Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 982: "The Girl Storm-Pilot" — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

| \ a a A lie a A ll a a * + ao ct esd Unconscious of the meaning of Ranger’s cry she resolutely faced the g in front, Dean saw the foe stealing upon her unawares, and bounded forward to intercept him, The act caused her to momentarily relax her vigilance, when Wildbell seeing his opportunity sprung forward to seize her. With one spring Walf Ranger reached him, and though his hands were stil! pinioned behind him he threw himself against the giant with such force that he felled him to the deck, Dean had performed a like featupon the other, and Lena for the time was saved. But the signal for action had been given, With wild yells the desperadoes rushed upon the three, Waif and Dean, bound as they were, stood little show, and in spite of their desperate strug- gles were soon bound to the deck, The pistol was hurled from Lena’s grasp, and she, too, was quickly overpowered though not without heroic resistance, ‘ ‘* Bind ber as you do the others this time,” ordered Wildbell. ‘* Ha! what ails the cap’en?” Gilroy had fallen back upon the deck to all appearances lifeless, **He has only fainted,” said Ambushade, ‘*‘ His wounds, and the excitement have been too much for him,” ‘“* Better carry him below,” commanded Wild- bell. ‘‘ And while you are attending to that I will see that these others dre cared for—ha-ha! ‘* We won’t take the trouble to unfasten their azo time, but just slide them off into the sea A coarse laugh followed his words, Ere it had died away a startling cry rung upon the scene, One of the seamen had sprung up from the hold and his face looked ghastly in the twilight as be shrieked: ** Fire! fire! The ship is all on fire!” No moro appalling cry was ever uttered on shipboard, t that moment, too, as if to corroborate the words of the sailor, a thin wreath of smoke curled lazily up from the hatchways, ** Fire! fire! fire!” Every tongue seemed to utter the dreadful word, until the ship rung with the startling outcry. The Het wreath of smoke increased to a vol- ume, and it poured up from the companionway as well as the hatches, A sullen roar now reached their ears! ** Quick! see if the flames cannot be stopped,” cried Mark Wildbell, the coolest of the outlaws when the first outbreak had somewhat passed. ‘* Ambushade, call all the men to your assist- ance you need.” It was soon found that the fire had caught in the stowage among the combustible matter, and had gained a headway that was likely to baffle all of their efforts to subdue. *‘Out with the buckets, men!” thundered Wildbell. ‘'fothe pumps! Work, now, if you value your lives!” The deep rumbling of the flames grew louder and more ominous. In desperation the men obeyed the wild orders of the commander. Bucketful aiter bucketful of water was poured py i the seething fire that like a serpent was in- nuously finding its way to the very heart of the ship. At last Ambushade, his hair and beard singed by the fire, and a baggard look upon his face, leaped up from the hold, ‘©’Tain’t any use!” hegasped to Wildbell, ** We can’t save the ship.” ‘*Then we must leave it,” was the grim re- nse. ‘The sooner the better, then. And I see no other course. But the cap’n! Whatabout him?’ ** He is little better than a dead man—see! J am master now.” **Give us your orders, Cap’en Wildbell, and we are with you,” A. faint cheer went up from the handful of b.onzed and excited men. All the while the fire could be heard roaring like a voleano deep down in the vessel’s hold, “Launch the life-boat ! ordered Wildbell. ** Lively, there! ** Here, Morey, see that plenty of provisions and drink are put aboard.” Gladly the crew sprung to do the bidding in their eagerness to leave the burning ship. It’s too bad,” muttered Wildbel , as he glanced wildly around, ‘But it is our only course,” ‘ As to the ori of the fire there had bee time for ihe bg i Se ar Gilroy had recovered from his swoon to realize the fate impending the ship. ‘*Mark!” he cried feebly to his confederate in crime. The other turned fiercely toward him. ‘* What! liviog yet?” he sneered, ‘Tis time you were dead!” : ‘*You will save me, Mark?” implored the wretch, ‘* Little time have we to fool with dead men!” answered theother, ‘‘ Your raceis run. We leave you in the company of your foes!” waving his hand toward ovr friends, who, bound and helpless, had been silent witnesses to the preced- ing scenes, ** May my curse rest upon you, Mark Wild- bell!” said Gilroy. ‘‘It is some satisfaction to know that our ill-gotten prize will do you no good,” ‘*Ta-ta! weare six and half-a-dozen!” laughed Wildbell, hoarsely. ‘‘ Bat I see the boat is launched and so I must bid you a pleasant voyage and farewell,” Gilroy, writhing in the agony of body and mind, tried to gain his feet. With a groan upon his lips he fell back sense- ess. Wildbeli uttered a low chuckle as he spurned his unconscious form with his foot, ‘‘ His -sufferings are over!” he muttered, grimly. “I wish I could say as much for the rest of you,” ‘*Come along. cap’n!” called out Ambushade at this juncture, ‘*T reckon we can’t get off this hulk any too soon, Her in’ards are all afire!” Without further delay the burly Wildbell with a. last look at the doomed ship went over the A minute later the dip of their oars was heard as the ship’s deserters rowed away into the fast-gathering gloom of night. CHAPTER XII. A DARK NIGHT UPON THE SHA, LOUDER and louder grew the crackling and rumbling of the fire, telling that it was making pi progress in its work of death and destruc- on. The captives felt the deck grow warm from the heat below. ‘ Eat yes jee pr had gibi