Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 674 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

10 “You look it, and worse; but why have you made me a prisoner?” ** For rausom,” ae Ahl and what do you intend to do with ? *“*T'll take you in my boat to a place where tee will be safe until | make terms with the old y.” ‘* You can make terms with me as well.” ** How do you mean?” ** What is your price?” ** You are a pretty girl and the price is high.” ** Name it.” **T am not prepared to do so now.” **Tt is better so, for 1 would be foolish to at- tempt to pay you, as you would rob me and then carry me off as well for ransom,” ‘You are wise beyond your years,” * And a man with your gray bair should be ashamed of the work you are doing.” ‘*T plead only my poverty.” “‘ Release me now, go to your boat and come tnder the cliff, and I promise, yes, I pledge my honor that I will lower down to you with a rope the yews of my ransom,” ‘*T believe you are just the one to keep your word, girl; but I am not alone in this, and be- sides, the ransom we will get from the sorceress will be far larger than you can pay. ‘Come, will you go with me now, for I musi be . the water by sunset, or shall [ carry u **T will walk.” “‘T will have to gag you.” **T will not cry out, ‘‘T can’t trust you in that, for the danger is too great to me. 12) Come.” She opened her mouth and the gag was thrust into it and the kerchief made fast around back of her head. Then the man Jed her down the steep path to the wharf, and there helped her into his boat. Forward it was covered over with canvas, and under this he placed her upon some blankets already put there to form a couch, Dropping the canvas, which wholly concealed her, he shoved off and was soon under way, a fair breeze coming down the inlet, As he neared the town he saw the skiff of the sorceress, the latter leisurely pulling for home, and out in the offing, seen indistinctly in the pene gloom, was the fishing-smack of Red Thus far the kidnapping had been accomplish- ed without a hitch, but as he passed near the sorceress the man seemed terribly nervous, for he bad heard much of her wonderful powers, and his superstitious fears caused him to dread that she might discover the truth, But the skiff went on its way, and the kidnap- r, now that it was dark, stretched away for he open sea, and haif an hour after ran along- side of the smack, “* Did you get her?” asked Red Ralph, whose red beard and hair had been blackened, and whose disguise was as good as that of his con- federate in guilt, “é did,” é ** Then she must be uncomfortable under there and witha gag in her mouth, so we will be as easy with her as possible,” and springing into the skiff Red Ralph quickly refieved poor Kate of the gag, and placed her in the cabin of the smack, which he had also metamorphosed in various ways so that if woud not recog- nized. ‘* You'll be more comfortable now, miss, and we mean you no harm.” * Thank you, | am quite comfortable, and I do not fear you,” was the plucky reply, and Kate sat down in the cabin of the little smack to await coming events, CHAPTER XVI. IN DREAD OF EVIL. THE treasure cavern of the coast smugglers was some four leagues down the coast from the entrance to the harbor of M—., It was a wild, barren spot, on a promontory which jutted out from the mainland, and it, too, was wild and desolate for miles in the rear of the rocky retreat and upon either side, No vessel cared to pass near the point, and gave it a wide berth, even the small coasters avoiding a closer distance than a league away. In rough weather the sea bounded against the point of rocks, hurling the spray high in the air, and hence it got the name of Dangerous Cross- ing about the neighborhood, many tales were told of shipwrecks ttere, | But the smack of Red Ralph did not stand far out, but held close in shore, and upon reaching The Wizard Sailor. the rocky cliff, ran boldly in until it seemed it must dash to pieces. But just here was the safety of the little craft, for the point was a double one, one extending further than the other, and curving like a fish- hook, thus forming a channel-way, though a quarter of a mile off no such opening would be ip though the cliff was examined with a ass, So into this pass ran the smack, and then found a good anchorage under a shelf of rock. A hailfrom Red Ralph brought an answer from above, and a light was visible. Then the creaking of blocks was heard, and down upon the deck of the smack was lowered a large box, in which stood a man, and be had lowered himself from a davit forty feet above. ‘* Well, captain?” said the man, inquiringly. ‘You got my letter left at the rock rendez- vous, Henshaw?” ‘* Yes, captain, this evening.” ‘‘T have the girl here, and I blindfolded her half an hour ago, and she is also bound, ‘‘'You and your wife can take careof her fora few days?’ “We will do anything for gold, captain,” ‘*T know that; but 1 bave brought some pro- visions and you can make her comfortable, if you wish, and it is my wish that you do, but she must not be allowed to see out of the booty cay- ern or to get an idea where she is.” ‘* T understand, captain.” ‘*¢ Now take her up in the box with you, and we will follow to see that she is all right.” The man gave a low whistle, and a voice from above said: ** All right,” Then Kate was placed in the box, Henshaw also got in, and a windlass on the rocks above began tq take the two up into the air. Again the box was lowered and the brace of Villaing were taken up. They found a snug place up there, a cabin built of ships’ wreckage, and a large cavern not far from if, The place was the very spot for a smugglers’ retreat, and Henshaw and his wife, a by no means ill-favored woman, seemed to be content in their desolate home, - One room of the cabin, reserved for booty, was given to Kate, and the door could be secure- ly fastened from without. Bales of smuggled