Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 418 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

—- The Sea Siren. This letter was a great surprise to Sibyl, and she clapped her hands with delight and cried: ‘‘ Bravo for Bronx! it is just like the brave fellow; but he has taken the wind out of your sails, Lieutenant Moncrief.” ‘‘ Yes, he has saved you the risk of an attack in boats, sir; but how perfectly quiet he kept the whole thing, for he was here this morning and said nothing about his plot,” the major re- marked. ; But Manton Moncrief looked serious, and said: ‘‘T am sorry he has gone, for that English and is not willing to obey my orders to the death “Tf there is any such man in this party, be he | sailor or soldier, let him step out now, for he | men and true in | will be only in the way of ¢g the expedition I have on hand to-night.” So spoke the young sailor and not a man moved from the soldier’s ranks, or came out of } @ **’You can see?” ** Yes, sir, for the flashes of the fire-arms ren- der the vessels visible.” ** And the Englishman?” ‘Is setting sail I think, sir, and getting up anchor.” ** He is not firing?” ** No, sir, for he has prize crews upon both the boats lying at the shore, though all heard | the barque and schooner, you know.” the terse words addressed to them. ‘** Men, I would say to you, that you may feel ‘* True.” For a moment no word was spoken, and then confidence in your leader, that this is Lieutenant | Sibyl cried exultantly: Manton Moncrief, the Dashing Privateersman, ' ' commander is too wide awake not to notice a! who this night escaped from the British brig, by | aoe ee | a ‘large vessel approaching, and he has a heavy ‘armament, an the barque and her brave crew will suffer, while Mr. Bronx has not men enough for the work witbout a perfect surprise— Ah! there is a heavy gun, and the Englishman has sighted the approach of the barque,” and all hastened to an upper room, fhat commanded a saa view of the harbor and the vessels in the offing. When they arrived there the rour of heavy guns filled the air, and far out upon the waters the red flashes lighted up the sea and rendered the vessels visible. The barque was heading directly toward the British brig, and not half a mile from her, while her two pieces of artillery were being fired rap- ot upon her. return, she was receiving the fire of both the brig and the schooner, while both vessels were rapidly getting up anchor and setting sail to meet the attack. ‘* He is foolhardy,” said the major. ‘* Yes, he will be captured.” And Sibyl turned her gaze upon the face of . Lieutenant Moncrief, to see what he thought of ‘ the youn mate’s reckless attack. But Moncrief said nothing, and kept a glass to his eye, intently gazing at the scene. ‘** You see he stands on, in spite of the double fire, Lieutenant Moncrief, and he may win yet,” | cried the m ajor. ** He acts ee a desperate man, Major White, | rather than a brave one, for he has but two ‘small guns, a large, slow-sailing barque, and a ‘crew he certainly does not know | no opportunity to try them, and as he has had he will simply | become a prize for the Englishman,” was the i le | “To-night?” | reply, of the young sailor. ‘Egad! you are right. See there!” As the major spoke, the bowsprit of the barque was shot away, the vessel lay to, and the brig and the schooner, now under sail, headed rapidly down upon the ill-fated craft. ‘She has surrendered; t o bad!” said Mon- crief, as, a few moments after, the firing ceased and silence reigned out upon the waters. men ¢" Hugh has been foolhardy, and sealed his own fate,” Sibyl said. ** Major White ** Yes, Lieutenant Moncrief.” ‘The men you were to supply me with are soldiers, are they not?” Ss Yea, San.” ‘** rom the harbor forts?” se Yes. ” ** Are there any seamen in the port, sir?” ‘* Yes, a few on merchant vessels.” ** Could I get, say, twenty-five.or thirty?” ** Certainly.” ‘‘Tt would be difficult to do so to-night, sir.” ‘*T will try it, sir, and if you will have your | soldiers, say four-score men, ready for me with- in three hours, 1 will come by the forts with ' what sailors I can get.” ‘*Do you mean to go out to-night, sir?” asked the amazed major. ‘* Yes, just as soon as I can do so, for the En- glishman will not expect another attack to- night,” was the quiet response, and ten minutes after