Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 581 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

fused to pitch for theclub it was because it suited my purpose.” ‘** Doubtless,” observed Dan. ‘Yes, and then you had to come in, with your ridiculous curves and do your best to make me look small. That was enough to make me determine to sbut you off. Forlam a man that kills.” ‘You have shown that, you cur!” gasped Dan, as the other tightened his grip on his throat. ‘* Yes, but that is not all. You are hunting for the man that did the job at Hetherington’s bank. Aha! You are surprised that 1 know! But it is my business to keep posted on such things, Well, I am the man that blew open that safe two weeks ago, and I have the money and papers from it put safely away. The peo- ple in the ball club call me Wilfred Noel, but I am known to my private friends as Steely Wil- liams,” ‘You?’ said Dan in utter astonishment. “Yes, I. And now, curse you! that I have told you my secret, you can take it with you to the other world!” , Steely Williams strengthened his clutch on Dan’s throat with his left hand, and raiséd his ‘dirk with his right. Before the blow could descend, there was a violent agitation of the boat, aud the next in- stant Steely Williams and Double-Curve Dan were in the dark, muddy water, sinking—sink- ing, the former still clinging to the dete: tive’s throat with the determination of a most despe- Tate hate, CHAPTER IX, ON BOARD THE SCHOONER DE RUYTER, Wer must go back to the afternoon when Double-Curve Dan so hastily left Lionel Lacey and Dick Worth to follow Ada Hetherington out of the Polo Ground. The two young men watched the new pitcber until he disappeared through the gateway, hav- ing no idea of the tragic scene that was enacted justoutside. ‘* What do you think of him, Lionel?’ asked Dick Worth. ‘*Think of him! Why, that curve of bis is something wonderful!” was the enthusiastic re- ply. ‘*Hecan’t be hit at all, I believe, as long as he has a fair show.” ‘* So I think, You and he make the strongest battery we have had for several seasons.” ‘¢ T suppose you will sign him?” *“*Tf [can get him, yes. Though I don’t know how Noel would take it.” | ‘* What does it matter how Noel would take it?” exclaimed Lacey indignantly. ‘I don’t see why the club keeps such a fellow, anyhow.” ** ‘You can’t see everything you know, Lionel,” said the captain quietly. i “No, of course not. The fellow may have some virtues that are not apparent on the sur- face. Well, let’s go to the hotel and take a stroll.” **T’'m with you.” The two young men went to the .dressing- room and soon changed their ball uniforms for the ordinary dress of civilized life. Then they went out on the street by a private doorway, without hearing anything of the quarrel be- tween the two pitchers that had ended so terribly.. They walked down Broadway and stepped into the Hoffman House, where the ball game was the general topic of conversation, and where there was plenty of praise for the new pitcher and condemnation for the man who had so shamefully treated his own club by refusing to play, and then trying to spoil the game after- w ard, It was late in the evening when Dick proposed that they should go aboard the schooner of a Dutch friend of his, who had that day arrived in the East River after a leisurely voyage from Holland, and enjoy a real Dutch supper in the captain’s little cabin. ‘**T should like it very much,” said Lionel. ** Come along, then.’ Dick Worth knew his way about hy part ding on a wharf cae esap with the owner of a skiff to put them aboard the short, squat craft, with the Dutch and American flags both flying from their peaks, which Worth pointed ont as the De Ruyter, Mynheer Johann Van der Straten, _ of New York, and soon they were stan ‘*She looks as if she was built more for safety than for speed, eh, Dick?” remarked Lionel, as their skiff ran under her bows. _ ** Yes, Van der Straten does not believe in hur- rying. He just likes to sail before the wind easi- A. ttle ee LE ED LID Double-Curve Dan. a eee eS ly and comfortably, and I believe he would rather strike acalm thana gale at any time, Not that he isnot a good sailor and a brave man, but he does not believe in wearing Limself out.’ ‘* De Ruyter, ahoy!” sung out Lionel, in obedi- ence 0 Worth’s request that he would hail the vessel, ‘** Vell, vat’s der drubble?” A round face, surmounted by a queer little cap, witha tassel hanging over the left side looked over the stern and'‘surveyed the boat and its occupants, ‘* How are you, Van der Straten?” shouted Dick Worth, in response, ‘*Ach! Dot vas you, eh, Deeck? oop, und take a shmoke.” aving uttered these words, the owner of the round face walked coolly away and went down into his little cabin, leaving his visitors to get aboard by themselves, if they cared to, ‘*The same old Johann,” laughed Worth. ** Never catch him exciting himself, But he is a splendid fellow at heart, all the same,” he two young men climbed the ladder that hung over the side, and walked along the well- scoured deck to the little hatchway, with its narrow stairs that led to the captain’s cabin. ‘*Seet down,” was the welcome accorded by mynheer as the two young men stumbled down the stairs and shot head-first into a bunk on the opposite sids of the little cabin, : ** Thanks!” said Dick, He and Lionel laughingly extricated them- selves from the bunk and took seats on a locker, Mynheer Van der’Straten smoking composedly at a short clay pipe the while, quite undisturbed by the acrobatic performances of his visitors, ‘* Well, Johann, so you’ve got back to New York again, eh?” said Dick, “Yaw!” Vell, coom sé ’ “ ee voyage? ‘* What did you bring with you?” Y aang: ne ‘That all? ** Cheese,” ‘** Tobacco?” Mynheer nodded and ccgninig, keener puffed i a cloud of tobacco smoke into **Oh, yes, see. It is good tobacco. the kind you have brought with you?” ** Yaw.” Mynheer seemed to be tired after his brilliant conversational efforts, for he sat back in his bi chair, which was screwed to the floor, an smoked for at least five minutes in silence, with his eyes shut, | Worth