Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 377 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

~— | at Ww ri maz RAS<2 ec OI £822 S: >See g3 seo gees = a. * ~ — - > somes 45 ee ~ Es 8 <5 ss = == i i i eR, A Py -« _v rw | © *. “bay a . at FPS » ee, o aa a aN + 3 ; ie aa At last, night settled down, and the Indian said quietly: ‘* Now look heap good; bad light soon shine.” He bad hardly uttered the words, when a bright light flasbed out over the waters. it came from the cliff end of the island, and was so placed as t ; lure a vessel into taking the treacherous channel between the rocks instead of the right one. ‘“* Pasquagoula talk straight,” said the Indian Pilot in a tone of triumph, ‘You did indeed, chief, and I see you are to be depended upon; but which way will you head now?’ ‘‘Fool bad pale-face, and no go on rocks; take good water trailand run into cove.” “That is right, chief, and the schooner is in your bands, so give your orders as,you deem right,” ‘* Big wing canoe go all right,” was the reply, and then the Pilot asked that more sail might be set to the better work through the channel. This was quickly done, and the schooner headed directly for the false beacon, which sent its evil eye down upon the treacherous waters from a hight of fifty feet. Nearer and nearer drew the vessel, until the crew crew anxious and gazed toward the In- dian Pilot. But he stood calmly at his post, until the light shone almost down upon the decks; when he suddenly put his helm a-starboard and shot into the other channel. Just as she did so voices were heard upon the chff above, though they were instantly hushed, while a stone, evidently loosened by some foot, came bounding from rock.to rock to fall with a heavy splash in the waters, ‘‘ Bad pale-face heap mad,” coolly said Pas- quagoula, ‘‘ They will be ina worse temper than that, before we are done with them, if you will now ay us iuto that cove, chief,” answered Bono- el, The chief nodded, and the schooner, twenty minutes after, rounded the point and dropped anchor in the little barbor, over which dark- ness had now fallen, for the false beacon on the cliff had been suddenly extinguished, when it was seen that it had failed to lead the gallant vessel to destruction, , CHAPTER XT. THE MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE, HAVING ordered two boats’ crews in readi ness, if took but a short while for the youthful captain to make a oye? his men being well armed, and equipped with lanterns for a thor- ough search of the island, What force he might meet Bonodel did not know. _ The Indian chief bad said four men had been left on the island, after he bad avenged himself by killing the two who bad been among the band that had destroyed his village and slain bis people. But Captain Bonodel knew that on some of the islands the wreckers had been kt:own to be in large numbers, and to prepare against meet- ing a large force he had the crew, remaining on board the schooner, ready at the guns to either cover his retreat or fire upon any given point where he migbt direct. At the head of twenty good seamen, and with the Indian chief as his guide, Captain Bonodel started to ascend the hill toward the false bea- con. He had not proceeded far when a loud call came from the rocks above: ‘* Ho, there! who are you?” ‘“* Sea rovers,” answered the youth. “Under what flag do you sail?” asked the voice, “We have no flag,” responded Bonodel, ** Are you pirates?” ia) No.” * Who then?” “Sea rovers.” “Your craft looked American; are you Americans?” “We own no nationality or flag.” “Do you come as friends?’ ‘“‘Are you wreckers?” ‘* Suppose I say yes, what then?” ‘‘Tben we are your foes.” cc Fire hd The last word was shouted forth, and a line of fire burst from the top of the hill, followed by sharp reports and a whirring of bullets. _ One of the schooner’s crew d d dead, and another uttered a cry, and a bullet cut into bis arm; but, without waiting to sive his men uw to get demoralized, Captain Bonodel called \ — yy wn , «. 7 a . c “4 eS aa - - Bonodel, the Boy Rover. ** Follow me, lads, and we'll soon drive these Water Wolves from their lair!” With a cheer the men dashed up the hill, and though scattering shots were now poured upon them from different rocky coverts, and several fell, the gallant tars gained the top and were confronted by balf a dozen desperate men who disputed their way. ut the combat did not last but a few mo- ments, when a cry of quarter was beard, and the victory was won by Mark Bonodel and bis men, ‘** Well, lads, we have cut down half a dozen and taken many more prisoners; but they were in much larger force than the Indian supposed— Ah! Where is the chief?” The men looked about for him, but he was no- where to be seen. Then the lanterns were brought into use and a thorough search instituted, yet without dis- covering bis whereabouts. If he had been killed his body was nowhere to be found, for the sailors went over their track from the boats up. The schooner was hailed, but Lieutenant Sutro reported that the chief had not come on board. . What to make of his mysterious disappear- ance no one knew, Most anxious regarding him, for he had be- come deeply attached to the noble red-skin, Mark Bonodel determined to ca!l all of his crew on shore excepting a small guard, and makea thorough search of the island. This was done, but without finding the miss- ing Indian, and the young captain was com- pelled to wait until daylight should aid him in the search, It was a wild-appearing scene that greeted the eyes of the crew when the sun arose and showed them the island and its surroundings. The channel through which the Indian Pilot had brought