WA‘E -: A ‘- Q (3) Brentford’s Brilliant Sea Romance! “ Dauntless Dick!” Vol. VIII. Publication Office, 98 William St., New York. Copyrighted l890, 3y Beadle and Adams. llill‘lllllllll’ ll LOVE'S LOGIC. BY EBEN E. III-EXPORT). I p'ead with my love for kisses. But she only shook her head. “ l‘m a‘raid it wouldn‘t be proper. And folks might talk," she said. “ But it isn‘t fair.” I told her. " For me all the kissing to do: You give me none in payment For the kisses I give to you." ”' If you could only or nvince me That i our/M to d» as you say, I‘d try to do my duty. I mean to, every day." “ Have you forgotten the poem I read to you last night?— That ‘ love, the gift, is love, the debt Sure to pay our debts is right. “ Now if I give you love. dear. You OWe me love in return, And so, if 1 giVe you kisses. Your kisses in payment l earn." “ Logic is logic,“ she answered. “ I must pay my debts, I see. I cannot help doing my duty When you make it so plain to me. “ So here is the first installment," Said she. “ of the debt 1 owe. You must tell me when I have pai" it." And I promised to let her know! llauntless Dick, The Knight of the Deck; on, The Letter-of-Marque Sea. Witch. A Romance of the High Seas and Coast In the Day- that Tried Men"- Souls. BY BURKE BRENI‘FURI), AUTHOR or “rm: SEA scorr," “BARNACLE BEN,“ “ THE cnt'isa or THE SEA sritiric,” 14:10., no, ETC. CHAPTER I. TH]: DERELICT. IN the early summer of 17725, the British armed brig Hector was cruiSing in a heavy but fluctuating fog off Barnegat, on the New Jer- sefiCoast. ut for the fog, it would have been a bright, though blustering, morning, and the chances were that between wind and sun the air would presently clear. A group of officers Were on the poop-deck, eagerly examining, or trying to examine, some object through their telescopes. “ \Vhat do you make of her, \\'insted.’” do manded Lieutenant Romney, the officer in com- mand, of a more elderly officer at his side, who was leveling his glass for perhaps the twentieth time with a puzzled air. “ There! now she part- ly looms out again." And he quickly brought his own gla3s to bear. “A derelict, I think, sir." was the reply. “ At all events, it‘s a wreck of some sort, and— Ha! A derelict, indeed, by St. (ieorgc! ready to go to pieces at any minute, and with a live man lashed to the stump of her fore- mast." “ What! are you sure?" I’ast Midshipman Winsted was known to have the sharpest eyes aboard the brig, but this announcement seemed hardly credible. “ Perfectly sure, captain,“ was the quiet reply. “ Wait. There!” Then the fog momentarily lifted in the quar- ter at which they were gazmg, and his an~ nouncement \\ as verified. A battered and dismasted schooner, her decks awash, and seemingly about to disappear at every plunge she made into the troughs of the angry sea. Yes, and there, at the stump of the foremast, a man was lashed. He could be dis- tinctly seen, and it was also apparent that he was alive and endeavoring to make a signal of distress as well as his lashings would per- mit. All this in a momentary glimpse, and then the fog settled down once more, shutting out the tragic spectacle. “ Lower away !" ordered the commander. “ The poor devil must be rescued if a boat can reach hitn in time." A boat was at once sent. off in the direction of the fogshrouded wreck. While it was utting oil‘, the cabin steward brought up wortl)that breakfast was served. “Keep a good lookout, \Vinsted," enjoined Romney to his second in command, before stepping down the coinpzinionway. “There is no telling when that seawievil, Dick Dareall, might slip out upon us in this accursed fog.“ He looked about him somewhat anxiously. “The Barnegat reaches, hereabouts, are his chief haunt, and I don‘t want a gun from his Mist Witch to shiver our timbers, with per- chzince not a glimpse of the infernal schooner herself." o “ Yes, captain, the best lookout I can. But I hardly fancy that even the Rebel schooner. witch as she may he, could do much cruising in this weather." Romney, with the rest of his subordinate offi- cers, then went down to breakfast. He was a powerfully-built, fair-fnced, hand- some man of thirty or thereabouts, whose high position as lieutenant commander in the British Navy was chiefly owing to his aristocratic con- nections. The Hector was. a small brig carrying tWo guns, and was patrolling the coast from Sew York Ray southward on the lookout for just such coastwise enemies of the crown, half~ freebooterl, half—privatet-rsmen, as the indi- vidual mentioned. As