Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 933 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

A boat was lowered aud Dare boarded the wreck, where he remained quitea long time (the captain thought) before firing it. ‘‘Did you learn anything about her?” asked the captain, when he returned. ‘‘ Yes—it’s the Isle of France—or what’s left of her!” replied Dare, in a low tone. ‘‘The Isle of France! What can have hap- pened to her?” : ‘‘She was boarded by pirates yesterday. I was justin time to learn that from one of the crew, who was dying when | found him, and died before I left. ‘* He told me that Captain 1..7Tis and two or three others had been carried off by the pi- rates.” ‘* Algerians undoubtedly |” exclaimed the cap- tain. *‘ And they must have passed us during the night,” . ** Yes—I’m sorry for Laurie,” said Dare. **Tt is rather rough,” admitted the captain, **but don’t say anything about it. When we et into Carthagena, I’ll send word by some of the English ships to the head devil (he meant - the bey) that we'll trade this limb of his, Zora, for Captain Lawrence, If Hawkins is any- where near right about her influence, there will be no trouble about making the exchange.” When the frigate entered port, almost the first act performed by Captain Nicholson was to seek an English captain, by whom he sent the pe apace to exchange Zora for Captain orris, and then learned for the first time that ‘ ' the Bey of Algiers had formally declared war against the United States, As this meant an immediate return to patrol the Mediterranean, the men were not allowed the usual liberty to go ashore, and there were at least two officers who did not appear to appreci- ste their privilege to do so. hese two were Laurie and Decatur, and both being prime favorites with the crew, were beled ar Spb gccnpen when, at the suggestion of the la that they should ‘‘ go hear some good lies,” they entered the crowded forecastle, Billy Boner had the ear of the company, and was gravely telling that he knew of a certain fiend in the “North Seas that was always seen, on the eve of a hurricane, astride the bowsprit of ships containing his friends. He descri this sociable fiend as wearing a conical hat ti pee with furs, with blue flames pouring out | is hawse-boles, and there he rode on the bowsprit, leading the vessel to destruction, while waving in triumph a trident surmounted by a human skull, illuminated with red fire. This story was received with grave approval, and Billy was encouraged to attempt to relate his Spanish Main experience. ‘‘And now, mates,” he began, “‘I’d like t’ in yea yarn about my ’sperience when I wuz aoe in the Spanish—” At this point the usual fusilade of boots, pan- nikins, chunks of wood and a rich and varied ‘ collection of oaths and other articles were being” $3 hurled at Billy’s head, when a piercing cry rung wee fy, through the.ship, followed a moment later by i a loud splash and the cry, ‘* Man overboard!” ‘*‘ Dollars: to doughnuts it’s a woman over- board!” exclaimed Decatur, as he darted out of t the forecastle. “ap He wasright. Zora was gone, and her guard lay dead on the floor with a dagger stuck in his —_—_—_—— * CHAPTER XVI, A RESCUE AND A CAPTURE, ’ §arcH for Zora proved useless, She had | many friends and countrymen in the city, and : when Captain Nicholson learned of her escape he abandoned all hope of recapturing her. prt ‘‘ Ti’s unfortunate—very unfortunate, but we must sail to-morrow morning,” he said to Dare, adding: } . re We must rely on the ransom now,” — - “Tt’s our only hope, sir, and a rather slim ; one,” returned the lieutenant. ‘‘ Have you noti- _. fied the English captain?” : : “alee ‘* No—I will do so at once.” | ae A messenger was sent accordingly, and the sudden change in the position of affairs commu- nicated to the captain of the English ship, ‘9 Early next morning the United States weighed anchor and started back for the Mediterranean, leaving the corvette at Lisbon, for want of a crew to man her, “s = | son felt no anxiety about leaving the prize with only half a dozen men to take care of her, since no attempt could be made to recapture. : After cruising about for a week, a square- “tam . rigged ship, fl ying the Union Jack, was sighted des «SE one morning bearing toward the frigate, and, an hour