Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 933 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

< SP Pe md Captain Adams and Emily impatiently awaiting his arrival, and was quickly put in possession of the story of the abduction—of which the reader must now be fully informed, 80 we recur to the scene of trouble on Vernier’s vessel, CHAPTER XII. HOW THE LAMB ESCAPED THE WOLF. WitTH a firmness born of despotism, Emily awaited the entrance of Vernier, and when he appeared all hope of mercy vanished. He was drunk—very drunk, and greeted Emily with an ugly leer, as he stumbled into the cabin. ‘* B—been havin’ m’ last bach’lor supper,” he hiccupped, pausing at the entrance. Emily shrunk back in terrified disgust, and he pert aio toward her, saying: ome, g—give’s a kiss}” ‘Stand back! Back, you wretch,or I'll fire!” os Emily, presenting the pistol full at his Vernier stopped and stared stupidly, too drunk to realize his danger if he advanced further, as he would had not another drunken idea 4 sponge his Siege pee he said: Mises ‘Very proper, m’ dear, ver’ proper. us get mand fa? and staggering back to the companionway, called loudly. ‘*Come, Tony! Tony, you drunken fool, hurry up!” And Tony came—came the whole distance from the deck to the cabin floor at one step. The crash with which the ex-priest—for he had taken orders—landed on the floor aroused Vernier, and finding his confederate was really unconscious and badly injured, he called some of the crew and bad him removed. **Too bad!” said Vernier with drunken gra- vity. ‘‘Too bad, but the marriage must be ad- journed. Good-night!” It was like a reprieve to the condemned on the scaffold, and Emily breathed a sigh of re- lief when she heard the slide close after Vernier, Next morning Dora went for Emily’s break- fast, which was eaten, when the former an- nounced that there could be no marriage for the present, owing to the fact that Tony, in addition to a badly-cut head, was also the possessor of a _ broken arm and a sprained ankle. Tbis was confirmed by Vernier during the afternoon, : ‘*Our clergyman’s accident will prevent my marrying you for the present,” he said, ‘* but he will be all right soon—-right enough to perform the ceremony, at any rate.” ‘*Take care! Be warned by what happened your tool,” said Emily, ‘It was God’s mercy to an unfortunate girl that caused him to fall.” Vernier laughed derisively. ‘*Not so,” he replied, ‘‘it was the gluttonous quantity of brandy that he drank.” During the next two days nothing was seen of Vernier, but on the third day he entered the cabin—drunk again, or nearly 80. { ‘* There’s goin’ t’ be a storm,” he said, ‘‘ and after the storm a marriage. ‘* Tony’s able t* sit up now, and as he can’t come here, why we'll have t? go t’? him, Mountain ’n’ Mahomet, ye know.” Anything that relieved them of Vernier’s pres- ence was welcome, and the storm which now brought him back to the deck was hailed with ae to be changed to terror. Fitful gusts of wind began to whistle through the straining rigging, as the vessel’s motion in- creased with the rapidly-rising sea. The timbers creaked and groaned dismally, while louder and dee rolled the thunder, following close upon vivid flashes of lightning that filled the cabin with an unearthly glare, and terrified its occu- nts. a Pireneutly the rain came dashing down upon the glass skylight as though the floodgates of heaven were open, and the schooner was pitched and tossed about like a chip, while the angry seas washed over her as she lay hove to, ‘ Both Emily and Dora were much frightened, and sat hand in-band during the entire night, but the scene on deck with the small spars and ‘‘singerbread” work smashing, the fore-hatch torn off, and all hands clinging to the life-lines, was still more terrifying. Yet the storm, during which she momentarily expected death, proved to be the means through which Emily regained her liberty. ‘*} was caught in the same storm,” said Cap- tain King, taking up the story, ‘‘and was run- ning before it when we sighted your cutter in distress, We rounded to and picked up uncle, and I then learned of Emily’s abduction. ‘* Being bound for this port, 1 was, of course, going clean out of my course, but, orders or no - The Two Midshipmen, orders, we continued to run before the storm all night in the hopes of overhauling the scoundrel, and we did. ** Just after daybreak wa sighted the schooner in a badly crippled condition and soon brought up alongside of her. Uncle Jobn (Captain Adams), took a well-armed boat’s-crew and boarded her—I couldn’t trust myself—but there was no trouble, the fellow, Vernier, and an old friend of yours, Smith, being in a drunken stupor—Emily and the colored girl were brought aboard the brig, and here we are,” Dare was not greatly surprised to learn of Smith’s part in the abduction—the rascal was capable of anything mean and dirty—but he had no suspicion that Vernier and his old enemy, Grace, were one and the same person. ** What became of them?” he asked, adding: me should like to havea look at the other fel- ow, ‘*Safe in irons in the forehold,” replied Cap- tain King. ‘‘ Come along.” Picking up a lantern, the captain led the way into the forehold, and, raising it above his head as they approached the starboard side, said: ‘* Here they are!” But they weren’t there, nor anywhere else in the hold, CHAPTER XIII, CAPTAIN LORRIS OR LAWRENCE, ‘“ TREACHERY, by the Eternal!” cried Captain King, as, after a hasty search, be found that his prisoners were no longer in the hold. ** When did you last see them?” asked Dare, “* Yesterday—at noon,” “Well, 1 imagine you are right. The irons are unlocked—not filed. Who had access to the keys—and to the prisoners?” ‘*There are but two keys,” replied the cap- tain, thoughtfully, ‘I’ve got one—” He was feeling in his pocket as he spoke, and stopped short with a look of aunoyance, but con- tinued, after a few moments: ‘“*It cannot be possible that I’ve lost it—and yet it 1nust be so, for I had it this very morning in this pocket.” | ‘*Don’t bother about it, Harry. It’s as well they are gone, and you are lucky they didn’t scuttle the ship before leaving,” said Dare, quietly. ’ ; An panty elicited