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August 2!. 1895.

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(Beadle {f- J1Cz€£7fb§l Q)LLl)liS/L(LI‘S, Ten CentsaCopy.
9% WILLIAM STREET, NEW YORK. “'00 “ Yam"

 
‘ Cruise of the Sea Witch.

CHAPTER I.
run DERELICT.
IN the early summer of 1775. the British '
armed brig Hector was cruising in a heavy but
guctuating log of! Burnegat, on the New J or“!

But for the fog it would have been 3 bright,
though blustering, morning, and the chances
were that between wind and Inn the 111' would

\

"  ‘ ‘ \ ( ' ‘  \ presently clear.
,' . ' \ * __ ~ ' A ﬁroup of ofﬁcers were on the poop-dock,
/////// ‘  -.\ u i\\\ ‘ eager y vexing, oﬁrymg to examine, some
t ,e ‘ ‘ a \ ‘ . Z» ‘   e u . o the their ucopel.
' ~ \\ . A mm do you make at her. Winmdv" de-
cn! AND arm‘s ALMOST ABOARD US!” YELLED ROMNEY, SPRINGING mu:de Lieutenant Roan ,tho ofﬁcer in com—

TOWARD ms QUARTER-DECK, MUCH TO THE rmsoxnn’s AMUSEMENT. land, of. more elderly cor at his side, who

 
\‘ ‘;

 
a

ran;

  
/

~ ,“ But then, I’ve ,
‘evon that betqeen me and Davy Jones’l

Moose—eyed

b
- "end apparentle every inch a sa‘ or, with a sug- -
and Islam with
recognized as
told the name and character of the

. _/ theknee.

'Wofhisoun

2

Dauntless Dick.

 
was leveling his glass for perhaps the twentieth

time with a puzzled air. “ There! now she part-

ly looms out again."

b And he quickly brought his own glass to
car.

“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. George! ready
to go to ieces at any minute, and with a
live man ashrd to the stump of her fore
mast.”

“ What! are you sure?"

Past Midshipman Winsted was known to
have the sharpest eyes aboard the brig, but this
announcement seemed hardly credible.

5" Perfectly sure, captain,” was the quiet reply.
“Wait. There!” ,

Then the fog momentarily lifted in the quar-
ter at which they were gazuig, and his an-
nouncement was 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 stum of the

. foremast, a man was lashed. He coul 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 awa !” ordered the commander.
“The poor devi must be rescued if a boat can
reach him in time.”

A boat was at once sent oil? in the direction of
the fog-shrouded wreck.

While it was (putting ed? the cabin steward
brought up wor that breakfast was served.

“keep a good lookout, Winsterl," enjoined
Romney to his second in command before
stepping down the companionway). “ here is
no telling when that sea-devil, ick Dareali,
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 gunfrom his
Mist W itch to shiver our timbers, with per-
chance not a glimpse of the internal schooner
herself.” - ‘ . I

“ Yes, captain, the best lookout I can. But I
hardly fancy that even the Rebel schooner,
witch as she may be, 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-faced,hand-
some man of thirty or thei‘eabouts, whose high ‘

ition as lieutenantcommander in the British r

av was chieﬂy owing to his aristocratic con-,
nect ons. ,

The,Hector was a small brig carrying two
gins, and was patrolling the coast from New

. ork Bay southward on the lookout fer just
such. coastmse enemies of. the crown, half-
freehooters, half-privateersmen, as the indi-
vidual mentiomd. - . ‘ .

As for Dareali, he had alrea‘ made himself
notorious, if not respected by‘ t boldness and
success of his, attacks. Varietist known as
9‘ Dauntless Dick,” “ the Coast Scourge ” “ the
Reef King,” and “ Daring Dick,”he we issue
out of the intricate inlets of Barnegat,‘ strike
his blow. and be gone so sWiftly and mysteri-
ously in his ﬂeet so ooner that there was not a
little superstition associated . with his success.
He was as thnuch a tholrn 11:11; the ngemuusg
marine, ew sagoryo he ~an
Mr“ stigma  is?
amen on o rowess W! as

. a bible tches to the Candace from,

 Jersey, w ch was at this junctureﬁhe

[htthe mean tinnitus brig’s  under the
command, _ota ll;oun ldhimnamed
Barker, mgﬁgligwwm”

   
' hulk! gent  belied"9 Nathﬂthe waves; , ,..
' s , _ ‘ o ‘ _ 9. m m“ .
, .Jehhel'llyf’“ we were dstvln much 02 um,

were”. » .i. p... 1
as t n you was com re .
’ had many a closer shave 

leekor.” .
Barker, who sat with‘the rescued man in the
stern-sheets while the boat was groping its we .
back to the brig—a tedious and uncertain bu -
his companlo curiously. ' ,
He was a young folio of en hysique,
gestion of power and
glance.
On beiii
vessel to w chthe bout belonged, he seemed to

resolution in face

‘- f manifest o‘certain uneasiness, which, however
 disappeared, havinglhim wary an _ ,3,

_' '“llm m’ hty glad we’ve saved you,’hld fol-
low Pin-ted he middy, slapping him joviaiiy on

“So am I.” was the laconic reply. . ,

“You couldn't have been long‘lashed to that
old hulk, ehl’? , »
“Not morethansixhours.” ‘ .
~ “Who placed you in such a‘picklel” -

/


' law. «on when dealinﬁ‘
I'm

 
'. perish you, 1mm: Romney,” replied

    
“My enemy.”

“ I should think so.
be?”

“George Collingford by name."

“ What ! the rich Tory—or I should say
Loyalist—back of Bernegat?"

“ The same.”

“By the way, in friend, are you a king’s
man or a blasted Re ell”

“ I am an American patriot.”

Harker gave a low whistle.

“ It may go hard with you on the brig,
friend,” he observed, not unkindiy. “ Our
commander hates your sort as the devil hates
holy water."

“ Who commands the Hector?”

“ Lieutenant Romney.”

The other gave a start.”

“ Lieutenant Geo e Romne —the friend and
distant relative of‘ ory C ingford?" he ex-
claimed. .

“ That’s our captain.”

“ Humph !”

. And the stranger relapsed into his indiffer-
ence. ‘

“I say, friend,” Barker continued, in his
hearty way, “I haven’t asked you your own
name yet.” ~

“ Don’t, then, for—much as I am beholden to
you—I sha’n’t tell it.”

“ Well, you needn’t, be in such a blasted mys-
terious mood, anyway i" cried the midshipman,
in something of a huff. “ I don’t take you for
one of the royal family, at all events.”

“ Rather glad of that,” composediy. “ I don’t
admire royal families.” '-

The stranger, however, vouchsafed to 've
some details of the situation in which he ad
been found. When separated from his ship in
a small boat on the preceding night, he had
been picked up by Mr. Collingford’s yacht.
Uollingford was his hated foe, and,the crazy
derelict chancing along at about the some time,
the stranger had forthwith been lashed u poii it,
at his enemy’s orders,vand 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 me tell you this, friend,” said the
midshipman, good-naturedl . “ It will be a
blmsed good thing for you i Em don’t turn out
to. beloxaif- to any of these b sted freebooting
smacks on the coast here, and, worst of all,

But who might he

, to that devil s craft, the Mist Witch, with which

Master Dareali has been harassing our store-
shi s and- transports ever since the beginnin
of a war. It will be short shrift and a yar -
arm dance with you in that case.”
“Thank on, Mr. Midshipman,”'was the re-
ply. “ I Will take my chances as to that.”
And he did so—to his coat! .
For, scarcely was he on the Hector’s deck,
andin Commander Romney’s presence, before
the latter exclaimed, exultsntly:
“Good Lord! is this our castaway of the
derelict? ,Why, it is Dick Dareali himself !"
There was an instant sensation. .
r “ It is true,” replied the young man, qui

y. . -

“To the yard-arm» with him!” roared the
Britisher. “Not ten minutes’ grace for the
murdering Rebel freebooter!” ‘

Harker‘ ventured to interpose with ther'young'
man’s story of his ha been lashed'to. the
rrteeck, but the common or would scarcely
is Dr - . - . .

“Servedhim right i” cried the latter. “Mr.
Collinng is a gentleman and a Loyalist,
who doubtleuhad as good reasons for Wihin
this coast at the bottom of thesea as
have for unching him into the air, with a.
rope’a-end for a necktie.. Mr. Winsted,“turn-
ing to the oiﬁcer of. the deck, “make ready for!
the execution on t' "' /

[-4

“ Yes, sir,"eagerl,?  .utimve minutes are time -

"enough.’ ,  .
1111;; the preparationsmermtorthwithjep

,Inafewrialin V pampered stood was lama
Whoa“! ‘ Mp! ll arms iniomd ,'
White, a. ’about'hisneck,a£dilnreadts .

on from the. yard-arm.

i

 tobe swung

   
than

business:  * erence

acrimonious...“ as“ 
’s ‘ ' ‘ V , aso'

weigkmdledatf hereixchauged a

V r“  whom he.

um _ wmidoubtlesea

 the; was, all, and evmlg“
 _ ear). y‘sonm‘c'uesao ‘

 cheek or byth'e ﬂutter-jot an

   
tr;

v , with
‘ ’s oilichri are in-
with bites and,

r ‘ Andhince your Mist Witc is'sbout to
lose her rudder and compare in losing you, there

‘ poured from his li

* swept the deck, doing

arms it. ,. A I ~..
«marginal-uni lec'eof’ '-‘

wavegyour’isagacbefore you are. -

the condemned man, fixing his undaunted gaze
contemptuoust on his insulter. “ I 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 hang

e.

“ Ohol And for what then, pray?" .

Before answering Dareali looked about him
and snuffed the fog-laden air with a peculiar
smile, almost as if he might be scouting a
chance for life from somewhere in the milky ob-
scurity.

“You are about to hang me for just this,
Lieutenant Romney: To assist your relative,
Tory Collingford, in his cowardly wooing of my
Sweetheart, Jessie Dearborn, by putting me out
of the way. Yes " with increased contemptu-
ousuess as be marked the commander’s face ﬁrst
pale and then blacken, as it were, “and you
doubtless think it ma better our own chances
with her fair cousin, istress aomi Goldheart,
who at present seems and despises you as you
deserve. ’ »

“It is false!" shouted Romney, hoarse with
rage: “false as hell! Swing him off, 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-
ﬂoors and crew, they were but reluctant partici-
pants in the prospective tragedy—Dareali sud-
denly straightened himself under the rope, and,
gazing eagerly to larboard, called out in a ring-

ng voice: ‘

“ Sail ha I” .

As all heads were instinctively turned in the
same direction there was a ﬂash in the fog, a.
mufﬂed boom from close at hand, and a twenty-
four-pound round—shot tore along the brig‘s
decks, killing or woundin half a dozen men,
and knocking the hood 0 the companionway
into splinters. '

“ The Mist Witch! and she’salinostaboard us i"
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,
in rapid succession.

In the genera confusion, Dareali jumped
down from the bulwark unheeded, and was in—
stantiy joined by the pressed man with whom
he had exchanged. glances. _ _

A swift stroke of the latter’s Jack-knife sev”
cred both halter and pinioning cords, and then
the man stood irresolute.

“ Jack Simmons,” said Dareali, in a 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 it?”

“”Of conrse. The press-gang snatched me
u .
“Then give me‘your tarpaulin, and lead the
we down into the forecastle hold.” 

linen matched the man’s hat and clogged
it onhis own head as he spoke, and the 0_ er
forthwith led the way down the fore-hatch Just
asasecond ball from the fog-shrouded enemy
greater execution than
before, and thus increasing the panic and con-
fusion to the two men’s advantage.

Once safely under hatches, with no sign of
their maneuver having been observed, Dareali
sai : ‘

“You knowzthe way
nine?” .

“ Of course I do.”

“ And the locker where the

to the forward maga-

slow-{match «fuses

ar‘e‘kepti” . ﬂ _‘ I
“Mamba.” ~ ,
“Good Lord, Dick!” exclaimed Simmons,

hesitating, forhe was of less desperate stuﬂ than

his com alone“ what would you do?”

“.Ad ‘7;le armed brig to the list of the
Mist Wi 's prices which have thus far
the smallest sort of fry Lead on, Iitell
, : Simmons obeyed. ‘ '
lathe mean time

.1111“ g haﬂer‘m'ohverl enou h
The, ‘hdt‘oouio‘mého ‘e or nothi conga
our rem-see :or the w m in-
"1 egmdwceéding 'euir" ' in the mist, while-a

,‘ 1”

Emian cannon-hall into the brig’s h

“an”
grit! ‘qml‘, indicating that the witch-ii
schooner  around 5her one y in a

circle; and theretore evory‘ehot from t ebri ’a ,

us aided as it- neoessaril was aim ly y
ﬁle 13.5% hostile ﬂash, was Waaad in thepmilky
obscurity. : _ .
Romney stamped on the deck, in impotent
rage as a shot at last carried away'his vessel’s

bowsprit, to the  detriment of her sailing

Wm '.» t ,. _ .
3%... 9°“; 11° ~va stress:
e , ’ c ‘0 sea- ' a v
Must we be knocked to pieces by an antagonist
thatwe‘can never see?! And if she can see 118.

‘ i n
wh eighteen her?

‘mnst have some extra-sort of fog»

 
ismobectionto' curse a'vfew parting
worded! cu‘wishtzi.” 'ying ~‘

.J .. h

.1'

 
imam; last!

4

 
. . i, - r
the deck cou- ,

her crowded deck, came from a widely '
e

piercin air "on as _ . .-
u, Beagr Iaiway ghéelwshoutad wasted; “there I

v war-m

 
. company wered and

Dauntless Dick;

 
0

‘0.

 
Yes; there, not ten cable-lengths astern, as
‘the wind and sun to ether momentarily parted
the heavy mists, sud enly loomed out the little
schooner, lookin like a veritable phantom of
the sea, and With her trim deck black with
men.

" Quick!” gasped Romney; “ quick. Winstedl
You are the best sighter we have. Now let her
have it from our stern~chaser 1”

But, Winsted had already sprung to the gun,
ﬁuddthe gunner was beside him, lighted fuse in

an . ‘

Yet, even in that brief space the little schooner
had rounded out in perfect silence, as if she
was a caressed creature of the fickle fogs and
winds themselves.

“Quick, Winsted, or you are too late!” cried
Romney again, in an agony of excitement.
“ The fog is shutting her out again.”

“ Ay, ay, sir!"

flaving 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 dis-
mounted by the shot that followed. while the
gunner who had passed the match was instantly
killed by the upset, Winsted himself narrowly
escaping with his life.

Then, a faint, ghostly sort of cheer from out
the fog, and the schooner was once more invis-
ible, 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 smitheroens!”

This left the brig with but one gun, the one at
the bow, though, for that matter, she might as
well have been with none at all in the extra-
ordinary plight in which she found herself.

Commander Romney was very pale.

“ We must stand it the best we can,” he re-
plied, hoarsely, “ and pray for the fog to lift be-
fore we are knocked to pieces. There is no other
course. By the way, what is become of that
rascal we were about to hang?” '

“ He vanished in the first confusion ” Midship<
man Harker took it upon himself answer.
“ I fancy same one must have cut him loose
and he may have gone overboard, or skulked
below.”

“Who could have cut him loose!” roared
Romney, lashing himself into a fury again.

f‘ Tush tnsh, sir!" interposed his second in
commau . “ You must know that we’ve more
than one pressed man on board.” ‘

“ True, true!" controlling himself again.
“Well, veutlemen,” addressing his subordinate
officers collectively—there were seven or eight
in all, mostly midshipinen, “to (your posts, and
let us hope for the best. An , Mr. Harker,
pray see the surgeon in the cockpit, and report
our casualties to me thus far. " »,

‘ Yes, sir."

Then there was another shot from seaward,
which carried away the foretopmast, and the
'fog shut down on the doomed brig in a thick.
blinding mass. '

 
. CHAPTER III.
“IT’S MY runs now!”

Tm: bri had by this time reeled in and come
to a stan still, so far as making any progress
through the water was concerned, as being
about the only thing she could do until the fog
should lift. ‘ , ‘

She sim ly rose and fell on the swells
awaiting t e seemingly magic shots from on
the. hose of the mist, few of which missed
their mar , and not knowing what one might
send her to the bottom. ‘

And now at this juncture, when the fog shut
down u 11 her so thick] that the men'could
hardly istinguisheach 0 er an arm's length
apart, Lieutenant Romney found himself mo-
mentarily left alone on his uarter-deck. ‘

What could it mean? ever in his naval

ex rience had be seen or: heard cf anythin
likgethe predicament in which the little brig
was placed

How could she thus be made the visible target
of an enemy invisible itselfl His su rstltions
began to be excited, yet never for an t did

he think of surrendering as a way out of the 

rently insurmouan e dilemma. Tru
rig was nothin more than a merchan
tu_rued into a gun t for coastwise exigencies;
still, she was commissioned in the king’s service.
And one of his Majesty’s cruisers, however in-

'. signiﬁcant, to surrender to a rascally little coast

wasp like this Mist Witch!

And yet—what waste be done? Even as be
reﬂected there came another shot, followed b
the. crash of something also giving way alo
there in the cloud obscurity. He could hear
the voices of his cers h callin to ’the
mentostand to their-posts and trust an God.
Could there be more absolute or tragic helpless-
ness than this? ‘

Midshipman Harker came back from the
cockpit with the re rt that seven of tho ship’s
badly wound~
edon the surgeon’s hands. . ’ , '

The brig’s entirecrew consisted of butteventy
, :inenl '

‘ made nocomment on the report, but

r claimed _ areal].

 
ordered the midshipman on a tour of investiga-
tion forward.

The young man made a shadowy salute, faded
off forward in the mists, and Romney was once
more left to the solitude of his bitter and bar-
assing. reﬂections. ‘

Suddenly he became aware of two ﬁgures ap-
proaching him from the port side of the

poop.

One of them paused, the other and taller ad-
vanced until his features could be dimly dis-
cerned through the thick mist.

The British commander drew himself up to
his full height, and was about to demand the
meaning of this intrusion upon his oilicia! pri-
vacy—deeming the man one of his own jack«
tars——when the latter spoke.

“ Look to your forecastle magazine,” he said.
“ In two minutes it will blow up."

Romne reeled back, at once recognizing the
voice an face.

And yet he demanded, in a sort of hoarse

as 2

“pWho are you?”

“ The man you would have so cowardly
banged,” was the response. “ It’s my turn
now!"

Then, with a single crashing blow of the ﬁst,
Dauntless Dick dashed the British commander
to the deck.

Then there was a ﬂitting of the two ﬁgures
toward the starboard rail, a double splash, and
both men had leaped into the seal

Romney had given a yell upon going down,
whiclzlat once brought several of his ofﬁcers to
his ai .

“Treason! villainy!” he cried, while being
assisted to his feet. “ The forecastle magazine
—look to it 1”

But the two minutes had elapsed] There was
a roar forward, the brig trembled; then fol-
lowed a tremendous ﬂash illuminating the
white mist, and half the deck between fore-
mast and foreschains was seen to be torn to
atoms.

This was accompanied by the yells of man-
gled or frightened men, while almost instantly
great tongues of ﬂame shot up from below and
began to wreaths the foremast like ruddy
snakes. '

Danntless Dick had done his work well!

“All hands forward to extinguish ﬂames!”
yelled Winsted, seeing that his commander was
sltlill t3? dazed to grasp the situation. “ Steady;
t ere

And, followed by his fellow-ofﬁcers, he rushed
forward to set the paralyzed crew a brave ex-
ample, just as a shot from the mist-curtained
enemy ripped the combings of! the main-batch
and sent a good six feet of the midships port
bulwark into kindling-wood.

Fortunately, at this juncture, the fog began
to lift and drift off with amazin rapidity, so
that the work of extinguishing t e flames was
greatly-facilitated.

But the explosion had tumb ed the brig’s bow-
gun backward into the gap g cavity it had
paused, so that she was now practically power-
ess. .

In the mean time, Dareal] and Simmons had
climbed into the bﬂﬁ,8,‘y&Wl tow] at her
stern, and, cutting t e painter, the tter at
once made good use of the pair of" cars stowed
along the thwarts. ,

Luck favored them at ﬁrst, the clearing mist

afterward, and, ten minutes later, they were

picked u b the Mist Witchi

“Wha aptain Dick!” cried a rough, but
honest-loo 'n old sailor, who was in command,
as he sprung orward to grasp Dareall's hand;
“it is really you! We‘, had given you 11 for
lost ever since you,drifted OR in the small boat
last night. Where are you from?” '

“ From aboard the brig,” was the rele

“ But, no more questions at present, Junk. nd
never mind the fog lifting. e brighis de-
fensﬁless. Where is Fog-eye Flinders, e gun-
ner . ,
The w, about't in number had 'th-
cred swarmd their 3mg skipper, thus 53.n-
dentially restored to them, as 1: were, an were
cheeﬂngvociferously.

But a silence fell asthe you
up his hand, and there ‘step
among them the man be had ed for. . .

This was a tall, lean, lanky'but very muscu-
lar, Jersey fisherman u n w om thephenom-
enal success of the Mist itch in many a blind—
in coast'fogmhad mostlﬁ depended.

der 8a Junk areall's mud in com-
mand, he was both sailing-master and gunneron
board the little schooner, with its one ma
twenty-four-pounder rigged at the stern. \
eyes could hardlybe seen, they were council,
Erna}; and bead-like, and set so far back into his

9 . l l
But, im netrable, indeed, must have been
the mist t t they could not pierce to a vast
distance;' and it was to this exceptionalﬁluarliﬁ
that he owed his sobritgiet of Fog-eye, ,
Christian name being ezekiah.
“Fore e, you've done magniﬁcently” -
“W" (1 s tish “Eggpmkgcod‘ hnd'
eve on or arm n as as
whipped nto our hands. and it chieﬂy
owingtoyon.‘  I -, . ~ ‘1,

‘ captain held
orth from

  
urﬁ.

brig overhau

in that you are likew

 
sword how if] an
~; ‘fBiih’Vcon uecl'theyoungmamsternly,

   
“Yes,” assented old Sam Junk, gruﬂly v he
was often called ‘Sait’ Junk for a change--
“Hez Fliiiders never did better than tin-day,
Cap. He just centered the brig for me, so that
I could sail around her, like a cooper around a
barrel, while he let ﬂy with old Tom Barker
yonder.”

“ Wal, Cap’n Dick," replied the lanky owner
of the exceptional optics, scratching his head
and rolling the enormous hid in his cheek, “ ye
see, I jest peeked an’ peeke , on" then let Barker
go at ’em. But of Pd knowed you was aboard
the Redcoat I mought hev did still better.”

“ That would have been hardly possible,” ob.
served Dare-ill, with a laugh.

He then formally introduced Jack Simmons
to his ship‘s company, and brieﬂy reported his ,
own extraordinary adventures since drifting,
awn y from the schooner the previous night. i

The crew of the Mist Witch were furiously v
iudi nant.

“ hey would have hanged our captain!"
roared a dozen voices. “ We'll yard-arm every ‘
Britisher aboard the brig."

“No, you won‘t!” cried Dick, command!ng]y.. '
“We are not in that cowardly business. if the
Britishers are. Besides, Romney would have
hanged me for personal reasons, more than for
more ﬁghting in the patriot cause. As for Tory
Colliugford—well I may have somethiu differ-
ent to say regarding him, should be all into
our hands. But, yonder’s the brig. We'll wear
in on her, and make an ending of this business
at once.” . ’

Indeed, the fog had by this time almost
wholly disappeared, and the Hector was broad-
ly visible about a mile away, crackin on what
sail she could in her disabled con tion, and
with an ap arance of having got the fire in
her forecast e under control.

But the Mist Witch—once the pride of, the
coast fishing ﬂeet—was a skimmer of the sees no
less in clear Weather than in thick.

Dancing lightly over the lea ing crests before
the freshening north wind is e soon had the

, and, with the patriot ﬂag
ftreaming from her gaff, ran close in under her
ee. .

 
CHAPTER IV.
" NO MORE SMALL rarl"

“ Do you surrender?” bawled Dauntleu Dick.
from his little quarter-deck. , 4

“ See you further ﬁrst !" roared Romney in re-
ponse. with a volley of oaths. ' ,

“All ri ht, boys!” said the captain of the
Mist Witc , turning to his men. “The evi-
dently want a little more dressing down. ear
her around, Salty, and let 0 with Mr. Lon
Tom Barker. No more sm fry for the Mis
Witch, with a king’s ship at her mercy!” ,

The maneuver was dul and swiftly executed - ‘
but before the contemp ated raking shot co .
be delivered—and it would have been a terrible
one at such'close quarters—the British com-
mander, fter a hurried consultation with his
oiﬂcers, as seen to hold up his sword.

“ Hold oﬂ, Fog-eye!" ordered Dareall, as the
lanky gunney havmg si hted his piece, stood
with lighted fuse in rea ass to touch it on.
“The Britisher eviden intends to take his
grue] without further'coo ng." _ , g _'

Then, springing again to the taﬂrsil, he shout- , ,
edoncemore: " ‘r ‘

“Do on surrenderi” ,

“ Yes." was this time the surly use.

“ Strike your cursed ﬂag, then, or ‘1] shoot it
out of the balliar l”

The Haunting nion Jack was slowly and re-
luctantly lowered and his Majest ’s b gHector
was a rise to the erstwhile nukes ﬁshing-
smaok st Witch. I. _

Dick Dorsal] at once boarded her andreceived
the formal surrender, which was made with a
bad enou h grace by the Britishcommander.
both of w ole eyes were badly blackened by the I
knock-down blow he had received an hour or so
previous. r ‘ u l \.

“Allow me to‘ ask, Mr. Dareall," said Roan ,
ney,aftsr the American ﬂag had been run up on
the capgi’ired brig, “ if your schooner is in win-
mission ' ~

“She is not, sir,” was the reply. “Thus for
we hggkbgen ﬁghting everything British on our
on I , «
“Then on cannot demand my sword of me]? .
exclaim Romney, with an air of relief. \’

Dares]! lau bed in his face, .

“ButI do mend it of ﬁn just the same,”
be retorted with a. look t t was signiﬁcant
enou h. “ So hand it over on the spot. ‘ V

Th was reluctant] done. " '

“ These other ent emen are at liberty to re—,
tain their swo ,” continued Darnell, . a'
glance around upon Romney’s subordinatel on.»
cars, “as brave men, albeit the enemies of my“
country. And,asfor on. Lieutenantliomney

doubtless a brave  .’

on his ofﬁcer in the service of :- kinggl .
ht also req eat you toaccept ereturn of t.
your sword at y hands." He paused, looking“
he lieutenant steadily in the eye with his falcon ,

the return at his ‘
old out his hand.“ .

 
The latter antici ti
.i 1" .i’i

     
4

.5

Dauntless Dick.

 
that you are likewise a murderous hound, who
would so .willingly have hanged me, a rescued
castaway in your hands, through personal mo-
tives, and in violation of the immemorial hos-
pitalities of the sea, it suits me to make an ex-
ce tion of you in this case—thus!”

Pie broke the sword in twain between his
strong hands, and cast the fragments into the
sea.

Romney turned livid, but merely steppedlover
to join the group of his fellow-ofﬁcers, without
saying a word.

His reticence was wise, inasmuch as there was
something in Captain Dick’s look and manner
that romised badly for his personal safety,
shoul he have been ess prudent.

It was now past noon, the strange engagement
in the fog having lasted something more than
two hours, and the day was a magniﬁcent one,
with the wind shifting to the east.

The crew of the brig were quickly disarmed,
after which a prize-crew, consisting of more
than half the schooner’s ship’scompany, with
Dauntless Dick himself in command, was clap-

ed aboard and sail at once made for Barnegat
ag, with the Mist Witch leading the way.
ut, in the course of an hour or two, Lieuten-
ant Romne , who felt himself to have been ter-
ribl hum' 'ated before his fellow-captives, so
far 0st control of himself as to say:

“ Captain Dareall, you yourself weara sword."
With a contemptuous glance at the rusty wea-
pon with which the young commander had ro-
vided himself on resuming command of the lat
Witch.

“ True,” was the cold reply. “ And I am
happy to say that I am acquainted with its
use.

“ I am glad of it. When we get ashore, with-
in the jurisdiction of the British lines under Sir
Hen Clinton, it will enable me to demand of
you t e satisfaction that is my due.”

A peculiar smile ﬂitted over Captain Dareall‘s

ps.

“With pleasure, when we are within those
lines to ether,” was re lied. “But,” with a

lance t at included al of Romney’s compan-

ons as his auditors, " it is ver evident that you
gentlemen are not well up w th the latest war
news. ”

“ What is it, sir?" called out Midshipman
Harker, who had been treated with exceptional
kindness by Dareall since the capture. “ We
had been to sea for more than a fortnight, and
II“, for. one, am just pining away for informa-

on.

“ It is just this: Clinton is in full retreat from
Philadelphia to New York, and General Wash-
ington is pursuing him across the State of New
Jersey in the hope of bringing him to battle.
There is yet more than this: Deﬁnite news has
arrived of a tree of alliance, offensive and de-
fensive, eﬁ’ected Dr. Franklin in Paris, be-
tween the United tates and France, and of the
departure of a French ﬂeet and army for
America."

There was the rin of truth in the announce-
ment—which, ind , accurately set forth the
military situation at that time—and Dareall,
having made it, turned and left the group to
their reﬂections.

Barnegat Bay was entered at Baruegat Inlet
between Long Beach and Island Beach, an
t en, with a avoring wind, they made the lit-
t o rt of Tom’s River before sunset.

is was the home of Dauntless Dick and the
majority of his men, and was, moreover, held
iciy two monies of New Jersey militia, under

a tain ey

reat was the rejoicing when the news of the
brig’s capture became noised abroad. Bonﬁres
were ll ted, and the countryfolk came troop-
ing in mm far and near to behold the prize
and shower their congratulations upon the vic-

rs.

But after turning over his prisoners to the
cus y of the militia captain, Dareail, leavin
Sam, or Salty, Junk in pommand of bot
schooner and prize, set out at once for his mo-
ther’s cottage, which was on the upper bay
shore, about a mile away.

He was an only son, his father having r-
ished by shipwreck some mm before. ut,
brought up tho h he had 11 among rough
sailor and ﬁsher olk Dick Dareall had een en-
abled to obtain an education far in advance of
his surroundings, his family being an excellent
one and of considerable moans. And, sailor
that he wa his uiet boast of his ability to use
the sword been no em ty one. An old
Spaniard, now no more, who lived at Tom’s
River for many years, had taken a fancy to
Dick when the latter was a mere boy (he was
now twenty-six), and instructed him in the art
ﬂf fepecdoéeang maiglotherf “I t , irlicluding a

now 0 save 0 e ore a es;
while several years’ schoo at Philgglghla
had furnished the youth wit an educational
groundwork which a miscellaneous realm
all the solid literature within his reach
greatly widened, notwithstanding that most of
his life was spent upon the water. The Mist
Witch was his own ﬂproperty, inherited from
his father, and from e very ﬁrst he had been
a. leader and a person of consequence along the
must, though still regarded disdamfuny as

 
“only a ﬁsherman” by the landed gentry of
the interior, of whom “ "Squire " Collingford,
already alluded to, was a representative.

The Widow Dareall was a stately woman of
more than middle age, with an old-time dignity
of manner, and, as the owner of several slaves,
besidesa considerable estate, lived in no little
style for the period.

She received her son, whom she idolized, with
the earnest but controlled tenderness to which
he was accustomed, and then listened in silence,
but with glistening eyes, to the story of his re-
cent adventures.

“ God be praised that I still have you with
mel” she murmured, fervently. “ But tell me,
Richard, do on not apprehend further trouble
from Mr. Co ngford, who is so rich and pow-
erful, besides being your inveterate foe? And
will not this capture of the brig aggravate him
yet morea ainst you?”

“ He ha better apprehend further trouble
ﬁrms me I" replied the young man, clinching his

an .

“ Still, he is so inﬂuential with the Britishers,
should they once get full control of New J er-
sey, and of the coast-line hereabouts. And
w en" he mentioned your name this morn-
in —-

‘ What i” interrupted Dick, indignantly; “ did
the dastard venture here, after lashing me upon
the do: elict to die l"

CHAPTER V.
nv MOONLIGHT.

“ Yns,” re lied Mistress Dareall, “ Mr. Col-
lingford was ere for a few moments while rid-
ing up to the Ball, after leavinguliis yacht in the
cove. But, of course, I could ow nothing of
his having treated you so barbarously."

“ What did he have to say?" moodin demand-
ed Dick.

“ Oh, he was kind and alfable with me, as
usual, for you know his mother and I were the
best of friends, though Annabel Comngford did
put on a good man airs at times.”

“ But, what did 8 say about me, motheri”

“ He merely deplored the fact of your continu-
ing to be a rebel, as he called it."

“ Humphl And not a word of his having
picked me up at sea the night before i”

“ Not a word.”

“ Well—never mind. How is Jessie, mother?”

“ She was here, with her cousin, Mistress

Goldheart, at noon, and was looki lovely."

“ Miss Goldheart is again living th the Dear-
borns, then 7”

“ Yes. It is no longer safe at her father‘s es-

tate, up near Freehold, where Washington is
hanging on the retreating Britishers’ rear, and
both her father and brother are with the Ameri-
can troops, as you know. So Mrs. Goldheart
and Naomi are down here with the Dearborns
until things are more settled, if indeed, they
ever will be.” And the widow sighed.

“ Good 1” exclaimed Dick, reﬁectively. “ Let
us now have supper, m dear mother, and I will
then run up to see essie. What! you say
Washington is already at Freehold i"

" Yes, or near there,” replied the widow, lead-
ing the way into the dining~room, where the
evening meal was awaiting them, “ such is the
report; and I believe a battle is imminent there—
abouts.”

“ Better and betterl"observed the yonn man,
rubbin his hands contentedlyas theytoo their
seats a the table, with a neatly-dressed slave-
woman in attendance. “ I shall be in time be-
fore the battle, I hope.”

“ In time for what, my son!” And the widow
looked disturbed. “ Surely yo? will not rush

immediately into fresh danger?
“ Oh, no, mother, not as inlelg,” replied Dick,
cheerily. “ Don’t look a unnecessarily,

dearest mamma. But, I must carry my 1'

of the capture of the war-brig to General ash-
tuition in all haste. And for what, think you?
W y, to obtain his indorsement for a letter-of-
marque commission from the Congress, mother;
enough of this coast and inlet freebooting’for
me! In less than a week I hope to be on lue
water as a dul accredited privateer.”

“ What! in he little Mist Witch?"

“ That, until I can capture me a craft that
will serve me better. The fogs are still frequent
along Barnegat, mother,”Dick looked up with
a laugh from the repast, which he was enjoying
with a sailor's heartinees of appetite, “ and it
won’t be long before British armed ships will be
moving}: in the bay here. ' g revenge up-
on the d captors of the Hector.’

“ Well, my son?”

“ Well, who knows but their crack new
schooner, the Cormorant, that we have heard so
much about, my be one of them i”

“ The great newly-captured, and new] armed
speeder from the Boston ship , whgh they
have been ﬁtting out at New orki"

“ The same.” ,

“ And what then, my son?” .

Dick laughed again as he rose from the table.

“ What then, mother!” he re ted gayly.
“ Could there be any better ﬂyer t an that same
great schooner to transfer the little Mist Witch's
name and ﬂag to on a letterof-marque cruise

l

 
against the whole British mnrinc, armed, mer—
chant and otherwise? But, kiss me now, and.
give me your blessing, dearest mother. I must:
be oﬂ’, and you won’t see me again until I shall
have,had my interview with General W ushing—
ton.

The widow embraced and blessed him, and it
was only when he had gone and with the
warmth of his manly farewell kiss upon her
lips, that she gave way, and, sinking upon her
knees in the sohtude of her chamber, sobbingly
commended him and his country’s cause to the
God of justice and of right.

Those were “ the times that tried men’s souls,"
but they were also, as is ever the case, the times.
that wrun women’s hearts, whose dearest offer-
ings—whet er as son, husband, father, brother
——were laid resignedly, if weepingly, upon the
altar of the country’s cause.

As for the young commander of the Mist:
Witch, upon quitting the house, he followed the
broad sandy road that led straight northward
along the marshy bay shore. ,

The Dearborn homestead was in that direc-
tion, a mile and a half away, and ever foot of
the ground was familiar to him from h s earliest.
boyhood, when Jessie Dearborn, the fair daugh-
ter of the house, had been his playmate, as she
was now his aiﬂanced bride.

It was a glorious night, with a full moon sil-
vering the earth and waters with her clear,
vitreous light.

Midway upon hisroad, the young man aused,
and moodily contemplated a large an noble.
looking old manor-house that crowned a con—
siderable eminence a mile or two inland, its
park-like grounds and outlying cultivated lands
marking it as the seat of a wealthy colonial es-

“ Collingford Hall 1” muttered Dareall. “ Ac-
cursed Tory nest! Oh, that some overt act of’
treason to our cause would enable me to bring
the heartless young squire to the hangman’s
noose! He would have drowned me, drowned
me like a dog on that crazy wreck, and—well, I
shall yet live to see him hanged, rich and power-
ful as he is, I trust."

