Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 407 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

— mie —-s 5 The Boy Insurgent. --—- -- . + ‘* No one knows it better than I, old fellow.” ** And I only speak so that you'll not get your- self into trouble by a reckless act.” ‘‘My dear Ned, Iam not reckless, but I am just and humane. ‘*'Yonder sloop flies the stars and stripes as a signal of distress, and if she has a right to it, I shall protect her; but if not, then I must give trimmed with blue, snowy tarpaulins, and a red sash about their waists. Aft on the quarter-deck, besides the two men at the wheel, were three persons. One of them, a young man with a sun-brown- ed face and white uniform, was evidently an of- ficer, for he carried a glass in his hand, and oc- casionally issued some order. The other two were also young men, one in a blue flannel civilian’s suit, the other in a white flannel undress uniform, duck naval cap, and the air of one who was master there. His form was erect, commanding and athletic, while his face was frank, fearless to recklessness, cheery and full of intelligence. ‘Hello, Field, the goleta is preparing to fire upon the chase, so we must take the muzzles off of our little terriers,” cried the young man above described, as he saw through his glass that the Spaniard was preparing to fire. “Do you mean, Duke, that you would fire upon the Spanish flag, without knowing what the fugitive craft is or has done?” asked the young gentleman in the blue flannel suit. ‘* My dear Newton, I would fire upon any flag that turned its guns upon a vessel that floats the stars and stripes, Union down, as a signal of dis- tress,” was the ready response. ‘¢ But the Spaniard may be right.” ‘‘Tt matters not, for we can settle that after- ward; but he shall not run down the American flag, if I can help it, and if that sloop can show The Spanish officer had ranged his men ready correct papers, the Spaniard has got to let go or | to board, while the marines were drawn up fight to keep her. Come, Scott, are you not go- | upon the deck, their muskets in hand. way. But I shall know just what to do when we get to close quarters.” ‘* Which will be within half an hour,” said were now not a quarter of a mile apart from the sloop to the chooner. CHAPTER XV. THE RED BELT AT BAY. THE half-hour, given by Ned Newton, for the three vessels to get to close quarters was well timed, as the sloop was steadily overhauled by the goleta, which Mont up its fire upon the little craft, though without doing material damage. Isodor had quickly gotten his fire-arms upon deck, the crew had placed theirs where they would be ready, and thus the bold little band of poe awaited the result, whatever it would re. The fire of the goleta seemed to have no ter- oe for them, as they did not shrink from the shots. SS -S — ———— LL ing to give us any breakfast to-day?’ and the The yachtsman had also gotten his craft ready young yachtsman turned to one of the negro | for action, for he had armed his men with re- stewards, who was more interested in the chase | volvers and cutlasses, double-shotted his small than his duties. | brass six-pounders, and gathered about him his ‘Ready right away, Massa Duke,” was the | American tars. reply, and ten minutes after the yachtsman and | The movements of the Spaniards. seeming to his guest, Ned Newton, sat down to a delicious repast in the luxuriously-furnished cabin of the | ketry upon the crew of the sloop, the young Red Belt. yachtsman suddenly sprung upon the bulwark, Before they were quite through their break- | and hailed: fast, a heavy gun was heard in the distance. ‘* Ho, the goleta, ahoy!” Ned Newton sprung to his feet, but his host **‘ Ahoy, the schooner!” came the response, in said quietiy: broken Inglish. ‘*Sit down, Ned, and finish eating. ‘‘That sloop flies the American flag, and she ‘* Ho, on deck, there!” is in your power, so I warn you not to fire upon ‘‘ Ay, ay, captain,” and the young sailor be- ,; her!” came in the ringing voice of the yachts- fore described looked down the com anionway. man. ‘¢‘ Any damage done to the sloop, Mr. Field?” ‘‘She isa foe to Spain, an Insurgent craft,” ‘‘ No, sir, the shot flew wild.” was the response. “ All right, I