for Dareall, he had already made himself notorious, if not respected. by the boldness and success of his attacks. \‘arionsly known as “ Darintless Dick." “ the (Joust Scourge,“ ‘_‘ the Reef King,” and “ Daring liick,“he Would issue out of the intricate inlets of liarnegat, strike his blow, and be gone so swiftly and mysteri— ously in his fleet schooner that there was not a little superstition associated with his success He was as much a thorn in the side of the l‘iritish marine us he was a glory to the Atriericans: and General Washington had more than oiitrc made mention of his prowess with undlsgmsed SfltlB~ factiOn in his dispatches to the (Toni-Cress “‘0'” New Jersey, which! was at this juncture the field of his campaign. In the mean time, the brig‘s borit, under the command of a jolly young midshipnian named Harker, succeeded in reaching the wreck, and taking off the man, just before the battered hulk went out of sight beneath the wuves. “1 say, young chap," said the midshipman, cheerily. “ We were just in the nick of time, weren‘t we! ’ “ Yes, thank you,” was the CompOSed reply. “ But then, I‘ve had many a closer shave than even that between me and Davy Jones’s locker." Harker, who sat with the rescued man in the sternsheets while the boat was groping its way back to the brig—a tedious and uncertain busi- noes—eyed his companion curiously. He was a young fellow of superb physique, and apparently every inch a sailor, with a sug~ gestion of power and resolution in face and glance. ()n being told the name and character of the vessel to which the boat belonged, he seemed to manifest a certain unenstness, which, however, speedily disappeared, leaving him wary and calm. “ I‘m mighty glad we‘ve saved you, old fel- low l" cried the middy, slapping him jovially on the knee. “ So am I,“ was the laConic reply. “ You couldn't have been long lashed to that old hulk, eh?" “ Not more than six “0111".” “ Who placed you in such a pickle?" “ My enemy." “ I should think so. he.” " George Collingford, by name." “ \Vliat ! the rich Tory—or I should say Loyalist—back of liarnegat’!" “ The same." “ By the way, my friend, are you n king’s man or a blasted Rebel!” “ I am nu American patriot." liarker gave a low whistle. “ It may go hard with you on the brig, friend,“ he observed, not unkindly. “ ()ur commander hates your sort as the devil hates holy water.” “ IV ho commands the Hector?” “ Lieutenant Romnev." The other gaVe a start." “ Lieutenant (i‘reor e Romney~—the friend and distant relative of ory (‘ollingfordi” be ex— claimed. “ That’s our captain." “ Iiumph!” _ And the stranger relapsed into his indiffer- new. 6 “I my, friend,“ llnrkcr continued, in his hearty way, "I haven‘t asked you your own name yet." “ Ilon’ll, then, for—much as I am beholden to you —I sha’n‘t tell it.” I “ Well, you needn‘t be in such a blasted mys- terious mood, anyway!" cried the midshipman, in something of a huff. “ l don‘t take you for one of the royal family, at all events.‘ “ Rather glad of that,“ composedly. “ I don‘t ndmire royal families." . The stronger, however, voiichsafed to give some details of the situation in which he had been found. When separated from his ship in a small boat on the preceding night, he had been picked up by Mr. (.‘ollingford’s yacht. ('ollingford was his hated foe, and,the crazy derelict charming along at. about the same- tune, the stranger had forthwith been Inshed upon it, at his enemy’s orders, and then abandoned to his fate. it being evident that the wreck could keep afloat but a few hours longer. That was all he would say. _ “ Well, let inc tell you this, friend," said the midshipmnn, good-nntiircdly. “It will be 3 But who might be “The Mist Witch! and she's almost aboard us!” blessed good thing for you if you don’t turn out to belong to any of these blasted frecl-ooting smacks along the coast here, and, Worst of all, to that devil’s crn ft, the Mist Witch, with which Master lliirtall has been harassing our store- ships and transports ever since the beginning of the war. It will be short shritt and a yard- arm dance With you in that case.” “Thank you, Mr. Midshipman,” was the re- ply. “ I will talk? my chances as to that.” And he did so——to his cost! For, scarcely was he on the Hector’s deck, and in Commander Romney‘s presen'c'e, before the latter exclaimed, exultantly: “Good Lord! is this our castaway of the derelict? Why, it is Dick Dareall himself I” There was an instant sensation. “It is true,” replied the young man, quiet- y. “To the yard-arm with