Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 483 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

a —————_—_——__ ee eo the world over, I will be a happy man, and my aim shall be to make you mle ‘Tf you wish to leave me, when you have be- come my wife, you are free to go; but hear me, Kate Kenyon, until you do marry me, you shall never leave this vessel. ‘‘You understand, wed me, and go if you wish, or remain; but unless you do, here you remain. ‘‘As my wife, you will not dare marry an- other, and I will Cave that satisfaction, so you hear my threat and can act accordingly. ‘‘ What do you say?” ‘‘Give me time to think,” she said ina low tone, and he immediately rose and left the cabin. CHAPTER XVII. THE BOY PILOT, SomE weeks passed away, after the scene in the cabin of the Spitfire, between the kidnapped girl and the young pirate captain. The schooner had run out of the Chesapeake and headed for New York, and there seeking a secluded anchorage in the Shrewsbury river, Carl Casandra had run up to the city, leaving Kate in the cabin. Since that night, when he brought her on board, they had spoken but seldom. She had the full use of the cabin and ate her meals alone. She went on deck at will, and if spoken to by Carl Casandra, she replied to him coldly. When he returned from New York, he visited her in the cabin. ‘“Kate, 1 saw a priest to-day, and he will come on board and marry us, whenever you say the word.” “‘T shall never marry you, Carl Casandra, for I despise you as a despicable creature.” ‘* Well, you know my threat, and I shall keep it. “You do not leave this vessel until you are my wife.” ‘We shall see,” was the calm reply. ‘‘Well, as you know, Kate, I have taken no prize since you have been on board, nor do I wish to; but I have learned of a treasure having been buried upon the lower end of Long Island, and I believe I can find it. ‘‘It is said that a former pirate was cast ashore there in a wreck, and there remained, having turned school-teacher. ‘‘ He was once there with a chief who buried considerable treasure one night, and this fellow, I am sure, has never found it, ‘‘He has, it is said, a map, or the part of a one} showing where the treasure is hidden; but to find it, two maps have to be studied together, and my informant has given me the second one, so I intend to go and get that treasure. * Another thing: from all accounts this old teacher and ex-pirate, I think is one who did me a great wrong, for be landed near my home and killed my brother, when he was attacked, and I am revengeful, so would see if he be the one. ‘‘ Now, Kate, to the other end of Long Island the Spitfire sails at once, and if I get the treas- ure i will give you my share if you will marry ‘Got your treasure first, Carl Casandra,” was the response, and with a muttered oath the pi- rate left the cabin, Two nights afterward the schooner ran in close to the Long Island shore, ard there the wind failed her, so an anchor was let go. Listlessly the vessel rolled upon the waters, her crew anxiously regarding a storm that was slowly rising. All could see that the anchorage was one of the greatest danger, In case of a storm, for shoals were upon every side, and a rough shore beyond. But Carl Casandra called away a boat’s crew and after studying his map started for the beach just as darkness ell upon landand sea, He followed the directions given him, dis- covered the old school-house marked on his map, and which stood back from the ocean nearly a third of a mile. ‘That is the place where the man lives, for it is marked, ‘a school-house, surrounded by a graveyard; once a church. “ There is a light v _chin, so I will enter,” He halted his men among the graves, found the door on the latch, entered the school-room, which took up the first floor, and. then, with his lantern held above his head, ascended the stairs leading to the floor above, where he had been told that the old ex-pirate, as schoolmaster, had his rooms, living there and doing his own house- work. Noiselessly he pushed the door open, and there A Cabin Boy’s Luck. sat a man past fifty, his head bent over, as he gazed at something upon the table before him. ‘‘Tt is that pirate Lieutenant Silas Finlay, he to whom I owe a bitter grudge,” he muttered, and then aloud cried: ‘* Silas Finlay, we meet again!” As he spoke he threw forward his pistol and fired, and the man’s head fell upon the table a bullet in his brain. ‘*Curses upon me! I have alarmed the neigh- borhood, and more, have lost by his death, the secret he held. ‘* Hark! thatis thunder, and the storm is not far off. ‘¢T will hasten back to the vessel; but I will come again.” Back to the schooner he went with his men, and upon arriving there discovered that the calm still remained upon the waters, and the storm was sweeping down from seaward with awful menace. ‘‘ My God, Lennox! without a pilot, I fear we are lost here when the storm breaks. ‘‘Get out both anchors, and we will try and ride it out; but if they fail, we must try and beat out to sea in the teeth of the gale as best we may. ‘‘ But we are certainly in desperate danger here.” ‘* We are, indeed, Captain Carl; but hark!” Out upon the water was heard a hail, anda boat was quickly lowered and dispatched toward the one who hailed, After a short absence the boat returned, and it bore in it a youth it had taken from the water. ‘¢ Well, my bold swimmer, you are a plucky fellow to swim out to us; but give an account of yourself,” said Carl Casandra. ‘* My story is soon told, sir, for I live on yon- der shore with my widowed mother. ‘* Because I opposed her marriage with old Silas Finn, the teacher of the village, he flogged me cruelly, as you can see by the cuts upon my arms and shoulders; and I dotarkinal 1 would not remain in disgrace at home, so swam out to your vessel, to ask for a berth as a cabin boy.” ‘* You ean get it; but what is your name?” ** Dare,” ‘It is suited to you, after your desperate swim; but youare very young.” ‘ Rifteen, sir.” ' ‘¢ And do you know this coast?” ‘¢ Thoroughly, sir; and you have dropped an- chor on the most dangerous part of