Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 377 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

_ “and loo 8 “* Yes.” “| know better.” ‘‘She is my adopted daughter, for I found her on a wreck, and bave raised her.” **] will tell you what 1 will do.” “Weil? ‘‘j will spare your life, and the lives of your f you will pilot this craft to wife ana son, i safety ” ‘** You will set us free?” o* "Fea," ** When?’ ‘* As soon as 1 can land you at a near port.” “And allow us to go penniless into the world?’ ‘You have gold and jewels about, I will swear.” ‘*And you have my sloop, with all my trea- sure on board.” ‘Well, I will see that you do not want for riches,” and the woman smiled grimly. “So be it; I will take the helm, so knock off my irons.” This was done, and Wambold the Water Wolf took the helm of the Sea Ghost. The prospect was anything but inviting about them, The weather for days past had been unsettled avoid even in a light breeze. Now night was coming on, the wind was in- creasing, the sea rising, and there was a dark cloud looming up which indicated a still severer blow, perbaps a burricane. Without a perfect knowledge of the sunken reefs, rock isles, and islands, in the darkness it seemed as though it would beimpossible tu avoid going to destruction. Then, to make matters worse, the cruiser was coming on apace, and at arate of speed which would overhaul the little vessel, held back by towing the dismasted sloop, unless the Water Wolf could take a course that the armed craft could not follow bim through. But the wrecker took the helm with seeming confidence, and, after gla»cing back at the cruiser, and then at the ciouds, quietly gave his orders in a way that showed he knew what he was about. CHAPTER VIII. THE WATER WOLF AND HIS CAPTOR. “T HOPE you know what you are about, Alfred Wambold,” said the Woman in Black, with some anxiety, as she watched the plunging of the schooner, the terrible jerks upon the cables that held the sloop in tow, and the in- creasing fury of the elements. Without answering her directly, the Water Wolf said: ‘“You seem to know the danger of these waters?” “ I do.” ‘‘ May I ask how you learned them so well?” ‘““Yes, I found a chart of the main channels, and, as you now know me as I am, I may as well confess that with it was the secret of how to run in and out of the Death Rock Basin, ‘‘T took big chances and tried it, and was successful; but I do not know any of the secret channels by which I could escape yonder cruiser coming on so rapidly.” ‘“You have cause to fear yonder vessel, then?’ ‘*Yes, for her boy commander was once my prisoner.” ; 3 ‘* Your prisoner?” <Vea for, after my escape from an island of savages, whose cruelty left me as you see me, and made me what I am, I was wrecked on an isle of the Gulf and turned the circumstance to my advantage. f ‘There was wrecked the young commander of yonder cruiser, and I did not treat him in a yey taat causes him to remember me pleasant- 7 «He also believes me to be in league with irates, a wrecker myself, and so will not hesi- ate to give me a berth for life in a dungeon.” You are as bad as I am, if not worse,” said the man grimly. ; ‘‘ Worse would not be possible, for when I ran into your island basin I discovered just what vou and your wife were, _ “| recognized her, as I crept up to vour cabin through the window, and I saw her y aapea, over a skull she held in her band, and ‘the bony forehead of which, my name was painted, | ‘*Sbe believed she had poisoned me long ago _ whenu it was another she had kiNed, and to reve im Ler joy at the death of her rival, she car- ' — and threatening, and the locality was one -_-_ —_- -——— > Bonodel, the Boy Rover. ried, as she thought, my skull about with her as & souvenir.” The brow of the woman darkened as she spoke, and her eyes glittered, so, to change the subject Wambold the Water Wolf said: 4: Aud your husband deserted you among sav- ages? ‘* Yes, me and my boy,” she said firmly. Then she added, as though thinking aloud: ‘* But he hated me, disfigured us I was by this tattocing, and sought his own way. ‘‘ But | tracked him, and after long years 1 found him,” ‘Where?’ ‘* In New Orleans.” ‘* Prospering, PU warrant?’ ‘*@b, yes, as rich as Cicesus, and as wicked as Si’), ‘* But I was avenged upon him, for I visited bim in disguise, saw bim drink the poison I gunced in bis glass of wine, and fali at my feet eud, ‘*Then I fled from the city, and, with my son came to these waters.” 6 Why ¢”? *‘'To become a wrecker and gain more gold.” ** Could you not get your busband’s gold?” ‘* Not without proof, and, known as [ am, as the Tattooed Witch, it would not be well for me to attempt to claim it.” ‘* But your son might?” ‘* No, he bas lived in New Orleans, and is so far guilty, that be would hang if he returned there.” ‘*'You were a precious trio,” sneered the man. ‘Yes, of the same precious kind as Wambold the Water Wolf, his wife and son, now on board this schooner.” The man winced under the reply, and asked: ‘*Do you still intend toremain a wrecker in these waters?” | ‘‘ Yes, or rather it will depend upon one thing.” ‘* And what is that?” ‘‘How much treasure your sloop holds.” ké Ah 7 ‘¢ Yes, if it is very valuable, I shall dispose of it, and adding its price to my riches, I will have sufficient to live upon in a foreign land, and in juxury. | ‘If it does not turn out rich as I hope, I shall continue a wrecker until I bave gained all I need.” ‘*You will not rob me of my treasure, gained after long years