Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 280 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

=, =! ' Seer ae SFE FB te: ——— + under circumstances where there was cause to rerneraber it. The man whom he was about to kill he had met before, and what is more, he recognized in bim,one who had once befriended him. ‘ His mind flashed back to the scene some time before, when a vagabond crowd had pursued him in New Orleans, jeering bis deformities and threatening him with violence, Had he turned upon them he could have killed many before he was subdued, but his death would have followed, and knowing it, he kept down his temper and. suffered the abuse, though now and then a stone would strike him and cause the blood to flow, Suddenly a carriage appeared upon the scene and drew up, while a handsome, dark, stern- faced man dismounted and instantly command: ed the crowd to desist. They had jeered the deformed black, but they fell back before the bold man who con- fronted them, and he bade Mezrak enter his carriage and at once drove him tothe pier off wuich lay the Sea Wolf, on board of which Merle Monte was then a midshipman. The man now prostrate before him was his bold rescuer that day long before, and by the fiash of the pistol Mezrak bad recognized him and mpaced his life, and seeing that he was wounded, he raised him in his strong arms and bore him aft. CHAPTER X. THE WOUNDED PRISONER. ‘* MaSTER, spare this man for my sake, for though our foe now, he is the one who served me well long ago, the day the crowd hooted me in New Orleans,” said Mezrak. “Certainly, Mezrak, if he served you once he is my friend now, not my foe. -_ him into the cabin, as he seems wounded, and look to him,” answered Merle. Mezrak bore the wounded man into the cabin and placed him upon a lounge, and then hastily returned to the deck, for he did not consider his work there finished. He found the Gold Ship’s crew clearing the deck of the dead pirates, by robbing them and then throwing the bodies overboard. Driven to frenzy by the attack upon his mas- ter and his vessel, Mezrak set the example at once of hurling the wounded as well into the sen, and ere Merle Monte, who was quickly told of the act of his maddened slave, could get forward to prevent, the last one of the pirates had sunk beneath the dark waters. Boats were lowered and an effort made to save them; but too late, as they were unable to keep up, wounded as they were. ‘« Mezrak, you have grieved and angered me,” said Merle, sternly, laying his hand hard upon the arm of the black. ‘“‘ Master, they sought your life and your in- heritance, and they did not deserve to live, and had they lived to recover, it would be but to die upon the yard-arm,” was Mezrak’s reply. “Still you did wrong, and 1 cannot easily it, Mezrak.” : “Alas! master, do not be angry with your poor slave,” said the black, in a low tone that quivered with emotion. “T believed you in the cabin, caring for the wounded man whom you saved.” ‘He served me, master, and I would not see him die. \ “Forgive Mezrak, master,” and the slave stretched forth his huge hand. Merle grasped it warmly, and instantly the negro dropped to the deck and pressed his lips upon his master’s feet. “Rise, Mezrak, and see to the wounded man in the cabin.” “ And I am forgiven, master?” “Yes, Mezrak.’ Instantly the slave sprung to bis feet, and valked toward the cabin, while Merle, anxious 2 find the vessel from which the boats had be st attack him, at once ordered the - er gotten under sail, and away sped the t craft seaward, determined to stand off and on along the coast to await the coming of day, when a search would be made for their foe. lf a cruiser, Merle knew the Gold Ship could ran away from it. If a pirate, he would fight it, and who really were assailants he had no means of know- ing, for Mezrak had disposed of the wounded too quickly to find out from them. ‘As the schooner was gliding out of the lagoon, and feeling the waves of the Gulf under her bews, there came from the cabin a wild shriek, which quickly caused Merle to seek to know its “ Gaim an offing, Mr. Trenor, and keep her off \ une ee ee i — Merle Monte’s Fate. and on,” he called out to his Hieutenant, as he hesitated an instant before dashing down the companionway. ' Upon entering the cabin a strange scene met his gaze. pon a lounge lay the wounded man, whom Mezrak had placed there, and bending over him was Mrs. Branch, her form trembling con- vulsively, and low moans coming from her ips. anv them stood Mezrak, calm and silent. The wounded man seemed conscious, for his eyes were open, and he grasped his wife’s hand, but his face had on it the hue of death. Seeing his master enter, Mezrak said, calmly: ‘** Master, it is the husband of this lady that I have saved,” Merle was thunderstruck, and calmly walked forward to where the wife bent over her hus- band, whom she had so strangely found. CHAPTER XI. HOPE AND DESPAIR. Srxine Merle come forward, Basil Branch for he was the wounded man whom Megrak had saved, turned his eyes upon him, and the look caused Mrs. Branch to start, and glance over her shoulder. ‘*Oh, Captain Monte, I have found my hus- band,” she cried, eagerly. Then she continued, speaking rapidly and nervously: ‘7 saw Mezrak bring him into the cabin and lay him here, and I feared at first that it was ou. me But I knew that it could not be when * saw. his dress, or Lieutenant Trenor either, and yet my So seemed to be riveted upon his form. ‘For a long time he lay silent, and so motion- Jess that I deemed him dead. ‘Then Mezrak came down and bent over him to dress his wound, and I heard him groan with agony and then speak, ** His voice told me who it was, and springing forward, I found my ears had not deceived me, for see, it is my husband.” ‘“ Yes, my dear madam, and I rejoice that you have found him; but come, I know some- thing of surgery, and Mezrak is well skilled in the cure of wounds, so we will take him in charge now, and you can nurse him back to ife, “But he will live, will he not, Captain Monte?” eagerly asked the poor woman. “‘Thave oyriy, Une that he will, Mrs. Branch; but