Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 320 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

| ef Bik Pre Sf wd 4. ; ~~ 5 * ~ vi Ny rar a sX4; ‘ lege ae a (cons = : <A ~ aS 4 ¥ a ce ae Bass : : - — > Sa ~— ~"a» & . Sa a i t — eB Sa nl ee ees og, & ~ « 2 ma what she had lost in seeking her revenge, had been regained by her son. Instantly ho took command, gave his orders in a clear. ringing voice, and had the schooner quickly bounding away toward the other ves- sel, while he had her covered with canvas. The English schooner had also sighted the American, and finding that she was a foe worthy of ber steel, she squared away to meet her, anxious to one another fast-sailing Amer- ican craft to add to the British navy. The two vessels were well matched in size and guns; but the Englishman seemed to have the advantage in crew as far as numbers went, for she showed fully a hundred. But the Americans cared little for this, and Ned ordered the first gun of defiance to be fired and the Stars and Stripes to be run up. The English schooner replied by showing her colors and sending a broadside upon the Sea Sorceress, but as she fired while in stays, she sent her shots flying wild, Instantly the Sea Sorceress fired a broadside, and a cheer broke from her crew as they dis- eovered how true had been their first fire upon a foe, for the bowspri' and fore-topmast of the enemy were cut away, Taking advantage of her success the Sea Sor- ceress now fired rapidly, and her iron hail was so hot that it drove the Englishmen from their work repairing damages. _“ Boarders ho!” cried Ned, who had thus far given every order that was issued, his father not opening his lips and acting simply as an under officer. Ned ering at him to see what he thought of bis call for boarders, and determination to board the enemy; but Captain Evans gave no sign that he either approved or disapproved the ac t. “Do you think it wise, sir, to board her?” asked Ned, feeling some doubt upon the subject as he saw his enemy had the largest crew. ** You are in command, my son; use yourown discretion,” was the non-committal.reply. Thus left to his own judgment wholly, Ned at once gave orders for a broadside to be deliv- ered at close quarters, the guns to be loaded with we Bi With the rebound of the guns he saw the wis- dom of this act, for the grape cut down pnum- bers of the English crew, and before they could recover from its effects the two schooners were alongside. The sea was rough, but both were well handled, and springing on board with his boarders, two-thirds of his crew being at his back, the Boy Skipper showed his nerve and forethought by at once ordering the Sea Sor. ceress to haul off from the enemy, as the pound- ing of the two together might injure their hulls seriously. Captain Evans bad purposely remained on the schooner, and sung out an affirmative reply at Ned’s order as the two vessels swung apart. In the mean time the fiercest fight was raging upon the deck of the Englishman, and Ned, fol- lowéd by his unresistible boarders, was driving all before him. Once on the deck of his foe, Ned determined that nothing should prevent the capture of the Englishman. is the enemy seemed to realize, for they be- — to cry for quarter, and EE LW forward, e commander of the schooner called out; ‘*T am forced to haul down my colors. “To whom do I surrender my sword?” Wad To me, sir, if you please,” modestly returned ed, ““To you, a boy?” said the officer, witb sans in look an manner es, sir. **Do you command that schooner?” ** At present, yes, sir.” <@ » gee that you wear an officer’s uniform; but ou— ** Pardon me, sir, but this delay is not neces- sory and the wounded are suffering for care,” said Ned, haughtily. ‘True, I was wrong; here is m oung sir, and I must certainly say er it to a gallant youth indeed.” ‘“‘Thank you, sir, and permit me to return your sword to you,” and Ned handed back the weapon with a kindly smile, for his heart was Coached for his brave enemy. In a short while the dead had been buried ana sword, surren: the wounded cared for, and Ned was placed on board the prize to run her into port, which he did, surrendering ber to the admiral of the fleet, who at once said to him: - word for it,my Boy Lieutenant, that ou will win your way to a captain’s be- ore this war ends.” | ~"« The Sea Sorceress. CHAPTER XXV. THE TWO FLAGS, AGAIN did the Sea Sorceress spread her sails and fly seaward, having already gained for her- self a name, for her first prize was not only an English cruiser a Jittle her superior in the num- ber of her crew, but an American vessel that had been recaptured from the British. The battle, in which numbers had fallen nner both sides, and in which the Sea Sorceress had sought the conflict, proved that the privateer had not started out only as a seeker of defense- less prizes and gain, but was willing to strike a blow for ber country when need be. As vessels coming in from Southern waters had lately reported ravages committed by a pi- rute schooner answering the description of the vessel sent out by Elmore, Captain Evans de- termined to look him up and capture him, if in his power, and said to Ned: ‘‘If we capture Elmore, my son, we can do the country a service by hanging a pirate, avenge ourselves for every wrong be has done us, and at the same time I can get back the twenty thousand it cost me to build and equip the schooner which he stole.” ‘*[ hope we can capture her, for, father, I fear all the time, while he is afloat as a pirate, that he will go and pay them we love at River- view a Visit.’ Captain Evans turned very pale at this, and said with emotion: ‘*T never thought of this wickedness on his part, Ned, and now that you suggest it, and it is very possible for him to carry out sucha thing, I am determined to hunt him down.” Then the Sea Sorceress was put away upon her southward course, and the next day a sail was sighted. The schooner was pe away for a nearer look at the stranger, and soon the lookout at the mast-head reported her to be: ‘‘A large schooner with masts raking far aft, a narrow, long hull, and heavily armed.” ‘‘What colors, Ned?’ called out the captain, ‘‘She does not show any.” ‘Is she larger than we are?” ‘ About our tonnage, sir, and her decks seem crowded,” ‘‘ Let me hear from you if you make any new discoveries.” ‘‘ Ay, ay, sir,” answered Ned, and he kept his eye steadily upon the stranger. As the two vessels drew nearer together, Ned placed his glass once more to his eye, and after a long look called out: ** Hol the deck!” ““ Ay, ay,” answered the captain. ‘¢1 notice that her sails are patched in many places, as though to cover up ball-holes, and her masts and spars have niches in them as from the same cause.” ‘*She has seen hot work then, and her rig looks American.” ‘‘I think she is an American, sir, but I can- not make her out yet,” Nearer and nearer the two vessels drew to each other, and then Ned again hailed the deck. ‘‘ Ay, ay, sir,” responded the captain. ‘‘An officer with a glass has just ascended to the mast-head, sir,” ‘‘Keep your eye on him while he takes a look at us, Ned.” ‘‘T will, sir,” and almost immediately the Boy Lieutenant continued: “He is g ving some order to an officer on the the deck, ‘‘There! the schooner goes about and is crowding on sail. ‘“‘She is running from us, sir.” “Ay, ay, Ned, and no brave Englishman would do that, nor would an American pri- vateer run off before she knew what her foe was.” ‘‘It looks suspicious, sir,” remarked Leander. **Of what?’ asked Ned, joining them. ‘¢ Tt looks as though she was in search of easy pret and wanted no hard knocks,” continued ander. ‘‘ You are right, she isin my mind a pirate, and | trust the one we wish to find, ‘‘Square away in chase, Ned, and run up your colors.” ‘The Sea Sorceress was at once put away in chase of the strange schooner, which had a league start, and, as she crowded on sail, the stranger was seen to do likewise. “Now up with the colors, Leander,” called out Ned, and the Stars and Stripes went flutter- ing to the os Almost instantly, and while every eye was watching, there came a puff of smoke from the stranger’s port bow, and a gun was fired in de- — 13 fiance, while over her deck fluttered the black flag of the lawless sea rover. ‘Ha! he is not ashamed of bis hideous ensign, though he does run off, ‘* Crowd on all sail, Mr. Leander, and we will see if we cannot replace his sable flag with the Stars and Stripes.” Under the tremendous pressure of canvas: upon her masts, the Sea Sorceress fairly flew over the waves, and began to gain, though very slowly upon the pirate, ‘¢ He has a fleet craft at any rate, and it will be a long chase; but Ido not like the looks of the sky, and fear we are going to have a stormy night,” said the captain, glancing anxiously about him. ** And if it comes on to storm, he may dodge us in the darkness,” responded Ned, ‘Yes, that is just what I fear,” For two hours, until the sun went down, the twe beautiful vessels went skimming over the ~ both under all the canvas that they would ar. But in that time the Sea Sorceress had not gained more than a quarter of a mile, so that it did indeed threuten to be a long chase. With the going down of the sun the wind in- creased to half a gale, and an bour after dark it was blowing a gale, while the skies were black with clouds and the darkness became al- most tangible. The pirate had shown no lights at dark, and the Sea Sorceress had followed her example, so that there was not a twinkle to be seen upon either vessel as they sped along over the wae ters. Then in spite of every eye being on the look- out, the pirate was lost sight of, and the Sea Sorceress was at a loss which course to pursue, ‘* He is likely to lay to and ride out the storm until morning, and we might as well do the same,” said the captain. ‘‘ May I make a suggestion, father?” ‘Certainly, Ned.” : ‘‘T eyed that vessel pretty closely, as long ag there was a ray of light,” ‘*So I noticed.” ‘* And I discovered that she was about the size, build and rig of the vessel that Elmore cut out, and which you had that pretty model of,” ‘* Well, Ned?” ‘* And I believe it is the same craft.” ‘*Such was my opinion, Ned, when I first saw her: but it seems we have lost her now,” ‘*'We have lost sight of her; but did you no- tice the course she was heading when we caught, sight of her?” et No,” ‘““Ske was on a course that was northward, and she may have been bound to the Maine coast,” ‘‘By Heaven! Ned, you may be right.” ‘‘T fear that I am, sir, and I think it wovld be a good idea to crack on what sail we can and hcad for home as quickly as possible,” ‘‘T will do so, Ned, so give the necessary or- ders, my boy, and the Sorceress shall lose no time in getting there, I assure you.” Five minutes after the fleet schooner was bound upon her trip northward. CHAPTER XXXVI, THE TREACHEROUS SIGNALS, OnE blustering afternoon, some ten days after the Sea Sorceress was headed for Riverview Mansion, a Fite of half a dozen persons stood in what ha been the Haunted Fort, gazing sea- ward and watching the maneuvers of a pretty schooner that was in the offing. The party consisted of several officers ot the. fort and as many ladies, among the latter being Nora Evans and her mother, who had gone to the fort to spend the day with the wife of the commandant, ‘It is certainly a beautiful vessel,” said Cap~ tain Routh, the commander of the fortress, ‘‘ Yes, and her rig is American, so if she fliet English colors, she has been captured from us,” rejoined Nora, ‘You seem to be a perfect sailor, Miss Evana,, to know the rig of a vessel as you do,” remarke a young licutenant, who was desperately in love with the fair maid of Riverview, ** Living on the sea as | have so long, and seeing 80 many vessels of different nationalities, 1 have come to know their rig and build, as one recognizes a German, an Englisiman and am American by his face,” modestly responded Nora. ‘* Well, she standsin as though she wished te run in,” remarked Captain Routh. ‘You will soon know, sir, tor if she dos® you will find her fire a signal for a pilot.” Wy i (yi ‘) fo : bd . 1.” , nl : " : 2. i? 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