Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 369 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

be and, as the helm was put down the foresail was swung to port, the mainsail remaining to star- board, and wing and wing the Kennebec Queen sped along, the strange sloop thus thrown in her wake astern, and not a cable’s length away. CHAPTER IX. CHASED BY A ‘‘SPOOK CRAFT,” As the strange sloop now came on, dead in the wake of the schooner, Madge had a chance to recognize how perfectly alike she was to what the Blue Bell had been. She knew the latter vessel, to every spot in her sail almost, and this craft was certainly her counterpart in everything. The moon was now up, and, though on the wane, and the night being cloudy, it still were light enough to have Madge see the strange sloop thoroughly, and, asking Melmer to take the wheel, she gazed long and attentively through her glass at the stranger. ‘* Isn’t that the Blue Bell’s ghost, Miss Madge?” ‘** It looks so, Captain West.” ‘** Now we hain’t got nothing to fear from the craft, as far as her being a bloody pirate is con- sarned, for I has two six-pounders, as you see, | and two dozen muskits, with a few cutlasses, for the Queen is fitted out prime, miss, first- | tain West, as the men in a body came aft, halt- _ing near the wheel. class. ‘* Then I has a mate, bo’sen, and six in crew, not to speak of my cook and steward, so you see | I’m ‘physically fixed, while here are your two men and three male passengers to give us ahand | in case of attack.” ‘* Don’t you count me in, captain?” ‘* Well now I do, so we has all told sixteen men-folks, you, Miss Madge, and a plucky girl | you be, and the stewardess to hollow and four lady passengers to help her scare the pirates off | with their yelling.” | ‘*But do you think the little sloop cen bea pirate, sir?” ‘** Not I, and if I had a hundred guns I would | not turn one on yonder craft, for Phatigved it to | be a spook, and iron, powder and Jead don’t hurt | them kind—do they, Miss Madge?” ‘*T never had occasion to try powder and lead upon spooks or goblins,Captain West; but do you see that the sloop is gaining?” | ‘‘ That’s so, and yet 1 can expect nothing else | though the Queen has all ther canvas on her that | she can carry.” ‘* Suppose we try her with the wind abeam?” | . Might do it, but it is no use.” | ‘We'll try, anyway,” and Madge gave the | orders and the schooner’s course was changed. | As though acting under the impulse of the same helm, the schooner changed also, and it | was evident after a moment that she gained more rapidly than before, ‘* Better go back as we were, Miss Madge,” sadly said the old captain. Tne order was given, and the change threw the sloop once more in the schooner’s wake. The crew were now watching most attentive- ly every movement of the schooner and the sloop. They were silent, like men who were in a painful quandary, and their eyes alternately turned aft with ominous expression. lt was clear that they were under some strange ——— eee ‘Lads, I has allus heard it was bad luck to carry a corpse aboard ship, also a madman, a witch or a fool.” ‘* So it are, Ben,” said one. ** Tt’s true,” echoed another. *¢ Well, we has a fool on board this craft.” $ Silly Sam?” ‘* He goes fer a durned fool in ther village.” ‘* He is one.” ** Well, it’s bad luck.” ** We has our bad luck.” ‘Yes, for yonder spook-craft is in our wake.” “ And this the first v’iage o’ ther Queen.” ‘*What’s to be did, lads?” ** He’s a fool, and bein’ one is likewise a Jonah,” ** What's to be done?” ‘‘ Shipmates, he must go overboard.” ** So too.” ‘sé Well, what say you?” “T says yes.” ac An so says I.” ‘¢ Me, too.” ‘¢ Into the sea with the fool.” ‘‘ Overboard with him.” ‘‘ Break the spell 0’ the spook craft, by throw- ing the fool into the sea.” Such were the various words that came from the lips of the superstitious seamen gathered in a group in the forecastle, They had spoken in low tones, but they meant all that they said, and were only waiting for one of their number to take the lead. At last one said: ** And the girl too?” ‘Is she a witch?” ‘‘Never heerd thet ag’in’ her, but she do do awful strange things.” ‘* Better not worry her, for she seems all right, and the fool will break the spell.” say, and then the sloop will disappear spell. Presently one of them said: move an