He resumed his path,chasing away the resent-
ful thoughts with rosy anticipations of his meet-
ing with his sweetheart, from whom he had been
se arated for three whole days.

he road led strai ht past the homestead,
which occupied a slig t rise at the edge of the
broad, salty-smelling sea-marshes skirting the
bay, from which a wide inlet, crossed by a sub-
stantial rustic bridge, thrust its ragged way
glittering] backward into the land.

The ms was sparsely lined at intervals with.
pine and hemlock trees.

0n approaching this brid 9, Dick Dareall;
suddenly came to a bait, and t on waited grim-
ly, with his hand on the hilt of his sword.

A man, who had apparently quitted the
homestead gate a moment before, was hurried-
] crossing the bridge from the opposite direc-

t on, in an angrﬂy and tumultuous mood.
His face an gure were plainly visible in the
bri ht moo ht.

hey were t ose of a pOWerfully-built, come-
ly young fellow belon ng to the hi her walks.
of life. His shoe-buc les were of s1 ver. The
lace at his breast and wrists was apparently of
a costly quality. He was elaborately dressed
in the expensive fashion of the time, and there
was a twinkle of jewels in the belt of the ion
sword at his side. The face, that of a mane
thirty, was regularl and proudly featured, but
indicative of violen and poorly-restrained pas-
sions—a handsome, and yet an unprinci led
face, you would say. In fact, the indivi us],
at ﬁrst glance, would have been considered emi-
nently handsome and distinguished-looking but
for a disﬁguring birthmark, which made a lurid
ring almost completely around his throat from
ear to ear, as if left there b a throttling cordl

There was a physiolo cal reason or this
mark, for this man’s mother had, in a ﬁt of”
temporary aberration, attempted to hang her-
self a few months antecedent to his birth. -

Captain Dick, who was partly in the shadow
of some trees, suddenly step out into the
man's th so as to violently Jostle him.

The tier uttered a furious exclamation, and
straightway laid his hand upon his sword, in a.
prom t manner that betrayed a familiari
with ts use-bat, recognizmgngareall, he so —

denly reeled , as if a I.
s chin dropped, his.

He had grown livid,
knees knocked together.

‘VDareall—Dick Dareall l”‘he gasped. “ What!
not drowned—not dead—still alive to thwart
and bafﬂe me?”

“Yes,” was the contemptuous reply, “and
very much alive no thanks to you, murderous
villain. Come, ' uire Coningford, come I”

And, drawing sword, Dareall smote the
other with the ﬂat of the blade.

Collingford drew himself together, and then a
cruel, exultant smile crossed his lips.

He was reckoned one of the best swordsmen
in America.

“ Have your wish,” he said, coldly. “ N0“!-
in could suit me better.”

hen there was the ﬂash of another unsheath-
ing, and the swords crowed each other in the
moonlight.

 
’808

,


Gold
icicles ourself,‘for'I hea‘r that your rimusin

Z ' Like her loveraJeseieDeu

DauntleSs 

5

 
CHAPTER VI.
THE DUEL WITHOUT A CHALLENGE.

BUT if Tor George Collingford was reckoned
one of the est swordsmen in America, old
Pedro Gavazzo, the ex-buccaueer, from whom
Dick Dareall had received his lessons in the
fencing art, had been reckoned without an
equal in that line in either Spain or France.

There were a score or more lightning‘hke
passes and parries, in which ’Squire Uollingford,
much to his alarm, found his best skill at
naught.

Then his opponent, from acting on the de-
trnsive, suddenly pressed him with such a hurri-
cane of an assault that he was completely taken
od‘ his guard.

There was a last desperate exchange the
wrenching twist of an iron wrist, and oiling-
ford’s' sword ﬂow far out of his grasp at the
same instant that his heels tripped upon a pro-
jecting tree-root, causing him to fall ﬂat on his
one .

Dareall’s sword—point was at his throat.

“Do you sue for your life?” he sternly de—
manded. .

“ Yes,” was the sullen res use.

“Get up!” contemptuc y; and then, as the
.other bewilderedly regained his feet: “Do you
know why I give you the life you sue for?"

“No i,

Dareall pointed sneeringly at the other’s neck.

“ What, is that mark encircling your throat?"
be mocked. “ And what did your school—fellows
call on by reason of it, and of your violent,
crue tem r when you were a boy 2”

Collin or ﬂushed so deeply fi'om brbw to
neck that the mark was blotted out by the
mantling color, and then paled so lividly that it
stood out with increased distinctneﬂ.

“‘ Rope«mark Collingl’ord l’" sneered Dareall.
“ That was it. Well, on are not worth a brave
vinan’s sword-thrust; reserve you for the hang—
man’s cord."

He then turned, returning his sword to its
ncabbard. and strode away.

Regaining his own weapon, Collingford looked
after him with a face that was nothing less than
diabolical. ‘

“ Accursed ﬂsherman-mudsilll” he hissed.
“Will nothing kill him? And must I, aborn
aristocrat, with the best blood of the Colonies in
my veins—the ancient blood of the Romne s
and the Collingfords—still writhe under t e
thought that Jessie Dearborn prefers such as he
to such as I? Wait, wait, wait! Romne is
coming with his armed bri and General lin-
ton is about to swee asbington and his
.armed rabble from the ace of this province in
"the battle that is threatening. I will glut my
revenge yet, even' if a fulfillment of his accursed
r0 u-inark prophecy is the cost!"_ .

e then went away in the directionpf his
stately hall, after noting. with a fresh Jealous
twin ’e, that his victorious rival had entered the
Dear ru homestead gate.

But’Squire Collingford had heard nothingas
yet of the fate of Romney’s armed brig’,»and was
also sad] out in his venomous forecast as to the
{result 0 the impending battle, or his raven eful
reﬂections might have been of a less exu rant
mature for the lame being.

In the mean lime the click of the gate-latch,
as Captain Dick entered the homestead garden,
had called a beautiful young woman out upon
'the moonlit steps of the pore . ~ '

“ Jessie l” cried the young man, softly; “ my
. own darlin

l"

She had eslteted strangely, but his voice re-
assured her. ‘ ‘

v “Diem/Dick!” she exclaimed hysterically,
while rushing. into his arms; “I, had halt-be-
lieved u drowned. He‘ assured me ‘of it.”

i“ W o?" he demanded, when their ﬁrst trans-
ports were somewhat moderated. “ But you
_mean glint detestable mandrel Collingford, of
:course i

“ Yes; he quitted us but a short time‘ ago.
Hi said he saw you drifting away for out at
sea in a small boat last night, and found it im-
possible to pick you up.” _ ‘ ‘ ‘

‘,‘ Humphl the villain! but he did pick me‘ up,

I though, and with a vengeance. ‘ What  d

be bavetosa l”
“ Nothing but to press his odioussnit upon me

in a hurry. v

“ ell, he did look as if he had something of
a ﬂea in his ear when l tackled him back you.
der in the road.” . ‘ ‘ '

“What! you have crossed swords with Mr.
Collingford ’ ‘ '
Jessie Dearborn claspd her hands. ,

“ Yes: andl halt-i- t that I spared him for
the hangman when! d him ﬂat on his back.
with my sword'apomtat his throat. But, take
me into the house, Jessie. There is great news
to tell, and I might as well make one story of
it for your mother and t, be-

* afreshi but you can’depend upon it he won’t do

lswit you once again, _ , ,
9 Yes, both Cousin Naomi and Aunt Martha

are with usagaln. Gawain-n . g , I ;
Andebe led the way intolthe house.  v »

born "I! htberleee

dolor. ﬁrth;

hil, ,
' she wuphobut three yeti-spin

E
E.
'4
a

  
engagement had been a long one,'dating from
the very beginnin of the war. Jessie was such
a atriot that she ad vowed not to marry un—
ti peace should be declared, with her country’s
independence assured; and her lover had been
compelled, howsoever unwillingl , to ac iiiesce
in her determination, for, thoug a beau y and
most amiable, she was a youngr woman of a
resolution as powerful and unyielding as his
own.

Her mother was in fairly well-to—do circum-
stances for the times, being the possessor if a
large farm, with enough slaves to work it pro-
ﬁtably; though, of course, as with pretty much
every one else, except perhaps in the case of
some of the largo-landed proprietors, the com-
parative impoverishment induced by the War
was everywhere more or less apparent about
the place.

The young Knight of the Deck soon told the
story of his exciting adventure to the coni-
Eany in the Widow Dearborn’s parlor. which.

esiiles Jessie and her mother, consisted of the
lady relatives referred to.

These latter, Mrs. Martha Goldheart and her
daughter, Naomi, were rich and proud persons
from the interior of Monmouth county, who
were inclined to be more or less atronizing
with respect to the Dearborns.and) yet more
disposed, strange to say, to imagine that Jessie
was somewhat lowering herself in her on age-
ment with gallant. knightly, selfomade ick
Dareall, the master-ﬂsherman‘s son, though
they were mostly careful to keep this opinion
to themselves.

They were, however, intensely patriotic, or at
least the mother was, and therefore sufﬁciently
ready to have their admiration challenged by
the brilliant achievement of the ‘little Mist
Witch, as related with becoming modesty by
the oung commander.

oreover Mrs. Goldheart’a husband was a
colonel on General Washington's personal staff,
while their only son, Herber' , was captain of a
company in the Jersey Blues. alreacl a famous
regiment in the Continental Army 0 the North.

“ I wonder that you are alive after so many
hair-breadth escapes, Mr..Dareall,” was Mrs.
Goodheart’s rather stately comment, when the
exciting narrative was ﬁnished. 9‘ And so you

:are goin to General Washington with your re-

port of t is affair. you say?”

“ Yes, ma’m ” was the reply,“ this very night,
after I shall have once more visited my men
on board of the Mist Witch, and left some final
instructions for them durin my absence."

“That is well, Mr. Dares. . I doubt not that
General Washington will‘compllment you high-
ly‘on' your achievement.” .‘

“I want somethln more than compliments,
ma’m,” returned Die , bluntly. “ I 3 ve to my
countr a British armed brig,comparutivelyun-
anu ‘ . and full of prisoners, rovlsions and
munitions of war—a pretty to r gifthas you
must allow, even against a prize-money that
will beour duo. In return. I want something
more than compliments, which areempt  enoug
and cost nothinﬂg. I want a. letter-o -marque
commission to ght, capture. burn pillage or
destroy, as the case may be, on the
water in my country'slcause.” ‘

“ Ah! 1 see-as a privateerl” With a dubious
inﬂection on the word. , , ' ‘ ‘

““Exactl , ma’m.” ‘ . .

‘~ Well, r. Din-call,” with condescending afra-
bllity, “you may have some difﬁculty in gain—
ing private word with General ‘Weshln n. In
that case,” quite grandiy, “ on are ,at l bertyin
uin our name, and Colone Goldh’eart, who is
on t e general’s stall, will doubtless help you

through.” ,, . _ ,
“Thanks ma’m," with, cold respectfulnees,
“ but I shall hardly need his assistance. I, have
reason to believe that General Washington is al-
ready aware of certain Services of myself and
my men ’round about Barnegat here durinﬁhe
past two years, so that. he can scarcely a

stranger-to my name.”

Mrs. Goldheart frowned, and stared at him
with a haughty look. ' l _ ‘

‘.‘ For my part,” hastily in MraDear-

born. a lovable, middle-aged me. with much
of her daughter’s fair beauty'in her sweet face,
“ let us merely hope that Dick will get his com-

on. He deseryee it, if any man in the

miss!
world. does.” I i r
“And,"‘of course he’ll get it!” cried Jessie,
enthusiastically,with'a'devouﬂn loo
lover’s manly cowl-linens. “Wily, they ought
:0 (mill it to him, unasked, inotoadof his goxng
01' "
Dick rewarded her with a slight smile,and
when, turning abruptly to her cousin, asked: »
“ What do you thin , Mistress Naomi!" ‘

CHAPTER VII. ,
I run mum: 1mm. ' ‘
NAOMI Gonnnxm had lintenedto the gallant
recital with profound interest and in silence.
and the had; abstained from all voluntary.me
men i

She was a year or two younger her cou-
sin and of a dark] baugh _ ’  of beauty,
while Jessie, bend» eln‘ir very 
unconscious than unpretentious

  
r'm'no
m . 

rum“? “NW m

   
nny blue .

k upon her .

She hesitated at the question bein so abrupt-
ly put to her, and then replied, cold y:

“I suppose I think that you area pretty brave
man. Mr. Dareall."

“Thank you, Mistress Goldheartl" observed
Dareall, eﬂ‘usively. She had always addressed
him as ‘ Dick ’theretofore. “ Perhaps evon Mr.
Romney would agree with you on that point,
could you consult with him, as no doubt you
would like to.”

A deep blush suffused for on instant the dark
beauty of the young woman‘s face, while both
her mother and aunt stand and her cousin
looked troubled, but she did not attempt or con—
descend to any retort.

Dick now took his leave.

“What is up with your cousin?” he asked of
Jessie. who accompanied him to the ate. “ Can W. l
she r: ally be in love with the Britis er?”

“ 1 am afraid so, Dick.”

“ But she is so patriotic, and has heretofore
affected to despise him.“

“ Who can read a woman‘s heart. Dick ’1?”

“ It depends upon the heart and the reader.“
responded her lowr, gayly taking her in his-
arms. and kissing her with all his accustomed .
heartiness. “1 can read yours like a book, my ‘ ‘ -'-
darling, and, thank the Lord! with the most i, , .5
perfect satisfaction to myself.” . 

“I don’t know how it is, but ever since that 
last visit of Lieutenant Romney to the Goldheart < 
homestead in Mr. Collingford’s company, she » 
has seemed dreamy and abstracted. for all her 

released derision of the Britisher’s passion, by
ts .and starts.”

“ Humph!" observed Dick. “ Neither Brit-
ieher nor Tory, I fancy, would have had much
comfort in their visit had either Colonel or Cap-
tain Goldheart been on band. I wonder that
even her mother put up with it." ,

"Aunt Martha is very much under Naomi’s
control. though perhaps without knowing it.”

« “ Still. in spite of her infernal pride, the old
lady‘s patriotism is doubtless sincere."

Jessie laughed. ‘

“She wou d be sincere in something else. I am
afraid. if she should overhear you speaking of
her as an old lady," she replied. “‘ However,
letwit all go, Dick. What can it matter to
us .

“ True; but I shall take extra precautious as
to the security of my chief prisoner just the ‘
same abesides putting Captain Sedley on his

or . ‘

“What do you mean, Dick?” _ _

“0h, there’s no telling what a determined -
young woman might not attempt for a lover in‘
distress, and it’s ten to one that she would ac- ,
ceiit any aid on the part of that Tory villain,
Co lin'g 0rd, as“ being the gentleman’s klns- '
man. - ‘

.The blonde beauty of Jessie Deorborn‘s sweet ‘
face assumed a stern exp ‘

  
resslon. . ’*

“If I thought,"she said, slow] ,as if half to _
.herself. “that my cousin woul dare to hold, ‘
any secret communication with that man while
under our roof knowing how I dislike and fear
hinhas your chief enemy, Dick— But no mat- .
tier ‘ ‘

And her brow quickly cleared as her lover :
once more snatched her to his heart in a parting
embrace. . ' " ‘

" No more, ,no more!” he cried. gay} . .'
“Nothing more at this last moment but t 
and this, and this!” kissing her repeatealy.
“Jessie, my true love! when you next lee may
it should be with at least the romise of my“
rover’s commission in my pocke . And thence- .
forth the wide ocean is to ﬁeld, and you are
in' tbs prospective a ho d privateerslnan’o

e i v ‘ ‘

“ Ah 1’" sadly, and still clinging to him fondly- ‘
“and with what fresh nsemnd anxietleui "
But when shall you be back from General
Washington’s camp, dearest?” ' . -

‘ 83°11’13" “is”. B title...“ rem
even a . u a w . r _.
see ﬁll. now, then Sedloy, with regard to the ..
prisoners; then I must have a few boure’ sleep.
and I should be ad for Freehold before day-
break. Good-by, my angell"  I “

“ But stay. Dick. Are you sure the militia
captain’w' be able to keep to many prisoners
secure ’ * , - '  I.

"0b, with at a doubt, if he is only wide
awake as he kn to be." ‘ *‘

“Where-are they conﬁned?” ‘ ' - V

" Inithe old schoolhouse. which he use! at a ‘
barrnck for his company. There i a password ,
already arr-am, so that no ouulder could only ‘
thelentrieo out it.” f  w 

“ A- password !” Her woman’s curiosity was 
 greased. “gow romantic! Tell ltio
me o . l . ' f _ i 1,

- With all my hearth And, then. lowering
hlsvoloeu‘valley. ." "‘ ah i . ‘;'
‘ “ Ah, it in a good'word—or rather two inane.
But must you go now, Dick?" r - -

“Right away—this instant! (iced-by, and ,
God keep you, in love, my life ”= ‘ ' ',

ou ointo new dan-
yguardlanship more '

“ Ah, any dor g but
, ’ “ I don‘t about that. 2 Look cuttfor  I

 
ere—lygu willrequ e
“ _ ‘mehttombrocegnd then Dick“

3 A
l

6

Dauntless Dick.

 
ly ran oﬂ.’ down the road, to escape the tempta-
tion of lingerin yet longer.

After followmg him with her eyes till she
could see him no longer, Jessie slowly retraced
her steps up the garden walk, and reéntered the
house.

As she did so a concealed listener stepped out
of the laurels overshadowing the gate, and
looked abstractedly down the moonlit road.

A graceful and queenly ﬁgure-the ﬁgure of
Naomi Gold heart l

“ Valley Forge !” she muttered, softly, with a
half-smile on her lovely but resolute lips.

“Yes, a good word, or two in one, to be sure! .

But then, so is any word when it is a pass
word.”

Then she also reéntered the house, though
with due secrecy, and not by the main en—
trance.

As for the commander of the Mist Witch, he
carried out the preliminaries he had set forth to
his sweetheart, and an hour before daybreak,
after a four-hours' sleep on board the schooner,
was on the road, headed for Freehold, thirty
miles away, accompanied by Fog-eye Flinders.

He took the gunner with him for luck,as
yo; might say, no less than for company’s
sa 9.

Fog-eye had contributed so greatly to nearly
all his successes against the enemy on the coast,
that Dick had come to look upon him as his
good genius; and, moreover, the lanky possessor
of the exceptional optics was very anxious to
accompany his skipper on an expedition that
might afford him a glimpse of the great General
Washington, whom he regarded as little less
than a god in cocked hat and top-boots, and who
was still the trusted hero of the army and com-
mon people, notwithstanding the attempts in
certain inﬂuential and envious quarters to su-

ersede him in the chief command by General

ates, the captor of Bur oyne.

B )th men were we mounted, the J une
weather was an rb, the roads in fair condition,
and a couple 0 hours after sunrise, they si ht-
ed Washington’s camp on a series of ro‘ ng
rounds, interspersed with ine woods,to the
aft of the village of Freehold:

Two or three miles to the northward, on the
Keyport road, could be seen the camp of the
rear of the retreating Redcoats and Hessians,
under General Clinton.

After an exhausting march of twenty miles
from the southwestern border of Monmouth
county, both armies, pursuers and pursued, and
about equally worn out, had come to camp with—
in this brief distance of each other, on the pre-
cedin night.

Dic , with his companion, was permitted to
pass the American outposts on his bare but
earnest statement that he was the bearer of im-
portant intelligence for the commander-in-
chief.

Then, a little further on, at the second line of
pickets, an orderly sergeant took them in charge,
and conducted them to the farm-house which
Washin on had selected as his headquarters,
all the me eying the pair with the keenest sus-
picion, for Tory spies were numerous and in
every imaginable disguise.

CHAPTER VIII.
a'r HEADQUARTERS.

“ CAP,” growled Fog-eye Flinders, not a little
discontentedly, though under his breath, “this
little land-lubber in the ragged monkey clothes
seems to think we’re going to steal one of the
tents, or make oil? with them horses as is how-
lined to the trees.”

“ Hush!” cautioned Dick; “ I suppose they
have to be particular on account of spies, and I
fancy that a battle is imminent.”

As for himself, he was too much occupied
with sympathy for the brave and devoted, but
unkempt and half—starved—looking troops among
whose tents and camp—ﬁres they were being con-
ducted to think of much else.

Comparative] fresh from the sufferings of
their terrible Winter at Valley Forge, and with
Congress onlg recently reinstated in Philadel-
phia by the ritish evacuation thereof by this
retreat to the eastw , in order to reunite their
two main armies at e mouth of the Hudson,
and furthermore exhausted by this hurried ur-
suing march across New Jersey, the heroic n-
tinentals presented a distressing appearance.
All were ragged, and many of them shoeless.
either barefoot or with their feet wra ped up in
dusty bandages, or improvised sun 8 made of
rabbit squirrel and muskrat-skins laced up with
deer—hide tho . Nor was the a pearance of
the company ofﬁcers much bettert an that of
the men, though the painstaking care of some of
them in endeavor-ing to spruce up in their half-
soleless boots, battered cocked hats and tattered
regimentals was itifully pathetic. Then the
few tents that con (1 be mustered were likewise
dilapidated and torn. while the soldiers ’break-
fasts that were boiling or toasting at the ends of
ramrods over the ﬁres were of the meagerest
dcscri tion.

Stil , in all this impoverishment, there was
noticeable a hopefulness in the faces of one and
all. as though the dawning of a new dayliad
been but recently glimpsed after the lon night
of discouragement and hopes deferred. ndeed,

 
|
' these devoted men could now occasionall jest
with each other, even if still half-starved: and
now and then a rollicking song was trolled out
in the fresh morning air at an open camp-ﬁre or
behind a rugged ﬂap of canvas.
Notwithstanding that this was the ﬁrst army
camp he had ever entered young Dareall, who
was a. man of naturally keen observation, at

on the ruins of anunrelieved misery, so to speak.
It was not that these ragged warriors were on
the threshold of a great battle in which they
were determined to redeem the black, discour—
aging past by a great victory over the invaders.
No; it was because of the recently-received
news of the treaty of alliance with France. and
that a French ﬂeet and army were already on
their way to America. The infant nation was
no longer isolated in her death-grapple for in-
dependence with the giant and insolent despot-
ism of the British oligarchy. Help was at
hand, the generous strong arm of help, stretch—
ed across the sea from La Belle France, the
chivalric Bacchante of the nations of the earth,
herself on the red threshold of Revolution, of
Glory, and of Transformation, and the home-
spun patriots of the New World were invigor—
ated and renewed in their death-struggle for
Liberty and the Right. That was the secret of
it.

An agreeable su rise was awaiting the young
commander of the let Witch at General Wash-
ington’s headquarters.

After the orderly had passed into the house
with his report of the Visitors in waiting, and
while the sentry, stalking back and forth before
the entrance with a surly and uncompromising
look for the two horsemen who had dismounted
and were waiting patiently at the outer gate,
Colonel Goldheart, with whom Dick had only a
sight—acquaintance, from having seen him once
or twice at the Dearborn homestead years be-
fore, came out upon the porch.

Much to Dick’s astonishment, this ofﬁcer, as
soon as he caught sight of him, came hurry-
ing ddown the walk and eagerly seized his
han .

he exc aimed; “ this is an unexpected pleasure.
Welcome, and thrice welcome 1"

“ What, sir!” cried the young man, delighted;
” my news has preceded me, then i”

“ it has. It was brought over by a couple of
your Tom’s River townsmen earl last night,
while we were going into camp ere. Why,
my friend, you are among your admirers wit -
out knowing it. There is not a man in our lit-
tle army who does not know of and rejoice in
your achievement. A gallant, a desperate
iieedl’ I suppose you are here with the particu—

are?
I “kiss, colonel; that is just what I am here
or.

“ Come in, then. The general must have ﬁn-
ished his breakfast by this time, and will be
glad to see you. By the way,” pausing, with a
glance at Fog-e e, as Dick was about following

im up the we with much alacrity. “ an at-
tendant of yours, I suppose,"lowering his voice,
‘ ‘ therpemarkably lanky individual with the ﬁsh y
eyes -

“it is Fog-eye F1inders,my right bower—
perhaps with the single exception of Salty

unk my second in command,” replied Dick,

mildly]. “Itis largely to him that the little

‘st itch’s successes have been due. You
speak of his having ﬁshy eyes. Well, sir there
are none others like them in the world in the
head of man, lynx or eagle. They can look
through and through a fog that would blank—
wall any other man to Within a foot of his
face, and sight a deck-gun straight for the
heart of oak, every time. Come here, Fog-eye,
and be introduced to Colonel Goldheart.”

The colonel did not seem to relish this very
greatly, but smiled urbanely as Flinders
slouched forward, and acquitted himself very
creditany by saying as little as possible.

He was then given in char e of the orderly,
to be taken to breakfast, wh e the horses were
also attended to.

Dareall was then sin proceeding up the
walk with Colonel Go dheart, when a smooth-
faced, ver en aging-looking young ofﬁcer, of
not more an enty or tw’enty-one and in a
very brilliant uniform, came out on he porch,
attended by several otherﬁﬁ‘icers of obviously
lesser rank.

They were ing French together and
there was somet ing so airy and graceful and
distinguished, and yet enthusiastic Withal, about
the younger and principal ﬁgure of the group,
that the young sea-knight found himself in-
stan‘tl‘y more or less fascinated.

“ hat a dashing, beautiful man i” be ex-
claimed, unger ibireaiili, at tggnisaine time

ausing an ca g is com one arm.
P‘ Who is it, sir?”

The answer both astonished and delighted
him, though he might have anticipated it, so
dear to the popular heart had already become
the subject of is query.

"Major-General the Marquis de la Fa ette,”
was the reply. “Come for he is likew en-
thusiastic over your darin exploit.”

“This gentleman, indee ," thought the young

 
once divined the cause of this new hopefulness I

“ Ca tain Dareall, the captor of the Hector!” .

 
Sea Witch commander, as he followed his guide
mechanically, and not a little diﬁidently, up the
steps, “ looks as i i' he might be enthusiastic
over any and everything good and noble and
brave.”

’i‘he effusive Lafayette, on being made ac-
quainted with the hero of the deck, was not con—
tent with graspin g his hand, but threw his arms
around him and embraced him fervently, while
his Gallic companions were scarcely less (lemon—
strative.

“ Oh, it was gallant, it was superb!” he cried,
in his broken English—«which was speedily
mended, however, as he continued in the service
of the country in order that he might ﬁght his
country’s hereditary foe. “My friend, you will
be great, you will shine. you will coruscate
among the rising orbs of this young and brave
nation, of which you are so fortunate as to be a
native! You should have command of a nation-
al vessel at once—a man-of—war, a frigate, a
ship of the line 1”

Dick ﬁnally made his escape into the house,
blushing like a school-girl, and with the pressure
of the marquis’s soft hand lingering in his hard
palm like a caress.

“ The marquis is very young,” whispered
Colonel Goldheart, half-apologetically. “ But
be has already inade himself extremely useful,
and is very popular.”

“‘ I don’t wonderat it,” muttered Dick in a yet
lower voice, for they were now at the door of a.
large room which he instinctively felt to be the
threshold of his hopes. “ That young man’s
amiable presence would civilize a herd of bar-
barians.’

They then entered.

A number of ofﬁcers, some of them with
charts before them, were grouped about a table
at which one man was seated with his legs
crossed, and great blunted silver s urs at the
heels of his huge, brilliantly-p0 'shed top-
boots.

This man was large-framed and nobly-fea-
tured, with enormous hands and feet, and yet
with an unmistakable greatness of presence that
at once impressed the beholder powerfully.

Upon Colonel Goldheart’s mentioning his young
companion’s name, this central ﬁgure at once
arose, advanced a step, and grasping the ybung
sailor’s hand, spoke a few words of earn-
est approval in a grave, sweet voice, and with
ah campﬁmentary inclination of his majestic

ea .

Dauntless Dick was greatly confused at ﬁrst,
and felt like raising the huge hand he was graspw
in to his ii s.

e wasa last in the presence of the Father
of his Country.

CHAPTER IX.
AN HISTORIC BATTLE.

“YOUR news has preceded you, Captain
Dareall,” said the commander-in-chief, signing
[the youn man to a seat while resuming his
own. “ 'ou have doubtless come to give me
the particulars of this gallant affair?”

Dick replied in the afﬁrmative.

“Proceed, then,” continued General Wash-
ington, “ I shall listen to you with pleasure,
but must caution you to be concise, as we are
about to attack the enemy’s rear, and there will
doubtless be a sharp engagement.”

The young commander at once told his story
in the simplest and most straightforward man-
ner, without the least verbiage or embellish-
meat.

He was listened to in silence and with rapt
attention by the commander-in-chief and his
assembled staff-oﬂicers, La Fayette and his
French companions also joining the group of
auditors soon after the beginmng of the nar-
ration, and remaining interle throughout.

When the murmur of compliments had died
away at its conclusion, General Washington.
said, with something less than his accustomed
im assiveness:

‘ Sir you have Served your country well in
this gallant deed. I have no doubt that, when
the necessary appraisement of our capture can
be made, your prize-money w' 1 be forthcoming
to yourself and your companion."

‘ Thank you, general,” re lied Dick, who had
by this time recovered all is native indepen-
dence of thought and speech, “ but I care noth-
ing for that. And it was for nothing of the
sort shat I have thus reported in person to

ou.

“ For what then, pray ?”

“To entreat a more immediate and different
sort of reward, sir.”

Washington slightly frowned.

“You serve your country in the hope of a
reward, then i” ,«

“ Yes, sir,”boldly—f‘ for the opportuni to
serve her in a larger and more use 111 ﬁeld. ’

The frown disappeared.

“There is the true ring in those words.
wung man. What do you want?” demanded

ashington. ,

“ Your written recommendation for a letter-
of—marque commission from t 9 Congress. I
have been a coast man throng the war, this.
far; I longofor blue water and a stench priv rm
tcer's tim rs under my feet.”

“Ahl to what end i"

 
“New... f........_'......pu_,. 3. .A

 
i or “when. on, you have the recommendation

,motesto tposto. '

when Captain Dick re oin’ed’ sundae.“ the

Dauntless  l

M,


“ To serve my country wheresoever wind'
blows or billow leaps; to capture, burn, pillage i
or destroy as the case may he, or circumstance ~
mary dictate.”

here was a general smile throughout the 1
room, in which, however, the commander-ilk
chief did not participate, as he gravely turned
to the table and took up a pen.

“But wait," said he, pausing.
not a ship.”

“ I shall take one,” was the characteristic re— :

“ You have

use. v
p?‘ Your Mist ‘Vitch is too small for an all— :
round privateer, I supp05e’i” I

“ Altogether, sir."

“How would the armed brig answer that you ‘
have ‘ust ca turedi” l‘

“ ot at a 1, general! She is tubvbuilt, with .
a cock—a—loft stern and a bow on her like the
bulge of a wine-vat. I want a good one and a
ﬁyer. There‘ll be plenty enough British craft
poking around in old Barnegat presently in
search of the swallowed Hector and her sevent
men, includin Lieutenant Romney and h s
gold-laced sate ites. I’ll take my pick of ’em
at leisure."

There was another smile, and General Wash-
ington forthwith wrote out and signed the re-
commendation as r nested.

“ Here Captain areall,” he said,’ gravely
assing the paper. which was received with a
ecomingly grateful bow. “ I now wish to ask a

you a few questions that have more than once
occurred to me.”

Dick bowed, and waited.

“ How happens it that you have never enlist-
ed in the sei'vice of your country—you and your [
comrades?” I

“ Well, sir,” replied Dick, growing somewhat |
embarrassed, “we think we have served, off
and along Barnegat—or you might say from
Great Egg Harbor clean up to Squam—though I
pe‘izhzgspsomewhat irregularly.”

“ Yes, eneral,” recovering his assurance
rapidly. For, from the beginning of the 5
war, what do you think the little Mist Witch 1
has done? Captured burnt or conﬁscated,”he ,
began, telling 03 the score on his ﬁngers, 
“ twenty-four smacks, nineteen sloops or schoon-
ers—most of ’em provision boats—twelve. store- 1
ships of various rigs and tonnage, eight large l
transports (home-bound and empty), one small 1
treasure-ship, and, lastly, the armed brig Hec- T
tor, and every timbered son of ’em ﬂying the
«British Union Jack, or owned or commanded
bya self~confessed Tory. There you are, gen-
eral. Not a bad showing, I fancy, and not
much in the interests of King George III,
either.” ‘

“ Exactly. But conﬁscated 3’ Did any of ‘
this conﬁscated property accrue to the a v -
tags of our national treasury which is so great
ly u need of money as to be unable to pay ,
our high-starved and less than half-clothed .
“on s .

D ck moved a little uneasily in his chair, and
he hung his head. .

The matter had never appeared
quite so strong a li ht before, and it seemed to
him that that on and, grand face, under
whose frown—it was a mock/ frown, by the
way, but he couldn’t know it at the moment—
he was sitting, was as the countenance of an
all but omnipotent judge calling him to account. ‘
Still he rallied.

“Well, general," he said, “you see, before
the war, we were ﬁshermen and‘. Wreckers—-
along Bargegat; whereas since the war—since

the war— .
; “ Ah, then! since the war-V" _

The young coast-manlooked up with a frank
lau b that proved more or less infectious.

“ ell, general, since the war the Britishers
call us pirates, the Tories call us beach devils
and freebooters, while in our own conceit we
are merely r ﬁsher and sailor men, striking
for the g cause in our own way, though now
and then thinking of our own pockets, and hop-
ing to do better as letter-of-marque privafe'srn—
menvon blue water.” ~ I
i ‘ There wasa general laugh, inwhich Washing-
ton failed to join though his countenance had
lost its severity o espression. ‘ -
“At all events. aptain Denali,” said‘he,
with a slight gesture indicatin that the inter-
View was ma, “.Iwoul sooner have you
and your man rivateersmen than freebooten

 
you req ,
“ The brave youth l’lcried La Fa ette, ush-
ing enthusiasticail forward to one; Inez-g1 em-
brace D an latter arose:“he should
have a line-of- ttle shipl, 1n Parlahewonld be
a llifn oaths salons I”  d
' ere ere was a. comm at the door an
a booted and spurred messenger. covered ’With
sweat and dust, entered with news from the re-

  
Firin We: already heard'inthe 

W n rose with it cant gesture,
and sign ‘to his black y—servant for his
Word amichapeau. .,In less than a minute the

 
readi-

hereithe refresh worstn .

t w )

 
l of the ragged but devoted Continentals were

. and the historic battle of Monmouth was be—

tohimin‘

  
nose, the commander-in—chief and his staff had
galloped off, the camp was a thing of the past,
column after column, squadron after squadron

wheeling by on the quickstep, two regiments
were already exchanging volleys With the
Hessian rear-guard of the retreating Britishers,

un.

g “ Fog—eye,” exclaimed Dick, vaulting into the
saddle, “if you’ve had breakfast. you’re ahead
of me. But, for all that, I am going to see how ‘,
ﬁghting is done on land, it I have to go through '
with the entire battle."

“I, too, or dash my toplights, Capl” cried
Flinders, imitating his example.

They spurred after a squud of cavali'ymeu on
the left of the J erscy Blues, that was hurrying
to the front with long, swinging strides. and
amid a chorus of huzzas.

The Hessiaus and four regiments of Rodeos ts
were stretched out in an extended line across
the fields and roadways but a mile away, with
the village and a few tree-clumps between.

The space was quickly crossed by the main
American force in serried lines, volleys being
exchanged at every rod of the advance, with
La Fayette coming up more slowly with the re-
Serve, and a cava ry ﬂuukiu movement on the
Eight, in operation under “ ight Horse Harry

ee. - .

Men were falling faster and faster on either
side and the ﬁeld-pieces began to get in their
wor .

Then there was a hurrahin bayonet charge
all along the line on the part c the Americans,
sad Dic and his companion lost sight of each
0 er.

 
CHAPTER x. V
AN UNEXPKCTED DISAPPOINTMENT.

THE battle had lasted for several hours, and at
last there were unmistakable signs of the British
giving way. v ‘ _

At this Juncture Dick, who had been mixing
in the thickest of the ﬁght with the keenest zest
along with the squad to which he had at—
tached himself from the ﬁrst, had his horse
killed under him.

As he strugglineg released his leg from under
the fallen animal, the battle _ raging around
him, he presented a rather formidable appear-
ance. ‘

Being an excellent shot, with a sort of passion
for ﬁrearms, he had, besides doing good execu-
tion in the fray, busied himself with making a
collection of such pistols ns took his fancy from
the bodies of fallen British ofﬁcers, always mak-
ing sure that they were leaded.

