Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1165 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

q “ s * for. the ; ~~ ve si) oa vib! - Pei ate 1 Usha t ph > WPS 1 94 ad r ‘ AS ‘ pe en,7! “ah - hand over hand hauled it - it to unfold in the breeze, —EEE -__;: —e—_ <---> + ~— e+ ee SS Le must be a friend—if she be a real craft,” added Lennox Montclair te himself. ‘The wind is increasing, captain, and we are now making ten” knots; yet the stranger is Pe Seg us,” remarked Walter Lyle, earn- estly. ‘* | dislike to set topsails in this breeze; but run anh up, and we'll walk away from our shadow —ha !” Hardly had the words left the commander’s lips, and the men, who stood ready at their posts, expecting tho order to increase sail, obeyed, when, like three great balls of snow, the topsails of the strange craft rose aloft and spread their canvas wings to the breeze, at the saine moment as those of the Surf Queen, and a cry from the crew echoed the exclamation of Ler commander. ‘By the Lord Harry! yonder craft is not sailed by mortal hands!” cried Walter Lyle, and all now gazed upon her, as she boldly came on, her sharp booms cutting the water like a knife, and causing no wall of foam around them, as is usual with vessels of a less keen prow than was the goleta. Steadily, swiftly she rushed forward, stand- ing up as trim as a steeple against the pressure of the ten-knot breeze, which keeled the Surf nga well over, nearly to her lee-scuppers, with the mass of canvas she carried, and each mo- ment causing renewed credence to the idea of her supernatural powers. From Lennox Montclair down to the powder- monkey on board the Surf Queen, all were com- ed to admit that their own craft was the test vessel whose deck they had ever trod, and was making better out of the breeze then blowing t they believed it ble for craft to make; yet, there, astern of them, sailed an exact fhe 249 eds of their own ship, and since their first discovery of her, half an hour wefore, she had overhauled them rapidly, sailing a cable’s length and a half to their one. — 2 wth —— hor gig ee 3 few ships’ len of the Sur n, slig “ry off, as if disdaining to take the aiventece an = her to windward. Every eye searched her ull and rigging, and the glasses of the officers were kept constantly upon her, but only to more fully realize that she was the twin cruiser of their own craft. ** Does she guns, that you can discover “a ea asked ‘Lennox, in a Voice tho crew all ear | ‘‘Her high bulwarks prevent my seeing, sir. Shall I go aloft and have a look?” : ** No; beat to quarters; have the ports open- ed and guns run out, and we’ll seo if he follows suit. ‘‘ Ay, ay, sir! but the wash of the sea will our decks,” ‘** Let it do so; this vessel will sail if her decks are under water, and the crew will only get a ducking which will do them no harm,” ‘“‘ Ay, ay, sir!” and immediately the beat to quarters sounded, the crew sprung to their places, the port sides were drawn back, and the threatening muzzles of the guns run out, while heavy seas broke through the wide openings. But hark! the sound of ‘‘ to quarters” is echo- ed from the strange craft, the ports (arranged with slides running along the bulwarks, the same as on board the Surf Queen) are opened and a like number of guns protrude their dark “By Heaven! he is our very shadow! Do you see any one on board, Mr. Lyle?’ _ “ Yes, sir; Lobserve the heads and shoulders of two men at the wheel.” ae Go aloft and see if you can discover aught ‘‘ Ay, ay, sir;” and taking his glass the lieu- dant ascended rapidly the delicate tracery that formed the shrouds. After a careful scrutiny, Lyle descended to the deck and made his report to his coniman, der. _ “Tt isa clear night, and I will show ony oalors Run up the American flag, Mr. Lyle, to the peak of the mizzen yard.” ‘* Ay, ay, captain!” answered the first officer, and taking from the q rmaster the roll of attacked it to the haly and to the peak of the laglagrita’ the eal of the American Re ay its _. Acry from the whole crew, officers and men, followed, fer distinctly seen in the moonlight, ’ mouths. of the mizzen . asthe fell off a point, was the