was used to the peculiarities of his Dutch friend, and waited patiently for his rev- erie to come to a conclusion, Lionel Lacey was’ too much amused to say anything. It was his first introduction to a Simon-purs Amsterdam Dutchman, and he oe the experience amazingly. ' All at once the skipper woke up, and rising slowly from bis seat. rolled across the cabin to a certain Jittle locker in the corner, From it he took two long clay pipes, an earthen jar of to- bacco and a queer-shaped, basket-covered stone ck’s face, Is that u . : Peliberately he broke several inches off each, pipe, filled them with tobacco, which he pressed somewhat tightly into the bowls with a very fat thumb and presented one to each of the young men, They took them involuntarily, and at a sign from the host, put them in their mouths. He gravely lighted a match, and held the flame to each of the pipes in turn, so that the visitors were compelled to smoke. To Dick Worth this was pleasant enough, but poor Lacey was not used to smoking and he ad misgivings that the Dutchman’s strong to- bacco would be the death of him before he could get out of the stuffy little cabin. Worth saw his friend’s discomfort so he told the skipper that he had promised Lionel a real Dutch supper on board the De Ruyter. “Yaw! Dot vas right,” ‘*T knew that 1t was safe to promise it without asking your sanction,” added Dick. . “Yaw. Lisa!” This last word, uttered in tones such as he would have used jn ere 3 his crew to ‘furl foretopsails” brought into the cabin a young girl that Lionel thought was the daintiest crea- ure he had ever beheld. She was about eighteen years of age, and in her pretty face there was stil] enough resemblance to the skipper to verify his words when he said: \ ‘* Mine daughter, Lisa.” ‘The young men both bowed respectfully, and were favored with a roguish smile in return. ‘* Lisa, give us some supper.” TT ** Yes, father.” Lisa had been educated in New York acade- my, asthe young men afterward learned, and bore no trace of a Dutch accent on her tongue, Dutch cheese, raw ham, bard boiled eggs and raw onions were the viands spread before them, to which all did justice, especially the host, whose consumption of the raw onions was some- thing alarming. : Lisa stayed in the cabin and dutifully looked after her father’s wants. The young men help- ed themselves, thus allowing the girl to give mynheer her undivided attention, The meal finished, mynheer immediately re- sumed his pipe, as if he regretted the time lost from it in eating, and Dick Worth foliowed his example. Lionel Lacey was only too glad not to be obliged to smoke and allowed bis pipe to remain on the locker by bis side where he had put it after taking a few whiffs before supper, ‘‘ Well, mynheer, suppose we go on deck and have our smoke,” suggested Dick when Lisa had cleared the table and disappeared through the narrow slip of a door opposite the stairs by which she had entered. ‘“'Yaw!” acquiesced the skipper, The wind was getting fresh as the three reach- ed the deck. The river ‘vas dark, and the lights on the New York side ;;leamed fitfully as the wind caught them, or, when they were in houses, as the people passed to and fro in the rooms, “Going to be an ugly night, I’m afraid, cap- tain,” ventured Worth, a aw.” Mynheer Van der Straten was not in the least disturbed. He was anchored and moored in a safe spot, and it mattered nothing to bim if the whole firmament were split wide opbn as long as his schooner, De Ruyter, was not set adrift, He walked up and down the deck with the rolling gait peculiar to him, and silently pointed to different parts of his vessel that he thought deserved the admiration of his visitors. If the worthy skipper had any pride, it was in his ship and his daughter Lisa, There was no one else on deck, save the two men on watch. All the crew were of the same natior.ality as their commander, One of them stood in the bow, looking ccn- templatively over the side into the water, It is not likely that he could see anything, but his gnae yee as intent as if he had been fishing for arls. eye the three walked along the deck to the other end of the vessel, Mynheer Van der Stra- ten stopped suddenly and administered a hearty kick to something that looked in the gloom like a coil of Be Yi The **coil of rope” stood up, and showed it- self to be the other sailor on watch, who had cast himself down for a short nap. Neither he nor the skipper spoke one word. The sailor commenced to march up and down, rubbing bimself where the square toe of Johann Van der Straten’s boot had struck him, while the latter passed on, smoking as uncqncernedly as ever, - The performance struck Lionel Lacey as being so comical] that he burst into a fit of laughter, of which, however, mynbeer-took not the least notice, What he had done was a common oc- currence on board his ship, where he maintained discipline by prompt physical punishment of any neglect of duty. . he wind had rapidly increased while the three had been on deck, and now the thunder- storm burst upon them in allits violence. . ‘‘ Better be getting ashore, I guess, mynheer,” said Dick Worth, | | ‘* Nein. Sleep here.” Mynheer Van der Straten laid his fat hand on the young man’s shoulder and pointed to the deck, as an intimation that they could be well provided with bunks below, . ‘‘We have to play again to-morrow, Lionel, but 1 guess we can sleep on board the schooner just as well as, and perbaps better than, in a> hotel bedroom. Let us stay.” ‘*Certainly,” agreed Lacey, heartily, for he — liked novelty of any kind, and be had never slept on a Dutch trading-vessel before. ‘ Wet!” grunted mynheer, as the rain came — down in sheets and the thunder and lightning hurtled through the rieging. . i: Dick Worth and ‘Lionel Lacey had already — reached the gangway and were descending the stairs to the cabin when Van der Straten, rile sailor-like had been taking a last look around | before following them, shaded his rt as he looked steadfastly at a certain wharf, between the rows of shipping, and remarked, positively, = but almost unconcernedly : . Fe ae ‘com