As a consequence, his belt at this juncture was
fairly bristling with pistols of every size and
description, and as the pistols of that day were
nearly all of the huge holster. variety, it may be
readilyima ed that howas pretty well weight-
ed w1th h extra armament, besides cutting
quite a warlike figure. , . ‘

“ Hallo. ca ta nl” ﬁayly cried an agreeable
voice,,not in 9 best uglish, as he gained his
feet, sword in hand; “ you are laying .in a stock
of small-arms for your forthcoming privateer,
_I see. And can you ﬁght on land as well as on
wateri” A ' ,

It was La Fayette who spoke, and who had
come to a momentary pause, with his staff, a
Sharitzrdimnce “39% u a Di k ‘ u hoot‘

\ es. nera, r e c .000 ys mg
down a ffgssian as h? ke, “but not on horse-
back. A sailor ﬁghts wet on his feet I’fancy,
whether with the solid ground or a ree ng deck
underneaanwth him. Hal take care of yourself,
gener ' ‘ , .

There was a sudden charge of "a considerable
body of Hessiaus from out a neighboring thick-

at, the Continentals at that int momentaril
giving way before them, and Fayette wasa -
most surrounded.

At the same time in 03min Dick sprung for-
ward with‘waving swo , in lead of a knot of
Americans who had failed‘ to give wa .’with
their com alone, a cannon-ball broke be up
lifted his. a short off in his hand. '

But a broken sword was of little uce
to such a born ﬁghter as the codetman, th his

ghting instinct at the fever pitch. .

‘ Hum-ah!” heshouted. snatchi the musket,
with its ﬁxed bayonet, from the f on Bowen, .
and rushing on to the nude assistance.
“We a boardiing ﬁght, an the enemy’s decks
should beours . v \ V '

A bayonet~thrust d 1nd of the ﬁrst. soldier .
he encoun . his c ubbed musket ed
down a seco d, and then, with the cumbrous
weapon in his left hand, he snatched pistol after.
pistol from his belt, bringigg down a mercenary

shot, while his co

ev inspired- to
acuity y his example, were a% doing won.
,3. .

" In a v few minutesthe  Conti-
‘ 'ed eﬁectivel ", while the. sedans
adiabatic matched t «1,1123% ; ‘ i kl

, , e on .an , N 00 n
more likeyiimvesty  .mldig’inthei:

  
111189“ka

'o.
H,

 
Wis

  
Then, before another and better-organized
counter-charge, still led by Dick, the survivors
broke and fled in the utmost precipitation! iv.
ing vent to German jabberlngs of fear as t W
ran. and were shot or out down by the score
before they could regain the wood.

This section of the field was then temixirarily
clear. though the bullets from the columns en~
gagcd not far away continued to whistle and
sing and the cannon-halls to whiz overhead.

“Bravo!” shouted La Fayette, enthusiastical-
ly. “Come here, Monsieur Sailor-Soldier! you
are a brave man—you have doubtless saved me
from capture, and 1 want to thank cu.”

Accompanied by his stali’ and 01: are, he was
already spurring his way over the broken and
dead-strewn ﬁeld toward Dareall, who was now
breathless from his exertions and with the last
pistol gone from his erst laden belt.

As they drew reiu around him, he looked up
with dazed eyes in which he strove to deprecate
the thanks promised him, when another and a
graver voice spoke.

“Captain Dareall," said the voice. “I have
chanced to witness your prowess. If I was too
severe upon your antecedents 'at my heudqusr- \
ters, I am son for it. And should that recom—
mendation fai of its object in securing your
commission, pray don't hesitate to spy] y to me.

a am.

hen Dick ﬂushed proudly as he grasped an
enormous ungloved hand that was extended
down to him by a commanding ﬁgure on a pow—
erful roan horse. and he even pressed his lips to
that hand before it could be withdrawn.

Dear, indeed, to him might be the praise of
such men as the distinguished Marqu s de La,
Fayette. but doubly, incalculably precious was
that of Washington himself; and the remem-
brance of that hand-pressure on the bloody ﬁeld
of Monmouth was ever tbereafterared—letter _ .
reminiscence in the unwritten volume of his '
checkered and adventurous life.

But before he could murmur his thanks on '
aide-decamp came whirling up from the fur-
ther side of the ﬁeld with an important message
on his lips, and both Washington and La Fay-
ette.s nrred away, together with their staﬂs.

Au now scarcely a hundred yards off to the
right, the J’ersey Blues were seen in slow retreat
before a sweeping bayonet assault on the part of
grueplerior force of Redcoats and Hessians coma

in . . .

.Ths‘company of Continentals which had just
effected La Fayette‘s rescue under Dick’s lead—
ershi were without an ofﬁcer of their own, and
still ooked upon him as their temporary head.

He at once led them in a dashing charge up—
on the new eneuiy‘s ﬂank, This stayed the lat-
ter’s charge, the Blues made a successful stand,
and for the moment there was desperate band‘s
to-hand ﬁghting. -

Then the Britishers fell slowly back. and Dick

rceived the tall, lanky fl re of Fog-eye

linders assisting a. captain o the Blues to his
feet, while holding in one hand a musket whose
bayonet was ruddil y stained. =

‘ What, Ca tain Goldheartl” exclaimed Dick,
a proaching,‘ or he was better acquainted with

aomi's brother than With her father. “ I hope
it is well with on, sir.” - . f

“Itois, th youI Captain Dareall," replied
the ofﬁcer, shaking himself a bit. “But that I
am not among the slain is solelyowlng ice-tho .,
self-sacriﬁcing heroism of this brave fellow,
whom I do not even know." ‘» ‘

Dick made the necessary explanation, and
gapdtain Goldheart grasped his proservor’s

an . I '

“Mr.

on my life. , ,
Blieudkcall on Herbert Goldheart, of the Jersey

ues.

He then hurried away to rejoin his company.

“Spikemy gun-3' guﬂawed Fog-eye with a
pleased grin, “ed that ain’t the fu’st time any
gentleman ever called me Mister Flindersl" ~ I s

The British were now almost everywhere‘in
full m{twine th A a} ' too 

n our r e m cans,

exhausted to take 11 pursuit, were in undile
tin-bed on of he bloody field. and the 
battle‘o Monmouth was fou h won. n
; After a few hours’ rest refreshment, Didk
and his companions were enabled to set-riont
homeward on. horses easily procured fromvthn
riderless, ones as a result of the horde
tong tday. ' ' V .

i A bitter and unexpected disappointment was
in store for them. , .   »_

They rode might to the school-buildin used
as the militia barracks as their ﬁrst ob vs
point on reaching Tom’s River, at aboutnim
ozeloclr in the evening. I ~

'* “ I am sorry to have to report it, Dick," laid,
Captain Sedley, after. the ﬁrst tastings s
been exchanged. “But our.chie prisoner

“Wiper echoed Dick. “ Romney”. '
ﬂ Yes i _ ‘ ‘ - ,

“ When and howl” v

’ “Sometimeeulythismorningmndlondpsct
that a young woman, who has disappeared with
the ,waseoncernedinit.” . 
A a few more explanations, Dick,
homestes

 
." said he, impressively, “’Iiowe _ w

in
E
,4:

U.
‘5
o
'l
‘8
c:
3
0
Ex"
I:
S
a.
3
I

     
instantly  the Durham

§

Dauntless Dick.

 
Naomi Goldheart had been missing since day-
break, and there was no manner of doubt that
she was both the means and the companion of
the British lieutenant’s ﬂight.

CHAPTER XI.
A GREAT SCHOONER.

DICK, fresh from the battle, brought glorious
news to the homestead, and Flinders was at the
same time spreading the same encouraging in-
telligence throughout the village and the coun-
try-side. ‘

Notwithstanding the lateness of the hour, new
bonfires were soon blazing, throngs collecting,
and General VVashington’s victory at Monmouth
the rejoicing subject upon every lip.

But the joy of it all was not a little dampened
at the Dearhorns by the treasonable conduct of
Jessie‘s beautiful cousin.

Mrs. Goldheart was in tears, the widow
troubled and anxious, Jessie still brimming
over with patriotic indignation and chagrin.

“ I think I see it all now,” she said to her
lover. “ Naomi must have been eavesdropping
when you gave me the barracks password out
yonder at the gate. At all events, she was not
in the house when I reéutered it after separat-
ing from you, though she came in by the back
door a few minutes later—looking very com-
posed and self-satisﬁed, as I now remember,
though I thought nothing of it at the time.
Those laurels by the gate would have furnished
her with a capital concealment. Yes, yes; it is
ad plain now 1"

She clasped her hands tightly together, and
sun pad her pretty teeth close shut.

“ on are doubtless right,” observed Dick.
“ But she was dressed as a man—as a young of-
ﬁcer—when she used the password to pass the
sentry at daybreak. How could she have man-
aged that, J essie?"

“Easily enough. She had a complete uni-
form of her brother’s in her trunk, which she
laughineg showed me when unpacking it the
ﬁrst day of her arrive] here. Herbert, who has
or had been gaining flesh ver rapidly,it seems,
had outgrown the suit, and aomi had brought
itulong with her as 'a jest, or so she told me.
Sue is quite as tall as Herbert (who is a small
man, as you know), besides being robust. The
suit would have ﬁtted her nicely. We have all
talked over the matter with Captain Sedle .”

" So have I. The sentry was unsuspicious, it
seems, though Captain Sedley suspected the na-
ture of the trick directly upon bein informed
of the esoape. But when the disgu sod young
woman entered the barracks prison, she carried
alarge bundle under her arm, which ought to
have aroused the suspicions of an one but a
numskull, assword or no passwor .”

“That oubtless contained a gown and old
bonnet of my aunt’s, among other things. Such
articles are missing from her elfects, and, as
she is a large woman, Romney must have util-
ized them in effecting his escape in the pretend-
ed young ofﬁcer's company. At any rate, nei-
ther was questioned when they passed out to‘
gather, the larger ﬁgure as a. woman.”

“ Yes; I know that.”

“ And Naomi was still carrying her bundle,
though somewhat shrunken in size, so that she
must also have taken away some of her own
garments with her. Indeed, auntie says that
her best gown and considerable underwear are
missing.’

“ I’ll warrant on i"

Jessie clasp her hands afresh, and there
were tears that were not wholly of. indignation
in her eyes.

“ Oh, Dick, the scandal and disgrace of it i”
she exclaimed. “ I feel that. and for my foolish
cousin’s sake, more than I do the treasonable—
ness of it all."

“ I don’t wonder 'that you do!” assented her
lover, moodily.

“ To run away thus clandestiner with an of-
ﬁcer, and a. Britisher, at that!”

“ 0h, ﬂddlesticks, my dear Jessie!” cried Dick
bursting into one of his gay laughs at last. “I
suppose a Britisher answers the purpose as well
as another when a girl is in love, and Romney
is lar glanced good-looking rascal, if I say it my-
se .
“ But to run away with him !”

“ Nonsense! They‘ll doubtless be able to make
their way to New ork without much trouble
in the present disturbed state of the intervening
region, when they can get married in a hurry.
The scoundrel has a gentleman's breeding, as
they call it, he can hardly help loving such a

 
handsome brunette (he is a Saxon blonde on his -

own part, as you know) to distraction, apart
from this signal act of devotion on her part, and
Inever heard of his being a married man al-
ready. In fact, I believe him to be heart and
honor-free in that respect. That is all there is
about it.”
“ You really think so, Dick?”
“I do indeed.” x.
“ Well, perhaps you are right in part. But I
hav been thinking the matter over, and I don’t
bell ve they can have gone directly to New
York. The risk would be very greatby land
Just now, and they could not well go by water.”
“True; but where else could they have gone
for safety 3" !

 
“ To Collingford Hall.”
Dick slapped his thigh, his dark face lighting

u .

12' Good idea!" he exclaimed. “ I must follow
it up.” And he kissed Jessie heartily for the
suggestion.

This colloquy had been held up0n the porch.
They now returned to the sitting-room, Where
the elderly women were, and where Dick gave
them a running account of his experience at
General Weshington’s headquarters. and in the
stirring engagement that ensued.

Mrs. Goldheart was chieﬂy interested in the
ﬁgures that her husband, the colonel, and her
son, the captain, cut in the narrative.

“ I am real glad that my husband was able to
assist you in such distinguished society, Captain
Dareall," she observed with lofty condescen-
sion;—1ndeed, this go woman was nothing if
not lofty, even under the most distressing cir-
cumstances, and she felt the humiliation of her

daughter’s mad escapade more keenly than she .

would confess. “ John has a heart of gold, as
our name indicates, and you would doubtless
have made no headway either with General
Washington or the young marquis (they do say
that he is just lovely) without his kindly inter-
cession. And as for the obscure but worthy
person——Fliuders, you said, I believe-who was
so fortunate as to save my son’s life, Herbert
shall pay him twenty pounds for the serv1ce, if
the war is ever over and we should ever get
back our own. I,” with virtuous emphasis,
“shall see to that mysdf l"

“ Oh, Aunt Martha!” murmured Jessie, mor-
tiﬂed‘ beyond measure at this contemptible self-
sufﬂciency on the part of her relative, while her
mother was no less voxed.

“ Thank you, ma’m,” replied Dick, dryly.
“ Your husband, the colonel, is a very great and
important personage, no doubt—in your estima-
tion. But you are somewhat ‘ out.’ My fame
had gone before me, and General Washington
and the Marquis de La Fayette (you're right
about the marquis being just lovely, too—he’s a
solid brick of the finest French porcelain, and
no mistake!) would have received me just as
well as they did if he had not been in existence.
And as for you or any one else offering to pay
brave Fog- eye Flinders for saving your precious
son’s life—well, I should pity the one making the
proposition, that is all. "

And with these parting shots, he rose to take
his leave, holding out his hand for Jessie to ac-
company him to the gate, according to their
custom.

“ Oh, Dick 1” exclaimed the yougg girl, when
they were outside' “ I feel so b . But you
won’t mind her, wi 1 you?”

“Not a bit of it,” replied her lover, cheerfully.
“The poor old girl couldn’t be other than a such,
if she Were to try. ’ And I really pity her for the
humiliation she must feel over her daughter’s
conduct. ”

“ Where are you going now?"

"To my mother’s ﬁrst, and then to see the
Mist Witch fellows, and to circulate around gen-
erally. There is much to do before I can think
of banking time, and yet more to—morro w. A
good-night kiss, sweetheart! No danger of

o'u’re running elf with a Britisher—I’ll swear
to that !" He opened his arms.

“ 0h, Dick, my lover, my sailor prince l” mur-
mured the beautiful girl, as she melted into his
honest embrace; “you have already the admira-
tion of the great and powerful. You will be
something noble. something grand!”

" Ay, ay, Jessie!” with his farewell hug and
kiss. “ A bold privateersman, my darling I”

And as he went 011’ down the moonlight read,
he partly turned to her his handsome, reckless
face, while trolling forth in his richvoice the old
sea-ditty: .

“ A bold privateer, my girl,
A bold privateer!
Share and share alike as their ﬂag they strike
And the cannon smoke-wreaths clear,
With the plunder dead on the capstan-head,
And than home again to my dear!”

While approaching his mother’s cottage, Dick
heard his name called.

He turned to grasp the hand of a young man
who had overtaken him, and for whom he had a
strong liking.

This was Jeremiah Wardlow, Squire Colling~
ford’s nniless halfvbrother, but with his home
at the
favorite with the maidens of the country-aide,
and as well known for his uncompromising

triotic sentiments as his more consequential

insman was for his To ' m.

“,FriendiDick, I have n wishing greatly to
see thee,” was this young man's greeting now,
with a mock solemnity of speech and manner
that he was fond of assuming at times. “Not
alone to congratulate thee on this battle-luster
and greatness that hath come upon thee, like the
thunder-clothing upon the J ohian war-speed’s
neck, but to tell thee something else that may
interest thee nearly.”

“ Spare me your congratulations, then,
Jerry ” cried Dick, laughing, "and tell me the
somet ing else that may interest me nearly.
haven’t a. doubt it is well worth the hearin .”

“Thee speakest truly,” continued the 0 er.

A

. i
x; ‘ '

, and a jovial. popular fellow, a great I

 
his manner changing. “ I am again alone with
the servants at the Hall."

“ Oho! and the squire?”

“ Oil.’ in his yacht again.

“ Since when?”

' “Since two hours after daybreak this mom-
in .
‘ Ah! alone?”

J eremiah’s eyes twinkled.

"Ah, you rogue, as if you didn’t suspect the
truth I" he chuckled. “ Your escaped lieutenant
and the adventurous lady are off to New York
with him."

“ You are right; I did suspect it.

“ But there’s more yet for thee, friend
Dick.”

“ What is it?"

“ I am a good patriot, and likewise a good
listener on occasion, Dick.”

“ I believe you."

“ Romney expects to take command of the
great new schooner, the Cormorant, whose out-
ﬁt is now completing. He will be here in the
bag for his revenge within a week."

ick’s black eyes kindled greedily.

“ You are sure of this, Jerry ?"

“ I’d Swear to it, friend Dick—that is, by dc»-
ductive reasoning, you understand i”

Dick regarded hiscompanion thoughtfully and
without speaking for a moment.

In spite of his being but a half-brother, Jerry
bore a striking resemblance to the Tory squire.
It was in speech and manner no less than in
person, and many was the time he had con-
vulsed his boon companion at the village inn—
for Jerry was a ne’er-do-weel and roysterer in a
mild way—by taking off some of his digniﬁed
relative’s peculiarities.

“ You are not very7 fond of Tory Collingford, I
understand. J erryi ’ queried the young com-
giatnde’r, at last, ‘ your own half-brother though

a 6.

“By my life, I hate him right cordially, as
thee ought to know, friend Dick.”

“You would assist in defeating his Tory
machinations at a pinch?”

“ Try me !" A

“ Give me your hand on it. I shall doubtless
have occasion to test your patriotism later.”

They clasped hands and separated.

CHAPTER XII.
WANTED, A PRIVATEER.

DURING Dick Dareall’s absence at Monmouth,
in accordance with instructions he had left be-
hind him, the captured brig had been towed up
into a deep, narrow cove, but with a sand-ha
lying across its mouth, where repairs could be
made on her without any danger of a recapture
being attempted.

This cove was also the Mist Witch‘s favorite
anchorage when not in service.

In fact, the whole of Barnegat Bay, by reason
of its prevalent shallowness and many bars was
a pretty good shelter against war-vessels, thou h
it was now pretty certain that the Bri sh
would not be long in sending a vessel or vessels
in search of reprise] for the capture of the Hec-
tor.

No further enterprise was, therefore, imme-
diately attempted with the little schooner, every
one being content to watch and wait.

This patience was rewarded on the evening
of the fouth day,when one of the Witch’s crew,

osted on lookout at a point half-we. down the

ay, came into the village with the ntelligence
that a gonboat was grounded on a sand-bar to
the north of the small island known as the
Gridiron just inside the inlet between Long
Beach and Island Beach.

In the mean time another lookout had been
permanently stationed on the ocean side of
Island Beach, near its southern extremity, with
instructionsto light a beacon ﬁre at the ﬁrst
glimpse he should catch of the Cormorant,
whose coming was anxiously and e erly ex-

ted, notwithstanding that she wo d doubt-
ess be heavily armed and manned, and with a
li ht enough draught to enable her, with roper
iiota e, to proceed up the buy as far as e v11-
I; e 0 Tom 5 River itself.
hen the news of the grounded gunboat was
brought to Dick, he was at a small inn kept by
a queer character named Hooks—playfully called
Fish-hooks, for short, by his ﬁsher-folk! gossips
and customers—not far from the cove in which
the schooner and the brig were concealed, to-
gether with a number of his men, Salty Junk
and Fog-eye Flinders amon them.

 
“A nboat on the Gri iron Shoals!" com-
mente Dick. “ Could you read her name,
Revels?"

“Not a squint of it, Captain Dick,” replied
the lookout. “It was too rainy even for the

‘ squinting glass I brought to bear on her.”

" What sort of a gunboat?" ‘

“ Medium—sized, cutter—rigged, and looking as
if she might be crowded with men."

“On the shoals pretty tight?”

“ Nose on hard, and the tide dropping out.”

“ Fish-books!” called out the you command-
er, “ﬁll this cider jug again, an if Revels
wants anything stronger, let him have it. He
looks wet and tired." And then, as the order
was being complied with, he looked out of the
door, which stood wide open, reﬂectively.

,’ I
'i...zvu”ia-s.

 
‘1”.

 
\gunboat aground

Dauntless Dick.

9

 
It had been raining all day, and was still
coming down, the night setting in black and
dismal. _

“Fog-eye,” observed Dick, after a pause,
“ will there be a fog i" '

The lanky gunner of the Mist Witch, who
was reasonably full of hard cider, having been
swilling it with commendable industry since
breakfast time, made his way rather unsteadin
to the ta room door, and looked out over the
lbroad an darkening surface of the rain-swept

ay.
“ A heavy one and a shifter, ie replied, after
a few moments’ inspection. “ It’s coming up the
bay now, Cap, though on the ocean side, outside
the beaches, 1!: will e light.”

A bold beam sprun into the oung com-
mander’s reckless dar eyes, and he struck
Elbe gable before him with his strong clinched

an .

“ Boys,” he cried “who knows but that the
own yonder might answer
our turn in lack of something better?’

“ For what?” called out more voices than one.

“For what?” he thundered. “ Why for the
privateer we are looking and longing for, as a
matter of course i"

“ But I thought we were to wait for the big
new schooner,’ one of the men ventured to

sa .

xBut she doesn’t show upI and I for one am
sick of waiting. At all events we shall cap-
ture the gunboat to-night, in or er to look her
over. ,

He had risen to his feet, and was striding
restlessly over the sanded ﬂoor.

“ C me, make your pre ations and get the
rest c you together. e start in an hour.
Salty, you look up those new recruits from
down the coast. Fog~eye, vou see Captain Sed-
ley, and see if he wouldn’t like to come with
half his militia company to help land-lubber
the brig. We can attend to manning her out
of our own crew, and now, since his prisoners
have been sent to Philadelphia, he has no bind-
in respunsibilities ashore. ’

ill had sprung to their feet, and were brisk-
ly astir at the promise of fresh adventure.

“ What, Captain Dick!" said Salty Junk,
his second in command; “you will take the
brig, tool”

‘ Yes "was the reply; ” it will make shorter
work. esides, I have thought of a ruse with
respect to her, that may cheapen the affair con-
siderably. Bestir vyourselves now, my men!
Here, you, Jerry ardlow,” to the bearer of
the name, who just then entered the tap-room,
and, thou h very wet outside, was looking very
thirsty “ want you. Never mind if you are
dry. ome home to supper with me, and you
shall have all the cider you can swallow.”

He forthwith carried the ne’er-do-weel of Col-
lingford Hall of! with him, and the rest of the
com any hurriedly dispersed.

‘ erry,"said Dick, on the waytohis mother’s
cottage, ‘ there's adventure, wit a good chance
of loot, afoot. Are you in with it?

“ Every time!” cried Wardlow, who, in spite
of his continued thirst, was feeling very halﬁpy
gem a jovial afternoon at the regular vi ge

vern.

And then, remembering his accustomed rele,
he added, With Quaker-ll e simplici :

“Thee ought to know, Friend D ck, that I
am generally in readiness for any mischievous
ente i'lsg, provided it be neither mproper nor

un 1 .

‘¥A éuce to your humbugging!” rrowled the
t’ygung commander, impatiently. “This job is

capture a British gunboat aground on the
Gridiron Shoals.”

“ Friend Dick. thee mayst count upon me.”

“ Good! I was retty sure I could. The
’squire came back 11 his yacht yesterday, did
he not?”

it Truly."

“ Is he planning with other Tories for the re-
capture 0 the brig?” .

a Yes ” y

“ Ha! we have not been misinformed b
Junk’s daughter, who is one of the housemai s
at the Hall.”

. Jerry’s eye twinkled roguishly, after its fash-
ion.

“ What!” he chuckled; “little Sally Junk a.
spy in the Tor camp? Oh, if ’Squire Harry
could Isuspectt at I"

And he fell into a sort of amused silence,
broken by little guffaws.

CHAPTER XIII.
A DASHING ENTERPRISE.

“ LOOK you, J erry,” continued Dareall,
“ what are the particulars of the ’squire’s plot?
You ought to know."

“ I am not wholly ignorant, friend Dick.”

" How many men does he ho to muster
from among the Tory families an other discon-

. tents?” ‘

“Seventy. In fact, they are mustered al-

read .”
“ 'Fhe deuce! where?”
“ That I’ honestly don’t know, friend Dick.
anti] gm sure it is nowhere on the Collingford
n s.
“ wish we did know. It would be fine to

H.

 
have Sedley pounce on them at their rendezvous

with his militia. The arms in their hands would

alone be sufﬁcient to incriminate them in their

greason. However, this other way may be the
est.’

“ What other way!”

“You will ﬁnd out soon enough, my boy.
When do they intend to attempt the brig’s re-
capture?”

‘ To—night at nine."

“ Ah! we’ll forestall them bravely there. Are
they expecting assistance by water, to enable
them to hold the brig when captured in ac-
cordance with their lot’i—for of course none of
those landsmen wou d know how to take herout
of the cove.”

“ Yes,” replied Jerry. “ They are expecting
two vessels up the bay to-night. And it is their
intention to burn Tom’s River villa 9 after they
shall have secured the brig—curse t em!”

“There is the ri ht ring to that anathema,
J err . What vesse are they expecting?”

“ hegunboat Jezebel for one. ’

“A gunboati Why, that must he the one
agroundon the Gridiron!”

“ I shouldn’t wonder at all.”

“Good! We’ll attend to her.
other vessel expected ’4"

“ The big new schooner, Cormorant, Lieuten-
ant Romney in command.

Dick gave a joyful exclamation.

“ Good Lord I“ he cried; “ my proved-for de-
sire! But are you sure Jerry, nite sure?”

“ Oh, quite so, friend Dick. overheard my
brother discussing her last night with Major
Duvent, the rich Trenton Tory, when I was sup-

sed to be fast asleep in bed, sleeping off the
oad I got on at the Red Lion.”

“ But the schooner must be delayed then, for
tine gunboat to have got into the inlet before

er;

“ It looks very much like it."

“God grant she fail not to enter the be.
some time, and the sooner the better! What K
she like, Jerry l”

“ My brother saw and examined her the other
day in New York. I heard him tell Major
Duvent that she is the largest, toughest, hand-
somest and ﬂeetest schooner ever turned out by
the Massachusetts shipyards. The Britishers
captured her off Nantucket three months ago,
and have been ﬁtting out and arming her ever
since. The say she can ﬂy before or against
the wind, ikea gull in the teeth ofa nail,
and dance over the biggest storm-crests ' e ,a
cork.”

The young commander's eye was kindling
with a sailor’s enthusiasm, his mouth fairly
watered, and he was rubbing his hands.

“ More, Jerry, more i" he exclaimed, delight-
edly. “Surely you know yet more about the
great schooner than this?”

“A little, friend Dick,” replied the Coiling-
ford scapegrace, gravely, and affecting to be
unconscious of the other’s excitement. “She
is sea and weather-taut from her main-royal

k to her keel metal, and from stern-post to
owsprit nib. She has new brass chasers, thir-
ty—twos, fore and aft, and broadsides of three
twent -four unders each, making eight guns
in l, wit out counting a newly-captured
French carronade of the latest device, on swivel,
amidships. .

“She is stuﬂed with prowsions and fixed
ammunition for any sort and any length of
cruise, with a magniﬁcent after-cab n, and fore-
castle quarters for a hundred and twenty-ﬁve
ﬁghting-men.

“ There's not an unsound timber her in sides, a
fault rivet in her planks, or an old or untested
rope n her upper works. I rather think, friend
Dick,” ina mock-diﬂident and hesitating tone
in conclusion, “ that she’s a fair] good craft.”

Dareall threw his arms aroun him and fairly
fell upon his neck.

“Jerry, Jerry!” he cried in a voice husky
with emotion; “you descrihe me aparagon of
the seas. She shall be mine—I already feel my
foot upon her quarter-deck, her undulatigg
sea-movement underneath me as that of a g -
laut steed that knows his rideri But here we
are at the ate. Come in, man, come in! My
mother wil make you welcome, there will be a
good supper, and you shall have all the hard
cider {on can guzzle, if you only remain sober
enoug ~to follow my directiOns implicitly for
this one night.”

“ Many thanks to thee, friend Dick ” was the
ho eful oung man’s modest rejoinder, as he
fol owed companion into the cottage, “ but
there is no danger on that score. God be

raised! I was never yet so exceeding drunk

at that I could keep my feet, my speech and
my head; though look you, Master Dick, I
grant you that matters are occasionally blurred
before my eyes.”

He was soon at the widow’s supper-table,
slowly drinking his ill] from the great cider~
in? though the maternal welcome which Dick

a promised him was more or less forced, could
he have but known, this particular young scion
of the neighboring aris ocracy having never
been one of Mistress Dareall’s favorites.

_ But if J erry was too ti sy, Dick was too over-
Joyed to notice or thi of anything but his
prospective possession of the Cormorant.

w

What is the

."  A:

 
“ Mother," he cried, “ with the fates only half-
wa decent, or let them be but fairly neutral,
an this night witnesses the foundation of my
fortune.”

Then he gave her a brief outline of the expo.
dition that was under way.

The good woman, though never free from
anxiety on her adventurous son's account, was
so accustomed to his dare-devil expeditions as to
cease all endeavors to dissuade hiui from them.
And she made no comment now save to piousiy
commend him and his affairs to the keeping of
an all-wise and beneficeut Providence.

When Dick and his companion returned to the
cove nearly all the men for the expedition were
in readiness, and both schooner and brig (which
had been temporaril repaired) were already be—
ing pulled out into t e ba by means of an eeps,
under the direction of Sn ty Junk and Fog-eye
Flinders respectively.

In addition to the regular crew of the Mist
Witch, there were twenty hardy fellows from
down the coast in the vicinity of Great Buy,
Brigantine Beach, Absecom and Great Egg
Harbor, all brave, patriotic and eager for ad-
venture—ﬁshermen and reefmen for the most
part; while Sedley1 was also on hand, smiling
and conﬁdent, wit a squad of thirty from his
company of militiamen, to ﬁll out the manning
of the brig.

“ We’ll make marines of ’em for the time be-
in ," said Dareall, laughing.

0 his surprise and grati cation,while he was
consulting with Sedley, the group was unex-
pectedlv joined by Ca tain Goldheart, who
gtep e up to Dick an warmly grasped his

an .

“Serlley has informed me of the nature of
your expedition, captain,” he observed, “ and I
would like to go as a volunteer, if you have no
objection."

“ Objection!” echoed Dick. “God bless you,
sir! the more the merrier, and your experience
maths of the eatest value to us."

ldheart, w 0 was a man considerably the
young commander’s senior thanked him and
hen gave his explanation of his presence.

It was simply to the effect that he was on a
brief furlough visit to his mother at the Dear-
borns, when, hearing of the expedition from
Sedley, an old schoolmate of his, he had not
been able to resist the temptation of joining it
on the spot.

But Dick felt that a truer explanation was to
be found in the officer’s grief and mortiﬂcation
over his young sister's escapade, and ssibly a
hope of ﬁnding her on board the ormorant
with Romney, in case of the vessel's capture,
and rhaps wreaking a brother’s vengeance on
the ritisher, while rescuing her from his inﬂu-

once.

It should have been mentioned that Dick had
had to content himself with sending his adieu:
to Jessie by messenger, there bein no time for
the parting interview that would ave been so
dear to the hearts of both.

Dareall now instructed his subordinate leaders
in the details of his plan of attack, which will
lie developed in the course of what is to fol-
ow.

At eight o’clock, both vessels, with their re-
spective forces aboard, started down the bay be-
fore a light wind, the brig in the lead, with
Dick himself and F‘gf-eye Flinders aboard as
heads of affairs, the ist Witch following, with
Salty Junk in coma nd. ,

CHAPTER XIV.
IN ran RAIN AND MIST.

WORKING the brig were ten of the Mist
Witch's regular crew, tried and capable men,
togezher with ten of the recruits from down the
cons .

In addition to this force, allthe militiamen
were on board, includin Sedley, their com—
mander, and Ca tain Go! heart, as a distinctive
fighting force 11 case of such an emergency,
which, however, in the case of the gunboat was
hardly antici ted.

Jerry War low was also with Captain Dick,
as a matter of course.

It was a peculiarly ﬂuctuating, but on the
whole a dismal and rainy night.

The rain, mist, wind and pitch darkness would.

ossess ever 'thing by periodical fits and starts,
the interva 5 being made up of comparative
cessations of the storm, with the fog lifting, the
rain and wind dying off, and the moon striving
to make her opalescent shinings apparent
through the ﬂying scud.

Notwithstanding that most of the expedition.
ists were familiar with evary rod of the great
bay from their earliest boyhood, it was at ilrsm
question ‘whether this freakish condition would

rog'e ain advantage or a detriment to‘ the work
u an .
It turned out on the whole to beanadvnnti‘

age.

Gridiron Island and Shoals were just inside
the ocean inlet into the bay, as has been alread
stated, and twelve miles south of the cove from
which the start had been made.

As the spot was neared, at the end of a co is
of hours—slow sailing being indispensable y
reason of the darkness and the intricacies of the
channel, or deeper waterline, between thenurs.

io

berless shoals, reefs and submerged rocks with
which the long and shallow bay or sound is
literally sown—Fogveye Flinders, who was on
the constant lookout at the brig’s bow, made a
backward and signiﬁcant gesture to Dick and
others who were anxiously awaiting his an-
nouncement. -

“ 1 see her now,” said he, in his low, husky
voico.

“ How hard aground is she?” demanded Dick.

“ Bless your toplights, Cap! 1 can’t tell yet,”
was the reply. “She’s fully at mile away. Wait
a bit. Ha! they’re still hard at work trying to
spar her off the shoal. I can hear ’em a yo~
heave-yoing.”

They could all hear that now upon listening
intently, and the anxious interest in the situa-
tion momentarily deepened as the brig crept
slowly down the black waters with wind and
tide.

Suddenly a bright light leaped up to seaward,
and Dareall gave a joyful exclamation.

“Jackson’s driftwood beacon-ﬁre!” be ex-
claimed. “It is the signal! He must have
sighted the crack war-schooner heading in for
the inlet!”

Then ensued an unexpected and gratifying
spectacle.

They were sailing in quite close to the
“ beach,” or long, attenuated sandy island-strip
forming the eastern boundary of Barnegat Bay,
and between it and the ocean be 0nd, the beach
being less than half amile wi e on the aver-
a e.
gAt this juncture occurred one of those strange-
ly ﬂuctuating cessations or interruptions of the
foul weather that have been mentioned as a
characteristic of the night.

Tue rain ceased, the wind fell, the fog lifted,
and even the moon for a moment or two swam
out of her hood of storm-scud intoa lake patch of
liquid blue-black sky, showing the beach-strip,
with the breakers thundering and pounding on
its outer edge, and the boundless, angry ocean
beyond as bright as day.

here was the driftwood—ﬁre ﬂinging its ruddy
and yellow radiance aloft and‘ slow, far and
near.

And there, just beyond, not coming in from
the open sea, but scudding along toward the
inlet entrance dangerously close in upon the
surf—line, was the great schooner itself, beauti-
ful and noble as the ship of a dream, with the
ﬂeeting moonlight bright upon her immense
snow-white spread of fore-and—aft canvas, wing
and wing, and bending and bowing over the bi]-
lowy sWells before the li ht windlike a wild swan
imkthe bosom of a seclu ed deep-water mountain
a e

The vision was come and gone in a ﬂeeting
moment, but was entrancing during its brief
display.

Then—and perhaps very fortunately for the
expeditionists—the moon once more shot into
her cloudy hood, the rain, the mist and the
(tiarkness shut down again, and all was as be-

ore.

Every one on both brig and little schooner
seemed to be drawing a long breath, and it was
only by a warning from the respective leaders
that the men were prevented from bursting into
a tumultuous cheer.

“ A su erb vessel, Captain Dareall l” com-
merited aptain Goldheart. “ I don’t wonder
that you are mod to possess her. With such a
craft for privateering. an enterprising s irit
like you ought to fairly scour the seas. he’s
an angel !"

“ Isn’t. she?” was Dick’s sole response.

Then there came a ﬂash and a boom from sea-
ward, and the driftwood beacon-ﬁre was seen to
scatter into a thousand fragmentary sparks that
slowly died out one by one.

“ Ah!” observed Dick; “ she has divined the
purpose of Jackson’s signal and scattered it to
the winds with a round shot. Good! That is
better than if she had Seen us and guessed our
intentions.”

The same ﬂeeting gleam of moonlight had
revealed the gunbOat stuck on the bar, now less
than half a mile distant. .

The yo-heave—yoing of her men still at work try-
ing to pry her off could now be distinctly heard,
andﬂFog-eye Flinders was still intently observing
her from his position at the brig’s bow.

“ Can you make out her exact situation now?”
demanded Dick.

“ Yes, sir-co!" replied Fog—eye, straightenin
himself up at last, with a long breath of relie ;
“plain as a pikestaff, Cap.”

