Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 429 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

6 Duncan Dare, the Boy Refugee. was setting shoreward, and the anchor had to be dropped. Then, down from the top came the officer, and as he reached the quarter-deck, the other who had called to him, said in a low tone: “This looks bad, Lennox.” ‘‘ Tt does indeed, Captain Carl, for we are not a mile off-shore, the tide is landward, the storm coming up from shoreward, and the water does not average three fathoms.”’ ‘‘ Curses on that fellow! I wonder if he sent us here to wreck us?” “T think not, sir; but still, we are in a bad way. ‘‘There is an inlet near, but I do not know what depth of water is in it, and no pilot could be found here to come off to us. ‘* Still the Spitfire’s good-luck must not fail her, and I hope we will come out all right, for this storm may blow over. ‘¢- Yes, or wind enough spring up to allow us to get out to sea; but in the mean time, as soon as it is dark, I shall make a landing to see what I can discover.” “Yes, sir, for we can easily return to the schooner if the storm breaks.” The two speakers were young men, and their dress was that of naval officers. Their faces were darkened by long exposure and they had the appearance of men who liv well, One was a brunette, the other a blonde, and both were fine looking, though on the face of each rested an expression of recklessness that was strongly marked. The schooner was of about ninety tons bur- den, very narrow and long, and, as one of the officers had remarked regarding her thirteen feet draught, lay low in the water. She was weather-beaten too, her sails were old and patched, there were scars upon her hull, and she appeared to have seen hard service; but withal, her model was perfect, and every spar was trim and graceful. Upon her deck were three broadside guns, twelve-pounders, and forward and aft she car- ried a pivot eighteen, giving her eight pieces of ordnance, in all, and so mounted asto give her five shots to a broadside. Her guns and light armament all appeared to have been well used, and there was a look of work about her that showed she had not been idle. At her peak hung listlessly a United States flag, and forward were her crew, grouped to- gether, and gazing at the shore, with its ap- parently happy homes dotting the landscape. The sea was like glass, and the schooner rose and fell gracefully, tugging lightly at her anchor upon the ocean swell. Night soon came on, and then all was dark- ness, for the stars were shut from view by the clouds, Then a boat was lowered, and into it got the man Captain Carl and a dozen seamen, which was one-third of the force on the schooner, ‘¢ Success, captain!” said Lennox, as the boat moved off. ‘‘T hope so; but Lennox, have all in readiness to run out and meet the storm, and may this night’s work enable our cruise to end.” ‘Amen!” called out Lennox, and as the boat disanpeared in the gloom, he set the men on board the schooner to work. The topmasts were housed, the sails reefed, another anchor was let fall, and all made ready to meet the storm, whose mutterings grew louder and louder. “The storm is sweeping around, and if it does, and heads from seaward, this schooner is doomed with all on board,” said Lennox, as he earnestly watched the gath ring gale, and then tried to pierce the darkness to landward, in a vain effort to discover the returning boat. CHAPTER IX. SWIMMING TO THE RESCUE, Tux storm certainly came up very slowly, but it seemed to be steadily gathering all its forces, to strike savagely when its fury broke loose. Anxiously the young officer on the schooner watched its approach, and the men forward shook their heads with ominous dread when they saw that the gale was sweeping around seaward, and when it broke would haul them upon a lee shore. *“‘Do you see the boat returning, sir?” asked a voice from the cabin, though the speaker was not visiblo, “T do not, Iamsorry to say. Oh, yes! I hear the oar-strokes, and it is coming off,” was the answer. Soon after a dark object appeared in the gloom, and Lennox called out sharply: ** Boat ahoy!” ‘* Spitfire,” was the stern reply, and a moment more and the boat was sieaaia ‘* Well, sir?’ queried Lennox anxiously. ‘*Tt was a failure, for I was thwarted; but another time I may accomplish my purpose. ‘‘ Now we must look to the schooner’s safety.” ‘* All has been done that can be done,” ‘*T do not doubt that; but this calm still con- tinues.” ‘Yes, sir, and the storm comes now down upon us from seaward.” ‘*So I saw, and that hastened my return.” ‘‘T have both anchors down, and plenty of cable,” No anchors, I fear, will hold us here, for the bottom is sandy and they will drag; but yet we can do nothing but depend upon them, wait the first springing up of the gale, and then try to get out to sea.” ‘“‘It is our only chance, Captain Carl; but I fear we are in a bad way, for shoals are all about us.” ‘*T was a fool not to get a pilot before I came here.” ‘‘ But where would you get one, sir?” ‘True, we have done the best we could under the circumstances, and we can but bide the re- sult; was the reckless answer, and Captain Carl descended into the cabin, leaving Lennox on deck, while the crew of the boat were hastily hauling it up to the davits and making it se- cure. The guns had been securely lashed, all made shipshape on deck, and the life-lines run along the bulwarks from stem to stern while the cap- stan bars were in place, ready to run the anchor up at a moment’s notice. Louder and louder resounded the thunder, and darker and darker grew the gloom. The surf fell with ominous roar upon the beach, and in the silence resting over all the distant howling of a watch-dog came distinctly He ~ ears of those who were on the schooner’s eck, The crew spoke in whispers, when they spoke at all, and the shadow of death seemed to cast a pall over the craft. ‘* This silence is awful, and I will call the cap- tain on deck,” said Lucas Lennox with a shud- fer, and just then Captain Carl camve out of the cabin, ‘*This looks bad, Lennox,” he said, casting his eyes about him, ‘* It does, sir, for the storm will soon break, and there is not a breath of air yet.” ‘** ]t looks black enough for us indeed; but the Spitfire is a stanch craft, and our luck may not desert us, though mine did ashore—what was that?” ‘*It seemed like a cry out upon the waters.” ** So it did—hark! there it is again.” ‘* Schooner ahoy!” came across the waters in a clear voice, ‘‘Ay, ay! Whereaway?’ answered Captain arl. ‘‘ Off your starboard quarter, a cable’s length!” ‘“Ay, ay, come aboard!” ‘¢Send a boat for me, please, for Iam swim- ming against the tide and am tired out,” said the voice out upon the black waters. ‘‘ In the saints’ name, what does this mean? ‘** But lower the gig, lads, and pull hard for the brave fellow, for he may know this coast and be a godsend to us,” The boat was launched in an instant, almost; and away it sped over the waters, pulled by ere arms. ‘* Whereaway?” called out the coxswain. ‘* Here! and I am very tired,” came the re- ply. . A moment more and the men rested upon their ears, and then a hand grasped the gunwale. It was the bold swimmer, and he was drawn into the boat, which at once pulled back toward the schooner. ‘Pull hard, men, for that storm is coming, and you must get out of this, for you have dropped anchor in the very worst place on this coast,” said the swimmer, The men obeyed with a will, and soon the swimmer stood on the quarter-deck, where the light of the companionway fell full upon him. It was Duncan Dare, white-faced, haggard, yet calm and fearless, His shoes had been removed, and along with his jacket, swung at his back in a bundle, while the water dripped from his saturated clothing to the deck. ‘‘ You are but:a. boy!” said Captain Carl in surprise. | ‘* Yes, sir—in years,” was the low reply. ‘‘ What were you doing in the sea at night?” ‘‘ Swimming out to this schooner.” ‘* Ah! for what purpose?” ‘** You have drop anchor where no anchor will hold, and in half an hour after yonder storm breaks, your schooner would be in pieces.” - rr I suspected as much; but are youa pilot? ‘* I know the coast well, sir.” ‘* And can you get us out of here?” ‘Yes, sir, when we get more wind.” ‘*Do so and I will pay you well in gold, my boy, gold that was earned with a rope about our necks, so thatit is doubly valuable.” Duncan Dare started; but appearing not to no- tice the words of the schooner’s captain, he said: ‘*{ do not care for your gold, sir, but I did not wish to see your vessel wrecked, and, as I wanted a berth as cabin-boy, was anxious to see if you would take me.” ‘*'Willingly, and you look like one who will make a man of himself, while that you have tremendous pluck, your swim out here proves, ‘* Do you live on this coast?” wes. air, i did.” ** And you will go to sea?” ~ Veo wr” ** What is your name?’ ‘* Dare, sir.” ‘“ Well, you are well named, though I hal suspect you are hiding your real name. ‘* Still, that is no matter, and you shall be well treated here. ‘* But can you run the schooner into the inlet near we saw before dark?” ‘* How much does she draw, sir?” ‘* Thirteen feet.” ‘Yes, sir, for there are seventeen in the inlet with this tide, and there will be more when the storm breaks, but you had better stand out to sea. ‘* No, I have a duty to perform on this coast, and it must be done, and you shall be my guide to the spot I seek.” ‘* ‘What vessel is this, sir?’ ‘* The Spitfire.” ‘*‘ A United States cruiser?” ‘‘ A cruiser, my lad, but under a flag which, if hanging at the peak now, you would be una- ble to see, as it is just the hue of the night.” ‘* The black flag?” said Duncan, in surprise. ‘You have struck it, mylad.” ‘‘Then, sir, I shall pilot ae out to sea, but not into the inlet, for I will not aid you to put foot on yonder coast,” was the bold reply. ‘*You will do as I order you, boy, or in trice you up and flog you into the humor of obedi- ence,” was the angry reply. ‘You may flog me to death, pirate captain, but Dll never pilot you into the inlet,” was the bold response of Duncan Dare as he stood bare- headed, bare-footed, and with his little bundleat his back, in defiance before the self-corfessed buccaneer. CHAPTER X, DUNCAN DARE’S DEFIANCE. THE bold attitude of Duncan Dareamazed the ies nar of the schooner and his lieutenant, t a boy had dared to swim out to the ves- sel to save her from destruction was remarka- ble, and when on board and discovering her law- less character, he refused to do as ordered, was something the two officers could not under- stand. ‘Boy, you must not throw a defiance in my teeth, for Iam not one to submit to it, and on this deck my word is law,” sternly said Captain Carl, though at the same time he could not but admire the pluck of the lad. ‘*T do not defy you, sir; I only say that I will not pilot your vessel into the inlet, where you can make a landing and harm those who are dear to me. ‘‘T swam out here, sir, because I wanted to save your vessel, and also to see if I could geta cabin boy’s berth, as I wish to leave home.” ‘¢ Will you remain with me as cabin boy after we sail from here?” asked Captain Carl. ‘*T will remain, sir, as long as I have to, but I would like to go ashore in some port far from here, for I do not care to become a pirate.” ‘* Who said this was a pirate vessel?” ‘To-day I saw the United States flag flying from the peak, and now, sir, if Ne will glance upward, as the companionway light is thrown upon it, you will see the skull and cross-bones.” arp pirate looked up and laughed, while he replied: ‘Well, you area brave boy, and I do not wish to quarrel with you; in fact, I need you on board my vessel; but you must run the schooner into the inlet, as not come here to harm any one.” promise you f[ did . | | ee a eee - =- -