it, and for that reason I swam out to-night, rather than wait until the morning.” ‘‘You are a fine fellow,” and Captain Carl gazed with admiration upon the handsome boy, as he stocd there, bare-headed and bare-footed, with his shoes, hat andia small bundle hanging at his back. ‘‘You say you can get the schooner out of her danger, my lad?” “Yes, sir, if her sticks don’t go out of her when the blow strikes; but you must get up your an- chors and stand ready to set a stitch of canvas, enough to give her good steerage-way, and we'll run out to sea through the channels among the shoals,” “You talk like a commodore, my lad, and if you save the vessel, you will have proven your- self worthy to step into my second luff’s shoes, for I need a junior officer greatly. ‘** But here comes the storm, so take your post, for the schooner is in your hands.” As the pirate captain spoke, the roar of the tempest became appalling, and awe filled the hearts of those who gazed upon its terrific ap- proach over the sea, which it lashed into foam as it came, Calmly at the wheel stood the boy pilot, and equally as calm was Kate Kenyon, as she stood near the companionway watching the coming of the hurricane. CHAPTER XVIII. THE LAD AND THE LADY, WITH a shock that threatened to ride over the stanch schooner, the hurricane came, and for a moment it seemed as though death must come to all and destruction to the vessel; but the Boy Pilot held the head to the sea until the first blow was given, ard then Jetting her fall off, to catch the gale in the few feet of canvas set, let her drive away at a speed that was fe>rful. Now and then came a quick, stern order, dis- tinctly heard in spite of the war of the tempest, for the boy’s voice was strangely penetrating, and it was quickly executed, Further out into the darkness and the storm drove the gallant schooner, and a sigh of relief il came from every heart when it was known that the tempest alone was the danger they had ta. face, and no longer the dangerous channel among the shoals. Days passed away, and one night the schooner glided into the lower bay of New York, It was starlight, and the Sandy Hook light- house cast its eye over the waters, as a beacon for in-coming vessels; but the pirate craft took advantage of it, and running into the harbor. quietly crossed the horseshoe haven, where sev- eral vessels were at anchor, and held on under the dark shadows of the Highlands of Nave- sink, Here her prow was turned up the Navesink river, and rounding the bold highland pro- montory, on which now stands beautiful sum- mer-houses, but then was a wilderness, she steered into North Shrewsbury river. The man at her helm, an old seaman, seemed to know the course full well, for the schooner sped on under a six-knot breeze, keeping close to the Highland shore. At length the wheel was swung sharply to: port, the sails were eased off, and the Spitfire seemed to be going directly into the forest-clad shores. But no! an opening is seen and into this she darted, to find herself in a secure little harbor, surrounded by overhanging cliffs and trees. ‘*.This is indeed a safe retreat,” said the young lad, who had come out to the schooner, and he spoke in a low tone, addressing Kate Kenyon,, who was standing near. Into the mouth of a creek, flowing into the: basin, or cove, the schooner came to anchor, and. at once all was made shipshape for a continued stay. ‘**Come, Lennox, the duty that I go on up to the city will require your aid, so you must ac- company me,” said Captain Carl, after the an- chor was let fall. ‘** But the schooner, sir?” asked the young of- ficer, who did not relish the idea of going for some reason. ** Oh, she’ll take care of herself.” ‘* But the prisoners, for the boy is nothing more.” ‘*No, the boy is all right, and I have the pledge of Miss Kenyon that she will not escape while I am gone, and Dare, as the boy calls himself shall be left in charge, for he has shown himself fully capable of commanding, and if he has done well as acting lieutenant, he can do. equally well when he is junior officer in reality.” ‘* You take big chances, Captain Carl, in not. allowing me to remain in command, for we’ know not what the crew may do.” ** [ll trust to them and the boy, never fear, so» come,” **Curses!” muttered .the pirate Lieutenant: Lennox, and he added: ‘‘ He is jealous of me, and feared to leave me alone with her, thinking her beautiful eyes would win me over to setting her free, and I almost fear they would. ‘Bat, if she has given her pledge to him not to escape, she will keep it, but he must have de-- ceived her by some promises to get such a pledge, when she is so anxious to escape,” and the lieu- tenant went to his state-room and soon return- ed dressed as a merchant sailor, for he had dis- carded his uniform, _ The chief bad done likewise, and springing into the gig with the two oarsmen they too their departure, Captain Car] calling out: ‘* Remember, Dare, to send a boat to-morrow night to the lower village on Staten Island, for the things I intend sending down. ‘¢ Let them go to the little white inn and the landlord will give them the packages, as I ex-. plained to-you.” ‘“ Ay ay, sir,” called out Dare, and he stood looking at the departing boat. He allowed all of the crew to turn in for the: night, excepting a lookout forward, and said that he would hold the afterpart of the deck un-- til dawn. Then he paced to and fro, a sad look resting upon his face, as could be seen by the light from. the companionway when he passed it. Sitting in the cabin was Kate Kenyon, and her eyes were fixed upon the boy’s face, as he’ suddenly halted just before the companionway. ‘‘That boy has some strange history, I feel» but I have not dared hardly notice him, for fear’ I would excite Carl]’s suspicions, ‘His is a face too severe, young as it is, and that he has daring and nerve all on this vessel have been proven, while, in spite of his years he is respected as much as is Lennox, who is less: strict than he should be with such a wild crew, ‘* But then Carl Casandra is severe to the bit~ terest cruelty.” en «at, ae - aed