“ Is she hard grounded l”

“She’ll nevercome off. The quicksands of
the shoal have at a fair clutch on her nose, a
ship-of-the—line erself couldn’t tow her back,
all the s rring and prying in the world can do
no g ,and the ebbing tide is dropping her
deeper and deeper into the death- asp of the
sands. When it’s out entirely. she be all but
swallowed outof sight.”

“ Then no good would come of her capture?”

“ None but to make prisoners of her people,
and in that way save their lives, for they can’t
have an idea of the peril of their situation.”

“Goo ! There’s deep water on each side of
the spit on which she’s stuck, isn’t there?”

“Yes, Cap deep and sheer. You could lay

 
Dauntless Dick.

her close aboard on either side without any dan-
ger to your own craft whatever.”

Dick expressed his satisfaction again, and
then, seizing a lantern, ran aft, and signaled
the dMist Witch by waving it thrice over his
hea .

Salty Junk had evidently been anticipating
the signal.

Almost instantly a boat was seen to quit the
little schooner’s Side, and pull up in the direc-
tion of the stranded gunboat with muil'led oars.

“ That is all right,” said the young coni-
mander to himself. “ So far, so good.”

He was back at the bow gust in time to receive
a hail from the guuboat.

“ What ship is that!” was the hail.

Dick calmly stood up Jerry Wardlow on the
spring of the bowsprit, placed a lantern in his
hand and gave him his cue.

“ His Majesty’s armed brig Hector!” roared
Jerry, in response, and in an excellent imitation

of his illustrious half-brother’s voice. “ Isn’t
that the gunboat Jezebel?”
“ It is, it is!” was the joyful reply. “What,

have you effected the recapture without our
help?”

“ It looks like it.”

“ And is that you, Mr. Collin ford?

“ Judge for yourself!” cried erry.

He elevated the lantern to his shoulder, so
that it brought out his head and face in strong
relief against the misty obscurity.

“Hurrah!” shouted the guileless Britisher,
who was evidently a personal acquaintance of
the real ’squire. “How are you, Mr. Colling-
ford 24”

“Fair to middlin’,” answered Wardlow, low—
ering the lantern, and scratching his head. “ I
wish,” he said, in a low voice, “ I could call the
gentleman by name as handily as he does me,
thoiigh it isn’t my own, but I don’t know him at
all. ’
“Never mind that,” observed Dick. “ You
can follow out your instructions without using
on name.”

‘ You’re grounded, I see,” shouted Jerry.
“I’m coming alongside with the brig to help
you off.”

“ Good for you !” was the satisﬁed response.
“The Cormorant is also coming in. We shall
have it all our own way in giving the entire
bay-shore to ﬁre and sword.”

CHAPTER XV.
FIRE AND SWORD.

“ TEE deuce you will!" commented Captain
Dick, under his breath. “ Perhaps two can play
at that charitable game.”

There was an interval now of the uncertain
misty light or semi—darkness, wherein every-
thing could be distinguished by outline, but
nothing with real distinctness.

And now, as the brig was steered in along-
side the grounded gunboat with the utmost
caution, for fear of the, tongue of quicksand on
her own account, the Cormorant could be made
out entering the inlet a mile or more to the
southeast.

But something else could also be made out. It
was the boat from the Mist Witch moving swift-
ly and silently past the brig, direct for the help-
less gunboat’s stem, with a bulky something at
the feet of the man who sat at the tiller-lines.

Dick rubbed his hands and his eagle eye

gleamed.
“Well, well; all well!” he muttered.
“ Couldn’t be better! But, we must dispose of

the gunboat before the big schooner can guess
our true character.”

Then, at his prompting, the impersonator of
the Tory ’squire once more called out, saying:

“ We’ll lay you aboard in another minute,
gunboat Jezebel, ahoy l”

“ All right!” came thecheery response. “ Per-
haps you’ll enable us to pull of! from this cursed
shoal. Come ahead 1”

“ What’s your armament?”

“ Why, you ought to know, ’squire l”

“ I’ve forgotten, being less of a sailor than
yourself.”

“ Two twenty—fours, with a bow-swivel."

“ Are you well—manned?" ‘

“ One hundred men, though fully a third of
them are pressed Americans, not much to be
relied on. But I can’t exactly understand,
’ uire.”

t was evident that the Britisher Was growing
dangerously puzzled, but the culmination of the
plot was now at hand.

As the brig approached the gunboat on the
port side she suddenly ﬂung out her stern as far
as possible, while the schooner’s boat made some-
thing—a keg of powder, with a lighted fuss at-
tached, in fact—fastto the other’s rudder-lines,
and then noiselessly pulled away again, without
detection.

“ Why don’t you come in, if you intend to,
’Squire Collingford?” shouted the gunboat com-
mander, with a show of temper. ‘ Are you go-
ing to spend the whole night talking, or——”

He was cut short by the explosion of the prim-
itive torpedo.

There was a hideous, ﬂaring blaze a shock,a
roar, and. the doomed gunboat, with half her
stel'n torn off, was driven yet further and more
helplessly into the bosom of the fatal sands.

\

 
Dareall’s plot was so for an immense suc-

cess.

While the shock of the explosion was yet
quiveringly felt, and the wildest confusion nat-
urally enough prevailed on the stranded vessel,
the brig slid into the deep-water trough at the
edge of thcquick-sand spit, grappled her, and
the next instant the American adventurers,with
Dareall, sword in hand, at their head, poured
over, a torrent of glittering and threatening
steel, upon her devoted decks.

In accordance with previous instructions, not
a shot was fired, nor was there a single hurrah-
ing shout, lest the oncoming Cormorant should
take the alarm.

It was a tumultuous and overwhelming, but
silent rush.

Almost simultaneously, the Mist Witch, with
her deck-thron of impatient ﬁghters, came
sli ping up an swung in on the starboard
si e.

But there was little need. The gunboat was
already won. Her crew, taken completely by
surprise, made no resistance to that ﬁrst tor—
rent—like boarding rush. Her commander, a
British second lieutenant named Dawson, per-
ceivinr,r too late the clever trap of which he was
the victim, surrendered 'at discretion and with—
out unnecessary delay.

“Sir,” said he, in yielding up his sword to
Dareall, which the latter at once requested him
to retain, “ it was a shrewd trick and a daring
one. But, hopelessly grounded as Inow perceive
my ship to be, ha suspected that you were
Dick Dareall, the pirate of Barnegat, I would
have fought you while a breath or a drop of
blood remained in my body.”

“I believe you,” replied the young com—i

mander, dispassionately. “ But you wrong me
greatly and speak out of your prejudice, sir,
when you stigmatize me as a pirate. I am not
now, and have never been, anything of the sort,
but am a simple and humble server of my coun-
try’s cause in my own way. However, Captain
Dawson, it is as well that you have surrendered
at discretion. The quicksands of the Gridiron
have got your vessel in their clutch, and by
dawn of to-morrow she will be buried out of
sight—if we do not make a bonﬁre of her in the
mean time. which is very probable.”

“ It is true, captain,” interposed Jerry Ward-
low, with his most owlish expression, and now
in a grave, nasal voice that was all his own.
“ Thee hast corroboration of this strange truth
from the representative of my Worthy but Tory
half-brother, ’Squire Henry Collingford, on this
im rtant occasion.”

he defeated commander looked at. him
furiously, without vouchsaﬁng a reply.

The disposition of the grounded but perhaps
still somewhat valuable prize was now e edited
in the utmost haste, for in the interva of un-
certain han-light that was prevailing between
the pauses of the misty rain-storm, the Cor-
morant was dimly descried to have already
entered the inlet, less than a mile, away, and
to be on her ﬁrst tack up the bay in the direc-
tion of the Gridiron.

A crew was left in charge, not only to look
after the prisoners, but with directions to collect
on deck everything valuable in the shape of pro-
visions, arms, munitions, stores, instruments,
and the like, for carrying away at a more con-
venient opportunity, and to be ready to give the
slowly-sctt ing craft to the ﬂames at a precon-
certed signal. '

All the boats belonging to both the schooner
and the brig were also eft with the wreck, to
facilitate the furtherance of these instructions,
in case neither the one nor the other could. get
back from the prospective ﬁght with the Cor-
morant in time to assist the abandonment on a
more extensive scale.

These arrangements havi been erfected in
a marvelously short spaceo time, oth vessels
swung out from the spit, and headed down the
bay to intercept the great schooner, the Hector,
as before, in the lead.

The rain and the mist had shut down again,
but Fog-eye was enabled to distinguish the ene-
my’s position and movements from time to time.

“ She’s been well piloted anyway Cap,” was
one of his first announcements. “ There ain’t a
shoal or a rock but what she’s skimmin’ clear of
in them long tacks she’s making. I wonder who
can be at her helmsman’s side. There ain’t no-
body along Barnegat that would pilot a Brit-
isher up the bay, unless it might be a Tory, and
such a. skunk wouldn’t know how.”

Dareall returned but an evasive answer, and
then looked at Captain Goldheart commiserat-

in ly.
ig‘Captain, it must be your sister,” he said,
taking him apart. “ Both she and Jessie ought

‘ to know the bay by heart from their boating

experiences in the past. She must be on b
yonder, with Lieutenant Romney.”

A dee ly—pained look crossed Herbert Gold-
heart’s ace, and he merely nodded, without an-
swering.

The next ﬂeetin interval of moon bright»
ness corroborated be young comman er’s sug-
gestion.

It showed the great schooner, her deck crowded
with mail. Slightly apart from a group of oﬂi—
cers on the poop deck, stood Romney’s tall form,

 
v

Dauntless “Dick.

11

 
and at his side was a graceful feminine ﬁgure,
the soft drapery of whose skirts was ﬂuttering
in the rain-laden wind.

CHAPTER XVI.
A BRAVE SEA-FIGHT.

THAT revealing brightness was of but a mo-
ment’s duration, though it was quite evident
that the storm was steadily abating, so far as
the rain and the fog were concerned, with a
promise of a windy but a clearing change pres-
ent] .

Tli'e schooner had been observed to be on her
starboard tack, and less than a quarter of amile
away.

Indeed, ten minutes later, as the brig closed
in athwart her course, there came the initial
hail from her uarter—deck.

“Ship ahoy! ’ was trumpeted in Lieutenant
Romney’s voice

As in the former case, Jerry Wardlow was
again put forward as his half-brother’s proxy.

“ Ship ahoy l” he roared, in response.

“ What ship is that?”

“ Is that you, Romney? and don’t you know
your old brig the Hector?”

The answer was preceded by an exclamation,
evidently of gratiﬁcation and surprise.

Then came the words, roared with true Brit—
ish heartiness:

“Heave to, Collingford. and I’ll run along-
side. Good Lord! I didn’t dream of your re—
ca turing the brig without me.”

This was done, Wardlow again holding a
lantern to his shoulder for an instant so as to
show his head and face.

“ Oh!” be called back, as the great schooner
was slacking sail and curving in from her long
tack, while the brig was slowly coming to a
standstill; “ you don’t know what we chaps can
do when we try real hard.”

“What was that explosion up the hey you-
der?” was the Britisher’s rejoinder.

“The Jezebel is on the quicksands, and was
trying to help herself off with a torpedo.”

“ The deuce! aground, oh?”

‘5 Yes.”

“ Isn’t there a. smaller craft in your wake?”

"‘ Yes :a ﬁshing-smack also load ed with Loyal-
iats. There were too many of us for the brig,
and we were all bound to greet you in bang-up
st 9.

y‘Ca ital! and won’t we make the Rebels
alongs ore smoke? What has become of Dare-
all and his Mist Witch f”

“ The Lord knows, and he won’t tell.”

"‘ Ha, ha, ha! Good enough! Stand by for
the grapnels.” ,

“ All ready.”

There was a clash of the falling irons in the
dimness.

And then—the ﬁckle moon suddenly ﬂooded
the scene with her unshrouded eifulgence.

Sedley had already ranged his militiamen
amidships, while the rest of the brig’s people,
cutlass, hatchet or boarding-pike in readiness,
were eagerly awaiting their opportunity like
bloodhounds in the leash.

Instant] the militia captain gave the word,
and a sp endidly-directed volley of musketr
swept athwart the schooner’s crowded dec
amidships.

“ Boarder to the front!” yelled Dareall,
s ringing forward, sword in hand. “For free

merica and Independence!"

And again, as in the case of the gunboat, the
hardy coastmen and ﬁshermen, followed by the
militiamen with ﬁxed bayonets, poured over the
intervening rails upon the astounded ship’s-
company of the Cormorant, though in this case
the boarding charge was accompanied by shots
and yells.

Romney, after the ﬁrst shock of surprise, had
drawn his sword, and rushed to the encourage—
ment of his anic-stricken crew.

His subor inate ofﬁcers were not less equal to
the emergency, while the light-robed graceful
ﬁgure at the tamed—apparently forgotten in
the tremendous excitement of the‘moment—had
seated herself on the guard, With a look of
supreme terror on her whitening face, as if to
remove herself as far as ible from the an-
demonium sosuddenly let 0039 upon the dec 5.

Thpugh the British tars had given way'at
ﬁrst before that ﬁerce headlong charge, which
dropped man a stout fellow dead or dying out
of their can used mass, they were sti l nearly
three to one, and readily responded to the re-
organizing encouragement on the part of their
ofﬁcers.

In less than a minute after their recoil, the
rallied. The contest was then hand-to-han ,
and slowly, inch by inch, foot by foot, they be-
gan to recovor their lost ground, forcing the
assailants backward upon the bulwark line.

“ Upon them, Englishmen!” shouted Romney.
ﬁghting valiantly. “Hurl the acoursed rebel
tricksters back and then burn their deck under
their fallen bodies l”

Dareall strove to reach him, as Captain Gold-
heart already had striven, but, like the latter
he was prevented by the intercepting surge of
the miscellaneous battle for the mastery.

“Hold your ground, patriots l” he cried.
“Help is at hand, and the peerless schooner shall
yet'be ours!” ' '

 
i

 
As the moon was disappearing again, he at
this juncture jumped back on the rail, and
touched off a rocket with which be had provided
himself as a signal to the men in charge of the
stranded gunhoat.

As he did so, and with the Americans still
making a desperate stand at the line of the
grappled bulwarks, a shout of exultation burst
from his lips.

The Mist Witch—so low in the water and un—
obtrusive iii her manners as to have scarcely
attracted the attention of the Britisher at all.—
was swinging in noiselessly to make fast on the
port side. .

There was a jarring bump, the rattling crash
of the out-thrown grapnels, and then the little
schooner’s band of trained ﬁghters, with Salty
Junk at their head, were swarming up over the
high rail and hurling themselves unexpectedly
on the astounded enemy’s backs.

This caused Dick to rally the rimary assault
in his turn, the militiamen had een enabled to
reload and now ured in another effective vol-
ley, and the original boarders again assumed the
aggressive.

hough still the superior force in point of
numbers, the British, ﬁnding themselves thus
beset on both sides, and doubtless magnifyin
the numbers of their fresh assailants, were a
once bewildered and then panic—stricken.

They at ﬁrst wavered, and then broke, though
their ofﬁcers still managed to rally them in a
serried stand about the companionway, with
their backs to the overhang of the poop-deck,
leaving the entire deck forward and midships
in the bands of the Americans.

The moon having disappeared, darkness was
once more holding sway.

But at this juncture a lurid blaze ﬂashed up
from the stranded Jezebel, less than a mile dis-
taut.

A terriﬁc explosion followed, and a moment
later the gunboat was enveloped in ﬂames,
which once more lighted up the scene of carnage
on the Cormorant’s long deck.

The Americans had not aused on account of
the darkness, but had continued their attack on
the Britishers in their new position with re-
doubled fury.

The contest was still doubtful, when Dareall
made another determined effort to cross swords
with Romney. *

He was again foiled by an intercepting wave
of the general ﬁght, and had just recovered
himsolf after a long slip in a pool of blood,
Xhejn he felt a pistol clapped to the side of his

ea .

“ You’re too brave a fellow to be killed like a
dog, Dick Darealll" called out a stern voice
that he remembered. “But you must 'eld
yourself my prisoner, or I shall have to low
out your brains l”

Dick had just recognized Midshipman Barker
in the speaker and the grasper of the istol
threatening him, when the' young Brl isher
himself fell dead,half beheaded bya tremen-
dous cutlass-stroke at the hands of Fog—e e
Flinders, who with another lightning -l 8
stroke relieved his youn commander of yet
another British ofﬁcer w 0 was in the act of
leveling a pistol at his head.

Then—his entire lanky ﬁgure transﬂgured
into heroic proportions by the ﬁerce joy of
battle—Fog—eyo plunged without pause into the
general combat, silent and terrible, his or-
dinarily lack-luster eyes blazmg with a wild
ﬁre, his sword-arm bared to the shoulder, his
giiitlass dripping with gore from point to

lt.

As Dareall paused to breathe himself on the
outskirts of the fray (which was thus far pro-
gressing rather favorably for the Americans),
he became aware of Mistress Goldheart.

She was still crouching, as if half appalled,
on the taifrail far back of the poop, at her
eyes, instead of following Romney through the
ﬁght, as might have been ex cted, were
fastened upon the bare-armed an transﬁgured
Flinders, as if fascinated.

Before Dick could turn over this odd circum-
stance in his mind, he noticed that Captain

Goldheart and Lieutenant Romney were at last ‘

joined in personal combat, and he once more
dashed into the thickest of the fray, shoulder-
ing and striking right and left, in a mad effort
to reach them.

He was just in time, reaching the s t at a
moment when Goldheart tumbled to h s knees,
by reason of a wounded wretch clutching, at his
feet in the death-a ony. ‘

Exultant and in uriated beyond measure, the
Britisher’s sword was poised for a death-thrust
into the bosom of his unfortunate opponent,
when with a ﬂash Dareall’s weapon turned it to
one side.

The next instant the two were matched, their
bright blades flaying against one another in
passes of incre ible fury and swiftness.

“Curse you, Dick Dareall! must you forever
cross my path?” hissed the ﬁghting lieutenant
between his teeth. "-I had you nearly hanged
once—I may complete the task yet i” x.

“ Do not imagine that I have forgotten your
politeness. my beauty!” sneered Dareall, more
composedl‘y. “And I broke your sword once,
and threw it into the sea. It was a crowning

v

 
insult that perhaps you would like to wipe out
new."

Romney gave a hoarse roar of rage at tho
recollection, and then they closed at short-arm,
stabbing, ﬁghting, like a pair of matched gladi-
ators, but still so evenly pitted as to cil'ect no
wound on either side.

As they burst apart to breathe ihere was a
last series of lightningdike passes and parries—
Dareall’s wrist was the stronger—and the Eng—
lishman’s sword went ﬂying out of his hand for
over the ﬁume-lit heads of the massed combat-
ants, and thence into the sea.

Dick magnanimously disdained to takeadvan-
tage of his disurined foe, and at this juncture
by a happy maneuver the battle was suddenly
ended '

Junk, assisted by li‘lindcrs, led an unsuspected
attack on the Britisher’s rear from back over
the poop, there was a simultaneous bayonet-
charge from the front by Sedley with the rem-
nant of his militiamen, and the great schooner
was booked for an Anwrican privateer.

CHAPTER XVII.
AN EARLY CELEBRATION on THE GLomous
woman.

A FEW minutes later the surrender of the
Cormorant was formally made.

A singular incident followed.

By some strange fatality Naomi Goldheart,
whi e an observant watcher of the desperate
struggle for the schooner’s deck, in spite of the
terror it had caused her, had failed to remark
her brother’s pu rticipation therein.

Now, directly after the surrender, when the
main deck was still in the utmost confusion fol-
lowing u on the recent carnage, but while the
quarter- eck was comparatively deserted, he
abruptly approached her where she still crouched
pale and shivering on the taﬂ’rail and held out

is hund, the lurid light from the burning gun-
boat falling upon his pained, mortiﬁed face with
a weird, eerie ﬂickering.

Naomi had always regarded this only and
elder brother of hers with more respect than
love, and not a little awe.

fShe sprung to her feet with a stiﬂed scream
0 ~—
“ Don’t come to me, Herbert—don't kill me
with your accusing face 1”

Then retreating ra idly backward, with her
hands stretched beseec in ly before her as if to
keep him ofl’, she to ple over the low guard
with a wild cry into t )9 sea.

There was an instant rush to the rail on the
part of the ofﬁcers who had been assembled on
the poop-deck, including Romney himself, but
in the excitement of the moment nobody thought
of plunging after her, or of devising other means
for effecting a rescue.

While the hesitation lasted there was a head-
long, shouldering rush through the group, the
curving dive of a powerful but ungain y form, a
s lash, and Fog—eye Flinders was overboard to
t e rescue. .

Almost in less time than it takes to tell it—
atimely rope having been thrown to him by
Dick, who was a last comer upon the scene—he
had the young lady on deck again, but little the
worse for her mishap, and had placed her in the
charge of a he re maid whom she had brought
with her from ew York.

A few moments later, when Miss Naomi had
been taken below, Lieutenant Romney, who was
naturally very much subdued since the surren-
der, approached Captain Goldheart with pro—
found res ectfulness in his manner.

“Sir,” 9 said, with quiet dignity, “you are
evidently laboring under some painful misap-
prehension with regard to my connection with

our sister—the one woman in the world that I
ove and respect above all others—that I would
like to remove.”

As he paused, Goldheait signed him to con-
tinue.

“ Sir,” resumed the Englishman, “ in addition
to what I owe to the young lady s devotion in
assisting me to escape from prison, I am behold-
en to her for every sentiment that can exalt,
ennoble, purity and—” . '

“Have you married her?” interrupted Gold-
heart, hoarsely. -

“I have not, simply and solely because the
young lady would not consent to the ceremony
without her mother's presence and sanction.
When we went to New York in—in acertain
gentleman’s yacht, Miss Goldheart had the en-
tire cabin to herself, together with one of the

entleman’s female domestics to wait u 11 her.

mmediately on reaching New York, s 9 went
to the house and protection of a family friend.
She only consented to accompany me on this
vessel, on the understanding that we were to be
married at Tom’s River, with her mother’s con-« ,
sent. If that should be persistently Withheld,
the engagement was to be at an end.’_’

This was certainly not a bad showmg for the
Englishman on the ﬁrst face of it.

Captain Goldheart’s manner had perceptiny
sdftened, but, after a moment's reﬂection, he
said. with renewed sternnesa: _

“ So you were to be married to Naomi in Tom's ,
River, you say, provided her mother’s approval
could have been obtained l"

” Yes, sir.”

 
,8,
b

12

Dauntless Dick.

 
“ Was the ceremony to be performed before
or after you had burned the town and laid waste
the adjacent bay-shore and country-side, as was
inadvertently confessed by Captain Dawson, of
the Jezebel, your associate commander in this
expedition, which has ended so disastrously for
you and so haggin for us?"

Lieutenant mney started violently, ﬂushing
to the roots of his hair, after which he hung his
head, avoiding the stern looks of his questioner
and such bystanders as were present.

“ My honorable intentions, sir, with regard to
Miss Goldheart,” he muttered, half-inarticulate-
1y, “ were substantiall as I have stated. The
young lady herself Will doubtless corroborate
them, if necessary.”

And with that he strode away, a doubly-
shamed and humiliated man.

The schooner had been won, but at a grievous
cost. The loss to the adventurers was eleven
killed and eighteen wounded, While that of the
chem was more than twice as great. But, as
an 0 set, the Americans had secured a mag-
niﬁcent war-vessel, thoroughly appointed and
equipped for along cruise, together with ninety-
six prisoners, rank and ﬁle, which, including
the one hundred secured by the capture of the
gunboat. made up a superb success.

The remainder of the night was spent in fit-
ting and cleaning up, besides taking care of the
wounded, the heavens having cleared, with a
stiff, freshening wind from the northwest.

It was daylight before the three vessels, cap-
tors and captive, started up the bay, and then
they were presently surrounded by the boats
and a large hastily-constructed raft, all laden
with adventurers, prisoners and spoils from the
destroyed Jezebel, not a blackened fragment of
which was now to be seen above the treacherous
quicksand spit of the Gridiron Shoals.

Provisions were passed over to the temporary
castaways, cheers rent the air, and the best of
ekultant good humor was the order of the occa-
sion.

Then a sudden happy thought occurred to
Dick Dareall, as the head and front of the vic-
torious scene. ,

After consulting with Junk, Flinders and
others, and leaving certain orders with them, he
mounted the s ring of the bowsprit on the
bri , as being t ehighest hull-point available,
an commanded the attention of the ﬂoating
crews with a si niﬂcant gesture.

“Friends an fellow-patriots!” he shouted, in
his stentorian voice; “ this is a great victory we
are jubilating over. But has it occurred to you
what day this is, and what tremendous political
event it commemorates, and is destined to com-
memorate with increasing zeal, signiﬁcance and
earnestness through all future time’i”

There was a puzzled silence, unbroken by a
single attempt to frame an answer to the ques-
tion; for the country was but in its iron cradle,
even the Constitution was unborn, and men of the
commoner sort ap reciated but vaguely the im-
portance of the istorical events they were
daily contributing to pile up so fast one upon
another.

“ It is the Fourth of Jul l” thundered out the

oung commander “ an two years a o the
Declaration of In 6 ndence was si and
given to the world. allow-freeman, have not
heard of this glorious, this momentous event
being formally celebrated before. Let us cele—
brate it and our victory together now with a
salvo that shall go ringing down the ages when
the day shall be sacredly memorable and glori-
ous to millions at unborn, as commemorating
the ﬁrst daunt ess, blood-sealed title deed to
freedom and self-government, not only for
America, but for the entire human race, where-
soever wounded and stricken Liberty writhes up
to strike at the oppressor’s heel that would grind
and crush her into the dust!”

They understood, or half-understood, him
now and a tremendous cheer was the reward
of his passionate (appeal.

Then he wave his hand again. Guns and
gunners were in readiness, and a tremendous
salute was simultaneously thundered forth
by every piece of ordnance on the three vessels.

“Shiver ,my timbers and split my royals,”
cried Fog—eye Flinders, with a return of his

nasal draw] and lanky, shufﬂing manner, as if.

his battle-transﬁguration of a few hours before
had never been, “ eﬂ there ain’ta meaning in
that ’ere sayioot that you don't git at every
burnin’ of gunpowder fur war or fun! Indepen-
dence Day is a big day fur Hezekiah Flinders
hereafter, whatever it may be to other chaps."

Then he paused, with a. puzzled trouble in his
coarse face and strange eyes.

He had been standing by the companionway
of the Cormorant while giving utterance to this
homely but praiseworthy sentiment, and was
suddenl aware of his being gravely, ﬁxedly re-
garded y a air of very dark and very beauti-
ful eyes in a ead that had just then appeared in
view from below. ‘

They were they eyes of Naomi Goldheart.

CHAPTER XVIII.
THE cnRIsrnNiNG.
SEVERAL days after the stirring successes on
Barnegat Bay, Dick Dareall called upon his
sweetheart, Jessie Dearborn, in a spick-and-

 
span new dark-blue uniform and ohapeau, taste-
fully trimmed and faced with red, bound round
with heavy gold cord , that set off his magniﬁcent
ﬁgure to splendid advantage.

Jessie had never seen him looking so ﬁnely be-
fore, and she cla ped her hands with delight.

“ Oh, Dick!” 5 e exclaimed, running into his
arms with even more than her accustomed joy,
“ you look like~like~like an admiral l"

“ Do I, indeed?" said the young man, kissing
her, and highly pleased, for he was not without a
certain pardonable vanity as to appearances.
“ Well, now, Jessie, who knows but that I may
be one some day? At all events, I hope to cap-
ture one or two of that breed of quarter-deck
strutters before I die, when I might naturally
enough step into their shoes, you know.”

“ But how did you manage it, Dick?”

“ Manage what?”
to“ This splendid uniform, and so becoming,

o.

“ My dear, that is my secret.”

“Which you will tell to me.“

“ Of course."

“ Tell it, then.”

“ This uniform, without the facings and trim—
mings, my dear, is from the cabin stores of the
Cormorant. My mother, who is a capital seam-
stress, as you know, managed the rest for me,
and the suit in its original shape chanced to ﬁt
me to perfection.” ' e glanced down compla-
cently over his well-ﬁtting breaches, his heavy
black silk stockings, which his bi calves ﬁlled
out so tautly, and his broad-toe , serviceable
morocco shoes with their broad silver buckles,
ﬁnishing by ﬂicking off astray shred from his
wide sleeve with its elaborately frogged cuff.
“ And the best of it is, Jessie, that there’s more
where this came from—more than enough to
keep myself, Salty Junk and Fog-eye Flinders
in bang-up privateering uniforms for years;
though, of course, you know, we shall only cut
this sort of a ground—swell on gala or state occa-
Sions.

“ But why should Sam Junk and Hez Flinders
wear anything so beautifui?” cried Jessie, with—
drawing herself a bit from her lover to admire
him afresh.

“ They are my second and third in command,
my dear,” was the reply. “ Therefore, this
sumptuous toggery, or something like it, will be
in keeping with their positions. ”

“ And make them look like sea-savages in liv-
ery. However,” again cuddling close to him,
and patting him on the broad lapel of his new
coat, “ they would only serve to show you off to
braver advantage, my glorious Dick."

“ But a truce to all this nonsense, Jessie!” and
the young commander assumed a more serious
expression. “To-day, as you ought to know, I
set out in the great schooner, to carry our nu-
merous prisoners to Philadelphia, where I also
trust to obtain my letter-of-marque commission
without delay.”

“ Yes I know.”

“ And before I go, she must be rechristened;
and it is you who are to christen her anew, as
already a reed on."

“ Yes, ick,” her pretty blonds face was
grewing thoughtful, “ but really I think the
old Mist Witch the best name of all.”

“ Scarcely appropriate, my dear, though I
confess to being at sea in self in the matter.
But it was to be left entire to you.”

“ And couldn’t the name transferred from
the little schooner, in which you have won
your Ereliminary fame, to the big one, which
may old a yet greater in store for you,
Dick i”

“ Oh, yes; no difﬁculty about that. But fogs
and mists are not of constant occurrence, you
know, and the wide ocean is henceforth to be
our ﬁeld.”

“ True, true!” her face suddenly brightened.
“Well, I think I have it.”

_“ What have you hit on, Jessie?”

“ It isn't fair of you to know until I break
the bottle over the great craft‘s nose, and call
out the name for ever body to hear.”

"All right, then! t w 1 be only an hour to
wait. So get yourself in readiness, my dar-
ling. ‘It will be something of a. ceremony, and
doubtless all the town and countr side will be
present to witness it. Yet wait! ’ as she was
starting away from his side.

“ What is it?”

“How is Mistress Naomi bearin g herself?”

“Better than could be expected. She is get-
tin over her sense of humiliation apparently,
an will soon be her old self ag ' ."

133$“ pining over Romney’s new misfortune,
e

“ No; and it is strange, too. She doesn’t
seem to be thinking or caring for him nearly as
much as one would ex ct.”

“ Ah, I think I coul guess an ex lanation of
that! Doubtless another and a etter man
dawning in her fervid imagination.”

“ Perhaﬁs it is, but I can’t imagine whom.”

“ Well, er heart is in the right place at last, I
fancy, and she will be happy in the end. ,Cap-
tain goldheart hasvrejoined the army, I sup-

se .

“Yes; he quitted us last night. But there is
another news item, and perhaps a good one, for
you, Dick.”

 
“ Let me have it, then.”

“ 'Squire Collingford rode past on his bay
hunter an hour ago, and, though I was on the
porch he did not even turn his eyes toward the
house.”

“ The Tory villain I” Dick’s brow darkened ;,
“ Well enough for him to keep quiet and dark.
And it was a lucky chance for him and his
plotting discontents that they did not assemble
at the cove on that eventful night. Sedley’s
lieutenant was on the watch for them, and
there would have been more than one hanging,
had they been pounced upon while with arms
in their hands. However, let be, let be! Their
ropes and nooses will be of their own weaving
ye .

" Jerry goes with you, I hear?”

“Yes, as boatswain. He’s more than half a.
sailor already, and I look for something good
out of the happy-go-lucky rascal, whose family
complications may thus far have kept him down
beneath his merit. But I hear the folks waxing
im atient at the dock, J essie."

hen Jessie Dearborn stood at the bow of the
great schooner an hour later, it was to overlook
a smiling and grateful scene.

The superb vessel was dressed out in all the
bunting that had been scraped together from far
and near. .

The captured war-brig, that was to accom—
pany her, under Fog-eye 5 command, with part
of the prisoners, was tricked out only a little
less gayly. And the little Mist Witch, which
was to stay behind with a meager crew of old
ﬁshermen and others for the defense of the port,
was hovering near, like a white gull in the wake
of a pair of stately albatrosses, with her one
great ﬂag, that she had already made so glorious,

uttering bravely from her gaff.

A great and expectant crowd were gathered
along the water-front, and Sedley with his
militiamen was there, their one rusty old ﬁeld-
piece in their midst read for ﬁring.

Jessie stretched forth er white hand at last,
and a silence fell upon the murmuring multi—
tude—multitude for that place and time.

“ Brave ship!" she apostrophized, calling out
the words in a clear, musical voice that could be
distinctly heard by all in the soft stillness of the
bright July morning; “ be than also a Witch of
the waves, after the manner of thy lesser name—
sake, but‘upon a grander and nobler ﬁeld—a.
sorceress of success for our country‘s ﬂag, of
fconfu’sion, terror and dismay for our country’s
oesl

Then, with a graceful, true cast, she broke the
bottle of rum that had been handed her over the
bows, calling out yet more loudly:

“ SEA WITCH I name thee now and evermore!
and may the God of battles and of tempests
fondle thee in thy career and keep thee in thy
hour of need i”

The brief ceremony was complete.

The rusty cannon of the militiamen roared out
its salute as if it would burst. Broadsides an-
swered it from the vessels. Men shouted and
yelled, women waved their kerchiefs, urchins
danced and screamed.

Then, Jessie having been ut ashore with her
lover’s farewell kiss upon or lips, the great
schooner, followed by the brig, spread her
mighty white wings to the light but favoring
northwest wind, and slipped oﬂl down the bay
as gracefully as a. dream, with a red, white and
blue pennant of immense length streaming from
her main peak, and the ﬂag of the new and
strugg ' F nation rollinﬂg and unrolling its
bri ht fo ds from her ga .

here was, perhaps, but one person witnessing
the stirring scene who was not thrilled thereby
with patriotic enthusiasm and pride.

This was ’Squire Collingford, who was a.
gloomy spectator of it all from an upper case-
ment of t is stately hall, a mile or two back on
its shrubberied hi1 .

His face darkened, and he shook his ﬁst after
the retreating form of the re-christened daugh—
ter of the waves.

“ Dick Dareall, beware!” he muttered, be-
twsen his sat teeth. “You are on top of the
wave now. But, as he laughs best who laughs
last, so every wave has its trough no less than
its crest. And there is that mischief plotting
and preparing, with Loyalist vengeance akits
bottom, which may yet rend your proud heart
when it is at its highest, most exultant leap 1”

CHAPTER XIX. ‘
COMMISSIONED.

DICK DAREALL reached Philadelphia with his
prizes and his prisoners without detention or
mishap, to ﬁnd that his fame and that of his
brave men had gone everywhere before him.

His re utation had already become national.

The c ty, just beginning to breathe freely
again after being relieved from the British oc—
cupation, was ready to grasp him by the hand;
invitations and proffered hospitalities were
showered upon him from every quarter: the re—
nown of his achievements was spread far and
wide, and not a few of the army ofﬁcers were
already bitterly jealous of a fame so suddenly
and brilliantly snatched by so young and com—
paratively uncultured a man.

But Dareall, only eager for fresh action ind
usefulness, cared little or nothing for all this.

 
.y.‘

l . 1 5,, ..
n we» ', missus-fir

«Or/.vx'<

 
my“: 

   
:«p

.tW-n~r a. -A

 1r

l
;
.5

 
..one hand clutching the American ens:
‘ ‘yet slightly curved as it in the act of hurling.
 in its nervous

116". a peerless sailor, and sound from stem to
‘ Men!» from keel to peak!

' odor, and probe

1

l

 
nannies-g Dick. '

 
His vanity, if such it were, was but the tran—
iient veneei'ing of his growing and nobler nature;
I nd if he had tasted of quarter-deck dominion to }
lind it sweet and delicious, he was daily and i
hourly growing to think less of self and more of I
country,less of individual ambition and more of l
the great cause to which he was native, and in
which 1 it was his desire to serve rather with
honor than distinction.

The Congress chancing to be in extra session,
ho had no difﬁculty in obtaining his commission
oi the spot, and with little or none of the legis-
lativg red tape usually attendant upon such de-
Xllllll 5.

in foot, he would now have no diiﬁculty in
obtaining it even without Washington’s recom-
mendation, though this lent dignity and charac-
ter to his request.

It was on the morning of the twenty-ﬁfth of
July, 1778, that Dick Dareali slipped down the
Delaware on the brief initial cruise in which he
proposed to test his abilities as a commander,
the qualities of his privateer and the discipline
of his ship’s company. '

The latter consisted of the Sea Witch‘s full
complement of one hundred and twenty-five
men, the majority of them his personal friends
and fellow-coastmen who had already been tried
and tested to the in .

