Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 320 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

s my ‘ Ka > Sf Md By P vet Mg Jat Vaio 1h dee: ’ 7 re vee ‘ty : Ae i) ie + ‘ a 4 < > ae ‘ rir, > vat Ss 9 the as i - : > + As ES & Pt Pay a et Ve “3 c' : ° Ul ay a. who captured him and then landed him and his party, I determined to save him if I could, for my informant said that you intended to hang bim, and from what I have seen of your con- duct of this trial, 1 do not doubt but that you did so intend, “I therefore landed upon an island, where there is a fishing-hamlet, took the man with me who had told us the story of the prisoner’s danger, and then surrendered myself to them to Be prought here to testify in behalf of the you ““Back there you see my fishermen guards, and you already have heard my testimony as to the falsity of the charges against this gallant boy, who, willing to serve his country, is ham- ped and persecuted by a party of stay-at- ome militia who have not the courage of the opinions they flaunt so grandly.” The major and his colleagues turned deathly pale at this, and there was war in their eyes against the bold Englishman, who had certainiy won the admiration of the crowd. ** Well, Sir Britisher, I will take your testi- mony in favor of this boy, and upon it find him not guilty of the charges against him; but you, having placed yourself in our power, I shall hold as a prisoner, and send you to Boston under a strong guard where the chances are that you will be shot as a spy, for having come into our great and glorious Jand to see what you can find out regarding us.” ** As you please, sir; I submit myself to you as a prisoner of war,” was the calm reply of the Englishman, and while Ned the Boy Skipper was set free, he was held as a captive to take the chances of his noble self-sacrifice. CHAPTER XVI. SAILORS TO THE RESCUE, NED was certainly most deeply worried at the turn affairs had taken, for he disliked to owe his escape to one who he felt would be sacri- ficed through bis noble act of friendship to save m, He bad nof expected such nobleness in a foe, and it touched him to the heart, while Nora was deeply moved by the Englishman’s daring deed to save her brother, ‘He said we would meet again; out lit’le he dreamed then how soon if would be,” murmured Nora, as she drov’ homeward with her parents and Ned inthecarriage. | Ned had wished to remain with the British officer, to see what he could do for him; but his father bade him come alovg to Riverview with them, ‘** But he will think that I have deserted him,” urged Ned. He will discover to the contrary when we act,” was the caim reply of te captain, “Then you do intend to do something to save him, father?’ asked Nora. “T shall start for Boston to see what Ican do, and will see the President and lay the facts be- fore him, if necessary, while the two lawyers I had here to look after your interest, Ned, and who return in the stage this afternoon, will make their report, before the garbled state- ments of that big-headed major arrvs,” an- swered Captain Evans, As the carriage reached the steps lea 1g to the front piazza, a horseman was seen «ving at full speed along the highway borders», the river bank, and which led from the village. He was urging his horse hard, and the animal was covered with foam and dust. “Tr is Tip, the son of the tavern-keeper,” cried Ned. The next instant a youth dashed up to the door. His face was pale, in spite of his hard exercise, and it was evident that he had ridden at top d all the way from the village. “Ned! cap’n! Pasays come a-runnin’ back to the town, for they is stirrin’ up a riot, and says they intends ter hang ther Britisher,” cried the youth in breathless haste. “ Ah! who is doing this?” calmly asked the captain. ‘*The folks, and theyis red hot ag’in’ the Britisher, and they swears they’ll hang him.” ‘Come, Ned, we must return at once, ond lose no time, so get your belt of arms and we’. oe off, for that brave Englishman shall not Gle _ if we can save him. ‘Quick, Dan, throw the saddles upon the horses,” The servant addressed ran to the stables to obey, while Ned and his father hastily armed themselves, and were ready for their ride by the time the horses were brought round. _ Ned at once sprung into the saddle, while the iii . _ horse Leld for the captain suddenly became «4 GP Re ee ul : ,*y * LY ay atte 5 . *, ; a ; a ‘ ¥ / ay ~ a 7 “, « deme a | oc ie ‘ a '. » q ye. * ; : i- The Sea, Sorceress. alarmed and jerked away from the groom, to run galloping about the ground, ‘“‘Ther Britisher will be strung up afore you git there,” shouted Tip, and bis words caused the captain to call out: “ Go, Ned, and I will follow; but do not be rash, ‘“‘Ay, ay, sir,” cried Ned, and his horse sprung away like an arrow from a bow, leaving ip far behind. ike the very wind Ned rode on to the vil- lage, dashed up the street, and into the back yard of tbe tavern, before which a large and excited crowd had gathered. Ned instantly sprung to the ground, and was met by the host of the tavern. ‘‘Glad you have come, boy, for you’ve got the nerve of a dozen men. ‘‘ Where’s your pa?” ** Coming.” ‘‘ And my son Tip?” ‘‘T distanced him; but the crowd seem wild.” “They are, and between you and me, lad, I think the major wovld just as soon see ’em string up the Englishman, though he pretends not; but you see he has got but two men to guard him, and he’s gone up home, hoping they’ll hang him while he’s away.” ‘“And they’ll do it, for listen to that!” cried Ned, as a loud voice shouted: ‘‘Come, men, we lose time! let us hang the cursed British spy now!” A shout greeted these words, and the crowd moved toward the piazza of the tavern, the prisoner and his guards being upon it. As for the two guards, in spite of their flaming militia uniform, they looked terribly fright- ened, and held on to their muskets as though they were afraid they would go off and hurt them, The prisoner, however, was calm and un- moved, though a trifle pale, and gazed into the faces of the excited crowd with a look of per- fect fearlessness, and a sneer at their efforts to frighten him, Seeing how matters stood, Ned was glad to discover, coming in at the back door of the tavern, Leander the fisherman and his ship- mates, who had been on the yacht with him, ‘‘Leander, just stand in the hall there ready to support