud of sail was flying toward the little schooner. ‘That is the goleta; I recognize her lateen rig,” said Harold, who, with Enoch, the cox- swain and Aline stood upon the pilot-schooner’s deck.” ; ‘* Yos, it must be; how she flies through the water,” answered Enoch. ** Indeed, she does; her speed is remarkable; bring her up closer, my man, and I will hail her,” answered Harold, and as the schooner ap- proached, he called out in his clear, sant , Voice: Ae “* Kl Cintd de Acero, ahoy!” % ** Ahoy the schooner! Is that you, Marma- duke?” came in the ringing tones of Bianca. — S “Ay, ay, sir! If you will come up into the = wind we will board you.” ** All right!” cried Bianca, and giving an order to his men, the beautiful vessel swept swiftly up into the wind, while at the same time, with sea- man-like skill and s eed, a cutter was lowered from her and put off for the pilot-boat, which had not yet come to. r ‘“‘ Now, Aline, watch that little heart of yours, for you are going to meet a dangerously fasci- nating man,” said Harold, playfully, as the party waited for the approaching boat. ‘“‘Thave no fear, Harold; but, how beautiful the vessel looks lying there upon the water,” an- swered Aline, and the naxt moment the boat came alongside and all sprung in. ‘* Stand back for your anchorage, Dave, and seo if you can not make the Marmaduke crowd yonder schooner, for you know nothing in these waters has ever led our little craft,” said Enoch to his helmsman, and, as the boat shoved off, the eager crew of the graceful little harbor guide, sprung nimbly to work crowding their yesse] withall the sail she would carry. ‘*Marmaduke, you are indeed welcome on board the Steel Belt!” and Bianca eagerly grasped his lieuteriant’s hand. Sy eS Thank you, captain. Thisis my sister, Aline, whom it gives me pleasure to present to you, _and this gentleman, my adopted father, Captain Enoch Ellis, The coxswain you have met be- tore,” said Harold, as the party reached the deck, * Miss Ellis, it gives me great pleasure to be thus- honored. Captain Ellis, [ greet you, both for your own and for Marmaduke’s sake, Cox- swain, go forward, please, and ask my second luff, Senor Muriel, to rank you as boatswain of - the Steel Belt.” Gracefully unaffected, and with a tender kind- ness in his manner, Bianca greeted his guests, and led them aft to the slightly-raised quarter- deck, where luxurious seats were placed for them, while Mat Morris, in delight at his unex- pected promotion, walked forward with a _ prouder step than he had ever before as- sumed. ** With your permission, captain, I will take the wheel, as Harold tells me you wish a hiding- place in our waters for a day or two.” _ Certainly; the craft is in your hands, and it will be a favor if you can carry her into a snug harbor, though it will not be for long,” answer- ed Bianca, and turning to Harold he said, with _ excusable elation and pitch in his tones: ‘Well, Marmaduke, what do you think of my vessel?” ; : : Harold glanced admiringly, and with a sea- man’s eye over her perfect and elegant propor- tions, from hull to the point of her penciled top- ts, : she was a three-masted schooner, or what is known in the Southern waters as a caravel, or goleta, and registered about three hundred Moving over the waters as though merely skimming them in her flight, she appeared almost like some huge bird from the upper air, search- ee sea for prey. eee © was very ong narrow, and of great depth, and crouthed low upon the water, as if reparing to spring like a hound upon her game. _ Tae bull was painted black, only relieved from _ - stem to stern by a narrow band of shining,steel, » __ like a belt, encircling her, and of pure metal, - bright and glistening in the moonlight like the flash of a keen sw ; her hull, lying low in the _ water, was surrounded by high bulwarks, the hight of a man’s head, which inclined slightly -in-board, but ‘not sufficiently to conceal three bright guns to a side, while three more, mounted | ~—s- upon pivots, upon the forecastle, astern and amidships, were of much larger caliber, und evi- Nn f, )] — ‘y oh, ee ok gals Pi PELE Veen r2* 4 ¢* \ 3 > he tO Oe Ft Reha! rs ¥ ras “sir fa a ; e < 5s i “ sa btelatchd & a Sr? ee af ? ; Fat + : * a2 rae i: - yO sea, i2s | 7 ad * ane rf aah zs ; . : 7 » Soo . - = . r. ; 4° ar " _ ee < =—= : = > - a | 5 . i és ‘ = pat ete e * - — 4 z s > ai a hes OS ~ ee cil at CL OC LL LLL LL LL LL LLL LLB LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL ALLL LLL . _ ' . * Aye ¥ 4 *. wFr , eae - sl 4 ‘- ot = € —e a The Shadow Shi dently intended for long range, either in pursuit or flight. The deck was painted white and bore no stain, while the quarter-deck was slightly raised above the ordinary level, giving a view of the head and shoulders of the man at the wheel, to a pass- ing. vessel. he symmetry of the vessel was faultless, and her deep hulliadicated great weatherly qualities and a capacity of carrying immense pressure o canvas, even in roughest weather, while it also roved she could be driven with wonderful speed | through the water by the amount of duck it would uphold. | The three masts were slender, single sticks, | sloping off at the top to an almost pencil-like | point, and the three rearing toa hight of over ninety feet, for they were all very nearly the same in length, and raked boldly aft, while the standing rigging was extremely slight, the sails | being hoisted aloft from the deck, by means of treble halyards rove through trucks at the | mast-heads, where were also halyards for send- ing up flying topsails. . | Phe masts were half encircled, near the declk, with racks containing long, glittering boarding- pikes; and fore, main, and mizzen-must were all stained a rich brown color, and polished like marble, as were the slender, but extremely lon yards (almost rivaling the masts in length), tha crossed them, supporting the huge triangular sails that spread an immense field of canvas to the breeze; also, the goleta carried a large jib, flying-jib, and fore-mast staysail, which, with her three lateen sails, were set, and drove her through the waters with startiiag velocity, caus- ing her to leave the swift-sailing pilot-boat far astern in spite of her spread of canvas. Upon either bulwark, lashed between the guns, in brackets, were a dozen long sweeps, which could be used in a calm, by working them through small ports, to which were fastened in- side covers, to hide the holes when the oars were not at work; upon the quarter and stern davits hung three boats, of the same elegant model as the schooner, while another, the gig that had brought Harold and his party aboard, was lying bottom upward amidship, and all having the belt of steel encircling them. The’ binnacle, capstan, bars, wheels, and all other wood-work were of black walnut, highly stained, while all the moldings from stem to stern, were Brpetcnhy: of solid silver, and sparkled bright y in the moonlight; upon asmall stationary .stand of carved wood, just forward of the wheel, lay a gold speaking-trumpet, studded with precious stones, and glittering brilliantly at every motion of the vessel. Forward, and in the waist were groups of seamen, a hundred in number, dressed in dark- green pants, white shirts, the collar of green silk, overlapping the shoulder, and wearing oe their heads green skull-caps, with gold bullion tassel, while around their waists were belts of Jinely woven steel, For a long, long time, Harold gazed bewil- dered, upon the beautiful boat, her strange equipment, and stranger crew, who appeared to be dark-skinned Mexicans, and under a disci- pline as thorough as that of an English man-of- war. Then he turned toward her strange com- mander, who, ar poning Aline upon his arm, had been showing her about the decks. Bianca was attired in a uniform of dark-green broadcloth, trimmed around the cuffs, upon the collar, and adown the outer seams of the ee with neigh gold lace, while upon the shoulders were solid gold epaulettes, fashioned in the shape of a sea-shell. pon his breast sparkled several ‘‘ orders,” and around his waist, and half-concealed by a green silk sash, was a belt of steel, something like those worn by his crew, but of finer workman- ship. Upon his head he wore a gold wire cap, helmet, to ward off a blow from a cutlass, and for ornament, for it was certainly a magnificent covering for his gold-brown locks. ; A short sword hung suspended from his steel belt, which also held two handsome pistols, and this, with gauntlet-gloved hands, completed the outfit of Captain Bianca. The young officer, second luff, whom Bianca had addressed as Muriel, and another promena- Se sa him whom Harold knew to be third lieutenant, were attired in like manner as their commander, only they wore silver and not gold trimmings. ‘You ask me whatI think of your vessel, Captain Biauca? Ihave no words to tell you, for I am speechless with surprised admiration,” admitted Harold, after a critical examination. i ‘Tam glad you are pleased with your future ~ [ - . 