Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 320 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

ee a ~ <=" ~ —-) —~ pea es Sy © ye ~ SS eS : i A ee “~~ > RS —- =~ ~ We - on . ' {Sr F - y LP i? i : . e ve 4 ‘‘ And, Miss Nora, it will be in vain, for there is not one on the coast that I know of.” ‘¢ And none who would dare attempt to run a vessel in with the sea as rough as it is, and balf a gale blowing,” said Mrs. Evans. ‘Oh, mother! what if it should be father’s schooner?’ suddenly cried Nora. ‘“T hope that it is; but see, she lays to and fires a gun for a pilot. ‘‘ She wants a pilot, that is certain, and see, she runs up our flag,” remarked the captain. “Have you a signal-book, Captain Routh?” cried Nora. The captain had such a book, and the lieuten- ant darted after it and soon placed it in Nora’s hands. ‘*Oh, mother! it is the Sea Sorceress!” cried Nora. ‘Then why does not Ned bring her in? “Great God! can harm have befallen my boy?” said Mrs. Evans turning deathly pale. ‘* Have you signal flags, captain?” asked Nora calmly, though she too became pale, The flags were soon brought, and hauling down the flag, and stepping to the halyards, Nora ran up the signals, asking: *“* Why do you wish a pilot?” “To run in,” came the answer, 5 Where is Ned?” asked Nora with her sig- nals, Breathlessly all gazed upon the maiden to await her reading of thesignal response. It soon came: ‘‘ We captured a prize and he took it into Portland.” ‘¢ Thank God,” cried Mrs, Evans fervently. **Can you send us a pilot?” again came the signal from the schooner. ‘¢ Mother, I will go myself, for night will soon be here, and father must not remain in sight of us when I am able to bring the schooner in,” But a cry arose from all at this, all but Mrs, Evans, who said calmly: ** You are right, Nora.” ‘*But Mrs. Evans, will you permit Nora to do such a thing?” asked Mrs, Routh anxiously. ** Oh yes, for she knows the channel well.” ‘¢ Have you any surf-skiff in the cove, cap- tain?” ‘* Yes, madam, there is one there, and if Miss Nora is determined to go, 1 will accompany her,” said the captain. ‘* No, I must risk the danger alone, ‘‘Tet me signal that I will come,” and Nora sent the words: ‘*Waruer:—I will come out and pilot you in. ‘* NORA Instantly came back the signal: * Bless you, my child!” Then Nora, throwing about her a wrap left the fort and descended to the cove, accom- panied by Captain Routh. There she found the surf-skiff, and again Cap- tain Routh urged to go. But Nora was firm, and springing into the little craft, she seized the oars and sent it spiv- ning out of the cove. Going back to the fort the captain joined the others, and all of the party anxiously watched the little skiff as it headed out from the land. Out through the dangerous channels she held her way, and never resting upon her oars, they saw her reach the schooner, and run under her lee side. A gangway was then-lowered for her, and she was soon on board, Then the schooner was at once gotten under way again, and, instead of standing in toward the channel, she turned her sharp prow about and neaded seaward, while up to ber peak sud- denly went the black flag of the pirate, A cry of horror broke from every lip, and Mrs. Evans sunk down in a swoon, murmur- ing: ‘*God have mercy upon my poor cbild, for she is in the power of Elmore, the Pirate.” CHAPTER XXVIII, THE BOY LIEUTENANT’S REVENGE, In the excitement attending the flight of the schooner, with the black flag flying at her peak, and Nora Evans upon her deck, it was some moments before any one noticed a second vessel coming at a tremendous pace along the coast. That an island hid the one vessel from the other was evident to those who watched them from the fort. The strauger was a schooner of graceful build and rakish look, She was also armed, and carried at her peak the Stars and Stripes. pony see came along, and straight for the channel between the Graveyard Reefs she head- | ¥ < ; F a a. rey ¢ ao — -® vy oO . — 4 z ow . 7 A a” - , ye i ~~ Set 2 ‘ = Sind ‘ x «33 ‘ : ‘+ ° hae 5 Sy. aol 6 5 “f The Sea Sorceress. ed, and when those on the fort. listened, expect- ing to hear the crash and shrieks of her drown- ing crew, they saw her lights pass safely through oe dangerous channel and head for the island ass, Through this, too, she glided, and then put her helm down and steered for the river haven. ‘*1t is my husband’s vessel, and my boy raa her in,” said Mrs. Evans when, recovering from her swoon, she heard about the strange schooner. Then she got into her carriage, and, accom- panied by Captain and Mrs. Routh, was driven rapidly homeward. As the carriage drew up at the door, Ned sprung to meet her. But she could not utter a word, and the Boy Lieutenant said: ‘* Well, mother, we have come to see you; but I am sorry that father is slightly wounded. ‘‘We had a runniog-fight with a pirate the other day, and for the second time he escaped us at night and in a storm, while father got wounded in the leg, but it is not very severe.” Mrs. Evans bounded into the house to the side of her wounded husband, while Captain Routh quickly told Ned of the capture of his sister. Without waiting to hear more the boy darted away toward the river. Springing into a boat he rowed on board, and startled the crew, who were expecting a quiet night of it, by ordering the anchor up and all sail set. All saw that the Boy Lieutenant was terribly earnest, and in a few minutes after his arrival on board, the Sea Sorceress was under way and heading out to sea through the storm aad the perils of the channel. Once clear, of the land, search was made by every eye on board, and from the mast-head came thecry: ** Light ho!” ‘* Whereaway, Leander?” called out Ned, for it was the second lieutenant who had gone up to tbe mast-head. ‘¢ Off-shore, and dead ahead.” ** Ay, ay, I'll head for her,” The light soon was seen from the deck, and it was evident that the vessel that bore it was ap- proaching in the direction of the Sea Sorceress. Seeing this, Ned ordered every light on his vessel put out, and away she ie in the dark- ness. After some time had passed, Leander came rapidly down from