Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 320 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

io ae ° ~ ae . as a 4 ime? - ee ~~ - - tne a —_—<. a As oS ‘ - i - _——__—— — 7 - a> "eas * - 4 - ~ ‘1 . + Say ‘ a A a a ee a ee TS - i Ren OS meen -— (te ore, M< — e > . ee . Pt: *. > ay ~~ s - _—- é « om = ” ><, - Y oe ~ 5 . - ‘ad "be roe - > ¥ eo * . ae 7 - - - nol - ; al - “” -—- 10- ¥ —~y >i » e > = et ae ~~ — 2 eeee 4,°% ] ‘~ The Sea Sorceress. ~~ - Se -yy ej > 7 * lagers were gathered about the tavern to see the prisoner start. The major was there in full regimental uni- form, and his sword dangling about his long legs nearly tripped him up several times. e looked self-important, and tried to look austere, but the effort was a failure, the stern- ness about his mouth had the appearance of one who has eaten unripe persimmons. ** Constable Drake, is your prisoner ready?’ called out the major to that worthy, who stocd at an open window on the second floor of the tavern. ‘* He is, sir.” “Then bring him out, for my aide-de-camp and his escort are ready to receive him,” was the pompous command. The aide de-camp was a fat young man who did not have a bappy look. His uniform set in wrinkles about his body, his sword was longer than his short legs, and his hat was too small for his bullet shaped head. His escort consisted of two militiamen armed to the teeth, for they carried a musket, a sword and a dragoon pistol each, and they also had an unhappy look, for some wag had hinted that a mob was on the highway awaiting to riddle the coach with bullets, being perfectly willing, as _ pcan American citizens, to kill a trio of sol- iers so that they might also slay an enemy. ‘Lieutenant Van Voost, there is your pris- oner. ‘* Prisoner, there is your guard,” said Major Bounce, as Drake and his deputy appeared with Sir Lucien Lonsdale between them, A flush was upon the face of the young officer as he held out his hands, which were ironed, and asked: “Is this the way, sir, an English officer is treated by Americans?” ‘You come under the head of a spy, sir, and should not complain,” returned the major. ‘““And you, sir, come under the head of a major of militia; and I should not complain, for * an American officer of the regulars knows the courtesy due a prisoner,” was the retort of the Englishman, ‘* Lieutenant Van Voost, here is the key to the manacles, and you are to be careful that your prisoner does not escape. ** Also, sir, you are to defend him with your life, should any effort be made to release him or to harm him, for remember, sir, he is a prisoner of our glorious country.” ‘Yes, major,” said the lieutenant nervously, taking the key and thrusting it in the holster of his dragoon pistol. ** Now, coachman, here are your passengers, and drive through with haste, for no one else goes along; and mind you, lay on the whip if any one attempts to halt you.” “Yes, sah,” said the s'age-driver, who was a runaway negro from Virginia that had drifted up into Maine and become a whip ona stage route. A crack of the whip and the stage was off, Sir Lucien seated upon the back seat alongside of the fat lieutenant, and the two soldiers con- fronting him with a look of boldness upon their faces that they were far from feeling. Charcoal Sam, as the negro stage-driver was called, sent bis horses along at a lively pace for the first relay, where a halt was made for supper. Then just a little while before sunset the coach started again, and the road led toward the sea. Charcoal Sam was always anxious to pass one spot on the road before darkness should over- take him. This was where the highway ran along in view of tha sea by cay, and where once had stood a fishing-bamlet. But those «ho had once lived there had nearly all been massacred by Indians one night, and the others had fled to safer quarters, Some of the buts still remained, desolate and decaying, with the windows and doors swinging about with a creaking noise that sounded like the shrieks of the dying. Upon one side of the highway was the ham- let, and upon the other, dotting the slope of the bill, was the village of the dead, There rest«d fully a hundred bodies, and above their beads the pine trees sighed a requiem. The place was wild and picturesque by day, but at night, with the roar of the surf near by, the deserted hamlet, the windows and doors Steg ing in the wind, and the sighing pines, it wag a place of desolation and solitude to be avoided by the timid. Never but once bad Charcoal Sam allowed himself to be caught there after nightfall, and then ke got free drinks at the taverns at each 2 * : f% —< { : . 