Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 25 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

2 It seemed as if she would never get up. There she was, her sharp keel far out of water, driving along with her bows buried, needing only the stroke of another sea to turn her bot- tom upward, And that sea—a huge, roaring, liquid wall— now was rapidly approaching! “HOLD HARD FOR ¥OUR LIVES!” shouted Ben, who was at the wheel, one leg thrown around the barrel to keep him in place, Terrified, all the boys except Sinclair clung to the weather-rail. The young captain, gliding swiftly along on the weather side of the yacht, sprung to the wheel to assist the old sailor. With their united efforts, the two succeeded in jamming the the helm “ hard up.” ‘“ Now, if she answers, we’re safe, my lad; if not, it’s all over with the Swan!” On came the sea, crashing and roaring like a live monster. Sinclair and Ben watched it keenly, but as yet there was no sign of the yacht’s answering her wheel. Soon the huge wall of water was within a ship’s length of the frail vessel, Another min- ute must decide her fate. ‘¢There—she’s swinging off, at last! ALL Ricut!” suddenly exclaimed Sinclair. His young shipmates clinging to the rail, uttered a cheer. But at that moment there was a report like thunder, as the mainsail, sud- denly blowing clear of the gasket that held it, was lifted, slatting furiously, from the boom, The pressure of the sail on the after part of the vessel held her, preventing her from swing- ing off, further! Unless that sail were secured, the yacht would be lost! | Who could secure it in such a tempest? With the boom shaking and swinging over the mad vortex of roaring waters, it seemed asif no human being could hold himself to the spar! But the most imminent perils had never yet deterred Sinclair from attempting the per- formance of necessary duties. He darted at once from the wheel, sprung upon the boom, grasping two reef-points of the canvas, and, thrusting a leg between the bot- tom leach of the sail and the spar, he thus ob- tained a ‘ purchase’ which enabled him to keep his place. Several times, however, after he had thrown himself upon the slatting canvas, thus keeping it down while he passed the gas- ket around it, he was nearly hurled overboard by the jerking of the boom. In a few minutes, having secured the sail, Sinclair returned to the helm. The yacht now swung off, righted and went scudding directly before the wind, taking the threatening sea under her stern and gallantly riding it out. Meanwhile the gale was still raging fiercely. The roar of wind and ocean was terrific. On went the little vessel, scudding dead before the gale, further and further from land every mo- ment, now and then burying herself to her waist, while the foaming, roaring waters poured over both rails. “T say, boys,” exclaimed one of the lads, ‘three cheers for our gallant captain.” ‘‘You may well cheer him, my youngsters,” said Ben Bolt, ‘‘for he it is who has saved us all from going to Davy Jones’. ” The boys gave three rousing cheers. ‘“‘Long live our gallant captain!” shouted one; and the words were caught up and echoed by the rest. Sinclair bowed in acknowledgment; then, tossing his handsome head, to shake the spray from his chestnut locks, he said: “Tt was nothing, afterall. I’m used to that sort of thing!” The storm continued to rage all the rest of the day, and throughout the night, with un- abated fury. Toward morning there was 4 lull. ‘* Where are we, now?” inquired one.of the crew of Ben Bolt. “We are about two hundred miles to the -porthwest of Perth,” was the reply. ‘Can we not get back by tacking?” a ae ee ee ee — EEE Beadle,s Half-Dime Library. We had better wait until the gale goes down some more,” replied Ben Bolt; “but, first, let’s get breakfast.” A plentiful supply of provisions had been stowed aboard the vessel by the young voy- ers. The table in the neat cabin was soon set, and the crew were enjoying their meal, when, sud- denly, the clear voice of Sinclair, who had re- mained on deck at the helm, was heard: 6c S AIL J 8) !”? Ben Bolt snatching a spy glass near him, at once ran on deck, followed by all hands, ‘“‘Whereaway?” inquired the old tar of the young helmsman. ‘‘There, about three miles off: three points abaft the weather beam!” was Sinclair’s ready answer. Bolt looked long and carefully at the stran- ger, while all the boys stood watching him, earnestly. As the old tar gazed, he behaved in a singu- lar manner, rolling his quid rapidly, straddling his legs, drawing them back again, and twist- ing one side of his wide mouth upward until it almost met the corner of his left eye! At length be shut the glass with a loud click, ‘‘Let’s finish breakfast, my lads,” said he, ‘‘ Down into the cabin ye go!” ‘‘But the stranger!” inquired one of the boys, *‘ what is she?” ‘‘ What isshe?, Oh well, you seeI can’t make her out, very well. Away ye goto breakfast.” The boys descended into the cabin. Bolt seemed at first about to follow them; but, as the last one disappeared, he suddenly turned on his heel, and, with solemn face, advanced to Sinclair’s. side. ‘*] didn’t. want to ‘ sp’ile’ their breakfast for ’em,”’ he said; ‘‘ although they must know it, sooner or later,” ‘* Know what?” asked Sinclair. The old