later Captain Nicholson had the pleas- = | * ieee ; : ee 7% As she was ina neutral port, Captain Nichol- | The Two Midshipmen. ure of greeting Captain Broke—his English friend, and afterward, in 1815, determined toe. ‘*How did you manage to ship a crew for your prize?” asked Captain Broke, during the conversation. ‘Ship a crew! Idid not—couldn’t get ’em,” ‘¢ Well, she sailed two days after you. Your representative must have sold her,” ‘I suppose so,” replied Captain Nicholson, thoughtfully, and much more surprised than he pretended to be, , The English ship was bound for Algiers (the town), aud parted company with tue frigate after passing Morocco, Along toward evening a strong gale sprung up, and Captain Nicholson, who had been run- ning rather close, inshore for such a dangerous coast, was about to stand further out to sea, when he remembered a safe anchorage only a mile away, and, still playing the English mer- chantman, ran the frigate into a little cove, where he dropped anchor in safety. It was a part of the coast which Captain Nicholson knew to be almost uninhabited, and he was therefore surprised to learn next morn- ing that a large body of. men were approaching the cove. Laurie and Decatur, at the mast-head of the frigate surveying the country, had espied the approaching natives and, when nearer, the latter descended to say he thought there were prison- ers among them. ‘*Slavers, by Jove!” exclaimed Dare, after a glance through his glass, . ‘They are either expecting a ship here, or are coming to seize this,” said the captain, and turning called Hawkins, ‘*Yes, sir they often ship slaves from here round t’ Tripoli, ’ said Hawkins, in reply to the captain’s question. | ‘]’m sure they haven’t seen us—althouch they may have got word that a ship is here,” inter- rupted Dare. ‘Very well. Take fifty men and a couple howitzers ashore, Mr, Dare. We must try to rescue the slaves. If they attack us, as I ex- pect, you can take them in the rear,” and turn- ng to Decatur, who had been aloft again, the captain asked: ‘How many, Mr. Decatur?” ‘¢ About two hundred slavers, and one hundred slaves, sir.” ‘*Good. You can go with Mr. Dare.” ‘* May I go, too, sir?’ asked Laurie. ‘* Yes, I suppose you can,” replied the captain, hesitatingly, half hoping that Captain Lawrence would be found among the prisoners, The shore of the cove was well wooded, so there was no danger of the character of the fri- gate being discovered until the Algerians were close at hand, and a watch from the mast-head kept them posted as to the manner and locality of the approaching party, About half a mile from the cove the slavers halted for a few minutes, and then leaving the captives with half of their number to form a camp, the balance came on toward the frigate, Dare was notified of thie, and instructed to attack the camp as soon as the guns of the ship began firing. he frigate was lying temptingly close to the shore, and, with only a few men on deck, looked an easy prize to the hundred or more Arabs, Turks and Moors who soon appeared. ‘‘That’s some of Haji Ben Hassuna’s band,” said Hawkins, as the party halted, and stared in surprise at the frigate, With a confidence inspired by the closed ports. and the small number of men on deck, the slavers surveyed the frigate in a very leisurely manner, and then proceeded to pitch a camp under the trees along shore, “They're waiting until night,” said Rogers. ‘‘They know we'll have to warp her out, and ao are too well armei—they think—for us to try it. | te Hawkins, you ask them what they want,” said Captain Nicholson, Wawkins did so, and this called attention to their presence aboard the frigate, which excited great surprise among the Algerians, “They won't answer, sir,” said Hawkins. ‘*They want t? know what I’m doing here, ’n’ what country ship she is.” _ ‘« Tell ’em it’s none of their business! If they ain't out of there in two minutes, we’ll open fire n em, ; ‘We'll have to fire a gun anyhow,” con- tinued the captain, ‘‘to notify Mr. Dare to be- The captain’s threat was greeted with de- risive laughter, which quickly changed to cries of alarm and surprise as the big gun in the stern =) ‘ was stripped and turned on them, and a num-. « ; ' ee nel ‘ > , - ss 11 a 4 © 2 * _ d “ 4 ore of shots were fired by the gunner—Haw- sins. ‘*Fire! Fire!” The