same no from bis maizzen-peak se ! _ *'That fellow a pears a t mirror to re- wos <5 ey og ~, ‘ ’ d << aK ose -f = ex s a : Se eee : ‘ : : eee _ —T. ee te v oe _ ° a, oo oe _ ‘ - The Shadow Ship. ee ——_ ‘“Ay, he does! sce!” and as Walter Lyle spoke, the sharp bows of the stranger crept nearer and nearer, and threatened to almost touch the stern of the Surf Queen as she went by to leeward. A moment of terrible suspense to those on board the Surf Queen followed, and then the long, spear-like bowsprit was even with the stern of their vessel, and not five fathoms dis- . tant. t . ‘Tl see if they are all dumb aboard. Shall I hail, Captain Montclair?” ** Yes, Lyle, do so.” ‘* Ahoy! thethree-master, ahoy !” cried the lieu- tenant in stentorian tones; but his voice was blown back to him, and the silent vessel crept on, each moment forging past the Surf Queen, and although to leeward, apparently keeping her sails full, in spite of the towering canvas of her adversary. Again and again the hail was repeated, but no answer came as the strange craft swept by, si- ee swiftly, with only the keen sweep of the wind through her rigging, and the swash of the waves, heard. With her guns run out, anda specter-like crew, seen through the open ports around them, the strange vessel sped on, her keen bow edgin ast the stern of the Surf Queen, then amid-ships, then alongside, length with length, and only fifty feet apart, and then pa ewan to forge on until in ten minutes she bh panes ahead, leaving the American cruiser to follow in her wake; but not for long. as she continued to stand oceanward, while the Surf Queen, with officers and men only too glad to let her alone, changed her course along the shores of Long Island, and headed for a north- oust laeth a’) ted the t en at len a league separa e two vessels, Montclair drew a deep sigh of relief, and said: ‘* Well, in all my sea service I never expected to behold a sea phantom; in fact I knew not such a thing existed, except in the minds of the suporstitious andignorant. But, behold! Yon- der flies a craft that walked by us, hand over hand, when we have the fastest vessel afloat, and pe we have to carry reefed sails now, in this gale, by Jove she has not taken in an inch of canvas, or my eyes greatly deceive me, Leaving Walter Lyle in command of the deck the young commander descended into his com- fortable cabin to endeavor, by aid of a stiff drink of brandy, a cigar, and sleep, to drive from his thoughts the memory of his vessel’s twin, and dream of Claudine Vivian, whom he hoped in a few days to agreeably surprise with a visit, and astound by his promotion to so gal- lant a barque as was the Surf Queen, for Mont- clair was plotting both love and war, as he had not by any means forgotten his downfall before the eyes of his hated rival, Harold Marmaduke, CHAPTER XI. A PRIZE AND A SURPRISE. From the look-out on the Highlands, Harold and Bianca had watched the coming of the Surf Queen, until she dropped anchor under the sha- dow of the hills. ’ ‘Yes, he is going to visit his home,” said Bi- anca, as the two friends observed the gig push off from the vessel and head shorew “Ay, and with your consent we can meet him, for now I can throw in his teeth the insult he has laid at my door.” “Tam willing, Marmaduke. Do not.kill him, ROWeraT merely wing him and leave your mar : **{ will be governed by pons advice, captain. Come, I know the path well.” The meeting between the ante ae men has already been made known, ter it, Harold and Bianca walked slowly toward the home of the pilot, where they were greeted by Aline El- between whom and the captain was rapidly get ng up a most tender eg aye? ally growing in grace an uty, and pos- sessing a refined manner, added to a cultivated mind, for the pilot and his wife had not neglect- ed the education of their daughter, Aline imme- diately won the admiration of Bianca, an admi- ration that almost as quickly ripened into love, for the maiden to him wasa rara avis, as *tbwere —so different was she from any woman the dar- ing young sailor had ever met. Oo mi t the moon arose, and Bianca and Harold bade farewell to Mrs. Ellis, and started for the