Beadle's Dime Library No. 364 — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

_gtern of the Madcap. —— —EE ter, and I would like that our interview be private.” ‘‘ As you please; but had you delivered up | to me Noel Brandon, as you said you could, you would now have been the happy pos- sessor of ten thousand dollars, which reward | has been offered for him, dead or alive.” The eyes of Darrell sparkled as he replied: “T am bere, sir, to lay claim to that re- | ward,” and he glanced at the two officers who had excused themselves and were going | on deck. ‘‘ Indeed! have you knowledge of Bran- don’s hiding-placc?” eagerly asked the offi- cer. ‘“‘T have more, sir, for I have him a pris- oner,”’ ‘“No! well, youshall have the reward upon his delivery to me | ‘‘] have investigated the charges against | Brandon, since I returned, and I feel assured | that heis really guilty, for every circumstance points to his having killed his captain and | then robbed him, so I have no sympathy for him now.”’ ‘* Where shall I deliver him to you, sir?” “When can you do so?” Darrell did not wish to make the time too short, so he said: * To-night, sir, at ten o’clock,” ‘That will do; but where is he?” ‘‘ Safe, sir, as though he was on your yes- sel; but if you will have a boat's crew ready at ten, I will come on board and lead them to his hiding-place, and when he is on board your vessel | shall claim the reward,” ‘You shall have it, my man, and I con- eratulate you upon your success in capturing him, though I am sorry, for the honor of the service that he has to hang, while I deeply | sympathize with his unhappy parents and | sister.” “It is bad, sir, but he brought it all upon | himself,” ‘True, and yet he is to be pitied; but come on board at ten to-night, and I'll go with you myself,” and Darrell thus dismissed, took his departure from the cabin, his heart re- joicing over the rich reward he was to re- ceive as blood-money for the capture of Noel | Brandon. CHAPTER XXX. THE BLUE BELL’S ARRIVAL IN Port, Ir was certainly a wonder that the Blue | Bell carried the spread of canvas she did | without an accident, and Gaspard and Mel- mer shook their heads anxiously as they glanced aloft while the fleet craft bounded along through the rough waters. But Captain Vernon had had the Blue Bell especially built, and he knew just what she could do, if put to the test, and he had told Madge over and over again of her wonderful powers of endurance under canvas. Neither Gaspard or Melmer had seen her thoroughly tried before, so were dubious; but her girl commander watched her closely, | and she saw that the brave little sloop would bear all she had put her to the test to stand. When it became evident that she would | run into Boston, if she held on, before night- fall, Madge shortened sail, for she did not care to enter the port by daylight. So it was after night when the Blue Bell cruised into the harbor. She passed along very slowly, every eye on the alert to find the Madcas and a reward having been offered by Madge to the one si discovered her, all were most anxious to get it, The harbor was well filled with vessels, and several false alarms were given; but run- ning near the craft that had been taken for the pretty sloop. The Scorpion was passed at her anchor- age Just at eight o'clock, and Madge saw her officers walking up and down the deck, smoking and conversing. So on the Blue Bell went in her search, and all were beginning to fear that the Mad- cap had not made that harbor, but had run into some other port, when Madge descried the little vessel anchored in an out-of-the-way nook, “VT ll give you your reward for grog, lads, as I have won it,” she said with a laugh, as | she headed the Blue Bell for the Mad Under shortened sail the Blue Bell slided along, and soon drifted slowly the Madcap, it was soon seen that it was not under the | The Sea Fugitive. | A lamp burned in the cabin, and shone out of the companionway, but no one was _ Visible upon the deck. | Lightly Madge sprung aboard, followed by Silly Sam, whom she had told to accom- pany her, and stepping down into the cabin, she was face to face with Noel Brandon. He sat by the table writing, his wounded leg being on a chair to support it, and he was alone. His face was pale, covered by several days’ growth of ieed and he looked wan, and to be in pain. “Madge! can I believe my eyes?” he ex- claimed, stretching forth his hand eagerly, while his face beamed with pleasure. “Mr. Brandon, | am glad to have found you, and you must go with me at once,”’ she | said. “But Darrell, acting under your orders, Miss Madge, has gone ashore to get men to move me to comfortable quarters he has secured.” “Mr. Brandon, that man Darrell is your worst foe, anc he is going to give you up to the Government, for he kidnapped you for that purpose only, and I have chased the sloop here in the Blue Bell, determined to save you.” ‘*Great God! can this be so, Madge?” “It is true, as you can learn, by telling me how you came to leave with him.” In a few words Noel Brandon told all, and then Madge made known the circumstances attending the discovery of his being gone, the flight of the sloop, and the chase. ‘Now we have no time to lose, so I will put a crew on board the Madcap, and have you transferred to the Blue Bell, while from Tap-room Tom you can learn of the perfidy of Darke Darrell, and I am only sorry we cannot carry him back as a prisoner, but your safety 1s what must be looked to now,” and Madge at once gave her orders, The two vessels were brought side by side, the wounded oflicer was taken on board the Blue Bell, Gaspard and four men took charge of the Madcap, some provisions