Beadle's Dime Library No. 162 — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

———— ee -_— — ae — law of circumstances often makes if. so 2). en front of the Mad Mariner, who relinquished that .the. guilty escape and the innoceu. ure the wheel to the helmsman, and folding his punisbed, — | arms upon his broad breast stepped forward As if ignoring the thought that further and gazed into the face of the ringleader, and trouble would continue, the Mad Mariner had then down upon the dead and wounded. ordered h's schoouer stripped to meet the} ‘‘ Ail hands ahoy! to witness burial,” came storm, and nimbly the men had sprung to the stern order, and at a trot the crew came work, now more thoroughly afraid of their | aft. desperate chief, than of the tempest and pur- | « Bo’sen, throw these mutineers into the suing vessels. | sea!” When the gale struck the schooner the Mad | The boatswain seized a dead man in his Mariner was at the wheel, met it boldly, and | arms, and silently hurled him over the bul- then. deliberately squared away before it, | works iuto the mad waters. running directly toward the fleet. | Then, one by one they were thrown over ‘‘ Keep a sharp look out, lads, for those ves- | until the line of living was reached. sels,” he ordered in cheery ton s, as though | Thee were five of these, and all sorely the vessels to be looked for were frieuds in- | wounded, stead of foes, and noibing had transpired on | ‘ All done, sir,” sung out the boatswain, board of a disagreeable na ure, | ‘I ordered those mutineers thrown into the “ Ay, ay, sir,” rung out a chorus of voices, | sea. . and every eye was strained through the dark- ‘“ Am I to be obeyed, sir?” ness and mist of the storm to watch for the | The boatswain and all gazed upon the Mad fleet, while Duke Gregory still held bis vessel | Mariner in horror. on ber course, though the nimble craft bounded ‘*The living ones, sir?” like a mad racer. In faltering tones came the words from the ‘A sail off starboard bow, sir,” said Mad- | lips of the boatswain. docks, ‘Yes; dead and living; it will wash the “‘T see her; it is the Dolphin,”’ was the calm | stain of mutiny from this craft.” reply. The stern response was said unflinchingly. ‘Sail ho! off starboard bow five points,” called out a man torward, ‘‘ Ay, ay, it is the frigate.” ‘*Sailho! Dead abead!” “Ay, ay, sir; it is the brig,” and the scbooner’s course was changed so as to run astern of the frigate and across the bows of | the brig. lt was evident tbat the schooner lying low in the water, and with only her lower sails set, had not been discovered from the decks of either of ber pursuers, end, to be still better hidden, the Mad Mariner suddenly wore round, until the bows pointed across the frigate’s stern, and after holding on this way for a short distance, again fell off before the gale, stripped his vessel of all canvas, and under bare poles drove by tbe brig within a couple of cables’ length, leaving the fleet beating up aguinst the storm, hoping to hem the pirate ius un the eastern shore, The daring, and masterly manner in which tue Mad Mariner eluded the fleet, passing within a quarter of a mile’ of each vessel, again won the wildest applause of his crew, while the dead and dyiug forms scattered amid- ships, warned them of the danger of muti- neering against his authority. Ouce free from the fleet, and the Mad Mari- ner said; “Go forward, Mr, Maddocks, and have those dead and wounded mutineers brought aft.” ‘““ Ay, ay, sir.” ‘‘And it the leader wero not killed, bring him bere in double irous!” “‘ Ay, ay, sir.” Maddocks quickly obeyed, wondering what freak the mad captain was going to play now. He gave the orders to the crew not at the guns, and one by one the dead and wounded were borne ait and laid in a row across the quarter-deck, fronting the chief, who still held the wheel, as if avxious to keep constantly in busy action to drown thought. The two aides to the ringleader, were found to have been instantly killed; but the main mover of the mutiny had escaped death, and t:rrified at the storm he had aroused, was at- tempting to do his duty with avidity. Upon him Maddocks laid a heavy hand. ‘You are wanted by the captain.” The boatswain hesitated, glanced at his ship- mates, and then at his captain. What be saw in both glances was enough to make him at once obey the command of the leader. Down he stooped, and the first of the living mutineers was tbrown overboard. Then followed another, too badly wounded to realize bis fate, and a third who shrieked wildly for mercy. One by one they followed, until the leader alone remained, Upon him all eyes were .ow turned, as be stood between two seamen, for his trembling limbs could not sustain his weight unaided. ‘*You, sir, shall share the same fate,” The stern lips that issued the order never quivered, and then from the ring-leader broke a plaintive cry for mercy, which ended in a shriek. But the Mad Mariner still stood like a statue, his arms folded upon his broad breast, his eyes seeming to read every face before him, ‘Overboard with him!” Not an instant did the boatswain and his men he had summoned for the duty hesitate; but seizing the shrieking wretch in their arms, they burled him into the seething waters. *‘Go forward to your posts, men!’’ Like a frightened drove of cattle the crew obeyed, while the schooner, whully washed, as the mad captain bad said, of the stain of mutiny, drove along before the terrific storm. CHAPTER XLIV. DEATH’S GANTLET, By suprise of the morning following the | night of the chase, storm and mutiny, The Dis- owned, under reefed canvas, was driving along at a fearful pace, and heading for a group of islands on the eastern shore of Maryland, that lie to the north-east of the mouth of the Poto- mac river, She had made a tremendous run during the night, and was now in the vicinity of her ren- dezvous with the yacht Mischief, and all hands were on the look-out for the little craft, The tapering topmast was soon sighted over a wooded island, and around it The Disowned swept at race-horse speed, and ran into a quiet haven, dropping anchor almost broadside to ‘‘ Me!” with the Mischief. ‘* Yes, you.” Carl Carter and bis crew gave her a hearty ‘* What does he want?” asked the trembling | cheer, and going on board the schooner went wretch, into the cabin with the chief. ** He will tell you.” ‘*T believe I would rather have been killed than meet his eye.” ‘I warned you, and you would not heed.” - bricig'e to God | had, for I fear something dreadful is going to happen.’ ‘ Perbaps some of your friends would like to rescue you!” sneered Maddocks,. —. ‘“‘ No, nu: that mad captain could come for- ward and cut off our heads ene by one with his cutlass, amd mome ef us would resist.” “I believe yeu; here be’sen, put this man in doable irens.” martes ) The beatsewain izemediately ebeyed, and the chaing, as be hebbled aft, made an ominous | im his heart, asd the hoarts of his nay » He wos halted by Maddeslu directly in A moment after he came out and gave or- ders for the stores and men of the Mischief to be at once transferred to the schooner, and for Maddocks to join his chief and himself in the cabin. ‘‘ Mr, Maddocks, you have no kindred ties, I believe, to bind you to any land or place?’ queried the Mad Mariner. ‘‘ None, sir, [ am alone in the world.” “Then you are willing to sail with me on my cruis:, be it where i> may?” “Tam, sir.” | | ‘Thom I make yeu my first officer, and, as ro are better acquainted with the m, please ge em deck tink twe whom yea 21 — prise, and he, turning pa'e, glanced at his chief. ““Have I done aught to offend you, sir, or tbat you should lose trust in me?’ faltered Carl ter. The chief made no reply, but quietly paced to and fro until Martin Maddocks returned ac- companied by two fine-looking young men, with fearless, resolute faces, and looking every inch thorough seamen, ‘“‘Captain Duke, this is Mark Moran, sir, a brave man and true seaman: and this, sir, is Brete Banning, of whom I can say the same,” said Maddocks, again glancing at the pale faced Carl. ‘‘Mr. Moran, I make you Second Luff of this schooner; and, Mr. Banning, I make you my Third Lieutenant. ‘‘You know my demands of officers and men, so please let me have no cause to regret my promotion of you.” Both men Jooked surprised; their faces flushed with pleasure and pride, and they bow: d low, one after the other remarking: ‘‘I shall do my duty, Captain Duke, to the best of my ability.” ‘‘ Now, gentlemen, I wish to say that I know that my esteemed friend, Mr. Carter, here, has. ties of kiadred, to prevent me from taking him with me, “He has done his duty, nobly; but I.am known as the Mad Mariner now, and this is to be amad ciu'se of mime, so I order him back to his home, to bis wife and child, ‘‘Carl, the yacht I give to you, with the little home in Mus-acbusetts; also this case of precious stones, which you will find you can turn into gold. ‘‘Go back to your family, sell the little cot- tage, and far away from scenes where you are known, seek for yourself and yours, a new home and an honorable name, which you can- not have while following my fortunes. “See, [have written this letter to the com- modore on board the frigute. ‘“‘See that be gets it, as soon as you land in Baltimore, if you returp that way; if not, send it to him, “* t reads simply, as you see: es by a birth that was dishonora covered with ignominy by my own kindred, hun down by those who were my brother officers, shunned by all honorable men, outlawed, and a price set upon my head by my own Government, with no land to my Own, I am driven to seek upon the wide seas a home, and throw to the breeze my sable flag in defiance of the navies of the world. “* * Duke GREGORY, “* The Mad Mariner.” “Now, gentlemen, come with me on deck.” All silently followed the white-faced, stern man, whom in their inmost hearts they deeply pitied. ‘*Men,” and the ringing voice of the Mad Mariner, gained instant attention from all. “Tam going to send the yacht back under Mr. Carter, as he dves not go with me on my cruise, and if there is one man on my vessel who does not care to follow my fortunes on the deep, let him now declare so, and he can go in the craft which we leave in a few minutes, “ Be frank and say so, for I want no cow- arcs, no men afraid of death, come it in any form, to serve cn my vessel. ‘*Speak now, or not at all.” He glanced his eagle eyes over the sea of faces, and there was a movement among the crew. Then a man stepped boldly out and said: ‘‘Thank you, sir; 1 would like to go in the. yacht.” ** And I, sir.” “ And j.” : And thus it went on until six men stood in e. “Mr. Carter, you have just a good crew,” and the Mad Mariner smiled. Then he continued: ‘Mr. Maddocks, give each of those men a purse of gold.” The orders were obeyed, the stores were soon transferred, and with farewells and a full heart, Carl Carter went on bcard the Mischief, and felt thankful to Duke Gregory for saving him. from a further life of crime. A moment after the two vessels swung apart, the sable flag was dipped in a farewell salute to the stars and stripes at the peak of the yacht, and away sped The Disowned ew her seaward course, while the Misehief headed back to Baltimore. Biraight toward the mouth of the Chere peake went The Disowned, and suddenly from the mast-head came the ery: hs (E S eom JOO