Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 25 — page 16: what you’re looking at

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

| - «553 Se SS ta et SALE S ATL We ee SS | QF EE re. RE Oe RQ ere lo Meanwhile Harris had set his,crew to getting up anchor, that he might maneuver the craft. The anchor was not a-weigh until the proas were within thirty fathoms of the merchant craft, Then Harris gave the word to his gunner, who at once sighted the long fourteen-pounder amidships and to starboard. The piece was discharged, and the jib-boom of the head proa went flying into the sea, The three proas, swinging off, presented their broadsides to the Heron, There were the six guns frowning upon the vessel, which, if the pieces were fired with ac- curacy, might be sunk by them at the first fire. The crew exchanged glances. All stood, with their glittering eyes and compressed lips, prepared for the worst. Mora realized the perilous situation. Her eyes flashed, her cheeks glowed with a resolute purpose, “‘Crowd all sail,” she said to the captain. **Perhaps I can keep these people in check!” She got over into the starboard main chains. There, motioning the pirates back, she stood, one hand grasping the shrouds, her lithe form turned sideways, her face to the foe! She was right in range of the proas’ guns, which could not be fired without destroying her! There was a yell from the pirates. cognized Mora! Mako’s eyes gleamed with wild exultation. In a voice of thunder, he ordered his gun- ners not to fire. ‘*We will board merchant craft!” he said to the English captain. ‘‘Me must have Mora alive!” Harris crowded sail. The helmsman raised his wheel. ‘‘ Steady, there!” he shouted, as the brig fell off. The man endeavored to obey, but, caught by a current, the brig’s head still swung. A mo- ment later, there was a shock. All the sails rattled: the brig went over, sideways. She was aground, alongside the low ridge of land, which, at low water, projected above the sea from the sunken island! “It’s all up with us, now!” cried the first mate, aghast. “ Ay, we must fight!” said Harris. The proas drew every moment nearer. On the rails, the bow and in the rigging, stood the dusky crew, ready for boarding. Pale and trembling, Mora stood’ watching them. She would be captured, she thought, and be made the wife of Mako. There seemed no hope for her, now. Neurer came the proas. Side by side they advanced, As they did not draw much water, they could range alongside the brig without getting aground. Soon they were near enough for the boarders to spring upon them on the deck of the mer- chant craft. ‘¢ All ready for boarders!” cried brave Cap- tain Harris, as he placed himself at the head of his crew of thirty men. The Malays of the three proas numbered nearly a hundred, As their vessels, swinging half round, came alongside the brig, one of the dusky crew, a tall fellow, naked to the waist, with a low, red cap on his head, discharged his pistol amongst the brig’s people. Mr. Sandal dropped to the With a groan, deck, a bullet in his side. “Now!” screamed. Mako, “Spring, tiger men, and tear white crew to pieces!” The Malays were on the point of obeying, when a lurid flash leaped from the mist to windward, and a shot came whizzing along, dealing death among the pirates, half a dozen of whom fell over into the water. All re- CHAPTER XV. THE LOST TREASURE. SincLair and his party, on the day the igdand sunk, had ‘noticed a singular milky ap- “ Beadle,s Half-Dime Library. — - **Under the wing” of the war-vessel he could safely prosecute his search for his son, and the other lads whom he was anxious to find. For a whole week the search was continued. Harris, with the sloop-of-war, went from island to island. The Malays, frightened by the larger craft, pretended to be civil and friendly. Their proas were hidden. The two captains, although frequently among such of them as were pirates of the most desperate character, had no ground for suspicion. They pretended entire ignorance, both as regarded Wilton and the yacht. They had never seen either, they said, as they seldom went far—only going out in their fishing-boats. Mr, Sandal, as the chances of finding his treasure thus seemed to diminish, became irri- table and gloomy. On the eighth day there was a gleam of hope. A proa was seen, chased and captured. Her appearance proved her to be a pirate. The Malay crew were made prisoners. When questioned, they gave all the informa- tion they could about the “ Little Thugs of the Sea” and their yacht. Their account, if true, seemed to prove two things—that all the boys had perished when the island went under, and that the treasure was at that time aboard the yacht. As to the yacht’s having been seen by some of the Ma- lays, after the island sunk, Harris did not know how to account for this circumstance. He scoffed at the idea of the vessel’s having been a specter vessel, for he was not at all su- perstitious, | Old Rocket was. He shook his head, saying no good would come of looking for such a craft. The captain bowed his head on his breast. ‘‘We must try to get up that vessel. Aboard of her,” he added, in a choking