atom, as it looked into the face of the The Coast Corsair. ting awful near.” ** Who leads?” A silence of a moment and then a brawny fel- | low said: | ‘Tt does, for I don’t like the fool nohow, ashe | once licked me at the village inn, one day, when I called him crazy.” | Well, you do the talking, Buster, and we'll back you. “ Now, go!” vd ‘* Then let’s do it, for that spook craft are get- | than you will admit,” said Madge in a low tone, as she gazed at the man. But Melmer remained silent, and then Madge continued: ‘Well, Captain West, I have done all I could, so let the sloop board you if so you wish.” ‘We can do nothing else, my child, but wait,” was the low reply, and Captain West was as white as a ghost, while the mate and boat- swain, who had come from below decks, and joined the crew, were listening to their story of The large sailor named Buster, arose, tightened | what had occurred, and were wondering what the belt about his waist, set his tarpaulin more | would be the end of their being chased by a firmly upon his head, took a fresh chew of to- | specter craft and having a fool on board. bacco, and then, with a swagger, started aft, followed by all the crew. The boatswain and mate were below, placing some freight of a delicate kind that had been shipped at the village, and the captain stood aft near the wheel, white and nervous, so had his superstitious fears wrought upon him. | adge still held the wheel. seemingly enjoying it, and Sam stood leaning over the taffrail, gazing at the approaching sloop, while Milmer i CHAPTER X. THE MASKED CORSAIRS. ‘* CAPTAIN WEST, will you resist those board- ers, I again ask you?’ and Madcap Madge left the wheel to Melmer and approached the old captain. ‘If they were in body, I would fight them; but in spirit, Miss Madge, it is no use,” said Cap- tain West in a voice and manner that showed _ was not far distant, deeply interested in all that | how thoroughly he was governed by the supersti- Was going on. deck was quiet. ** Well, men, what do you wish?” asked Ca ‘*Cap’n, hain’t it your opinion that yonder craft are a spook sloop?” asked Buster. ** Yes, [ has my doubts about her being real,” was the low reply. “You knows what brings bad luck and death _ toa ship and crew?” ‘Yes, there are signs bad for ship and oe eis ‘9 ‘There is more nor signs, cap’n. ** Well?” i . ‘*It is bad luck to have a corpse aboard; it’s bad luck to carry a madman, a witch, or a fool, and we has the latter,” ‘* Now, lads, don’t go against poor Sam there, for we all know him,” said the captain. ** He’s a fool.” ‘“* Granted.” ‘* Then he’s a bad-luck man.” ** But, Jads—” ‘*Cap’n, we don’t want that sloop no nearer to us, and there’s but one way to stop it, and that is to throw the fool into the sea.” ‘* No, no, lads, you must not do that,” urged the captain, while Sam, who heard all, never mayen from his position, leaning over the taff- rail, ‘Well, cap’n, we want no quarrel with you, sir, but we has talked the matter over, and our minds is made up as one man, that the fool goes overboard. ‘* Come, lads, let us throw him into the sea!” The leader stepped forward, and the crew were at once at his back, when suddenly Madge sprung before Buster, and a pistol was thrust into his face, while in ringing tones came the words: ** Fool! you are the fool, not that noble fel- low, and Pll kill you to break the spell, if you don’t go forward this instant,” The words seemed to hiss through the girl’s white teeth, and her eyes flashed, while her hand was as firm as iron, and the pistol did not ringleader. He seemed struck dumb at this sudden turn in affairs, and at her words, and looked utterly helpless to move or speak. ‘** Back, sir! and lose no time, or you will go into the sea with a bullet in your brain!” With an effort the frightened fellow found his voice, and the use of his legs at the same time, for, giving a yell be turned and fled forward with the speed of a deer, his act stampeding his nets who sped after him with equal alac- rity. A sneering laugh broke from oe Madge at this, while the captain, still bowed down by the same superstition that impressed his men, shook his head in an ominous way. As for Sam, he simply turned, at the threat of the leader, as he stepped forward, and his hand sought a knife in his belt; but he smiled grimly as the crew fled, Melmer laughed