Beadle's Dime Library No. 111 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

The Smuggler Captain. RAR CE a a RE SRE eS TR Ct ee EE An: he shook his head despondingly. “ Never say die, old man, while life’s Jeft.* anid Bouncing Kate. ‘“ My Harry wasn’t born to be drowned, no way—not here afore my eyes, nohow. Cheer up, Betsy; cheer up, gal; we'll save ’em.” Poor Betsy clasped the sweet child which she held close to her bosom, and cowered down out of the gale behind the rock, but she made no reply. And now, as Bouncing Rate nee rather a rough one—seems to be the right kind of a wotaan for a brave sailor’s wife, we will devote a few lines to a description of her, She was tall, fleshy, yet finely formed. Her features were of that strong, bold, yet met un- handsome type, which peculiarly characterizes the thinking and the working woman of the North. Her plain calico dress fitted her form nicely, and both ber and her baby were models of cleanliness in dress and person. She wore no shaw!, and had no hoops to balloonize with in that gale. In truth, ber plump figure re- quired none. It is only the half-starved city skeleton that require such artificial EprORTDg out. Get mad now, little city delicates, an even you country imitators of city fashion. I’m out ol cenal of your tougues and fingers here in my “ wildwood home”, and can write what I (hink, without fear or favor. I haven’t got a ‘Polly Martial” here to wool me, either, thank lwaven | Betsy had tied one of her husband’s natty tarpaulin hats on her head with a handkerchief, but the wind had blown down her hair, which hud been bound up and fastened with a comb, and now it blew out and fell in a rich auburn mass behind her. Her complexion was pure red and white, with only a freckle here and there, to contrast properly the fairness of her olieeks and brow. She was, in short, really a fiue-looking woman for the class which she re presented—such woman as seemed fit to be a mother to brave sons and good daughters. The men now began to reach the spot. Steve Cumpkins, snuffing and blowing like a porpoise vorking off a lve shore, was ie the first— iid away off in the rear, making slow headwa vith his huge form, could be seen Nehemia (‘funt. The village had been wes de- serted by all except the old peony and very little ehildren. Even the minister, Elder Noble, was there—hia calm and thoughtful face wearing a sad but yet a hopefal expression. “Do vou think the men can be saved?” he asked of Mr Drummond. “Tt will be only by the mercy of God, if they are, sir! Human help will do but little for them !” said Mr. Drummond. “hen let us kneel and pray for God’s mercy !” said the minister. Instantly, as they saw the minister kneel down, every hat was removed from the men’s heads. Some of them, and all of the women knelt. while that pious minister of the only true and living God uttered a heartfelt and eloquently- beseeching prayer for God’s aid in that dark hour of danger, and pertans of death. And when be had finished, all rose strength- ened—the men, in fortitude and determination to do their best—the women, in faith and hope. And now, rushing as close to the bluff as they dared, they watcbed with intense anxiety the drift of the doomed vessel. She was now 80 near that the men on board could be seen dis- tinetly with the naked eye, and waving hats and handkerchiefs told the poor fellows that they were seen and their situation known. On—on the sehooner drifted until within Jess than half a mile of the reef of rocks before spoken of. Then she seemed for a little while to stop. “Her anchors hold—her anchors hold!” shouted Mr. Drummond. “Yes; and if the wind would only ‘bate a little, they’d be saved yet!” said Captain Hadley. * But no cables will stand that strain long, if they did, they'd drag the very eyes out of the eraft !” “Shes drifting in again—the cables have broke or the anchors are gone!’ groaned Mr. Drummond. ‘“* Yes—in ten minutes she'll be on the reef. It will soon be over in one way or another, at any rate!” said Hadley. Not another word was spoken. The eople almost held their breath. Never was here a more intense anxiety than that which now held them as if spell-bound. CHAPTER IX. If we wish to see the difference in feeling be- Weg tavey Huy look at