the schooner to an auchorage was seen to bea most dangerous one, and the men sbuddered as they saw the risks they had run. In achasm or canyon several rude buts wera visible, built of the wreckage of vessels that had there been lost, and this was the home of the wreckers, who, fifteen in number, had made the island the scene of their cruel deeds, A few boats lay upon the beach of the cove, but no larger craft was visible, and sending for the leader of the prisoners, who had been taken on board the schooner and put in irons, Mark Bon- odel asked: ‘*How did you get off the island when you bad to leave, for you surely did not trust your- selves in those small boats?” ‘They are larger than the canoe in which the Indian who was your pilot has cruised through these islands from end to end,” was the an- swer, **How did you know that we had an Indian pilot?” ‘* Because there is but one man who could bring a vessel the size of your schooner through that channel.” ‘* And that man is the Indian?” 6 Yes.” ** You know him, then?” “Yes; Fe bung about these waters for a year to kiJl two of our men.” ** And did it?” “< Yes.” ** When did you see him last?’ ‘“‘Isaw him last night, after he landed, for I was behind yonder rock when you came ashore,” ‘*And do you know aught of the Indian’s whereabouts now?” es No,” ‘* How many men bad you on the island?’ ** Seventeen—or I really do not know,” said the man, adding the last words quickly, as though he saw that he had made a mistake in telling. ‘*Mr. Sutro, kindly see how many are ac- counted for,” said Mark. In a short while the lieutenant returned and said: 3 ‘* With this man, sir, there are six prisoners | and seven dead men,” “ Thirteen?” ** Yes, sir,”’ ‘“ That leaves four to be accounted for.” ye No, cap’n, I was wrong in my reckonin’, for there was but thirteen of us,” said the wrecker. ‘*IT do not believe you: come, Mr. Sutro, we will make a complete circuit of the island, and carry this man with us.” ? This was done, and the search revealed one important fact, and that was a second little barbor on the other end of the island. Upon the shore was a small boat, and a bun- — a . —— dle or two of plunder left in it as though it had been forgotten. Then there were tracks, evidently made the night before, and a buoy off from the shore held no craft attached. ‘*Some of your men escaped last night, sir,” said Mark, sternly addressing the wrecker. The man made no reply. ‘* Answer me, sir!” ‘*T can talk for terms.” ‘* What do you mean?” ‘I want your promise to let me go, if I talk.” ‘* Well, I will give it to you, for you may have valuable information, and one more or less to be hanged among you will not matter.” The man shuddered, and replied: | “Then Dll talk, if you'll say you’ll set me free at the first port.” ‘** Tl do so.” ‘* What do you wish to know, cap’n?” ‘* How many men were on this island?’ ‘‘ Seventeen, not counting the crew.” ‘Where are the other four?’ ‘*Gone,” ‘* Where?” ‘‘ In the smack with the crew.” ‘You have a smack then?” “Yes.” ‘*Whet is ber tonnage?’ ‘* About thirty tons.” ‘* And her crew?” ‘‘ Five men.” ‘*What use do you make of her?’ ‘‘She runs booty to the agents in the different ~ ports.” | ‘* When did she depart?” ‘* Last night.” ** Ah! after our arrival?” ‘*T guess so,” ‘* Tell me the truth.” ‘‘She was getting ready about sunset to run out in chase of a craft that went by.” ‘“*A craft?” i ‘* Yes, sir, a stranger hese waters,” ‘** Describe her.” ‘‘ A fair-sized sloop, carrying a jury-mast and. newly rigged canvas.” ‘The sloop I am in search of, by Neptune!” cried Mark Bonodel excitedly, and then turn- ing to the man he continued: “You give me good news, my man, and I shall not forget you for it.” CHAPTER XII. AGAIN IN THE SLOOP’S WAKE, THe young captain of the Flagless Schooner was greatly excited at learning of the fact that the sloop, on which he believed his lost sister to be, was then not very far distant. If sbe had passed the evening before, she could not be many Jeagues away then, and once in her wake, he could soon overhaul her, crippled. as she was, He did not doubt then that the woman had told him a story, and he was the more anxious to overhaul the sloop and rescue his sister, for it could be none other than she who had been the possessor of that locket and chain, which the seaman of the schooner had stolen from her. ‘“My man, tell me all that you know about the little sloop,” he said, as soon as he could command his feelings. ‘*Of our smack, sir, or the crivpled sloop?” ‘Well, tell me first of your craft.” ‘‘Well, sir, you see we keep her stored with booty, so as to run off with it, if we have to, for now and then an armed cutter, or its boats, come into these waters, and they are not the kind of game we want. ‘‘We sighted the sloop when she was beyond the island, for, it being daylight, the boys was all asleep. ‘‘ Then we decided to run the smack after her, to see if she was a rich haul, when we sighted your schooner, | | ‘At first we thought it was a Government vessel, but then concluded it was a pirate, short of men, and looking for lads among the wreck- ers, so we concluded to pilot ber on the rocks by our beacon, and shoot the men as they swam ashore, so as to get the booty on board for our- selves, ‘‘Then the captain and four men, besides the smack’s crew, were to wait on board, to sail round and board the schooner when she struck, and the rest of us got on the cliff to shoot ’em from there. ‘‘But you didn’t strike, as we expected, and that put us all aback. ‘“We knew there was but‘one man, and that one the [njun, that could run a big craft through the channel, for he saved a merchant ———— ot pew , ee ee ee — ome a es Pa ‘ s”