Beadle's Dime Library No. 162 — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

20. against than sinning, had had her life so warped from good, that her very love made her turn to evil. —_— — —— SSS — a . ° - The Mad Mariner. + **Solid shot, sir.” * Quietly put in a load of grape, too.” Maddocks did as ordered, and did it without ——_ ee Hot and fast, as the body sunk beneath the | a'*-«cting the attention of the crew. waves, rained the iron hail around the schooner, . from her savage pursuers, which, crowded from deck to truck with canvas, were coming on at a fearful pace under the pressure of the half gale that was blowing. ‘“‘Get the schooner under way again, Mr. Maddocks,” said. the chief, after the body had sunk from sight, and the order was obeyed with alacrity, for the crew were becoming alarmed at the near approach of the fleet. ‘Which way shall I head sir?” asked Mad- | _ Duke Gregory still retained the wheel. docks, as the craft once more fe't the breeze upon her canvas and was gaining head way, ‘‘We must meet Mr. Carter in the Mischief, you know, Maddocks, so the fleet sball not run us off; I will take the helm.” So saying Duke Gregory sprung to the wheel, and rapidly issuing his orders he brought the bows arcund until they pointed north-north-east, where before they bad been pointing due soutb. The crew looked on with surprise. What strange freak had the mad brain of their chief conceived now? Instantly, seeing the course of the schooner, # number of signals were sent up from the the result of which was that the Dol- phin beld on after The Disowned, while the Other vessels scattered so as to cut her off from continuing down the bay. This maneuver on the part of the Mad Mari- ner seemed reckless in the extreme, and Mad- docks volunteered: “It will be blind luck, sir, if we ever get to sea, tor there are several vessels-of-war lying across the mouth of the Chesapeake, from Cape Charles to Cape Henry, sir.”’ ‘Well?’ “Three of those vessels can continue the chase after us, while one goes down to report and fully blockade the outlet to cea,” ‘(My dear Maddocks, 1 know what I am about. “Carter awaits us at the island below, and yonder storm will aid me to elude this fleet. ** As for the fleet below, I care not for it.” Maddocks glanced in the direction indicated, and saw that black clouds were rolling up from the westward, and that there was every pros- pect of a severe storm. ‘*T verily believe that either Heaven or hell aids the man, and I'll dismiss all fear, for he’!l pull through,” muttered the officer, going forward among the men to still a certain un- easiness he saw cropping out. But his words had no effect with a few of the men, who felt certain of capture, through the foolhardiness of their captain, and being deserters from the very fleet in pursuit, they knew that their lives would terminate at the eud of a rope very suddenly if taken. Hence, with dark looks, and darker words tiey conversed together forward, the ring- leaders, gradually drawing volunteers to their Side. CHAPTER XLIL _ QUELLING A MUTINY. Ix Duke Gregory saw what was going on forward, no look or sign of his indicated it, until Maddocks came aft and said in a low _.“ There is going to be trouble, sir.” _ _“ Yes, but I know the schooner’s seaworthi- ” ‘‘T do not refer to the schooner, sir.’ ‘What then?’ ‘The men.” ‘‘ What ails them?” ‘They are mutinous.”’ ** What?” “They threaten trouble.” ‘* Like the storm, it will blow over.” ‘*T fear. not, sir,” \ ‘Tsay we'll ride safely through the storm, ube fleet, and the mutineers,”’ ‘* T hope so, sir.” ‘‘I know so, Maddocks,”’ ‘* You can see, sir, that some thirty men have Jeft the guns and gone forward.” ‘ ‘‘ Without your orders?” «< Yes, sir.” “You should not have allowed it.” *T could not prevent it, sir, so I cameaft to report to you.” “ Is this stern pivot-gun loaded?” “Yes, sir.” ‘* What with?” ‘It is done, sir.” ‘‘ Now go forward and order the men back to their guns.” ‘*Tf they refuse?” “Tell them it is 1ay order.” “‘Tf they still refuse, sir?’ “Tell them that [am not a man to stand | trifling.” “‘T fear it will do no good, sir.” ‘ Then come aft and join me.” Maddocks walked forward to obey, while The situation of he schooner was now most critical. The Dolphin bad squared away directly east from her posi.ion, when the Mad Mariner bad changed his course, and as the Disowned was running north, north east, if would bring them together at a certain angle, unless the Mad Mariner changed his course again, Then, too, the frigate was heading pretty much as was the Dolphin, and the three ves- sels were making toward what seemed a com- mon center, while the brig was running south- south-east, to get below and astera of the schooner, and a swift-sailing corvette was run- ning on her former course, to warn the fleet at the mouth of the Chesapeake, and thus cut the Mad Mariner off from getting to sea, What the motive of the Mad Mariner was in thus doubling on his course, no one could un- derstand, unless it was to make the fleet be- lieve he bad to return up the bay for some pur- pose, and then, dodging his pursuers in the ap- proaching storm, to head down the Chesapeake, keep his rendezvous with the Mischief, and then hide in the numerous inlets and among the islands of the bay, until some dark night, when he could run the blockading fleet gantlet into the Atlantic. There were three-fourths of the crew, and even more, who cared not to take such desper- ate chances, and thought, as the schooner had been so gallantly leading the fleet, their chief should have given up his rendezvous with the Mischief, and, with the Amer‘can flag and sig- nals on