Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 982: "The Girl Storm-Pilot" — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

i | | : PS I OE I LS NG TS ll NE, a : : pa - eo = . - ¥ o—— ship? But, come with me to the side of that rock; it will break the wind from us; and ina few words I will explain to you the meaning of the ringing of the bell of Woland’s Wreck.” Unwillingly the other allowed himself to be led to the designated spot, Night had now com- pletely vailed the scene, while the storm had reached a fury that would bave chilled the heart less unmindful of its rage. Beside the huge bowlder which overtopped their heads, the twain were well protected from the cutting blasts while only an occasional dash of rain touched their forms, ** Tne ship has ceased its firing,” said Marble. **Sbe has wisely concluded to stay outside the eee where she is safe unless carelessly han- ed, ‘** She has my prayer for her safety!” returned Walf Ranger, solemnly. ‘‘ Hark! the bell still keeps up its woeful clangor!” ‘*And will while the storm lasts,” assured Marble, ‘* You said you were acquainted here, twenty years ago, old man, then you must know the story of Woland’s Wreck.” ‘‘No; my stay was very brief. Tell it tome in as few words as possible,” ne answered, impa- tiently. ‘‘ Iam anxious to know the worst,” ‘*Listen then. Whew, how the storm rages! I believe the wind is shifting tothe north. Stand further back to the right.. There, that is better. "Tis the sea-fiend’s own night! . ‘** Ay, it must have been such & storm as this when the brig Aschope was driven upon these rocks, half a century ago. At any rate, all on board were lost. ‘“The fate of tho Aschope caused the good monks of St. Julian to placea bell on the convent that its warning tone might guide the incoming ships safe to harbor. Were it daylight you might see the old church from the crest of this rock, for the building is standing yet, though wr. in need of repair, ‘** The bell more than fulfilled its mission, and many were the blessings showered upon the noble men who caused its clear, massive notes to send a thrill of hope to the distressed mariners seeking an entrance to our land-locked harbor along the devious, winding es. ‘* Then the pied gone. passed away, and the old bell hung silent, At irregular intervals, it is true, it sent forth its impressive voice; but, no one seemed to interest himself in the good workuntil at last the spiders built their webs across its huge throat undisturbed, “Several years jater the bell disappeared. But its disappearance was not long a mystery. Further down the coast stood Woland’s Abbey, as it was called, between which and St. Julian existed a deep rivalry. A dark-faced, evil- minded man was this Woland, despite his sacerdotal garb; and his church was a queer structure, more than half its length boing built out over the water, its piers the bowlders that 0 their dark heads from the rugged shore, It stood — below the granite jaws of the fear- ful trap known as the Ribs of Death. **The very night following the disa of the bell a fearful storm, not e this I should say from the description I have heard of it, swept the coast. In the midst of the ele- mental strife the bell rung out its stirring tones from Woland’s Abbey! ** Before dark a ship had been seen beating up the coast outside the offing, but no one dreamed it would attempt to enter. It may have been driven upon the reefs by the gale, but it is more than likely that the notes of the bell lured it on to attempt the devious e!” ‘* Ay, that accursed bell!” cried the old man, for the first time interrupting the ker, ‘‘It did its terrible work! And we thought it was the bell of St. Julian. But, go on!” ‘The doomed vessel, it seemed, bore straight down toward the bell—straight into the Ribs of Death!” resumed Marble. ‘She was lost, with every soul on board! Her shattered timbers strewed the shore thenext morning. The bodies of all thoseon board were picked up, I think, and given burial just back of the abbey.” ** Allf’ asked Walf Ranger, catching his com- i arm in a vise-like grip. ‘‘Did all peris **So report said,” replied the young man, in surprise, ' ‘**Then report lied, for I was on that ship ! ** Does my grip feel like that of a dead manf But go on wi our 8 . Lamimpatient to posed to speak, they may listen. ey may lis Acton Marble ain awed into submission. He feared the man beside him, feeling that he was in the presence of a madman, **There is not much more to tell,” he contin- ued. “A swift retribution overtook Woland., ‘ihe Girl Storm-Pilot. That very night the sea rose so high that a part of his accursed sanctuary was washed away, while he disappeared and was never seen after- ward, From that day the place has been called * Woland’s Wreck.’ ‘* But the strangest part of it allis that though the bell sunk in the deep water by one of the big bowlders, and lies there to this night, it always sends forth its startling peals whenever there is ;astorm! Rung by the foul fiend’s own hand, it peals forth its notes of doom on every dark and stormy night, as more than one doomed ship has learned,” **Bah!” cried Ranger, fiercely, pushing him from the rock with a force that sent him out in- to the blinding tempest. ‘‘ Do you think that I have come back after twenty-two years to be- lieve such twaddle as that? I am going to silence that bell or die in the attempt!” Clang! clang! CLANG]! rung out the brazen voice as if in deflance of his threat. Pulling his heavy cape more closely about his head, Walf Ranger strode away into>the dark- ness at a furious pace, seeming to have suddenly thrown off the weight of at least a score of years from his decrepit frame. ** Hold. on!” cried Acton Marble, ‘‘I would keep you company. It sball not be said that I failed to do my duty when lives are at stake,” ‘** Good! and as you know the country, it may be you can pick a better course than I on such a night as this,” | ‘* Follow me, then; walk close in my footsteps, and see that you make no misstep.” Bending his form to the biting blast, and pick- ing bis way along as best be could, the young man led his companion down the rugged shore. Once he spoke, , **Hollow exactly in my steps now!” he ¢om- manded, ‘‘ We are onthe shelf of aledge, A misstep will send you into the sea full fifty feet below.” A flash of lightning