Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 468 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

i as *< ae tI OM Tee EE EE lm Da Ge ee a com Se . * 7 ’ get credit the side of the _ fro, and then be sprung toward pi. « when his money gave out and he could no longer He was an Engli and had come to the little seaport as mate of a vessel that put in there in a crippled condition. Finding that the craft would take some weeks to repair, Carl Brewer left the work for the the crew to do and went on a sprce. The result was that the captain sailed without him one night, and since then the mate had made the village his home, going off on a cruise when he had no money, and upon his return boarding at.the best inn and keeping up bis dissipation while he had a dollar loft. He had been captain of a coaster, mate, and foremast hand, and at one time had disappeared for several years; but, just as the villagers be- gan to congratulate themselves on having gotten rid of him, he turned up with plenty of gold while, to the surprise of all, his black hair an beard had become white as snow. One day in the village he had come face to face with Skipper Everard, and the two seemed to recognize each other at a _ glance, while Neptune, as the desperado was called, gave a cry of rage and rushed upon the man before him, drawing a knife as he did so, Skipper Everard was then mate of a little trading-sloop running to Boston, but he was known to be a quiet man, very much of a gen- tleman in bismanners, and one who had without doubt seen better days. As Neptune rushed upon him, he drew back and warned him off; but the infuriated man, recognizing in him one against whom he had an old feud, heeded not the warning and sprung to the attack, his long-bladed knife raised for a fatal blow. s Then came the crack of a pistol, and Neptune | Taree in his tracks. e was not killed, but lay for several months at the inn, hovering between life and death; but at last he recovered and went to sea. A year or more he had been absent, and then he returned one day, and, as was his wont, put up at the Anchor Inn, He had asked about Skipper Everard, and openly threatened that the feud between them should be settled before he again went to sea. Seated out on the piazza of the Inn, treatinga number of village idlers to rum, his eyes fell upon Ned Everard as he approached, and he asked: ** Whose brat is that?” ‘‘That’s Skipper Everard’s boy,” answered one. ‘‘T would have known it from his looks, for he resembles his mother immensely,” and the man’s face wore a wicked look as his eyes fol- lowed Ned who passed the inn and went on to the store. ; Having completed his purchases, rigged him- self out with a new belt and sailor’s knife, Ned carried all down to his boat, and then returned to the inn to see the captain of the packet- -schooner that was to sail the next afternoon. “Say, boy, are you the son of Ellen Vance?” gruffly called out Neptune as Ned passed near, ‘“My mother’s name was Ellen Vance, but she is now Mrs. Everard,” answered Ned, who knew who the desperado was. “ And Louis Everard is your father?” ‘¢- Yes, sir.” ‘Well, I hate them both, and I shall thrash you for their sakes,” and the man suddenly stretched out his hand, and, witbout rising from his chair, dragged the boy toward him. ‘‘ Release, me, sir,” cried Ned with anger, while none of the crowd dared remonstrate. ‘‘T will release you, pa young rascal, when I have marked you as I wish, for Ill clip your and you can go home and tell your parents that Carl Brewer did it.” “Don’t you dare do it!” cried Ned, as the man held him with one hand while he put the other to his belt for his knife. -“T shall clip your ears, boy, and then kill your ther, for I guess that will bring hi n to town.’ s he spoke, his face was white with wicked-’ ad | he arose to carry out his savage a ie ut suddenly there was heard @ warning ¢ and the des yy o gave a cry Of anguish, fe Nod sprung from his grasp and staggered. backward, his hand grasping the sailor knife he had just bought, and which he had driven to the hilt in e villain. A A moment did Neptune stand, swaying to and , the boy crying: “You have killed me, boy, but you shall die But Ned sprung nimbly to one side and the bully siogeered and fell his full length upon the piazza - ¥ ’ ! : ge ak Sa , Bs’, «shine i. = } ** Oh, sir, is he dead?” cried Ned in great dis- tress, as the landlord bent over him. “ He is dead, Ned, and you did. but right, for he meant tocut your ears off; I saw itin his devilish look that he meant it. **Go, my boy, go home, and tell that not one here will say you di right,” said the landlord. *‘ Ay did you, my boy,” cried one, ‘“‘Pid the boy not do right, lads? asked an- other, ‘‘That did he! Three cheers for Neptune Ned !” a voice cried, and the score of men about gave three rousing cheers. But Ned’s eyes were full of tears and he walked slowly away, engaged his berth on the schooner, told the captain he would board her as she ran out of the river, and then went to his boat, his heart full of conflicting emotions, for it was a sad blow to the boy to take human life, even in self-defense. our parents other than CHAPTER VIIL THE DISCARDED LOVER, IT was nearly sunset when *‘ Neptune Ned "— as he had been called, after he killed the huge sailor desperado, ‘t Neptune ”’—arrived at home, and he was in a quandary how to tell his parents just what had occurred. But he knew ‘that it must be done, and so, after having exhibited his purchases, he said: ‘‘Father, do you remember the huge sailor you shot once, and whom they call Neptune?” Skipper Everard glanced quickly at the boy, and then at his wife, while he answcred: ‘*"Yes, my son.” ‘‘ Is he again in the village, Ned?” asked his mother anxiously. * Yes, mother, he returned several days ago. ‘*Then he will not rest, Louis, until he has taken your life,” and Mrs. Everard turned white with dread. ‘* Father, one night as I lay awake, after you had shot Neptune, I heard you and mother talk- ing together, and both of you seemed to feel that the man would seek your life, if he recov- ered from the wound you had given him.” ‘* Yes, my son, Carl Brewer is a desperate man, and I fear that it must be his life or mine: but I will not strike a meeting with him if it must come.” ‘You need have no more