goods were there, and a couch had been prepared for ber in one corner, and she said that she could be very comfortable, and added: ‘* But please do not delay arranging for my re- lease, ‘See my mother, name to her what you deem my value, and she will pay it. ‘‘ Now can [ be left alone, for 1 am tired and wish to go to sleep?” : ‘That girl's got more grit than a man,” said Henshaw, and in this both Red Ralph and Ken- tou Carr agreed with him. Soon after they took their leave, the little smack was rowed out of the basin until she cana the breeze, and then went gliding home- ward. ‘* Now yea the ransom, Red Ralph.” ‘* Yes, but we will have to keep quiet for a few days, for there will be a terrible row kicked up over the kidnapping.” ‘* Doubtless, and then?” ‘‘Why a letter must be left at night, pinned on the door of the cabin of the sorceress, telling her that her daughter was kidnapped for ran- som, is unharmed, and if she will pay the price demanded, she must show a red and blue lantern on the cliff point. ‘Tf she refuses to trade, she need show no light, and if she has any idea of treachery then her daughter will be killed. ‘‘ But if she will pay the sum and show the two lights, a boat will come near the inlet, return her signal, and she can come off, pay her money and get her child.” ‘¢ Will she do it?” ‘* Yes, for what does she care for money?” ‘* And the amount of the ransom?” ‘*T will call it ten thousand dollars,” ‘‘ Bab! it’s a fortune.” ‘¢ She has it,” sé i ; $ mee pay it?” ‘‘ And half that sum is mine?” ‘‘ Not quite, for 1 promised Henshaw and his wife a thousand each, you remember.” ‘* True, and our share is easily made, now the deed is done and the risk over.’ Thus was the plan arranged, and the skiff which Kenton Carr had used was set adrift, to go off on the outgoing tide, and runting into the harbor just before dawn, the smack landed 4 ifs. ~ ‘/: “ @ - q és we dly the younger villain below the town, he having already removed bis disguise in the cabin of the little vessel. Then Red Ralph stood on up to his home, and as he passed the cliff the sun was rising and he beheld the form of the sorceress standing there, He was surprised to see no excitement, to see her calmly standing there, and dread clutched at his heart for fear that her professed super- natural powers might after all be rea), So he felt very uncomfortable as he went to his little home, and from the pine thicket watch- ed the woman with his glass, as she at times stood upon the edge of the cliff and then paced to and fro, ‘*I don’t half like her manner,” he muttered as he closed his glass and turned away to cook his breakfast, But all day long that form on the cliff haunt- ed him, driving sleep from his eyes, and late in the afternoon he sprung into his skiff and ran down to the town to see what was known there of the kidnapping. He went up to the cabin, as was his wont, had a few words with the landlord, and to bis sur- prise not a word was said of the kidnapping of Kate Sweegaa. At last in désperation he asked: ‘‘ Heard any late news, landlord?” ‘**No more than what the papers tell us, that war is certain to break out,” ‘* Yes, I guess so; but is there no news about the town?’ ‘*T did hear that the young Wizard Sailor had gone off on a cruise as skipper of a large schooner, and folks do think he’ll turn her into a pri- vateer,” ‘* What will his mother and sister do?” ‘Ob they are all right, I guess.” ‘* Have you seen them lately?” ‘*The sorceress was in town last evening, and she looked better than was her wont. ‘They don’t disturb you, I suppose, for you are the only one who lives up their way?” ‘‘ No, I give them wide berth. ** Good-night, landlord,” and feeling very un- easy Red Balph went to Harborage Hall to make Kenton Carr wretched also, for misery loves company. That worthy had just finished a Jate dinner, and in the absence of his uncle and cousin he had celebrated his achievement of the night be- fore by getting very drunk, But when he heard what Red Ralph had to tell he got sober very quickly, for he had been in bed most of the day and had not heard a word also of Kate’s capture, and now it struck him as remarkably strange that the servants had not spoken of it, *“T tell you, Carr, we must look out for that woman, and 1’l write the letter and place it on her door to-night.” ‘You are braver than I am, for I’d not go there,” “IT must,” and the letter was written, and sneaking up to the cabin, like a thief in the wt Red Ralph placed it on the door. Vithin all was darkness, and he quickly hast- ened away, The next day the sorceress stood on the cliff, and as night drew near Red Ralph grew nervy- ous, more so than he dared to own, But, there was no light shown upon the cliff, and this actof the mysterious woman near] drove Red Ralph and Kenton Carr wild wit fear, when the next day they talked the strange circumstance over, CHAPTER XVII. A MYSTERY UNSOLVABLE, ANOTHER night and day passed, and not a soul in the town seemed to have heard of the kidnapping of pretty Kate. This made the two kidvappers all the more anxious, and bitterly did Kenton Carr rue that he had been led to take a part in the scheme, On the fifth day Red Ralph sailed down in his smack after dark, and went up to Harborage Hall to see bis pal. Kenton Carr was there, again the worse for 4 heavy drinking; but Red Ralph quickly fright- ened him sober, Then he said: “Come, I have my disguises in the smack; this is just the wind for a rapid run to the cavern and back, and we will get the girl,” ** Give her up? ‘‘T will run home with my smack, and we can go up to the cabin of the sorceress—” 6 5S ou take me for a fool?” “You won't go?” ** Not 1.” “Then you can land me and I will go, and you haul off within hail of the cliff and wait,” ' * ~ fo - 7 ‘ ® ‘ f* iia ~ : " / s - \ ; 4 ub he he . ¥ <'S iv a » iy ifs 4 -_ i's Naa . ae’ _¥ as ’ - , ) a a. | Y « \oy é “hey wm) ry A ~ comicbooks.com - x 3