Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 933 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

I forward, warned them that something must give soon, but the gale was slowly dying away to a steady, strong wind, Both vessels were laying a southwest course, bringing the wind well abeam, and as _ the schooner began to hold her own, hope revived in the breast of Vernier. It might not be the cutter, after all. It might be only a coincidence, caused by the storm, that she was steering precisely the same course as the schooner, e would soon find out. ‘‘ Lay her off a couple of points!” he said to Smith. Ina moment it was evident that the vessel astern had done the same. ‘* Tr’s ber, sure enough,” said Smith. Vernier shrugged his shoulders—he was hop- ing against hope. ‘Start the sheets, and run her off to leeward a bit,” ho said. Again the cutter altered her course, but now, as if to clear away all doubt, shook out ber egget mainsail and set a big staystail outside e jib. And then the race began in real earnest. Although the schooner spread a greater area of canvas, the cutter, sharper of build, lay a full halt-point closer to the wind, and, moreover, Caereee an immense spread of canvas for her Ze. It soon became evident to all that the cutter was slowly but surely gaining on the schooner, and Vernier ground bis teeth in impotent rage, His beautiful schooner was not the fastest boat afloat after all—and in consequence he must lose, must sacrifice his beautiful prize in the cabin. Fully determined to carry out his threat, he was about to go below, when all at once the drag of the bellying staysail snapped the cut- ter’s mast short off, where the bolts to which the halyard blocks were hooked went through, and dewn came the great mass of canvas across thé forefoot. Vernier laughed with joy. The chase was now over, he thought, as indeed it was—for the present—for still under full sail the ‘‘ Marguerite,” soon disappeared froim the sight of those aboard the badly-crippled cutter, mily had been watching the chase through the cabin window, fearful yet hopeful of the re- sult. If the cutter overtook the schooner death was prontised her, and yet she hoped—hoped it would overtake the schooner before Vernier could scuttle it. When the accident happened the cutter, Emily’s heart sunk, and then Vernier appeared, smiling, | ‘“‘ The fates are against you,” he said. } Emily kept her eyes on the rapidly-fading cutter, making no reply, and he continued: ‘It is useless fighting against fate, Emily— for I will take the privilege of calling you by your Christian name—you may as well submit gracefully as otherwise to the inevitable. “T am rich—mucb richer than the richest of ‘the merchant princes! 1] am young—not ugly, - and I love you! | ‘‘ You are here—in my power, but as safe as if at home, as far as coercion is concerned, ** But, | will cruise from shore to shore, over ocean and sea, until death do us part, before | will see you become the wife of another!” That was Vernier sober—at bis best under the influence of the nearest approach to pure affec- tion he had ever felt. What would he be when under the influence of rum, and elated at his escapes, Emily shuddered at the thought, for Vernier now had a habit of getting drunk every nigbt, in which he was ably aided and abetted by Smith. Vernier noted the sbudder, and with a sar- donic laugh, asked: ** Are you cold?” Emily made no reply and he continued: ‘¢ You will not be cold long. You will soon outgrow your fancy, and grow warm at the fire of my love.” | ‘* Your'love!” cried Emily, scornfully, ‘‘ Do you—can you associate the name of love with ‘such base, cowardly conduct as yours?” Vernier’s evil temper was aroused, and he flushed hotly at her words. | ‘* Be careful!” he exclaimed, ‘‘ You are here in my power, to do with you asI choose, Do not try my patience too far, for I’m not pos- sessed of much.” . Emily treated his warning with a look even more scornful than her last reply, and Vernier became enraged, Bai et) ‘* Besvare! Beware!” he cried, angrily. ‘I have with me a man whom I own, and who has é La rt * / ‘ AF es eo“. hee 4 . oa - . . ¥ 4 ’ ne thej, h »% 5 i Hi -———— - . The Two Midshipmen. the power to unite us, I was willing to allow you all the time you wished, but you laugh at my kindness, Now if 1 do not