Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 418 — page 26: what you’re looking at

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

26 —_ to feel that something had gone wrong and questioned her, and the young sailor said in his : kindly way: ‘“*Do not feel anger against a mother who defends her son, Miss Sibyl, for the truth is, Hugh Bronx has been home and told his story and it is believed.” ‘*God help her then, and 1 am sorry I said what I did, and I will write to Bessie soon and tell her how sorry I am.” Then ee te left the piazza to dress for din- ner, and when the officers arrived every trace of what had happened had faded away, and a most enjoyable dinner was had that long linger- ? in the remembrance of those who sat down to i > owe eS a CHAPTER L. FOLLOWING A LIFE SKIFF, Ir was not avery bard matter to persuade Manton Moncrief to spend a few days longer as the guest of Hurst Haven. The picnic dinner in the woods had been given to the crew, and they enjoyed it to their hearts and stomachs’ content. Then too the skipper kept their men supplied daily with fresh meats, poultry and vegetables from his farm, and had their captain wished to strip the ship and go into winter-quarters in the cove the crew would have been content, As he wished to return at will, by day or night when his cruising wou!d bring him near the coast, Moncrief set about learning the chan- nelin and out of the cove, through the inlet, — the surf constantly broke with savage orce. In a life-skiff belonging to Sibyl, and with that young lady fora pilot, he ran in and out : several times a day until he was able to make f the trip without a word from her, even after ; nightfall. f hen he tried a five-ton pleasure sloop that 4 belonged to the farm, and this also he ran through with perfect success. ; Getting up sail he then ran the schooner in and out, and as it was growing dark he tried it oe under cover of the night until he was con- mee that he could come in, as Sibyl had, in a 0 ale. ee 5: He had instructed Allen Rossmore to also learn the channel, and that young man was tak- ing te a Saosin a chart and doing all in _ his power to obey orders, without instructions ' from so sweet a pilot as had Moncrief for a a teacher. ¥ The Sabbath day coming while the Sea Siren | -was in the cove Moncrief and S n Bennett, F: who was alsoa guest at Hurst Haven, drove 4 with the skipper and Sibyl to attend the church iz at the meeting-house some miles inland. * i The humble church-goers of the island gazed ty ck upon Moncrief with admiration, for it had be- _ ome noised about the neighborhood that the 2 famous Dashing Privateersman was at Hurst CAN Haven, and many crowded around the skipper | after service was over to condole with him on the loss of his arm, to get a word and a smile from Sibyl, and an introduction to the young sailor whose fame had preceded him. _ Sibyl had seen Bessie Bronx at church, her mother not being present, and had tried to aa _— to her, but saw that sheevidently shunned er. On the way home they passed the Bronx car- e, and Sibyl bowed low and half gave an _ order to the coachman to stop the vehicle that she = me speak with her. But the cold, haughty stare of Bessie Bronx | ulsed her, and the Hurst carriage rolled on. “w ‘That was-the sister of Hugh Bronx, and you gee that she refused to notice my bow. re ** Now I have done with all of them, though I Br pity them,” she said to Moncrief. 4 “She is very beautiful,” said the surgeon. fie) 88 Yes, ‘very = in face,” Moncrief added. mor 5% “She is, and as lovely in character also, and I have dearly loved her; but then Hugh has ma- ed me to his mother and sister, I am sure, and so let it rest until they see their error. As Captnuin Moncrief had ordered all in readi- ness to sail on Monday, Lieutenant Allan Ross- v more determined to improve the Sabbath after- noon by running in and out of the inlet a few -- more in practice, The day had come on to be raw and windy after noon, and the sea being rough the waves were unusually high, but he thought that @bet- ter opportunity to try bis skill through the fierce 7 so sailed away from theschooner in the life- 1 . ' _ The Sea Siren was anchored in a curve of the / -—s ¢ove, protected from view from the sea by a a. wooded point of land, and so the young officer Ms soon