Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 206 — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

24 eee ee ee ee ree One Eye, the Cannoneer. —-——-- - -- its, and even this failed them at last, when they | hide us. As soon as we come in view from the sunk into silence and listened to the wash of the sea below. Delmont trie] to sleep; but could not any more than Martin, and kept looking out for the expected schooner, which came not; and so the night wore on, till the older sailor said in a low tone: ‘‘ There comes the dawn, captain.” Delmont roused up from a sort of doze, and looked ahead. The frigate, heading due east, was running into the rosy light of one of those dawns seen nowhere so beautifully as in the tropics, at sea. The edge of the borizon was already flushed with a ruddy stain, fading into violet and pur- ple higher up in the sky. As they looked, came a fleck of gold, catch- ing the edge of a pearly cloud near the sea, and the sparkle was flashed back from a wave ahead into their faces. Anon, the whole eastern heaven lit up with a scarlet flush, and the bright points of gold spread further and further, till one could al- most see them catch the clouds, like tongues of fire in a rising conflagration. A little later and the scarlet changed to orange, thence to intense gold, while red and purple receded over to the zenith and the west, till all the sky was aflame with color, and the sea looked like an ocean of molten gold. *“*Ob,” murmured old Martin; ‘‘I never thought so common a thing as daylight beauti- ful, captain ; but this is more like heaven than earth.’ Delmont smiled faintly. ‘Perhaps you never saw it under the same circumstances, Martin. For my t, 1 can only think that it makes us more visible to any one crossing our bows.” He had hardly spoken when they heard some- thing knocking against the image, and, looking up, saw a square bottle dangling on a string and coming down. Delmont’s face lighted up. ‘* We have friends,” he said. Then he reached out and took the bottle, giv- ing the string a tug, at which it was released and fell into the sea. Around the neck of the bottle they found a paper, on which was written, in a sprawling, common-looking band, the following consola- tory message: | ‘* We're all for you. Old Crabs is aay Stay where you are till dark. Then we'll drop a line and take you intothe hold. There's grub in the bottle, We'll send drink as soon as we dare, when Old Crabs is below. Your Frrenps.” Delmont looked at the writing. It was ap- parently that of a rude sailor, but the spelling was good, though the language was slangy. ‘* No sailor wrote that,” hesaid. ‘‘ Some offi- cer is in it, most likely a boy, one of the mid- shipmen, perhaps, who has disguised his hand to escape punishment if detected. Martin, I begin to suspect sometbing.” ‘* What is that, my captain?” ‘* That all Englishmen are not rascals.” Martin looked more than half incredulous. ‘* We shall see,” he said. ‘*‘ Who knows if Oey haven’t pub Si in the bottle.” elmont smiled, ‘* Let us see,” he replied. He broke it on one of the braces, and found it stuffed full of small pieces of sea biscuit and salt pork, crammed in through the wide neck. ‘At least,” be said, ‘‘ I shall try it. As for poison, they could have killed us before this if they had wanted.” And he began to eat, with the appetite of a man who. has shivered all night, just as the sun shed a blaze over the sea as it rose. Martin, spite of his antipathy to the hated English, could not resist the eatables long, and the two fugitives or stowaways, whichever they may be called, ee a hearty breakfast under the figure-head of the Penelope. * When it was over Martin remarked, more graciously: ‘* After all, there are some brave men among the English.” Delmont smiled. ‘And as we have eaten their bread, we can hardly abuse them all.” At that moment the echo of a distant gun, off on the starboard beam of the ship, caused them to start, and Martin craned his neck round the figure-head to look. Presently he said: ‘* My faith, captain, it is the other frigate that ch ed us; but where is the schooner? I see her not. Far off on the southern horizon they could see the sails of a ship visible down to her courses, with the square outlines of a ship-of-war in the a © ‘tear ‘sched: h ed widel d be ey looked, she yawed widely, an gan to signal the Penelope. ; CHAPTER XIX. Tue frigate saignaling, nd th ld