Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 949 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

‘* Oh, I flatter myself I've solved the puzzle,” replied Morgan, complacently, *‘How they fire is not of much consequence, but if you like we can arrange it a to this card; that is, Mr Decatur fires at Mr. Gorman, Mr. Gorman at Mr. Williams, and Mr. Williams at Mr, Decatur! What d’ye think of it?” ‘* Magnificent!” cried Laurie, and to avoid | The Three Lieutenants. while Gorman stood i iene thes Hoe aise | cursing him for not getting up. ‘* Let’s make an excuse of this—pretend we're frightened, and go off somewhere until the ships are refitted, ” suggested Laurie, and Decatur agreed, Going back to the inn they found that Haw- _kins had returned to the ship, but the presence laughing in Morgan’s face, he arose and went of his friend suggested an idea to Laurie. over to his friend. ‘“* Come outside!” he gasped, dragging Decatur from the table, and. then, with the tears | streaming down his cheeks, told him of Mor- gan’s plan. , ‘¢ It’s a beautiful idea—for me,” said Decatur, laughing heartily, ‘‘ but I’m afraid his princi- pals will insist on two duels,” But they did not. The master had been in hot water all morning—the captain, Dare and Porter seeming to have conspired to make ‘his life miserable by complaining about various trivial matters which at other times passed un- noticed—so that when Morgan laid the triangle before him and explained its meaning, he was too angry to pay any attention. ‘Oh, never mind! If it’s shot for shot, it’s all right, ” he said, moodily, and then they re- paired to a secluded spot, where Laurie gravely measured off a triangle, after which Morgan went over the ground, and having proved its correctness, announced that everything was in readiness, ‘**So, you will please place Mr, Decatur as we arranged,” continued Morgan, putting the master in his position, and then taking the steward’s arm, led him to the third corner. ‘“What does this m’ane?” asked the Steward, as Morgan handed him a pistol. Deer Misther Gorman fight Misther Decatur first— or do the two uv us fire at him at wanst?” ** Don’t be a fool—if you can help it!” ex- claimed Morgan, testily. ‘‘ Now listen: Mr. Decatur fires | at Mr. Gorman, Mr. Gorman fires at you—” , ‘* Misther Gorman fires at mé!” burst in Wil- liams, ‘* An’ phat the divil w’ ‘u'd he fire at me for? Sure it’s t’other man ye m’ane.” **Confound you! Can’t you listen? It’s not the other man I mean—it’s you! Now try to keep your mouth shut, and I'll expiain. ‘Mr. Decatur fires at Mr. Gorman, Mr, Gor- man fires at you, and—”’ ‘‘ Aw—be off wud ye! Sure it’s erazy ye are!” interrupted the steward again. ‘* Look here, Williams! lf you interrupt me once more, ri fight you myself!” threatened Morgan. ‘ Ye’r’ ail mad,” muttered the steward, and his second began pen: *“*Mr. Decatur fires at Mr. Gorman, he fires at you, and you fire at Mr. Decatur. Now do you understand it?” ‘* Sure Dll be dead be that time.” ‘*No—confound it! You all fire at once.” ‘* But what does Mr. Gorman skoot me for? I’m his fri’nd!” expostulated Williams, ‘** The fellow’s afraid, He deserves to be kick- ed back to the ship!” said Laurie, fearing the triangle would be spoiled. **]’m not, but I don’t see why me fri’nd should shoot me,” retorted Williams, ‘* Because it’s a duel of three,” said Morgan, **’You’re in my hands and you must do as I say, Come, get ready!” ‘‘Tt’s the victim of a madman I am!” said the eevee’, as his second stepped back to give the signa e had confidently expected that Gorman and Decatur would fight first, and disable each other, Raising his pistol with trembling hand, he shut his eyes and at the word ORp ire!” pulled the trigger, but, as it was not cocked, it did not, of course, go off, The steward did not have time to discover this, because a bullet from the master’s ,pigro! scorched across the seat of his trowsers, and he fell howling that he was killed, Decatur was, of course, unhurt, but the mas- ter bad an ugly wound in the right arm, “I’m kilt! Ye’y’ murthered me, ye mad divil ye!” roared the steward, as he rolled