Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 280 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

-_- — -—- the oarsmen paused upon their oars, but gave way again with a will, as a sterm voice an- swered: “Pull, you devils, and board before the crew ean eome on deck! Then raising his voice, the zame speaker answered Merle’s hail with: ** Ahoy, the schooner!” ‘‘ What boats are those?’ cried Merle, ‘*From the American cruiser Sea Wolf!” ‘Keep off, or Ill fire into you,” ordered me sternly, convinced that the man spoke falsely. ‘** Pull, devils, all together, and the schooner is ours!” were the words then heard, and with a wild yell from their crews, the four boats dashed npon the schooner. “ Fire!” In answer to Merle’s ringing command, the whole starboard bulwark of the Gold Ship seemed to be a line of fire, and sixty muskets flashed forth a shower of leaden hail. Then came the pattering of bullets 2 oe wood, the splashing of oars in the water, shrieks of agony, groans, curses and shouts of the offi- cers to ‘‘seize the Gold Ship and show no mercy!” The next instant two of the boats struck the side of the schooner, and their crews threw themsalves upon the deck, and at once a fierce and most sanguinary fight bogan, assailants and defenders becoming locked together in a hand-to-hand conflict. The aerate Ripe Ae realized that where they had expected surprise their foe, they had been surprised by finding that foe prepared for them; but the ee for which they fought was the far-famed Gold Ship, the capture of which would makeall of them rich, and they deter- mined to win or die. Their young ‘eader, Vance Murell, was the firs’ man upon the schooner’s deck, and he fought with a courage that set his men a good a and they rallied around bim witha He had boarded aft, and consequently was opposed to Merle Monte and his defenders, and the fight became most desperate. Forward, Basil Branch had boarded the chooner with thirty men at his back, and he fought with desperation, for he felt how much was at stake for bim. But from stem to stern of the schooner her crew were held in thorough discipline, and they ret their foes with a cool courage that could not be broken. If outnumbered, they yet cared not for that, and never swerved when the other two boats came alongside and boarded. As small-arms only were used, it was a fear- ful, striking spectacle, to see the beautiful! schooner illumined fore and aft with the flashes of the pistols, which showed plainly the fight of = ration that was being waged upon her ecks, Then, too, was heard the clash of steel meeting steel, and groans, curses, cheers, and stern or- ders mingled together. At last the schooner’s crew began to slightly waver when out of the companionway darted a black form, and his hands seemed to hold fire in them, so rapidly did he fire pistol after pis- tol, as he rashed upon the attacking party. “Hold, Mezrak!” cried Merle, as he saw his faithful slave burl himself into the midst of the enemy. “Come, men, follow me, or he'll be slain! “Come, I say, for if he is harmed not one atom of mercy shall be shown those devils,” shouted Merle, and he sprung into the breach made by Mezrak, and before whom the aasail- ante shrunk away as from a demon. Backed by his men the onslaught of Merle, in oing to the aid of Mezrak, was irresistible, in act, overwhelming, and the boats’ crews were pinic-stricken, and turning, sprung over the side in wild flight. In vain did Vance Murell, the pirate lienten- ant, and his ally in the attack, Basil Branch, strive to stay the current, for their men would not remain longer, and seeing that all was lost ge too sought to escape to the boats, It was a mad stampede, and but three of the boats away from the schooner’s side, the fourth havi mn captured by Mezrak, who sprang into it, and threw overboard those who had: there t abt a foes, pulled swiftly f Se abelter a ‘he ark oes, or t ter shores, when they turned their Po dg down the Pagece, and kept up their wild flight. ere they reached the open water they beheld the s unfurled upon the Gold Ship, and spread above her decks like huge white wing;:, while the beautiful craft sped seaward pc a Merle Monte’s Fate. at a swift pace, as though anxious to leave quickly astern the scene of carnage, which had dyed red the dark waters of the sluggish lagoon. CHAPTER VIIL AT A PIRATE’S MERCY. It was with the most intense anxiety that Pearl Branch awaited the return of her tather who had gone with the boats to attack the Gold Ship. So far she had not suspected her father’s com- licity with Brandt, the Bucceneer, so carefully ad both he and the pirate chief guarded the secret that he was really an officer upon the Huntress, and not a passenger as he had said, en route to Galveston on the packet brig when she was seized and turned into an outlaw craft, His garnbling having brought him to the verge of ruin, Basil Branch, in sheer despera- tion had turned to piracf, hoping in a short ti »e to redeem his fallen fortunes, build up his estates again, and spend his latter days in what comfort he could with his wife and daughter, for his conscience carried a painful load upon it. But a bitter foe was upon his path in the cap- tain of the Sea Marauder, who sought to1 evenes slighted love and his hatred of a successful rival, and had inveigled Mrs. Branch and Pearl away from home, under pretense that Basil Branch had sent for them. The wreck of the vessel, upon which they took passage, followed, the separation of mother and daughter, the former being left upon the sinking bulk, with her pretended friend but real foe, and the picking up of the boat, in which was Pearl, by the vessel of Brandt, the Buccaneer, when the maiden and her father came face to face. In the mean time the wreck had been righted by the Gold Ship, and Mrs. Branch, Pierre, ber pretended friend, and the captain taken from it, and then the capture of Brandt, the Bueca- neer, came about, and the poor motber learned that her husband and child had been released and sent to New Orleans, to immediately after hear that they had been again captured, and this time by the Sea Maurauder, whose captain she little dreamed was none other than Pierre, the pretended friend, that had mysteriously disappeared