him!” roared the Rritisher. “Not ten minutes’ griii‘t' for the murdering Rebel freebooter!” Harker ventured to interpose with the young man‘s story of his havmg been lashed to the wreck, but the commander would scarcely listen. “Served him rightl" cried the latter. “ Mr. Collingford is a gentleman and a Loyalist, who doubtless had as good reasons for wishing this coast pirate (it the bottom of the sea as I have for launching him into the air, with u rope’s-end for a necktie. Mr. \Vinsted,“turn— ing to the officer of the deck, “make ready for the execution on the spot.” “ Yes, sir," eagerly. “ Five minutes are time enough." And the preparations were forthwith ex- peilited. Ina few minutes Dick Dareall stood on the starboard rail ainidships, his arms plIIIOIlMl be- hind him, a noose about his neck, and in readi— mess to be swung off from the yard-arm. UHAPI‘ER II. THE Mis'r WITCH. THE prospective victim of this brutul piece of business had borne himself with an indifference that could but challenge the admiration of the brig's crew, who were gathered around in a solid mass to witness his death. ()nce his clear eyes kindled as be exchanged a glance with one man among them u how he recognized as a fellow-townsman, doubtless a pressed man; but that was all, and evon now he did not betray fear by so muc'n as a change of color in his bronzed check or by the flutter of an eyelid. “ You can have your say before you are swung off, Dareall,” called out Romney, with mock courtesy. “ His Majesty’s officers are in— dulgent, even when dealing with pirates and rebels. And, since your Mist Witch is about to lose her rudder and compass in losing you, there is no objection to your saying a few parting words, if you wish to." “ Thank you, Lieutenant Romney, replied the condemned man, fixing his iindnuutetl gaze contemptuously on his insulter. “ l have mere- ly this to say, then, for the enlightenment of your officers and crew: It is for being neither a pirate nor a rebel that you are about to lung ,. ‘1 e. *‘ ()ho! And for what then, pray?" Before answering Darcal! looked about him and snutled the fog»laden air with a peculiar smile, almost as if he might be scenting a chance for life from somewhere in the milky ob— scurity. “You are about to hung the for just this, Lieutenant Romney: To assist your relative, Tory (‘ollingford, in his Cowardly wooing of HIV sweetheart, Jessie Ilearborn, by putting me out .‘/ yelled Romney, springing toward his qu inter-deck, much to the prisoner’s amusement. of the way. Yes,” with increased contemptu- ousness as he marked the commander’s face first :pale and then blacken, as it were, “and you ‘ doubtless think it may better your own chances with her fair cousin, Mistress Naomi Goldheart, who at present scorns and despises you as you deserve." “ It is false!" shouted Romney, hoarse “itll rage: “ fzilse as hell! Swing him ofi‘, there! Not another word from his lying lips!" Before the order could be obeyed however—— and, to the honor of a majority of the brig’s of- ficers and crew, they were but reluctant partici- pants in the prospective tragedy—Dareall sud- denly straightened himself under the rope, and, gazing. eagerly to larboard, called out in u ring- ing v01ce: “ Sail ho!” As all heads were instinctively turned in the same direction, tlnre was :1 flash in the fog, a mutiied boom from close at hand, and a twenty— four-pound round-shot tore along the brig’s decks, killing or wounding half a dtzen men, and knocking the hood of the companionway into splinters. “ The Mist “'itch! and she’s almostaboardus !" yelled Romney, springing toward his quarter- deck, much to the prisoner‘s amusement. Every- thing else was forgotten in the excitement of the moment. “ Beat to quarters, and clear the decks for action!” And a dozen similar orders, hurriedly obeyed, poured from his lips in rapid succession. In the general confusion, Ilarcall jumped down from the bulwark unlieeded, and was in- stantli joined by the pressed man with uhom he had exchanged glances. A. swift stroke of the latter‘s jack—knife sev— ered both halter and pinioning cords, and then the man stood irresolute. “ Jack Simmons,”.said Ilareall, in ii low voice. but, one that had the instinctive ring of the born commander, “you are here on this king‘s ship against; your will, I take itf" “,Of course. The press—gang snatched me up. ‘ “Then give me your tarpaulin. and lead the way down into the forecastle hold." Dareall snatched the man‘s hat and clapped it on his own head as he spoke, and the other forthwith led the way down the fore-hatch just asasecond ball from the fog-shrouded enemy swept the deck, doing greater execution than before, and thus increasing the panic and con- fusron to the two men‘s advantage. Once safely under hatches, with no sign of their maneuver having been observed, Ilareall Suitl: “You know the way to the forward magn- zine?" “ ()f course I do." “ And the. locker where the slow-match fuses are kept!" “ Certainly." “Lead on, then.” “ Good Lord, [lick !" exclaimed Simmons, besitating, forhe was of less desperate stuff than his companion; “ wbnt Would you dot" “ Add a liritish nrmed brig to the list of the Mist Witch’s priZes, which have thus far been the smallest sort of fry. Lead on, I tell you !" Simmons obeyed. In the mean titre the confusion on deck con- tinned. The brig,a good Snilcr, was ('lcvcrly enough handled, but could do little or nothing toward returning theiire of her for the most part iii- visible foe. Every succeeding flash in the mist, which meant another cannonsball into the brig’s hull or along her crowded deck, came from a widely- diii'erent quarter, indicating thut the witch»like schooner was sailing around her enemy in a circle: and therefore every shot from the brig‘s guns, guided as it necessarily was simply by the last hostile flash, was wasted in the milky obscurity. Romney stamped on the deck in impotent rage as a shot at Inst carried away his vessel‘s bowsprit, to the serious detriment of her sailing powers. “ Good God!” he exclaimed: “this is the devil‘s magic of sea-fighting “iih a vengeance! Must we be knocked to pieces by an antagonist that we can never see? And if she can see us, why can’t we see her?" “They must have some extra-sort of fog- piercing telescopes, sir,” suggested Barker. “ Bear away there!” shouted Winsted: “ there she is at last!” Yes: there, not ten ('ahledeiigihs astern, as the. Wind and sun together momentarily parted the heavy mists, suddenly loomed out the little schooner, looking like a veritable phantom of the sea. and with her trim deck black with men. “1.),iiick!‘7 gasped Romney: “ quick. “'insted! You are the best sighter we have. Now let her have it from our stern-chaser !" But, Winsted had already sprung to the gun, and the gunner was beside him, lighted like in hand. Yet, evenin that brief space the little schooner had roundul out in perfect silence, as it she was a caresbcd creature of the lickle fogs and n inds themselves. “Quick, Winsted, or you are too late!" cried Romney again, in tin agony of excitement. " 'l‘lie fog is shutting her out again." it AY‘ 81)., Sir!” llaving leveled the piece to his satisfaction, Winsted rose, and signed for the match. It was in his hand ; another instant would Send the bolt upon its way, ‘when flash! from the now shadowy schooner’s stern. and the gun was (lis- mounted by ihe shot that fOIlf‘iWill. while the gunner who had passed the match was instantly killed by the upSet, “dusted himself narrowly escaping With his life. Then, a faint, ghostly sort of chrer iron; out the fog, and the schooner was once more invis— iblc. and ready for the resumption of her deadly tactics. “The gun is perfectly useless, sir," said Win- sted,desperately. as he returned to the com— mander’s side—“ knocked into smitln-rcens !” This left the brig with but one gun, the one at the bow, though, for thnt matter, site might as well have been with none at all in the exti‘ur ordinary plight in which she found lt-rsclf. (fommnndcr Romney was viry pale. “ We must stand it the best we run," he rt» plied, hoarsely, “and prny for the log to lift be fore we nre knocked to pieces. There is no other courSe. Hy the “my. what is bu.- titre of that rascal we were about to hnng !" ‘ “ lie vanished in the firstcohfnsit n.“ Midship mun llai‘ker took it upon himself to answer. “lfnncy some one must have cut him lOoSe. and he may have gone chrboaid, or skulkcd below," “ Who could lmVe cut him loose!" l‘Hfll‘t'h l Romney, lashing himself into :i fury again. "Tush, iush. siri” iltiergmscti ltlI-‘ second in command. “ You must knou that We've nyoi': than one pressed man on board." “True, true!" contrcllirm himself again. “ Well, gentlt men,” addressing his subordinate ofliccrs ('0lll(‘ilVPly—rlld'l'l‘ “(re seven crcighi in all, mostly midshipmcn, “ to \our p(7RiR,i1lul let us hope for the best. And, Mr. llarker~ pray see the sui‘gcon in the crckpit, and report our casualties to NW thus far." “ Yes, sir." .i... wuut-h' en‘s-“V ~‘w- -*‘ '--u&r m V . . venous-wk“? """‘“IO .w- .