me, for that crowd shall not kill Sir Lucien,” said Ned. ‘‘No, sir, they shall not, the cowards, and we'll back you with our knives and hands, which are all we have.” ‘‘They willdo— Ah! they are coming, I see!” and Ned sprung ouf upon oe aes directly in front of the Englishman and his guards, and confronted the excited crowd, who were at last led on to their cowardly work by a huge fresh- water boatman, who shouted: ‘‘Come, messmates, and help me string up the Britisher! We have already lost too much time.” ‘* Back, my man, if you don’t wish to die!” cried Ned, confronting him, a pistol in one hand, a cutlass in the other. | For an instant there was dead silence, and the crowd gazed upon the daring youth in a startled kind of way. Then the huge boatman, having recovered from his astonishment, again advanced to the steps of the piazza, for he had shrunk back at the unexpected obstacle that had so suddenly barred his way. . ‘What! Does you interfere, when it hain’t been long since you come near being strung up too?” cried the boatman. **T do interfere, and you will find it out if you press me,” was the calm reply. ‘** Come, lads, let us board the tavern and seize the Britisher!” yelled the riverman, who, like most fresh-water sailors, affected sea terms. ‘* Back all! This is no deck, but the first man who boards it, as that bully says, I will kill!” cried Ned, in a voice that reached every ear. As he spoke he leveled his pistol full at tne breast of the burly leader. ‘*Come, lads&bhe wen’t dare fire, and he’s nothing but a boy,” shouted the bully, and rais- ing his sheath knife threateningly he sprung toward the daring boy. But Ned kept his threat to the letter, for his finger touched the trigger, the flash and report came together, and the riverman fell dead at his feet, With cries of horror the crowd shrunk back, until a voice in the rear, oat of danger, cried out: ‘* Avenge our leader!” Then, with yells, they moved toward the brave boy once more, but again came to a sudden halt, as there glided out upon the piazza, from the tavern ballway, Captain Evans, Leander and his shipmates, and tue fishermen to whom * witkhe ANE FLT eR AND: ’ rs Z 4 ¢ — a , : ‘ Pe ™ the British officer had surrendered, to come to aid Ned by his testimony, and who had been awed by the crowd from protecting bim. ‘* Ho, sailors, to the rescue!” cried Ned, as he saw this support, and seizing a musket from one of the two guards over the prisoner, he moved forward, while with bim advanced the solid line of seamen, who were determined to protect the British officer, enemy though he was, This bold front scattered the crowd in all directions, and many, cooling down from their excitement, were anxious not to have been thought among the rioters, As Ned acted in self-defense, and wholly in the right, even Constable Drake dared not at- tempt te arrest him for the killing of the ring- leader of the mob, and Captain Evans gave him to understand that be would stand no mor6é trifling, while he said: ‘‘In your hands, sir, I Jeave this prisoner, and you will do well to keep bim from harm, as you will find that you will be held strictly accountable for your actions.” This cowed the constable, for he began to feel that Captain Evans was going to be a power in the land, and that he was a man to wish the friendship of, rather than the ill-will. So he said: ‘*[Pll see that be is cared for, captain, ard no harm comes to him, until I turn him over to the guard that goes with him to Boston to-morrow,” ‘‘ Keep him here at the tavern, and remain with him,” ordered the captain, and turning to the English officer, he continued: ‘Sir Lucien, I have to thank you, sir, for your kindness to my children while on your vessel, and more lately for your noble self-sacrifice in coming to save Ned from the ugly scrape he was in.” ‘‘Do not speak of it, Captain Evans, for Ned has more thaa returned the favor, I assure you; and if he wasa British boy the king would soon send him a commission,” After conversing a short while longer with the Englishman, Ned and the captain mounted their horses and started homeward, the latter telling Leander and his shipmates to remain in the village until the guards bad departed with their prisoner, and ordering the host of the tavern to entertain the lads with the best he had at his expense, ‘*Should there be any further trouble brew- ing, Leander, send for me with all speed,” said the captain, as he rode off with his daring son, of whom he seemed so justly proud, for he re- marked warmly as they left the village: ‘‘Ned, my boy, you did work to-day that few men would dare attempt.” ‘‘T am sorry, father, that I had to take life, but I would have died rather than that they should have barmed that splendid man, our enemy though he be,” was the response of the brave boy. CHAPTER XVII. WAYLAID BY GHOSTS, THE excitement following the arrest of the English officer was so great that the major, who feared he had made another mistake in urging on the mob, as he really had done, was anxious to get the prisoner off his hands, so detailed an officer and two men to go in the stage with him to Boston. Major Bounce, as he was inappropriately named, did not wish to do one act to anger Cap- tain Evans any more than he had done, In the first place he admired a man who was rich. The richer a man was the more he possessed the major’s admiration, and he had taken pains to find out, and discovered that the captain was by far the wealthiest man of whose acquaint ance he had ever boasted, Then, too, he had an idea that the captain had some influence with the Government, while the host of the tavern told him that bis belief was that the new master of Riverview Mansion was secretly an officer in the United States service. ‘‘T made a mistako in pushing the boy as I did; but [ let him off so nicely that Iam sure I won the ¢:ptain’s gratitude and the admiration of bis lovely dsughter, too. ‘‘ How beautiful she is, and how she seemed to hang ba every utterance, _ Well, Major Bounce, you are not so bad-fook- ing after all,and you may some day win a pretty wife, and a rich one to boot, for there are but two children to divide the property! ‘*Go in and win, you sly dog,” and the major gave his own ribg a punch with his Jong, bony fingers, and smiled in complacent self-conce it. 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