aloft, and said in a hurried tone: ‘‘T believe without doubt that it pirate!” ‘‘T hope so,” said Ned. Then the men were sent quistly to quarters, and the Sea Sorceress was brought up into the wind and allowed to lay to. That she had not been seen from the pirate’s deck was evident, for the coming schooner held on her course, running along about a league off the land, Nearer and nearer she came, until but a quar- ter of a mile divided them, and then Ned order- ed the Sea Sorceress gotten under way once nore, The creaking of her blocks and flutterfng of her sails was the first admonition those on the stranger had of her near vicinity. Instantly loud voices were heard, and a tor- rent of profanity was poured forth upon the head of the lookout. ‘* That sounds piratical,” said Leander. ‘¢ [It is Elmore’s vessel,” answered Ned. Following the excitement on the pirate came the drum calling the crew to quarters, and then Ned called out: *‘ Lads, I do not intend to fire upon him, for my sister is on board that craft, and the sail on the schooner now is all she will need, so every man go below until I call you to carry yonder pirate by boarding.” The men demurred at this, but Ned was firm, urging that they should not risk the fire of their foe and not return it, and the crew were sent below decks forward and aft, armed to the teeth, and to there await a call upon deck, But Leander was firm and would not go, and stepped to the wheel by the side of Ned. Just at that moment came a broadside from the pirate, and some of the shot sent showers of splinters over the deck while others cut through the sails, But the Sea Sorceress was held firmly on her way in hot chase of the pirate. It was evident that the Sorceress was the bet- ter sea boat in rough weather, for she carried more canvas and forged ahead more rapidly through the waves, The pirate felt that he dared notecarry more is the LL LLL LL RR ee ee eee 4 wee sail, as he feared he would run his vessel under, and gave orders to his crew to cripple their pursuer or they would be taken. A hot fire was therefore turned upon the Sea Sorceress, and she did not by any means escape unscathed, for her fore-topmast was cut away and ber bulwarks were badly riddled. But no vital part was struck, and not one of her crew was hurt. Nearer and nearer she crept, until her prow was even with the stern of the other sc: louver, and a loud voice shouted: ‘* Boarders to repel boarders!” ‘Tt is Elmore’s voice,” said Ned, and then he cried in clarion tones: ‘Boarders, ahoy! ho, boarders, I want you!” Just then a broadside from the pirate went tearing over the decks of the Sorceress; but, fired an instant too soon, not a man was hurt, while up from the cabin and steerage poured the gallant crew. Hard down then went the helm of the Sor- ceress, and with a hard thump she was laid alongside of the outlaw craft, and grapnels were thrown to make them fast. Then over upon the deck of his foe leaped Ned, his crew ot his back, and the mad rush of the privateersmen beat the pirates down before them, and in ten minutes the deck was won by the Boy Lieutenant, and Elmore, the Buccaneer, was in irons. Dashing into the cabin, Ned found his sister white as a corpse, and throwing berself into his arms, she cried: ‘‘Ob, brother! he intended to run into the river to-night, burn the mansion, kill mother, and then force me to become his wife.” ‘‘T was just in time, then, sis, but he’ll trow ble us no more after this night,” and Ned left the cabin. ‘‘ Leander, get a noose ready, and burn a blue light, for I intend to show Captain Routh and his soldiers that the days of Elmore, the Bucca- neer, have ended.” The order was obeyed. The doomed man, when led forth. uttered no cry or prayer, and was the next instant drawn into mid-air, while as the blue light made the two vessels stand out as light as day, the soldiers broke forth in one prolonged cheer that was heard by all on the Sorceress, Then darkness followed and the two beau- tiful vessels were headed inshore, Leander at the helm of the pirate, and piloting her in by following close in the wake of the Sea Sorceress, whose wheel was of course under the master . hand of the Boy Lieutenant. CHAPTER XXVIII. CONCLUSION, A FEW words more, kind reader, and the romance of Sailor Boy Ned’s early life is ended. His capture of the pirate Elmore, added re- newed fame to his name, and he became the idol of the dwellers about Riverview, where once he had been hated as the son of Elsie the Witch. ‘ The Sea Sorceress was found to be pretty well shattered by the hot fire of the pirate, so she was laid up for repairs, as was also the bucca- neer craft, which was sent to Boston with the prisoners and to undergo an overhauling there, By the time that the two vessels were ready for sea, Captain Evans’s wound was healed, and he ut once placed Ned in command of the captured pirate, getting privateer papers for him, and the two vessels sailed together as con- sorts, the one named the Sea Sorceress, the other the Sea Wizard, and their daring exploits ttrough the war caused many superstitious peo- ple to believe that their commanders were in- deed possessed of powers beyond the human. When at last the long war ended and Ned and his father returned to Riverview, they were accompanied by Captain Sir Lucien Lonsdale, who had wona distinguished name during the war and was respected and adinired as a gallant foe. But, with the war’s close, he came to River view to tell Nora that he loved her with all his heart, and ask ber to become his bride. Nora confessed her love in return for the noble English officer, but said that she wished ever to remain an American, and rather than lose the idol of his heart, Sir Lucien consented to make her bome bis home, As for Ned, being a natural born sailor he could not leave the service he loved so well, and accepted a lieutenant’s commission in the navy, where he rose to a high rank, and died at a ripe old age, respected by all, while the boys of generations after read with pleasure his gallant career as Ned, the Sailor Boy. THE END. ae ke « j oF a 6 Th . r it iy atin nial + 2b We (Is TORR placer, P al : ptf