Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 346 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

; Ocean Guerrillas. 5 scene which darkness had so well shielded | means pleasant reflection that what he had from view, when the frightened horses dash- | anticipated would be a most enjoyable voy- ed to death along the avenue, and were | age, would turn out an imprisonment in his found the next day at dawn in one muddled mass, their driver dead beside them, and the strange woman, whom the youth had placed in the vehicle, nowhere visible. What had caused that fatal wreck Irving could not know, and where had gone that’ mysterious woman, whether dead or serious- ly hurt, he was unable to tell, and his face would darken and his brows contract as he in vain sought to solve the dread secret of that night’s runaway. Suddenly the rumble of wheels was heard along the river avenue, and a carriage wheel- ed into the drive leading to the villa grounds. Banishing his perplexing thoughts, Irving stepped forward to greet the only occupant of the vehicle, a man in the uniform of a na- val captain. ‘‘ Ah, Master Irving, I am glad to find you at home, for my business is with you,” said the officer, alighting from the carriage and grasping the youth’s hand. ‘Indeed, sir?” and the youth was evident- ly surprised that the naval commandant of the port should seek him out. But he invited hjm into the parlor, called for wine and refreshments, and then, with considerable curiosity awaited to know the nature of the business his visitor had with him. ‘‘You know, my young friend, that after your capture of the Sea Owl’s lugger some time ago, I told you that you would soon wear an epaulet?” ‘Yes, sir; you were good enough to say 80. ‘* Well, my words have come true, for I received some official letters this morning, and among them a warrant as a midshipman in the navy for one Irving Brandt, given for gallant services at sea, although a boy plant- er only, and not in service, and I am instruct- ed to order the said middy where I deem best for duty,” and the officer smiled as he saw how deeply impressed the youth was at his good fortune, for he made several attempts to speak without being able to do so, But conquering his emotion he at last said: ‘“Captain Darcy, I owe this alone to your kindness, and | do not deserve the honor, for simply capturing from the smugglers my own yacht which they had taken from me.” ‘* Well, my Planter Midshipman, you have since captured the old Sea Owl Smuggler and all of his fleet, and that the Government is not yet aware of, so you see you stand a chance of promotion already.” ‘‘No, sir, I did not capture the entire fleet, for one vessel, the Sea Owl, and said to be the swiftest craft afloat, is still free and may yet cause the Government trouble.” “Yes, I know that; but the backbone of the smugglers was broken, in the killing of their old chief, and the capture of their fleet, with the one exception, and I will order you to go in chase of that craft, as soon as your lugger yacht can be armed and manned, and I will see to it, while you go at once upon a special duty for the Government to Mobile.” ‘* With pleasure, sir, and shall I take the Lady Maud?” ‘‘ No, for, as I said, she shall be armed and manned; but there is a large vessel that sails to-night, 1 learn, and you can get pas- sage upon her, and go quietly about it, for I do not wish your vice I send you on is of a secret nature.” Irving Brandt signified his willingness to do all in his power in the matter, and, with his full instructions in his pocket, stood up- on the deck of the Vulture that night as she swung free from her anchorage and headed down the river upon her voyage. As he stood there he suddenly papneed down into the cabin and started visibly, for there, in the broad glare of the lamp, he be- held the Smuggler Geen. ““Good heavens! I must not be seen ‘by that woman,” he cried, and watching an op- portunity he sought his state-room, and giv- ing the steward a liberal fee, told him that he would be compelled to keep his state-room during the run to Mobile. With a regret that the very liberal youth would be caused to remain below decks, on account of sea-sickness as he supposed, and geare ta to look after his comfort, the steward left Irving alone, with the by no oing known, as the ser- | state-room for days. CHAPTER VI. WHAT FOLLOWED THE MUTINY ON THE VUL- TURE. TRvE to his determination to remain con- cealed in his state-room, Irving Brandt did so, the generously paid steward seeming to alone know of his existence on board the Vulture. The vessel was a large barque, and a good sailer and stanch craft; but, for some reason she was strangely short of hands, and the | captain could count but half-a-score seamen to do the duty of double that number. At the very last moment some of the men had deserted the ship, and, forced to sail by his owner, the captain had accepted the ser- vices of a young man presenting himself as a mate, and had put to sea with the few sailors under his command. That the young mate was Perdido, the money-lender’s clerk, the reader is doubtless aware, and having already bribed some of the men to serve him and not their captain, he at once set to work to win the others over to aid him in the seizure of the vessel. Knowing the value of the freight carried by the Vulture, Rudolpho, the money-lender, had plotted to secure the vessel’s booty for himself; but with his cunning clerk working | in his own interests, and having heard all that had been said between his employer and the Smuggler Queen, the plans of the one had simply worked to the benefit of the young sailor who had so daringly determined to seize the Vulture. The barque’s captain found Perdido a good seaman, and one who seemed anxious to be constantly upon duty. But