Beadle's Dime Library No. 341 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

~ a a The Sea Desperado. EE ———— oe ee —_ Delighted at his success, Duval returned , the crew the smack boasted—attended to the to the brig, and true to his promise the sailing of the craft, Frank Shields and his smuggler leader and his men came on board | two rescuers sought the rest they so much shortly after nightfall, and when some time | needed after the excitement they had passed after a fishing-smack ran alongside, bringing through, and the escaped prisoner lay down Captain Morte, he found his vessel rigged | with a heart full of thankfulness for his re- out in a new set of sails and spars that would | lease and of hope for the future. drive her at a terrific pace through the | waters, need, and his thoughts turned to her with Hearing his lieutenant’s report, he did not overflowing gratitude for all she had done censure him, but sanctioned his acts, and | for him. then ordered the brig to be gotten under; He knew that his rescue had cost her a way at once, adding: “T have just left the town, Duval, and am anxious to catch a pleasure-craft that is now on her way to Boston.” His capture of that pleasure-craft is al- more, while she had given to him the sum of ready known to the reader, as also the cruel five hundred dollars, that he might pot go pledge he demanded of Helen Hayward to out into the world penniless. sacrifice herself for others. ‘Over two thousand dollars has she paid Having forced the promise from Helen, | to rescue me, and every dollar of it shall she Captain Morte set out upon a cruise to while | have back, noble girl that she is!” muttered away the month of waiting until he should | Frank Shields, as he threw himself down in claim his bride, and it was while sailing | his Jittle bunk to rest. along close inshore one morning that a small The morning dawned with the smack well smack was sighted running along with all | on her way, and a good breeze sending her her canvas set. along at a lively pace. ‘*Fire a shot, Duval, to bring that fellow Having had considerable experience as an alongside, for he has doubtless had a good | amateur sailor, the student took the tiller catch of fish and is hastening into the near- | after breakfast, and with his two rescuers as est market with them, so we will get a sup- | a crew, gave the skipper and his mate an op- ly,” ordered Captain Morte, upon catching | portunity to turn in for a few hours. sight of the little craft. But short was their rest, for suddenly a A shot was fired across the bows of the | sail was sighted coming out of a fog-bank, smack, but it served not the purpose intend- | and that she was armed there could be no ed, for it still held on its way, but fell off | doubt. more, so as to get nearer the land. ‘“We will give her-a wide berth, Mr. ‘« The fellow seems to fear us, so show the | Walter, for there is no need of being brought United States flag, and throw a shot over | to by her, if we can avoid it,’ said Frank, him this time, Duval,” said the pirate cap- | and he trimmed his sails flat down, and head- tain. ed closer in toward the shore. As the Stars and Stripes fluttered up tothe | But the stranger had already sighted the peak of the brig, a solid shot was sent flying | smack, and the next moment a flash from over the smack, not very far above the heads | her bows showed that she intended to bring of those upon her deck. them to. But the resuit was the same, for she did ‘‘ Better lay to, sir,” said the skipper, com- not luff up as expected. ing hastily on deck, aroused by the shot. ‘*Ourse the fellow, he still holds on, so ‘‘I think not, captain, for yonder vessel try him again, for we must not lose our | looks to me strangely like the brig that was fresh fish, Duval,” cried Captain Morte. cut out of the harbor a short while since by Again a shot was fired, and this time it | the West Indian pirate, and I would rather what his payment was to be, and that his ex- mee struck near the smack, throwing the spray | risk her shots than have her board us,” de- upon her decks. clared Frank. Still the bold ciew held on as before, seem- ‘Ah, ingly willing to risk the fire of the brig, | we had better run for it, rather than take rather than be brought to. the chances of capture— Ah! there goes her ‘‘ The fellow dares us, Duval, so give him a lesson, and fire until you knock the sticks out of him,” said Captain Morte, angered at the persistence of the fisherman on the little craft. The gun was now fired for the third time, and kept firing rapidly, fora while without effect, but suddenly a shot struck the taper- ing mast, shivering it to splinters, and_ the clouds of canvas came down upon the deck with a rush, ‘‘By Heaven! it serves him right— Ha! he is launching his yaw] to pull for that isl- and, so turn your gun on that boat and knock the fellows out of the water!” cried Captain Morte, ina rage at the determined effort the crew of the smack made to escape | Dobson?” asked the ex-jailer. him. ‘*She is worth five hundred if she is worth A boat was now seen to leave the side of | a dollar,” was the answer. the wrecked and burning smack, as though; ‘‘ Well, if she is lost I will pay you that determined not to be taken by the Sea Des- | sum,” responded William Walter, feeling perada, ‘The boat pulled hastily for an isl- | that he must not have Frank Shields recap- and a league away, while a moment after, a | tured and that Helen Hayward would not smoke arose from the cabin of the little ves- | hesitate to pay the extra money to save him. sel and flames curled rapidly about the sails ‘‘All right, Walter, and if I get my head as they fluttered above the decks | | knocked off give it to my old woman,” the ‘By the beard of Neptune, bat the fellow skipper