Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 386 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

} Captain Cutlass, the Ocean Spider. Captain Cutlass, THE OCEAN SPIDER; OR, The Bueeaneer’s Girl Foe. A Tale of Tropic Seas and Shores. BY T. C. HARBAUGH, AUTHOR OF ‘ BILL BRAVO,” ‘‘OLD ECLIPSE,”’ ‘‘CAPTAIN BULLET,” ** THE TEN PARDS,” ** PLUCKY PHIL,” ‘‘COOL SAM AND PARD,” ‘‘ VELVET FOOT,” ETC., ETC., ETC. CHAPTER I. THE GHASTLY CRAFT. ONE almost starles; night, near the close of the last century, a trim vessel bearing Spanish colors, was making her way in a northbeasierly direction across the Gulf of Darien. She seemed uninhabited, for not a sound in- dicative of human life arose above her decks, and the dark figures of the watch were not dis- tinguishable, Those were dangerous waters and perilous times for certain ships, and especially for those foolhardy enough to fly the Spanish flag or the emblem of the Colombian confederation, to- ward whose shores, though far—far away, the solitary barque was headed. She cut the waters of the Gulf like a thing en- dowed with life, and scudded on as if propelled by supernatural powers, All at once there rung out the piping voice of the starboard watch in the accustomed cry of **Soip ahoy!” and a minute later a man, who seemed to have risen out of the floor, appeared at the watch’s side. ‘* Her light’s dead ahead, sir, Mr. Manton,” replied the sailor, in response to a hasty in- gnuiry. ‘“‘I did not cry out until I had satisfied myself. I baven’t forgotten the instructions, Yonder she is, sir, bobbing up an’ down like a lantern on the waves.” Manton, who was a very young man and good looking, bad already turned from the watch and was regarding ,the star-like object which, to quote the sailor, danced like a lan- tern or a lighted buoy on the darkened water. For several minutes the scrutiny went on, and it was evident, from the eareitas of the pang man’s countenance, that he was trou- ed, ‘That light is too low in the water to be at- tached to a ship’s mast,” he said at last, uncon- sciously speaking aloud, ‘*T don’t know, sir,” said the watch, quickly. ‘*They’re up to all kinds of tricks in these wa- ters, you know,” **Do you call that a trick?” Manton had whirled upon the sailor, and was looking him in the eye. **T would not like to speak positive,” was the answer, ‘‘ Do you not think we are gittin’ onto it? At this speed, unless one of us wears, we will run it down, an’ then, sir, we will know what it means—mebbe to our cost!” The last words were spoken in tones too low for Manton’s ear, He looked at the dancing light a few mo- ments longer, and then spoke suddenly to the watch. **T do not like to disturb Captain Fortuno for nothing, yet, yon light seems to possess some importance. What would you do, Tom?’ The sailor looked astonished, ‘You're next to the captain on board the Red Mogul,” wasthereply. ‘‘I never give ad- vice to officers, because—” ‘* Because they ought to possess judgment enough to advise themselves, eh?” smiled the young man, ‘‘Thet’s it, Mr. Manton.” ‘Then I'll waive my commission for the time, Tom. What would you do? Would you rouse the captain, when that light might prove of no moment whatever—” | **T wouldn’t,” was the interruption. ‘I'd * wait an’ see for myself first; we’ll run afoul of it before long. As you have said, it hangs too low to be suspended to a mast, yet—” ‘*A buccaneer trick, perbaps?”’ *‘They’re cute fellows, lieutenant, an’ they hate the flag we carry as Satan hates holy water,” Lieutenant Manton, who was not only an American, but second officer of the ship, turned from the watch with a smile for his observa- tion, and again scanned the strange light with increased interest. When seen by Fairweather Tom, the Yankee watch of tbe vessel, it was dead ahead, but within the last few minutes it bad altered its position, as if the wind had driven it from its course, but there was still a fair chance of the Red Mogul! running it down. Lieutenant Manton had evidently taken the sailor’s advice not to disturb the captain until he had inquired furtber into the true character of the ligbt, for he had folded bis arms and was watching it intently. A few days before the Red Megul had left Porto Bello bound for Cartagena, the most im- portant maritime town of Colombia. Her captain, Carlos Fortuno, a Spaniard, and a man who was noted for his fearlessness, had made the same voyage a number of times suc- cessfully, and that when a score of other ves- sels, less fortunate, had been caught and burn- ed by the buccaneers who infested the Gulf, and whose hatred of everything Spanish was in- tense, Nobody but this same Captain Fortuno pos- sessed the courage to make such a voyage un- der the Spanish flag, and his success led many to believe that his ship bore a charmed ex- istence, and that his bravery was respected even by Captain Cutlass, the most celebrated and merciless of all the buccaneers The state of the times of which we write was not propitious for water travel, but Captain Fortuno’s success had disarmed fear to some ex- tent, so, that of late, his state-rooms, of which he had but three in his little craft, were gen- erally occupied. Lieutevant Roland Manton had served awhile in the then youthful American navy, but love of adventure had carried bim to distant parts of the world, so that when be fell in with the cap- tain of the Red Mogul, he found aman after his own heart, brave, fearless and generous, and from the hour of their meeting almost he was Captain Fortuno’s second officer, Wherever he went, went also Fairweather Tom, the Yankee sailor who had united his fortunes to those of the young lieutenant as if some link of relationship bound them together, Tom had served with credit on several Ameri- can