7 : . - hag o > - | . é. = ._ - 4 . . ° oD. : 3 - > a i * o <4 : ae b q > » Fy ra te Leer tt a! ? - ny nd Byte > et-> ‘7? si a — af a * +,. * end of the route by telling of the ghosts he had seen. All looked lovely for bim to get by on this occasion before the shadows began to lengthen ~— gloom, and he sent his team whirling along. But suddenly one of his horses went lame, and Sam was compelled to come down to a slower pace. This delayed him, and he was pained to see nightfall before he reached the old deserted hamlet. With the nightfall the moon rose, and Char- coal Sam muttered: ‘6 Now de ghosteses walk sure.” He wished he could turn back, wanted to be back in Old Virginia, and would bave been will- ing to go back into slavery, rather than go through that hamlet by night. But be knew that he had to go on, and he nerved himself to the task. Suddenly the hamlet came in view, then the white head-boards above the graves on the hill- side, and the pines sighed more mournfully, the surf fell with a hollow, sepulchral sound upon the shore, and Charcoal Sam was utterly wretched. Could be have sent his horses flying along the rough road he would gladly have done so; but the off leader was going almost upon three legs and could not be hurried, so he was forced to go slow. He reached the hamlet upon one side, and had just begun to cross a little rivulet that ran across the road, when suddenly a white form stood in his way an’ even the lame leader shied violently. ‘De ghost!” fore gracious dis am a warnin’ . evil, an’ I is a gone nigger,” cried Charcoal am. Could he have turned his team in that narrow road, he would have done so quickly, and that lame horse would have been lashed into a speed that was terrific. : But he could not, and he sat like oue para- yzed, Then, to his horror there glided toward the stage upon either side a white-robed form. Turning his gaze Sam beheld a fourth ghost in the rear, and more weird forms in sight. ‘‘Oh golly! de jedgment day hev come, and dey is all risin’, dol didn’t hear Gabr’el blow he horn,” groaned the poor negro in an agony of terror. ‘‘What is it, driver?” called out Lieutenant Van Voost. : ‘« Jist look out an’ see, boss.” “S-e what?” “Do graveyard hev bu’sted loose, boss, an’ de zhosteses is waylaid us.” ; One glances out of the window, and aide-de- camp Van Voost uttered a terrific yell, which was echoed by his soldiers as they too saw the chastiy forms coming toward them. CHAPTER XVIII. THE BOY SKIPPERS RUSE. WirHovT a thought of other than the horrid objects upon which they gazed, and a desire to get out of the way as quickly as possible, Lieu- tenant Van Voost dashed open the doors of the stage and sprung «ut, just as Charcoal Sam had nerved himself for fligut and jumped down from his box. The lieutenant and his soldiers were tripped up with their first bound, by their swords, and this caused them to unfasten their belts and cast them away, and then a foot-race was begun that was ludicrous in the extreme, for, fat as he was, as was his duty being an officer, Lieu- tenant Van Voost led the way. Upon each side of the coach they beheld what certainly appeared to be a sbrouded form, and back on the hillside were more coming slowly toward them, and waving their arms in a most weird fashion, Back up the road tore the frightened quar- tette, either most equally matched in speed, or keeping close together from the belief that in unity there is strength. y 4 k And, amazed at the conduct of his guards, the English officers also glanced out and the weird forms were revealed to bim, too. Sir Lucien was above superstition, and his was a fearless nature, so he did not flinch at the sight, but muttered: ‘‘This is some horrid mockery of country boys. to frighten the negro and his passengers; ck I will take advantage of it to