shore, when a boat awaited carry them on-board the Steel Belt, On the way to the shore Enoch and Harold walked in advance, conversing earnestly, while, followimg them, and y loitering, came “4 — ~ ~ _ —_y + 2 ae es - " . d | . Swan, the two vessels northward, ruggea 13 Bianca and Aline, for they had much to gay. to each other ere parting. Arriving upon the pier, farewells were spoken, the two officers aprnng into their boat, and in ten minutes the Steel Belt was creeping forth from the land’s shadow and heading down the Shrewsbury toward Sandy Hook, which the Surf Queen was then roun of a ten-knot breeze. ‘By the Lord Harry, but our twin sails well!” exclaimed Bianca, as he caught sight of the copy of his vessel dashing gallantly along. ‘Yes, but I think we are gaining u her although not yet ouv of the shelter of helena where we can get the full breeze,” said Harold, “True, we gain upon her slowly, but soon will double our present speed;” and the beautiful vessel gained rapidly upon her rival, passed her in silence, and stood directly out to sea, leaving the Surf Queen to keep on up the coast. Toward sunrise the following morning a large brig apparently armed, though her rig and build indicated a merchantman, was discovered to the! southward, and immediate!y the goleta gave chase, and in two hours had brought her by a well-directed shot, aimed by d, which carried away her bowsprit. On the Steel Belt swept until only a fathom’s length divided her from the brig, whieh kept up a rapid, but ineffectual fire, for her shots were all hurriedly aimed and went wide of their mark. ‘Stand ready all! Ward! hard down your ady,now! Throw your nels aboard! Steel Belts, follow me!” genders ge around gracefully, as though on a pivot, the Steel Belt came up under the stern and her sharp bowsprit hovered over her decks, while, with rattle and thud, the iron grapnels were thrown by expert hands. ‘Steel Belts ahoy!” again rung the cry, and fifty human forms were upon the decks of the Englishman. In vain the resistance of the dismayed crew of the brig; ey were driven back as though before an avalanche, and in two minutes” cry for quarter was heard. ‘Sir! I surrender the brig to you,” and the commander of the lish vessel stepped for- ward and presented sword, while a voice suddenly exclaimed: | ‘* As I live! there is Lieutenant Marmaduke!” “Racine Ney! You here, and why?’ and Harold graspe the hand of the young com- mander of the chebacca-boat, with surprise at seein ng hin the 4s 6s g under pressure am a prisoner, having been captured with the chebacca-boat, when out on a sail, and Lady Claudine—” ‘* What of her, Racine?” asked Harold, nerv- ey a ‘* She is aboard, sir.” ‘* Aboard this vessel?” ‘‘ Ay, ay, sir; we were out for a sail in the yacht, and were overhauled by this ‘Lady Claudine is in the cabin; but, Mr. Marmakuke, who is yonder man?’ and i turned his eyes toward Bianca, —s_g ‘‘ That is the commander of our vessel; here he comes, Captain Bianca, this is Racine Ney. a friend of mine, and of whom you have heard me ““Great God! Racine Ney, do you not know me? Lam Claude Bianca!” . With a cry Racine sprung forward and apes the hands of Bianca, saying earnestly: ‘Indeed, I remember you, my more than half brother, even though long years have pass- ed finde jaw by aig and I believed oe eo ‘No, - not, as you supposed ved te seek and find you; but, = little ice?” ‘‘T know not, Claude; [have notseen or heard of her since she was torn from my arms in Vera ag by the vile man who took us from our ome. . , : Bianca stood in silence a moment, and then rR Cot tor I will ome, we must away now, for ta prize crew aboard the brig and let her follow ug into Boston,” and ina few minutes all necessary ics aye = were made, and Harold hay sought the frightened Claudine in the cabin presented Bianca, who at once promised to re- turn her to her home, with the crew of the Wild squared away and headed SUR te CHAPTER XI, THE CRUISE OF THE STERIL BELT. TOWARD sunset a pleasant ing week: atter ‘he capture of the brig, the ‘bold ard of was sighted, and, ore day Maine e- = ’ - > . ee re. | tory is soon told, Mr. Marmaduke. I Racine, what of poor |