Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 949 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

ee - ~ 12 ** You’ve got a boat, George?” asked Decatur, after a few minutes, ‘‘Oh, yes. 1 bought a schooner to come after .—that is, we bave a schooner lying just below here.” ‘‘ Why didn’t you finish, and say you bought a schooner to come after us, George?” asked Laurie, who, although still very weak, was an attentive witness of and listener to all that was going on around him. ** Well, we must get out of here—and pretty quick, too,” said Decatur, stopping Spence’s r eply. "ATI right! Be careful with this gentleman ‘indicating Laurie), and get down to the boat as soon as possible,” assented Gentleman George, addressing the first part of his speech to Deca- tur, and the last to the seamen who were to carry Laurie to the shore, As it would be unsafe to remain in Tripoli, Madame Moreau accepted Decatur’s offer to have her returned to France and accompanied the party to the schooner, ‘* Flow the deuce did you come to be here?” asked Decatur, as he and Spence walked beside the improvised litter upon which Laurie was resting. ‘Oh, it’s a long story—wait until we get aboard,” replied the midshipman, adding: ‘* But Dl tell you one thing—/ am on leave.” ‘6 And we are not—eh?” laughed Decatur. ‘‘ But you needn’t be worried George,” he con- tinued, in a more serious tone, ‘* it will take Ab- del an hour—” ‘* Abdel is dead,” quietly interposed Victor, who, with his mother and Eugenie, was walking close bebind, ‘‘I'm right glad to hear it—now we may rest easy as faras pursuit isconcerned from that quarter, but it will be as well to get away at once,” , Once aboard the party descended to the cabin and Spence told his story and Eugenie hers—the last one having a startling and at the same time depressing effect on Decatur. The ‘* Alviers” had been badly cut up in her engagement with the *‘ Enterprise,” and Captain Sterrett’s orders being to join the commodore as soon as the injuries to his own vessel were re- paired, he left Lieutenant Dare to follow with the prize. Aware of the attachment existing between the lieutenant and the three inseparables, the cap- tain replaced Decatur with Spence, and sailed two days after the disappearance of the former and Laurie. On tbe following morning, the midshipman held a consultation with Hawkins, (who replaced Morgan on the prize,) and the result was an jn- terview with Dare, in which Spence asked leave of absence for two weeks—the length of time it was expected the ‘‘ Algiers” would remain at Malta, ‘¢T am uneasy about Laurie and Decatur,” ex: plained Spence, ‘‘they may be in trouble. As you know, I am rich in my own right, and I have yen, of money with me to hire a small vessel, Then, if you will permit me, I will take Hawkins and go to Tripoli. He knows every spot in and about the place, and if anything has happened we will find it out. If they are all right we'll bring them back. They may be sfraid to come back, you know, on account of the duel.” In view of the letter received from the two lieutenants, the latter part of the midshipman’s argument was good enough to cause Lare to grant the desired leave of absence, Spence immediately chartered a schooner, and Hawkius picked out twenty Maltese sailors— half pirates themselves who did not care who they fought against as long as the pay was good —and Spence was nothing if not liberal. “ Well, my boy, you arrived in the very nick of time,” said Decatur, at the conclusion of the story. ‘‘ Now we'll hear from Eugenie—Miss— or rather Mademoiselle de Morny.’ ‘Rather mixed up, Steve,” observed Laurie from the lounge, and grinning in spite of his pain and weakness, Eugenie’s story was short, simple and tragic, The ship in which sbe and her father were traveling from France to Madeira was captured by Abdel Raza, and her father killed. Inci- ‘dentally, Eugenie mentioned the fact that her brother would now be the Count de Morny, and when she mentioned that innocent fact Decatur was thunderstruck, ¢ There was a tremendous, horribie gap between the daugbter of oneof the richest and most noble families in France, and a lieutenant in the American Navy, almost dependent upon his atic Sail ho!” interrupted Decatur’s gloomy 5 The Three Lieutenants. meditations. In less than a minute, Hawkins stuck his head into the cabin to say: ‘* An Algerian cruiser!” CHAPTER XVI. A SPOILED FIGHT—A FRIEND IN NEED. ‘* Oare follows hard, and soon o’ertakes (he well-rigged ship; the warlike steed Her destined quarry ne’er forsakes Not the wind flees with half the speed.” COWPER. DECATUR and Laurie were both lieutenants, but the former had two years’ seniority of Haw- kins’s pet and pupil in gunnery, and it was to him the latter repeated his announcement—for the hero of Tripoli was still stunned by the words: ‘‘ My brother will never be the Count de Mor- y. ‘‘Eh? What's that, Hawkins?’ asked Deca- tur, starting to his feet. ‘‘ An Algerian cruiser, sir,” repeated Hawkins. ‘Tf it’s the one I think, she’s commanded by Abdel Raza’s brother, She’s about three miles to the leeward, but on the same tack as we are, and bearing down at every turn. Some of them beggars must ’ave run across him.” Before Hawkins was half through Decatur was on his feet, and when the former stopped, he bowed to the two ladies and left the cabin. Sure enough a brig showing the Algerian colors was bearing down from ‘Tripoli, and, as she brought the wind with her, gaining on every tack, but Decatur was not at all alarmed at that. ‘‘ For,” said he, ‘* when we get the full strength of the breeze, | think we’ll be able to show him a little bit of sailing,” \ **She’s a beauty, sir—she showed it comin’ here. We run away from everythin’ between here ’n’ Malta,” replied Hawkins, Within an hour, the Algerian had reduced the distance between the two veasels to one mile, but the schooner wes now beginning to feel the breeze, and held her own, This was hardly apparent before a shot came plunging across the stern of the schooner, and Decatur was startled the next instant by a voice at his elbow, saying: ‘Why don’t you return the compliment, Steve?” » Turning quickly, Decatur wasin time to catch the approving nod of Hawkins, who was stand- ing at the companionway hatch beside Spence and Laurie. The latter, unable to bear the suspense, had come on deck just as the shot was fired, and greeted the astonished look of Decatur with a faint smile, ‘‘lt’s all right, Steve,” he said, ‘‘ why don’t you try that thirty-two on him?’—indicating the gun in the stern of the schooner, ‘Do you think you could do anything?” asked Decatur, addressing Hawkins. ‘If you do, go ahead!” Hawkins walked to the gun, adjusted and sighted it, and as he pulled the lanyard, said: ‘* There goes her foretopmast, sir.” He was as g00d as his word, as was proved a moment later, and now the schooner drew stead- ily away from her pursuer, which after another half-hour gave up the hopeless pursuit, As soon as it was apparent that there was no more danger, Laurie, assisted by Spence, de- scended to the cabin and so informed the ladies but Decatur remained on deck, gloomy and silent, He was not present at dinner—pleading lack of appetite as an excuse, and if was not until toward 6vening he was himself again. Fighting was his forte,and at sunset there appeared to bea fair chance that the schooner would have to do plenty of it. ‘* That craft on the weather bow is eating right into the wind, sir. Looks as if she was tryin’ ’ get at us,” said Hawkins, at six bells in the dog-wetch (seven o'clock) referring toa schooner that was quite evidently trying to get within range, and which had been sighted two hours before, That the stranger was armed and well-manned they could see, and that she was anxious to get within range of the Santa Marie wa’ evidenced by her gunner standing beside the bow chaser, which he sighted every now and then as if eager to begin. ? ‘‘Have them reef the topsails—fool them!” ordered Decatur, and after allowing astonish- ment to get the better of discipline in the way of astartled stare, Hawkins communicated the order to the master. The Santa Marie carried four guns on each side, and a bow and stern chaser—ten guns in ‘QR ; a =A ¥ ab ‘ gs | i | i > \ @ \ W MREy = or: G @ i & ELS | O I @ pe Renn nnn rnc crnccnccc creer crc ccnnccrccc ccna ern crc ccc nn all, and was well supplied with small-arms, but the stranger carried three or four times as many men, which was the cause of the gunner’s aston- ishment. Thestranger appeared to be equally astonished at the result of Decatur’s strange order, and stood awfy fora few minutes, Then she fired a gun and hoisted the white field of France. ‘‘The fellow’s a fool!” exclaimed Decatur, as the drapeau blanc was given to the breeze. ‘‘Whyvy don’t he come on? See if you can coax him, Hawkins. Try him with the Portuguese colors; let’s see if Brazil diamonds find favor in his eyes,” ‘‘Hvidently they do,” remarked Laurie, who came on deck just as the emblem of the House of Braganza was loosened, and the stranger bore down again, eating closer and closer into the wind. ‘*Surely, you are not going to risk a fight, Steve?’ added Laurie, after a look at the stran- er and then at the reduced sail of the Santa Marie, ‘‘That depends on the other fellow—I won’t chase him,” replied Decatur, with a reckless laugh. ‘* But the women, Steve?” But remonstrance was vain; Decatur ap- peared to welcome the stranger bearing down on them, He was in a wild. mad mood, and carelessly replied: ‘* Ob, [ guess we can take care of them.” Laurie, however, was not willing that they should risk an engagement. He understood what was wrong, and whispered a few words to Spence, who went below, while he examined the rapidly approaching stranger. mugen Laurie started, and turning to De- catur, said: ‘*‘ Wor Heaven’s sake, Steve, make sail before it’s too late! That fellow standing in the bow of that vessel is the man who trapped us at Gibraltar—Vernier; and you know what a heavy crew he carries, a3 well as what treat- ment Miss de Morny and Madame Moreau—” ‘*Set your topsails! Loose everything, and let her run before the wind!” cried Decatur, in- terrupting his friend just as the two ladies ap- peared on deck. ‘*You had better remain below,” he con- tinued, on seeing Eugenie; ‘‘ there will be some firing soon,” The same instant a column of smoke issued from the bows of the stranger, tren came the report of the gun and a shot dropped just astern of the Santa Maric, which, with every sail set and running free, was beginning to draw away from the pursuer. The day had hitherto been cloudless, and a vault of purer blue never canopied a waste of water than the arch which had stretched for hours above the heads of our marine adven- turers, But now, as if nature frowned on the bloody designs of Vernier—for it was the ex- midshipman—a dark, threatening mass of vapor was blending the ocean with the sky, in a direc- tion opposed to the currents of air. ‘‘ We havea squall brewing, sir,” said Haw- kins, pointing to the frowning symptoms, ‘* Yes,” assented Decatur: ‘* better get in your light canvas—it will burst very soon. | The order was obeyed, and now Vernier, who, unmindful of the danger, kept all his sails set, began to gain rapidly—so rapidly that he refrained from firing, evidently intending to take the Santa Marie by the board—and soon ony. a quarter of a mile separated the two ves- sels. ‘Since he will not do it himself, see if you sb bring down those topsails,” ordered Deca- ur, ‘‘ Ay, ay, sir,” returned Hawkins, stepping to the stern chaser and deliberately sighting it. The usual moments of suspense succeeded the firing of the gun, and then the fragments of the foretopmast’ of the pursuer were scattered in the air. At the same moment the squall burst, and the artillery of Heaven opened on the beh Vee vessel of Vernier, which reeled before the blast, the first breath of which carried away the main- topmast, and swept sail after sail from the bolt- ropes. is By Jupiter! he’s paying for his careless- ness!” exclaimed Decatur, casting a hasty glance over his own vessel; but even as he spoke sa pursuer received another and more terrible ow, This time it was from the lightning, which struck the foremast and had riven it into several pieces, and it fell over the larboard bow, carry- ing @ number of the crew with it as well as the maintopmast and jib-boom over at the same e, ’ ’ > a we ; ; 4 wm - >, ‘5 ’ ’ 1 ‘ d i ~ 7 Re ae) | ot ee ety gee ee ow. ve a, J mt f ¥ = or “oe -—# - ” ~ . | -_ ¥ * rey ) Ik on! ’ —=— i —— - > _— :