Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 206 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

One Eye, the Cannoneer. eee them to do if they hoped to rescue the exile of St. Helena. And Albert Delmont had that in him, as one could see from a certain look in his eye, that promised to make him a leader on the seas such as only comes once in a score of years. The lugger kept on her course out to sea all that day, and before next morning was heaving on the long swells of the Atlantic ocean, with the frigate Penelope a mere white speck on the ocean astern—so much had the small vessel = in beating out against the southwesterly gales, When noon came, and a glimpse of the sun was obtained, Delmont found the place of the vessel on the chart off Cape St. Matthew, head- ing for Finisterre. hen he told this to Martin, in the cabin, the old sailor said joyfully: ‘‘So much the better. If we have made ten miles and more on that frigate—under short sail, too—we can beat her as soon as the wind changes and we put on our big sails. Wecan get to St. Helena a week before her.” Albert looked up from the chart he was ex- amining in the cabin. “You think that would be wise” ‘** Certainly.” “Why?” “Why! Parbleu! easy enough. If we have a week’s start we may get him out before that fellow comes.” ‘** But if it require more than a week?” ‘Then we shall have at least the advantage of being there first.” Albert looked at him steadily. **Do you know, Martin, sometimes I think that although you are an old sailor, you are an old simpleton.* Martin turned red and growled: **My captain!” Albert raised his hand. ‘Yes, your captain. Remember that, You think ’'m an ignoramus, who knows nothing of the sea, but I tell you that you are, on the other hand, a novice in command. You are good to obey orders and work the sbip, that is all.” rtin turned redder, and answered: “] can fire a gun, too, monsieur.” “Yes, you can do that. Thatisto say, you can point it, when | have given yeu the distance and elevation.” Martin looked excessively mortified, and it required all his adoration of Marshal Ney’s memory, ts prevent him from breaking out grumbling against this young man wao pre- sumed to rebuke an old sailor. But Albert went on calmly: “It will take us at least six months to arrange any plan of escape that will have a chance of success, and if we are recognized in the neigh- borhood of the island we shall never succeed. Do you begin to understand?” artin scratched bis head, ‘* ‘Yes, my captain.” ‘‘Very well; then you see that it will be abso- lutely necessary for us to sink that frigate before we get to St. Helena,” Martin started back, and stared at the boy captain incredulously, ** Sinks her!” “T said sink her.” ‘*But you are mad. It cannot be done.” “Why not” ‘* How caw it be done?” asked Martin in his despair, retorting the question. ‘‘ Easily enoagh.” “ But tell me how?” “With pleasure. We must bore a hole in her bottom and let the water in—thatis all. Ilf we make the hole Jarge enough, she will go to the bottom at once.” Martin stared at kim with more wonder than before, ejaculating: ‘Such a thing was never heard of.” ** You are wrong.” ‘7 never heard of it.” “ That’s another thing,” ‘* And I’ve been to sea since—” “Twenty years or so. Granted. But then this thing was done before that time. You don’t read, that’s the trouble. Did you ever hear of an American named Fulton, a savant ?” Martin stared. ‘‘ Never, monsieur,” He had become respectful in the excess of his astonishment. “Very well. I have. He came to France during the consulate, and wished to enter our service, and sink the British fleet before Bou- logne, The emperor did not believe in his schemes: but we had the plans before us at St. Cyr, and by means of one of his inventions I am going to sink the Fane: in the Atlantic ocean, before we get to Bt. Helena, that no one may know us when we get there.” Martin wiped his forebead. ‘You are a daring officer, my captain,” he said, resignedly, ‘ rt | if you do this you can do anything. But I should like to know bow it is to be done, and when?” ‘Not here, Martin, There are too many ships about here.” ‘When, then?” ‘When that ship and we are alone on the ocean, With none to see us, Martin. We cannot . oe - _ ~ cr even use our gun, unless we are certain it can- not be heard. Is there not, on our voyage, some solitary part of the ocean, where this can be done? 1 depend on your knowledge now.” Martin hesitated. “There is only one such spot.” ‘** And that is?” ‘‘In the Horse Latitudes, crossing the line, No one goes there if he can help it.” ‘Very well, Martin, when we get there I will sink the Penelope.” And so saying, Albert returned to his chart, Jean Martin going on deck. CHAPTER VIL, THE LUGGER UNMASKS, Srx weeks had passed away in their ocean variations of storm and sunshine, fair winds and foul, in those days before steam was known as a power, when the voyage to India was a nine months’ journey. The frigate Penelope and her tireless attendant the lugger had run into the trades, down toward the coast of South America, and had finally got into the “ dol- drums” or regions of calm. Vessel after vessel had been passed, but the lugger avoided them all, keeping far away under a mere rag of sail, unseen by most of the shipmasters. Her racing model in those times of bluff bows and short masts, when ten knots an hour was thought extraordinary going, enabled her to keep away from any one she wished to avoid and after they left the English Channel Albert took care to make his craft invisible from the decks of the Penelope, though he kept the royals of the frigate in sight from his own mast-head, and a watch stationed there all the time, with orders not to lose the frigate for a moment. At night the lugger would creep nearer, so as to avoid losing sight of her enemy, and every morning at dawn she was stripped of her can- vas, to make her still more hard to discover, tillthe frigate’s location was made out and a safe distance re-established. Thus it happened that the Belle Creole, which had entered the Bay of Biscay a good twenty miles ahead of the Penelope, had fallen astern of her since that time, and the people of the frigate had almost forgotten their adventure in the channel with .the saucy lugger, save to make Tom Chumley’s ward-room bet the sub- ject of jokes. Chumley himself, however, remained firm in his opinion, and concluded several wagers to back it, though even he began to waver as day after day passed and no sign of the lugger made its ap ce. So matters went on till they ran out of the northeast trades, and arrived at last in the wearisome Doldrums, where the breeze sunk to a dead calm, with long glassy swells that tossed the ship to and fro with a great creaking of masts, and they had to take in the sails to pre- vent their whipping into holes, flapping on the masts and standing rigging. And then it was, after they had been three days in the calm, after the swell of the distant storms had gone down, giving promise of an in- definite period of rest, that Tom pase being in the ward-room looking out of a port-hole on the quarter, suddenly jumped to his feet, cry- ing: ‘The lugger, by Jove! I told you so,” There was an instant confusion in the ward- room, as the officers jumped up and crowded to the port to look out. ‘* Nonsense!” ‘* He’s dreaming,” ‘* There's nothing.” ‘* Yes there is.” ‘* W hat’s that?’ “Only a gull.” ‘* It’s a vessel.” ‘* No, it’s a gull,” Such were the expressions freely bandied about, for most of the officers saw nothing. Those who did, caught sight of a white object far away on the horizon, hidden every now and then by the low swell, and more like the wing of a gull than anything else they expecied to see there. It certainly was not a sail, and after a long stare it vanished entirely, so that the officers in- sisted that Chumley must have mistaken a wandering gull for his ‘‘ ten-pound-bet ” lugger, and returned to their various avocations. But Tom Chumley was not so easily to be satisfied, for he was certain that what he had seen at first was the white hull of the mysteri- ous lugger, though the sight had puzzled him considerably, owing tothe fact that no masts were visible. Regardless of the jests of his companions, he went on deck, though it was his watch below and went up to his friend Duncomb, who had charge of the deck, saying; ‘“*Has the lookout reported any thing on the starboard quarter lately, Charley?’ mb shook his head. “No. Why re ge ask?” Chumley replied by the counter-question: ‘** Will you do me a favor?’ “Of course, my dear boy.” ‘Tell him to Jook there now.” Duncomb looked surprised but called up to the mast-head and told the lookout to sweep the 9 horizon in the direction Tom had indicated, and report what he saw. They saw the man turn round, look long and earnestly, and then shake his head. ‘‘ Nothing, sir, but some floating seaweed and driftwood. Looked like a water-logged ship, sir; but it ain’t.” Tom Chumley turned away, saying: ‘Thank you.” Then he went to his cabin, brought out @ glass and quietly went up the mizzen rigging and up to the cross-trees, followed by more than one curious glance, for it was not usual for officers to go aloft save on some very special duty. Tom Chumley, however, had an idea,in his head, and he carried it out by a Jong and search- ing examination of the object said to exist by the lookout. As the man bad said, it seemed to be a mass of driftwood and seaweed such as often con- glomerates at sea, but Tom, after a long and steady look through the glass shut it up and muttered: ‘‘T knew I could not be mistaken,” Then he came down on deck and went straight to the captain’s cabin where he said to the marine sentry: ‘* Knock at the door.” The marine did as requested and the voice of Captain Wright growled sulkibhy: ** Come in.” Chumley went in. & He found the captain in his shirt-sleeves, fan- ning bimself and looking as sullen asusual. He stared baughtily at Chumley and said: ‘* Well, sir, what is it?’ Chumley took off bis cap. ‘‘T have to report, sir, that the French lug- ger that fought us in the Channel is on our star- board quarter within four miles, apparently a water-logged wreck, covered with seaweed, just saw her from the mizzen cross-trees.” The captain stared at him. ‘Do you mean what you say?” ‘“*I do, sir.” ‘‘Tf she is water-logged, how do you know it: is the same yessel?”’ ‘*T don’t think she is water-logged, sir.” ‘* You said so, sir.” ‘T said apparently, sir, but I think there are people on board.” sé iby ” ** Because seaweed covered wrecks—all that I ever saw—are resting-places for birds and there’s not a bird to be seen on this one, sir. I saw a gull skim by it and try to light, when it fluttered off as if it were frightened.” The captaia listened intently and put down his fan to say, more graciously: ‘* You did right to report, sir. else know of this?” | a sir, I thought it my duty to tell you rst. ‘* And what is your opinion from what you've seen, Chumley?”’ ‘| think, sir, that the lugger has followed us all the way, but that the currents bave drifted her closer to us than she thought they would, so her people have struck masts in the night and tried to disguise her.” The captain nodded. ‘* Any signs of wind?” ‘*None, sir. Looks like a long calm,” ‘Very good, sir.” Chumley saluted and left the cabin, and ten minutes afterward ‘' the deck” was electrified by the appearance of *‘ Old Crabs” at an hour when he had been wont to doze in his cabin, Further, the deck was amazed to see the cap- tain himself go up the mizzen rigging with a glass, take a long survey of some object astern, invisible from the deck and then call down. ‘*Mr, Chumley there?’ ‘* Here, sir.” “Where did you see it?” ‘Starboard quarter, sir. And Chumiley pointed. The captain nodded and came slowly down the rigging. As soon as he reached the deck, he said: ‘*Mr. Weatherston, order out the boats for cutting out work.” Weatherston stared. “ Sir?’ The captain frowned, ‘* Don’t you understand English, sir?’ ‘Yes, sir; but—” ‘‘T said, order out the boats. If you don’t choose to give the order, 1 will.” Weatherston pulled himself up. ‘* Very good, sir.” Then he called out the necessary orders and ne a pipe of the boatswain rung through e ship. The men with the instinct of disci sprung to their places, and in a few minutes the launch, jolly-boat, pinnace and first and second cut- ters were over the side, their armed crews wait- ing the order, hen the captain called out: ‘* Silence fore and aft! Men, right astern of us lies that French lugger we in the Channel. By the laws of war she is a pirate, for she hoisted a flag that has been forbidden, and fired at an English ship. She has drifted near GOmicbooks Does any one Here.” | (EC)