Beadle's Dime Library No. 364 — page 22: what you’re looking at

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22 ‘‘It looks as though the little sloop had The Sea Fugitive. “Yes, sir,’”’ was the meek answer, and been kidnapped, I admit; but who could | then Gaspard eyed the coming cutter, have taken her?” answered Mayo Maynard. ‘‘Why, captain, the big sloop was none other than skipper Vernon's Blue Bell, which was lying in this harbor when | came out with the Madcap, and—’” ‘You think he has come in chase and car- ried the little sloop back?” ‘* Yes, sir, either he has done so, or—” ‘* Or what?” ‘“‘ That daring irl has.” ‘* You refer to Miss Vernon?” ‘* Yes, sir, to Madcap Madge, the most re- markable woman | ever saw. ‘‘T told you what a brave one she was, and how she had warned Noel Brandon, even while she was serving as your pilot, and now she has just helped him off again; but I'll yet have him, and the reward I will claim.” **T cannot deubt but that you meant to do as you said, after hearing the story of the skipper here, so I will permit you to go free, tak should you capture Noel Brandon bring him to me and the reward is yours, for | am authorized to pay it.”’ ‘*T will do so, sir, but would it not be well to get your cutter under way and start in chase, for they do not expect it, and natural- ly the two vessels will head directly for the ennebec,”’ ‘Good reasoning, I think, or for the wa- ters. thereabout, and I will go on board the Scorpion and at once give chase.” ‘*May I accompany you, sir?” ‘‘No, for | fear you would but be a Jonah along and give us bad luck,” answered Lieu- tenant Maynard, who did not like Darrell, but he added: ‘‘If we capture the prisoner you shall have a share of the reward, and the rest go to my crew, for it is not fair to give it all to ou. : ‘* Besides, I can hardly believe that Noel Brandon would return to the neighborhood of his home and leave Boston, and you had better search the city for him.” Thanking the brig’s skipper the young commander then departed on his way for the scorpion, which half an hour after was standing out of the harbor under a heavy pressure of sail, in chase of the two sloops, while Darke Darrell rowed shoreward in his skiff, a very disappointed man at the way in which matters had turned against him, and in favor of Noel Brandon. CHAPTER XXXII. THE MADCAP OVERHAULED. WHEN the two sloops reached open water, after leaving Boston harbor, the Blue Bell, which was leading, sailed close into the wind and allowed the Madcap to come to wind- ward of her, and so near that conversation could easily be carried on from the two decks. ‘‘Gaspard,” called out Madge. ** Ay, ay, Lady Captain.” ‘‘T wish you to run the coast along to the Manhegan Island, and there await for me, if you arrive first, and if the Blue Bell reaches there before you, I will await your coming.” ‘* Yes, miss.” ‘* Run into one of the little harbors there, and keep the sloop hidden.” ** Yes, miss.” ‘Now you can get there as soon as you like, while I will go into deep water and thus in to the island. Good-night,” and with a wave of her hand Madge dismissed the little sloop, which forged ahead and held on down the coast, while the Blue Bell head- ed directly out to sea. Gaspard saw no reason to drive the Mad- cap, as Madge had the Blue Bell on the run to Boston, so he held on under what canvas he had spread, and let the men turn in, excepting the man at the helm, Just after dawn he came on deck, and his eyes fell upon a vessel not half a league astern, coming on under a pressure of sail. He started, and called out to the man at the tiller: . ‘‘Fool! did you not see yonder craft?” ‘*No, sir; I did not look astern.” ‘* Well, we have nothing to run for, unless she is a pirate, and she is not that—no, it is the Government cutter Scorpion, for I recog- nize her now; but your duty, as helmsman, when no one else held the deck, is to keep your eyes everywhere.” ‘*“She comes on like a race-horse, and is | evidently in chase of the sloop; but then, ee eeeeeeeeEEEEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEEeEeEeEeEeEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee— Ee what for? ‘‘l’ve got nothing contraband on board, and let me see, I'll just tell the truth and say she was run off with, and I was sent after her and found her in Boston harbor, deserted, and am taking her home again.”’ Having made up his mind to the story he would tell, and which was nearly true in point of fact, he held quietly on his way, after telling his men just what he intended to say. The cutter came along in the Madcap’s wake, in a way that showed she was in earnest, and shortly after sunrise she was in hailing distance. ‘ Ho, the sloop!” cried Mayo Maynard. rh cal ay, the cutter!” ** What sloop is that?” **The Madcap, of the Kennebec.”’ ‘‘Lay to, while I send a boat on board of you!” ‘‘ Ay, ay, sir!” and the Madcap was soon at a standstill. Lowering away a boat, Mayo Maynard sprung into it, and the crew pulled rapidly for the sloop. Gaspard met the officer at the side and po- litely asked him on board. ‘* Well, skipper, where are you from?” ** Boston, sir.” ‘*Where bound!” _“ Vernon’s Haven, in lower Kennebec, sir.” ‘* What cargo?” ‘« None, sir.”’ ‘* Any passengers?” ** No. air: ‘Tg not this the Madcap?” ‘Vos Bir. . ‘‘ Skipper Vernon?” ‘‘ The sloop belongs to Miss Madge, Skip- per Vernon’s daughter, sir, for she took her as a prize some short time ago.” “Ah! and Miss Madge is not on board?” ‘No, sir, for the sloop was cut out from her harbor a few nights ago, and I started with my crew, to head her off at some port, and we caught her at Boston.” ‘‘Indeed! and who ran away with her?” ‘That I do not know, sir; but we found her at anchor in Boston harbor and deserted, and we just set sail and started back with her.” ‘* And the Blue Bell?” Gaspard was quick-witted, and he saw that the officer was better posted in regard to the vessel than he pretended, so he said: **Oh, she went on her regular coasting cruise, after landing us, sir.”’ This threw Mayo Maynard off his guard, for it did not look unreasonable, the story of Gaspard; but he asked: ‘**Did the Blue Bell take you to Boston?” ‘Yes, sir.” ** And Captain Vernon left you there?” ‘* Miss Madge did, sir, for the skipper was up in the country when the Madcap was cut out, and so Miss Madge started in chase with the Blue Bell.” ‘‘T gee, and left five men on this little sloop: she had a large crew.” **You see, sir, she did not know how many were in the sloop, and she shipped a number of fishermen.” This too looked plausible, and Mayo May- nard asked then: ‘‘And where did you say the Blue Bell went?” ‘* Portsmouth, I guess, sir, for she coasts from Cape Cod to the Penobscot.” ‘‘Yes, and Miss Madge is in command?” ‘‘She thought, sir, she had better take a cargo back with her, as she was in these wa- ters, and not hate an empty cruise.” Mayo Maynard could see nothing wron in all this, but how about the prisoner, Noe Brandon, whom Darke Darrell had said he had brought with him from the Kennebec? He now wished that he had brought the man along. After a moment of thought he said: ** My man, it is my duty to look over your vessel.” ‘‘ Certainly, sir,” and Gaspard led the way, and a thorough search of the little vessel was made, but with no success, as far as discov- ering anything of a suspicious nature was concerned, ; eS Returning to the deck, Mayo Maynard asked hues) eng ‘‘Po you know Noel Brandon, now a fugitive from justice, and late an officer of the navy?” **T am not acquainted with him, sir, but I heard of him, and know that the cutter yon- der came to the Kennebec in search of him.” ‘““Suppose I tell you that the one who cut out your rigs from Vernon’s Haven, did so to carry Mr. Brandon to Boston to deliver him up to the Government, but when he went to get him, from on board the sloop, found the craft gone.” ‘Indeed, sir?” ** Yes, and the prisoner too.” “Then he must have left the sloop, sir, for there was no prisoner on board when I board- ed her,” ‘* Well, my man, I expected to find Mr. Brandon on board, and I will tell you now that there is a reward of ten thousand dol- lars for him, dead or alive, so if you run across him, you will know just what his capture is worth to you.” ‘*That’s a big sam, sir.” ‘It is indeed, and it will be paid prompt- ly in gold. ‘“You do not think the prisoner could be on board the Blue Bell?” ‘* How could he get there, sir?” “True; still I believe I will look the Blue Bell up, so good-by,” and Mayo Maynard returned on board the cutter, which at once headed for Portsmouth, while the Madcap held on her way along the coast, Gaspard muttering to himself: “Ten thousand dollars reward! ‘‘ Why that’s a fortune, and it’s not to be thrown away, either. “ Tll talk it over with the boys.” CHAPTER XXXIII. GASPARD’S GAME. ‘‘Mates, did you hear what the cutter’s captain said, about ten thousand dollars being offered for the lieutenant, dead or alive?” So said Gaspard to his crew, after the sloop was on her way once more, and they were seated at breakfast. ‘“We heard him,” answered several in chorus. Now Gaspard was considered a true man, by the Skipper Vernon, and he was so trust- ed. He had known him for some time, though he had not had him in his service but a short while, and he had shipped Melmer at the same time, and always found them both able seamen, trustworthy and good men under all circumstances. But Gaspard was avaricious. He loved gold more than all else and hoard- ed it up at all times, until he had accumula- ted quite a little sum. He was hoping some day to run a craft of his own, and he wanted the money to pur- chase it with. Here was a chance, for at one blow ten thousand dollars could be made. Of course he did not expect to get it all, but it should be, if earned, long division on his side, and short division among the crew. Ten thousand dollars was a fortune to him and it was worth struggling for. He knew that the wounded officer was protected by the daughter of his captain, and that a split would follow; but there were other places to seek, should he give Noel Brandon up. The more he thought over the matter the more he decided to act, and so, when all but the helmsman were seated at breakfast, he opened the subject by the question that commences this chapter. ‘Now, shipmates, I don’t think it is un- reasonable in me to say I want that money, and I know it’s generous on my part to offer to give you a share,” he went on, and the crew listened most attentively to every word he uttered. ‘‘Now the leftenant has done a great wrong, for he killed his superior officer in a duel, and then he went to work, after bein dismissed from. the navy by his captain, an not only killed his captain, but robbed him of a large sum of money. ‘Now this is why they want to capture and yard-arm him, and [ do think it would be but right to help catch him, for such a man should not go free. migbooks:¢ (E(@) S) (0) ~~ ~