were given them, and in half an hour after the finding of the fugitive sailor the two vessels glided away, and headed down the harbor. As they got clear of the shipping anchored here and there, they increased their spread of canvas, and by midnight were flying along at a rattling speed over the blue waters of the sea, Noel Brandon once more saved from the gallows by the courage of Madcap Madge, the Maid of the Kennebec. CHAPTER XXXII. THE SURPRISE. PuncrvuayL as clockwork, Darke Darrell went on board the Scorpion, to keep his im- ck appointment with Lieutenant May- nard, He had carefully prepared his victim for the trap into which he was leading him, by taking his weapons out of his reach, and then telling him he had secured pleasant quarters, and soon after ten o’clock would bring out with him several men, who could easily move him. So of course he did not think that there would be any trouble through resistance, when Noel Brandon found he was so clever- ly captured and had no weapons with which to defend himself, Congratulating himself upon his scheme, he went on board the Scorpion in high glee. He would get ten thousand dollars in blood money, and he had received twenty- five hundred already from his victim, while he meant to rob him, if possible, at the mo- ment of his capture, of the bank-notes he had seen him have. So all seemed to work well for the treach- erous Darke Darrell, and he entered the Scorpion’s cabin with a smile. ‘* All ready, sir,” he said, gleefully. Mayo Maynard was disgusted with the fel- low’s joy over the suffering he must bring upon another, and said, coldly: ‘*Your anticipation of a large sum in blood-money makes you most joyous, my man,” ‘1 have hope of the reward, sir, and I am | poor, while I also shall gain a little revenge.” ‘‘ Ah, that then is also your incentive; but I will be ready immediately.” In five minutes after the skiff, containing Darke Darrell, and the cutter’s boat, with Lieutenant Maynard, Lco Lauderdale and LO NS a ee a oe ee 21 half a dozen seamen, left the side of the vessel and pulled quietly away in the dark- ness, Darke Darrell led in the skiff, and head- ed directly for the anchorage of the sloop, the boat following in his wake. At length he turned and looked ahead of him, as he rested upon his oars. ‘*T don’t see her,’ he muttered, and again ie pushed on, to soon after stop once more. ‘*Great God! where is the sloop?” he cried aloud. ‘*That is just what you were to show us,” responded Mayo Maynard from the boat, and who had heard his exclamation. ‘“*T left her yonder,” and he pointed to a little cove. ‘‘She must be there then.” ‘There is no vessel there, large or small.” ‘But I left her there just before eight o’clock.”’ «Then she has gone to the bottom in deep water, as her mast even is not visible.” ‘* Curses! some one has run off with her,” ‘‘My dear fellow, Lieutenant Brandon, by your own words, is unable to more than move with crutches, and he certainly could not get up anchor, set sail and run off with a vessel that had no stores on board, while as he did not suspect you of treachery he had no reason for so doing.” ‘* But the sloop is not here,” hissed Darrell. ‘*No, and this is the second time you have fooled me, so I think a month between decks inirons, will prevent you trying it a third time.” “You will not certainly arrest me, sir, for I have done no crime, and I swear to you I left the sloop here two hours ago.” ‘¢ And only Mr. Brandon on board?” *s Yes, ait ‘*And she has gone; well, she could not go without being seen from the decks of the half dozen vessels that lie at anchor down the harbor yonder, so we will board them and inquire, and woe be unto you if you are playing me false,” and ordering Leo Lauder- dale, who held the tiller, to steer for the - nearest vessel. a brig, Mayo Maynard re- lapsed into silence, while Darke Darrell fol- lowed now in the boats’ wake, silent, sav- age and surprised utterly, for, as in the former case when Noel Brandon so mys- teriously disappeared, he knew that he meant no trick in the delivery of the fugitive sailor up to the Government. ‘Ho the brig!’ shouted Mayo “Maynard sternly, as the boat drew near the merchant craft. ‘“‘ Av ay, sir,” responded a voice from the deck of the vessel. ‘‘T am from the war cutter Scorpion and wish to board you.” ‘‘Ay ay, sir, come alongside,” was the an- swer of the man, and in a tone that showed he had nothing to conceal. ‘Are you the skipper of this vessel?” asked the young officer, as he sprung on deck, followed by Darke Darrell, and a stout. man advanced toward them. ‘*T am, sir, at your service.” ‘‘How long have you been at anchor here?” : ‘*Since sunrise this morning, sir, waiting my chance at the dock to unload.” ‘‘Have you seen any strange sail in here to-night?” ‘*T seen one that kinder looked suspicious to me, sir.” ‘What was it?” ‘© A sloop, trim as a Boston belle, and with canvas enough on her for double her ton- nage, I judged by the high mast and long boom, gaff, and bowsprit, for she didn’t have all set.” ‘* What was her size?” “ Some thirty tons, maybe.” ‘Where was she heading?” ““T saw her first, when she came sneaking along under easy sail, as though she was looking for something, and then she passed on up into yonder cove, and next I seen her laying to alongside a small sloop I had had my eye on during the day, as a beauty.” ‘Ah! how long did she stay there?” ‘‘ Half an hour maybe, sir.” ** And then?” ‘The two sloops, the big one and the lit- tle one, came down the harbor together and disappeared seaward.” “What did I tell you, sir?” exultantly — cried Darke Darrell. Eomicboo SEGO im —_——— — a a ee ne ee ee ew aeceeice=—— eee ee a Nl ae ps