and kicked about in what he imagined to be his dying agonies, ‘* Shut up, you idiot!” said Morgan, who was examining the wound, Why, you’re not burt atall, Get up!” But the steward refused to get up, and im- plored the ythers to “take away that mad- man,” ‘*Come, Steve, let’s get away,” said Laurie, who saw a number of people approaching, and | the last they saw of the others, was Morgan thumping Williams for calling him a madman, ‘‘T’ve plenty of money,” he said, ‘* Let us hire a small sail-boat and get this fellow to go over to Tripoli with us, le can fix us up 80 that it will be safe enough.” ‘Allright! Send a note to Dare saying we’re | afraid to come back until this affair blows over _—that we suppose Williams is dead,” ~ CHAPTER XII, IN ALGIERS—THE SLAVE, ‘The good old plan, That they should get, who have the power, And they should keep, who can,’ WoRDSWORTH., As Laurie said, he had plenty of money, and, armed thus, there are few difficulties that cannot be overcome, To persuade the Arab to arduous task, and after changing their clothes; and darkening the color of their skin, Ben Ali declared they would pass muster, , ‘“‘ Now for a boat,” said Decatur, ‘And plenty of good provisions,” added Laurie, handing the Arab a doubloon, with in- structions to engage a boat and stock it, but as | Ben Ati had a boat of his own, it was only ne- cessary to inform him what par ticular creature comforts were most desired, and he left the m. ** Do you think we can trust him?” asked De- catur. ‘* With that money? Oh, yes—he’ll make more by being honest,” ‘*] don’t mean that particularly. Ef didn’t like the way he looked when you showed the purse,” Laurie's reply was interrupted by the sight of a crowd passing the inn, and hasteving to the window, they saw W illiams being carried by a baif-dozen men, On either side of him walked Gorman and Morgan, surrounded all three, ‘* That fellow must believe be’s badly wound- ed,” said Laurie, laughing at the memory of the scene of the duel. “Oh, hang him! Order a good dinner—I’m as hungry asa bear.” ** And just about as polite,” Iaughed Laurie, as he dodged a blow, and went to order the din- ner, After dinner, a letter giving all the particu- lars of the duel was written to Lieutenant Dare, concluding with a request that the captain get | them off at something short of hanging. ‘“*Therek lf wenever come back, we’ve given them something to laugh over and remember us by,” said Decatur, banding Laurie the letter to add his signature, afier woich it was intrusted to the landlord to be delivered next morning. That evening, as Spence was leaning over the side of the Enterprise, a speronare passed with- in a short distance, and one of its five occupants waved his hand, but it was not until the boat was ‘out of the harbor that it occurred to the midshipman that Decatur and Laurie formed art of its crew or cargo. ‘« Hang Decatur and Laurie!” exclaimed Cap- tain Sterrett, when the first lieutenant came to him next Morning with the penitent(!) letter, but after reading it, he burst out laughing at the description of the dul, ‘“ A truly remarkable affair!” he commented. ‘* But we Must puta stop to this Tripoli trip, if possible, Mr. Dare, Find out whether they have got off the island. lt’s an insanely danger- ous trip —and they could have been let off with a sharp reprimand, for, after all, there’s no great damage done.” But they were Sone, having already put in the first night aboard the’ Speronare, keeping watch and w atch, owing to Decatur’s suspicions of Ben Ali, but the latter. did nothing to justify these suspicions up to the time they ran into the harbor at Tripoli. They bad arranged so as to arrive after sunset, and it was dark when the anchor was dropped at & quiet spot below the city proper, ‘“Are you going to any particular house?” asked Decatur, whén they ianded. “My sister’s—come!” replied Ben Ali, and the re lieutenants followed him along a narrow, dusty road, which was very lonely until they neared the ‘city, when it began toswarm with Arabs, Turks and Moors, and many who only EB looked like them, while a howling mob accompany them ‘to