not e fri was aling, and they could no understand what she ; but the result was soon apparent, for the ship, on which they were, wore round and laid her head for the stranger. ‘“ Now,” said Delmont, ‘‘ we need something to decks of that vessel they will notice us.” Martin looked up and round him. ‘*T have an idea,” he said. ‘* What is the idea?” ‘* We must hide.” Delmont looked up and saw that there was just room to squeeze in behind the mantle of the ‘Responsibility be hanged,” roared Wright. ‘*’You obey orders.” Then the listeners saw Sir Charles turn away, and the Andromeda fell off across the stern of the Penelope, both taking their course for the schooner. The latter waited till they were within a mile or less, when she hoisted her gaff foresail, and set ber flying jib. At the same gure, with only his head exposed; but, to stay | moment a gun belched out fire and smoke from there, it was necessary to stand upright all the time, supported on a fold of the carved drapery of Penelope. ‘* The sooner we do it the better,” he said, So they climbed into their new position, and found themselves concealed so well that Martin said: ‘Faith, captain, we can make a whole voy- age this way, if we wish.” ‘*T fancy it will not be a long one, Jean.” ‘*T hope not, captain.” ‘*T am sure of it.” ** Why so sure?” ** Because these Englishmen will not want to hide us long for their own sakes, and we must ultimately go to the harbor of St. Helena.” ‘‘ That is true, captain.” Then they relapsed into silence, watching the other ship which they followed: No change of position occurred for some hours, when Martin suddenly exclaimed: ‘‘My faith, a sail, and she looks like the Belle of Baltimore ” Delmont started and looked. A white sail was indeed plainly to be seen, and it bore the outlines of a large fore-and-aft schooner, under jib and mainsail, standing across their course, “It is the Belle,” said Delmont, decidedly. “She must have missed us in the night, and is cruising after us.” Indeed the strange schooner seemed to be in no burry; for they approached her rapidly and were soon within two miles, the leading ship shortening sail to enable them to come up. As they reached the frigate at last the men under the bowsprit could see the black hull, grinning ports, snowy hammocks and trim spars of a fifty-gun ship, with the marines drawn =P on her deck, the men at quarters and a glittering group of officers abaft. “It is the Audromeda,” said Martin. ‘She was in Baltimore a year ago, and they said she was built on purpose to beat the Riheri- can frigate Constitution, but the war closed be- fore she was launched. She has thirty-twos and sixty-eight-pound carronades.” ‘‘And what has the schooner?” asked the other quickly. ‘‘Her long gun is a forty-two; that is all, captain.” Delmont stirred restlessly. ‘*I wish we were on board,” he said. “So do I.” ‘‘ Listen: the captains are going to speak.” They saw the captain of the Andromeda raise his trumpet to hail. " Penelope ahoy!” ‘. “ led !” roared the voice of Wright. ‘‘ What it?’ ‘* What did you do ee ‘‘Sunk the pirate,” roared Wright, “ What pirate?’ ‘* That felucca, curse her.” ‘Save any of her crew?’ ‘* Not a cursed French dog. Drowned every mother’s son of them.” They saw the other captain take his et down and look shocked. He said something to one of his officers, and then called out: ‘The schooner ahead. Do you know her?” ** Ay, ay, the pirate’s consort.” ‘*She hoists the American flag.” ‘‘Let her hoist what she Meme roared Wright. “ ll settle her bash if I get her under "i broadside,” he other captain hesitated a moment and then called out: * Tt won't do!” ‘* What won’t do?’ cried Wright, fiercely. “To fire on that schooner,” was the answer. ‘* Heave to, and I'll come aboard.” ‘** [ll do no such thing,” roared Wright. “I know my duty, Lord Charles; and when I see a pirate I’m going to fire on her if I sink my sbip.” The other captain, a handsome young man as they could now see, made a gesture of impa- tience. The two ships had drawn so close now that one might have thrown a biscuit on board either and the trumpets were not needed, as the other cried: **T tell you it won’t do. That fellow is wait- ing for us; flag flying; and it will be an inter- national affair if we fire at him. Let us sail u and speak to him peaceably. If he’s all righ so much the better. If there’s anything sus- picious, he can be taken in.” ‘‘Lord Charles