of hardship and peril?” . ‘Ob yes Ll will, for I give you your life, and that is more than you should ask of me.” The man seemed anxious to change the sub- ject, so said: **We are in particularly dangerous waters now, sO have your crew ready to obey my slightest order, and more, yonder storm-cloud will soon burst upon us, and as night is almost here, we are in a bad way.” ‘* And the cruiser?” f Do you see yonder large rock ahead of aa Yes.” ‘‘1f it rounds that rock and stands toward us, the man at her helm is a fool, for when we crossed a reef there, we had not two feet under our keel,” ‘* We shall soon see,” é Yes.” The crew were ordered to be in readiness, and the Woman in Black watched the clouds, the sea, her schooner, the towing sloop and the cruiser. ‘*‘ He has passed the rock you referred to,” she suddenly cried. sé Yes,” ‘* And bas not put away in chase?” ‘‘No, for the man at her helm knows these waters, it seems: but stand ready all, for there breaks the storm!” The voice of the Water Wolf rung out loud and thrilling, and the crew sprung to their work with a will, while Lita the girl wrecker, ran to the helm to aid Wambold in the steering of the schooner. A moment of suspense to all and then the storm broke in fury, and off before the gale the little craft bounded, with just sail enough set to steady her, and dragging the sloop in her wake at a terrific pace. ‘*Go forward, girl, and direct me!” cried the Water Wolf. In obedience, the maiden made her way for- ward, and clambering into the shrouds peered ahead, her bare feet clinging to the ropes as closely as ber hands, and her skirt and hair violently pa by the fierce wind, as fear- lessly she directed the Water Wolf at the helm | at the helm of the Se ee ee CHAPTER IX, HOW A PLEDGE WAS KEPT. “THAT girl understands these waters well, I see,’ cried the Woman in Black, her mouth close to the ear of the Water Wolf, as he stood schooner. ‘* Yes, better than I do,” was the reply. ‘‘ Yet she would’not take the helm when I told her to do so.” ‘** No, she cannot be driven.” ‘* | offered ber the best of terms.” ‘*She would accept no terms, unless it chimed in with ber bumor to do so, and sbe knows not what fear is.” ‘‘So I believe— Hark! sbe is speaking.” In clear tones, sweet as the tones of a bell, came from the girl wrecker in the rigging: ‘‘Hard down your belm to round the Tower Rock!” “Ay. ay, girl!” hoarsely called back the Water Wolf, obeying, while tbe men sprung to the halyards. ws ‘“We need have no fear now of the cruiser,” continued the woman, ‘‘No, we have lost her— What is it, girl?’ called out Wamboid, raising bis voice above the storm. ‘*Ts not this schooner leaking ?—for she seems to sail as though water-logged.” ‘“Ay, ay! ll bave the pumps tried, for she does sail heavy.” ‘‘Man the pumps!” cried the Woman in Black, and an exclamation from the men, who obeyed, showed that they had made some star- tling discovery. ‘* What is it?” called out the woman. ‘There is a great deal of water in the hold, and it is running in fast!’ sung out Perdido, the son of the Woman in Black. ‘“Sbe has chipped off sometbing from ber keel, doubtless, from some of these accursed sunken rocks,” growled the Water Wolf, ‘*'W bat will you dc?” asked the woman. ‘‘ Bring ber to and anchor her; then work the pumps until daylight, when perhaps we can find some place. to beach her.” ‘‘Ts it so bad as that?’ anxiously asked tbe woman, . ‘Yes, and perhaps worse.” ‘“*How worse?” ‘We may not be able to keep her afloat, for she ssems to settle fast.” ‘‘ At the pumps there! Keep them flying, for your lives depend upon it,” came in the woman’s stern tones, Then, as if determined to meet the worst coolly, she set about gathering in bundles all things of value on tbe schooner, to be taken ashore with her. The crew helped her at this when not work- ing at the pumps, and all was soon in readiness should a basty leave be necessitated. The sloop had lost her boat in the storm tbat bad dismasted her, and the schooner’s little gig had been swept overboard, so that the life- skiff, in which the girl wrecker bad come out ive the Death Rock, was the only boat avail- able. This was lashed to the deck of the schooner, and having come down from her post in the rigging the maiden had quietly taken her seat upon the surf skiff. “The water is gaining,” said the Water Wolf, as be noted that this was the fact. ‘* Yes,” calmly answered the woman, ‘‘We will have to leave the schooner witbin an Ronee it keeps gaining at this rate,” “Yes “ And take to the surf skiff.” ‘‘Yes, and board your sloop.” ‘ i. Certainly, for it is all we can do until day- ght. A man had been left on tbe sloop to steer, and hailing him, the woman asked: ‘Ts the sloop leaking¢” ‘No, tight as a drum,” came back the reply, and a cheer broke from the crew, ‘¢-You will now take the irons off of m and son, and allow them to come on asked Wambold. ‘No, I will not; but, on the contrary, I will have the irons put back on you, for with you and the girl free I am not sure of our safety.” = Bah! you have yourself, your son and four men. ‘‘ One is on board the sloop, as you know, and you are four, and we but five; the chances are too near even for me to risk anything, so you go back in irons.” are Sf ‘* And the girl?” ‘* Shall remain free.” ‘¢ Curses!” came from between the shut lips of the Water wife eck?” how to steer. . the irons were again put upon him, ; | | po Fe RPE. SR BO De Ry REM ORS BR Ts aes Me ape con a) VOOKS Wolf; but be dared not resist, and Aas hd