nothing, except that the steward and two of the sailors had seen the escaped prisoners while the latter were dispos- ing of their noonday meal, and the matter was dropped, ? Anxious to return to the Mediterranean, Cap- tain Nicholson remained at London just long enough to thoroughly examine, test, strengthen and repair his spurs and rigging, and, this done, announced one evening his intention of sailing next morning. : ‘**So, of course, you will wish to spend this * ght aboard the brig,” he continued, addressing The Jatter hastened to avail himself of the im- plied permission, and was soon aboard the brig, where, to his delight, he learned that Captain King’s mission to London had unexpectedly ended. Emily could now return home with her bro- ther instead of in a packet-ship, as until then it was feared she must, owing to the uncertain na- ture of Captain King’s business in London, and Dare was correspondingly happy, for ocean travel was neither very safe nor very pleasant at the end of the eighteenth century. A pleasant night aboard the brig, a tender parting in the early morning, and then back to his ship, where Darrel Dare, the lover of - Emily King, was instantly transformed into Lieuten- ant Dare, first officer of the frigate United States. Down the river, out to sea, and along the coast, again the frigate went under a strong breeze, plunging through the roaring and com- plaining seas until one evening the Straits of Gibraltar were reached, Here, as the captain wished to have a look about before proceeding further, they lay to un- til morning, and then a strange saii was report- ed on the starboard bow. It was Dare himself who discovered the } stranger, and, although she wds so far off that he could barely make her out through his glass, he had an impression that she was in trouble, which being communicated to the captain, caused the frigate to be headed for the stran- e. | As they neared her, it was seen that her fore- mast was gone, and that she was otherwise in a disabled condition, ; When the frigate was within a mile, the stranger threw out neutral colors, and hoisted a —_—_——- Se whiff, half-mast down, as a signal that she was in distress, ' Dare ordered the frigate kept away, and, when alongside, lowered a boat and went him- self to see what assistance could be immediately rendered, With sailors, above all others, distress is suf- ficient to obtain assistance. Nation or country are at once sunk in that feeling of sympathy for misfortunes which at any moment may befall themselves, When Dare returned, he reported that the vessel was the Isle of France, bound for Calais; that she had been dismasted and badly crippled in a sudden squall, and that when her mast went over, one-half of her crew, who were on the fore-yard at the time, went with it and were drowned, . Want of men and material had prevented the rigging of an effective jury-mast, and this de- layed them so long that they were short of pro- visions and water. Two boats were immediately dispatched to the French ship—one containing the ship’s car- penter and a number of the crew to refit the vessel, and the other provisions and water sufficient to last them for the balance of the voyage. ) urie was in charge of the second boat, and was first to step on the deck of the stranger, were he was received by the first mate, who said: | ‘*Captain Lorris has just gone below to rest. He has been on deck constantly since we got in- to trouble, but now his mind is easy.” Laurie had no particular message for the French captain, and stayed only long enough to get the provisions out of his boat. As he was about to return, Captain Lorris came on: deck, and gave him a message of thanks for Captain Nicholson, adding: “Tell your captain that we are just from Morccco, and that it is rumored—and I guess it is true—that the Bey of Algiers bas declared war against the United States.” ‘* Yes, sir—thank you,” said the midshipman absently. He was not paying the slightest at- tention to the speaker—scarcely heard what was said. His eyes were riveted on Captain Lorris’s face, and when he finished speaking the latter began to stare at the middy, in turn, but aftera minute passed his hand across his brow, and turned away. ‘* Heis nearly always that way when he meets an American,” said the first mate, who had been quietly watching Laurie and the captain, add- ing: ** You will not forget about the war. Itis al- most positive that for once rumor is correct,” ‘*] will not forget,” replied Laurie, as he de- scended to his boat like one in a dream, Were it not for the name, and the fact that he was & slave in Algiers when last heard of, Laurie would have felt certain that this grizzly-bearded premeturely-aged, French captain who said ‘‘ guess,” was his own father. On returning to the frigate, the middy deliy- ered Captain Lorris’s message. ‘* Just what [I though! !” exclaimed Captain Nicholson. ‘‘ Now, Dare, we can prepare for. plenty of work. This vicinity will be swarmin with the bey’s ships, and the war will be u as an excuse for attacking every kind of craft, no matter what country it may belong to.” ‘* You , will make for the Mediterranean, I suppose ‘At once, for there it will be worst. Get under way the moment the other boat re- turns,” ¢ Among those sent to assist in refitting the French sbip was Hawkins, the ex-Algerian slave- pirate, and he looked sorely puzzled on return- ing to the frigate, which made sail immediately, heading for the Straits. ‘*Mr. Laurie,” said Hawkins, at the first op-. portunity, ‘‘ you had charge of the provisions sent the Frenchman?’ ** Yes—why ?”’ ‘‘Did ye notice anythin’ odd—familiar-like bout the captain? Did ye hear his name?” ‘* Yes,” replied Laurie, answering the second question—‘‘ His name is Lorris.” — ‘* More like t’ be Lawrence!” cried Hawkins excitedly. ‘‘I got one good look at him as we passed under the storm windows, and if he ain’t my old captain I'll eat me hat!” CHAPTER XIV. LAURIE DISTINGUISHES HIMSELF. It was just after supper, when Hawkins made 08 startling assertion recorded in the last chap- er. e frigate was sweepiug along under full sail toward the Mediterran : \ 4 i =" a etal gg epee a nean, while the French *: |