The remainder were miscellaneous adventur-
ers and ﬂ hting-men, most of them able seamen
and all w th more or less Sea-faring experience,
of various nationalities, eager for prizednoney,
and promising well in the main.

It should have been mentioned that before
quitting Philadelphia, the Hector, with the con-
sent of the authorities, had. been proﬁtably dis-
posed of to tho a eutof the French Government,
to that Captain areall had had the moiety of a
large sum in gold (the remainder going to the
U mgress toward the conduct ' of the war) to
x‘ i vide among the original ship‘s company of the
Mist Witch, which had made the capture.

Thus, the ma ority of the privateer's crew
"W‘I‘B already in igh good humor—prise—money
already in pocket, With an insatiable cravin
1‘ r more' while the fact that Vice-Admir
G .iirles Ilector, Comte d‘Estaing, was hourl
( xpected of! the coast, with the ﬁrst Franc

ﬂeet in aid of the American cause, was sufﬁcient
VSJ inspire a general feeling of satisfaction and
conﬁdence throughout the vessel.

It was glorious ’weather, with just enough
wind from the north west to facilitate» the down-
river passage. , ~ ,

Delaware Ba was entered by noon, the wind
meanwhile fre ening merrily, and proving the
Sea Witch no less a ﬂyer with the spri ng
white-caps bursting under her prow than a rec
skimmer under a softerand more genial air that
would have had little or no eﬂect upon a heavier
and square-rigged craft.

A thorough examination had proved her to
be stored, provisioned and equipped with excep-
tional thoroughness.

 
The only alterations that had been found neces- i

sary to make upon her while lying at Philadel-
phia. had been with respect to a change in her
name and ﬁgurehead. '

SEA Wrron now appeared in broad gilt letters
on her stern. For the original ﬁgurehead—the
representation of an enormous, ungainly, vora-
cious-lookin bird, in stogginlﬁattltude and with
wings part youtstretch , e asick buzzard
With a nondescript snake in its beak—.there had
been substituted an appropriate classical ima e
“that Dick had fortunately come upon in an old
.ship-cbandlerystore in South street, which, with
certain additions and alterations at the hands
or a competent wooden image carver had suited
his purpose admirabéz. ‘

. As'now aﬁxed to e prow and projectin far
out under the bowsprit, with the spray o the
cutwater showering t bravely when the white-
caps leaped and curled it was a prominent and
ornamental feature of t 8 ul hull. ,

The image of‘ a . nerel , or«_ sea-nymph. of
titanic but symmetrical proportions, a smile an
the red lips and in. the blue eyes, atom-ant of
golden hair treaming'back in the wind, wilith
to er
vii-gin breast, the other far outstretc ed, and

at a foeman’s‘ heart the zigzag golden lightning-

1
nd, added to a this, Americambuilt, quite

_ An American shipvwith an American crew
(in the main), with the,'Am6i'loan ﬂag at her
gaﬁ, n dauntless American sailor in command,
and the world of waters before her where to
choose! ‘ ' . -. i
3 Never before, it‘issafe-to say, atrleast on an
initial cruise, had a letter-ot-msrqueprivateer
set out from any port under gallanter auspices
or With a, braver promise 0! career. ,- ’ i

A large ship evidentlya bi

‘ _ bly a douolp-‘d er,.was evaded A
with consummate ease inthe vicinity ot‘Brandy-g
’wine Shoal, ,which possessed no lighthousethen
"dww'n .1; ' " passe- d b ' ya i with
:, ape e pen was: 4 some
noon-sail insight,- and then, headed dud east,

   
British block-l board broadsid

 
withﬁbe wind still Main ,i

hpwater and the untrsmme

 
t was-‘heyror ,»
all, "1'  schoonerpwasrunin

By midni ht, with the moon brilliant in the
star-studde blue-black of heavens clear as a
bell and deep as a dream, a sail was reported on
the port bow.

” it’s a Britisherl" announced Fog-eye Flin-
ders, the ofﬁcer of the watch, after an hour’s

1 close overhauling. “ I am dead sure of it, Cap

«most likely a transport, too, but in ballast!”

 
CHAPTER XX.
BLUE WATER.

" A TRANSPORT, even it" empty, is good enough
to start with,” observed the voung commander,
cheerfully. “Mr. Flinders, think we can let
out our fore-topgallsnt without strain, and
while you are about it you might as well loosen
out the ﬂying jib."

The order was given, and, under this fresh
pressure, the gallant Sea Witch, which had al-
ready been carrying a vast stretch of fore and
aft canvas, with the gale on her port quarter,
leaned over on her side, and fairly ﬂew over
the short, chopping waves in quest of her

re .
p lgith his hands in his pockets and his head
in the air, Dick Dareall paced his quarter-deck
witha feeling of exultation and pride he had
glitch dreamed of, but had never realized he-
ore.

Indeed, he was at times not exactly certain of
fully realizing it now. , i

“ She runs like an an oil” he exclaimed.
“ By J upiterl just note or style, Flinders.
She seems to fairly feather the crests, with the
between-troughs untouched, like the arch be-
neath a Spanish lady’s instep l"

“ I’m a-remarkin’ of her, sir," replied the sec-
ond mate, prosaically, but doubtless imagining
that he also was tic in his assent. “ She’s a
son of a gun, an no mistake—dock my grog elf
she ain’tl” ,

“How far oﬂ! do you make the transport
nowi’"

“ Four mile an’ a half.”

" Well, she’s a lumberin tub. At this rate
we ought to send a round s at across her bows
in less than an hour.” ‘ ' i

And this was accordingly effected.

The fugitive was a small but full-rigged shi .
She had not hesitated to ﬂy the British Jae ,
even after taking the alarm and ,crowcling on
every stitch of canvas, including her royals and
sk sails in the attempt to outtoot her urcuer.

.utas well might a cart-horse un ertake to
outfoot a thoroughbred.

At the end of an hour’s chase the Witch was
but 3. mile behind, and overhauling her like the
win . ’ ‘

“ Try a reminder with our bow-chaser, Fog-
eye,” uggested Dick, forgettin in his excite-
ment the ceremoniousness whic he was about
half-resolved to introduce in hisrelations with
his oﬂicers and crew. “0r don’t you think it
time yet?" ‘

” Just the time tea minute,” was theres use.

The man who had been selected as chie gun-
ner—an old Canadian man-of-war‘s-nian, or long
experience in the French navy, named Barbareau
(dubbed the “ Barber” for short), and an eccen-
tric character in his way—was summoned aft
and given his instructions. .

“ Ze gun of brass is a good {:11 l’ he said], with
the elaborate bow that was bitnal with him
when there was time for it, “and as ball of iron
is a good ball. Messieurs, 1n compliments!”

It was impossible to sen the conventional
shot across the fugitive’s bows, for she. was
daaiéhﬁbmd, and sheeting away for all she was
wor . . ’v '

But the chaser was let go by the polite Mon-
sieur Barbareau with such precision that the
ball Completely through her lower rig-
ging, fore and aft, without cutting a rope, or
doing anything more than boring a round hole
through or mainsail. ;
“ Good l”, observed Dick, , with a chuckle;
“that ought to communicate our intentions, at
all events." "

But, to the surprise ot everybody the shi
suddenly hove to, and began barking back wit
a couple of insigniﬁcant twelvrpounders from
her port broadside. . l' .

. “What can the blasted jackass mean?” cried
Dick, laughing. “ Does he imagine we care for
such toy popguns as thosel”. . - ,

“ Looks as though that skipper was aching to
have hisship sunk,” sugﬁs’ted First Meta Junk,
ft the]: moment making is‘sppearance from be-

ow. ’ '
“Well, we sha’n’t oblige him in that.” laid
Dareall. ‘f’l'he ship looks of cod service.‘
Flinders,,brlng her about, and is him have a
broadside.” I . ' ‘ , »
This was done, but, unfortunate! , Fllnders
neglected to inform the f‘ Barber ".0 the nature
of the result desired. ' , . -
The latterntheretore, manned the-three star-
e guns, sighted them himself, let
them go simultaneously at a signal and potted-
the enemy so directly on the waterline ‘ that she
slowlﬁlieted over and began to an at once. I
l ' Die uttered an exclamation oﬂimp‘atience,
though heoouldn't justlyblrgme the gunner, who
wasratborprondofbisﬂio, Iii-mama. , ' w.
“Do you surrender Hugh'ch Ion “
P D '

  
I juggrrnent was anxiously awaited.

“ I should say I did," was the surly response,
in a broad Yorkshire accent, "since I’m sink-
ing. What are you?"

'The Yankee privateer Sea Witch. What
are you i" .

“ The British transport Boomerang, in ballast
from Savannah?"

b “ (let together what you can. We'll send a.

Oat.‘

The ship was short-handed, there being but
eight men aboard besides the skipper and his
two mates, all of whom were north’country
Eir'lisnuicn.

Iiaving brought them and their personal ef-
fects on board the schooner. the transpoit,“ hich
contained little of value, and was moreover fast
sinking, was set on tire.

The captured skipper was a ton h-looking
little’man named Martin, with a faoe_ike a fox.

“ W hat the deuce (lid you mean by po iping at
us with those toy nus?" demanded areall,
half-angrily. “ Con dn‘t you guess that Wu
could sink you at our pleasure?” .

“That is just what I popped away at you
for," was the cool reply, in o patois that we
shall not attempt to reproduce. '

Old J unk slapped his thigh, exclaiming under ”
his breath: . ‘ ,

“ I guessed it, and I knowed itl"

“ Vghatl" cried Dick; “you courted destruc- _

on "
“ For that old tub,” pomting to the burning v
craft, “ yes."

“ Wherefore l" V

“ Oh I'm sick of the whole blamed business.
We’re Democrats, all of us, if we are English ‘-
nien; and the war against you is onl popular ,
with our aristocracy. Nothing woul suit the ‘
better than tobe one of you on such a beautiful]
trim-built free-ﬁghter as you ,have here," his .
sailor's. eye roved admirineg slow and aloft; "
“and I fancy my men are of the same opinion.
Isn’t that so, mates?"

1“ That we he!" cried his ﬁrst mate, a bulking
bi Northumbrian. “ We—‘uns like liberty as»
wel nor the best of you-‘uns. Nothing .w’u‘d j»
be nearer our hearts than to ﬁght w1‘ yo ag’ln' ,.
the king, who is a crazy man no less nor a
tyrant, they do say.”

The rest of them echood the sentiment With
an eagerness that should have placed the young-
commander on his‘ rd, but he was too sympoq
thetic and unsophis cated as t to be no. ‘ 3

“Good enough i” he exc aimed, beartil .
“Your wish shall .be gratiﬁed. The more
merrier, Mr. Junk,soepray see to the enroll
ment of these worthy f lows at once." v .,

Junk, no less unsuspicious than he, roceedod z.
to carry out with much zeal, a, step w ich the
both had sub uent cause to regret, ’
,Flinders his carroty head shwlyand.
disapproving y without venturing to put his
protest into an his words. r
“Once an Englisher, always an English“,
Demoorat or no Democrat!" he muttered,
himself. “ Sleep. with one eye open and thither
shut when a Britisher's your bun -mate. Th ’I
m sentiments.” . ' '. -:
eavin the burning ship in her waks,,tho
allant sc ooner continued towing her freeway
ue northeast until dayli ht, when the cob ‘ .
scan: of cannonading a tracted her to 1:
war . , ,
Two vessels were presently perceived by tale.
scope hotly engaged, while several still were»
boarding in u n them from seaward. ’

Fog-eye linders dropped his glass Rafter
long and silent observation, and his superior.

     
rench rig and French build, all but one
British sloop- ~
duiiral

the two on aged, and she 0.
“It's A

war 1” was is announcement.
d’Estaing’s ﬂeet, or a part of it.”

CHAPTER XXI. I
' , nor wonx. _ x 2 l,
3 Ir seemed scarcely credible that Mindoro,
Even with his exceptional vision, could 
out the character and nationality of craft that
could only be sighted by telescope, and that but,
indistinctly but the event testiﬁed to the a‘ *‘
. cy.othisdecision. » - '
,hen the Sea Witch came upon the ﬁesta
about eight bells, or an hour after bros
the en ment was ended with the B
sloop-o -war Dreadnought a prize to the Fr
corvette Charlemagne, though the- lattor’bad
been materially assisted by another at tboﬁsstu
in effecting the capture. - l'. ; _
The vessels were ﬁve of the expected m
'ﬂeet, including the ship~of~tho~line ,Agineourt
with Admiral d'Estalng himself on boardﬁhl
remainder, of} the ﬂeet having gonemortbwm
to Newport, whither these were to dolls.
later on to, coopemte with the American
lgutlEigsﬂort to dialed at]? Bdtlliish tom
8 moceunaney o a ‘ '
Admiral d’Estaln on his egg-lash
nature otthe Sea ,itch’s m ssion,
young commander on heard his do
he received him with the utmost _ , . I
:nrbanity, being especially glad that his guest

 
a

 
could-converse ﬂuent!“ h him in Ms‘ 0
rwngue,inasmucbu,he' _ all ofaFrenc ,
’ on toaer‘ery other, though more

 
avoid

  
‘14

Dauntless Dick.

 
l
conversant with'several alien languages, includ- I
ing the English.

“ You are a privateersman, you tell me, my 1
young friend,’ observed the admiral in the l
course of their conversation. “ Take care that
you are never captured, then, for in that event
these brutal English would most likely hung
you. What, you sail under a letter-of—marque
or repl‘isal? Then the case is different, though !
you would still fare uncomfortably.” l

“ I suppose It is (inferent, count,” replied
Dick. “ But I shall surely never be captured in
any event. We will light our ship as long as
two planks hold togethvr, or there is a hand left
to pull tri gcr or twirl a capstan-bar.”

“ Brave y said! bravely said 1” and the count
smiled pleasantly at the vaunt. “ Well, then,
let me give you a pointer. But ﬁrst tell me how
long a cruise you are out for?”

“One month. It is our trial cruise. After
that we shall most likely scour the West Indies
and the Spanish Mnin at our leisure.”

“ Excellent! Then from this point let me ad-
vise you to rnako for Hatteras, returnin hither
by a. long curving loop to seaward. his will
most probably bring you in the track of many
transports and storeships now passing to and
fro from New York incidentally to the English
occupation of Savannah. You seel have studied
the situation pretty thoroughly.”

The Count d’Estaing was not only a distin-
guished sailor, but an elegant, affable and
noble—minded gentleman of the old French
régime.

He mostly wore a smile in talking, and his ,
handsome face was charmingly animated, but '
at the same time there was underneath it all a
sadness in the face, a shadow in the shinin
eyes, as if dimly prophetic of his undeserv
doom. Sixteen years later, in the spring of
1794, Dick Dareali sympathetically recalled that
lurking sadness and shadow when he learned of
the (-ount’s death on the guillotine. He had be-
comes. suspect to the brutal Jacobin rule for
having bravely dared to bear testimony in fa-
vor of Marie Antoinette at that unhappy
queen’s trial in the receding ear, and his
own stainless and nob 0 life was t e penalty.

After dining with the genial admiral, and
conversing with him on many topics, the young
privateersman thanked him effusiver for his
advice, and made his adieux.

The ﬂeet then continued on their course in the
direction of Delaware Bay, with their rize,
while the Sea Witch, in pursuance wit the
counsel afforded by the admiral, headed away
to the southeast. '

The pi-ivateer’s good luck Seemed conﬁrmed
from the hour of making the change of course, .
for it had been her commander’s original inten- '
tion to chise northward as far as Block Island
and Nantucket and return.

She had not parted company with the ﬂeet for
more than six hours when she sighted, over-
hauled and captured without ﬁring a shot the
large British store'ship Thames, on her way
from New York to Savannah with an immense
cargo of grain, meal, and salt meat, together
with large quantities of ﬁxed ammunition for
musketry.

Within two hours of her capture, she was on
her way to Havre, with her entire ship’s‘com-
puny, thirteen in number, in charge of acorn-
petent prize-crew.

Admiral d’Estaing had advised this course as
preferable, though the longer, in the disposition
of most valuable prizes, except in particular
cases, by reason of the closeness with which the
enemy’s blockade was maintained at the en-
trance to nearly all American ports of any con-
8 uence along the coast.

y midnight two transports, bound from
Savannah for New York in ballast, were sever-
ally overhauled, captured and ﬁred, after the
ship’s-comgznies had been made prisoners;after
which the 1d privateer continued on her we. .
re'oicing before the freshening northwest win .

t was hot work, including on the following
day the destruction of two more transports in
ballast, besides the capture and summary dis-
Batch to France with a (prize-crew of a large

est Indiaman intende for Glasgow, with a
rich’ cargo of coffee, spices, dyestuffs and pre-
cious woods.

This prize-crew also carried with them the
prisoners made by the capture of the four trans
ports, thus ridding the privateer of having the
care of them.

Then there were twenty-four hours’ breathing
space in the gallant schooner’s devastating ca-
reer, and at dawn of the third day after separat-
ing from the French ﬂeet, she found herself un-
der nothing but a half-reefed mainsail in a tre—
mendous mid-summer storm fort miles off
Hatteras, but all snug slow and 9.10 t and skim-
ming the giant combers like a storm-bird on the

win .

“ alas ever anythinglike her?” observed Dick,
who was taking a weak glass of grog with Junk
over a study of the chart in the cabin saloon, it
being Flinders’s watch on deck. “She’s no less
a beauty in tempest than in sunshine. By J upi-
ter! hear the yell of that wind,” his eyes spark-
ling with their accustomed dancing light when 
his vessel was 11 perth in his thoughts. “ And ,‘

_ yet how sligth she lists over, and with hardly

 
a wave-thump to be heard underneath, fore and
aft l”

“ That‘s because she feathers over ’em, instead
of plowing through,” replied the older sailor,
regarding his companion a little severely. “ Look
here, Captain Dick, you and l. have been mess-
mates long enough for me to speak my mind
without being yard-armed for it, oh?”

“ I should rather say so."

“ Well, Cap, the Witch is a good ’un, and no
mistake; but a man shouldn’t love a ship too
much, in my humble opinion.”

“ But com a true sailor love his ship too much,
old fellow l"

“ Yes, he can.”

“ Then why shouldn’t he love her too mUCh?”

“ Because, for one thing, it isn’t fair to the
women."

Dick burst into his happy laugh.

“ But good women are more plentiful than
good ships, Salty,” he exclaimed. “ But, letting
that be granted, 3 on said ‘for one thing.’ Now
for another thing, if you have got any to offer.”

The old sailor changed his quid from one cheek
to the other, leaned forward with his elbows on
the chart-table, and looked around him uneasil y.

“ For another thing, Cap," he said, confiden-
tially, and in a husky voice that was almost a
whisper, “ it ain’t right. Theinviserble powers,”
solemnly, “ don’t like it, and it’s likely to bring
bad luck.”

Dick, with his care—free, devil-may-care dis-
position, was no less surprised than amused at
the old fellow’s earnestness.

“ Oh, ﬁddlesticksl” he cried. “ What is it
they don’t like, and that’s likely to bring bad
luck ?”

“ This here lovin’ of a dumb wooden thing as if
it was a human, you know. This here worship-
in’, an’ idolizin’, an’ roilin’ up your eyes to, an’
ﬂoppin’ down on your knees to, an’ prostratin’

ourself before a simple insensate holler fabber—
ick of bolted planks an' beams, with a bowsprit
for a snout, dead-lights for eyes in the tail,
spars for arms, tarred hemp-twist for bowline
belt au’ shoestrings, sails for ﬂiippers—”

Dick interrupted him by another burst of
merriment, which was this time a roar.

“Thank you. Salty!” he managed to exclaim
at last; “but [ was scarcely aware that I wor-
shiped the Witch to quite the extent you make
out, much as l admire and love the craft. But,
you blessed old son of a sea-cook’s stuffed owll
i don’t love her in the same way I loves. ‘hu-
man,’ as you call it, at all—in the same way that
1 love Jessie Deni-born. for instnnce.” He made
the avowal without a thought of reservation, so
well—known was his heartaﬁ‘fair to his fellow-
townsmen. among whom everybody’s business
was everybody‘s. “ And as for the bad luck at-
tending a sailor’s honest admiration for the
stanch ship in which he ﬁghts and sails, I don’t
believe a word of it—or in any luck at all, good
or bad, when it comes to that.”

“ You don’t?” cried Junk, half-aghast at such
skepticism in a born sailor.

“Not a bit of it, though I do believe in 8.
Providence that watches over us, and shapes
our purposes for ruin or success as it judges best
—and, luckily for us, keeping us meanwhile in
the dark as to its intentions, so that we are still
free agents in our own conceits, at least. But a
truce to this empty talk, Salty Junk. I believe
so little in luck or fatalism that if, at this very
moment, we were threatened with being sent to
Davy Jones’s Locker by a big hulk suddenly
toppling over us from the crest of one of these
mountain waves that we are feathering over so
securely—”

It was one of those rare moments—rare enough
in any lifetime, non-existent in most—when our
challenging words are echoed, as it were, by the
chancing of the event deﬁed.

He was interrupted in his turn by a call from
the lookout in the foremost crew’s-nest so loud
and shrill as to reach them where they were sit-
ting, even above the shrieking of the gale and
the roarin of the waves.

‘:,Ship a and! Good Lord! she’s almost upon

us.

Then Jerry Wardlow’s boatswain’s whistle
rung along the deck, there was stumbling of
hurried feet on the companionway, and Second
Mate Flinders burst into the saloon in an excite-
mgiiit such as he seldom permitted himself to ex-
hi 1;. ‘

“Cap—Salty—tumble up 1” he roared. “ A
big corvette, half a wreck, and ready to crush
us under!”

“ I told you so I" growled Junk to himself, as
he followed the others, halter-shelter, up the
companionwa . “No such thing as luck, good
or bed, eh? ell, well!” ‘

 
CHAPTER XXII.
rm: suan IN rm: srosu.

Fonrmurnnv, Flinders had already given the
best order for the emergency, so that the peril
was not quite so imminent as had been repre-
sented by the time Dick and Salty reached the
quarter-deck in his company.

. But it was sufﬁciently terriﬁc, in all con-
science.

The Witch, rocking frightfully, had come

 
dead about, and. was just slipping along a deep
gulf, or trough, between two gigantic waves.

On the summit oi‘ the loftier of these towered,
just toppling to its plunge, an immense battle-
ship, only the bulging bows and cutwuter of
which could be seen on looking up from the
schooner‘s dock,and magniﬁed into colossal or
Brobdignngian proportions by the proximity oi"
the calamity she threatened.

“ Schooner ahoyl” was roared from somewhere
up in the toppling fabric, with a full-mouthed,

1 English oath for emphasis; “stand from un-

der!”

Then the Witch slipped from under, and.
down came the leviathan, just missing the
taffrail overhang, and with a splash that sent
the brine in cataracts high over her mainmast-
peak, drenching her low deck from stem to
stern.

It was almost like the bursting of a water-
spout.

But the gallant schooner had come about
again into her true course like a ruddered
cork, and topped the next wave herself as the
monster slowly and laboriously climbed the
gdjﬁcent one, thus affording a good view of her

ec .

She was seen to be a large corvette, of four—
teen or sixteen guns, showing no ﬂag—the vio-
lence of the wind precluded that—and little
short of a dismantled wreck.

Her toremast had gone by the board, the.
wreck and rafﬂe of the main-topmast and main-
topgallant were still trailing over her starboard
rail, though with men busy cutting it loose, and
there was nothing but the mizzen-sail bent to-
steady her in answer to hér wheel, while her
only chaser at the how bad burst from its lush-
ings and was playing havoc forward, with ﬁfty"
or more sailors trying to noose it in.

But Dick’s ﬁrst thought was of the crushing
peril the Witch had so narrowly escaped.

“ Who was on the lookout?” he sternly de—
manded.

“ vols.”

“ Send him aft.”

Fog-eye hesitated scratching his red head
with one hand, while holding on against the
mad itching of the Vessel with the other.

“ aptain Dick,” he ventured, “ am 1 privi-
leged to say a word or two?"

"‘ Certainly, old man.”

“ Ain’t my eyes on deck as good as ordinary
eyes aloft!”

“ I should say so, and a great deal better than
the majority.”

“ Then why should the lookout be brought to
book, Cap, for failiu’ to glimpse from the
crew’s-nest what I couldn’t glimpse from the
poop-deck here?”

Dick, though still angry, was silent.

“Harpoons an’ ﬁsh-hooks, man I” the mate
burst out;“look around you, Cap. It is still
storm-dark, though past sunrise, and the cor-
vette is practically without mast or sail to show
above the troughs she‘s wallerin’ in, like a hog
in its pen, when not crestin’ the combersl”

“You’re right, I suppose, old fellow. Let it
go, and make ready for action.”

“ You'd ﬁght the monster yonder, Cap '9"

“ And take her, in the bargain!”

u Hooray In

And the necessary ﬁghting and sailing orders
were given. '

But the boatswain’s shrill whistle had contin-
uedto pipe at short intervals, and the schooner,
under previously given orders, was being han-
dled beautifully.

The man-of-war had remained close at hand,
towering on the crests at intervals over her
smaller and lower-lying companion, and that
the tussle with the elements had not diminished
the predatory instinct in her was at once appar-
ent.

“What craft is that?" was straightway bel-
lowed through the trumpet from her tail p00p,
as she began to climb a tremendous wave.

“ The American letter-of-marciue Sea Witch 1”
was Dick‘s roared response. ‘ What ship is
that?"

“ His Majesty’s corvette Agamemnonl Lie in
close till the storm abates, or we’ll blow you out
of the water l”

“ Go to the devil l"

And, all being in readiness, with the opportu—
nity favorable, old Barbareau let go with the
bow-chaser.

The Witch had just dip (1 into the trough,
and it was a good deal ike shooting at the

zenith.

' But the shot told, the round thirty-twopound
bolt ripping along the Britisher’s oaken side
and knocking the spots out of her starboard
fore-chains.

There was a furious and derisive oath from
her poop, and then, in spite of the corvette’s
storm-torn condition,-she respanded with her
entire broadside of eight guns.

A roar of laughter from the privateer’s decks
as the volleyed iron whizzed harmlessly far over
her tops,,and then, as she feathered out, going
about like a duck, Fog-eye, who had himself
taken charge of the stern-chaser, let fly With it,

knocking off the corvette’s last remaining top—A
mast, leaving nothing above the one steadying;

sail on the long stump of the mizzen.

of..-

V‘s", n

\

“ Look here I” was next angrily shouted from
the enemy; “you can’t fight us, you know.
We’re double your size and strength.”

“ Can’t we’i” was the mocking response.
“ Mend your manners, if you can’t your ship 1”

And, both vessels chancing the next moment
to top opposing swells, the Witch’s three-gun
broadside was poured unerringly into her giant
antagonist’s decks.

The result was gratifying—to the Americans.
The British tars had just succeeded in lussoing
the wild gun—a huge chaser, evidently a forty—

ounder, which was an exceptional naval gun
or that day—and were laboriously getting it
back into position, when one of the shots was
seen to prostrate half a dozen of them, free the
piece once more, and send it upon its erratic
and damaging career about the forecastle deck,
while the two remaining bolts wrecked the
combings of the main hauh and tore a big hole
into the port bulwarks llmiwbhlps.

A ringing cheer arose from the privateer’s
deck, and as she again dipped momentarily from
view, the big gun could he heard madly hump—
ing, tearing and pounding about, doubtless to
the serious damage of the enemy’s deck-work<.

There was silence now on board the Wreck, so
far as further hails were concerned, and, as the

rivateer again got her opportunity, Barbureuu

et ﬂy once more with the bow—gun, knocking off
her bows rit.

“Py S ovel" exclaimed the gunner, rubbing
his hands delightedly, while another exuliant
cheer testiﬁed to the accuracy of his shot; “ at
zis rate ve s’all take ze pig ship a art leetle py
leetle, or piecemeal, as you say. e gun of brass
is a good gun,and ze ball of iron isa good
ball!”

But the storm had seemed to increase in vio-
lence, instead of abating, as had been hoped.

As there was incessant danger in the vessels
remaining so close together, Dareall decided to
haul 0:1 for a. mile or so, and then to lie to and
keep up a desultory ﬁring until there was a
chance of getting in better work—though he
was not blind to the fact that a continuance of
the tempest was more in his favor than the cor-
vette’s.

This was accordin ly eﬂected by risking the
bending of a spritsa , in addition to the slight
steadying canvas the schooner already carried.
The maneuver wash. success, and then she be-
gun to get the new range and to peg away at
her dismantled and unquiet targe with stem
pr bow-chaser, as the case might be, at her

eisurc.

 
CHAPTER XXIII.
A masrna PRIZE. .

.IT was ticklish practice in such a stormy sea,
but full one-half the privateer’s shots at long
range to d, while the corvette was by this time
so distressed with her efforts to keep aﬂoat that
she made no attempt at replying in kind.

The storm was an unusually Violent and pro-
tracted one for the time of year.

It lasted all that day, with steadily-growing
fury, and the greater art of the ensuing night.

Then it began to a ate, and with gratifying
rapidity, the wind falling off to the west, an
the great seas fast subsiding.

The sun rose on the following day in an un-
clouded sky, and over a still angry but fast
calming sen. -

The corvette was sighted at last three miles
away, and sail was at once made for her, the
Witch fairly leaping and soaring alon under
her novel spread of canvas, like a bird t at ﬁrst
tries its wings after a long period of enforced
inaction or self-constraint.

“ She isn't so much a wreck as I expected to
see her,” observed Dick, who with his two mates
was studying the corvette through the glass.

“She’s managed to get up jury-masts, any-
way," said Junk. “ And there’s something of a.
sail-s read forward now, as well as aft. ”

“ old onl” dissented Flindel‘s. ,“She’s no
better nor a wreck jest the same, though. Let
me tell on that. They must have managed to
throw that wild gun overboard. Her deck, i'ore
an’ aft, clean to the 00p, looks'as though it had
been swept up and own by Wild horses, and I
can see our shot-marks all over her port side.
She’d still make a musing prizehthough."

“ We’ll make her one,” said Dick, quietly.

As they up roached nearer, Flinders was
found, as us , to have been right in his ob-
servation. .

In spite of the jury-masts and extra. sail that
had been got on her, apparently with immense
labor and fortitude, the corvette was practically
a hapless wreck upon the subsiding and sun-
lighted waves, though doubtless susceptible of
restoration.

AstheWitchcamesheetingdownuponher,very
like a graceful carrion-bird upon the battered
and ﬂoating bulk of an expiring whale, she dis-
played her colors, and then sent in a blithe good-
morning of thirty pounds’ weight from her how-

gun, which made the splinters ﬂy from the cor-

vette’s taifrail.

There was no response. Her oliicers were seen
in an a parently melancholy group on her ear-
mrdec , while her men seemed listless an dis-
heartened at their posts»

 
Dauntless Dick.

I

As her crew, however, could not be short of
two hundred and ﬁfty men, or thereabouts, it
would have been madness to think of leading a
boarding assault over her towering side.

But then she had not flung out her colors in
response to the privateer’s display, and every-
thing about her indicated more or less misery
and despair.

“ Do you surrender?” shouted Dareall, when
within hail.

There seemed to be a hurried consultation
among the British ofﬁcers, and than a tall
man, evidently the commander, Stepped to the

side.

“ Well, we’re about done up,” was his re-
sponse. “ So you might as well come on
board.”

It was rather a shifty way of surrendering a
ship, but seemed somewhat excusable under the
circumstances.

Dick laughed, and himself leaped into the
long boat, giving the order to lower away.

In ﬁve minutes he was on board the unfortu-
nnto man-of—war.

A dead silence prevailed among oﬂiccrs and
men as he stepped over the rail, unaccompanied,
upon the torn and wrecked deck, with more than
half the guns dismounted and everywhere raﬂle
of the storm‘s work lying about.

In fact, it was a pitiable enough thing for so
large and gallant a ship, splendidly manned by
a brave crew that could as yet have but lost
few of their large number, to surrender to a
privateer of half her size and strength.

But had she surrendered?

Dick at once recognized among the ofﬁcers on
the half-wrecked poop a youn man whom he re-
membered as one of Romney 3 midshipmen on
board the Hector.

And, without his noticing it, this young man
had hurriedly whispered something in the cor-
vette commander’s ear that caused the latter’s
gloomy face to suddenly light 11 ferociously.

Dick, in the mean time, con dently mounted
the quarter-deck, and with a respectful, though
sailor-like bow to the crestfallcu otiicers, held
out his hand for the captain’s sword.

“ Gentlemen,” said he, cheerily, “it does seem
the devil’s own luck for you, but the storm has
contributed far more to your defeat than my
gallant craft yonder, if say it myself. And
since Iyou have seen ﬁt to surrender at discretion,
I sha take the utmost pleasure in treating you
all with—“

“ Sui-render!” suddenly thundered the British
commander, in interruption, and he sprung for-
ward, whipping out his sword. “ I told you to
come on board, but who spoke of surrender?
Seize this scoundrel, some of you! He is Dare-
all, the Jersey coast pirate! That is the busi-
ness 1" as a dozen or more of the tars rushed up-
on.the privateersman from behind. “ l-lurrah,
Wilkins!” to his gunner, who, with his assist-
ants, was already at the only unimpaired broad-
Side, which happened to bear directly on the
Witch, now less than a cable’s-length away;
“ Sink the infernal hell’s craft with what there is
left of us on the spot! Give it to her i”

_ But his own ofﬁcers had remained more or less
irresolute, though the tars were responsive
enough to the treachery in the main, and Dick,
after leaping high in the air with a shout and a.
gesture that was sufﬁciently understood by his
associates on the schooner, had wheeled with the
rapidity of lightning, sword in hand.

he two foremost of his would-be assailants
went down under successiVe thrusts, following so
close upon each other as scarcely to be separated
with the eye, another fell prostrate with a bullet
in the forehead—a. left-handed shot from the
pistol as hast snatched from his belt—yet a.
fourth reeled b ck under the discharged wea-
pon hurled with bonosmashing force into his
face; and then, with a couple of bounds he was
Withhis back to the taifrail combings, his sword
playing out with such cleverness that two more
of them were wounded, while the rest were ef-
fectually kept at bay.

“ Treacherous British hounds l” he roared in
the course of this unlocked-for manifestation;
“a. Jersey Coast pirate, am I? Come and take
me then, whosoever dares 1"

At this instant the corvette’s broadside was
thundered out.

But the Witch, snatching the warning in time,
had spun around into the wind like a charmed
and sentient thing, the entire volley missing her
by less than a rod.

Then bang! whizl and her stern-chaser had
poured a shower of shrapnel along the corvette’s

crowded decks amidships with terriﬁc effect. \

The. Britishers were fairly bewildered b the
startling rapidity of this action, but the itch
was not done yet. ,

She had sheeted out from under the monster’s
Quarter like magic, come about. and in another
instant her dauntless little broadside was de—
livered upon the enemy’s poop.

The commander himself tattered forward his
head carried away by a round-shot his midsliip-
man adviser was down fairl disem weled, and
the remaining shot ripped e remainder of the
poop-coping into jack-straws.

“ Good 0d, sir i” cried a. lieutenant, springing

 
avppealingly toward Dick; “ stop this carnage.
e werenot parties to this infernal treachery!”

CHAPTER XXIV.
run WIND—UP or A MEMORABLE CRUISE.

DICK had continued to keep the jack-tars at
bay with his tremendous swordplay and now
the latter drew oﬂl, looking sullen and dazed.

“Do you mean what you say?" he sternly
demanded, of the oilicer who had made the ap—

enl.

p “ By Heaven, I do!" was the earnest re-
sponse.

And the remainder of the ofllcers crowded
around, their faces sufﬁciently expressive of
thci r honesty.

“ Are you in chief command now?" was Dick’s
next demand of the ﬂist speaker.

“ Yes; i am the first lieutenant, now in com-
mand by the death of Captain I’onsonby.”

“ Your swm-d, if you please?”

And, sheathing his own blood-stained weapon,
the commander of the Sea Witch hold out his
hand.

The licutenant’s sword was promptly surren-
dered. '

“Pray retain it at my request,” continued
Dick returning the weapon. “ But I will say
that if your treacherous commander were new
in your place, instead of lying yonder headless,
as he deservei, instead of treating him as 1 am
treating you, I would right cheerfully stab him
to the heart with his own sword."

He then sprung on the taii’rail and waved his
hand to his fellow-privateersmen.

He was too late to forbid a second broadside
just then on the point of being discharged, and
which again swept the corvette’s deck amid-
ships, this time canister, and with murderous
effect.

Then she came alongside, her rovers poured
over the starboard bulwarks, and the prize was
forthwith taken pessession of.

Considering the comparative weakness of the
privateer, it was an immense one in point of
m ortance.