voice, “‘ we may find the bones of my son, and of the other lads.” “And my treasure!” mentally exclaimed Sandal, his sallow face lighting up. The sloop-of-war now stood away to the northward, her captain hoping he might in that direction find the fugitive Wilton. Harris, taking with him an expert diver, ar- rived, next day, off the spot where the island had sunk. He set the diver to work, at once, looking for the sunken yacht. The vessel could not be found. Sandal groaned and wrung his hands. ‘‘ Lost forever, my treasure!” he exclaimed. Mora, who, with the intensest interest, had been noting the movements of the diver, now leaned over the rail and looked across the wide waters, an expression of despair on her face. About a mile distant a mist had settled on the sea. From this mist the girl suddenly saw emerge the mast of aproa. It was followed by another. The second proa was followed by a third! Snake-like, the three vessels glided swiftly along toward the brig. There were the dusky pirate crews all armed to the teeth, looking over the rails: there were the two slender guns projecting out from each proa’s side! So engrossed were the crew, watching the diver who was still at work, that it was only the cry of the girl that warned them of their danger. Then, looking up they saw the proas for the first time! Captain Harris, prompt and energetic, at once distributed arms among his crew, and ordered the sailors who were to act as gunners, to their stations. “You do not intend fighting against such odds?” said Mr. Sandal to the captain. ‘‘There is no help for it,” was the reply. ‘¢ We can but do our best. Those Malay pirates never show quarter!” “f think you are right,” answered Sandal, who was no coward. He procured his revolver, and stood ready to assist the crew. The Malay vessels rapidly approached. On the bow of the head one, stood hideous Mako, his naked cutlass in his hand. Wilton, who was near him, started and look- ed uneasy. ‘“‘ Heading this way?’ éé Ay, ay. ” The young man turned his head, quickly He then encountered the gaze of old Rocket, who was aft, coiling a rope, fixed upon him in a peculiar manner. When he saw he was observed, the old tar colored, and went on coiling the rope. Wilton seemed on the point of speaking to Mora. He looked at her, but she did not see him. Since the discovery of the lost island, she had not said a word tohim, Her face was clouded with sorrow, the bright color had passed from her cheeks; she was still, thought- ful A frown wrinkled Wilton’s forehead, Walk- ing to her side, he said, in a low voice: ‘¢ Will you go with me?” She started and looked up. “Go where?’ she inquired. “‘T don’t know; but I must leave this craft, to-nightl” “Why?” ‘‘A sgsloop-of-war approaches, and Rocket knows me. I am sure of that, now! By night we will speak that vessel. Do you understand?’ ‘¢ Yes; but are you sure Rocket knows you?” ‘‘T feel convinced of it. Will you go with me?” ‘She looked at him, a moment. Then, stifling a sob, and laying one of her little hands in his, she answered: “ Yes, I will go with you!” Night soon came, The light of the sloop-of- war was seen, not a league distant. The night was dark and cloudy. ‘* Now is our time,” whispered Wilton to the young girl. At that moment, Captain Harris stole on the quarter deck, armed with a pistol, and accom- panied by his two mates, He confronted Wilton. ‘“‘T am sorry to say, that I must put you un der arrest,” he said tothe young man. ‘ Rock et tells me that you wrecked and deserted a war-vessel, that you went over to the Malays, and that, joining them, you drove away the crew of the wrecked craft,” ‘The man is a liar,” said Wilton, coolly. ‘‘Perhaps so, although I think him honest. The charge is a grave one, and therefore, if for no other reason than to save the Heron from meeting the fate of the war-craft, I must, at least, put you in confinement. Will you go into the cabin?’ The young man seemed to conclude that re- sistance was useless. He went into the cabin, and was locked in one of the rooms. Mora, trembling and agitated, had witnessed what took place, The sloop-of-war drew every moment nearer. At length Harris spoke her, to learn that she was the Cumberland of New York, of thirteen guns. He requested the captain to come aboard, and bring marines with him, as he had a pris- oner for him. The boat of the sloop was soon alongside, The captain, with several armed marines, stepped aboard. Rocket was called, and ex- planations were made. The corporal with his marines, accompanied Harris into the cabin. The skipper unlocked the dovr of the apart- ment in which Wilton had been contined. The room was empty! , The captain ran to the cabin window, which was open. A boat he had left, towing astern, was gone. “Escaped!” said the captain. ‘‘I don’t see how he did it, unless the key of his own room, which he had with him, fitted the lock, That must have been the case.” The sloop’s captain, when told of the pris- oner’s escape, returned aboard. He had said he would look round awhile, among the islands thereabout, as Wilton bad doubtless made for one of them. . Harris deemed this a fortunate circumstance, EGOMNIGEVOOKS