outright, while Madge said: ‘*Cowards! did they think we were all fools to let them carry out their murderous design? but Captain West, I believe it is the intention of the sloop to board us.” ‘*T can do nothing, Miss Madge.” ‘You have fourteen men on this schooner, and I see but five yonder on the sloop.” ‘* We can offer no resistance, for we know not what to resist,” sadly said the captain, in an awed kind of way. ‘You have s there, so let Sam and Mel- mer load and fire them, if you care not to.” Again the captain shook his head sadly, while Melmer said: ‘* Miss Madge, I beg you not to fire on that craft.” ‘* What! you too believe it a spook craft?” ** No, miss, only let us wait and see what she bahay A and take my advice, miss, and don’t fire on it.’ - “Melmer, you know more about that craft ; ' | tious dread of the supernatural, which in those The passengers were all below, so that the | days pervaded all classes alike, though of course held a stronger hold upon seamen than upon others. “Well, sir, we will have to meet the alterna- tive, be they what they may, for the sloop gains rapidly now, and will soon overhaul us,” said Madge, annoyed at the feeling of dread pervad- ing the old captain and his crew. Captain West smiled and remained silent; but it was a resigned smile, and so the maiden understood it, as she returned to the wheel and said to Melmer: “Tt is useless, for they will not resist.” “Tt is better so, lady.” ‘Well, let me take the wheel again, and we'll wait and see what comes of it; but you know something, Melmer, I am convinced, that you will not tell me.” Melmer remained silent, and turning her gaze upon the sloop, Madge saw that she was headin so as to pass to windward, and yet close enoug to spring from one deck-to the other. Tnere were but five men visible upon ‘her decks, and these seemed to keep within the shadow of the sails, and try as she might, Madge could not fix her glass upon the helmsman. After all, the sloop had shown really no enmi- ty, or a desire to shun or avoid the schooner. Perhaps she was simply keeping on in the even tenor of her way, racing with the trim- looking packet for amusement. The only thing about her was that she was the exact counterpart of the wrecked Blue Bell— hull, spars, sails and all, and it was this re- markable similarity, met as she was within a couple of leagues from where the sloop of ski er Vernon had gone to pieces the very night v»efore, that had aroused the superstitious dread of the seamen. Suddenly out upon the air broke the trumpet- like hail: ‘“Schooner, ahoy!” ‘‘ Ahoy the sloop!” answered Madge, after waiting a moment for Captain West to reply, and seeing that he did not intend to do so. ‘‘TIs that the packet schooner Queen of the Kennebec?” came the query. “It is.” ‘*'You are the one I seek, then.” ‘* Ho, the sloop!” cried Madge. “Ay, ay.” “What sloop is that?” ‘‘The craft is a nameless skimmer of the sea,” was the distinct response, and Captain West said: ‘““T told you so! just listen how sepulchral that fellow’s voice sounds.” The crew of the Kennebec Queen were silent and watched, as they waited for future develop- ments. ‘*Ha! you confess to being a free rover? ‘‘Then I warn you to keep off, or we fire on you!” cried Madge in a voice that fairly rung like steel. ‘We mean your craft and crew no harm; but you have on board one whom we intend to take along with his baggage, so Ee him up, an save delay, trouble and bloodshed.” ‘*T warn you off, for we have over a dozen men here to defend the schooner,” cried Madge. A mocking laugh followed, and then came an order: ‘‘ Show yourselves, men!” Instantly the forecastle seemed to swarm with men, and next followed the command: “Tl] run upon your lee-quarter and make fast, while we can still keep our vessels on their course; but I must have that man, Job Jennings, for I have come to take him.” ‘‘ Job Jennings! that is the name of the up- river merchant who was on deck awhile ago— ha! there they come, and as Heaven judges me, — they are masked!” , It was old Captain West who uttered the words, and as he spoke the sharp bow of the a: (s, sloop ran close alongside the windward quar- ter of the schooner, a grapnel was thrown, a dozen men sprung over the bulwarks, upon the deck of the Kennebec Queen. Not a soul seemed to offer resistance, while Eomicbooks.com ” .