' ‘he corvette was a full ship-rigged man-of-
war, of seVenteen ﬂno guns, not includin the
wild forty-pounder bow-gun which had een
thrown overboard. While her spurs and rig-
ging were hopelessly gone, her bull, compara-
tively now, was substantially intact, and she had
been provisioned and stored with ammunition for
a protracted cruise. Her ship’s company had
consisted of two hundred and seventy-live vete-
ran seamen and officers, of whom twenty were
dead by war or accident. Of those remaining,
thirty-five were pressed American sailors from
along the coast. All of these manifested the
utmost desire to join the privateer, which we
thus enabled to more than make up the draft
that had been made upon her ship's company in
the furnishing of various prize-crews.

The lieutenant, who had enjoyed a brief mo-
ment of chief command by the death of the cap«
tain, was an a eeable and gentlemanly ofﬁcer
named Mordr , but with the aristocratic pre-
judices of his class.

“ You say,” observed Dareall, in talking with
him shortly after the surrender, “ that your cup-
tain’s name was Ponsonhy’!”

“ Yes," replied Lieutenant Mordred: adding in
atone of awe: ” And he was second brother to
a. duke, sir-~ the Duke of Glamorganshirel”

“ I wouldn’t have cared a curse if he had been
second or ﬁrst brother to crazy King George
himself, or to a London ﬁshwomanl" exclaimed
Dick, contemptuously. “ If he had fallen alive
into my hands, I'd have yard-armed him like a
pirate! What do you suppose could have
prompted him to attempt that cowardly and
treacherous piece of business upon me?”

Lieutenant Mordred hemmed and hawed, and
couldn’t exactly say. He suggested something
as to Dick’s past reputation among the English,
hinted that the noble captain's indignation
might have been reneed to sudden frenzy,and
was venturing upon other evasive remarks in a.
similarly exculpatory strain when the young
commander turned on his heel, and left him in
dis ust. '

otwithstanding the importance of this cap-
ture, it seemed likely to prove a serious embar-
rassment to the privateer, by reason of the
largeness of the prize-crew that would have to
be spared for manning and sailing her into port
to say nothing of the care of the prisoners an
the preliminary repairs to be made, when a for-
tunate incident occurred to relieve her of the
predicament.

In little more than an hour after the capture.
a. sail was reported to seaward, which 8 eedily
resolved itself into that of a. large vesse ,most
likelya frigate, approaching the spot under a.
great press of sail. '

If a fri ate what could she be but a Britisheri

Instant y, in this assumption, there was the

bustle of new preparations on board the Witch; '
to ﬁght or ﬂy as the circumstances might dictate, i

when a word or two from the far-sighting Fog-
eye Flinders reassured everybody. ‘ ' a

“ Don’t jump out of your skins l” he drawled,
after a. second observation of the stranger
through the glass. “ It ain't a Britisher at all;
it’s a Frenchman."

He proved correct, as usual.

The new-comer upon the scene was one of the
vessels that had been with Admiral d’Estaing

l

b l

at the time of Dareall’s visit to the latter—the I i

16

 
Dauntless Dick.

 
forty-gun French frigate Revolution, Captain
thille Delamont commanding, that was tem-
porarily separated from its squadron in a brief
cruise south ward after profit and glory, neither
of which she had yet succeeded in achieving.

Astounded at the success of the compai ative—
1y insignificant Sea Witch, captain Delamont,
after a brief conference with her young com-
mander, in which the nature of the latter’s em—
barrassment was made known, proposed an offer
‘ to ill in that was immediately accepted.

'1‘ is was to provide for repairing the Aga-
niezmion and sending her to Brest, together with
all file prisoners, by a prize crew from his own
frigate, in the interest of the American Govern-
ment and the privateer, flSB. matter of course,
but on condition that the Revolution should have
a pi-rcentage on the valuation of the corvette as
awarded by the admiralty court.

“ It's a white elephant off our hands,” Dare—
all explained to his ofﬁcers and men an hour
later, when the Witch was sheeting away, leav-
ing her master prize in the Frenchman’s posses-
sion. “ Much as it would have been to our
glory to have carried her with us into an Amer-
ican port, it would have been little short of im-
possible by reason of the blockaders, to say noth-
ing of her wrecked condition and the mob of
prisoners we would have had to care for.”

“ True enough,” observed the ﬁrst mate.
“ Doubtless we’d have had to burn her in the
end, whereas now we’ve a chance of prize-money
from her in solid chunks.”

Flinders said nothing, though he looked as if
he would rather have seen the corvette, thus
praceably and perhaps roﬁtahly disposed of,
committed to the ﬂames orthwith.

As Dareall and Junk were entering the cabin
together, the former turned to the other with a
smile.

" By the way, Salty ” said he, “ how about
that invariable bad luck attending a sailor’s af-
fection for his craft now i"

“ Well, sir," replied the mate, not a little con-
fusrd, “the corvette did come mighty nigh to
snmshing down on us from the top of that big
wavo, us you must acknovfledge.”

" A h! but she didn’t, and we captured her at
lust—probably the biggest sea-prize of the war
this far—as you must acknowledge. ”

" ()h, dang the luck, anyway! what does it
differ, Cap, if you’re on the winning side i” cried
the Old sailor, losing most of his patience and
half of his temper. “But I do stick to what I
shit! about the inviserble powers, and to much
love for a senseless and inanermate thing. They
don’t like it!”

Dicl-z burst into his gay laugh.

“ But do the Britishers like it any better?”
was his last retort; and Salty went for a glass
of grog without vouchsaf'lng a rejoinder.

The Witch was now put on a seaward course,
for the purpose of making that grand loop on
her home—stretch that had been adv1sed by Ad—
miral d’Estaing.

For two weeks following, she had but a
meager continuance of her success, three unim-

rtant prizes being all that were added to her

ist in that period.

Her ship’s company began to grow lazy or
discontented, and the outlook for thewind—up
was not promising.

But as the Northwestern side of the loop-
course was taken up, and the coast-waters were
once more approached, the face of privateering
affairs began to brighten considerably.

But at this juncture an unpleasant incident
occurred.

One night, when everythin was very quiet,
with the schooner bowling a ong on her star-
board tack in the teeth of a rather stiff north-
“ est wind, Jerry Wardlow appeared unex-

.:ctedly in the cabin where Dareall chanced to
e sitting alone.

“ Friend Dick,” said he, with his old-time
mock solemnity, “ thee needst not worry great-
ly, hut there’s trouble in the forecastle.”

CHAPTER XXV.
TROUBLE iN THE FORECASTLE.

DAREALL looked up in no little surprise. 1

“ What sort of trouble, Jerry i” he demanded.
“ But sit down and mix yourself a glass ﬁrst, if
you wish to.”

Did Jerry Wish to? The distribution of grog
on the Sea Witch had been made from the very
fi ,5 with a wisely s aring hand, and the ne’er-
d ~well of the Col ingfords, though patriotic
L id dutiful enough, had time and time again
1‘ shed himself at the Red Lion in Tom’s River,
or in the sanded taproom of the little inn by the
core, with his prize-money in his purse, his boon
companions around him, and jokes, Jamaica
mm or older circulating with equal freedom
and dispatch.

He at once plumped himself down at the
table. seized decanter and glass and sugar-bowl,
and v as speedin busied with the concoction of
a glass of grog of such heroic proportions as to
excite both hisgcompam‘on’s wonder and amuse-
ment.

“ W hat sort of trouble?” demanded the young
Commander again.

“ Friend Dick,” Jerry stirred the mixture lov-
ingly, tasting it by spoonfuls while he talked,
“ thee doubtless remembers the North Country

 
Englishers—-skipper, two mates and eight men—
who were so rejoiced at having us sink their
empty transport for them that they joined our
ship’s company forthwith?”

“ Of course, I do—Martin and the others of
the Boomerang?”

“ The same ducks, Friend Dick.”

“W ell, what of them? Ah! I recollect you
said something of their manifesting lukewarm—
ness during our storm-fight with the corvette?”

“ Friend Dick, thee hast a good memory.”

“But that was perhaps but natural on the
part of the fellows,” observed Dick. “ No man
would particularly rejoice at ﬁghti ng against his
old ﬂag at a pinch, you know.’

“ True,” with a long draught at his glass this :

time, “ but there’s Worse than that since, Friend
Dick.”

“ W orse ?"

“ Trul ."

“ \Vhat is it?”

“ They are plotting mutiny.”

Dareall stared.

“ What i" he exclaimed; “ this handful of
men 9”

Jerry here slowly ﬁnished his glass by a series
of ecstatic swallows, rubbing his stomach and
rolling his eyes upward with a beatiﬂed expres-

sion.

“ A handful ma become a baskctful by con-
tact, Friend Dick, ’ he at least vouchsafed to re-
mark in response; “ and there’s more discontent
in the forcastle than perhaps you imagine—es-
Eecially among the foreigners apart from these

nglishers—the Spaniards, South Americans,
Italians, Portuguese, and the like. ”

“ What of that’l”cried Dareall, indiﬂerently.
“All told, they don't make up a fourth of our
crew.”

“ True, friend Dick. But even a small mi-
nority of a. ship’s crew, if thoroughly organized,
without exciting the suspicions of the others—”

“ Out with your news, and be done with your
cursed preliminaries!” exclaimed Dareall, with
an impatient, “ Drop that rum—bottle, tool
You’ve had enough. There!” snatching away
the decanter, which Jerry was already fondling
afresh. “ Now what have you got to say i”

Wardlow at once straightened up, and told
his story in few words.

Revols, a trustworthy seaman, had overheard
the Englishmen plotting together in secret the
ni ht before.

heir design was to await the next ﬁght with
a British armed vessel, which they seemed to
feel conﬁdent would take place before the end
of the cruise, and then in the heat of the en age-
ment to create a diversion in the enemy’s avor
by a sudden rising.

That was the gist of what Jerry had to report.

Dareall was both angered and sur rised, as he
had never anticipated any trouble 0 the sort in
the remotest degree.

“Revels is a good man,” he said, after a re-
ﬂective pause. ‘He wouldn’t misreport or ex-
aggerate so grave an affair as this, I am sure.”

“Not he,” cried Jerry, a little huskily now.
“ The’re’s no better aboard than Revels of Abse-
com.

“Has any one else chanced to observe any of
this plotting?”

“Yes, Friend Dick—Jackson."

“ Ah ! another trustworthy man?”

“ No better.”

I Junk and Fliuders were called in for consulta-

ion.

At ﬂrst ﬂush the former was for clapping the
Englishmen in irons forthwith, while the patri-
otic Flinders, who had never approved of their
enrollment, strongly advised hanging them all
on the spot, without examination or trial, as the
pioslttsummary and felicitous way out of the dif-

icu y.

But,apart from the inhumanity of either such
off-hand proceedings, Dareall reminded them
that the paison of the mntinous plot might have
already reached a larger portion of the ship’s
company than they had any idea of, and that
the only course to make sure of its extent lay in
patience, watchfulness, and, above all, in pre-
tefnding to be wholly unsuspicious of what was
a co .

It was ﬁnally agreed that the boatswain, as-
sisted by Revels and Jackson, should keep up a
cautious but lynx-eyed watch upon the English-
men in their communication with other mem-
bers of the crew, and report the results of their
observations in the cabin from time to time.

Dareall and his two mates would be no less
vigilant and on their guard, and, in the event of
another armed Britisher being sighted and en-
gaged, everything should be in readiness to
meet the threatened treachery, the leading men
among the American portion of the crew being
likeWise taken into conﬁdence on the subject he-
forehand.

The event was notfar away that was to put
the matter to the test, though it was not the very
next one destined to break the comparative mo-
noton y of the last two weeks’ cruise.

_0n the following morning a store-ship, in half
but valuable cargo, was captured wit out any
difﬁculty and sent off to France.

As the Witch Came into the coast waters ves-
sels were more plentiful, and the Britishers
among them were not a few. l

 
By noon of the same day, two small trans—
ports, northward-hound, one in ballast, the
other half-cargoed with Georgia turpentine,
were seiZed and burnt, the latter making a
magnificent blaze.

But at sunrise of theifollowing day an Amer-
ican barque, the George Washington,outwai‘d
bound from Philadelphia, and having luckily es-
caped the blockaders thus far, was hailed, which
brought a had piece of ni-ws.

This was to the effect that Lieutenant Romney
and all the prisoners taken by the capture of the
Jezebel and the Cormorant had effected their
escape from the place of their confinement in
Philadelphia on the night of the great storm or
more than a fortnight previous—doubtless the
same storm the close of which had witnessed the
corvette Agamemnon a prize to the privateer.
Nor was this the worst.

They had also seized upon a brigantine lying
at the Callowbill street wharf, in which it was
known that they had succeeded in reaching New
York three days later. And it was rumored
that, under the incentive of this escape, a large
British frigate, with some smaller vessels,” all
under Romney’s command, were already on their
way to wreak a terrible reprisal by laying waste
the shores of Barnegat Bay.

When Dareall received this appalling intelli- '

gence, he was a hundred and ﬂ ty miles south—
east of Cape Henlopen, and ﬁfty or more fur;
ther from Barnegat.

With mingled ra e and alarm, he at once lat}
his course direct or Barnegat, and the wi "
having shifted favorably, being southeast b
east, and dead on the schooner’s starboar
quarter—her best sailing point—every stitch
was crowded on her that she could bear.

Not only the two mates, but almost the entire
crew, especially the American majority—being
Jersey coastmen themselves—partOOk of the
anxiety and inspense with the keenest solicltude.

And naturally enough! The laying wasie of
the bay—shore hamlets and farms by so powerful
and vindictive an expedition as had been indi-
cated signified nothin less than ruin of home
and scattering of fami as for inanya brave and
hardy follow on board.

Dick’s thoughts were naturally chieﬂy con-
cerned for his mother and Jessie. .

Striving as best he could to master all out-
ward manifestations of his mental agony, he
paced the poop like a caged tiger, every now
and then looking up at the towerln heights of
bellying canvas overhead, and grin ing his heel
on the eck in his agony of impatience and al-
most despair.

“Has the foul ﬁend got into the craft?” he
muttered between his teeth. “ Why, she only
creeps I"

And the Witch all the time, having her best
foot foremost, was fairly ﬂying through the wa-
ter, ﬂinging the s ray from her quarter, and
drenching her wil ~haired nymph of a ﬁgure-
head with it from head to foot, like a mad sea-
born steed on a runaway for life and freedom
through the Weltering wastes.

While he was in this unenviable mood,
Flinders, after eying him sympathetically for a
few moments, went abrupt] up to him, and
grasped his hand with a aVity and earnestness
that was notusual with ' .

 
CHAPTER XXVI.
AN INTERCEPTION.

“ DICK," said the second mate. “ I know just
how you feel. But bear u , and be a man—-
your own brave, conﬁdent se fl You must do
it, for there is no other safe or effective
course.” .

Dareall gritted his teeth hard, and then, more
or less surprised at the other’s unwonted earnest-
ness, he mana ed to control himself sufﬁciently
to say, hoarse y:

“ But you can’t know how I feel, Fog-eye! It
is impossible that you should.”

“ It ain’t impossible, and I do know. You’re.
chieﬂy tormented about Jessie and your
mother.”

“ True, true; but you can’t understand my
emotions— you can’t know how I am tormented
about them, and about Jessie especially."

“ I tell you I can, for I feel just the same way,
and on like lines.” -

“ Yes. Shall I tell you why 9”

“ Do, then.”

“ Because I am in love myself.”

There was that in his voice and manner that
precluded any thought of deridin the announce-
ment. And yet the idea of freck ed, red-haired,
slab-sided Fog-eye Flinders being in love!

Dick momentarily forgot his own anxiety in
wonder at it.

. ‘ “ You in love with any one!” was all he could

as .

xYes, I. You remember, of course,” with
sudden eagerness, “the girl Isnatched out of
the water after we had carried this craft from
the enemy by bloody ﬁght—the black-eyedbeau-
ty, Naomi Goldheart? I love that girl—I love
her to madness, and I am going to win her 01
die l” '

As he said this his form dilated, his strange
' eyes ﬂashed, and there was no longer coarseness

in

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Dauntless Dick: ‘

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or homeliness in his face, for the fierce, manly
ﬁre that flushed and kindled in it.

Dareall was at once reminded of the heroic
transﬁguration he had marveled at in this man in
thatlast desperate ﬁght for the schooner’s poop-
deck. And then he called to mind associatively
Naomi’s fascinated stars and the way her eyes
had followed the man's ﬁgure throughout the
fra . '

“yNow you understand, I suppose,” continued

Flinders, in much of his ordinary tone, “ wheth- ‘

er 1 can appreciate your feelings or not. Be a
me 1, Dick!” ,

And he strode away without another word.

“ By Jupiter, 1 will be a man i” muttered the
{oung commander, resolutely; and be stamped

is foot on the deck for the lust time,al’ter which
he rapidly regained his self—control. “ That
brave fellow’s example has taught me a lesson
which I am ashamed to have needed. But it is
hard 1"

Here Junk, making his appearance from be-
low, came up to offer his sympathy after an-
other fashion.

“ You must cheer up, Ca 1” he said, with his
accustomed grufl'ness. “ e’re all in the same
ship in distress just now—«that is, we Barnegat—
cars. But we must cheer up, and I haven’t a
doubt that we’ll make the inlet in time to give
warning." V

“ 1 am cheering up, Salty,” replied Dick, al-
together his calm, iron self by this t1m_e;“ and
neither do I have a doubt that we shall be there
in time." ‘

But it was not to be. ,

They made a magniﬁcent run that day, but
on the following morning, when less than ﬁfty
miles off Barnegat a 59." came down on them
from the north which speedily resolved itself
into a lar e armed brigantiue, ﬂying the British
colors an spoiling for a fight.

Dick turned fairly pale at the idea of a deten~
tion at this critical tjuncture, and for a hinge
moment he was hal disposed to give the or r
to hour away, and show the stranger his craft’s
silver heels.

But the Sea Witch to show the white feather
in‘the face of a foe evidently but little her 811;
parlor in size and armament ‘

N ot to be thought of. .

Besides, here was the longed-for opportunity’
to test the ﬁdelity of a portion of his crew, -
ready under suspicion. ,

The next instant Barnegat, his sweetheart,
his mother, were severally effaced for the time
being from heart and mind at the stern call of
honor and of dut . _ .

Flinders smil appi'ovmgly at divining the
emotional self-conquest which his young com-
mander had achieved.

“ What do you make of herl”calmlv demand-
ed Dick, the stranger being then ﬁve miles
awa . I ‘ r

“ er rxiﬁiﬁpéaks for itself,” was the rompt ,

ders lowered his glass. ‘5 hither-

reply, as
gunnerm. decent

more, she’s a ten or twelve
sailor, and she wants to ﬁght.’ I

“ I guess wecan accommodate her,” said the
‘ oung commander, with a smile. “ Mr. Junk ”

(ySalty had the watch), “ bring us over so. as to‘

cross her course, and then pipe to quarters.”

While this was being done, both Dick and
Fog-eye exchangeda secret er 31 with Best-
swain Wardlow, who respon ed in, kind as
much as to say, “We're on the watch. ill
communicate with you as soon as 1 can without
exciting the plotters’ attention.” I

Dareall then went below alone, where Jerry
after duly piping to quarters, presently jom

him. . ~ >
; "' The thin I’m here begging for grog," said
the latteyr. “- 0, that inxy being here with you
won’t give away our be ng up to snuff in the
least, riend Dick.” , i , ‘
Dareall took the hint, and himself poured him
out a tumbler of run also showing him the
sugar-bowl, after which he clapped the decanter
into the stewards locker, and shut the door on

it. V , _
“ Are they organized?” he demanded, abrupt-

ly “ Come LJW Jerry; no superﬂuous words.”

“Yes,” replied Jerry, promptly enough. for

all that he was sipping his grog, “ and ready for,
business ” I ' ' ‘

“' Howmany are in the plot?”

. “ Thirty-two." I

“What! exclusive'of the eleven Britishe'rsl”
“ No: all told.”  , V _
. “ Who are the outsiders‘they have rung in?”

“‘ The two , Spaniards, one of our’ Portuguese, ,

twelve Italians the Jamaica" nl ' er, the three
Germans, and all the Greeks and urks.”

“ Humphl Any of the Irishm'eg ‘ to it?”

" Not a ho -trotter of 26ml. 1‘ s that all the
foreign worl mi ht be as‘trueto the. American
cause as the ‘oul sod’, of Erin'lsl?’. ~ ,

“ Good: what is the speciﬁc ‘ plan ‘oIIthe plot:

ital-5w » ' ,

“To Wait till we are hottest engaged—in a

‘ -‘boardin ﬂ ht if possiblev-and then to collect.
‘togetheigatga g’iven signal'on the part of Martin, ‘
~and tostrllsieeut fromxinr our midst under his

' leadership.’ 
*‘tWhatistheSiBn

s

awn ~ \ ‘ U ,
’ , f .h‘ Yorkshire ells,orscreeohes.
gm“  ’4 , .

 
 “nonsense

 
‘ “Ah, well nave a throttier or two for that
screech—owl’s warning. » Give me half a dozen
names of the men you consider as natural lead-
ers, or who are most looked up to, among our
American lads.”

Jerry had only half finished his grog, and he
, began to tell 011‘ the required names reliectively
A, on his ﬁngers. , '
‘ “There’s Revels, and there’s Jackson~both
i from down Absecom ways," he replied, slowly.
r “Then there’s Ferris, from Squam, there’s

Jonas I’ringle, from our own old Barnogat
reaches, and there‘s—there’s," with a glimmer—
ing smile, “that no—account fraud of a s rig
from the Tory Colliugford stock, Jerry ard-
low, who is perhiips better liked than any of the
others named. ’ here, thee hast it all, friend
Dick?” V

Dareall grasped his hand.

“ And last not least!” he exclaimed, heartily.
“That will do, Jerry Junk, F'linders and 1 Will
he on the sharp lookout. Secretly notify the
men you have named at once, and at them put
the Americans on guard with due caution. At
our signal—which will nip Yorkshire Martin’s
in the bud—let them be in readiness to turn sud-
derilly’ on the collecting foreigners tooth and
mu .'

“ And our signal, friend Dick?"

“”An American yell from one of the three of
us.

They then separated, Jerry sknlking off to the
forecastle, wi ug his lips as if his grog-seeking
enterprise ha been a perlect success and Dare-
all hurryingl back to the quarter-deck where
Junk and F 'nders were at once placed in pos-
session of the facts.

 
CHAPTER xxvn‘.
FORMEN FORE AND AFT.

WHEN Dareall redched the poop~deck in
the stranger was sheetin in, head on, a n
three miles away, the W tch was 'just about
crossing his course in a diagonal direction, and
old Barbareau was sighting the bow-chaser for
an initial shot.

_ Bang! went the gun.

The iron sphere ricochetted thrice over the
dancing crests, and then the brigantine’s fore-
topmast was down, with its to _ il,topgallant
and royal tangllng and heating among the fore-
stays and shrouds. ' ‘ .

‘ That’s-the music!" cried Dareall, while a
cheer Went u from the privateer’s deck. “ Her
head ear is t e placetospoil her beauty. Round
out, r. Junk, and we’ll try it again with our
stern barker.” ' ,

The order was given,but almost instantly there
was a puff from the Britisher’e bows
iron _response harmlessly dashed up tli
within a dozen feet of the cutwater.

“ Aball’commenfed Dick; “ a close shot, and
she can throw thirty-twee no less than we.
But a miss, is as good as a miler' Nowfor‘it,
Flindersl” V v ‘

and h
9 8Drill?

breech of the Long Tom, a gunner’s assistant at
hand, burning match in readiness. .: -
It was let go, there was a splintering on the
stranger, and the remainder of his foremost,
probably short 08 at the deck, was seen to

and rigging a ruin on the bowspﬂt line.
Another cheer from the Americans, 9, percep-
tible slacking up lathebrigantine‘s ,an
then the Witch rounded to and paid 0 to. wind-
ward, lettin go her broadside as She did to. but
only one be of which hit the mark, somewhere
amidsnips as near as could be made out. a
These tactics were now continued, the‘Witch,
untouched as yet and having her antagonist
practicallyat her long-range mercy, kee ing OR,»
and fronr time to time sending in shot tor shot
from one or another of her Chasers, for the most
part mth telling effect. I ‘ ' ‘
‘ And now a certain restlessness was remarked
0n the part of Martin and his immediate con-
federates. ‘ v . ’
in e ﬁghting was little to ‘ their taste; they
mm d doubtless have no chance but this one;

‘ [and they ware impatient for the closer and hot-

ter work that woald, as they thought,vgive them
their coveted opportunity. ’ '

Americans in the ore, ,‘including a number of
the honester foreigners, were obsemd to be
wally aud‘quietly on the alert.‘ V I ,

At last there wasn’t a topmost left standing
‘on the brigantlne. to say nothing .of'the‘com-
plate elimination of her entire “female” “‘9.”

term. ﬁring with additional good sheet, and
only Imaging two shots in return—both in the
starboa
in effect. ,A V . r ,
{he privateer’s next delive . styless than a
mile, sent the enemy’showspri info splinters." _
Yet another from h bow-gun was/ seen to

er’s prow and tori offfayanduof bu ark-line
'mtherehwnd..,‘- ; ‘    '
73951,“. ‘91” _

:

 
1

 
Johnson, from Shark River, there’s tough old i

The mate was already at the glistening brass ‘

topple and tumble forward,its masses of soils» A
v at the end. -

It was sufﬁciently obvious that this long- _

But everything was in readiness to block the,
treacherous game conﬁmplatedmnd already the ‘

tioned,‘ and: the Witch rapidly lessened“ the. in-_
fore-chains, and neither"with.damag..

strike ﬁre from theiancl’iror triced to the British- ~ '
;‘ ,f‘liDo you surrender-l” .  . ;

 
.n———

eﬂfect on coming about, there was no immediate
reply, and it was easy to see with the naked e e
that the utmost confusion was rife on t e
enemy’s decks. .

indeed, her upper works were now thorough-
ly disiimntled, she was like a bird diswinged,
and, as the wind had fallen ofl’ considerably, she
could no longer maneuver, and was practically
at the schooner‘s mercy. V

it was doubtleSs as good a time as any to bring
the threatened mutiny to a head, for thepurpose
of decapitation.

“Boats out!” suddenly roared Dick, while a
last shot from the Witch sstern-chuser raked the
enemy l'ore and aft, unshipping his bow-gun.
“ Boarders to the front!" a

It was only a ruse, and was luckily understood
as such by the Americans of the crew, while the
plotters were piggishly obtuse. ,

Martin and his north countrymen had kept to-
gether thus far, and .now the remainder of the
plotters could be perceived going over to them
one by one. , ,, l

In response to the sham order, Jerr’y sounded
his boatswain’s whistle, and, under lck’s and ,
Junk’s personal lead respectively, there was a
sen-led rush of more than half the Americansto
either side as the boats were being swung out on
their davits with a great show of eagerness and

seal.

At this instant there was a loud screech from
the foxyAfaced Yorkshireman’s throat.

Before the two others that were to constitute
his signal could follow, however, Fog'eye Flin-
ders, who had been left alone on the poop‘deck
with the man at the wheel, ave utterance to a
yell, compared with which t e Englishman’s was V
no more than a whisper. .

It would have discounted the yell of a wounded
panther in defense of her young. - _

The ruse was at an end, every American turne- , .1
ing suddenly from the boats. jackknife, board‘ 
lug-pike, hatchet or belaying-pin in hand, while
the cons irators were noticeably embarrassed -
and bowl dared. , ,

“Now!” roared Dareall, and, leadi the tor- «‘
rent-like rush u n the traitors, he orthwith ?_
gripped Martin v the throat, and stabbed him
to the' heart, with the brief words, “ Traitor! 
spy l”hlssed through his teeth as the acoompuii— a
ment of the blow. ' V , ,

h'l'lhte conﬂict’that ensued was desperate, but
5 o . . ‘ . . . ~

The would-be mutineers in some instances
had gist time to draw their Weapons, but that
was . '

They . were overwhelmed, [shot . cut and
stabbed dewn without mercy, and 'before they
could strike a blow in return. I r
i The slaughter was, perhaps, brutal, but none
the less just and necessary. *

A ship with stealthy; and organized mutiny in
the boaom of her crew is no safer than a pow-
der magazine With a slow-match burning and
curling its snake-like way in among the stored

k  .

‘efn less than a minute eve man of them was '
slain but one and he. a paniard, mortally
wounded, con essed before dying the full de
tails of the plot, in corroborationof the time-

.ly information‘thathad defeated it, and in

instillation of the bloody punishmentthot had
eon meted out. , ,i  . ,
“ Now for legitimate businessl’f criedDai-eall

Leaving the men, under Wardlow‘s mum.
to summarily dispose ot the dead, and obliterate“
the marks or the tragedy. he returned torthe‘
quarter~deck in Junk 3 company and in ﬁye
minutes the loyal ere lessons in number.
but brea hing more free y,,were again at their \

oats. r‘
p “ It vas pleady, but it vas just I”. commented.
Berbereau among his assistant gunners. ‘ _
blew ve sal huff somet’ing . like zat in Parishes,
fore long, only on as grand, ze magniﬂquescul ,
wiz ze aristocrats to so lamp-posts andzeroy-
alty to as block!” And‘he was'oomctlimhll
prediction, as was soon borne out by the terrible
march of eyents. , ' ‘ ,_ x a; r '

“ Bedad,‘ but you’re rl ht, ‘Frenchyl’? cried
Kelly, one of the best h lers'of the starboard
broadside. “Who lver it t- o Sassonach Eug-'
lishman'whin he‘ roﬂsses good faith in any‘cam“

/
c-
.

 
but that of his lug or queue, trustee. snake-4

and, lory to St. Patrick 1' there be no snakes in“
cold rcla‘nd.” , , " s -  , 
The Witch was now enabled to main still,
closer upon her enemy, and to' our in shot site!“
shot, broadside after broads do, with terriﬁc}
effect, and with little or no reply. '  ' ,
Indeed. the brigantine thong cleared of her
topmost and other wreckage, could no, longer
come about, or be worked to any adqu ~‘
‘ At last even her colors were shot. awoyﬁld
the broadside that directly followed?  to.

 
plant its three twenty-fours simultaneously in"

her m’aiumast,‘ which ediatelygwent, hyith

board- . . i
“What ship is thatP‘called outDickms/sthr;
Witch was at last run inane rounded, towlthm
less than threecahle-lcngg‘hsr ‘_ = ‘ V 
"Home esty’s armed ‘ lgantlne, Queean
wasthe or: answer from thesaurnyfs 

   
Ewemsrext’ul": .. 

 
i“: ,a'. .9. ..., >

 
“ The American lotter—of—marque privateer
Sea Witch.”

“ See you to the devil ﬁrst!”

But Flinders, who was at the stern-gun, then
bearing full upon the brigantine’s port quarter,
had anticipated the answer, and now let ﬂy with
it.

There was a crash, a shower of splinters, then
a terriﬁc explosion.

The enemy’s forecastle magazine had been
knocked to pieces and blown up.

Before the smoke cleared away, the same
sullen voice was heard from the poop-deck.

“ We surrender i" it shouted; “ and be cursed
to you 1”

 
CHAPTER XXVIlI.
HOMEW’ARD BOUND.

AS Dareall’s anxieties with regard to home
affairs revived, the work of taking possession
of the prize and deciding her fate was expedit-
ed with the utmost dispatch.

H. M. S. Queen Bess was an old and compar-
atively dilapidated vessel, though a good sailer,
pressed into service and equipped to meet the
growing emergencies of the war of invaswn.

She carried twelve guns, all old and partly
worn out, and a ship’s company of eighty men,
chieﬂy composed of Enﬁish and Scots, with
Lieutenant—Commander azewell, a brave but
not very prudent ofﬁcer, in command, assisted
by a. sailing-master, as his second in command,
and four midshipmen.

Soon after her occupation by the victors, the
Queen Bess was found to be rapidly sinking—in
fact, to be beyond hope~from several gaping
shot—wounds inﬂicted at the water-line on her
starboard side.

She was, therefore, forthwith given to the
torch as soon as the prisoners, her best boats and
a choice selection from her stores, ammunition
and equipment could be transferred to the Sea
Witch. '

Then the bold privateer once more sheeted
away on her homeward course, after a detention
of not more than eight hours since the ﬁrst
sighting of the unfortunate brig awhile from the
crow’s nest.

The latter had quitted New York four days
previous to her capture, and the news vouch-
safed by her oiiicers was such as to vastly en-
hance the uneasiness of the Americans, and
their desire to reach Barnegat Bay at the earli-
est hour possible.

It was to the effect that Romney’s expedition
of reprisal had sailed the week previous,and had
in all probability already wreaked its revenge-
ful purpose.

Still, there had been numerous bafﬂing south—
ern gales along the coast, which might possibly
have scattered or delayed the oxpedition.

One valuable acquisition obtained by the cap-
ture of the brigantine was found in the person
of her surgeon, a Scotch-American and sound
patriot of professional ability, named Mackenzie,
who had een forced into the British service
sorely against his will and sentiments.

He gladly enlisted on the privateer as assistant
to Dr. Ferguson, her commissioned surgeon,
and also a. Scotch-American, who had served
during the entire cruise, and who had thus far
been frequently overworked, chieﬂy in assisting
in the care of the enem ’s wounded that had
come into the victorious merican’s hands.

The Witch was making a superb run, the
wind on her port quarter from the southeast by
east, when it suddenly occurred to Dareall and
his two mates to ask themselves what they
should do, if on arriving off thelinlet, it should
be found that the hostile expedition, with the
powerful frigate at its head, should have al-
geady begun its devastating work up in the

av.

r ick and Flinders were at ﬁrst impulsively
in favor of following in at all hazards, and risk-
ing a battle even against such tremendous odds,
with simply their superior sailing powers and
knowledge of the intricate, shoal-strewn bay
waters to their advantage.

But old Salty Junk gravely shook his head.

“ You talk like boys—like powder-monkeysl”
be exclaimed, impatiently. “Do you want to
wind up your glorious cruise by downright,
bang-up annihilation? It would never do—it
ain’t to be thought of l”

“ You haven’t got either mother or girl up in
the bay!” cried Dick.

“Even your house is two miles back of the
cove!” echoed Flinders, with a sneer. “ They’d
hardly reach your folks!”

But the ﬁrst mate kept his temper admirably,
after his fashion, and continued to argue the

. cause of wisdom and sanity against that of to-
merity and desperation.

“That he blowedl’l he said, contemptuously.
“Both of you ought to know me too Well to sup-
pose as how I'd be acterated by individooal mo-
tives in alife an’ death question like this. No,
sir-eesl I sha’n’t stand by an’ see the purtiest,
gallautest craft as ever swimmed sailed right in-
ter the jaws of destruction after the most suc—
cessful short privatizering cruise on record,while
I’Veasea-leg left to stand on. You hear me,
both on you i” I

His wiser counsel at length prevailed.

This was ﬁnally to the effect that, in the event

 
of the expedition having: already begun its rav-
aging work, the Sea. Witch was to hover out-
side the inlet, and trust to what luck the fates
might send for attacking the various vessels as
they should make their exit one by one.

This was, perhaps, not the most melodramatic
advice, but both Dareall and Flinders, notwith—
standing how deeply their anxieties were still
enlisted in the near and dear ones imperiled, felt
somewhat more settled and fortiﬁed after hav—
ing acquiesced in it.

Before dawn of the following morning they
were but ten miles off the inlet, with the clouds
piling up threateningly in the southeast, from
which the wind was hourly freshening, freighted
with suggestions of storm and rain. '

Dick, his mates and the two surgeons were al-
ready pacin the poop-deck in the extremities of
suspense, w ile the uneasiness of the men on
watch, nearly all of whom had left friends or
relatives upalong inshore, was betrayed by their
restless but silent movements, with a proneness
to gaze eagerly through the darkness in the di—
rection where Long Beach and Island Beach
should be stretching their long, slightly curving
cimeters of sand north and south as a watch-
guard over the inner bay, with the gleaming in-
let opening between the points.

Old Junk took a. comprehensive glance
around, and, moistening his foreﬁnger, held it
over his head.

“ Storm—storm and rain!” he observed, half
to himself, and ﬁrst‘breaking a silence that was
growing painful. “ Abig and perha swhirling
gale from the south~southeast, and p enty of it.

ell, all the better for us, in all likelihood.”

They did not answer, or seem to specially care
just then.

Suddenly a lurid light was remarked in the
northwest, which rapidly increased in extent
and somber eﬂt'ulgence.

In a short time the entire heavens in that
quarter were ﬁlled with the lurid reﬂection,
other and minor ﬂares were springing up one by
one down along the western sky-line.

There could no longer be any doubt as to the
ominous si iﬂcance of this.

“ Tom‘s iver is already gone !” groaned Dick,
clinching his hands, and bringing his iron reso-
lution to the calming of his excitement with but
indifferent success. “ And there go the farm-
houses and ﬁshermen’s huts one by one. Did
ever the torch of war spare anything," bitterly,
“' when wielded by an accursed Britisher? We
are too late l"

“ Don’t forget, though. Cap,” interposed Junk,
encouragingly, “that we have been expecting
it, and ought to bear up now that the worst is
before us.’

Fliuders had silently gritted his teeth.