Tripoli did not prove an Si Ba Sue een PR ee ‘* We are nearly there,” said Ben Ali, as they passed a massive building facing on the sea. ‘*That’s where fatber and I escaped from,” remarked Laurie to Decatur. ** Don’t talk so loud—tbere are many here who speak ‘ English,’ warned Ben Ali, “Phew! Ishould say there was,” said Laurie, for Decatur and he had exchanged many re- marks regarding the Arab’s trustworthiness, in his presence, without suspecting he understood English, Decatur said nothing, but he was thinking a great deal of the Arab’s preténded ignorance of English, and the many inquiries he had made regarding the wealth of his own and Laurie’s parents, ** It’s suspicious,” thought Decatur, Shortly after this, Ben Ali stopped at the door of a tall, narrow building and rapped for adimis- sion, which was not granted untilafter the party had been inspected through a hole in thedoor. ~ ** Most infernally suspicious!" was Decatur’s mentai comment. Ben Ali received a warm welcome from the hard-featured woman who admitted the party, and whom he introduced as his sister. No one else was visible, but the Arab warned his companions against expressing or showing any interest or curiosity as to anything they might see or hear in the house, after which he left them for a few minutes “to tell his sister who and what they were.” - When he returned, he was accompanied by a Moorish girl, bearin a tray containing a substantial m eal, to whic all three did ample justice and then, being tired out, Decatur suggested that they should retire, Ben Ali seemed pleased to hear this, and con- ducted them to a large room on the second floor where, notwithstanding their suspicions, both retired to rest and were soon sound asleep. Next morning at breakfast thetwo heutenants were introduced to Ben Ali’s brother-in-law, Abdel Raza, “a most villainous-looking fellow, " according to Laurie, After breakfast, Ben Ali took them through the city and alonz the coast, pointing out and explaining the strength of Fort English, as the Bashaw’s castle was called, and the Crown, Mole and other batteries, He was alarmingly communicative, ‘For,’ thougbt Decatur, ‘‘the fellow knows ‘we're Americans, and that ‘this information will be of the greatest value when we get back—if ever we do,” On the evening of the second day of their visit Ben Ali opened the door for them, and then went off, saying be had some business to attend to, 80 they must amuse themselves as best they could for he would not be back that night, The day was warm; they had had‘a long walk and both were tired, so instead of entering the room on the ground floor, as was usual, Lau- rie and Decatur quietiy ascended to their own room on the second floor. Just as they were about to enter the room, both heard the voice of Abdel Raza on the floor above followed by the bitter sobbing of a wo- man, ‘* Well, you have your choice,” the Arab was saying; ‘either go to the harem’of Osman Ali, as I wish, or I will sell you in the public mar- ket,” ‘*T will not! I will not!” sobbed the woman. ‘Very well. If you are of the same mind to-morrow night, I will bring some buyers to look at you, an’! -next day you will be sold.” ** Oh, let me go home!” entreated the captive. ~% My mother will pay you well,” ‘Your mother!” said the Arab, contempt- uously, ‘‘ What know Jof your mother? France is far away—she might be dead before I reach- ed there,” W ith the last word the door above was closed, and Laurie and Decatur retreated into their room barely in time to avoid the Arab, ‘What d’ye think of it, Steve?” asked Lau- rie, gg they heard the street door close on Abde ‘Think! I think our visit to Tripoli will end about twelve to-night,” replied Decatur, *Then you intend to rescue her from that brute?” ‘+ Of eourse, I wish we could warn her that we are coming up for her to-night, ” replied Decatur. CORE Sie may raise a row,” assented Liu- And then, after a moment’s thought, he opened the door and began whistliog a French air. After a minute’s pause, during which a door was heard opening above, Laurie repeated the air, and when he paused again a faint voice was heard asking: