Beadle's Dime Library No. 364 — page 26: what you’re looking at

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

<r ¢(don't carry fortunes arownd with them such 26 The Sea Fugitive. TTT EE for he had no one on board that understood | the little sloop spread on all sail and aa those waters well. | away for Boston, the traitor crew of the Mad- He was somewhat surprised therefore to | cap anxious to collect the, money they had see the sloop head for him, and also run up a | earned through their treachery to their skip- signal for him to come on as quickly.as possi- | per and the prisoner. ble. Spreading more sail, he moved the Scorpion CHAPTER XXXVIIL. on, and in half an hour's time was within THE SIGNAL ANSWERED. hail of the little vessel. FEELING deep sympathy for the dashing, ‘‘ Ho, the sloop!” he called out. daring young officer who had been his com- ‘« Ahoy the Seorpion!”” answered Gaspard, | rade in years before, and wishing to make wholly delighted at the success of his plot | his latter days as comfortable as he could, for gold, Mayo Maynard had Noel Brandon taken to ‘Well, send a boat alongside.” his own cabin, and there placed under the ‘‘Better send a boat to the sloop, sir, as I | care of the cutter’s surgeon. have a prize for you.” The young commander had not the re- ‘* A prize?” motest doubt but that a speedy trial and exe- feX 6, aT, cution would follow the capture of the fugi- ‘« What is it?” tive sailor. ‘* A prisoner.”’ The chain of evidence seemed so strong ‘* Tal who?” against him, in fact the actual proof of his ‘‘The one you are in search of.” guilt, both in the murder and robbery of his ‘Noel Brandon?” captain, and then his flight, that there seemed ‘« Yes, sir.” no escape for him. “Ay, ay, I will come on board myself,” He had to go before a court-martial of old and soon after Mayo Maynard was on his | and stern officers, and mercy in their hearts way to board the Madcap. to one thus accused, and bearing the rank of Hlis face was pale, and he seemed a trifle | a lieutenant on his shoulders, would never nervous, for he felt for the man who had be known, and Noel Brandon, brave, aristo- once been his friend. cratic, proud and a gentleman would have to The two had served together, as mid- | hang like a dog. shipmen, on the same frigate, and he had | ‘‘T will have the surgeon properly care for always liked Noel Brandon, though he ; you, Brandon, and you shall be made as often feared that his hot temper would some | comfortable as I can make you,” said Mayo day get him into trouble. Maynard kindly, when Noel Brandon had It pained him now to have to be the captor _ been borne into the cabin of the schooner. of his old-time friend, yet he must do bis ‘‘T thank you, Lieutenant Maynard, and duty as an officer in all things. I appreciate the struggle in your heart be- So he boarded the sloop and was met by | tween duty and kindness toward me. the cheerful face of Gaspard. ‘* But I have a great favor to ask.”’ ‘‘ Well, sir, you seem delighted over the; ‘ Well, Noel, anything that I can grant,” prospect of getting your blood money,” he answered Mayo Maynard. said sternly, as the man greeted him, ‘‘forI __‘‘ It is that you permit me to see my sister, suppose itis the offer of the reward that Joyce.” _ ° makes you so happy.” “* Your sister?” ‘‘T have earned the money, captain.” ‘Yes, for my parents I do not believe, in ‘‘You have the prisoner, Mr. Noel Bran- | fact I am sure, would not see me; but Joyce don on board?” | believes me innocent, and I have some part- ‘*T have, sir.” ing instructions I can give to no one else, ‘*- You are sure there is no mistake?” | and they are important. “There is no mistake, Maynard,forIlam.| “If I go directly to Boston, you know here in irons, and in agony mental and phy- | what will follow, and I do net wish to ask sical,” called out a voice from the cabin. my poor sister to come there and be near ‘Ah, Brandon, it is indeed you, and I feel me in my last hours, so I beg you to allow most deeply for you in the trouble you have me to see her now.” brought upon yourself,” said Mayo Maynard | ‘Tt is certainly not an unreasonable re- kindly, entering the cabin, | quest, Brandon, and—” ‘¢T am the football of fate, Maynard, and | * We are but a few leagues from my home, circumstantial evidence accuses me and will and you can run in, signal for a pilot and hang me; but Iam not guilty, I pledge you, | one will come out to you, and the delay will of the crimes thrust upon me.” not be greater than a day at furthest, ‘‘God grant it, and that you can prove if, ‘Will you do this for me, Lieutenant poor Noel.” Maynard?” ‘‘T have no proof; I am wounded, helpless * You wish your sister to come on board as you see, and I must suffer. the cutter to see you?” “ So be it, I accept my fate,” ‘* Assuredly.” ‘‘Well, I will make you as comfortable as ‘*T will do as you ask, Brandon, and Ican I can, for it is all | can do for you. signal the sloop to return and give me a ‘‘Here, fellow, remove these irons from | pilot.” this gentleman, and how dare you handcuff ‘‘No, no, I would owe no favor to those and chain a wounded man?” _men who betrayed me. ‘*T did not want him to escape, sir.”’ ‘There are fishermen along the coast who ‘¢You must be anarrant coward to fear a | know these waters well, and some one of man crippled as he is; but how is it that I | them_will come out if you signal for them. find you the captive of this man, Brandon, | ‘‘ The signal is three guns a minute apart, when only a few daysago I boarded this | and repeated after ten minutes if none ap- sloop and he knew nothing of you.” | pear, with a red flag at the fore.” “Your offer of the reward made him ‘* All right, Brandon, I will see to it, and treacherous, Maynard, and he hunted me | inthe mean time the surgeon will dress your down, and here | am.” | wound properly, and my servant can improve ‘Well, he will get the reward, and may | your appearance, so that you will be more every dollar of it be a curse to him,” was | presentable,” and the kind-hearted lieuten- the blunt rejoinder of Mayo Maynard, and ; ant left the cabin and gave the necessary or- the irons having been removed from the | ders to his subordinates to carry out his prisoner, the boat’s crew were called and he wishes as regarded Noel Brandon. — ——— wa was carried tc the boat. Those on the sloop, now a league distant, ‘‘ Now, fellow, I will give youa receipt for | were surprised to see the cutter suddenly your prisoner, and you can go to Boston and | change her course and head in toward the collect your reward from the Government ee at a point not very far from Brandon officer.” all, “Oan you not give me the guld now?” | Slowly, under light sail, the Scorpion went whined Gaspard. shoreward, and her officers and crew stood ‘No, I cannot, for United States cruisers | upon her decks admiring the wild and pic- turesque scenery. When within half a league of the danger- / ous coast, a puff of white smoke came from | her bows, and the deep boom of a heavy gun _ echoed along the rocky shores. Gaspard obeyed, and after writing the re-| Again it was repeated, and again. ceipt, Mayo Maynard followed Noel Brandon | The sound reached the ears of one who into the boat waiting alongside, and was | was pacing to and fro before the Vernon rowed rapidly toward the Scorpion, while cottage. as a pirate might have. ‘‘Give me pen, ink and paper, and you | can draw your blood-money on what I write for you.” ooo a wo 22 eee = It was Madge Vernon, and she started, aie her glass and ran to the lookout on the cliff. Her face was pale and anxious, and she started as her eyes fell upon the cutter, and then upon the sloop far away in the distance. ‘God have mercy! it is too late, for the sloop has met the Scorpion and given him up, and it will do no good for father, Sam and Tom to come with the fishermen they are searching for. ‘* But the Scorpion is firing for a pilot, that is certain. The red flag is at her peak. ‘* What does it mean? . ‘* Well, I will go out to her, but I am sure that Noel Brandon is a prisoner on board. ‘‘Hark! she fires again,” so saying Madge turned and ran hastily back to the cottage. ‘* Phillis, tell father, Sam and Tom, as they arrive with men to await my coming, for there is no telling what may occur to need their services. ‘‘Lam going out to the cutter-of-war to serve as a pilot, and say to them that the sloop found the Scorpion and gave up their prisoner.” ‘Yes, missy, but—” ‘‘T have no time now, Phillis, so do not detain me,” and Madge bounded away down to the shore of the little harbor, sprung into her surf skiff and went flying away over the waters out toward the Scorpion, now lying a mile off-shore. ‘There comes a pilot, sir,” called out Leo Lauderdale, as the surf-skiff was descried coming out from under the land shadows. ‘‘Yes, and it is Madcap Madge, the fair young Pilot of the Kennebec, and none bet- ter need we ask. ‘‘T wish I could solve the mystery regard- ing that beautiful and strange girl,” said Mayo Maynard. Then he added; ‘*Perhaps Noel Brandon can tell me.’ So down to Noel Brandon he went, and asked: ** Brandon, a pilot is coming off, and it is that beautiful creature, known as Madcap Madge Vernon; now just who is that strange irl?” Noel Brandon had been shaved and neat- ly attired, his wound had been dressed skill- fully by the surgeon, he had eaten a good meal, and was feeling well, though his hag- gard face showed that he had been a great sufferer in all his wanderings. ‘‘ Lieutenant Maynard, I know nothing of the girl, more than that the family came here years ago, and none knew from where. ‘“There are stories told of her father being a smuggler, yet I can hardly believe it, though he owns his vessel and his cruises are mysterious. ‘‘ My idea is that he has known better days, and came here to live in poverty away from those who had been his friends in the past. “That is all that I know of them other than that Madge Vernon has been a true friend to me, and | shall never forget her, while I believe her as true a little woman as lives in the world. ‘‘She seems to revel in a wild life of dan- ger, and she has a wonderful influence over those with whom she comes in contact, while she willdo any deed of recklessness that a man dare do. ‘‘More I cannot tell you of her, for I know nothing more.” ‘‘She is indeed a wonderful girl, and she interests me deeply; but I must go on deck and meet her, as she must be near by this time. ‘You wish, as I understand it, to run in to the anchorage near Brandon Hall, and send for your sister to come on board?” ‘Yes; if you ask it, Madge will go after ner.” ‘‘T will,” and Mayo Maynard went on deck to find Madge just coming on board. She was neatly dressed, wore a becoming little tarpaulin, was pale, but looked at per- fect ease and very beautiful. She bowed to Mayo Maynard, and said in her sweet way: ‘You signaled for a pilot, Captain May- nard?” “Yes, Miss Madge, I wish to run into the anphorae near Brandon Hall.” **T will pilot you there, sir,” “Tam glad that you came off to us, for JOOKS-COoM b a = = —