will soon be on deck; but keep ‘* That remains to be seen when her papers are the Belt doing her best.” looked at. “Ay, ay, sir, we are gaining steadily,” and ‘* Until they are, you fire upon her at your the officer returned to his duties, justas asecond | peril, for I warn you that I shall carry you by shot was fired. oarding.” After a third and fourth were heard, the There was no mincing matters in this, no yachtsman lighted a cigar and said: doubt as to the result, but a threat with a firm “Come, Ned, now we will see what the Span- | determination to carry it out. iard is about.” It dazed the Spaniard, and he gave an order Going on deck they found that the practice of | in a low tone to the marines to come to ‘* parade the Spanish gunner had improved, for he had | rest.” sent two shots through the sloop’s mainsail; but Then he hailed: the schooner was gaining more rapidly upon the ‘‘This goleta has on board a crew from the oleta, than ‘was the latter upon the little chase. | Spanish brig-of-war El Moro, which was under- “Tl take the deck, Field, while you get your | going repairs and could not come in pursuit of breakfast,” said the yachtsman, and whi’e Mel- | yonder Insurgent craft. ton Field went below, he walked forward and had two small brass sixes cleared for action and ammunition brought on deck. The crew could hardly be restrained from a cheer, for they knew their young commander meant to protect the sloop at the muzzle of his s, and they were not at all averse to a brush with the Spaniard, even if he had a larger ves- sel, heavier guns and double the crew, The sloop now pare led the Spaniard by a quarter of a mile; and the schooner yacht was not. that eran astern of the goleta, and gain- rapidly. ‘ The sloop is fast, Duke, the goleta faster and your schooner fastest,” said Ned Newton with admiration, as he gazed at the speed of the Red Belt. “The Spaniard still keeps up his fire on the sloop, you notice, Ned, although he knows that within an hour he will run alongside of him.” “Yes, it seems strange to me that he should do so, Duke.” ‘‘ Not at all, for that is the Spanish way; but I shall not fire unless I am forced to, and if I am, the Spaniard shal] know that I am in dead- ly earnest.” ‘‘“There are seven negroes, and one white man on board the sloop, Duke, and all told you have eighteen, making twenty-five, while I | count thirty-five on the goleta.” ‘‘Ten more, so be it, we are Americans on this craft,” and the young yachtsman laughed me in the discharge of my duty.” starboard, I will comg up on the port side, and you and I meet upon the deck of the little bone of contention, and examine her papers. “Tf she is an American, I shall protect her, if she is not, then I have nothing to say,” and the young yachtsman spoke in Spanish, so that the officer would thoroughly understand. With a muttered curse, but believing that he would triumph, the Spaniard hailed the little craft, now not half a dozen lengths ahead. ** Ahoy the sloop!” ‘* Ahoy, the goleta !” responded Isodor calmly. ‘**‘ Come to, so that I can run alongside!” ‘‘ Ay, ay,” and Isodor gave the order that ran the sloop up into the wind. Instantly the goleta shortened sail to run alongside, port, Grapnels were thrown by both vessels almost at the same time, and the Spanish officer sprung upon the sloop, his men following. ‘‘Back! send your men back, or I fire!” yelled the yachtsman, and he turned his little six- pounder upon the Spaniards. ‘‘ Back to your vessel, men,” cried Lieutenant De Garmo, who saw his danger, and they fell back in haste, for they too realized that the American was not one to trifle with. lightly. ‘‘ Now, Senor Spaniard, we meet on an equal ‘You know I am nocoward, Duke,” urged | footing,” and the yachtsman sprung upon the Ned Newton. deck of the sloop, the two meeting amidships. : < oo ai 2 aps eh rd Oh es ~ nica i eetoh tin, Se? ¢ PP a wast i ‘sian = nits eee Sa gare: : i ee ‘¢‘Order the sloop to lay to, run alongside to | | — indicate that they meant to fire a volley of mus- | | } oe oe ee ‘Senor, I fear you have gone too far, and that Spain will not brook this insult,” said ‘Lc Spaniard haughtily. ‘‘ My dear senor, you have the larger vessel, the heavier guns, the greatest number of mcn, so resent the insult if you deem you have met with one, or leave it to our Governments to set- tle,” was the cool reply of the American. ‘“T wish no quarrel, Senor American; but I am in the right, as you shall see, and then | shall demand full reparation.” ‘‘Tt will be time enough to talk of that, Sir Ned Newton, as he saw that the three vessels | Spaniard, when we see who is right, or who wrong. 