7 oo" ¢ -* ~ - ‘a une Le 2="9 = * AS “ ~ ain —— ee ee ee > — i ~ + - 7X é z +7, <- ee oe ~ “- £ > 3 <. = - s ¥ es) Ded soe S = > = i 7 * g ; half-naval, half-jockey, and serving both as a ' > - ie ee m< +. “~~ “= - « “ * - md <2 = ~" - ~ Bi sa 4 - yes aes “yw rh hie mans —> on Mia - . y. b . . ee ‘ “ e* : a ite | * — + ~~, * ‘ + mV alae - * Po 11 2 © home. Mr. Muriel, set her sky-scrapers, and then come aft with Orlando, for I wish you to meet my friends,” In obedience to the order was heard the boat- swain’s call, for Mat Morris was rigged out in the uniform and whistle of his new office, and immediately there arose from the deck, soaring aloft like huge white birds, the three light flying topsails, which at once settled into their places, and added renewed velocity to the speed of the schooner. ‘* She sails like a witch. See how she has left your little craft, Captain Ellis,” cried Bianca, a 8 ok ‘Yes, | know nothing that can be diiven through the water with this speed in such a breeze. Why, she makes ten out of a six-knot puff,” answered Enoch, and as at this moment the two lieutenants approached, Bianca turned and presented them to his guests, adding, after the introduction: ‘You see I have only Mexicans with me; you Marmaduke and myself, excepting my servan Ebony, and your man Morris, will be the only foreigners, but though I say it, that perha should not, no better crew mans any craftafloat,” ‘| believe you, Captain Bianca, Shall I as- sume my duties now and shorten sail, for we are running in rapidly toward shallow water?” an- swered Harold. , ‘Do so, please, and allow me to say that my shij*tailor has already finished your uniform which, with other appurtenances, you will find in your state-room.” arold bowed his thanks, and then, with an accent of Spanish as pure as a native, gave his orders to shorten sail in tones that told the crew their acquisition of first luff fully knew his du- ties and was every inch a man and sailor, Rapidly the topsails descended to the deck; down came the huge lateen mainsail and flying jib, and mae the vessel swept on, under the skillful guidance of Enoch Ellis, past the frowning hights of the Highlands, around Rock Point, into the quiet waters of the nort Shrewsbury river, where her anchor was low- ered and she became stationary,: while Harold Bianca, Enoch and Aline entered the gig and were rowed to the little pier, the commander being persuaded to take up bis quarters ashore, while his vessel remained there, and little per- suasion it needed, for already had his manly heart begun to throb at every work and look of the pilot’s daughter, | CHAPTER IX, ‘ AN UNEXPECTED RENCONTER. Uron the afternoon following the night upon which the Hl Cinto de Acero stood down the bay, and sought a hiding-place beneath the Highlands, a craft, strangely like the Mexican sped through the Narrows, and headed towar Sandy Hook. ) i ay. It was the copy of the Steel Belt, and to even © a close observer could not be told from the original; but there was a difference when it came to a thorough examination of her parts, Upon the decks, however, appeared a widely different crew, for the uniform of the United States was visible upon over a hundred seamen, and scme thirty upeigae marines, while upon the quarter-deck stood her officers, two of whom the reader has met before, for they are Lennox Montclair and Walter Lyle, who had been de- tached from the sloop-of-war and frigate and ordered to the command of the goleta, which Judge Montclair had purchased and presented to the Government, upon condition his son should be Bry, in command, oe alter Lyle was given the position of first Delighted with the movement and speed of their vessel, the two officers were conversing gayly together as she sped through the Nar- rows, when suddenly tle second lieutenant who had charge of the deck, came forward and “Captain Montclair, will you run directly for the point of the Hook, or will you go through the inner channel?” ‘Keep her away, Mr. Latrobe, as much as. possible. Hold! do you see yonder white villa rising above that sea of green foliage—there, just one point off the lee bow?” As | 08, ow.” 5 fee “That is my home; head for that, forI would _. land there ere sunset and take a parting glassof = the old governor's good sherry.” . y; ’ Sr, ' : 4 . j “Yon live here on this bay, then, captain? | e queried Lyle, as the second officer w away. ees ‘** Yes; yonder home is my birthplace, and no baie old gentleman owns some thousand acres there, which he holiis in Seeenide for his son and heir, . es SA Ma as et