Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 25 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

4 —_ Eee eee ———— assistance, the youth succeeded in reaching the foot of the companion steps. Just then, down through the companionway, rolled a fiery column, driving him back. The flames had reached the after part of the ship! Sinclair and the old sailor looked at each other, Shut up in this burning craft, with the fire new almost surrounding them, they saw no way of escape! Suddenly Sinclair’s gaze fell on an ax in one corner of the cabin; from that instrument it wandered to the closed cabin window, whick was too small for the passage of a human body. The youth putting the girl in the old sailor’s charge, snatched up the ax, and, rushing between some of the burning pieces of timber, was soon by the cabin window, the sash and shutter of which, with one blow of his weapon, he dashed open. Then he proceeded to knock away the framework, so as to enlarge the aperture, Meanwhile the smoke and fire rushing into the cabin, were almost unendurable. Sinclair staggered in his work, and gasped for breath, but not once did he relax the force of his blows. Swiftly and with good effect they fell. The woodwork opened and dropped apart under the crashing ax. At last the aperture was large enough for a person to pass through it. Then Sinclair staggered, and the ax slipped from his grasp. Sucked in by the draft of the window, long, snake-like columns of fire now were drawn toward the youth, the suffocating heat, added to his recent exertions, nearly overpowering him. Ben, with the girl, was near the opening. Sinclair seized her quickly, with both arms, and, bidding the old sailor leap into the gig, which, by this time, had been brought astern, its occupants having been drawn thither by the sound of their captain’s blows, he stood ready to pass to him the precious burden. Bolt, soon in the gig, received the girl; at the same moment, the fire streamed through the opening and Sinclair fell back! ‘“‘Save him! save him!” pleaded the girl, wringing her hands, Ben stood aghast. The fire now rushing, in lurid volumes, through the cabin window, formed a scorching barrier which no man could pass. ‘* Lost! lost! no hope for him, now!” cried the old sailor. As he spoke, caught by a long swell, the brig rolled far over. This caused the burning tim- bers in the cabin, whence the flames issued, to fall to one side, when the fire column was seen to swerve from the window opening. Bolt was not slow to take advantage of this, He sprung into the cabin, to see Sinclair lying, nearly suffocated and half senseless, a few feet from the window. ‘Stand by, there!” he called to the boys in the boat: Then, picking up the youth, he passed him h the window to his young shipmates, who deposited him in the gig. Ben did not follow a moment too soon. The flames licked his back when he entered the boat, which was now pushed off. Sinclair opened his eyes as the fresh wind blew in his face, and, raising himself on his elbow, his gaze fell on the girl he had saved. She sat near him, and had evidently been watching him with much interest and anxiety. She was a beautiful girl of the brunette type, with brown eyes, smooth, oval cheeks, and long, shining, black tresses. She wore a dress of some dark material, neatly trimmed, and setting off to advantage the round, flexible waist, which made one of the attractions of a form of unrivaled grace. “You have recovered,” she said, blushing, as she encountered the young sailor’s gaze. ‘I am so glad.” In the red firelight streaming out on the water from the burning vessel, her eyes shone like stars. Sinclair rose and sat down by her. “And I am deeply thankful that you are saved,” he responded feelingly. a ee eee ee — ee SSS rr Beadle,s Half- faltered the girl. The gig was soon alongside the yacht, when Mora Morton, which the rescued girl had stated was her name, was helped aboard. Sinclair conducted her into the cabin, and showed her a neat little apartment, which he informed her she might occupy while she remained aboard. Sinclair then went on deck, to see Ben look- ing away beyond the burning remains of the ship, which had d in the middle. “That rascal will be after us again,” re- marked the old sailor. ‘“‘So, you see, I have put back on our other course.” “ Ay, it is time,” responded the young cap- tain, watching the proa, which he could now dimly see, heading toward the yacht. The latter made good progress. Soon, the ship, having burned to the water’s edge, the pirate was no longer visible in the deep gloom. By morning the proa was seen far away, astern; still, however, in chase. Mora Morton, having slept little, was early on deck, watching the pirate. Sinclair, who, with the rest of the crew, had, throughout the night, taken his turn on the lookout, made his way to her side, po- litely lifting his cap and bidding her good- morning. A moment, as she replied to his salutation, her soft, dark eyes shone upon him, then they were shyly vailed by the long lashes, while a bright, warm blush suffused the smooth cheeks and the white neck. The frank, handsome face, the fine form, and the pleasant, easy manners of the youth who had so bravely rescued her, on the night before, could not fail to impress her favorably. ‘‘How did you pass the night?” Sinclair in- quired. “IT could not sleep,” she answered, “JI Dime Library. do nothing but think of the horrible fate of | the ship’s crew.” ‘Were you a passenger?” “Oh, sir, ask me no questions, I beg of you,” she said, tears springing to her eyes, and she with difficulty repressed a sob. The girl seemed agitated. Sinclair forbore questioning her, although he was surprised that she made no explanations regarding her. presence aboard the merchant vessel. Soon she left him and retired to her room. A mo- ment after, Bolt joined him. ‘‘Do you think your uncle’s treasure was lost with the Texel, or that the pirates got it, before leaving the burning craft?’ he inquired, ‘I think they have it,” answered the youth. ‘If I had a few guns, and a few more men, I would endeavor to wrest it from them.” ‘‘Land ’O!” sung out one of the lads forward —‘ right ahead!” Sinclair procured his glass, and went for- ward. | “What do you think of it, Ben?’ he in- anirell passing the instrument to the old sailor. ‘‘A small island,” said Bolt, “although I can’t make it out very plain, seeing as there’s a fog coming up in that quarter.” Before long, the fog was so thick, on all sides, that the proa could not be seen from the deck of the yacht. A few hours later the land was sighted, looming up through the mist which had cleared a little, about a hundred yards ahead. Ben advised Sinclair to anchor off the land, in some sheltered bay, where the yacht’s mast would not be visible from any passing craft. In that way, he thought, they could elude the pirate, who would probably go by without see- ing them. The little vessel was therefore brought close up to the wind, when, skirting the shore of the island, they finally rounded a high promontory, to soon behold a bay, which, bordered on two sides by rocks, would, they believed, serve their purpose. ' Cautiously sounding as they entered it, they came to anchor within two ships’ length of the beach, Sinclair then sent one of the crew ashore to keep a lookout from the promontory, which ‘“‘You were very, very brave to save me,”| would afford a good view of the sea, on al sides, when the fog should have cleared. The young captain, followed by Ben, now sprung into his gig, which, after conveying the lookout man ashore, had been brought back, and left alongside. The two pulling to the beach, there left the boat and went to take a survey of the interior of the island. It was still partially obscured by the mist, but enough of it was visible to show it to be a place of almost paradisiacal beauty, with its bright, green grass, flowers, its cascades of gushing water, mossy rocks, valleys, and fragrant groves. Ben and his companion had proceeded about a mile, when they came upon a high rock, rising abruptly in their path about twenty yards from the sea-shore, They were about passing to the left to get round this obstruction, when, suddenly, Sin- clair whispered to his companion: “There is an opening behind the shrubbery at the base of that rock! I am going to see what it means!” He tore the shrubbery, aside; thus disclosing the mouth of a cavern. With their revolvers held ready for use, the two entered, passing along a narrow 8, which soon terminated in a large apartment, having a boarded floor, the sides and the roof being of solid rock. The place was lighted by lamps fixed in brackets along the walls. On these, by large hooks and spikes thrust into numerous crevices, hung a plentiful array of cutlasses, pistols, dag- gers, and even boarding-pikes, while below, with their muzzles turned to the wall, were pieces of ordnance of brass and iron. Among the latter Ben was surprised to ob serve a couple of large fifteen pounders. ‘** All these have been aboard some you may be sure,” said the old sailor, ‘‘Some craft which, perhaps, has been wrecked here- about and been abandoned.” Besides the small-arms and the ordnance, the two explorers discovered many other things. Among these were cases of liquors coils of rope, spare spars, bales of goods, and barrels of ship’s stores, such as beef, pork, hard biscuit and molasses. ‘“‘ This is evidently the retreat of some Malay pirate band, probably the very one aboard the proa, from which we had hoped to escape,” was Sinclair’s opinion. © ** Ay, lad, I believe you’re right, and I think it was rash in us to venture in this place, as the Malay pirates must have left some of their number to take care of this place for ’em dur- ing their absence. They may have just gone out, and may not be far from here.” As the old sailor spoke, the murmuring of voices, with the sound of approaching footsteps, was heard. Both griped their pistols firmly. They could not now leave the cave without meeting those who were entering. Nearer came the steps along the passage. “There are many of them; they will get the better of us, my lad, if we stand,” whispered Ben to the youth. Then he pointed toa behind which the two glided, justin time to escape the notice of the foremost man who entered. He was followed by six others, all Malays. They seated themselves on a rough wooden bench, in one corner, and conversed, earnestly, in their native tongue. Suddenly one of them advanced toward the cask, behind which Sinclair and the old sailor had concealed themselves. The man saw the two, when he was a few feet from the cask. With a wild ery of sur. prise, he drew his cutlass, while the other, sprung toward the spot, their upraised weapons, flashing in their hands! CHAPTER IV. _ THE TREASUKE, Ow perceiving that they were discovered, the two yachters sprung up, and made for the passage from the cave, fohowed by tne Malays, Ebooks 5Gom