Manton Moncrief and Major White left the mansion to carry out the bold plan of the young sailor, to capture the British vessel and retake the prizes. CHAPTER XL. , THE NIGHT EXPEDITION, | Whuat Moncrief set forth to do, he did quick- | ly and well, so that it was but a short while af- ter leaving the white mansion before he had thirty good seamen under his command, Major White had driven him to the place , where the merchant vessels lay, and the young | Sailor had at once set about getting a crew, | while the soldier went down to his forts to pick , Out his men for the daring expedition. ving secured four good men and a boat, | Moncrief rowed from vessel to vessel, told his _ errand and secured from on board one craft two _men, from another three, and so on until he had the number he wished. He picked out the best boats for rowing and carrying men, had the oars securely muffled and then set out for the forts. It was after midnight when he reached the fort where Major White awaited him, his men, four-score in number, drawn up in line upon the sandy beach, armed to the teeth, but stripped of all extra clothing. ** Men, there is honor to be gained in your to- night’s work, and plenty of prize money too, so I want no man to go with me who fears to die, swimming ashore, and who is determined to re- ; f **They have carried the schooner!” ** How do you know?” ‘“*She is under way, her sails are being set take his schooner and rescue the gallant Ameri- , rapidly, and she heads for the brig.” can prisoners held upon those vessels in the offing,” and at Major White’s words the men would have broken forth in a cheer, had they not been quickly checked, ‘* My men, I wish to divide apn into two par- ties, one of fifteen seamen and sixty soldiers to make a dash with me upon the schooner, the other party, under a gallant captain here, con- sisting of us many seamen and twenty soldiers, to board anc carry the barque captured to-night, and which lies near the brig-of-war., ‘*The seamen are to get up anchor and set sail at once, while the soldiers are to do the fighting. a Once under way, the schooner and barque are | to head for the carry her thus: Captain Bainbridge,” and Moncrief turned to the young soldier who was to be second in com- anes and to whom the major had introduced im: ** Once you have the barquein your possession, | no ritish cruiser, board her and — ‘* You will release the prisoners on board, for | il _ her. they will aid you tly.” ith these few orders the s-ilor commander | bade Major White good-by, bowed to the officers of the fort who were there, and entered his — boat, the soldiers quickly following bis ex- | ample. e forces were then divided into two boat columns, there being three boats in one and six in the other, all with oars heavily muffled, and b ” weighted deep in the water so as to present as | little obstacle as possible for the sharp-cyed look- out on the vessels to discover, Silently they sped away in the darkness, fol- | lowed by the good wishes of the officers and men in the fort, all of whom stood at their posts | waiting for the conflict that must soon begin. Not a word was spoken on the boats, the oars rose and fell without sound, and the tide, which had turned, aided their advance toward the for the captured barque lay in a line with the brig and the schooner, and a quarter of a mile only divided the British cruiser from the Scor- pion and ber other prize. ‘There is your e, Captain Bainbridge and, you know my instructions,” said Mon ef in a whisper, addressing the soldier, whose boat was alongside of bis own. “All right, Captain Moncrief. ‘ ‘** Bravo! Moncrief is there, my child.” ** Yes, father.” ** And the barque?” “Is now moving, sir, but they are fighting fiercely upon her decks, as you can hear by the er? ‘No, sir.” ** Then she is certainly captured,” ** True, father.” ** And the barque?” ‘‘ There is still fighting on board, in the fore- castle, though she is sailing along.” ** In which direction?” ‘** Toward the brig.” ** And the brig?” “Ts crowding on sail, though her anchor is et up, sir.’ “Hal whatis that? “ ** The schooner, father.” ** She has opened upon the brig?” ‘Yes, sir; and is standing down to board ‘* Brave Moncrief!” ** He will win, father, for the fighting on the ue is over.’ ‘* But our men may not have won,” ; “True, father; but she heads toward the ‘* That may be to aid her, my child.” ‘* Yes, sir; but do you hear those cries?” “*T do, indeed.” **They seem to come from the schooner and the bar que.” ‘* And hark! the British answer them, and _ their cheer is louder.” ‘*No, father, no! that last cheer is from the _ forts, sir, and [am sure that Lieutenant Mon- _crief is, so far, the winner.” side of her— **Good-night and success,” was the low re- | laying her to.” sponse, and the two columns of boats passed, one heading toward the schooner, the other for the barque. There was a light wind, and the sea was quiet, and as the night had come on dark, ow- ing to heavy clouds obscuring the skies, the boats were hardly visible half a cable's length away, as Moncrief was glad to observe when he parted with Captain Bainbridge. Seated in the window in her father’s room, Sibyl had awaited the attack. e skipper, knowing what was going on could not sleep, and as he knew that Sibyl would not retire until she knew what the re- sult would be, he had asked her to come into his room. There she had been seated, conversing in a low tone with her father, while she watched and waited. With her ey, —_ she could see the dis- tant vessels, the lights of the three rising and falling upon the swell, and the suspense was awful, for she had noted the boats passing down the harbor and knew that they must be rowing out to the death-struggle. ‘“* They must soon attack, my child, unless the awn has been given up to-night,” said the skipper. ™ No, father, for Major White would have re- turned had it been given up.” ‘**True, and Moncrief is not a man to give u what be undertakes, but it will be dawn soon.’ me for more than an hour yet, father— The cry came from her lips, as bright flashes suddenly became visible far out upon the wa- ters, and to their ears came the sound of fire- arms that told her the attack had begun, CHAPTER XIII. THE FIGHT FOR MASTERY. _ “Tr has begun, Sibyl,” said the skipper, mov- ing uneasily in his excitement. ** Yes, father.” ** Which vessel has he attacked?” ‘The schooner and the barque,” | ed in, and are lowering those from the davits, and are working rapidly.” oe | wonderful emy. | bar The lights from the three vessels were visible, “* ‘“* But the brig is yet to be taken?” ** Yes, sir; and she is opening fire on both the ue and schooner, for she is now moving.” wonder if he will run?” ‘* She cannot now, sir, if she would.” ““ Why, because the schooner is laying along- ‘My child! my child! what has happened?” y child! my child! what has P ‘“* The barque is on fire, father!” ‘*Ha! then many lives will be lost!” ‘*The flames are breaking out in half a dozen places!” ‘* What are the men doing?” ‘“‘Her decks are crowded, sir, and they are ‘** They have boats?” ** Yes, sir, and are going into them now. ‘* They have those the attacking ue’ ‘* They have need to.” ‘“* Yes, sir; for the flames gain headway with rapidity.” ** Heaven save the poor wounded fellows on board!” “‘The boats are putting away, sir.” Fi soem and deserting their comrades to the ‘** Alas! it seems so, sir.” ‘Too bad that men should be so inhuman; but what of the brig and schooner?” ‘They lie side by side, sir, and the fight is raging upon the brig’s deck.” ‘You can see aj] now, for I notice the glare of the burning bark myself.” ** Yes, father; ~nd oh! joy!” ** What is it, child?” ‘* The three boats that left the barque, sir, are filled with armed men, for the flames glisten upon their weapons, and they are pulling with all haste to the schooner to aid their friends, for a young officer stands in the bow of the leading boat, his sword drawn, and waving them on.” ‘* Brave fellow!” ‘* And other boats are alongside of the bark, while men are lowering the wounded into them.” . ““They are not inhuman, afterall. But what of the schooner and the brig, child?” . ‘*There is one party driving the other, sir, for they are amidships now, fighting hke de- mons, yet one side yields slowly. ** And the rescuing boats?” ** Are now reaching the schooner’s side; th clamber on board—the young officer leads them —he is upon the brig’s bulwark—oh! he has sprung down into the midst of the Pargy that was fiving way, and his men follow him ‘* Hark! hear their cries, father!” | se es; but is there no firing upon the schoon- “ Thank God! down come Bri colors si i comicbooks:corr a < y 5 4 . < 4 Pal