lost sight of the vessel. e. As he stood out into the bay he saw a boat | ___ shoot out from the shore a quarter of a mile be- | Jow, and immediately opposite to the inlet. aa He knew that there lay the boat-house of the - Bronx farm, and having seen no one there dur- ing the schooner’s stay in the cove, he turned his glass upon the boat to discover who was its oc- I “#1 “fo his surprise he saw that it was not a man, Buta young girl. _ | { a) ' se eke Ee ‘ au, at | Jd ‘ # = * ey : . . - Aas 7 y t MG ¥ - a : ‘ » 4 2 ~ ss | =e The Sea “That is Hugh’s sister 1 have heard so much about, and they say, as a sailor, she is only sec- ond to Sibyl Hurst,” he muttered. ‘‘She is searching for the inlet, surely; but what can be taking her out to sea such a day as this, and Sunday afternoon, too. ‘*T will follow her, for she trifles with life to go out through that mad surf.” The skiff with Bessie Bronx in it held straight on, and the pretty pilot looked neither to the right or left, so did not see the skiff containing Rossmore following her. Into the surf she dashed, and Allen Rossmore held his breath until he saw her little sail far out beyond the dashing breakers. ‘**T will go yonder and land,” he muttered and he ran into a nook, sheltered by an arm of sand, but almost in the surf that surged through the open inlet. Landing, he made his boat fast, and ascending to the top of one of the sand dunes, he looked over in search of the skiff. An exclamation arose to his lips, for off-shore, — coming to, and with the skiff in which was essie Bronx heading directly for it, was the Sea Scorpion! iren. CHAPTER LI A FOE IN THE WAY. THERE was no doubt of it, there lay the Sea Scorpion, half a league off-shore, and she had just come to at a signal from Bessie Bronx, ‘*T will watch events,” muttered Rossmore and he lay down on the sand dune and looked out through the long grass that grew on the top. The little skiff had signaled the schooner, and the latter had at once come to. Running alongside, Bessie Bronx was drawn on board by her brother and at once led to the cabin. Hugh Bronx was pale and looked haggard, while he seemed ill at ease. ** Well, sis, what on earth brings you out here in this blow?’ and there was anxiety portrayed in the question. . ‘*When I returned from church I sighted your schooner one Mor the coast, and hur- ried out to meet you, before you got beyond the woods where you would be seen from Hurst Haven.” ‘* And why, sis?” ‘* Well, there are visitors at Hurst Haven,” ** Visitors?” ‘* Yes, Captain Moncrieff and his officers !” ‘Captain Moncrief! Great God!’ and the _— sunk back in his chair as though he was shot. ‘** Yes, brother.” ‘* [mpossible!” ‘*No, Hugh, he is there.” ** But I killed him.” ‘* You thought so; but he has just recovered from a severe wound the servants said,” ‘* Well! I am amazed.” **'You may well be; but he is there, and his sehooner, the brig Mermaid, changed into the schooner-of-war Sea Siren, lies in the Shelter Cove.” ‘* Sis, I must go at once,” and the man fairly trembled, ** Hugh, I do not wish you to go, for I know trouble will follow between you and Moncrief, for . neighbors say that he is to marry Sib e saw that she had misunderstood his star- tled words, for he had meant go out to sea, not into the inlet, and so he said: ‘Well, if you do not wish me to go in and anchor I will not.” ‘*No, Hugh, you must go away, for I hear the Sea Siren sails soon, and when you return up the coast come by night! ‘Tf the Sea Siren is in the inlet, I will display in the sitting-room window a red light, if she is not then I will leave the window-shutters simply open as usual.” ** All right, sis; you are a good girl; but have you seen Sibyl Hurst?” ) sé Yes ” ‘When?’ ‘* She was at church to-day.” ** ‘Who was with her?” ‘** Her father,,Captain Moncrief, and another officer they spoke of as Surgeon Bennett.” ** Ah, yes; but did you speak to her?” i No. ” ‘That was right.” ** She bowed to me, on passing my carriage on her way home.” * Did you return it?” ‘Of course not, Hugh, after all you told us about her; but she does not look the one you say she is, While Captain Moncrief has a pleasant face. ** Curse him, and her! they are devils!” ‘** Oh, Hugh!” ‘Was mother with vou to-cey?” ‘¢ When I met Sibyl?” ac Yes. 7) Same ‘* No, she had a sick headache and remained at home. ‘In fact, Hugh, mother has not seemed well since Sibyl visited the house the other day.” + : ** Did she come there?” He fairly hissed the question. ‘** Yes, Hugh.” ** 'W hen?” ‘*The morning following the arrival of the Sea Siren in the cove.” ‘* How dare she go to my home?” ‘I was away, for I had gone to the village to make some purchases, when she rode up on horseback. ‘*She saw no one, so dismounted and knocked at the sitting-room door. ‘*Mother was alone in the room, and was ainazed to see Sibyl Hurst enter, ‘Sibyl advanced in a pleasant way to greet her, with some remark about being glad to come back, and mother drew herself up, ordered her away from the house and said she was un- worthy of the shelter of her roof.” ‘* Mother has spirit, and she did just right.” ‘** But to think that mother and Sibyl should be angry with each other, Hugh?” ‘Jt is that wicked girls fault. ‘* But did she reply to mother?” ‘Oh, yes, and bitterly, for she said that she would never enter the house again, and she pitied mother and myself as the wother and sister of’ an outlaw.” The man winced under this shot, while an oath broke from his lips, ‘Oh, Hugh! what did Sibyl mean by that, that you were an outlaw?” ‘' She but said it to hurt mother. ‘* Tt is like her, Bess, as I know her.” ‘* Well, brother, I must go, for I wish no trouble between you and Captain Moncrief, and if you lie off here long some one from the schooner or Hurst Haven may see you, and I fear trouble will follow.” ‘** Had you not better remain on board, for it. is very rough in the inlet with this sea and wind?” **Oh, no, I can run in well, and mother would be nearly crazy about me, as I did not tell her where | was going.” ‘* All right, Bess; but be very careful in the run back, for that is a nasty place, that inlet.” ‘Pll be careful, brother; but don’t forget that it will be a red light if the Sea Siren is still in the cove.” ‘‘Tll remember it, sis,” and leading her on deck again, he aided her into her little skiff and away she went flying over the rough waters, while the schooner got under way once more, and headed along the coast toward Montauk, Hugh Bronx too anxious to escape discovery by the Sea Siren, to watch the running into the inlet of his brave sister, CHAPTER LIL. IN THE SURF, OvER the rough waters came the little skiff, with its fair occupant, as Allen Rossmore watched it from the sand dune. The sea had grown more turbulent since the oung girl had run out, and the tide had begun es flow out, which increased the fury of the surf in the inlet. But Bessie Bronx had a brave heart, and she was skillful in the management of a boat. Still she could not but feel that she had never been through the inlet when the sea was: as wild as then, and the wind blew as hard. But on she went, heading directly for the gap between the sand dunes, though it was the wild- est part of the surf. “Tf mother had only seen me on board the schooner, I would have remained there, rather than face this sea,” she said to herself. Then after a while she said, as she drew near the outer breakers: ‘‘[ must run in, for the storm will but in- crease with the night, and no one knows where am. ‘Heaven help me!” With this fervent prayer upon her lips she nerved herself to the task. Her boat now rose on the outer breakers and was sent forward with terrific force, aud in bracing herself to hold on more firmly, her foot struck the wooden plug in the bottom of the skiff and forced it frem its place, A ery of horror breke from her lips as a spout of water came up through the drain- hole, and yet, in that mad surf she could not release her tiller to spring forward, grasp and replace the plug. ike a torrent the water poured in, and like a plaything the boat was in the angry surf. eel the brave girl did not lose her presence of mind, held her sheet-rope firmly, and grasped her tiller with a hand that Meld the skiff on its perilous way. ut the waters pow in, and breaking over, began to rapidly fill the boat, and then she would not answer her helm as before. Then the waters surged fore and aft, when the skiff rose or fell on the waves, and the weight, as it went down in the stern buried it beneath a curling breaker, and Bessie was strugghng in the midst of the surf. With her clothes on, and €om in such a she cbooks¥co