Death as he approae!ies others—and those who have to lovk into his weird and ghastly eyes as he comes to them- selves, we must go on board the ‘Scud’ and see how Hewlet and his mate felt. Early in the morning of that day they had seen the lund, and had with the deepest anxiety watched it as it rose higher and higher to view while they drifted in toward it. At first they could not tell even with the glass upon what part of the coast they were drifting—there is so much similarity on some parts of our Northern shores. But ere long they plainly made out the bold headland which marked the little har- bor of Ledgetown, and as it was well under their lee, they still hoped they might drift into the channel. But the hope was slender. Were it but a shadow, men in such a position would grasp it, “If we had but an oar or two, or ever 80 small a bit of the mast lefi—or a spar of any kind, so as to show a little canvass, we might get steerage-way on her and save ourselves yet!” said Hewlet, as he recognized their position. ‘“‘Hadn’t we better cut away the drag—maybe the hull will cateh wind enough to steer her!” said Alden. “‘No—the drag keeps us head to sea !” replied Hewlet. ‘‘ We are too much water logged to even get steerage-way by the action of the wind on Ee hull, and while the drag is out we go lower!” ““ Yes—and that is the worst of it!” said Alden, Bo git hae “T hate this slow work. If I’ve got to die, { want it over with in a hur- ry: If I was going to be hung, I’d jump from the scaffold the minute they got the rope around my neck. I'd make no dying speeches!” “Well, I’m in no hurry to die!” said Hewlet, with a smile. ‘ Something may turn A yet that will Jand ussafe and sound. The wind may lull so that our anchors will bold when we get in where we can use them!” “It may, but I doubt if it does!” said Alden. “It looks to me as if it would blow a day or two yet; and now the wind increases instead of oing down! I wonder if they ¢an see us yet rom shore?” “Hardly! We're very low in the water now, and it is not likely that any one will be on the look-out. Mr. Drummond may be—he lives so near to Beacon Bluff!” replied Hewlet. ‘* We'll soon know, at any rate—we’re drifting in at the rate of at least four or five miles an hour— probably faster. The sea heaves us in fast, and the wind helps whenever we top the waves !”’ “If we are seen, I'll bet that Bouncing Kate is out to look for us as soon as she hears of any- thing off the coast, Bless the woman !—I don't care much about dyin’, as fir as I’m concerved, but I’d hate to leave her a widow, and my poor little Molly without a father. She’d pick up some other man, maybe, that wouldn’t treat her and the baby as well as I do!” said Alden. And when he spoke of his wife and child, the brave fellow’s lip quivered, and a moistness came into his eye which was not occasioned by the spray that now and then dashed over them. ‘“‘ Let us go down into the cabin and take one more drink to those we love, Alden!’’ said Hewlet. ‘“‘We may as wel] be merry as sad over our luck!” “T'd rather not drink now, captain, though I thank you all the same. My Kate doesn’t like the smell of liquor on my breath; and if I should escape, I'd hate to have her smell rum the first thing when she went to kiss me!’’ re- plied the mate. Hewlet forced a laugh and said: “ As it is not likely anybody will offer to kiss me, if I'm lueky enough to get ashore, I'll go and get some toddy. Steward, you and Ramsay an go and help yourselves!” _ The men heard the captain—but they did not go after the liquor. They felt too much the peril of their situation to need any artificial exeitement. ‘“‘ Lend me your glass, captain. It seems to me that I ean see people on the bluff!”’ said Alden, after Hewlet returned from the cabin. ' “There are people there!” said Hewlet, glancing first through the glass, and then hand- ing it to the mate. “But they'll see ® sorry sight before long. Our drift is tuking us to the north of the harbor, and we'll strike that curs * reef in front of Beacon Bluff, I’m sure!” “Men, and women, too; a crowd of ’em are up there !” said Alden, as he Jowered the glass. “Tl bet my iife that my Kate is among ’em. God help the poor girl if I don’t get ashore alive! It would be tough enough for her to know I was dead, without seeing me go right before her face. T wish we were anywhere but i bere ou the eoastl” * Ramsay, try the lead, and see if we're on soundings yet!” said the captain. “ Ay,ay,sir. Forty fathoms—or a little less,” said the man, after trying with the deep-sea lead. ‘**Good—we’ll soon shoal to thirty. Alden, we'll lat go both anchors. They may hold for a while!” “Yes, sir; but if the wind don't lull very soon, it will be only staving off death for a little while; for if the chains did hold, such a sea as this would soon drag the very bows out of the schooner. Ill tell you plainly, Captain Hew- let, I think our time in this world ig short. I don’t say so because I’m afraid, but I know that no man ean ever get through them breakers and on to that shore alive. If we had the best life-boat that ever floated, we could do nothing with her in this place.” “Tt is true,” said Hewlet, gravely. ‘“ But 1 shall live just as long as I can. Come and help me get the anchors Joose. The chains are stop- ped weli below, I suppose ?” ‘Yos, sir, I saw to that. They’re shackled around the stump of the foremast down there, and stoppered at the windlass-bita beside.” id Well we will try them. If they fail, we may make up eur minds to go as otiers have gone before us.” ‘Yes, sir. And I wouldn’t mind it a bit if it wasn’t here, right where my wife with my poor little helpless baby are looking at us. That goes hard with me.” * And I’ve an old mother ashore there; but I don’t think she is able to be out in that crowd,” said Ramsay, with a quivering Voice. “T've supported her on my wages, but God knows how she'll get along now!” “Mr. Drummond never will let her want. That is some comfort my lad,” said Alden, as he went forward to help tue captain. “She won't live long after I’m gone,” said the man. “It will break her heart, I know. Steward, you've got no relations there ?” “No; but there is one there whose heart will ache when I am gone, for all that,” said the steward, as he took a daguerrean portrait of a oung girl from his pocket, and looked, per- 1aps, hie last look upon it. CHAPTER X. Speechless—many of them pallid and tearful, the gathered people stood on that lofty bluff, and gazed down at the schooner’s helpless hull, which, broken adrift from its anchors, was rap- idly closing toward the reef where the break- ers broke in high surges of foam not eighty rods from the main shore. Closer and closer she came. The four men on board stood close together, evidently pre- ared for and expecting the shock which must i the fated vessel into fragments, for a hull of iron could never stand the dush of such waves upon a lege of granite. Nearer and nearer; she was now within a biscuits toss of the ledge. Then a huge wave came rolling on, and lifted her up—up so high that many hoped it would carry her clear over the reef into the deep water between it and the bloff. But it only lifted the hull up to that great height to roll on and dash it down upon the ledge with such a crash that the sound was plainly heard on shore above the shrill blast of the storm. There, for an instant, it Joomed up darkly in the yeast of foam, and then, in shattered pieces, it was seeu to be parting asunder. Another monster sea rolled in, and as it swept over men and vessel, they disappeared ; and then a wild scream rose from a hundred lips among the people, coming as if from one terror-stricken voice. * Be ready with your ropes on the edge of the cliff, men!” shouted Mr. Drummond. “iSome of them may swim jn, or, elinging to a piece of the vessel, reach the foot of the cliff!” 6 Mortal man can never swim through that st!” said Captain Hadley, sotto voce. Bat men now stood elose to the edge of the el ff with long eoils of rope in their hands. And, foremost of all, holding @ rope herself, stood Kate Alden, her pale face as steady and fi im as if it were eut from marble, looking out #: the black pieces of hull which specked the fiamy waters, and waiting for the father of the, child—of that sweet baby which was mow toy- ing with the golden tresses of poor Betsy Hunt, as she sat, half fainting, on the ground, holding it pressed to her wildly-beating heart. Closer and eloser the frazments of wreek drove in toward the foot of that lofty iff, cComicbooks.co ja 29