replied, and thus reassured against has set his craft on fire: but I will capture | pecuniary loss, he aided all in his power in him if I have to run the brig ashore to doit,” | the fight. and the tone and look of Captain Morte But another shot from the brig struck the showed that he was in deadly earnest in his | mast a few feet above the ceck, splitting and determination to capture the daring crew | shivering it, and the race had ended, for the who thus set him at defiance. sails fell upon them like a cloud. ‘Quick! to the boat, and we'll pul! for CHAPTER XXII. the island,” cried Frank Shields, taking FROM HOPE TO DESPATR. command by common consent as the master- Tur little smack in which William Walter, spirit. the ex jailer, and his companions sailed from The boat was hastily lowered from the port the night of Frank Shields’s escape from | stern davits and the five men sprung into it, jaul, had been chartered for the voyage. the skipper first setting his smack on fire, The skipper was a friend of the ex-jailer, | with the remark : and had gone with his little craft to the port ‘*Pirate, or whatever he be, he’ll never to meet him, and once the sail had been | capture the Lively Lizzie.” spread in flight, she sped along like the very | ut there was but one pair of oars in the ‘wind. ' boat, the sea was rough, the island nearly a As the skipper and his single seaman—all league away, and a determined pursuer was shot at the same time,” remarked the skipper. This shot was also unheeded, and she held on her course, gradually edging nearer the shore. As the firing increased the skipper became nervous, and urged that they lay to, as he was confident that the brig was an American cruiser. “And i am confident that she is not,” firmly said Frank Shields, and he still held the smack on her course. “Great God! she will blow us out of the water, and I will lose my craft, if not my life,” cried the skipper. ** At what price do you value your smack, | | | j large sum, for William Walter had told him | yenses, the paying of his comrade and char- : , ? 5 tering of the smack, amounted to as much ! | | | | ' 13 upon their track, as was shown by a broad- side sent flying after them. ‘‘Ha! that is too bad, and, after all, we must surrender,” cried Frank Shields, as a shot shivered an oar in the skipper’s hand. There was now nothing left for them to do but to hoist a white handkerchief, in token Helen had certainly proven his friend in | of surrender, and await the result. This they did, and soon after the brig ran near and a stern voice ordered the boat alongside. ‘You men come on board and cast that tub adrift!” called out Captain Morte, and the next moment the five fugitives advanced toward the quarter-deck, There stood Captain Morte awaiting them, and as his eyes fell upon Frank Shields, the pirate cried: ‘Great God! it is that student who was sentenced to be hanged for murdering Louis Vale! Now I have him in my power!” CHAPTER XXIII, THE SECOND SENTENCE. Tue heart of Frank Shields, on hearing the words of the pirate chief, sunk from _ hope to despair. Already he had pictured, since his escape, his being able to prove himself innocent of | the murder of Louis Vale, and hope arose in his heart that he would yet rise from the dis- honor in which circumstances had placed him and claim Helen Hayward as his wife. Now, hope gave place to despair, and he turned deadly pale, though his nerve did not desert him, and he faced the pirate with un- daunted mien. **You are the condemned student, Frank Shields?” said Captain Morte. “IT am, and you are Rupert Mortimer, the mm and kidnapper,’ was the calmly fear- ess reply. ‘‘l am Captain Morte, the pirate, sir, and I am master here, as you will discover.” ‘* And you fail to recognize one who once served you well,” said the ex-jailer, whom the chief had failed to notice. ‘‘Ah! Walter, is it you?—and I find you with this man, Shields, who is doubtless es- caving from jail,” and Captain Morte turned toward the ex-jailer who, in aiding his es- cape had lost his position and the respect of es, I heard of that affair, sir, and the community. | “Yes, we meet again, Master Rupert, after | | some years, and for the sake of the service [ flag to the peak, and she gives us a closer | did you, 1 may hope that you will release m ts ese: and myself,” said William alter, ‘* You were paid for that service, and paid well, Walter,’’ was the reply. ‘‘T was paid for allowing you to escape, and I did so bécause I hated to see you die on the gallows, Rupert Mortimer; but I was not paid for the agony | suffered in being disgraced for the act, nor can I ever be.” ‘‘It seems that you are up to your old tricks again—saving necks from the noose,” sneered Captain Morte. ‘‘l am on my way to Boston with my friends, and I hepe that you will allow us to land and continue on our journey.” ‘*] will do no such thing.” | ‘Well, Master Rupert, | heard that you had turned pirate, but I did not believe that even a buccaneer could forget a service such ‘as I rendered you,” was the bold response of William Walter. The face of Captain Morte flushed, and he said quick, for he saw that his crew were taking in all that was said: | “T have not forgotten your service, Wal-’ ter, and I will not only set you free, but pay you for your vessel.” “This is like your old self, Master Ru- ert.” ‘‘But, who is that man?” and the pirate pointed to the skipper. ‘““A coast fisherman, and a friend of mine.” ‘* And that man?” ‘‘ A friend of mine who is interested with ' me in business.” ‘Ah! well, you three can go free.” “And, Master Rupert, what about my other friend?” ‘‘He must remain.” ‘Remain on this vessel?” eps dy ‘* But—” ‘“*] will hear nothing more on the subject, Walter, for the young man must remain. EOmMmIicbooks (E(o) , >» Fon + Fa