sailor laid his hand on the youth’s shoulder. “Tl tell ye, for I’ve seen plenty of them craft before. The stranger yonder is a Malay, and, what is worse yet—aA PIRATE!” CHAPTER IL THE PIRATE. “‘ ARm you sure of what you say?” inquired Sinclair. ‘¢‘ As sure as my name’s Ben Bolt.” ‘Ts she in chase of us?” ‘*She’s scudding, but. you’ll soom see her shoulder-o’-mutton sail out.” Sinclair’s eyes flashed. ‘Tf we had arms aboard,” said he, “I'd not run from her. But there are nothing but a couple of revolvers in the cabin.” “True, my lad. All we can do is to show our heels, and make the best of it.” A few minutes later, the boys having finished breakfast, came on deck. Then Sinclair, surrendering the wheel to one of them, delivered a brief address, ‘¢ Lads, the craft off our beam is a pirate. I hope every one of you will do his duty, and make sail as soon as possible.” The wind had now lulled, so that the main- sail and jib-could be set. Under this canvas, the Swan, heading as be- fore, made good progress. Suddenly, how- ever, the wind died away. Rising and falling on the long swells, lay the yacht, with her canvas rattling. The Malay—a large proa—now was about three miles distant, the Swan having increased the distance between the two craft, and thus shown herself the swifter vessel. But now the youthful crew exchanged anxious glances. ‘‘While sailing, we were all right,” whis- pered Ben to Sinclair; “but now, unless we soon have a breeze, it’s all up with us.” “Ay, “ay, Ben. What’s that?’—looking toward the pirate. ‘“‘The rascal is lowering a boat. We'll soon have the cutthroats aboard!” In fact, a long, sharp boat, manned with a crew, armed to the teeth, as Sinclair could perceive through the glass, was approaching: Some of the boys*turned pale, but all looke resolute—prepared for the worst. On came the pirates, now near enough for their wild, ferocious yells to be faintly heard. Sinclair went below, to soon return with the two revolvers. He retained one, passing the other to Ben Bolt. ‘““We can at. least fight with what arms we ‘Ay, ay, ay!” exclaimed the Te their courage rising under the influence of their brave voung captain. — As many handspikes and crowbars as could be found were procured, | ‘‘ As we haven’t anything better, we can use these!” cried one. i Meanwhile old Ben stood with his glass pointed ahead. ‘‘ A waterspout!” he exclaimed. The boys all looked in the indicated direc- tion, to see a funnel-shaped cloud, haying a long column, resembling-an elephant’s crooked trunk, approaching the yacht. Here was double peril—the pirates abeam, the waterspout ahead! er’ oy But the speed of the latter was far greater than that of the coming t. Soon it was so near that the broad ‘patch of white water, with the spray rising therefrom; at leasts hundred feet high, as the ocean was lashed” by the descending column of water, was plainly visible, while the din made by the falling spout was like the continuous roar of heavy artil- lery, causing the frail yacht to tremble from stem to stern. Meanwhile the lurid rays of the sun, flash- ing upon the millions of rising and falling drops of spray and silvery water, encircled them with multitudinous rainbows of beautiful hue, giving a strange, weird aspect to the pic- ture. Motionless, appalled, the young crew stood, watching that “demongiant” of the sea, which was still bearing down straight toward them. | On it came, until within about a mile of them, when, suddenly, the huge column waver- ing, bending like a bow, gave a sidelong sheer, and shot off in a new direction—on a line with the lee bow and away from it. “We're saved from that chap, which has turned his snout to leeward,” exclaimed Ben, as he hurled his quid toward the receding col- umn, ‘‘and I wish we. could say the same of them blasted cutthroats.” | The pirates being now less than half a mile from the yacht, their dark faces, from which their low caps, with long tassels, were pushed far back, were visible; also the gleaming of the knives and cutlasses, which, such of them as were not pulling, waved about their heads. — There seemed no hope for the yacht’s people. In a quarter of an hour, at their present rate of speed, the fierce Malays must board and cut to pieces that crew of boys! “Tf we only had half an hour!” cried Ben, wist- fully, pointing astern, where, in fact, the sea, crisped in little wrinkles, showed that a good breeze had risen, and was coming from that direction. As he spoke, a sudden, peculiar expression crossed his sun-embrowned face. Up went the side of his mouth again, twisted nearly to the corner of his eye; he thrust both hands under his waistband, and nodded his head rapidly to his young companions. “What is it?’ inquired Sinclair. “< Jist look at that’ere elephant’s trunk!” ex- claimed Ben, “and tell me if it ain’t ‘provi- vwiatt tha yok ver ** is = , ‘Ouths look t the waterspo perceive that it had ‘§ ddenty changed its di- rection—that it was now‘sweepitig along, with terrific velocity, straight to the pirates’ The alarmed Malays, seeing it coming, altered the course of ‘their boat; heading diag- onally away from the yacht; hoping thus to escape the fearful visitor. ; sia b Pulling with might and main, they endeavor- ed to get far enough to leeward for the water- EOmicboo SA( ECO) | |