4 Come, young senor, show your right to carry yonder flag at your peak,” and the yachtsman turned to Senda who now came forward to where the two officers stood. The young yachtsman started at sight of him, but a warning look from the youth caused him to turn it off quickly with: ‘6 What! is the commander of this craft a boy?” ‘“Yes, he is a boy and a dangerous one too, for I recognize him, young as he is, as a Cuban Insurgent, the son of the rebel chief, Don Chris- tobal, and in the name of Spain I seize him, his vessel and crew,” cried De Garmo excitedly, ‘“ Hands off, Senor Spaniard, until the other side is heard,” was the cool remark of the com- mander of the Red Belt. ‘There is no other side, Senor Americano, for I know that boy well. ‘‘He lived in Cuba and belonged to the In- surgent League, of which his father was chief, and he is a very devilin spite of his years, for he challenged eshain Merida, a Spanish officer, to fight a duel, and killed him, a he executed a Cuban who was a traitor to the League, and escaped by night in his yacht with his mother, sister, and these very slaves.” ‘The story is interesting, senor, for you make a hero of the boy.” ‘‘ Boy in years, but a man in deeds he is, for we chased him, on the El Moro, and he escaped | us, beat us back on an island where he landed, and captured that very sword he wears now from Captain Atares, a Spanish officer; while, only to-night, he landed on our coast for some secret purpose, and in his retreat shot an officer _and two men before he gained his sloop. ‘¢ You see that I know him, Senor Americano, and have a right to claim. him.” ‘‘T see nothing of the kind until I hear the other side. ‘Sneak, young senor, and let me hear what you have to say in your behalf.” And the yachtsman turned to Isodor, who had stood calmly by under the charges of the Spaniard. ‘‘T therefore warn you not to interfere with | ] | | | | | ate up into the wind, the schooner came up to | they seemed | J | | Government might not uphold ‘Senor, I am a Cuban born, I admit, but I have a home now in the United States, and I chartered this yacht for a cruise, landed at my old home, my inherited estate, to get the bod of my murdered father, and while retreating was pursued, attacked, and so defended myself. ‘“‘ Here are the papers of the ae and you will see that she is erican build, has cleared all right from Mobile for a cruise in the Gulf, © and has broken no law.” The yachtsmean took the papers, glanced over them, nodded his head with a smile, and handed them to the Spaniard with the remark: ‘Senor, the other side has been heard from,, and you cannot go behind the record.” ‘¢T shall seize the sloop and her crew, for these papers are forged!” shouted the Spaniard, ‘Senor Lieutenant, let me urge you to do no such silly thing, for my Government will not put up with an insult to her flag, and I, as an American, will not permit it.” ‘¢You dare not attempt to stay me.” “Now, if that is really your opinion, the sooner you undeceive yourself the better. ‘‘ Shall.we begin now to see which shall be the victor?” ' iP There was something in the calm mien of the American that held the irate Spaniard in check. He was not certain that he could get the best and with her sails fluttering, as she | of him, and a glance at his crew showed that really anxious for the fray, while his own were not, The Nar of the sloop he knew were right, and did he bring on an action, “i feared that his: im. Had he captured the sloop in Cuban waters it would be different; but here he was thirty miles from the island, flying the American fiag, and with an American yachtsman to take her part. © He seemed nervous, ill at ease, irate and savage. Turning to the officer of marines he called to him to approach, while he said: ‘You may call one of your officers, senor, as, an offset.” ore . rw, te Lyi