change my mind you will be married to me this very night!” ‘Never! Never! No minister of God would dare perform such a ceremony—a sacrilegious mockery!” Vernier seemed amused at Emily’s vehement protest, but still angry, replied: ‘“ Did I not tell you I owned him? Mockery or not, as you please, it is my will—my pleas- ure, now, that must be suited! You have re- jected my kindness, and can thank yourself if you feel my power.” Turning on his heel as he finished oP Pg Vernier ascended to the deck, leaving Emily a prey to emotions easier imagined than de- scribed. ‘‘ He is drinking heavily,” said Dora, when she entered with Emily’s dinner, Emily trembled. It looked as though Vernier was nerving himself to go through the unholy ceremony he had threatened. ‘‘ Oh, what shall I do!” she cried, laying her hand on Dora’s arm, ‘* You will stay with me —help me? He has threatened to marry me to- night.” ‘*T will do what I can,” replied Dora, The afteraoon was pa in fear and trem- bling, and as uight approached anxiety grew apace. ‘‘Heis still drinking. Smith and a manin black are with bim!” announced Dora, as she entered with Emily’s supper, the going for which was merely a pretense to ascertain what was transpiring in the outer cabin. Pale and anxious as Emily had been, she now became deathlike, and sinking on her knees be- side the lounge, with upturned, appealing face, prayed long and fervently for help. — Human aid there was nond—Hewree alone could belp her. An hour elapsed, Emily pacing the floor, her fear now changed to nervous desperation, and clutching in her right hand the pistol sbe had found among the books, while Dora, excited and sympatbetic, stood watching her. Suddenly they beard the companionway-slide pushed back, aud the voice of Vernier calling: ‘Come on, come on! We can’t wait all night for vou!” ‘‘ Hoe is coming—be is drunk!” said Dora, as the sound of unsteady foowteps came from the companion phen ‘“He is calling to the minister!” Pasped Emily, ‘‘ Merciful Father, protect me!’ CHAPTER XI, BOARDERS AHOY ALL unconscious of Emily’s peril, Dare was expressing his delight over the disabling of the pirate ship. ‘‘ Who fired? Hawkins?” asked the captain. ‘‘] will ascertain, sin,” replied Dare, going forward, As be approached the bow gun, the lieutenant saw Surgeon Parkes bending over Hawkins, and looked his surprise, It wae certainly not the old gunner who had fired the splendid shot, ‘‘ Who fired that lucky shot—you, Decatur?” he asked. ‘‘Not I, sir—I couldn’t do it!” replied the im- petuous middy, adding: ‘‘ and it wasn’t a /ucky shot, Mr. Dare; it was Laurie’s first attempt, put there was no luck about it.” ‘* Laurie’s?” exclaimed Dare, turning to the lad in pleased surprise. | ‘‘ Laurie!” echoed the captain, who had fol- lowed Dare. Decatur saw the opportunity to fulfill his dead comrade’s wishes, and promptly replied: ‘* Yes, sir, Laurie did it! We were just com- ing from below after carrying down poor ‘ Lit- tle’ Winters—he’s dead—’ ‘¢ Winters dead!” interrupted the captain. “Yes, sir. He was hit witha grapeshot and only lived for a few minutes,” and brushing away a tear, Decatur related how Laurie came to fire the gun, ending with the request of the oe midshipman that Laurie should fill his place, A cheer arose from those within earshot when Decatur finished—the master gunner, Morris, being first to grasp Laurie’s hand. | ‘*Nonsense—there was no luck about it! ‘Take the credit that’s due you, lad,” he said, in reply to a confused protest from Laurie. ‘T haven't the power to make a midshipman of you, Laurie,” said Captain Nicholson, *‘ but you can wear the clothes and act as one, for you “are as asappointed. Ill give you an act- in et P | siete ** Hurrah! The ‘old man’s’ a brick!” cried Decatur. al ‘ . \' k . ® ‘ . " , . . " + a ¢ : ; a4 wile as ) wet FP ‘ i. ° { , Ja ; , eee od € ; . , f my : ii Ve. oe Wig! - » ¥ , : 4 Pas i} - : 4 \ ‘ : r] * : ” : . : vy , » m oes Seer “ ea. aos pO yay Sener ee eS ee na tae as yg ern ete ae tae rtenepge eh tm Pease... | 9m RET) Ee’ | ne a es eT ee , ° : d P45 FL fi Me / on Ait 4 . : HP * ‘ C7 ‘ ‘ J" % - Nes a . / oa , aw ' : s" ‘y% 4 ,” 58 t / . i es a Oe Dad» ‘ a tate = as Sa’ "4 am § * i, Py” ¥ i « _~* 4 P (} 7 4 . — ay he , t) gtt« . ; = ; . ° - ed (The captain of a ship ig always the “% man,” be he nineteen or