dread of him, father, for you will never see him again.” ‘* What? has he gone to sea again?” “NO, Site" ‘* Then he has been killed in some drunken broil,” eagerly said the skipper. “ He bas been killed, father, but not in a drunked broil,” ‘* Ha! some brave fellow has given him his just deserts, * Tell me what you know about it all, Ned.” ‘ Father, J killed.Carl Brewer !” Had a thunderbolt suddenly struck the little cabin it could not have startled the fisherman and his wife more than did the words of their son. The skipper started, until the pain of bis broken leg caused him to ery out, and thus Everard dropped into a chair as white as a ghost. ‘* You killed him?” gasped the mother, ‘* Yes, mother, and I feel Met! badly about it; but if I have saved father’s life, it is better so; but he brought it upon himself, for he seized me in his onde J Syl Pig my arm and neck are blue where he pinched me,” and he rolled up his sleeve and drew down his shirt collar, showing the marks of the sailor’s hand, ‘“‘ Tell us of it, my son,” said Louis Everard, and he gazed upon the boy with a look that was very unfathomable, for how could Ned have slain that giant. desperado. Then Ned told all that had occurred, and when he noe finished ae falter said: ‘My son, you did only your duty, for th man would eae marked sie for ite as i threatened, and you have but saved my lifo at his hands, or me from taking his life. ‘You acted only in self-defense, and the justice will so acquit you; but let me tell you TM chica he ade mak OB honed nee an of honor and riches, while he dwelt in England. Bs ‘He was your mother’s cousin, for she, too, is English, and he loved her as such a man as he was capable of loving. “T was then secretary to your mother’s father, who was a naval officer, and Carl Brew- er was a midshipman in the British Navy, but began to lead a wild and dissipated life that caused him to commit crime ane hated to leave Engiand—though he wrote your mother and ate " + Ye. om r Ae ed sop bom: 4 an tga Me = i. ‘ers Nat. - ‘ 2 soca ° 7 : Sei) See Neptune Ned, the Boy Coaster. _—l ClCCll lll LL LLLLL ttt tt, Aaa LLL ——eGV«— SSS told her that he would some day come back and claim her aS his wife, for at first, with her father’s consent, she had been engaged to him. ‘‘ Finding what a wicked man he was, your mother discarded him, telling him in her letter that she had really never loved him, and ex- pected to become my wife. ‘‘This letter Carl Brewer sent to your moth- er’s father, who would not permit his daughter to marry his poor secretary, so dismissed me from his service and sent her to a convent. ‘‘Thither I went for her, however, and she escaped from her place, became my wife and we fled to America. “Fortune has not been kind to us, my son, for I have been able to give your mother but a poor home, as you know; but perhaps the future may be brighter for ys all.” ‘IT do not complain, husband, for Iam happy poor as we are, and now I can dismiss the dread of death at the hands of Carl Brewer, my wick- ed cousin, whom I have feared ever since your meeting him in the village, and who meant us harm, Pktiow, for his nature was cruel and re- vengeful, ‘‘ Now that he is dead, however, we must see that he is buried, and I will send word by Ned to his kindred in England, that they may know his fate: and Louis, perhaps my father bas for- given me for running away with you, and all may yet be well.” ‘“T hope so; and Ned can find out all when he visits England,” answered the father, bis thoughts going back to the past. ‘7 will do all that I can, father,” replied the boy; and then the three talked over the matter and it was decided that Mrs. Everard and Ned should go up to the village early in the morn- ing, and that the latter should surrender him- self to the judge for trial. This was done: but it was so clearly a case of self defense that Ned was at once honorably ac- quitted by the justice, with the remark that he had done the village a service in ridding it of so vile a character. Then Mrs, Everard saw that the dead sailor was decently buried, his effects were given into her keeping hy the judge, when she made known the kinship between them, and placing them in Ned’s hands to take to England, as po if of Carl Brewer’s death, the two returned 10me, That afternoon at sunset the mother rowed out in the little skiff with her son, farewells were said, as he boarded the packet schooner, and Neptune Ned had started upon his mission to England, bearing the tidings of threc deaths in the far-away land of America. CHAPTER IX. NEPTUNE NED'S MISSION. MELTON MANOR-house was a grand old home, one of the grandest in England, with its numer- ous wings, towers and broad hallways. Thousands of acres surrounded it, and its ser- vants were counted by the score. But a change had come over the old home from what it was a year prior to the opening of this story. Then the old lord:and master had dwelt there, alone with his wife and his two sons, One of them was an officer in the British Navy, and the other was a book-worm and de- voted his days to study and quiet enjoyment of home life. The latter was the heir to the title and estates, and while he remained at home with bis parents — the brother roamed the seas, a dashing, daring young sailor, But a shadow fell upcn Melton Manor-house, for the young noble, with no love for the fair maidens of his social position, turned his gaze upon one of a strange race, the fair young ueen of a Gypsy tribe that had camped upon the broad acres of the nobleman’s home. He had been one day waylaid by two rough men, while strolling along the shore of the sea, and that his death would have followed is cer- tain had not a maiden suddenly ap upon the scene, _ That maiden was Vesta, the Gypsy Queen, and such good service did she render that she saved the life of the young lord, who from that day became her slave. He told bis parents of his infatuation for the Gypsy girl, and it was said that bis mother never recovered from the shock, that one of her race should love one of a wandering > eS Be that as it may, she certainly died soon after, and after seeing her laid away in her grave the young heir deliberately asked his — to allow Shim to marry the beautiful esta. A scene followed, which ended in a threat te ek aN * irae pee ee soe ea