he must kept perfectly quiet, as the wound is in a dangerous position— See! he has become unconscious.” Merle then drew aside the clothing, and the act revealed a bullet wound in the left side, That it had not touched the heart was evident by the wounded man being yet alive; but that it was most dangerous was also true. A word to Mezrak caused him to bring to his master a case of surgical instruments, and breathlessly Mrs. Branch watched the amateur surgeon as he probed for the bullet. Now and then the wounded man winced and groaned under the pain; but Merle Monte was as gentle as a woman in his touch, and soon drew out the bullet. ‘‘Thank God!” fervently said the sorrowing wife, while Mezrak gave a grunt of satisfaction at this result. Then the wound was skillfully dressed, the in- valid made as comfortable as was possible, and the wife left to nurse her husband, while Mez- rak remained near to be of any service should he be needed. Returning to the deck, Merle Monte found all ship-shape once more, for the dead had been buried in the sea, the wounded put in the sick- bay, and the schooner’s decks washed clean, Lieutenant Trenor held the deck, and the beautiful vessel, under the pressure of a five- knot breeze off-shore, was standing off and on, running about half a Jeague each side of the la- oon on each tack, as the vessel from which the oats had come must certainly be not far away, the officer had thought. ‘ With the first appearance of dawn tht schooner was cleared for action, the men went to quarters, and every eye on the Gold Ship was searching for a foe, Kvowing that the water was of sufficient depth to permit it, Merle ran eloser inshore, and then would luff up and send a boat in to search the inlets, and the lagoons as fast as they dared venture. Inthis way he began the long hunt for his foe, whoever that foe might be, for, as Basil Branch yet remained nscious, and his life hung by a thread, Merle had wot found out that Bs Fo a \ ir a* gud 2 at) his assailants were from the very vessel for. which he was so gyi: searching. True, knowing that Basil Branch and his daughter had been captured by the Sea Marau- der, a certain suspicion would cross his mind that the boats had come from that vessel; but then he hooted the idea, when he thought that it would be next to impossible for the wounded man to be fighting with the very pirates whe were the captors of bimself and child, and be preferred to think that the Sea Marauder had een captured by an English cruiser, the twe, captives released, and that'the planter had oined their crew in the assault on the Gold ae believing it to be another buccaneer. . et, if such was the case, where was the cruiser from whence the boats had come? He had noticed in the fight, tha. tho assafl- ants seemed to wear the English sailors’ garb, and he had particularly observed the very gai- lant manner in which Basil Bratch had fought; but he knew that there was no English pin a on the coast then that should be afraid to meet the Gold Ship in combat, and he was in a deep quandary as to why the mysterious and un- al vessel did not boldly run out and fight im. If he knew it to be a man-of-war, he would not fight, but run, for he was determined te do no act of outlawry, although a fugitive, con- demned to death by his Government. But, should the stranger prove the Marauder or any other outlaw eraft, most gladly would: he give it combat. Knowing well, that as he sailed, without the flag of any nation above his decks, and that as a havenless craft all vessels of war consider- ed bim fair game, yet he trusted to the speed of his schooner to escape from them, and only in the last moment would have used his guns to protect himself, his treasure and his crew. As tbe boats had been the assailants, he was determined to find out to what they belonged, and, if it proved to be an outlaw craft, then he would do allin his power to haul down its black flag, and thereby gain another point in his favor with his Government, to which he had not cast off his allegiance, though it had cast ‘xm off, and, more still, branded him as'a m.ilneer, a condemned officer and a deserter. * . But though seemingly every inlet along the | coast for miles was searched, and days were passed in the work, no trace of the boa or the craft frou which they had come could be fownd and Merle determined to continue his cruise in the Gulf, in his search for the Sea Marauder. In those days of search, Mrs. Branch had bent over her busband, hoping for his life to ria yt and yet fearing that he would die, and most kindly through all had both Merle and Mezrak aided her in nursing him, At last, just as hope of finding the mysterious enemy Was given up, and hope of the recove of Basil Branch became certain, despair seemed to seize upon the poor wife, who bad asked, as soon as her husbind dared speak a word: ‘Where did you leave our child!” — Hardly audible was the answer, and the words — came slowly; but the despairing woman, Merle and emake heard them; . . at ales ‘On board the pirate craft known as the Bea Marauder.” CHAPTER XIL BASIL BRANCH TELLS HIS STORY, Wiru these words, which brought despair to the fond mother’s heart, for it told her that her beloved child was in the power of a pirate, Basil Branch could say no’ more, . He seemed too deeply moved to utter anothe word, and those who watched over him dared not ask him more for fear the thread of life would break, and the good wife recognised this and forbore from asking, though ier anxiety was intense, ; is And on sped the Gold Sti: on its cruise, anxious eyes searching the borizon day and night for some trace of the Sea Marauder, upom which the hopes of all were now centered. At last Basil Branch was pronounced out of danger by Merle Monte, for the crisis had passed and he called to his wife that he wished te tell her all, Merle and Mezrak would have left the cabin, but the wounded man and his wife urged that they should remain, / e low tone. “But I dared not trust myself to do so, for oe “eS! ~*~ % . / IEboo com gS} ‘com * - * > F's ers eo “5% ; tg “T have wanted to speak before,” hesaid,in b, ~~