Paget,” they heard Wright say in answer, “‘!] rank you, and I order you to follow my sbip and help me sink that pirate.” Lord Charles bowed stiffly. ‘Since you put it that way,” he replied, ‘‘I can only obey, but the responsibility will be yours,” the side of the Penelope, and a shot went straight toward the Belle of Baltimore. But for a lucky wave, she would have been hulled. As it was, the shot skipped up, and, by a strange coincidence, took the flag at the schoon- er’s peak, and dropped it into the sea, ““Eh, mon Dieu,” muttered Martin. ‘‘ The English are learning to shoot.” he schooner, in reply, set both her gaff-top- sails, and sailed away, leaving the frigates fast behind her. ** Now,” said Delmont, ‘‘ we shall see if Nor- ton bas the stuff of the Constitution in him or not. He is drawing out of range, even of the Andromeda,” This was proven soon after, when the Pene- lope fired a second shot, which fell short, and was followed bya gun from the Andromeda, so badly aimed that Delmont observed: ‘That man does not want to. ‘rike.” The schooner continued to daw ahead, till Delmont said, quietly: ee ‘* This is his range, if he means to fight. The forty-two will just do it.” r! Hardly were the words out of his mouth, when the black hull of the schooner was hidden by a white cloud, and a shot came straight for the Penelope, so well aimed that Martin cried out: by ‘‘Eb, mon Dieu, let us get out'of the way first, my friend.” But as one cannot do this at sea the shot came ears on as if to strike the very igure-head behind which they had hidden, and | "> heard a crash like thunder overhead, fu 1d by groans and cries, ae But this was not all. ' Hardly was this noise over when a tremen- dons crash was heard and the feremast of the frigate fell over the bow under the pressure of the sail, in a mass of ruin, in the midst of which Delmont said to Martin: : ‘Tf this goes on we will have to swim for it. Even brave men cannot stand it without feeling incensed at us as the cause of it all.” ‘‘T wish we had a boat,” answered Jean Mar- tin, ruefully. . But they had none, nor any chance of one, so they could only cower close and listen to the cursing of officers and sailors on deck, while the Penelope, reduced in a moment to a helpless. wreck, incapable of pursuit, repaired her dam- es. 4 As soon as the wreck was cleared away, the concealed men saw the Andromeda coming down to their assistance, and overheard the following dialogue: ‘* Any harm done, Wright?” This was sarcastic, and Wright retorted in a like spirit. ‘* Nothing except to make an excuse for fool- ish questions.” ‘*Do you want any help?” “To repair damages? No, sir. I should go to an older seaman than your lordshipif I did. If you want to help me, go and sink that pirate.” ** But I can’t catch her, Wright.” “No, nor hit her either, it would seem. I thought you studied this new-fangled naval gunnery, Lord Charles; but your men fire as if they couldn’t hit St. Helena unless you anchored the ship at the quay with her broadside bear- ing.” ‘“ Well, what damage bas he done?” “ Carried away my foremast, curse him, with his long tom. Give him a broadside, Paget, for very shame, if you call yourself an nglish- man.” . ‘“My heaviest gun is a thirty-two, Wright, and that fellow has ten pounds and a good fur- long distance to spare over me. I don’t want to be picked to pieces without being able to reply, by an enemy I can’t catch when there’s no war to justify the risk.” nd then the Andromeda backed her main- topsail and lay to beside the other ship, while the two men under the bows saw the schooner edge away in a large circle, and sail in the di- rection of St, Helena. ‘““Now,” said Delmont quietly, “what IL wished has happened. We shall be followed and rescued.” ‘‘ How do you know, my captain?” ‘“Because, unless that officer told a lie to tor- ture us, the bulk of the Muchachito still floa and some of our men are on her, out of sight o St. Helena. The schooner will pick them up,” ‘‘ And what then? They do not know.” ‘‘ Be not too sure of thas. Some of them must have seen us, as we clung to the bobstays. If they tell Norton he will come after us, though he would not come to the island with us. Iam tting thirsty. I wish the sailors would keep eir promise to send us down some drink.” But the sailors had forgotten all about them in the excitement of the fight, and it was not for’ —— Comicbooks (EO) ; i & ot a” Ve 3