“ True enough.” said he. “ The cowardly ins
cendiary hounds! Let us hear it like men, and
be aticnt for our revenge l”

‘ he strange hero-like transformation was up-
on him, and there was a. vailed terribleness in
his words.

Then as the day dawned, sullen and dark, the
lurid effulgence slowly paled or was resolved in-
to rolling clouds of dense black smoke, bright-
ened here and there by the reﬂection of ﬂames
from underneath.

A little later on, the familiar inlet was sighted
with the glass, while the lookout called down
from his giddy perch that a sail was therein,
probably just coming out of the bay.

Every glass on the quarter-deck was at once
directed upon it with the intensest interest.

A mere glimmering white speck at ﬁrst, it
steadily and rapid] enlarged as the Witch came
sheeting in with er superb speed before the
ever-freshening wind.

At last Flinders’s face, from wearing an odd,
puzzled look, took on a surprised expression.

“ Harpoons and ﬁshdiooks!” he exclaimed,
with his accustomed nasal drawl and favorite
oath, as he lowered his glass; “if it ain’t she,
may I be b’iled in whale-oil and sold for a sar-
dine l”

“ Which? what?” cried Dareall. while all the
others looked up expectant. “ What do you
make her out to be?”

” The Mist Witch.”

“ The Mist Witch?”

“ Sure pop 1”

“ But it seems incredible.
ders l"

“ I wasn’t aware as how I was in the habit of
making mistakes in the squinting line,” grunted
Fog-eye, but be brieﬂy leveled his glass again
for form’s sake. “ It s as I said,” he quietly
added, lowering it once more.

In less than half an hour the gallant little
craft was clearly recognizable with the naked

Look again, ‘ Flin-

eye.

“She has escaped—she is coming out to meet
us i” cried Dareall, joyfully. “ Our month’s
cruise is up this very day ; that ex lains it.”

But both Junk and Flinders shoo their heads
incredulously.

“Not to my way of meditatin’. Cap,” ob-
served the former. “ More like she’s been cap-
tured by the Britishers, and is the ﬁrst of the
expedition out. after its work of devastation
has been accomplished.”

“ My opinion. too.” interpossd Flinders.

“ Impossible!” exclaimed Dick, all his sailor’s

/ ,

affection reviving for the gallant little craft in
which he had first made his mark—his father’s:
craft before him, in the bargain. “The Mist
Witch would never be taken 1”

“ Not with you in command, Cap, and the rest:
of us on board—granted E” responded Junk.
” But don’t forget that we left her with old
Fishhooks, of the Cove Inn, in charge, and with
only old men and boys for the majority of her
crew.

“True, true. Still, look!” eagerly; “ she is
sheeting out directly toward us.”

“‘ Y-e-e—e-sx” slowly; and then, after an expect-
ant pause: “But, look again, Cap.”

tiDareall gave utterance to a mortiﬁed exclam—
a on.
The craft had suddenly come about with all
her old-time grace and ease, and was now on a
due north course, along the surf-fringed strand—
line, with the gale on her starboard quarter.

“ After her—hunt her down!” roared Dick, in.

arage, “ F‘lyer as she is, our privateer is a
better one. About with her at least six points,
Junk!”

As the larger craft bore away up the coast-
line after the smaller one, all doubts as to the
changed character of the latter were removed
by the sudden ﬂirting of the British ensign from
her gaff.

This was followed by a puﬁl of smoke from
her stern, the thirty-two from her stern—chaser
falling but a little short of her pursuer, though
the interval could not have been much less than
four miles.

“ That old Long Tom!” muttered Dareall, his
admiration divided between his peerless new
craft and the old. “ There’s none better nor
truer on the coast, not even on the Sea Witch 1”.

CHAPTER XXIX.
SEA WITCH AND MIST WITCH.

“ RIGHT as a trivet, Cap i” cried Salty Junk,
who had overheard the muttered words. “ And
the little Witch herself, God bless hen! Even if
in British hands, dash my toplights if it won’t
cut me to the heart to sink her!”

“ Sink her ?”echoed the oung commander, in-
’ dignantly. “ Never! e’ll capture her b
hoarding, but not a bolt from the Sea Witch s
guns shall scar the little beauty’s hull!”

The privateer was now piling on in full chase
with every stitch she possessed straining and
rounding out till the spars bent, for the wind
had increased to little short of a hard gale, and
the short, chopping white-caps were mounting
into the big, gray-toothed combers.

it was like an eagle hunting down a swallow,
or an albatross in pursuit of gull.

But, in spite of the swif t ﬂight of the lesser

Witch, the inimitable swoop of the greater,
when as now at her best, began to tell percep-
tibly in the race.
/ Still. not a shot was thrown by the latter till
less than a mile and a half separated them, and
then due care was taken to shoot over rather
than into the fugitive.

But the new commander of the latter was evi-
dently of the stubborn and happy-go-lucky sort,
though his gunner’s marksmanship was such as
to excite the contemptuous derision of Flinders
in particular.

Puff after puff came from her stern, even
with iron reminders of her pursuer’s superiority
ﬂying over her head, and shot after shot was
hurled back, though With but indifferent success,
only one out of the score or more so much as
grazing the privateer’s topmast.

"0h, hang such shooting!” cried Fog-eye at
last in unmitigated disgust. “ It’s a pity to see
the best brass chaser on the coast mulligrubbed
by a slob that couldn’t hit the'side of a house
with a. blunderbuss. Why doesn’t he load up
with powder alone? he can only bark !”

But it was a long. chase than had been anti.
cipated, and Dareall was already up rehensive
about getting so far‘away from the i et.

“ Let go at her mainsail, F1indersl”he reluct-
antly ordered at last. “ We can’t waste any
more time bn this sort of thing. Either you or
Barbareau can manage it, ever with the high.
sea that is running, I guess.” '

But the bowchaser was the “ Barber’s ” par-
ticular pet, and Flinders was very wi ' —per-
haps more than willing, in view of the nature
of the target—to give way in his favor.

“ I s'all manage ze mattair like ze house aﬂre,
capitaine,” observed the sturd old Acadian,
with his habitual politeness. “ ait, you seal”
And be rapidly sighted the bow-gun. with an
assistant at his elbow. “Zs gun of brass is a.
good gun, and ze ball of iron is a good ball!"

He was a rare gunner, was old Barbaresu.
Indeed, even Flinders, who was without a peer,
especially in hazy weather, was suspected of
treaséiringa secret jealousy of him on this ac-
coun .

His ﬁrst shot now was in keeping with his
re utation.

‘ t bored 3. big round hole plump in the center
of the fugitive’s straining fore-and—aft main-
sail, which was at once perceived to slacken a
little in consequence of the gale ﬁnding a par‘
tial vent through the aperture.

His next one was still better.

It made another hole directly below the ﬁrst,,
and with such a narrow space of canvas hos

 
—_ﬁ. ,.

 
tween the two that it quickly tore out, after
which it rapidly widened until there was a tat-
tered split in the snowy field that a coach and
pair could have driven through.

The great sail was seen at once to ﬂap with
comparative uselessness, and the speed of the
fugitive to fall oll’ fully one-half

Even at the distance of a short mile, it was
tremendous marksmundnp, with the see. that
was on, and proof no lers of the skill of the
sighter than of the perfection of the guns

Dareall smilineg laid his hand on the 01d
Frenchman’s shoulder, while the crew burst
into a congratulatory cheer in which ll‘linders
, generously joined, though with the muttered
1": reservation that it was “pretty blamed good
' shooting. and no mistake—for a fair-weather
Frenchman!”

“That will do. monsieur,” said the young
commander. “We have her about as we want
her now, and you are a brick!”

“ A brick, cupituina 2” modestly echoed Bar-
bareau, with a deprecatory shrug of his great
. shoulders. “ Oh, no, not much of 29 brick in
my hat, monsieur!‘ Ze gun of brass is a good
‘ gun, and so ball of iron is a good hall.”

1 The rivateer now swept down upon her clip-
' winged) little foe like an embodiedc clone.

A wild thought had sprung into lck’s head,

such as fairly made him catch his breath.
. What if Romney and Collingford, after the
‘r ' capture of the Mist Witch, had selected her to
i; send oﬂ’ Naomi and Jessie to New York in, by
‘ reason of her known qualities as a coast ﬂyerl—
for that these worthies would pair during the
devastating work up in the bay, and then seek
to abduct the young ladies” in the order named,
he had never for a moment had a shadow of a
doubt.

A wild thought, soon to be dissipated!

As the privateer overhauled the fugitive—the
latter continuing to pop away industriously
with this or that gun, though with no sort of
success—«the crew of tars on deck were seen to
be no more than a comparative handful—barely
,more than enough to work the craft; while the
solitary ﬁgure on her poop, though tricked out
resplendently in broadcloth and gold lace, with
a. great trumpet under his arm, was a. mere boy
of ﬁfteen or sixteen, and a rather diminutive
boy at that, with laughing blue eyes and a frank,
smiling, reckless face. ' '

“ Stop your~ridiculous shooting 1" roared Dick,
as the privateer came about at close quarters,
her hellying mountains of snowy canvas over-
shadowing ner namesakeasa giant snow-covered
pine might an insigniﬁcantalder—bush; “ or we‘ll
blow you out of the water.”

Notwithstanding that the space between was
no more than a biscuit-toss, the little fellow
pompously elevated his immense trumpet to his
mouth with both hands to make his response.

“Blow and be blowed yoursem”!he yelled.
“ I’ll ﬁght the ship while there’s hair on my hide,
l or hide on my bones!”

.1' There was a roar of laughter from the priva-
I

 
-. gm». .~;¢)wm

 
tear, while even the British tars looked up with
a'grin as if they, too, thought it the best sort of
a seﬁjOke. '

 w utiny, by Godl" hallooéd the little fellow,
* dashing among the latter and striking right and '

,  left with his trumpet, though inﬂictingno dam-
‘5 age to peak of. “ There’s got to be respectful-
ness to the commander of this ship, or there’s

got to be blood!”
, Then he hopped back to the 5100p, and looked
v up to the fringe of heads on grinning faces
. along the privateer’s oyerhanging gunwale with
.1 a. frank, boyish laugh. .r’

“ I will sto ﬁring at Eon, though,” he said.
“ For itrstan to reason at I can’t sight uns
and do qiuarter-deck duty at the same a,
doesn’t it ” ‘
. " What!” cried Dick; “wasi'ttoyour‘gunne
ship that we owe our recent peril?” ‘
‘ Yes, sir.” » / r y
“ And who are you to 'little man?”
“ Midshipman Jac rantby, of the Brit!
‘ frigate Tamerlane, but Just now in solo com-
mand of this taut little prize.”
“ Have you any ladies aboard l” v
“ Not a pettiooat, God bless ’eml”
Dareall’s transient hope was thus at an end.
“ Well Wanna a rize to the American priva-
teerSea. itch. £111 down your ﬂag, or we’ll
, do it for you.” _
‘f Never, by Jin o!” and dropping his trum-
t, Midshipman ack Grantby whipped out his
sword with u. out ﬂourish. “ True Brltpnsl”

an...

boarders.” . \

‘ But his true Britons continued to gun, and
, resistance was not to be thought of on the part
, of such a handful.

Fifty men poured over the. deck from the' ri-
vateer, and the recapture of the Mist ,W tch
was: accomplished. f i

CHAPTER Xxx.
‘ .rnu‘ncu AT run TAFFEAIL

:Qwsééésuga-whiskgit.“  ‘ 3  :,‘ . 1 c  j. ‘ '
y , . A. v . _ _ v, . ,- ~ A ~ »

 
“ Sm. ” gravely observed ‘the little. niidship-. »

   
' man, whsupfferingto yield up hiss'word to Dick

' stew minutes later, “ t outs me to the heart to

 have ‘ to surrender to a blasted Yankee prim-
' to". but! needs must bow‘tn superior force.”

     
\

 
be roared,- “3 hands to the front to, resist,

   
l), keenlyoui' toasting-fork, J ack,” wins the

'4 ~‘lw

I DauntlesS" Dick.

 
.‘v/

smiling reply. “I only want the Mist Witch
here, and not yourself, nor your man, either,
particularly.”

“ Come, now, Captain Dareall, you are not
half a bad fellow. Here‘s a pointer for you.
There are prisoners in the hold.”

(in the hatch heingtorn open, the entire Amer-
ican crew of the Mist Witch,with old ll‘lshllOOliS
ut their head, came tumbling up, and the re
union was complete.

Ten minutes later the little craft was retrac-
ing,r her course under her greater namesake’s
wing, while half a dozen men were at work slap-
ping a patch upon her mainsail.

Twenty-ﬁve mill-s had been lost by the recap-
ture, but there WCI‘O no signs of any Vessel hav-
ing come out of the bay when the inlet was
again sighted.

The gale was still holding off a bit, though it
was blowing hard.

From the midshipman. who proved communi-
cative and jolly enough when placed behind a
still’ glass of grog at the privateer’scabin table,
it was learned that the expedition of reprisal
consisted of but one vessel other than the iri ate
he had named—a. ﬁfty-gunner, with ﬁve hunl ed
men. enough in all conscience» to finish the
nefarious business unaided, one would have
thought, though the Britishers were taking no
chances where Barnegat Ba was concerned.

This was the small arms brig Pugilist; and
it had been expected that the expedition would
be joined by a “loyal” gentleman’s pleasure-

yacht.

The Mist Witch had been captured down the
bay, so that Grantby could not say of his own
knowledge what had happened further up the
bay, though he had no doubt that Tom’s River
had been burned.

Dareall brought his ﬁst down on the table
with a bang, while be exchanged astern look
with Flinders, who was present.

“Collingford’s sloo l-yacht Curlew, as a. mat-
ter of course i” he exc nned. ‘

The mate only nodded. |

Here there was heard the ringing announce-
ment of ‘5 Sail ho l” lrom aloit, and the trio hur-
ried upon deck. '

A graceful sloop had just made her appearance
in the open around the point cf Island Beach,
two or three miles away.

Nor was this all, or all might have been wall
enough. '

Dimly visible in the lowering air across the
narrow sandy barrier, was seen a great battle
shi , followed by a small brig, coming slowly
an cautiously down the bay, as was necessitated
by the intricate deep-water line and tortuous
currents. '

It was the ,frigate, with her tender, retracing
her devastating course, like a destroying mon-
ster of table, gorged with slaughter and rapine.

’ Dnreall pointed to the yacht, with compressed
lips and at once gave t 9 order for her indivi-
du ursuit. ‘

“ I the ladies have been captured,” he said to”

Flinders, in a low. hoarse voice, “they are

, oubtless yonder. The Curlew is known as a

yer, and better accommodations could be at
forded them there than on the frigate)? ' ,

l’lflhen he clinched his hands,’addressingto him-
se : . l

“ Oh, if we may but capture her, with the
Tory scoundrel himself on board 1”

The sloop had some trouble in rounding the .

point, and the great schooner, followed by her
namesake, came down on her with a rush but not
daring to ﬁre a shot into her, for fear 0 unjury
to the:l young women who might be captives

a . v

In a short time all doubt was put to rest on
this oint. ' . ,
.W en within half a mile of the yacht, and the
latter-,at last sheeting well out for the open
against the wind,‘a pale face was lifted from
over the yacht’s taffrail and turned toward the
schooner ‘ - ' . ‘

It was dossie’sl” ‘ ‘ -

Then her whole ﬁgure was visible, and she
sadly waved her hand aftel' which Abe, was
joined by another woeful 3 re, which was:
evidentl that of semi Go . z ”

Earth has “light” up: Fli d ’ h

s e as peore , n an: ac

hand wasla don his shoulder. . ’v‘y

f‘ We’ll have ’em. Cap!” muttered the mate,
whose su ressed excitement was no less notice-
able. ,“ e’ll have ’em back out of that, or we’ll

  
die to other I"

" e willl”\was theylow response; and their
hands met in a hard, wringing grip. v .
But lll‘ wanna]: to lac—not then, at least. ,
Immediately upon etting out of the inlet the
yacht had suddenly me away on a southerly
course, directly along the breaker-fringed line
ofLongBeac. ' ‘ . - , ,-'
The privateer. also well iii-shore. was shooting

 
after her, ,with the mouth of the inlet between,"
when there was a sin 1e shot from within the ,

baybtnd some one y ado

or she’ll run us down!"

  
In a had been tom Wen. . _ ,

e was newcmnhi’: outgﬂthe'inlct, Width.
grand, and majestic rush- intqthewind 
:3 ’

 
‘t ere comeetbearmed brig out of

at: ' r . J *
God! lookat thefrlgotel 3 About ship,

In the excitement ‘or stoning .ﬂm ht u l ,» . . V _, ,
'  m " -, But the private: was at best an uncertain. ,

 
a veritable mountain of uplooming bows, grin—
ning rt-holes, and snowy, giant canvas appar-
ently reaching up to the very clouds.

There was just time to bring the privateer
about on her port tack, her companion following
her example.

As she lulled, however, she naturally fell oil’ a.
point or two for the moment.

Then there was the slow, roaring sound of the
vast body sweeping; through the water close all
hand, and the great (louble-decker was between
her and her longed-for prey.

In fact, the battle-ship towered on high with-
in biscuit-toss.

Then there was a sheet of smoke and ﬂame
along the entire double line of port-holes at both
main and spar-deck, a hideous, deafening, thun-
derous roar, and the great ship’s entire broad-
side wus delivered.

It passed entirely otter the privateer’s top:
but eVery man on her was momentarily stuuue
or sent reeling by the unexpectedness of the:
shock, together perhaps wit a consciousness
gt téie weight of volleyed~metal hurtling over— ‘

ea .

At the same time, or an instant later, Rom-
ney’s voice was heard shouting out from some—
where up in the sniokovenveloped leviathun’a
stern:

“ That will do! She’s the best schooner aﬂoat.
We must take her alive, together with the pi-~
rate scoundrel that commands herl”

Dareall’s face slowly darkened, but he turned
to the consideration of the schooner’s perilous
situation, without any other betrayal of the.
fury that surged in his breast. ‘

“ All right, my hearty!" exclaimed J link,
when the necessary orders had been transmit-
ted, and be grasped the young‘ commander’ﬁ'
hand. “ We’re not dead yet, and. the Ben;
Witch was born to good luck.” .

Certainly an extra amount of good luck was
be inning to befriend her from this point.

ﬁnder excellent mana ement, and before the
smoke of the broadside ad cleared awn , she
had sheered out from under the frigates lee,
and was up and away in the teeth of the wind.
like a phantom—the Mist Witch still keeping
with her, as a matter of coarse.

The Tamerlune only ﬁred one more shot of
warning from her bow-gun, and was then in
eager pursuit. ‘ x

But the tugitlves were compelled to keep .
straight out'to Bea, ag their only chance.

Then Dick, as Flmders came up to him -
pointed off to the southward, with an inw

roan. .

The little Curlew was by this time far away,
and running like a deer. . ’

“Look!” he exclaimed, huskily. “ She will ' ‘
camps, and with them on board. It will be all A
wp‘ can do to escape the fri ate." ' v .

“No great matter!” rep ied Flinders,cheer—
fully. ‘ We can send the little Mist Witch af-
ter the yacht and as for the frigate, do you
chance to no ce that the wind is dropping?”

it Yes.” > S I .

“Well, look there, then l” Flinders pointed: j‘
along the waters, whence a thick steam was. be.
ginning to rise and gather, the air having’
chilled perceptibly. “And tell me what 
think of that?” ‘ ‘ * '

“ It is the fog!" cried Doreen, with sudden

ener . r . ,
“ y; it will be athick one and one ofour“
old opportunities over again. Man alivelwand'
Flinders slapped the other onthe‘back', “ do you,"
forget that]. am called Fog-eye and what my
nickname sl iﬂesl” ‘ = . v
“ By Jupiterl you are ri ht old mani”;
exclaimed Dick, exnltantly. “éignal Fish-
hooks to start after the yacht at once. or course
the little Mist Witch would be of little use to us
here without.you aboard of her, and she may
run dongle only.“ As yogic: , igrrﬁ‘ayge the
o rtuni o o Ves w: is ; a
limo thallinlet in _

her wake!”

 
, CHAPTER XXXI. . ,
n » run FOGFIEND. \ ‘ g
Fm instructions were at once con‘ﬁyed
the old sailor innkeeper commandin eMlstu
Witch. w ch bore Miskito the souﬁiward in
pursuit o the Curlew wi .scareely‘any dole. .-
The‘ fog. was - alread thickenin as the ' .
lulled, the Tamerlane ing at t 
thsna mile back in the direction of the inlet”
month, while the Pugilist was a mile or two 51.1%
therear of her. i , , i»
‘Sho evidently began to appreciate the Ieriour
nets 0; her posrtlon, which was'critical enough
should'lt set on to blow hard in from the south.
casts ' ,with the to rapidly closin ,hcr: .
its mil embrace and t e breakers of ‘
beach-ships less twovmiles away on her he ‘
while, of course, the situation of the brig we:
"in °im°rfa°rigmie cam ‘51: mg.» to
:1 ac as e o e on“ a -

ﬁre Mmr’the sqhooxfer with every gun she could
bring to kimono now with the widow — _
pose agede or sinking her, ut\the sit;

              
mark. and: as the mist deepened she was 
able tannin her position atlcioure whilth

“‘1

   
20~

Dauntless Dick.

 
detected at all, so that the Tainerlane’s foolish
ﬁring was presently relinquished.

Dick and his two mates were in consultation
on their poop-deck prior to taking aggressive
measures, while the schooner was making a slow
circuit to the north of the spot where the frigate
and her companion were gropingcautiously out,
doubtless preparatory to coming to a more or
less comlplete standstill in sheer self-defense.

“ We‘ have them just where we had the
Hector!” exclaimed Dick, rubbing his hands.
“.By Jupiter! it would be a reprisal on our side
 ’a vengeance, if we could but destroy them

0 .

“ Wilder things than that might happen,
Cap," suggested Flinders. “ For, if the frigate
alone is six times the strength that we over-
came in the Hector—with the help of the fog,
God bless itl—our big Witch here is as many
times more powerful than her namesake.”

“ True; but we mustn’t forget the armed brig
'back in yonder.”

“ I’m not forgetting her, Cap, nor the Frying
Pans, either, which either one of 'em may
chance to blunder onto in this devil’s mist.”

“ Ah if that might only be!”

The rying Pans were particularly dangerous
.sunken reefs about a mile outside the inlet, on a
line with the point of Island Beach, and, though
better known, were scarcely less perilous than
the quicksands of the Gridiron, or any of the
numerous shoals and sunken reefs of the inner

a .

'Fhey were deﬁnitely located by coast survey
and subsequently removed early in the present
century.

” While we’re a-deliberatin’ "interposed the
ﬁrst mate at this juncture, “ ’ve a suggestion
and a propersition to make as might be of some
account.”

“ All your propositions are of some account,
.Salt ,” said Dick. “ What is this one?”

“ n the fu’st place. I purdict that when this
fog lifts, the gale will bu’st out again from the
sou’-sou’east, an’ be a reg’lar shorter."

“ Very likely. ”

“ In t e next place I purdict that, if we give
‘the frigate and her brig a good hammerin’ be-
fore it lifts, especially about the upper works,
am they manage to miss the F 'ng Pans, that
the ’ll take to the inside of the ay for shelter
an repairs.”

“ Well 1”

“And, in the last place, if they should, it
would he a blessed good thing for us to bear off
‘to south’ard, enter the lower bay by Old Inlet,
then sneak up on ’em from the south, an’ let ’em
.have pertickular thunder l”

“ good idea 1” commented Dick. “But
that’s looking a long way ahead, and taking a
good many agreeable things for granted.”

But Flindersa reed with Junk in the strong
possibility of suc a thing; and the consequence
was that the all set to work at the business in
hand in deci edly hopeful spirits.

The to had by this time become all but im-
penetrab e to the ordinary eye, not a suggestion
.of the exact position of either frigate or brig
being observable.

But Fogceye Flinders took his stand by the
'man at the wheel his strange eyes ﬁxed dream.
ily forward and the privateer was guided un-
questioningly by his directions.

In the mean time, the utmost silence that was
possible was commanded on board.

At last he signed to the helmsman, and the
schooner was brought about.

Then F
were standing or moving about in shadowy out-
line, and himself, with Barbareau’s and other
assistance, attended to the sighting of the port
broadside.

There was a simultaneous ﬂash, a single boom—
ing, echoing report, and the shots of the three
guns were delivered as one into what appeared
‘the yielding bosom of the fog-bank.

After a satisﬁed gaze outward, he turned with
a smile to Dar-call Junk, and the two surgeons,
who. had curiously followed his every move-
:ment.

“ Less than two cable-lengths, and every shot
into the step of the frigate‘s mainmast,” he
calmly announced. “ A thirty-two now in the
same place will do the business for that spar.
Cap, round her out, if you please.”

In the mean time, there had ensued a great
uproar somewhere in the mist near at hand, in-
dicating a confusion on the frigate’s deck.

Then came the answering crash of her tremen-
dous broadside, twenty-four guns in all, but as
its only mark was the shot in the mist in which
the ghostly ﬂash of the privateer’s delivery had
been perceived, and which she no longer occu-

‘pied, of course it was without effect.

“ Let’em pave the bottom of the sea with iron
cobble-stones, if they want to," was Fog—eye’s
imperturbable comment, as he returned to his
position at the privateer’s stern. “ We can
stand it if they can.”

Here, as the craft rounded out, he studied the
mist carefully in the one important direction,
after which, sightin the stern chascr with
extra care, he touch it oﬂ with his own hand.

“ It’s a goner!” he exclaimed, in a low voice,
‘while rising from the gun with an exultant smile.

', “ Wait!”

og-eye ran amidships, where the men.

 
The crash of the bolt had been distinctly
heard, and now, scarcely had the fog-echo of the
report died away before it was followed by a
great rendin , tearing and splashing sound,
accompaniedgby a chorus of oaths, curses and

ells.

“It’s down!” he cried, still in his guarded
voice, while peering through the mist. “ It’s
down—her mainmast close by the board l”

The crew of the privateer would have burst
into a cheer but for the injunction to silence
that had been
no less iioticeab e—as far as anything could be
noticeable in the mist-than that of the of-
ﬂoors.

()u Flinders’s advice the privateer now began
what had been the favorite fog tactics of the
little Mist Witch, which was to circle around
her mist-shrouded victim at short range, and let
ﬂy with this or that gun or broadside at discre—
tion.

This was continued until the frigate’s fore-
mast was also announced to have gone by the
board.

“ Curse you for cowardly, mist-groping
hounds!” roared Romney’s voice from where the
frigate’s high poop-deck should be, “can’t you
come in closer or wait till the mist hfts, and give
us a show?”

“Yes, we can,” observed Flinders, smiling,
“but we sha’n’t.”

And his next shot, which chanced to be with
the bow—chaser with old Barbareau among the
others at his e how, was sighted with especial
care.

 
CHAPTER XXXII.
A TERRIBLE REPRISAL.

AFTER ﬁring the piece, Flinders stared into
the fog alon the muzzle of the gun, and then
drew himse f up with a disappointed ex-
pression.

“ i missed him i” he exclaimed, in a regretful
tone.

“ Him ?" cried Dareall, interrogatively.

“ Yes, Cap,” quietly. “I aimed to out Mr.
Romney in two with a round shot, but only
killed two other ofﬁcers near him and the man
at the wheel.”

Barbareau raised his hands with an expression
of absolute amazement.

“Mon Dion I" he exclaimed; “ze man zat
can bring down men wiz he cannon-ballalike ze
birds wiz ze shotgun, and ze to so thick zat
dere is no man at all, is a income 9!”

“ I wouldn’t bother about any individual man
at present, Flinders—mot even Romne ,” ad-
vised Dareall. “ Night is coming on,an if you
can knock the other mast out of her, we can
safely leave her to her fate for the time being,
while we look after the brig.”

“ All right, Cap.”

And the circling, deadly, fog-mufﬂed work
was continued.

Romney and his ofﬁcers were by this time at
their wits’ ends, as may well be im head.

If the former, in the case of the ector, had
found his previous antagOnist a veritable witch
of the mists, he could but now think that he
was being tackled by the log~ﬂend himself.

Added to this, the superstitions of the nu-
merous crew of the frigate began to ow ex-
cited, and murmurs of discontent were eard on
every side.

At last, when the mizzen-mast also went by
the board, leaving the frigate thoroughly dis-
mantle-d, these murmurs grew into something
little short of actual mutiny.

But now the ﬁring from the concealed foe
seemed to be directed against some distant ob-
ject. At all events, the explosions and han-
torn-like flashes were further away, an the
heretofore unerring bolts were no longer felt on
board the frigate.

“ She must be at the brig,” suggested the ﬁrst
lieutenant of the Tamerlane, in a tone of awe;
in fact, this sort of tone, or one of exas ra-
tion, was by this time quite the order 0 the
day on the unfortunate doubledecker.

“ Very likely,” growled Romney, who was a
post-captainnow. “Wait!” He looked around
into the mist, and then held up his hand.
“ The gale is coming on. again l” he exclaimed.
in suppressed excitement. “This infernal fog
should not last if it comes on to blow hard.”

“But there are breakers on our lee,” observed
Mr. Wallerton, the ﬁrst lieutenant.

“I know that. Still, if we could rig up a
jury-mast, as of course we can, there might be
comparative safety in it, as compared with this
accursed fog.”

“ May I ask what you would do, sir!"

“ Certainly; run the ship back through the
inlet, and seek protection behind one of the is!-
and beach points. We could then make more
thorough repairs at leisure, besides guarding the
inlet itself against the entrance of the privateer.
But look here; we must hold a general council
on this point."

The council, which was held with the three
lieutenants, was of necessity a hurried one, for
the wind was already freshening freely from
seaward,  the fog beginning to dissipate.

The captam’s original proposition was at once ,

agreed on.

iven; but their excitement was =

 
The wreck of the masts had already been
cleared away, and now the work of setting up a
jury-mast on the stump of the mainmast was set
about with the utmost dispatch.

With excellent ship-carpenters on hand, and
such a multitudinous crew from which to select
laborers and assistants, it was a short work for
the rough, transient job that was in contem-
plation.

By a little before nightfall, and before the
danger of the frigate was greatly aggravated,
though it was by this time blowing hard, the
temporaryjury-mast was erected, and enough
canvas bent upon it to give her sailing and steer-
age way.

And the fog, which had been so fatal to the
proud battle-ship, had by this time wholly dis-
appeared, together with the mysterious enemy
that had wrought so mischievously under its
concealing cloak.

In other words, as the bulk slowly got under
way, heading back for the inlet-mouth, not a
vestige of the Sea Witch could be seen, and it
was hours now since the booming of her deadly
shots had been heard.

Suddenly Mr. Wallerton, who was sweeping
the sandy coast-line with his glass, exclaimed:

“But there’s the Pugilist at last! And, by
heavens! she’s on the Frying Fans, and bumping
her bottom out in the bargain.”

The other lasses were at once directed thither-
ward, and his announcement conﬁrmed.

There was hardly an ofﬁcer on board that had
not heard more or less deﬁnitely of the deadly
Frying Pans thereabouts (every stormy coast
has its Frying Pans, for that matter, or some
dangerous spot analogously named), though it
chanced that the ﬁrst lieutenant was the only
one who had had any personal experience wit
these particular reefs.

“Yes,” growled Romney, lowering his glass
with an oath, “and the infernal privateer has
knocked the sticks out of her to boot! As if
they couldn’t have left it to the reefs themselves
to ﬁnish the poor brig!"

He strode off to the further side of the poop,
and began to pace the deck with a perturbation
of spirits which his subordinates could readily
ap reciate. _

n spite of his bad luck with the Hector
George Romney had secured the command of
this im ortant expedition through the strong
person friendship of Admiral Lord Howe,
then in command of the British naval forces on
the coast, with head uarters at New York; and
just before securing1 t he had received his com-
mission promoting im to a post-captaincy from
the Admiralty Board, less by reason of his de-
serts than through the inﬂuence of powerful
aristocratic connections, as was then even more
the case than latterly in both branches of the
British service.

It had been a proud day for him, the concur-
rence of these two important events in his
career, so sharply on the heels of his bitter hu-
miliation in the loss of the Hector (to say noth-
ing of the Cormorant) and his escape from his
ca tivity in Philadelphia—and now!

9 ground his heel on the deck, and silently
ra ed in the bitterness of his fury and despair.

ut Romney was a man of no mean qualities
of energy and self-control in grievous emergen-
cies, and when the frigate was at last within
hail of her even more unfortunate associate
craft, he was at least outwardly calm and self-
reliant.

The brig was in a truly desperate condition,
fast pounding her bottom out against the sub-
merged rocks in which she was hopeleme
wedged, thoroughly dismantled by the riva-
teer’s cannon-ha ls, and with anxious an woe-
begone faces everywhere visible, though some
ofi the men were at work on something amid-
sh s.

‘P Take to your boats!” and reach the beach
yonder l” shouted Romney, after the preliminary
hails had been exchanged.

“ Haven’t got any boats,” was the laconic re-
sponse from the lieutenant in command of the
wreck. “All smashed by that cursed priva-
tear!”

“ Make a raft then i”

“ That’s just what we’re doing.”

“ What became of the privateerl”

“ Gone off southward.’

A gleam of hope relieved the brooding axes—l

peretion of Captain Romney‘s face.

If he could not have anything but defeat and
humiliation in his profession, he thought, he
could at least have Naomi Goldhenrt.

He was somewhat oblivious, however, of the
circumstances under which she had again been
induced to quit her home, or the house she was
making her home.

In brief. they were these: At the ﬁrst attack
(in Tom’s River, Jessie Dear-born had been seized
by ’ uire Collingford, or at his orders, and
forcib y conveyed on board his yacht. Then
and with the town already ﬁred, liornney had
sought Naomi, and only prevailed on her to ac-
company her captive cousin with Collingford on
the Curlew on condition of his sparing the
Dearborn homestead, together with several
others she had pleaded for, including the Widow
Dareall‘s cottage. T 5 last concession he had
given in to with the u most reluctance, but she

A“... .en. . .

 
-  «Wm £423.. .

 
Dauntless Dick.

21 '

 
hall relllul’lvd obdurate, and had gained her
oint. r
F Now he failed to see how this sort of unmanly
compulsion must have lowered him in the esti-
l matiou of the beautiful and spirited girl he
loved; and remembering,r only the original fasci-
: nation, was cheating himself with the thought
.1 that she still loved and respected him as at ﬁrst.
“ Good 2" he exclaimed: “ the cursed rivateer
has doubtless gone in cbwse of Col ingford's
acht. But the sloop is also a ﬂyer, and with
er long start of so many hours, she cannot pos-
sibly be overtaken this sideof Savannah.”

And then an ameliorating vision rose before
himof his somehow getting out of his present
humiliating situation anu ﬁrweeding to Savan-
nah (newly passed into ritish control and
destined to remain so to the end of the war), on
furlough, there to marry the being of his ador-
ation, with the long honey moon of rapture that
must follow.

But a rude suggestion on the
his ofﬁcers somewhat disturbs
dreams. ~

“ But we mustn’t forget, sir,” said the officer,
, who was the second lieutenant, “ that the little

Mist Witch, which her bigger namesake must
v have run down, up the coast a ways, before we
came out of the bay, was doubtless on the heels
of the Curlew soon after the mist began to ath-
er. At all events, she couldn’t have helpe the
privateer in the fog-firing that so ruined us, and
they do so that she is a ﬂyer, too, with source-
ly an equa on the coast.”

Romney gave him an angry look, and, mutter—
ing an unintelligible reply, turned his attention
to the business in hand.

The frigate, or rather the bulk of the frigate
managed to enter the inlet just as night c osed
in, and rounding the northern point of Long
Beach, at last secured an anchorage behind a
little wooded island to the south of it, where she

! was tolerany well protected from the uﬁale,
‘2 which was now bursting out afresh in its

fury.

A little later on a series of driftwood ﬁres
Were observed dotting the low~lying barrier
beach, as an indication that thee‘fieople of the
wrecked bri had at last succeed in making a
landing wi ‘their raft, and were making the
best of their precarious situation.

“ So far, so good i” exclaimed Romney. “ We
hold the inlet entrance under our broadside.
There can beno other. And here we can remain
undisturbed until more substantial repairs shall
enable us to put to sea." ,

“ﬂu-5.1:. ‘-" *- l

art of one of
his golden

as"... ,4 .

 
CHAPTER XXXIII.
run vauuua’s Ruvnuou.

