Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 369 — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

) a ‘“‘If you were .only ready to have a brush | ing port he gave up his gold spectacles, and with her, you could tell what your schooner could do,” cried Jacob Bentley, who stood on ihe deck of the Moonbean talking to the skip- wf. The captain cast an eye down the harbor, saw the Yankee craft flying away, and gave orders to get up anchor and set sail. Mr. Bentley was hastily set ashore with a fervent. ‘‘God bless you! may you win the race,” and the schooner went dashing after the packet. There was everything in favor of the Ken- nebec Queen, for she was old enough to have settled down to business; but on the Moon- beam everything was new, the sails had not been stretched, the rigging did not set taut, her crew were not accustomed to her, and all was against her. But the way she picked up and dropped the Queen of the Kennebec delighted her skipper and they grew hilarious over their triumph. om Having shown her qualities at sailing with the wind abeam, Captain Kennard the next morning, dropped the packet astern and headed RB 5 into the teeth of the breeze. ‘‘She works to windward superbly, and so far has proven herself a matchless craft, ‘‘Now for a blow to try her in, when I believe she will do equally as well,” said the admiring captain. He did not get the blow just then, but he got almost a calm, and still the schooner sneaked through the water at a pace.none believed possible. Advantage was taken of the quiet weather to get her thoroughly in shin-shape, and the day was spent in adjusting her sails, rigging and ballast. At night a strong wind came down over the stern, and the schooner went before it with bow up, and logged twelve knots out of a ten-knot breeze. At midnight the wind increased to half a gaie, and Captain Kennard remained up all night watching the workings of his vesscl. “The craft is priceless, for in any wind she is fleet as a bird, and I am in luck. ‘‘We should reach the Kennebec this af- ternoon, so call me when we do,” and so say- ing Captain Kennard retired to his cabin to sleep, for he had been so wrapped up in his vessel he had lost his rest since leaving port. The cabin was luxuriously furnished, for in spending another man’s money, Jacob Bentley had spared no expense. There were sofas, ottomans, a book-case, easy-chairs, a soft carpet and all to make the place cosey and attractive. Four state-rooms opened into the cabin, and forward of these were less pretentious uarters for the officers, and still forward the crew’s abiding-place. The lying idle for over a year had not hurt the craft, and she had been put in per- ct condition. " She was as graceful in model as wood and iron could make her, and she sat on the wa- ters like a duck, yet had depth enough to stand up well under canvas. Her bows were sharp as a wedge, her stern lean and swallow-like, and her masts rose to a vast hight above her decks, while her main boom seemed a rival in length for her masts. The masts being exceptionally far apart, ave her a good spread of foresail, and her Sawant ran out half her length over the bows, which enabled her to carry enormous jibs. The sides had been pierced for eight guns, but the ports had been securely screwed down, while she had good quarters for seven- ty men, and stowing capacity in the hold for considerable freight. It had been the desire of Doctor Brandon to have the schooner perfect in all things, and then get an extended leave from Gov- ernment for his son, and have him command a privateer. eat the end of the war broke into this scheme, and the result was that she was laid up to await Noel Brandon’s return home. The painful circumstances of that return, the reader is already acquainted with, and the Moonbeam thus fell into the hands of Ceptain kcennard. Rigge out as a sailor, the captain was not the dandy he had looked when in the office of Bentley & Co., for the first time. He looked more the man, and after leav- The Coast Corsair. ee his bright eyes seemed really not to need them. 21 ———— ‘Do you understand?” ‘* Yes, sir. ‘* All right; I will go to my state-room, He seemed to be a thorough sailor, and | and keep her out of the cabin.”’ his men doubtless knew him to be such, and sprung nimbly to obey his commands. But altogether the face of Captain Ken- nard was not an attractive one. He had resolution in it, a certain degree of joa but it was sinister in expression and looked false. It was not a face a child would be drawn to with confidence. He seemed particularly pleased with him- self, his ma and the world in general, as he gazed around the cabin, and smiled bland- ly as he said: ‘“* This will do far betterthan I dreamed of. ‘Now, this is a fine beginning, and so may the end be. ‘“‘T have a little idea that may alter my plans somewhat, and that is to marry the sweet Joyce Brandon. ‘She is lovely in face, exquisite in form, and is said to have a fortune in her own right, left her by her maternal grandfather, and in case that her brother dies, she gets his inheritance too, from the same party. ‘Noel is said to be dead, and if living he will not turn up to claim the property, so I will be in luck. “Then Joyce will be the sole heir of her parents, and I do not believe either of them will live long under the disgrace of Noel’s conduct, ‘** Yes, I shall go in to win, and a few days on shipboard with her will tell me just what my chances are. ‘*T shall make the run a long one back to Boston, if all goes well, and if not, why I will let my other plan hold good. ‘‘It will be better to settle down ashore, with a lovely wife, in the enjoyment of a fortune, than have to make it upon the high seas after long hardship and danger. “Yes, I will try to win the fair Joyce, and all will go well,” So deciding as to his future course, the gallant sailor set himself to the business of sleeping, and so sweet were his dreams that hours passed away and, as he did not come on deck, his mate went after him. For a man who slept well, he awoke with a terrible start and seized the mate in a grip of iron, while he yelled excitedly: ‘Keep them off! Keep them off!” ‘‘ Why, skipper! you must have had the nightmare,” said the alarmed mate. ‘* Yes, yes, | had the nightmare, for I saw two people whom I believed to be dead, coming after me to choke me with their bony fingers, and here in broad daylight. ‘‘But where are we?” and Captain Ken- nard shuddered. ‘* A league off the Kennebec, sir.” ‘“*All right, I will come on deck,” and Captain Kennard hastily dressed and left the cabin. It was nearly sunset, and the man gazed fixedly at the rugged coast, while he said: ‘*Talbot, [ know the waters here some- what, but do not dare attempt to take the schooner into the Brandon Hall harbor, so run up a signal at the fore for a pilot.” The signal was set, and, as the schooner stood nearer in-shore the mate said: ‘‘ A sail skiff is putting out, sir.” “Yes, I see it; but the sail prevents my seeing who is in it.” Nearer and nearer came the skiff, until suddenly Captain Kennard uttered an oath through his shut teeth, and said quickly: ‘Here, Talbot!” ‘* Yes, sir.” ‘“‘There is one in that skiff I do not wish to see, for my home is on this coast, and it is my desire to go there by night, after land- ing, and surprise them,” “*"l Os, sm ‘*'You take command, and tell her the cap- tain is laid up, hurt.” ** Hor?" ‘* Yes, don’t rou see that it is a girl? and her name is Madcap Madge.”’ ‘‘] thought it was a pilot?” ‘* So she is, and there is no better pilot on this coast than that girl. ‘*Tell her you wish to run into Brandon Hall harbor, where you can load the schoon- er, and pay her for her work, saying that you have some one on board to run the craft out. ‘““Yes, sir: but I never was much of a hand to stop a woman from doing anything she wished to.” Just then came in a musical voice: ‘‘ Schooner, ahoy! do you wish a pilot?” ‘“‘Ay, ay! Yes, miss—I mean, yes, we want a pilot,” stammered Talbot, while Cap- tain Kennard darted below in hot haste. ‘* All right, sir, luff sharp and I will board you,” came the decisive answer, and a mo- ment after Madcap Madge stood upon the deck of the Moonbeam. me oN @ CHAPTER XXXI1. THE SAILORS DIARY. Tue day before the Moonbeam appeared off the Kennebec river, Joyce Brandon had ridden over to the cottage of the Vernons, and the two maidens had sought the outlook arbor for a talk. ‘‘ We are expecting the schooner after us daily, now, Madge, so we will not see much more of each other,” said Joyce, while the tears arose in her eyes. **T shall be very sorry to have you go, Joyce; but it cannot be helped, and. frcm what you tell me, I believe that your mother would die if she stayed here.” ‘‘ Yes, and father is breaking too, for I ob- serve it, though he does not. *‘But Madge, I was over at the village yesterday, and Captain Buntline told me that all my brother’s baggage was there, and, as he had promised to keep them for him, he had said nothing about the things bein there; but my poor brother being now dea he wished to give them into my keeping.” Madge said nothing, and Joyce continued: ‘‘Now I do not care for either father or” mother, under the circumstances, to see these ' things, and so I told him I would send for them, and you will give them storage room here until—until—well, until I send for them, g a ‘‘Why I'll do it with pleasure, Joyce, and if you give an order for them Melmer and Sam can run up in the sloop and get them.” ‘‘T will be so thankful to you if they would go, and I'll give you the order now, so that i go to Boston.”’ The two then went to the cottage, and Joyce wrote the order to Captain Buntline, and Sam and Melmer started in the yacht up to the village after them. Then the maidens returned to the cliff arbor and Joyce said: ‘Now, Madge, when Captain Buntline showed me into the room where the things were kept, it nearly broke my heart to think of my brother as dead; but then your words came to me, to hope, and I felt much better, and I still hope on.” ‘Yes, Joyce, without hope what would this world be to us, and I hope even against all hope.” ‘You are a noble girl, Madge; but here, let me show you this book, which was in m brother’s dressing-case, and which I too with me, when I saw what it was.” As she spoke she took out of the pocket in her riding habit, a small book, the binding of morocco, and with a clasp of silver. ‘At first 1 thought it was a Bible, hand- somely bound, but upon opening it, Madge, see what I discovered.” She undid the clasp as she spoke, and Madge saw that it was a blank-book, but fully one-half of the pages had been closely written on in a small, even hand, which she recognized as the writing of Noel Brandon, for he had several times written to her from foreign lands. ‘‘Oh, Joyce! should we read it?” she asked. ‘*See, if is a journal, and was begun five years ago, but gives only important events, and incidents in his life. « See!” Madge saw the title page open before her, and read aloud: “MY VOYAGE OF LIFE. Begun December 25th, 17—. Ends———. Noe. BRanpon.”’ ‘**The date December 25th, 17—, was when he was born, Madge; but who will write the ending here—fill up the blank he has left?” milecbooks (E() — oe can feel that they are safe before L . : the ad Arr. ad on™ et te