Batons their onds in the vain hope that the t gain their freedom, a fou: But the outlaws had done their work securely, While the cords cut deeper into their flesh they could not loosen them a hair’s-breadth, ‘* It’s no use!” declared Ranger at last. ‘‘ We might as well give up first as last.” ‘‘It is a terrible fate!” exclaimed Dean. ‘* Would 1 could spare you its agony, Miss Riverton,” he said. ‘* Never fear for me,” she replied with won- derful calmness. ‘‘ It is no worse for me than you. Then, too, there are those four men in the cabin!” ** Good heavens! I had forgotten them,” ex- claimed Dean, ‘‘ Hark! I can hear the cries of the poor wretches now, They will be free from their agony before us,” . It was a terrible moment. Night had now set in, so that save the lurid flashes of light which came up from the fire be- low the scene was wrapped in darkness, Gilroy was heard to utter a groan, which told that he had returned again to consciousness, Then he spoke in a husky tone: ** My God! am I left alone?” ‘“* Not alone,” said WalJf Ranger, quickly. ‘*'You have three here to bear you company over the dark river, From the cries, too, there are others below !” ‘* Have they—my men—gone?” he asked, ““ Yes; the dip of their oars is no longer heard,” ‘* You are bound?” ‘* Beyond all hope of escape.” What Gilroy said next was not ciearly under- stood, but the name .of Mark Whldbell was heard, ‘‘ Look here,” he said to the anxious prisoners, ‘‘ my race is run, but before I go, I want to do one good deed. Perhaps I do it to spite those dogs who deserted me, ‘* Upon one condition I will free you. I have a knife with me,” ‘* And that?” they asked, ‘* Is that you will throw me into the sea, so that I shall escape death from the fire!” ‘** You must think—” : ‘* Quick! there is no time to lose. One of you roll bere to me and [ willcut your bonds, I'am too weak to come to you,” The Girl Storm-Pilot. 1L Before he had ceased speaking Dean Ham- mond started toward him. The conversation had been carried on in @ hurried tone, and it was not long before Dean. was free. Taking the knife from Gilroy, he quickly freed. Lena and Wal: Ranger, It was an unlooked-tor deliverance to them, but even then they had little to hope for. The conflagration had already leaped up through port-hole and hatchway, fringing the sails with flame, and following the cordage till ne rigging shone in the starlight a net-work of re. The cries from the imprisoned men were now terrible to hear, ‘We cannot leave the ship too soon,” ex- claimed Walf Ranger, ‘*You look after the wretches below and I will see to lowering a boat.” Willingly Dean sprung down the companion- way, though the heat was suffocating. Through the blinding smoke he groped his way, guided in his course by the heart-rending groans of the victims, bi wondered that they had not perished ere: this. Captain Morrows was the first one he reached, and with a few rapid strokes of the knife he cut the ligatures that bound him, More dead than alive the skipper rushed for the deck. ‘ The air was suffocating and Dean felt that it would take away his breath, But he succeeded in finding four moreof the ship’s crew, and in freeing them, when all start- ed for the deck. Walf Ranger had lowered a boat from the davits and was preparing to let Gilroy down from the ship, against the latter’s protestation, **T don’t deserve it!” hesaid, ‘* BesidesI can- not live,” ‘* Weare not brutes,” answered Ranger; ‘‘ and. you are worth a dozen dead men,” ‘Think of what I have done against—” Whatever else he said was unheeded by his rescuers; and the next minute he was safely lowered to the boat, though his groans filled the Lena followed next, At that moment the fire caught upon the fore- sail, licking with its resplendent tongue the canvas, until from truck to kelson the lofty spar with all its gear was one living sheet of flame. All had reached the boat but Walf and Dean, they having waited to see the others safe before leaving the doomed ni 5 : ** We ought to bave drink and food,” said the first, ‘‘ but the flames have reached the store~ room, Wemusttrustin Providence, Come— Hark! what means that?” A piercing cry from Lena rung on the night. air, sounding with startling distinctness above the roar of the elements, Springing to the rail, they saw that the boat had put off from the burning ship! Whether the seamen were crazed by the ex- citement of their situation or believed tbat all had left the ship was unknown to them. They shouted for them to “lay to”—to wait. for them, Another cry from Lena alone answered them, At that moment a stronger gust of windswept over the sea sending the fiery elements higher into the air. The foremast swayed from side to side. The back-stays and head-gear had been burned off, so there was nothing to hold the tottering mass, As Walf Ranger bailed the boat the second time the mast swayed heavily to the port, and then with a terrific crash went by the board, sending up a dense volume of smoke and cinders as it swept astern. ‘* We are fairly left!” said Ranger, as they waited in vain for an answering cry from the boat. ‘‘ We cannot stay here. We must take to the sea, Are you a good swimmer?” ¢¢ Ves,” ‘Good, We may be able to overtake the boat yet.” ‘* Tf we don’t?” ‘May God have mercy upon the girl,” said his companion, solemnly, With Walf Ranger self seemed always to be forgotten. ‘* Here,” he said, to Dean, ‘‘ keen close to me. Jump as far out as you can—now!” They bad sprung upon the rail, and the next moment their forms shot downward into the depth. below, As they left the ill-fated ship she careened to one side, and for a moment seemed about to cap- Then she rallied, and, borne on by the increas-- poo