from the Gold Ship one night, when it was anchored eff an inlet, awaiting the dawn to run in and attack the pirate vessel reported to be hiding inshore. While the sprpetive Hanne mother was cruis- ing in the Gold Ship, in search of the Sea Marauder, that trim ttle craft, as the reader knows, was hidden within less than a Jeague of her, and sending her boats out to attack the very vessel that was looking for her. After the capture of the smack, upon which was Basil Branch and Pear], Captoin Pierre, the one who sought to avenge fancied wrongs in the past, had recognized his enemy and his daughter, and not wishing to be seen by them, had left them in charge of his lieutenant, with orders to hold them prisoners until his return from the city, whither he went to secure heavier ns and more men, with which to hunt down be treasure craft of Merle Monte. The lieutenant had obeyed orders by running for the Lost Pond, where the reader has seen the Bea Marauder hidden away; but though cir- cumstances had made bim an outlaw, his heart was not wholly wa from good, and he had pitied both Basil Branch and Pearl. Most kindly had he treated them, and he was anxious to give them their freedom; but he was left in command by Captain Pierre, and would not betray him, so he plotted some way in which they could go free and not compromise him. The maiden had interested him from the first, and the more he saw of her the more his heart warmed toward her, until he was determined to take a bold step for her release from the power of his cruel chief, and that step he decided upon when he learned through his spy, Peon, that the Gold Ship was anchored near, Could he capture that vessel, loaded with fab- ulous wealth, he felt it would be full recom- pense to Captain Pierre for allowing his pris- oners to go free, cially as he would tell bim = Branch had ably seconded him in the at- tac The reader has seen how bis best laid plans fell through by the determined defense of the crew of the Gold Ship, whose crew was not as large as the Peon had reported, and was really outnumbered by the men from the Sea Marau- der; but that the treasure craft would have been taken is certain, but for the quick ear of her boy commander and the valuable services rend ered asspy by Megrak, who again proved a power of mathe A at’ the critical ere of the fight. —. a To poor Pearl, knowing, or tek stew did, the motive that prompted her to join in the attack, the hours passed their weny length along. She believed that her father was actuated. wholly by a desire for her release and hig own, and had thus volunteered, when really his eyes were fastened upon the Gold Ship with hope of gain, for he had in his possession proof that he was one of Brandt’s lieutenants, which, if com- pelled to show what he really was, he felt as- sured would gain his freedom and his daughter’s upon the return of the captain of the Sea u- der, for he little knew that he was a foe of his of long years’ standing. The Gold Ship Peart had looked upon, from all that she bad heard, as little better than a pirate, and her conimander a Condemned Mid shipman who had mutinied and then escaped death at the yard-arm by flight. Hence she did not deem the attack upon her to be unlawful on the part of her father. Unable to sleep, she paced the cabin nervous- ly, counting the moments as they dragged along, and starting at every sound. Upon the vessel had been left but four men, for Vance Murell knew there was no need of a guard there, and these she did not see nor hear, and therefore her position was one of abject loneliness and gloom. At last she started, for she heard the quick dip of oars, then a low order, and next came feet upon the deck. She tried to spring toward the companion- way, but was unable to move. ‘Had her father returned?” ‘“* Had her father been killed?’ ‘Had the Gold Ship been captured?” i (s if so, would her father and herself be set ree?’ Such were the thoughts and questions chasing themselves in rapid succession through her brain, and like a statue, bent forward, hands clasped, eyes staring at the companionway, she stood and waited in breathless suspense. A quick step crossed the deck, another order was given, and in the voice of Vance Murell, the pirate lieutenant, and then she saw feet de- scending the companionway steps. Yet still she could not move or utter a cry, Then aform ap It was that of the pirate lieutenant. She seemed to read the sad look upon his face ‘* My father!” ” Alas! Miss Branch, it pains my heart to tell you that he did not return with us,” said the pirate officer sadly. ‘‘Ts hea prisoner?” she hoarsely whispered. ‘‘T think not, for Isaw him turn to take to the boats with us, when we were beaten off.” **'Then he is dead!” She said the words hoarsely, and in the form of a question. ‘* Alas! I feel that it is so.” Believing that her mother had gone down with the wreck, and that her father was dead, poor Pear] cried bitterly: ‘*Oh God! Iam all alone in the world, and worse stiil, J am at the merey of a pirate.’ She swayed forward as she e, her eyes closed, and she would have fallen, had not Vance Murell sprung forward and caught her in his arms, while he cried in thrilling tones: ‘“No, no, my beautiful Pearl, Ppa not ali alone, for I will live for you and be your very slave. But she heard not his words, for she had sunk into a deep swoon that seemed akin to death. CHAPTER IX. A GOOD DEED REMEMBERED, WHEN aroused to resistance, Mezrak, ‘he slave of Merle Monte, was @ very demon, and as merciless as a tiger. Hence, when the crew of the Sea Marauder turned to fly to their boats and escape, be had pressed them hard, and had cut them down with his huge cimeter without the slightest mercy. One of the agg a ag had dragged backward upon the deck, as he sprung upon the bulwark, and the next instant bis head would have been severed from the body had not the prostrate and wounded man fired a pistol alusost in. bis face, he butlet missed its aim, as it struck the blade of the cimeter and glanced off, doing no harm; but the flash of the discharge had illu- mined the face of tue peapinate man and instant- ly an murderous blade was stayed in its deadly work, Mezrak was one who never forgot a face, met - eee GComichook “Gom a ie a 6