Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 369 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

| r | —< Rt em, B The Coast Corsair. 15 ‘You talk like a bank clerk, boy; but did he expect me to pay you that large sum?” ‘©No, sir.” ‘*What did he expect?” ‘*To get it himself.” “When?” ‘*To-night, sir.” ‘Why did he not come for it, then?” ** He couldn’t, sir.” ‘Why not?” ‘*T wouldn’t let him.” ‘‘The deuce you say!” ‘* Yes, sir.” ‘* Are you his keeper?” ‘* Yes, sir.” ‘* Where is he?” ‘*T’ve got him, sir.” “ And the receipt?” ‘lve got it, sir.” “Where?” ‘‘ Here, sir,” and Madge handed it to the surprised officer. ‘“Why do you give me this?” ‘* Because I don’t want it, sir.” ‘Did the man Gaspard tell you to give it to me?” ‘* No, sir.” “ Then why do you do so?” ‘* He shall not have it, and I don’t want it, sir; so I give it back to you.” “ How did you get possession of it?” ‘*T took it away from him, sir.” ‘Boy, you are an enigma.” “Sir?” ‘You are a strange one.”’ “Yes, sir.” ‘And you mean for me to keep this until Gaspard comes for his money?” ‘* He’ll never come for it, sir.” ‘* You are sure?” ‘* Yes, sir.” ‘‘Well, this is a surprise to me, my lad; but I will keep the receipt, and in honor bound, if the man comes and demands it, or his money, he must have it.” ‘“‘That is payable to bearer on demand, sir, and states that you have received from one, Gaspard, a seaman, the prisoner Noel Brandon, for which ten thousand dollars were offered as a reward.” ‘Yes, and you seem to have studied it well.” ‘‘Let me see it please, sir, for one mo- ment.” Without hesitation Mayo Maynard handed it over, and the supposed lad stepped to the lamp, as though to read it the better, and | suddenly rolled it up and dropped it into the chimne realized what had been done, and he sprung to his feet crying sternly: ‘‘Boy, what have you done?” ‘Burned the receipt, sir; and, as it was payable to bearer, no one can collect it now, for it is ashes, as you see, in the lamp-chim- ney.” «My lad, you have some strange motive in all this.” ‘‘l did not wish to see you pay blood money without the equivalent therefor, sir; and Gaspard shall never reap the fruits of his treachery.” ‘‘Ali! there is a spice of revenge in that speech against the man; but what is he to you?” ‘* My enemy.” ‘*No kindred?” “T would die by my own hand, rather than live if 1 was the kindred of such a man.” The young officer gazed with amazement at the pretended boy, and then said: ‘Well, my lad, you have saved the Gov- ernment, or myself, ten thousand dollars; but did Gaspard come to me and claim his reward, in honor bound, I would have to pay it, though he held no legal claim on me.” ‘¢ He'll never come first, sir, for I shall see to it that he does not.” ‘“ Would you kill him?” ‘Do I look like one who would take human life, sir?” “No, I confess that you do not; but tell me now what I can do for you in return for your desire to serve me? Peis p RT ‘“Where do you live? “On the Kennebec.” rox ‘Ah! and what are you doing in Boston?” ‘‘T came here, sir, after a sloop.” * * Indeed! with your father?” | Mad It had flared up in a flame before Maynard ‘* No, sir.” ‘What do you want with a sloop?” ‘*It was stolen by Gaspard from Madcap Madge of the Kennebec, and she got some men and myself to come with her and look it up.” ‘*T see; I heard she had come here for that purpose, for I just came from the Ken- nebec waters, and saw her father.” “You did, sir?” ‘* Yes, he helped us out of a terrible scrape, which we got into through chasing a specter sloop.” “A specter sloop?” and the eyes of Madge opened, along with her mouth, in perfect wonder. “Yes, we chased one, having found her through some shots fired, where she was lying without sail, and she led us a long race,” “Did you catch her, sir?” ‘“No indeed, and the men swear it was the ghost of the Blue Bell, that was lost the night before; but we followed her in among the reefs and islands, in shore of Crescent Island, and while she went through the pass between the Twin Isles, we had to drop anchor, and would have been lost, had not ae Vernon come out to us and acted as pilot. ‘** You know the skipper of course?” ‘*Oh, yes, sir, well; but did you say the sloop ran between the Twin Rocks?” ‘Yes, the sloop or specter, whatever it was, did.” “And went to pieces?” | ‘Not a bit of it, but just sailed through as nicely as possible.” ‘*My gracious!” and Madge gave a whistle. ‘* You know those waters, then?’ ‘‘Pretty well, sir; and Skipper Vernon came off and acted as pilot?” ** Yes,” ‘** And is he on board now, sir?” **No, we put him ashore on an island near his home, the next day, for he said he had a boat there to go off in; but Miss ge got her sloop?” “Yes, sir.” ‘“‘And Gaspard, too, I judge?” ‘Yes, sir, she intends to take him back for trial.” ‘*Ah! and where is Miss Madge?” ‘She sent me here, sir, with this receipt, and I’m to 0 now; good-night, sir,” and before Mayo Maynard could detain her, she had gone. He quickly followed her on deck, but she was already in her boat and rowing away, and soon disappeared from sight inshore. As she stood on deck, he suddenly beheld a vessel under sail passing near. “Raymond?” ** Yes, sir.” ‘Ts not that the sloop Madcap we boarded and in which that fellow Gaspard brought Brandon to us?” ‘Yes, sir, it certainly is.” **T thought so.”’ ** Shall | bring her to?” **No, let her go, for I know her errand,” was the reply, and Mayo Maynard stood watching the little Madcap through his glass until she faded from sight in the dim distance. mc ca — CHAPTER XXIII. A TERRIBLE SUSPICION. WHEN Madcap Madge returned on board her sloop, having picked up Sam on the way, she gave orders to get up the anchor at once, and the little craft went down the bay before a good off-shore breeze. ‘‘ I'll Keep these traps on, I guess, for this cruise,” she said alluding to her attire, and when the Madcap reached open water and headed homeward, she told Sam to turn in for the night, and that she and Melmer would run the craft. Sam obeyed in silence, and when Madcap Madge sat at the tiller, with Melmer near her, calmly smoking a cigar, she said: ‘‘Melmer, that specter sloop that boarded us, has been seen again.” ‘* Indeed, miss?” answered Melmer in some ‘*] was on board the Scorpion to-night.” **Yes, miss.” “She has just come into port from Kenne- bee waters.” a — — ELE ee ** Yes, we beat her in.” ‘‘ She went on a chase, Melmer.” ‘* Indeed!” “Yes, after that sloop.” “The one like the Blue Bell?” “The same.”’ “‘Did she catch her?” quickly asked Mel- mer. ** She did not.” Melmer gave a sigh of relief, and Madge noticed it. “Do you know the officers and crew of the Scorpion believed it to be a phantom craft?” “*No!” ‘Yes, and they gave chase, and kept up @ hot fire on her, but the sloop slipped away from the cutter, ran in to the northeast of Crescent Isle and dropped anchor, while Captain Maynard acted as pilot and took the Scorpion in at this end, surprised the sloop, opened on her with his broadsides, and then saw her run for the Twin Rocks, and go be- tween them, Melmer.”’ ‘‘ Well, that is madness, miss, and she cer- tainly is a phantom to do that.” ‘‘“Qne would think so; but such is about as it was told to me; but do you believe she went through the pass between tho islands?” ‘They say she did, miss.’’ ‘Yes, and I wrecked the Blue Bell trying to do so.” ‘Yes, miss, but this was the Blue Bell’s shadow, you know.” ‘‘Nonsense, Melmer, for you do not be- lieve what you say.” “Don’t I, miss?” ‘‘No, you do not, and you know it.” ‘‘ What do you think she was, miss?” ‘‘T know that she was a real craft, the ex- act counterpart of the Blue Bell, and did we not all see that. ghosts did not command her?” ‘‘They were a queer looking crew.” “Yes; but ghosts don’t take passengers off of a craft and hang them. and take merchan- dise off a vessel and luggage.” ‘* Don’t they, miss?” ‘‘Melmer, don’t be a fool in trying to de- ceive me, for I am convinced that you know all about that sloop.” ‘* Me, miss?” ‘‘Yes, you, and more I can tell you, and that is: when the Scorpion ran into danger- ous water and had toanchor, for a storm was pressing, my father came out to her and act- ed as pilot.” ‘The skipper, miss?” ‘* Yes, Skipper Vernon, my father.” ‘* He was away from home when we left.” ‘‘T know that; but where was he?” ‘‘He must have been down on the islands, miss?” ‘‘ What took him there?” ‘‘T cannot tell you, miss, for he did not speak to me about the cause of his going.” ‘Was it not strange that he should have been right there when the Scorpion wanted @ pilot?” “Tt was strange, miss.” ‘‘Now, Melmer, you are a good man, and no better sailor walls a deck. ‘You were true in the mutiny we had, and have been square in all your dealings, as far as I know; but you have a secret you are keeping from me, and it is in connection with my father,” ‘‘ Why, miss, I certainly would not be the one your father would confide a secret to be- fore he did to you, and I can tell you nothing that you seem to wish to have me tell you.” ‘If you think the skipper is hiding some- thing from you, ask him, for I am sure he will tell you anything you should know regener im.” adge looked at Melmer for an instant, as though trying to exactly understand his words, and then said: ‘‘That is the most ambiguous explanation a man ever gave, Melmer; it is equal toa woman’s reasoning; but I will not press you further on this subject, and I prefer you do not mention to my father that I asked you regarding him, and we will let the matter rest where it is, “Yes, miss; but now you had better turn in and get what rest you can, for the breeze is light, and I can manage the sloop, and you need sleep.” ‘‘T will do so, Melmer, for I have not had the rest I needed of late; but are those pris- oners in the forward cabin?” (E ICO com S %..