escape, if pos- sible, ‘‘ Ah! there lies the lieutenant’s sword, and I remember that be dropped the key of my man- acles into his pistol-holster. ** Now I am free.” Stooping quickly he soon found the key, and managed to get it into the lock of his irons and release bimself. Then he grasped a pistol and sword, just as the nearest white-robed form balted near him. ‘‘Well, do you attempt to bar my way?’ coolly asked the English officer, as he presented his pistol. ‘No, indeed, Sir Lucien; but I could not speak before for laughing at that fat lieutenant, his soldiers and the negro, the way they did run, " Hark! you can hear the patter of tueir feet yet. This strange remark came from one of the ghosts, while the others gathered around, seven in all, and presented certainly a most ghastly crew. “The voice of the gallant Boy Skipper, as £ live!” cried the British officer. ‘“* Yes, Sir Lucien, and I played my little game to save you. ‘‘ Here, this ghost is my sister, Nora, who knew of this deserted hamlet and graveyard, and proposed the plot, and that midnight prowler is Leander, while the others are hi shipmates. ‘* We came down the coast in two surf-skiffs, and Leander went over to the stage station and pulled a shoe off of one of the horses so that he would quickly go Jame on these rocky roads and fetch Charcoal Sam along here after dark. ‘¢ So now you have our little ruse.” Sir Lucien had listened in silence to the quick- ly told story of Ned, but now he said, earnestly: ‘‘ From my heartI thank you all, my friends, for such I may call you, though our lands are at war with each other, ‘‘ But now, give me a small boat, let me put to sea and give youno further trouble on my account, for you will only place yourselves in peril by befriending me.” ‘‘ No, Sir Lucien, we have a plan for your escape, and you must be governed by my brother until you can regain your vessel. “ As for to-night, we will be back home be- fore daybreak, and no one wili suspect us of playing ghost; but let us not delay here,” and ora led the way toward the shore. ‘‘What shall I do with the horses, sir?” called out Leander to Ned, ** Oh, yes; just unhitch them and turn them loose, and they'll return to the station,” answer- ed Ned, with another hearty laugh, as he re called the race of the gallant soldiers, At the beach Leander and his men got into one skiff, while Ned, the British officer and Nora entered the other, and the former called out: ‘‘ You can make your is'and by day, Leander, and when the sloop comes along after Sir Lucien tell the captain to lay to one week from to-night off the Haunted Fort, and I will bring the lieutenant out to bis vessel.” “« Ay, ay, sir, and luck to you,” answered Le- ander, as he started on bis return to bis island home, while the other skiff, urged bya pair of oars in Ned’s hands, went close inshore on its way toward the Haunted Fort. CHAPTER XIX, LIEUTENANT ELMORE MEETS A FRIEND. ‘“ WELL, Elmore, I learn that you have sold your place up in Maine.” The speaker was a young man who had been a purser in the navy and whom Lieutenant El- more knew well. They had met upon the street in Boston, when after a greeting the ex purser had addressed the nestion to the young officer regarding the iverview Mansion. ‘‘ Yes, my duties keep me here, an? my father was tired of living alore up at River view, so I sold out and came to the city.” ‘Then you can fell me all that I wish toknow about getting there, for I take the stage to- night for your old home, as I understand it was,” ‘Indeed! What can carry you there?” asked Elmore with considerable interest, ‘‘T don’t mind telling you, though itis a se- cret; but you know I left the navy to accept a position in a large mercantile house.” “Yes, Rodney, I do remember it.” ‘‘ Now the house failed, and that ruined me; but one of the partners bad some property be- longing to his wife, which he is to get money on, and we are to put it in a privateer, for there is more money in privateering now against the English than in anything else.” ‘Tf you are successful, there certainly is.” ‘© So we think, and we have a schooner now building that is just what we want, and I »m now going up to Maine to get the money fos her.” nee ——— - : &