privateers during the war for independence, and on board the last one he first met the Red Mogul’s young officer, then a cannon boy, whose life he afterward saved, to gain his ever- lasting friendship, This was the link that united the weather- beaten tar to the handsome young man just in his twenties, and as fearless as a lion. Let us go back to the pair watching the danc- ing light from the deck of the Spanish ship. ‘**Don’t you see, sir, that we’re bound to run afoul of the light?” suddenly said Tom, disturb- ing the lieutenant’s close scrutiny. “That we will. By Jove! it has suddenly be- come motionless on the water,” ** What, sir! cast anchor?” ** Tt looks like it,” Fairweather Tom stepped to Manton’s side, and looked at the light which did not seem more than a quarter of a mile from the ship. — ‘Stopped it has, by my toplights!” he ejacu- lated. ‘If we had a boat, Mr. Manton—” ‘We'd board that craft, eb?” ‘*That’s about it.” ‘** Let us run her down.” There was a smile at the corners of Manton’s mouth as he submitted the hazardous proposi- tion to his companion, ‘* Without informin’ the captain?” asked Tom. ‘““Why not? Am 1 not captain of the Red Mogul now!” ‘Sart’inly. It’s no big vessel, anyhow, but may be a piratical trick. It’d do me no.good to split ber amidships an’ send the the sea vam- pires to the bottom. Run herdown? The man at the wheel is Porto Bello Jack, an’ he’d run the devil down!” Manton laughed lightly as he left the side of the watch and stepped toward the man at the wheel whose eyes recognized him, and twinkled merrily as he came up. ‘I’ve watched the lightall along lieutenant,” he said to Manton. ‘* Have you made it out?” ‘* Not exactly, Jack, Can you run it down?” ‘“‘Ay, ay, sir,” was the instant reponse in tones that attested the sailor’s eagerness, ‘‘ But won’t it waken the lady in the state-room?” ‘* Not if we merely graze the strange craft,” said Manton. ‘‘I don’t want a fair collision.” “IT understand, lieutenant, an’ if I don’t per- form my duty to your satisfaction, toss me into the first shark-bed we make.” ton kuew the man at the wheel and hastily gave him afew instructions which he deemed necessary, then went back to Fair- weather Tom. ‘The thing still sits the water like a sleepin’ gull,” said the wateb. ‘It basn’t moved a foot since you left. What will Porto Bello do?” ‘*He will touch her up as we go by.” 66 Good ” A moment later the Red Mogul answered the wheel and veered slightly, then shot straightas an arrow at the light about ten feet above the water, Manton and his companion rushed to the rail- ing where thy hastily took up positions and held their breath. The lieutenant had taken the precaution to draw a pistol, for be cid not know what kind of foe might be encountered, and ‘he leaned over the railing with the cocked weapon in his right hand. ‘Managed by the sailor at the wheel, the ves- sel cut through the Gulf, rapidly lessening the distance between her and the stationary light. “Now we hit bim!” suddenly ejaculated Fiirweather Tom. ‘‘ By Jebosaphat! lieuten- ant, he’s only a shell!” A. shell]? Lieutenant Manton of the Red Mogul made no reply. , They had reached the side of the singular craft, and the prow of the Spaniard bad grazed it vengefully flinging it from under his keel, as if he spurzed to run a helpless obj:ct down, The next moment a wild cry rose from the old sailor’s throat. ‘‘ My God! look at the fellow, lieutenant!” he cried, ‘It’s only a raft with a mast and a lan- tern, an’ a corpse for its captain!” Lieutenant Manton stood speechless at the rail, his face devoid of color, and his eyes ready to start from his head. In an instant, a flash of time, as it were, be had seen all. A rough raft about twenty feet square, with @& mast in the center; a light hanging from the mast about twelve feet above the planks, and above the light still the sorry remnant of what had once been a sail. But this was not all. A buman being was lashed to the mast—a man, naked from bis waist up, with his arms lashed above his head, and with the terrible stare of death and pain in his eyes, The light showed this ghastly sight to the two men leaning over the Red Mogul’s railing, but only for a moment, yet that was enough. In enother minute the ship had passed the spot. a are wheeled and started toward the helmsman. ‘‘ Put about, for God’s sake!” he cried. ** Ay, ay, sir!” In an incredibly short space of time the Red M>gul came dashing back to the scene of the terrible sea sight. ‘It is gone, sir,” said Fairweather Tom, look- ing into Manton’s face, and speaking with feel- ings of relief. he young lieutenant made no reply, but looked ahead. The Red Mogul came back over the same ground, but the lantern, the man and the raft had disappeared! ‘By heavens! I’ll fathom the mystery,” cried Manton, turning below. ‘lll break the c=p- tain’s slumbers if he shoots me for it.” CHAPTER II. AN OCEAN MONSTER, CapTAIN FORTUNO was already awake, there- fore the young American lieutenant did not in- cur any risks when he went below. Porto Bello Jack had struck the raft bard enough to send a shiver throughout the Red Mogul, and sufficiently hard, also, to disturb sound sleepers. Manton io a few words acquainted the Span- ish captain with what had taken place, ' ‘It’s a pirate’s vengeance,” said Captain Fortuno between his teeth. ‘“‘I do not know who the map is, neither doI care.’ By beaven! if this is Captain Cutlass’s work, I'll go twenty miles out of my track to find him.” The two men went up together, and a minute after reaching the deck boats were lowered, and the men of the Red Mogul were clambering down over her sides. ‘Captain, the lady of the state-room,” said Lieutenant Manton, touching the Spaniard’s arm. ** T can’t go below now—” ‘¢ But she is here.”