Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 429 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

4 10 She stoutly denied that she had seen her son after bidding him good-night in his room, and said that she had not touched the oars of a boat for a month, or the tiller, either. She had not seen theschooner at anchor among the shoals, though Duncan had spoken of its dangerous position, independent of the storm then springing up. ‘If the schooner came in among the shoals without a pilot, widow, she did not go out with- out one in that blow,” said the constable, and his keen eyes saw the woman start, as though some new idea had dawned upon her, Finding he could get no further clew from the widow, Constable Kane went over to see Bar- ney Bolls, e found that worthy discussing the death of the dominie with a neighbor, who had been driving by and halted at his gate. Barney Bolls had been a great deal shaken up ~— =~. —— - - tee e-~« —.& «° “eo - i oe They had been coming into port, ten days be- fore, with a cargo of fish, when a schooner, look- ing very much weather-beaten, and with top- masts housed, had come walking after them in splendid style and soon overhauled them. The captain had purchased some fish of him, and had then stocd away around Sandy Hook toward the Horseshoe. It was just dark then, and the skipper did not notice what became of the schooner. ‘*Did you observe any one on her decks par- ticularly, skipper?’ asked the constable, ‘* Yes, there were two officers in uniform, a youth in sailor garb, and a lady.” ‘“A youth did you say?” quickly asked the constable. ‘* Yes, a likely lad of fifteen, I should say.” ‘* Describe him, please,” eagerly asked Con- stable Kane. ‘‘ Well, I didn’t notice him particularly, by the death of his chum, for it had struck so | though I did see that the lady was very beauti- near home to him. What was more, he feared that Duncan had not yet fled from the island, and he did not know but that he might strike a revengeful blow at him, and he lived in terror of seeing him, while at night he doubly barred the doors of the old structure he avy his home, and slept with one watch-dog in his room and another outside. Mr. Bolls was without doubt on tbe anxious seat, and wished to protect himself from an un- timely end. After a long interview with Bolls, Constable Kane took his departure from the village leav- ing in the stage that ugly night for New York, for the time of which 1 write was long before the steam whistle of locomotive or steamboat had echoed along the shores of Long Island. So quietly did he slip away that no one knew he was gone until he was missed, and then it was noised about that the constable had a clew and would return with the Boy Refugee, the young murderer of Dominie Finn. CHAPTER XVI. A DISCOVERY. CONSTABLE KANE was as untiring in his hunt as a hound, for he went first to New York and made a thorough search of that port fora vessel answering the description of the schooner seen off the island, on the night of the storm and the murder. He found no clew there, so departed by vessel for Philadelphia, and then extended his hunt to the port of Wilmington: but he could learn of no vessel-of-war, such as he looked for, being then on that part of the coast. Next he visited Baltimore, and here it was suggested to him that at the Navy Department in askinetdn. he could obtain information re- garding the movements of Government cruisers, So to Washington he went, and found that a schooner-of-war was stationed in the neighbor- hood of Boston, while two revenue cutters, schooner rigged, were hovering in the vicinity of New York and on the Chesapeake, and might have extended their cruising ground to the Long Island shores. . The Chesapeake cutter was sought for found, and the fact made known that she had not been out of the bay for months. Then the New York harbor cutter was looked up, and her captain said that he had not cruised out of the Sound and New York bay for half a ear. me There was said to be a pirate craft, a schoo- ner, in these waters some weeks ago, sir, and yet I heard of her committing no depredations, so I put her down as a foreign vessel-of-war,” said the cutter’s captain. ‘*A pirate craft?’ said the constable to him- self, adding: ‘*Now that would be the very craft that a murderer would wish to fly to. ‘‘ But I will look up the Boston schooner now,” And to Boston he went, to find that he was again at fault, for that schooner had not been near the Lon: Island coast. From some fishermen who had seen the schoon- er anchored on the Shoals, Constable Kane had obtained a perfect description of her, rig, hull and armament, and he well knew the vessels he had boarded did not answer to the craft he wished to find. He however returned to New York to take another loo’: about there, as he did not wish to | go back thwarted. So back to New York he went, and visiting the shipping, he asked all sailors he had a chance to talk with if they had seen such a schooner. To his delight the skipper of a fishing-smack had seen just such a schooner as the constable described. ‘* He was a lad, as I saw him, with black hair and eyes, it seemed to me, well-formed for a youngster, and had the look of one who had luck,” ‘‘T thank you schooner rounded the Horseshoe?” Yes, sir.” ‘Was weather-beaten, housed and patched sails?” sé Yes 177 ‘‘ Had a broadside of three guns, and a pivot- gun mounted fore and aft?” ‘¢ That’s what he had, sir.” ‘“‘That is the craft I am looking for,” said Constable Kane, and he felt that he was on the right track. ‘The youth is none other than Duncan Dare, that is sure; but she cannot be a pirate, with a lady on board. ‘‘Tt is some Government vessel coming in from a long cruise. ‘¢ A pirate, too, would not pay for the fish he took,” and turning to the skipper, he said: ‘*' You say he paid you for your fish?’ ‘‘He did, indeed, and I only wish my eo could have been sold at the same rates, for he gave me two piecesof Spanish gold for a few messes,” ‘* Spanish gold?” 4 fen! and that made me think he might be a buccaneer, only outlaws don’t pay, they take.” With this information, Constable Kane started for Sandy Hook. He took the ferry down to Staten Island and there made inquiries, ‘* T hain’t seen no vessel, shipmate,” said an old tar, ‘‘but there isa boat looks like a man-o’- war’s boat lying down below here, while her crew have gone up to the tavern. ‘‘ There was five of them, a coxswain and four seamen.” Obtaining the locality of the boat, Constable Kane set out to find it. : It was just dark, and he went along the shore until he found the boat half drawn out upon the beach. In a short while he saw five men approaching, and they were all carrying heavy loads on their shoulders. They walked straight to the boat, raa her off into the water, and were putting their bundles into it when the constable came out from the re of a clump of trees and approached them. He saw them start at sight of him, turn quice and drop their hands to their belts, as though they were fearful at having been sur- pear in some act of outlawry, and he called out uickly: sar Ho, messmates, can you tell me what vessel- of-war is anchored in the lower bay?” ‘““Who are you?” bluntly said the coxswain, stepping toward the constable. . Pm looking for a friend that is on a vessel-of- war, and as I don’t know what craft he shipped on, I am searching the different ones in these waters, so I heard of an armed schooner being in the lower bay, and judged you came from her, as you look like Government tars.” ‘‘We are; but who said there was a vessel-of- war in the lower bay?” “A skipper of a fishing-smack, which was overhauled by the war-vessel, and got some fish from him.” ‘* When was this?” ‘‘ Some ten days ago.” ‘* Did he describe the craft?” ‘* He did.” ** What did he say of her?” ‘* A weather-beaten schooner, topmasts down, sails patched, and with eight guns.” skipper; and you say the ook and ran into the had her topmasts _— Duncan Dare, the Boy Refugee. The coxswain glanced at his shipmates anx- iously, and they at him, but the constable saw their glances. “Ts it your craft?” he asked. sé Yes,’ ‘* A Government vessel?” ** ‘Yes, a cruiser.” ‘* Not a foreigner?” ‘*Oh no, an American.” ‘* Has she been cruising along the Long Island shore of late?” ‘* Well, yes, some weeks ago.” ‘Was she there in a terrible storm some weeks ago?” ‘** ‘You'd have thought so, if you had been on board.” ‘* Now tell me, is there a young lad on board of your craft?” ‘* There are several of ’em.” ‘¢ But one that came off to you from the Long Island coast?” The constable saw the same glance Peas be- tween the crew, and the coxswain asked: ‘* A lad?” é¢ Yes. ” ‘Who did what?” ‘‘ Come off to the schooner in a boat from the Long Island shore?” ‘* No boat came off to us when we anchored there.” 46 No?” ‘* Not any.” ‘* Let me see; you lay there in the afternoon in a calm, did you not?” ‘“'We did.” ‘*’You anchored, as the tide was running in?” ce Yes.” ‘* You found your anchorage a dangerous one?” ** Mighty shallow.” ‘¢ The storm broke some time before midnight?” cc Yes.” ‘**'You left in the storm?” pe eg ‘‘ Now, did not a boat come off to you from the shore?” ‘Soy six,” ** You are sure?” ** Perfectly.” ‘Well, I would like to find out about a lad who mysteriously disappeared that same night and who I am sure boarded your vessel, for I cannot account for his disappearance any other way.” ‘* What kind of a lad?’ ** One by name, Duncan Dare—” Again the look between the seamen. ‘¢ His age?” ‘¢ About fifteen, and he is a handsome, likely fellow.” ‘* What do you want with him?” ‘* Well, he ran off and left his poor mother in great distress, thinking she was going to marry his schoolmaster; but she will not ma the master now, and I want the boy to go home with me.” ‘*T see; well, as I said, there are several boys aboard our ship.” ‘The skipper of the fishing smack said as how he saw a youth on board your schooner, that answered to Master Duncan Dare.” ‘*T tell you what you can do, sir.” “Well?” ‘‘Our schooner lies below here, and we came up here to the village for stores, as you see; and ou can return with us and see if the boy is on oard.” ‘*T thank you, I would be glad to do so.” Again the mysterious look passed betwen the men, and Constable Kane got into the boat, the men followed him and took up their oars and swiftly they sped away down toward the Nar- rows. CHAPTER XVII. A MOTHER’S PLUOK, THE departure of Constable Kane seemed to worry Mrs. Dare, greatly. She did not understand his mysterious leavin and seemed to dread that he had discover some clew as to the whereabouts of her son. Did he fetch Duncan back, she feared that he would receive but little mercy in a trial, for all seemed to have made up their minds, with one or two exceptions, that Duncan had deliberately murdered the schoolmaster in cold blood, His threats that he should not marry his mo- ther, his desire, naturally, for revenge, for the Hogging given him, the sceues that had occurred in the school-room, all were put together, and bbed considered convincing proofs of the ail’ In fact, if Duncan Dare did not murder ot Dominie, who had done so, was the poser 9 ’ people ashed each other. 38 900