he little dreamed of the cause of this zeal on the part of his mate, who, one by one gained the crew as his confederates in his intended lawless act, until but two sea- men, the cook and the cabin steward, alone remained true, and these Perdido dared not approach. faving laid his plans of action the mu- tineer mate determined upon the seizure of the vessel, and the night of the storm was selected asthe one upon which the Vultur should change masters. . At the helm Perdido placed two of his own men, and then passed the word for his other fellow-mutineers to come aft. Standing near the helmsmen,.clinging to the taffrail, was the captain, little suspecting danger from his crew, and watching his stanch ship as she rushed along like a mad racer through the wild waters. Aft came Perdido, followed by four men, and then, without a word uf warning to the a waves leaping up in mad carnival, as though to dash her from the yard-arm, while they added their rage to make the thrilling picture more terrible and sublime. An instant of fearful suspense rested upon all, and then out of the cabin to the deck bounded, a slender form, and sweeping the scene at a glance, his eyes fell upon the storm-swept sea, the gale-driven ship, the girl in the rigging, holding at bay her pur- suers, and the few seamen amidships gazing upward in horror. : Then up to his shoulder went a rifle, and, as the muzzle covered Perdido, he shouted, in a voice that rung like bugle-notes: ‘*Down to the deck, mutineers, or die!” An instant of awful silence, as all eyes turned upon the youth, and then came in a voice that arose to a shriek, as the words left the lips of the woman at bay: “Great God! it is the Boy Planter! ‘* Never will | owe my life to him, whose life I seek, ‘‘Never! J will die first,” and with the last word she let go her hold and sprung into the sea, just as a wild shout arose for- ward: ‘* Breakers ahead! Breakers ahead!” ‘Hard, hard down your helm, hard!” commanded the youth, as he beheld the foaming wall under the ship’s bows. But too late came the order, for, borne upon a mighty wave, the gallant ship, as though ashamed of the crew she bore, plung- ed upon the reef that barred her way, and the shock that followed brought her masts down with all their rigging, and swept her oar of every human being that stood upon them. CHAPTER VII. A LIFE FOR A LIFE. THE instant the young midshipman saw that the ship was doomed to strike, he bounded down the companionway into the cabin, well knowing that the sea rolling astern would sweep her decks clean, while the rigging must come down under the tre- mendous shock. His views were perfectly correct, for the ship was ingulfed as it were for an instant and her decks swept by the swell that rolle down upon her, while the masts, spars and rigging went down, carrying with them Perdido and his men who were clinging to the yard. Borne on by the torrent, the wreckage left the wreck, and as soon as the volumes of water ceased from pouring through the com- pantony ay Irving Brandt again rushed on eck, What a scene met his gaze! The grand old ship hurled upon the reef, and beating the bottom savagely, and in doomed man, he was seized and hurled over- | a way that showed she ‘must soon go to board into the foaming wake of the driving | vessel. | One long, loud cry of despair broke from his lips as he went downward into the depths; | Ve on the ship drove and left him to bis | ate, woman comes next,” hoarsely said Perdido, and he descended the cabin companionway, followed by his cut-throat followers. Rita, the Smuggler Queen, had heard that wild cry of the captain, and started to her feet, to suddenly be confronted by the mu- tineer mate. ‘““Oh, what has happened?” she cried dreading she knew not what. ‘‘Lady Rita. I command this ship now, for I have hurled the captain into the sea, and you are m ‘* Holy Rita. ‘* We are just that, Lady Rita, and pirates, too, for the ship is ours, and you are my prize.” What followed the reader already knows, for he has seen the woman, brought to bay, dash them aside and fly to the deck, and then to the yard-arm for safety, taking death in her own hands rather than meet it at the hands of the mutineer mate and his men, It was an appalling spectacle, to behold that brave and Debuti ul girl standing there in mid-air in the rigging of that gallant ship with the winds hott lightning playing around her and the furious prize.” irgin! you are mutineers!” cried ‘* Now, lads, that work is done, and the ng about her, the lurid | pieces. Not a mast standing, and no human being in sight! Alone amid the ruin and savage elements, the yout stood gazing about him. Then a flash of lightning ‘lit up sea and sky, and a cry escaped his lips as he beheld a human being struggling out in those mad waters. Instantly he bounded down the compan- ionway, and in a second’s time returned with a long rope, one end of which, as he darted forward, he bound about his waist. The other end he made fast to the ca ’ and then springing upon the bulwarks he again glanced over the foaming waters. An instant of darkness, and then an in- stant of light, vivid, blinding light, followed by a roll of thunder that shook the ve reef upon which the wrecked barque plunged. But in that second’s glance the young mid- shipman had seen the same struggling form © that before had caught his eyes. It was still visible, struggling to reach the wreck, and yet being borne swiftly past. Bounding into the sea he struck out nobly to the rescue. From infancy almost he had been noted as a daring, tireless swimmer, and now his every energy was called into pla A hard struggle, bold crate 4 beneath the mountain waves, and he arose within a few fect of the one he sought to save. Still struggling for life, that one was near- EOomicbooks = ‘deep dives: