The New York Dime Library No. 1053 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

8 owe Lashed in the maim rigging Captain Defoe issued bis orders, to have them hurled away upon the tempest, and the vessel was driving along at a frightful velocity, having been twirled around like a feather. Glancing aloft the captain saw that his main top-gallant-mast was gone, and that the fore- top-mast was tottering, and an effort must be mace to save it. ' Ho there, forward!” *‘ Ay, ay, sir!” shouted the crew in chorus. ‘“*T want a bold lad to go aloft with a rope and fish that fore-top-mast,” shouted the captain in stentorian tones, But not a man moved, although every eye glanced upward and saw that to save the stick, prompt action was needed. ‘* Up, lads, some of you, or she’ll come down like an arrow and go through our decks; who wants a year’s pay for the act?” Half a dozen men sprung at this offer, and a more furious blast coming at the instant swept three of them away upon tho seething waves. ‘*By Heaven!” it still holds, but it won’t do 80 long; what officer wants promotion for this work?” called out Captain Defoe, seeing that the crew would not move again. Lord Manly at once sprung forward, and was creeping toward the rigging, when a huge wave boarded the vessel, an titty aft with terri- fic force, dragged him from his hold ona gun- — eee lashing, and bore him, with several others, rap- idly astern. n vain did he clutch at the ratlines, and all else that presented an obstacle to cling to; the wave was irresistible, and swept mercilessly ** Hold hard all! now men I'll risk it!” It was Kenton Cavanaugh that spoke, and he addressed his two comrades at the wheel, while, with astout rope around his waist he sprung to leeward, and as Lord Manly was being hurled over the bulwark, helpless and despairing, he threw his arms tightly around him. Then came a fearful jerk, as the rope tight- ened, but it held firmly, and grasping it, the _ two young men dragged themselves back to the quarter-deck in safety, while a wild cheer went up from the crew who had seen the daring act of enton Cavanaugh. ‘* Kenton, you have—” began Lord Manly, earnestly, but the youth interrupted with: “ Ay, ay, sir; I must save that topmast now, for it won’t last long,” and he sprung into the waist, while Captain Defoe shouted: ‘*'You have won an epaulét, my lad, by that act, but why have you left the wheel?” | ‘To save the spar, sir,” shouted Kenton, above the storm. ‘* Bravo! if man can do it, you will,” cried the captain, and, with a coil of lashing upon his arm, the youth sprung into the weather rig- ; very eye was upon him, as slowly, and with great difficulty he ascended the ratlines, for the ressure of the pale against him was fearful, ut step by step he went up until he gained the top, and ascending to the wounded spar, pro- ceeded, with the utmost coolness and intrepidity to secure the mast, so that should it pitch loose it would not come down and drive through the As calmly as though in a calm, he worked, every eye watching bim mg peerek for the ship was pitching and rolling terribly, and they feared to see him hurled to the deck, but at last his task was completed, and he seized a stay and descended to the deck, amid the wild cheers of the crew. ‘‘Gallantly done, my lad; the epaulet you - ‘won for saving Lord Manly shall have a com- - panion on the other shoulder:* you are a brave ae and will be an bonor to any quarter- deck,” cried Captain Defoe, and, at his words a ud smile lighted up Kenton Cavanaugh’s ace; but he said quietly: “‘She’ll bear her jib and spanker close-reefed, sir, and then we can steady her with the wheel.’ * You are right,” and Captain Defoe gave the necessary orders to set the sail, as the gale had blown its rudest blasts, and Kenton Cavanaugh crept aft and resumed his place at the wheel. “Cavanaugh, forgive and forget the day at Castle ea ao Lord i + gina his a which outh grasped, while he answered: 4 Wiliingly, my lord Mereditif.” “I owe you my life, Cavanaugh, and it is a debt I will not forget.” **Do not speak of it, my lord; I would have done as much as that for any of the poor lads that have gone, had they been swept off, as you were, | _“T shall not forget you, Cavanaugh,” and Lord Manly turned away ; but had Kenton Cav- anaugh seen the look upon his face, he would have felt that in saving the life of the young no- ble, he had but increased his hatred for him, CHAPTER XI. THE STRANGE SAIL. = i Harb Ly had Kenton Cavanaugh returned to the wheel, when Captain Defoe came aft, and | - *It was the custom in olden times te denote a junior officer. —Tax AvrHo om ore & a ‘ ar * a * a , P >. ‘ das { ex ?. . ‘ — . - ‘ 72% 7 . ~~) 4 be - o—_ ye ‘a 9 ) sual ™ : ¢ : . , , _ Wt _—_ FP: <a - <foy f- ; - ©» Seas? + te ng for one epaulet little astern of the cruiser an Pe od a. -“ Captain Kyd, the King of the Black Flag. ‘* You'll get pour commission when we reach | part, my lad; but, as lam short of officers, one | ing ill below, I wish you to take his place.” | “I thank you, sir; I will do my duty as best I | can; but I forgot to say that there is a vessel near.” | ‘* Ha! where is she?” ‘*T saw her when I was aloft; she was to wind- ward, and scudding under bare poles.” ‘We must Beep an eye on her, for we are in a neighborhood where pirates are frequent; Dll muster the crew and see how many are missing, and then get the ship under what sail she will | bear, so that, if necessary, we can lay her.to.” Captain Defoe then had the crew mustered, | and found that a midshipman and nine seamen had been lost. _ ‘‘A dear night for us; poor lads, may they get snug berths aboard some heavenly cruiser,” said the captain sadly, The increased canvas was soon set, and the vessel drove along so furiously, that Captain Defoe determined to lay her to, a feat that was skillfully accomplished by Kenton Cavanaugh, who sprung to the wheel to execute the ma- neuver. As the gale had now blown itself out, leaving only a strong and steady breeze, the pumps were tried and the crew set to work to repair damages. In an hour’s time all was shipshape once more, the clouds were drifting rapidly away to lee- ward, the waves were running down, and the moon broke out with renewed brilliancy and cast a silver radiance upon the sea, ‘* Sail, ho!” The cry came in the clarion tones of Kenton Cavanaugh, and from the fore-rigging. ‘* Whereaway, sir?’ shouted Captain Defoe. ‘‘Off the weather quarter, sir; just in the moon’s wake, and walking this way with a nimble foot.” ‘*Ay, ay! I see her, and she isa three-master and a frigatoon; no honest craft carries a rig like that in these waters. Stand by, all, to get under weigh!” The cruiser swung round on her course, and at once all was busy preparation on board; the beds around the guns were filled with shot, mus- kets and cutlasses were put in the stands and sockets about the masts, and clearing for action was done with a will, after which the crew went silently to the guns, ‘* Mr. Cavanaugh, I give you command of the Jee battery. Men, obey this young gentleman as though the epaulets were on his shoulders, for he shall wear them,” called out the captain, and having witnessed the contempt for danger and skill of the youth, the men recognized him as their natural superior, and at-once gave him a cheer, for there is nothing a sailor admires more than courage. The strange sail was now about half a lenge distant, and sailing a parailel course with er. ‘ She was a three-masted lugger, or frigatoon, such as were often seen in the Mediterianean;: her three huge topsails were set, and she was pan ging along at a pace that proved her a fast er. That she was armed and heavily manned there could be no doubt, and that she was a pi- rate all felt assured, , All on board the cruiser now intently regarded the stranger, which altered her course a little and shook out her reefs, which caused her to sail evenly with the British vessel and so as to head her off within an hour, should both hold as they were then heading. ‘“* He’s a bold one, for he-must see that we are no merchant craft; to convince him, Lord Man- ly, send a shot across his bow,” cried Captain efoe. The gun burst forth with a heavy roar, and a shot, sent a shower of spray upon his forecastle; but the stranger paid no attention to it, but held on his course. ** His idea is to carry us by boarding, for those fellows are devils at close q rs. ll ready, forward, to repel boarders!” said the captain. As the stranger drew nearer it was seen that she was of about three hundred tons, with sharp bows and broad beam, and came along swiftly with the wind on her starboard quarter, and causing her lugger’s sails to stand out as stiff as boards, Forward, and in the waist, a dense mass of heads were visible, and the moonlight flashed upon steel, while her open ports revealed a broadside of seven guns. Nearer and nearer came the tiwo vessels, and then Captain Defoe said: ‘‘ 1d:now that fellow well: we have met before: men call him Hurtel of the Red Hand: but what is he doing in these waters?” Lord Manly started at the name, | he known of the mysterious nce 0 rd the rumors for long had | Per cree 1 of Castile ag, Brn tgta e me an outlaw @ sea. Could it be then, he thought, t the st vessel was commanded by the brother of the Earl of Belmont? , | : And Kenton Cavanaugh too heard the words blag Defoe, and he too remembered how " . > e = = er ok * os a pa a ee hr ‘ ; PK. i ? = “ : P . - contr pha ea —_ » og Ce 2 _ - We * - a - o- Or A mis eet —_— home to go to ruin, and the discovery of the bodies of old Cormac and Elpsey by a veler. ‘**Can the commander of yonder vessel be the uncle of Lady Kate?” was his thought. “I see the chief now,” continued Captain Defoe, glaneing through his glass. ‘He is the same; a tall, gray-bearded man, with broad shoulders, and dressed like a Turk; see, Mr. Cavanaugh, he is standing by the helmsman.” Kenton took the glass and turned it upon the | pirate chief, and at once, even at that distance, was he struck with the resemblance to the Earl of Belmont, for the moon shining directly in _ his face, revealed every feature distinctly. ‘Will you allow me to look, please?’ asked Lord Manly, as Kenton silently returned the glass to his captain, Leveling it, he fairly started, for in the great dining-hall of Castle Cor hung a full length por- trait of Sir Hurtel, and, excepting that the oy chief seemed much older, for he had gray air and moustachios, there was a striking simi- larity, for the face wore the same look of sad- ness in the eyes and sternness on the mouth. ‘Captain Defoe, when I wasa very little boy, Sir Hurtel, the brother of the Earl of Belmont lived in the ruined castle, under the shadow of which you anchored yesterday, and he led a hermit life. ** One day a stranger entered the castle, and found its. servants slain, its master gone, and not a soul in it, and strange stories were told of the old place and the murder committed there, while suspicions turned both upon Sir Hurtel, and a band of Gipsy sailors who camped near on the coast, but who suddenly disap about the time with the lord of Castle Crag: now yonder chief is Sir Hurtel, the brother of Belmont’s ear].” ‘It may be, Lord Manly, for I bave also heard rumors of the ear!’s brother having turn- ed pirate; but be he whom he may, he has twice beaten me cff before, and bas the courage of a tiger; once, in the Grecian Archipelago, I boarded bim, on that same lugger, an he. drove us back to our deeks with heavy loss; but: I would give muck to capture bim to-night, even if he were a brother of Kixg Billy!” Silently the dark hull of the pirate drew nearer and nearer, until it was evident that the- chief intended to board the cruiser, now that the sea had gone down, and the wind was light. ‘* See, the old chief is giving orders to prepare for boarding; a shot; Lord Manly, into that dense mass forward, will shake them up con- siderably.” The shot was fired, and a crashing of timbers. followed, with curses and the groans of wound- ed men, and in a dozen different tongues, which at once betrayed the character of the vessel, leg if Captain Defoe had not before recognized. er. ‘‘ Now stand by for a broadside!” shouted the: captain. ‘ All ready, sir!” ** Starboard your helm!” ‘Starboard ‘tis, sir!” | | ‘Steady! let him have it—fire!” The shock was a terrible one, and it spread: death and confusion on board the lugger; but, cool and commanding stood the pirate chief, and all on board distinctly heard his ringing orders: ‘*Boarders ahoy! we want that craft, men, so don’t hurt her with iron: now lay her along- side! boarders all!” The strike the cruiser well forward, suddenly lu rapnels were thrown, and the two vessels lay Groadside to broadside, while over their high. bulwarks came the buccaneers in dark swarms, their chief at their bead. aS ‘t Boarders repel boarders!” shouted Captain Defoe, and instantly the fight became c and bloody; the cutlasses Clashes. Svea, pis- tols rattled incessantly, men cursed, others ut-. tered their death-eries, stern orders were given by the officers, the vessels rolled fearfully, strik-. ing against each otber with shocks that threat- ened % crush in their sides, the chains creaked, and the dense smoke and flashes of firearms, made it seem like a carnival of fiends,rather than. a combat between human beings. Steadily, though their numbers were fewer cruiser, the pirates drove. than the crew of the é the king’s men back, pushing them hard upon. the quarter-deck. “ : ‘Now we have them, and their trim vessel is. ours; at them, you dogs!” shouted their chief, and he sprung forward, sheathing his sword in the heart of an officer who opposed him, and gaining the quarterdeck. — “Kill him, or all is” Defoe, fighting lke a lion on the starboard side, Instantly_a tall form confronted the chief} and two splendid specimens of physical man-- hood met, the one a man whose rame wesa_ - b d who had won for oe i the titleof terror, an Hurtel of the Red Hand; other ee in years, but a man in strength an ion In courage. | + a ** Now I will see how good a swordsm father has taught me to be,” muttered Ker Cavanaugh to of the ‘Ha! a Tere pirate chief. _ Ae ; fy 1a go vou. Ff MV“ ats “i cs a . an “ih. “oe 4 ° Antwme.: ” shot . f a ‘ 4 ted” Me Mies pe pee mh ice , ~~ . _— > * , ~ ome 4 ae . ° > , _- i « a ~ a - ad ae... Ai ~~ ar) wl wees + : ‘ ve ad d= gee fe o » irate, which had been mi deerey. A me | erce- is lost!” shouted Captain. a ~ _ $ : : . ‘ .) 72" * as lis Wide a “) -— : > — - 4 hj “at.” A ie 52) 0% aus <. § » iii }. ‘ ” : y 4 r; . _? 4