following his words dis- closed only too vividly the truth of his speech. Walf Ranger, however, gave no indication of fear. With every electric flash he scanned his surroundings with a precision that enabled him to quicken his pace, Ever and anon the clangor of the bell was heard above the storm, telling them that they were pursuing the right course, It was nearly half a mile to Woland’s Wreck, and to the impatient Ranger it seemed as if they would never reach the spot. At last Marble paused, saying: ** Now look sharp for the ruins of Woland’s Abbey at the next flash. It is straight ahead, The bell is among the bowlders in front of the wreck,” Nothing could be distinguished in the Stygian night, and waited fora favoring flash, lt seemed slow in coming, for minutes were like bours then. The rain beat mercilessly in their faces, while the continual roar of the wind and tide deafened them. In the midst of their anxious watch Walf Ranger’s restless gaze discovered a ruddy light gleaming in the far distance from the course whence they had come, ‘* See! what light is that?” Acton Marble saw it for the first time, and a low exclamation left his hueless lips. ‘*I—I do not know!” he faltered. ‘It must be that some of the fishermen have started a beacon light, There is the ship’s gun again! She is off Specter’s Gap. She ignores the bell, Old Neptune himself must be at the helm to pilot her in on such a—” The looked-for electric gleam cut short his h, and he closed his eyes to shut out the blinding flash, Walf Gatigce’s gray eyes were not closed, how- ever. He saw the shattered ruins of the old abbey, with its naked timbers reaching out over the frowning rocks and foam-cap waters, The wild, broken coast was discl to him for a considerable distance; the storm-driven sea tossed and toiled in maddened fury before his gaze. He beheld a scene that would never fade rom his memory, but looked in vain for the “co though its mournful clangor still beat in S ears, **Do you not notice that it bas a muffled sound now that we are near to it?” asked his companion, as if reading his thoughts, ‘If you will crawl out on yonder P aca of rock, which you can see at the next flash, you will satisfy yourself that the bell lies in the water below.” Walf had seen the point indicated, so ble ren delay he cauticusly made his way to the place, ‘“* Crawl to the very end, but be careful you do not lose your hold on the slippery stone, Marble, in warning, eo ’ cried ee ee ee ee But the words bad barely left his lips when be heard a sharp crash, followed by a flash in the water and a piercing cry. Marble shouted his companion’s name, but no reply returned, ‘*The old fool has fallen off and is drowned!” he exclaimed. ‘' But it was no fault of mine. Neither can I help him by standing here in this storm, I have had enough for one night. I don’t understand the meaning of that beacon. Ugh! how this rain pours down, I must seek shelter,” : CHAPTER III. THE SPIRIT OF THE SURF. ** BOAT, ’o!” ‘‘ Whereaway?” shouted the commander ‘of the Sea Jewel as the cry came from the look- out. ‘* Just off our lee quarter, sir, standing direct- ly in our course,” ** What do you make of it?” **It holds but one person, sir, and that seems to be a woman!” ‘‘A woman? Great fire! I had hoped it was some one to help us ont of this condemned scrape. Hand me my giass, Adlon, “* Here, gunner, keep up that firing! Unless some one comes to our aid within ten minutes we'are lost. Condemn these waters and all the pilots in Christendom,’ They—” A deafening pea! of thunder ended the irate skippes speech. As soon as it had ceased he ont big glass to look for the approaching t If the scebe seemed wild and tempestuous up- on the shore, it was doubly so on the Sea Jewel, that was groaning and creaking féarfully as it was driven before the tempest, Again the mintte gun sent.out its appeal for help, while the vessel plunged more hopeless!y than ever. | Its commander had hoped to make port before night should come on, but a strong head-wind had beat dead against him all day, and in strange waters he had missed his calculation. To add to his discomfiture the storm rose rapid- ly; and then, hemmed in by the rocks and reefs of Black Ledge Coast, the situation was far from assuring, Naturally passionate and mons. incensed, Cap- Captain Morrows was unusually nervous and excited, The crew, reading in each other’s faces dread forebodings of peril, waited impatiently for the reappearance of the boat. **What do you make of it, captain!” asked the first officer, as a lull in the tempest followed the recent outburst. ‘“‘ It’s a women, sure! She is dressed in white, too. But, ’pon my soul, she rides the waves like a water witch!’ ) ** Ahoy! There she comes!” cried an old sailor, excitedly, as the strange boat rose on one of the billows into sight to disappear the next moment in the trough of the sea, , ‘* Shiver my timbers, 4 it ain’t the Spirit of the Surf! We are saved ‘Spirit of Neptune!” thundered Captain Morrows, ‘It’s a ghostly figure which can mean no to us. , ‘*Mr, Ashby, see that a storm staysail is rigged at once. We are drifting upon the rocks ata fearful rate. Great guns, how furious the gale grows!” Willing hands sprung to do the bidding of the officer, when the ship bore nobly up inst the tem lashed sea, But the ite, if it could be called such, must be of short duration. Lurid flashes now followed each other in rapid succession, accompanied by the deafening crash of near-by thunder that seemed to rend the very air around them, while the billows lashed in wildest fury the surf-bound rocks and reefs upon which, with frightful speed, the wind in its gians power was sweeping the ill-fated brig, Over all a night of Cimmerian gloom was fast falling like a pall, In spite of their peril, the approach of the boat was watched with feverish anxiety. Like drowning men catching at a straw they watched and waited. ‘It is the Spirit!” exclaimed the old sea-dog as the figure in white reappeared upon the next swell of the upheaved mg ‘She has saved more than one good ship and she will save us.” ‘* Out upon wou for a lubber!” roared Captain Morrows. “What cana woman doin a storm like this?” “Ship aboy! What ship is that?” in a ‘“* The Sea Jewel!” answered the skipper, “‘ lost in these condemned waters! We—” shrill tone above the tumult of the elemen