ninety.) | There was a general grin—and a very broad one at that—when Decatur gave vent to his feelings, for instead of going aft when he turned away after speaking tO Laurie, the captain had stopped directly behind the excited middy, ‘* Mr, Decatur!” he said, trying to look and speak very sternly. ‘‘ Good Lord!” gasped the middy, as he turned and saw the captain. ‘ The tone, the words, and the dismay pictured in Decatur’s face, proved too much for even the captain, who ruined all discipline for the next five minutes by leading in the roar of laughter which followed. ‘* You are roving the truth of the old saw regarding listeners,” said the captain, as he walked away still smiling. Billy Boner, who, strangely enough, was busi- ly engaged below during the fight, was the last man to hear of Laurie’s promotion and was the least pleased with it. ‘* Just my luck!” he growled. ‘‘ Now I s’pose he won’t talk t’ me, ’n’ him the on’y one that’d listen t’ me at all.” But Billy was wrong. For, although he never succeeded in telling Laurie that weird tale of his experience in the Spanish Main, there was no change in the bearing of the former cabin-boy toward either officers or seamen, Considering the battered condition of his or Captain Nicholson was content to call the battle drawn, and, after making some temporary re- pers in the harbor of Carthagena, put back for isbon, there anticipating further orders and a! tender with fresh stores, One week at Lisbon, which still bore traces of the terrible earthquake that signalized the year of the Declaration of American Independence and in which 30;000 lives were lost, sufficed to restock the frigate, and Captain Nicholson put to sea again. , “Td like to meet that corvette again,” said the captain, to Dare, as the frigate was ag headed for the Straits of Gibraltar; but long be- foro they neared the gate to the Mediterranean a terrific gale from the southwest arose, and, not wishing to risk his newsparsin any way,the frigate was put about and run before the gale, keeping well out to sea, — ‘*T want to save them until we meet that cor- vette again in her own waters,” the captain ex- plained, to Dare, who would have preferred to test the new spars and rigging, But Nicholson was captain, and a captain is king aboard wa so the United States continued to scud before the fierce sou’ wester, which lasted full thirty-six hours and then departed with a final blow which snapped the frigate’s main-, royal mast like a pipe-stem, Captain Nicholson was furious, and there was a sulphurous scent in the air in his vicinity for some time after, but that did not mend matters and, finding himself well northward, he decided. to run up to London for news and orders at headquarters, for our legation in London then was for European affairs. It was a pleasant evening in June when the United States drop anchor in the Thames River chse to a brig carrying American colors. From the moment it was first noticed the brig had excited the curiosity of those aboard the frigate—more especially that of Lieutenant Dare, who refused to believe what he saw through | his glass until, as the anchor was dropped, the cheery voice of Captain King saluted him with: ‘Youre in luck, Darrel! soon as possible.” — Then, Dare knew that neither his » nor his glass had deceived him, and that, although no pacer on ‘deck, he had seen Captain Adams and {mily | Wondering how they came to be there, he borrowed the captain’s gig and, with Midship- man Laurie beside him in the stern-sheets, put off for ths brig. ‘ ‘““You need not wait, Laurie,” he faid, ‘I’ve arranged to remain aboard all night,” and the middy departed, having barely missed hearing what would bave been decidedly interesting to him, “Ts not that your young protege?” asked Captain King, after they had exchanged greet- ings. f Yes. Iwas going to have him up for a few minutes, but to-morrow willdo. And now tell me, Harry, how does it come that Emily is here?” ’ : ‘‘Oh! So you did see them? Well, come down to where they expect to surprise you, und you'll bear a strange story.” | They descended to the cabin, where Dare / / “Eet* ~~) *4 * 4 ey Mh 2 wy ST ra, =A pv aioe ” *¢ * - ; | |e é { a a = * & N 5 j #5 \ all , ) ‘ J ’ ‘ i 4. ‘4 & A we ' ‘ ©) Ss * ' - Su Ths ©. >, oe ud eat, wa Come aboard as — : Ps = -_ : Pyne lg Face a he TA eee