slavers were already scuttling away among the trees when the captain shouted this impatient order, but Hawkins was only waiting to get them bunched, and when he did fire, the grapeshot caught and swept off almost one- quarter of them. Morris, from the bow, fired a moment after, and then, mingled with the cries of the wound- ed and dying pirates, came the report of Dare’s 4 uns, Bode oi, There go the howitzers!" cried Rogers. + ‘* Yes, and those fellows must have heard them as well as us! Take a couple of boats and go to their assistance, Mr. Porter! Fire a. broadside, Mr. Rogers, to cover the boats,” The captain’s orders were quickly wind and the boats’ crews, having landed without loss or trouble, proceeded toward the pirate camp. | Lieutenant Dare’s party had been ready for some time, awaiting the signal, and, when it came, both howitzers were fired almost instant- ly. ‘* Now, lads, forward!” cried Dare, With a wild cheer the men dashed at the sur- prised pirates, carrying the camp almost with- out a show of resistance—the pirates flying to. their horses and camels at the first ress They recovered, however, and came charging back after a few minutes, but by this time many of the captives were released and joined in the fight which followed, rendering numbers. about equal, although the pirates had the ad- bm vantage of being mounted. 9 For a few minutes the fighting was fast ‘and furious, and then the slavers were joined by their comrades driven back from the cove, This gave them the ascendency in numbers, and Dare’s party began to fall back—the guns saving them from being compelled to fly, but the well-mounted, well-armed natives seemed to have them at their mercy, when suddenly Lieu- ‘tenant Porter appeared on the scene at the head of fifty men. Laurie, directing the fire of the two guns, waited long eno to fire one, and then joined in the combined charge of Porter’s and Dare’s- men, Again the tide of battle changed, and this time victory remained with the Americans, : the slavers unable to withstand their impetuous: Ng charge, which, led by Dare, Porter, Decatur — and Laurie—the two last named in the van— caused them to break and fly toward the Great Desert of the Sahara. Almost all the captives asp were released, but when the pursuit was over, | it was found the slavers had carried off at least one vrisoner—Laurie. “ CHAPTER XVII. es LAURIE AS A PRISONER. , It was not until Decatur returned that Laurie’s- absence was noticed, _“ Where is Laurie?” asked Dare, leaving the crowd of joyful ex-prisoners, who were en- deavoring to thank him. Was Blood was streaming down Decatur’s face, one arm hung limp and useless, and his clothes : were torn and dirty. He bore all the signs of a i. desperate fight, and the lieutenant dreaded the. ins re Ve Le ‘Laurie, poor Laurie, was carried off on a By camel.” ; The midshipman, who was pk eng Mi xr like a drunken man, could say no more, Pursuit was useless, and with a sad heart the lieutenant gave the order toreturn, having placed Decatur on a litter formed of branches and boughs of the near-by trees, ee ; Captain Nicholson was as furious as Dare, and the others were sad, and savagely demanded i why pursuit was not ordered, t Was his blue-eyed, golden-haired middy, the pride of the frigate, and its hero on at least one occasion, to be carried off like a dog, and with- out an effort to save him? The lieutenant, standing beside Decatur’s cot,,. listened sadly and patiently to the captain’s out- burst, but the half-conscious middy defended his: comrades, ‘* Six died before Laurie was taken,” he said, protesting against the injustice to the dead. — Outside of the six men whodied inthevain attempt to save Laurie, the American loss was slight, and the hundred released prisoners crowded the ship uncomfortably. | : 4) From the latter it was learned that a slaves) 0) ‘ship was e ted at the cove, and Captain = Nicholson determined to await ber 5 eer | ‘‘We may make some important captures to: « . J .* i, i a ¥ 4 : «a Lt vt Ca a t . - +! > id a » yn ‘ oe Se +4 ’ * ee - \ ‘a : ee 5 bay ¢ ; ne : 2 ‘ Wee ‘ o -_ / a et. soles hing “i TT >| | + oie a ae te vias. 1. aed ; A * > yl J . y, 2 . > . td i ’ . : 4 4 - p “ ; » P : ¥ ' * g ’ ‘ . : J . ’ 4 : i ; f, " - ul “~ . : ee ee a! ee ae ee er et ee 1S eee 3.4 L