board, calmly run out to sea past the blockading fleet, who would believe him to be the United States schooner-of-war Arrow. These dissenters had wongregated together under a leader, who quickly found allies in leadership, and were plotting to go aft and de- mand that the Mad Mariner either run on out of the Chesapeake, knowing the speed of the schooner would enable her to overhaul, pass and avoid the Dolphin, or to resign the com- mand of The Disowned to them, Feeling confident that, though the majority held back, they would not side with Duke Gregory, the mutimeers were all ready for their move aft when Maddocks approached. ‘Men, I gave no orders for you to leave your guns, so return to them,” he said, stern- y: ‘‘Mr, Maddocks, we don’t like the desperate chances the captain takes with our lives,” the ringleader answered boldly. ‘* He takes the same with his own,” * But he is not right in the head, sir; his troubles have driven him mad, and we don’t wonder, for we all know now, from his own lips, who he is, and it ismo wonder he is crazy ; but that don’t help us, so we intend to remon- strate,”’ ‘You will find that he is captain of this craft, lads, so I advise you to go to your guns and not rouse him,” “* He is one sir, and we many,” “You'll find him the lion and yourselves the lambs; take my word for it.” “We'll risk it, Mr. Maddocks, for capture to us means death.” ‘*Go forward to your guns, men, and let me hear no more of this!” ‘“No, sir, we will do no such thing, and you can goaftand give the Mad Captain a hint that he hud better put about and run for open water.” ‘* It will be the worst for you.” “We'll take the chances,” was the bold reply. Without another word Martin Maddocks turned away. | ‘“‘ Well, sir?” quietly asked the chief, ‘*They refuse to obey, sir.” “ Indeed ” ‘Yes, Captain Duke, they are bent on mis- ebief.”’ ‘They shall have it.” ‘‘ They say they will make no demonstration if you will put about and run for open water.” “ Won’t they?’ © No, sir.” ‘‘T am sorry I cannot accommodate them. “Ts that gun all ready to fire?” * Yes, sir.” “Then stand here near the wheel, where you can take hold when I need you—ah! that was a good shot,” and the Mad Mariner smiled as a shot from the Dolphin flew a few feet above his head. Maddocks thought it was a bad shot,. but said nothing, as he quietly took bis stand near the wheel. The nearness of the Dolphin’s shot evidertly hastened the men in their determination, for they came marching aft in a budy three abreast. ; Suddenly, ere they had advanced a dozen steps, the Mad Mariner’s voice was heard: ‘Halt! to your guns there!” “No, captain, we wish to demand that—”’ began the leader. ‘Silence! I command this vessel. ‘To your guns, I say!” They had halted at his first command, and listened to bis words, but now, at the order of their leader, again moved forward. “ Hold!” came in startling, trumpet tones. But on they moved. Springing to the pivot gun, as quick as a flash of light, by bis own gigantic strength alone he swung it round until the muzzle covered the bead of the advancing mutineers, They saw their danger and attempted to scatter. But he was no man to parley, and in a second’s time the fuse was applied, the huge gun burst forth with an explosion that shook the schooner from keel to truck, and the burt- ling mass of iron went bowling forward, tear- ing splinters from the deck, and masts, making rents in the bulwarks, and leaving a score of men dead and dying in the path of the death storm, Ere the smoke had died away cries for mercy arose on every side, and above all was heard the clarion notes of the Mad Mariner: ‘* All hands ahoy to take in sail! Lively, lads, lively, for the storm is upon us.” As one man the crew, that escaped the iron tornado, sprung to work, and the schooner was stripped to her storm-sails in an instant of time, just as the gale burst into terrific tury upon the sea, shutting out from sight the pursuers of the Mad Mariner. CHAPTTER. XLIL THE MUTINEERS’ FATE, THE discharge on the schocner, of the stern pivot thirty two, told plainly on board the pursuers that there was trouble for the Mad Mariner among his crew, But whatever after opinion they bad on the fleet is not known, as the storm, just then st: uck The Disowned and hid it from sight, giving thi m a warning to take in canvas as quickly as possi- ble, This the respective vessels did just in time, and in looking out for their own safety mo- mentarily neglected the fugitive craft, which, as soon as all was thip-shape on board to meet the gale, was nowhere visible in the storm and darkness. As tothe crew of The Disowned, so sudden and unexpected had been the movements of their mad captain, that the gun was pointed upon the mutineers before his intention was known. Then all but a few expected that be would again order thcm to disperse, while others be- lieved that be would not fire, and still more, that if he did the solid shot would not doa | great deal of damage, fcr they did not know of the extra charge of grape which Madducks had put into the gun. Nor did they hasten, those that did spring aside, as they did not believe the j;iece could be fired under a minute. The herculean task of the chief, in turning the gun alone, for these were not the days of the invention of wheels within wheels, that make great weights featherweights to move, had won a burst of admiration from the reck- less young men; but ere it had been fairly ut- tered the match was applied and the iron storm burst upon them, One or two, outside of the mutineers, had suffered by the discharge, while half a score of the remonstrators had escaped; but then the, Eomicbooks-co Pad