BUT many British naval ofﬁcers, of higher
' ' standing than Captain Romney of the Tamer-
.v‘ lane, were strangely ignorant of the conﬁgur-
~ . ation of our coast in its minor points during the
Revolutionary War.
~ And scarcely ever did any one of them fall into
;  amoro ignorant error than did that ofﬁcer on
1, this momentous occasion. .
 , There was and is another approach to Barne-
:  gut Inlet, though much more seldom used by
' 3% reason of its intricate character. / ;. w
r‘ ’ A glance at any good coastchart will setithe
‘ matter to rest. ‘
This other approach was by we of Old In-
let, at the extreme and of Long each ' thirty
, miles to the south, and of Little Egg harbor,
' . . whence the intervening water-strip stretches
.. i v northward into Barnegat Bay proper. But it
5 .- is of V213!!! width, ver;y irre in form,
 andso c ystuddedwthisletsandshoalsas
to be seldom attempted by Vessels of the pri-
vateer’s tonnage. ' ‘ ,
But the route was thoroughly familiar. tq
Dareall and his two mates, no less than to
man a hardy ﬁsherman and common compst
ing t eir~ship’s company._ ‘ ‘ \. ~
And it was to essay this difficult and round-
about anti-lance t‘hﬁw lthe Sea Waugh hadpetli'ieon
put upon or sou or y course a rpep ng
the stranded, brig to her heartls content, as the
fog began to disappear with the return of the
storm. v

It was a longer trip than would otherwise
have been, by reason of the violence of the
gals compelling her to keep well out from the
coast-line..‘.,v  "
As it was, she I hugged it closely enough for,
, her inmates to pie. y hear the pounding of the
3:; 2 mad surf upon the beach above the howling of

' i the storm, thoug’it wasonély her magniﬁcent

'_, sailing and sea- t qualities that enabledher

'to do, this With any degree of safet . ‘

r '. - Though the wind was solviolent; ,e
cleared considerably.  ‘ , , ,

“ It was only, ho‘wever when the moon rose, at
, , about midni ht, that t eprivateer found her-
‘ r, * self 03 Old blot, and begantoieel her we in

with the utmost caution, under nothing, t
‘ ‘ mimu-spanker.,bnt so feral! snug slow and

aloft. .- . i ,
At re thegookoutreported asailjo
: w . A  'x 1 ,

 a mad turn 3
but her t”
a 1 , 

 
M4": m:«5~'=~t .

      
heavens

a“ W

 
“trump!” exclaimed Dareall, pressin 'the

 
v difficult passage

The sail reported was presently discernible
from the deck, as that of a comparatively small
craft, gallantly makin for the north across the
entrance into Great ay, that entrance being
nothing more than the southern section of Old
Inlet itself.

“ It’s the Mist Witch,” was Flinders’s an-
nouncement, after a brief examination with his
ni his-glass. _

here was no longer any thought of question-
ing his judgment as a lookout. But Dick Dare-
all felt a keen sense of disappointment on this
Occasion, inasmuch as so speedy a. return of the
little schooner from her chase was evidence
enough that it had been unsuccessful.

The latter was speedily within hail,the vessels
coming as close together as they dared in the
heavy seas that were on.

The Mist Witch was also solely under her
spanker, and, in explanation ,of his failure to
overtake the sloop, old Hooks at ﬁrst pointed to
her mainsail, which, though clewed in, gave
evidence of its having been torn into tatters.

His fuller explanation was to the effect that
the chase had been kept up until the second out-
burst of the gale—the‘fog having failed to ex-
tend far southward—41nd the little Witch was
slowly overhauling the yacht, when the patch in
the mainsail suddenly ave way, the entire can-
vas going into rags w on the pursuit was no-
cessarily abandon as hopeless. ‘

Hooks now received his instructions to follow
the privateer into the inlet, and the vessels were
about to temporarily part company for the priva-
teer to lead the way when a sturdy, boyish voice
called out from the lesser craft: ‘

“ I say, Mister Privateersman l” .

“ Hallo!" responded Dareall, recognizing Mr.
Midshipman Grantby in the hailer. ,

“ Blast a little craft, when you’re not in com-
mand of her I” cried the little fellow. “ Let me
come aboard of your ship won’t you? She
looks like sucha beauty that in liketo tread her
deck at your side.”

Dick laughed, as did some others, for all had
taken a likin to the retentious but allant'.
little middy, spite of ' being a Briti er.

“ Nonsense, my little man!” he replied. “ How
could you come? A boat would'never live inthis
see.

But Jack Grantby was already on the Mist
Witch’s rail, holding onto the foreratlines with
one hand. - ‘

“Will you take me on board if I camel", he
shouted. '

“ But you can’t come!”

“ I ask you will you take me!”

“ Yes,” with a laugh.

_The little fellow tore of! his acket, cast it be-
hind him, and plunged head- oremost into the
boning sea. _ _

A cry of solicitude rose from both crafts, but,
by almost incredible good luck, the rising wave
into which he had plunged rolled him up on its
giant crest like a. ball. and the next moment car-
ried him With agrand sweep direct] under the

rivateer's quarter, whence old lty Junk,

nglng to the red with one hand and reaching
far over and down with the other, plucked him
up and across the guardby the hair of the head.
 “ Thank you, my friend i" said the little mid-
shipman, in quite a matter-of-‘fact tone, though

C

s uttering and blowing a bit, as was no more -

      
up to Dareall, took his hand with a frank look
lug up into the other‘s eyes, ” I’m mighty glad
shame that I 10st m but, isn’t it?"

It was deservin of as a deed of exceptional
complished. .

say that you are a perfect little

my boy. . -. . , V

‘But I’m half an American as it is Cap-

'3’

Grantby range, in Wiltshire, my motherwas
ﬂeetin emotion. . ,
you like t) be one of us, Master Jacki” ‘
(w at there. wig of jt),»though without ath-
quarrel, old chug)!” he exclaimed; adding .in his
‘ eserts his colors in war- me."
made; while: the littlem stuck to his 

CHAPTER XXXIV.
AT run: ENEMY’s REAR. ,

ONCE into the intricute channel between the
island beaches and the mainland, aftercrossing
the inner mouth of Little Egg Harbor, the two
vessels were comparatively sheltered from the
violence of the gale, though the passage north—
ward in among the shoals and islets of the nar-
row sound was of necessity a slow and tedious

    
one. -

The little midshipman on being informed of
the treatment that had been meted out to the
frigate and brig, was at ﬁrst very grave.

‘ I‘m mighty cut u on the ship’s account,” he
observed, “thou h don’t care how Captain
Romney may fee over it. He’s an upstart, and
in his present position over the heads of many a.
better, older and more deserving oﬂicer."

Then, after a long pause, he looked around
him, surveying the schooner's perfect propor-
tions with staring eyes, and exclaimed:

“ Good God, Cap! what a stunner of a priva-
tear ou’ve got, anyway! A mere schooner like
this, ig as she is, to knock the top works of one
the best of the king’s double—deckers into a.
cooked hat, fog or no to , to say nothing of the.
armed brig! 'Why, I on't believe we 11 ever
thrash you Americans into submission at all.”

“ We don’t mean that you shall, my lad,” was,
the quiet reply.

it was the gray of morning before the tortuous
sound-passage was drawn to a 01056, with the
great bulk of the frigate‘s hull dimly outlined
against the islet behind which she had made her
anchorage. .

Torches and lanterns were ﬂashing to and fro-
upou her decks, and this, togIether with a great-
hammering and pounding t at could be heard I
going on aboard, indicated that the work of'

,steppin in regular and substantial jury-masts '
was sti in regress, after doubtless lasting,
through the n ght.

That she was likewise wholly unsuspicioue of ‘
any new danger threatening was equa 1y appar»
ent.

“It must have been a sort of revelation to
me,” observed Daresll to his two mates, with
whom he was now in consultation, “ that the big “
fellow would come in here for refuge. We‘ve:
got her Just Where we want her.”

The moon was still shining occasionally, '
though at less lrequent' intervals than before

‘ and the morning was coming on, brooding and
dismal, while the violence or the wind and sea.
outside of the beach-line gave no signs of abate-
men . * v v ‘ ' '

The schooner, though, with more, than her
spanker set now andin readiness to sail forward
at an instant’a notice, had come to a temporary
anchorage at the east of an islet whose rising ‘-

und effectually shadowed her presence about»

‘ elf a mile from the frigate. while the Mist
Witch had hmtated her example, and was lying .
abreast of her, half a cable’s_length away.

It was necessa to take time by the foreleok
before the days ould so brightenasto betray ,
thelrgresence and object to t e enemy, which, . '
despi its dismantled condition was still pos- ‘
sessed of its tremendous broadsides and its ﬁve,“ *
hundred brave British tars intact. ‘

But Dick Dal-call had already formulated
digested his plans in the prospective. 1 ‘ , .

After a brief consultation between the ftwo ,,
vessels—the two Witches, hi and little—a small ‘ ‘
boat silently shot out from t 9 side of the litter .

Withmum , V r g ,. '
aﬂfthattheb’ow,’ 

and. r,

6d oars. ,
Propelled by four men,with ,
the little boat carried at, the end of a stout polo
projectin forward 1. huge double- numer-
‘shaped o ject, looking ver like the -wo-fold, - ,
balancing burdens proper for the back of a. .
mountain k-mule. , , i
This ob ect‘ consisted of four squall r - '
utod kegs of gunpowder, Wyn into ts shape
with stout canvas provided With iron hooks for ‘1

making fast.

Wit the exceptionof the former similar essay .
in the case of the Jezebel on the Gridiron Shoals; ‘
it was one of the few torpedo experiments of the. -

war.‘ a , 
It was‘thus left to the oung commander of. ’
the privateer, until but a s ort time previous a. . .,
comparatively inexperienced and obscure indi— - ,
vidual, to l ﬁateaspecles of armament that ‘.
has since become such, an important factor in ._
oval warfare enlisting the brains and invent;  .
~ve enius of the best and most subtle engineer-,5
ing entof the world.‘ * _ . ‘ i?
As the. little boat sped out and on upon, its -
silent and dead] mission, the oocu ts of be“:
attackin vesse , which lay in rea iness to gllp .
their on and sheet out forward at .on' :f
,Itent’s signal,qu m hushed and grim 
‘ X

.8116. ,,
k The great armed hulk lay atom on. The little: "
boat covered the water-space andgllid ’ under» a '
the shadow out by her overhang 'ke at one
othershadow. ' * ' “ "  t‘ _
Her burden was made fast (1 in and well ,,
under her stern-post and the little, It retreats ,
ed as silently asahehad advanced. ' 2 

~ There was left behind in the deep shadows:
spark, like‘a glow-worm, on the water, which
seemed to creep slowly and steadily still deepen.

     
unnatural. “You’re ver kind.”

Then he shook himself li a adog, and'going
of liking on his fresh, clear face. .

“ I say, Captain Darcall,” he remarked, look
you agreed to take me on. But it’s a blasted

B a sort of imp se, the entirecrews of both
or». ts burst into a rin ing cheer.
hardihood, and. a the more so from the unaf-
fected ludiﬂerence with which it. had been ao-

“And I
. ﬁller!!!
little band that had been so oonﬂd gly st
into his. " “ It’s a pity you’re not an American,
tam,” was the ingenuous. response. 1‘ For,
though dad is Sir Lionel Grantby, of
a lad from your Boston town—though she’s
dead hose three years,G-od bless'herl‘ with a

' r,

5? n . not a whole American, then?” do-
mande the. young commander. “How would
, But the little fellow was at once u n‘his dig-y
nit , drawmg himself up to his all he ht
drawing his ban . . ~

“ Come now, none of that, or you and I shall
more juvenile no: "‘You see, [like youas'

cod as nuts. captain, but aGrantby‘nevor»
; \ “Good for oul" cried iok’.’ .. d ’ '1.

:And the su, ject waadraﬁgod nevertoberc-

e
tector‘s side‘as the“inletwas remand the

v

 
theekundor the bums  . »
 the-bowel: the ‘little‘hpqt.

22

Dauntless Dick.

 
now well away on the return, while crossing a
momentary sheet of moonlight spread out over
the tossing water, waved his hand thrice.

The anchor cables were severed in response, as
with the single blow of an ax, and both priva-
teer and little schooner catchin the storm
wind from across the island beac upon their
spanker andjib sails, rushed forward with the

im etus of hounds unleashed upon their prey.

' hen there was an enormous, blinding ﬂash, a
deafening,reverberating roar, and after being
fairly lifted out of the writer at one end, the
great armed and peopled hulk settled back with
t wo-thirds of her stern torn out, her timbers on
ﬁre, and the sea-water rushing like a cataract
into the gaping breach.

There was enough daylight afforded by this
time to perceive that the surprise of the enemy
had been no less disastrous than complete, the
majority of the throngs upon her decks seeming
to have been violently prostrated by the shock.

There was a ringing cheer, and the two
Vv‘itches swooped up, one on either side of the
hulk, while the frigate’s decks were instantly
swept with a deluge of cannister and grape.

The Castaways of the Pugilist were at this
juncture ﬁrst perceived by the Americans.

They were gathered along the island sends, a
woe-begone crowd, gazing in stupeﬁed Wonder
at the yet more serious calamity, that had thus
fallen like a thunderbolt‘upon their associates of
the frigate, than had been their own portion of
defeat and despair.

As the Sea Witch rounded out from under the
frigate’s bows, Flinders let go with her stern
gun, the iron sphereupsetting and shatteringher
bow-chaser, thus leaving her with nothing but
her broadsides, whose range could be easily
avoided.

But the bulk was already fast settling in deep
water by the stern.

All idea of ﬁghting had been knocked out of
her men for the time being, the organized in-
dustry which had been expended on the con-
struction of jury-spars being now diverted to
the hasty fabrication: of a. life-raft, and to get-
ting in readiness such boats as had not been
shaken into uselessness by the explosion.

But at least a fourth of the frigate’s shi ’5-
company had apparently been killed, disab ed
or incapacitated by that and the raking ﬁre of
case-shot following it.

“Captain Romney 1” thundered out Dareall,
from the poop of his privateer.

In response, Romney, pale as death, stepped
into view from among his ofﬁcers on the
wrerk’s quarter-deck, but without speaking a

re 1y.

R Are you still rejoicin over your cowardly
devastation of Barnegat ay shore?” was shout-
ed again, in bitter sarcasm.

He still made no reply, but rather tattered
than stepped back to rejoin his associates.

In fact, the man looked as if he were com-
pletely crushed, or rendered temporarily im—
becile.

Even Flinders, who, with raging jealousy in
his heart, had drawn a deadly bead upon him
with his pistol, could not bring himself to ﬁre
the shot, but simply thrust the weapon back in
]his belt, while muttering something behind his

1 5.
“Poor Captain Romney!" exclaimed little
Jack Grant-by, who had been signaling to some
of his fellow-midshipmen from his place at
Dick’s side; “ I wouldn’t suffer what he suffers
for a. hundred thousand unds. But even big-
bug inﬂuence will scarce y be sufﬁcient now to
make him a rear—admiral over" better men’s
heads, I fancy. ”

Dareall might easily have destroyed the
wreck’s eople at his leisure now.

But t e reprisal was already complete, Tom's
River aven ed, the prospective risoners would
doubtless ‘ keep" on the ad scent sands till
wanted, and he was, moreover, anxious to get
home after his astounding month’s cruise.

So he humanely abstained from following up
an advantage, w ich would have been little less
than an indiscriminate and unresisted slaughter,
and continued on up the bay, after leaving the
Mist Witch behind to keep guard over the cast-
aways.

He had reason, however, to half regret his
mercy on the way up the bay, the evidences of
the expedition’s devastating band. in the shape
of burned farm-houses, pillaged hamlets and
ruined harvests, were so starineg apparent on
every hand.

 
CHAPTER XXXV.

AFTER THE BATTLE.

TOM’S RIVER was found however, to have
been onl half-destroyed, the invaders having
quitted t e place in such haste after the applica-
tion of the incendiary torch that the inhabit-
ants had been enabled to extinguish theadvanc-
ing‘ ﬂames. 1

ho neighboring hamlets of Silverton and Os-
bornville, a little further up the bay, had, how-
ever, been completely burned.

A similar fate ha overtaken Wareton, mid-
way down to the inlet; and indeed, there was
scarcely a habitation within a mile of the sea-
line for the entire length of the bay-shore that

 
had not felt the rushing impress of the destroy-
in hand.

bollingford Hall remained intact on its prom-
inent rise of ground, as a matter of course,
while, as before stated, the Dearborn homestead
and Dick’s mother’s cottage were among the
domiciles that had been spared.

Sedley and his militiamen had made a gallant
resistance against overwhelming odds, after
which some of them had ﬂed, while the remain—
der, including the brave captain himself, had
stood their ground and been killed to a man.

But the privateer was just coming to her
moorings at the little dock, where a throng of
the unfortunate townspeople were cheering her
arrival, when some one cried out that smoke
was rising from the roof of the great house on
the hill.

So it was, and a few minutes later Collingford
Hall was seen to be in ﬂames.

“Just my ’tarnation luck 1" roared Boatswain
Jerry lVardlow, stamping on the deck. “ l’d
havecome into the property on Hank Coiling-
ford’s death—which can’t be long delayed, while
hemp grows and rope is twisted—and there goes
the handsomest part of it up in smoke and ﬁamel
It’s an infernal, blasted shame! for I ain’t a
Tory, if the ’Squire is!”

His indignation was modiﬁed a little later,
however, by a cheering fact that was made ap-
parent to him as the l itch swung in.

This was that the Red Lion Tavern was among
the buildings still standing among its charred
and blackened neighbors, to ether with certain
loving signals from some 0 his whilom boon
companions on the dock.

As Dareall stepped ashore, a company of Con-
tinentals was ﬁling down the street to greet the
privateer’s return, and then his hand was unex-
pectedl y grasped by Captain Herbert Goldheart,
of the Jersey Blues.

He was there on detached duty, the news of
the expedition’s work having reached ,Washing-
ton’s army, or a small part of it on post duty at
Freehold, the previous day.

Captain Goldheart, furthermore, informed the
young commander, that Collingford Hall had

een ﬁred in a ﬁt of exasperation by a crowd of
country boys, and that he had reached the scene
with his men too late to revent its destruction.

Of his sister’s secon disappearance he said
little or nothing, though evidently aware of the
extenuating circumstances accompanyin it,
but he was earnest in his sympathy witthick
over Jessie’s capture, and quite sure she would
speedin be set at liberty.

“ She will be that,” exclaimed Dareall his
face darkening, “ if I have to sail the Sea Witch
up the Savannah River, and ﬁght the whole
British ﬂeet to bring it aboutl”

“ Whatl are they oﬂ for Savannah, then?"
cried Goldheart.

Dick replied in the aﬂirmative, and then gave
him a hurried account of his tremendous sue~
cesses at the mouth of the bay, together with a
brief resumé of his cruise. ,

Dick then hurried away, and a few minutes
later his dear mother was sobbing out her thank-
fulness for his safe return upon his breast.

From the widow’s cottage he hastened, with
such news as he had of the absent young ladies,
to the Dearborn homestead.

The widow had by this time somewhat mas-
tered her grief over the bereavement, chieﬂy, it
seemed,through her knowledge of and ﬁrm faith
in J essie’s force of character.

“That urblind fool, Henry Collingfordl” she ‘

eXcIaim , indignantly: “to think that he might
obtain by compulsion the hand of a young wo-
man like my daughter, when she has expressed
her dislike for him again and again! But he’ll
speedily ﬁnd out his mistake.”

Dick, in his forlornness, felt considerably com-
forted by this manner of the widow’s viewing
the matter.

“ Yes,” he muttered, “ he will ﬁnd out his mis-
take, my friend, but not altogether at your
daughter’s hands. I will attend to that!”

As for Mrs. Goldheart time had not modiﬁed
nor fresh humiliation withered her supreme self—
sutliciency and ride.

“ Naomi can] not but accom any her cousin,
in common humanity of kins p," she averred.
“ Beside, she saved the homestead here and
your mother’s proggrty by doing so. You es-
pecially ought to grateful for that act of

eniency. Captain Dareall.” .

“Oh, yes!’ grunted Dick; “I su poseso.”

. “ Besides," continued Mrs. Gold cart, reﬂect-
ively, and she smoothed out her coquettish little
apron and ad 'usted her cap-ribbons, “ Captain
Romneyis sue a rfect gentleman, personally,
and it is a great p ty he is a Britisher.”

Her sister gave her a look.

“Indeed l’t exclaimed Dareall. “‘And I sup-
pose you think he has proved himself such by
compelling your daughter to abandon her home
by t e perfectly gentlemanly means of threaten-
inglto burn it up over your heads in the event
of er refusal.”

“ Well, Captain Dareall,” hesitated the fair
dame, in no little confusion. “you see—you
see, it is war-time. And since Naomi’s heart is
alread in Captain Romney’s keeping—"

But ere was the opportunityfor a retort that
Dick could not allow to escape.

 
“ Nothing of the sort, by 3 our lmvo, nui’m i” he
blandly interrupted. “ if it ever was in the ac-
complished scoundrel‘s keeping it is so no longer.
That I know of my own knowledge”—which he
didn’t, though, by the way, but only by deduc-
tion or conjecture. “ And if it isn‘t already in
the keeping of another—and he a brave Ameri-
can patriot and sailor, in the bargain—it may
be in time; and that other will yet win your
fair daughter for himself, besides wreaking a
signal vengeance upon her contemptible threat-
ener and abductor!”

M rs, Goldheart looked up in unaffected sur-
prise, as did her sister likewise, for that matter.

“What are you raving about, sir?” she an i-
ly asked. “ My daughter‘s heart possibly in e
keeping of yet another suitor, who has sworn to
win her hand?”

“ Exactly, ma’m i” cried Dick, fairly delighted
at her resentment.

“ I demand his name,sirl
sumptuous person be?"

“ The brave second mate of the Sea Witch,
ma'nier. Hezekiah, otherwise Fog-eye, Flin-
ders.

It chanced that Mrs. Goldheart had met Flin-
ders several times in the past, and she certainly
held him in especial abomination as a represen-
tative of the commoner working class that she
esteemed herself as being separated from by an
impassable social gulf.

She uttered a furious scream, and almost went

Who may this pre-

into hysterics, during which the young com-v

mander managed to make his escape.

CHAPTER. XXXVI.

THE LITTLE MIST wrrcu’s LAST SERVICE.

To take a brief historical view of the Situa-
tion, Washington had by this time—late in
August—after driving the British into N ew
York City as a result of the battle of Man
mouth, formed his line from Morristown, where
he now had his temporary headquarters, around
the north of the city, so as to be able to inter‘
Eose between Clinton and Philadelphia or New

ngland, as the case might be.

These positions were destined to be maintained
till the beginning of the Yorktown campaign,
three years later, in 1781.

Indeed, the British were now turning their
aggressive intentions almost wholly to the
southward, though Dareall was rejoiced to
learn from Captain Goldheart, who was to re-
main posted With his compan of the Blues for
some time in the vicinity of om’s River that
the actual British occupation of Savannah had
not yet taken place, but only the mouth of the
river, where t ey were bui ding rude forts to
assist the ﬂeet in maintaining its blockade, and
in preparation for the expedition of conquest
that was to set out from New York Harbor
later in the year.

This, of course, presented a more cheering
prospect for the recovery of Jessie and her cou-
am.

On the day following the return of the priva—
teer to Tom’s River, whose enterprising in-
habitants were already settin about its recon-
struction, Dick again set sail own the bay for
the ’Ipurpose of bringing up the castawa s of
the amerlane and the Pugilist from off ong
Beach, Captain Goldheart having expedited
measures for guarding and caring for them un-
til a ﬁnal disposition of them should be decided
on by the authorities.

But a great and bitter disappointment was in
store for the bold privateersmen of the Sea
Witch.

'On reaching the beach, the weather having
meantime cleared, not a Britisher was to be
soon, though there were abundant evidences of
their recent occupation of the sands, mostly in
the shape of 5. Ion line of burned-out camp-
ﬁres of driftwood, t e ashes of some of which
were found to be hardly cold.

The shell of the frigate, burned to the water’s
edge, was visxble on the one hand, while there
was still something left of the brig on the Fry-
ing Pans, the shore for miles being strewn with
wreckage from one or the other.

That was all there was in explanation of the
mystery at ﬁrst, until Flinders’s keen vision
detected something tossing on the waves within
a. short distance of the wooded little islet con-
nected with the Gridiron Shoals.

It proved to be the Mist Witch, at the end of
her valiant though circumscribed career at last,
ﬂoating bottom up, and with a ragged hole at
her starboard water-line through w ich a ﬁle of
marines could have marched abreast.

Dareall and his mates were visibly affected at
the sight, and there was not a man of the priva-
teer’s crew that had formerly sailed in the gal-
lant little craft but was miserable and crest-
fallen over this mysterious wind—up of her
glorious career.

While they were debating with themselves as
towhat might have been the fate of her late
ship’s-compel: . there came a hail from the
neighboring le , and the mystery was ex-

amed.

Old Hooks had climbed a tree on an eminence
in the middle of it, and was waving his hat on-
thusiasticallv.

“ We’re all here. safe and sound I” he halloed.
“Send your boats.”

 
l

 
on“

v.»

__0

Dauntless Dick. v

 
And then his late associates of the little
schooner began to make their a pearance here
and there among the steep l‘OC s and prickly
undergrowth that formed the islet’s margin.

All were speedily transferred to the priVuteer,
when their story was soon told.

At daybreak of that day, it seemed; a huge
British gunboat, convoying two empty trans-
mrts back to New York from the mouth of the
Savannah River, had suddenly made its appear-
ance oil the islet, in response tosignnls of dis—
tress from the great throng of castaways along
the beach-sands, of course for the purpose of
taking them off.

The Mist Witch, which was lying to on the
lookout not far from the Gridirons, had at once
been started out to give battle.

But, alas! her good fairy of the fog was no
longer on hand to befriend her. The lirst shot
from the gunboat’s big bowsgun had proved a
settler. It carried a large shell, which exploded
instantly at the point of contact, ripping the
breach at the water—line that had been already
noted. But, notwithstanding that the sea_had
begun to enter in a torrent, she had capsized,
instead of ﬁlling, by reason of her exceptional
light drau ht, combined with the weight of her
guns and t e extreme height and expanse of her
spars and sails.

All her crew had been enabled to reach the
islet by swimming. They had not been molest-
ed nor further interfered with.

Indeed, the gunboat did not even make the

inlet; but the work of transferring the six bun-
dred castaways from the beach to the transports
had seemed to be hurried forward with the ut-
most dispatch, as all were filled with nervous
dread lest the Sea Witch might put in n. reap—
pearance before it could be accomplished; after
which all sail had been made to the north-
ward.
Such was the tragic end of the gallant smack,
which had formed the foundation of Dick Dare-
all’s nautical fame, no less than that of many of
his hardy associates, and which, considering
her size, or rather lack of it, had wrought un-
precedented destruction among the British coast
marine.

It was finally decided to give her a funeral
beﬁtting her proud career. inasmuch as it was
obvious that she could never be made perma-
nently seaworthy again.

Accordingly the hole in her bottom was ﬁrst
rudely patched over with several thicknesses of

~ roiled canvas.

Then she was righted, pumped out, her guns
and small-arms were transferredito her name-
sake, and her deck cleared as if for action.

Then, the wind having shifted the night be-
fOxe to northwesterly, her wheel. was lashed
down, her colors nailed to her mainmast, and,
headed for the inlet, with all her canvas set, she
was intrusted to the god of storms, after several
lighted pine-knots, had been ﬂung into her cabin
saloon.

She kept her lonely way seaward without ac-
cident until a mile or two outside the inlet,when
tho ﬂames began to make their appearance, and,
still sailing gallantly, she swe t out before the
wind. wrapped in wreathing re and affording
a rand an pathetic spectacle.

. t was like the funeral of a Sea-king of the old
Norse Sagas.

“ She was a noble little craft 1” exclaimed
Flinders, not without emotion. “ None better
over feathered a wave—crest, and nothin of
double her size and strength ever did ha E so
much hard ﬁghting or conquered half so much.
It’s like losing an old. true friend. But‘then I
suppose it’s the right thing that she_who was a
witch of the fog should have her ending thus on
the wide blue water in a shroud of ﬁre. .’

Neither Dareall nor Junk made any com-

ment.

But Jack Grantby, the little British midship—
man, who had been placed on parole, and was
once more at the young commander’s side, was
not ashamed to look up at him and betray
the great tears that were rolling down his

ks. ‘
chﬁeI commanded her, 'ust for a little while.”
said be, somewhat bro only. “Didn’t I, cap-
tain?’

Dick nodded. “ ,

“ Well, sir,” gul ing down a sob, it s a
shame, a bloody, lasted shamel Shiver my
timbers fore and aft if it ain‘t l” _

The privateer made a brief run out to 588,111.]
the ha of getting a glimpse of the vessels 1: at
had ro bed her of the chief fruits of her glori-
ous victory, but without success. _

When Dick Dareail returned to Tom’s River
on the followin day, he found himself famous,
the report of t e privateer’s conquests haying
already spread far and wide, and there was a
sealed dispatch from General Washingtonre‘
questing his presence at headquarters. ‘

 
CHAPTER XXXVII.
nonoas.

INDEED, from this hour 11 to the beginning
of his second cruise whic was delayed for
more than he liked, onors of a scarcely less

distinguished nature were showered upon the

,young commander's head to such an extent that

 
it might have been turned by them if less equit-
ably balanced.

Upon his coming once more into Washing-
ton’s presence at Morristown, the general
grasped his hand with unusual warmth—for he
was not a demonstrative man in the expression
of his feelings—and he forthwith demanded a
detailed account of his cruise.

His stuff, together with other distinguished
commanders, were again present, including La
Fayette, who had at once greeted him with a
French embrace.

But, not at all disconcerted, Dick immediately
complied, concluding by saying:

“ My only regret is the loss of those last pris-
oners. There were over six hundred of them,
ollicers and men, the latter including from ap-
pearances the best and ablest representatives of
the English men-o’-wur‘s-men. I can’t get over
ﬁlly’flliagl‘in and mortiﬂcation over the mat-

er.

“ it is a serious loss," observed the command-
er-in-chief, with his accustomed gravity, “ but
you can’t justly be held responsible for it, sir,
and the luster of your previous deeds more than
covers the discrepancy a hundred-fold. You
will now go to Philadelphia, and make your
written report to the Congress.”

Darcull moved uneasily in his seat. -

“ I would rather go to sea, general,” be said,
in a low, embarrassed voice.

“ \Vhatl immediately again?”

“ Yes, general.”

“ But you are just returned from your cruise,
my young friend."

“ There is nothing like keeping astir, general."

“ It seems to me that your love for the sea is
very exceptional, sir, even for a sailor."

“ It isn’t only the sea I love, general.”

And then, little by little, there came out the
romance connected with Jessie Dearhorn’s ah-
duction and her fair cousin’s second evanish-
ment.

“ This is quite a d'fferent thing,” observed the
comniander-in-chie , preserving his grand scri-
ousness which was more than some others ros-
ent, including La Fayette, were doing. “ but
would you ﬁrst do, captain ?"

“ Sail up the Savannah River,and bring back
my girl at the point of the sword l” was the
dauntless and characteristic reply.

' There was a general movement of approba-

tion.

“He should have a ﬂeet at his backl" cried
La Fayette, with his customary impulsiveness.
“ But wait; he shall sail with the brave
D’Estaing.”

But Washington shook his head sedately.

“ It would never do my young friend,” he
said, impressively. “ The British are already
occupying Savannah itself in strong force.
Your unaided attempt at reprisal would be mere
madness.”

“ Savannah itself?” echoed Dareall, in great
surprise. “ Why, Captain Dearborn gave me
to understand t at such news was premature,
and it was only the mouth of the river they
were holding.”

“ It is no longer premature. Their last expe-
dition southward was wholly successful. Next
month an effort may be made to dislodge them,
but not before. You will have to restrain your
ardor until then.”

A whole month longer to wait, and Jessie still
in Collingford’s power, without striking an in-
dividual blow or ﬁring a un in her behalf!

Still, it was General ashington who had
spoken. The young commander inclined his
head submissively, though with a ﬂushed brow
and a heaving breast.

“ Unless,” the commander-in-chief had the
pityin indulgence to remark, by way of adden-
dum, ‘you should see ﬁt to start on a second
general cruise while awaiting the organization
of the expedition now in contemplation. A pri-
vateersman is,” with a slight smile, “a priva-
teersman.”

Dareall’s spirits rose again.

“ Thank you, eneral,” he said rising from
his chair. “I she I take the Sea Witch to Phila-
del hia to—morrow."

he commander-in-chief pressed his hand even
more cordially at parting than before, the gen-
tlemen of his stall rose as he took his departure,
while La Fayette followed him out of the room
to give him a farewell embrace.

“ Mon brave! my hero!" exclaimed the chival-
rous young marquis. “ Did I not say that you
had a great future before you? Ah, you have
it lalready! 0n then, where glory and honor
ca 5 ’

Accordingly, the young privateersman made
his preparations immediately upon his return to
Barnegat Bay, and the next day set sail for
Philadelphia. .

He got through the line of the blockaders
without misfortune, and reached his destipation
in due season.

Here new honors were heaped upon him, and
the mates and crew of the Sea W teh were the
lions of the day, while thousands visited the
docks for a mere glimpse of the peerless craft.

But the Congress was in its chronic embar.
rassment, chieﬂy as to raising money for the
prosecution of the war and as to foreign com-
plications; and while a most cordial recognition

 
23

of Captain Dareall’s services was voted, it was
delicately conveyed to bill) that he might expect
the presentation of a sword after his next
cruise, when the ﬁnancial dilliculties of the
country might be of a less painful nature.

However, Dick Darcall was not ﬁghting for
ornamental swords, and he at last, after much
circumlocntion, managed to secure a large sum
of prize-money in advance, the distribution: of
which among his men served to put them in
high good and fresh lighting humor,after which
be rather independently announced that he
would set out forthwith on his second cruise.

llut before this he received a piece of cheering
news from the French ambassador, which Wash~
ington had probably seen ﬁt to withhold as pre—
mature.

This was to the effect that the organization of
the expedition for the relief of Savannah was
already well under way, that the movement
would doubtless take place in the latter part of
the next month (September), and that it would
comprise a combination of land forces under
General Lincoln. then in command at Charles-
ton. and the French ﬂeet under Admiral
D" lstaing.

It was on a superb morning in the middle of
AiigUst that the Son Witch, freshly provisioned
and with her full complement of men, again set
sail down the Delaware, the national ﬂa ﬂut-
tering proudly at her spanker—gaﬂ’, am d the
acclumations and godspeeds of on—lookihg thou-
sands.

On entering the bay, she made a splendid run
to Cape Henlopen. ﬂouted to scorn two stately
but cumbersome blockaders who would gladly
have inquired into the particulars of her sea-
errand, captured and ﬁred a luckless transport
thirty miles to eastward of the capes in order
to get her hand in, and it was then once more,
Hey for blue water, glory and prize-moneyl

 
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
run SECOND CRUISE.

DAimALL’s general plan for this second
cruise, as ho brietl y explained to his two mates,
was to make a run for the nearer West Indies,
while giving the coast a pretty wide berth, and
then return by a wide seaward curve, so as to
be in the vicinity of Savannah, on the lookout
for the relief expedition, at the end of four or
ﬁve weeks.

This plan of cruise was cordially acquiesced
in by Junk and Flinders, though both were of
the opinion that it was a very liberal one for
the short space of time allotted.

“ Oh, we can curtail the southward cruise at
our pleasure, if necessary 7’said Dick, luu hing.
“ But, for my part, I anticipate swift an short
Work while it lasts.”

And he was not out of the way in his antici-
pations, as the event proved.

Vigorous and favoring winds were experi—
enced from the ﬁrst, and the Witch had a mag-
niﬁcent ten days’ run down the coast, captur-
ing, burning or sending oil to French ports, as
the case might be, rizo after prize in rapid suc-
cession, and almo without a pause.

She at last found herself off the Florida Keys
with a list to her credit that included seven
transports, nine store-shi and two armed con-
voy s, in ballast, destroys , and twelve merchant-
men, one armed brig, and one armed transport
carrying six companies of Hessians destiue
for the British southern army of occupation,
sent elf, with their respective prisoners, togeth-
er with those captured from Vessels destroyed,
under competent prize—crews.

This was scarcely precedented in the entire
annals of privateering. I

But her extraordinary luak did not stop here.

While rounding out seaward between the
Keys and the Andros Islands, for the return-
loop northward among the Great Bahamas, she
sighted and gave battle to the British armed
hermaphrodite brig Romulus, which, by superl-
or sailing qualities and long-ran e tiring, she
succeeded in compelling to strike er flag after
a ﬂ ht of seven hours.

his prize was a valuable one, not only by
reason of the stores and ammunition she con-
tained, but because more than half her crew of
eighty, all told, consisted of Americans from
along the Connecticut coast-line, who had been
greased into the hostile service and were on]

o glad to enroll themselves with the privateer 3
crew, thus more than replacing the draft that
had been made on her force by the exigencies of
prize-crew duty.

Having disposed of the hermaphrodite, the
Witch continued her voyage without further
incident until somewhere 011' San Augustine,
when a small and clumsy-looking, but stanch-
built little sloop was sighted and hailed. which

roved tobe a sister privateer, the Good Enough

ki per Josiah Whalebone commanding, an
Wit a crew of but twenty men, from the Vicm-
ity of Cape Cod. ‘

The skipper came aboard the Witch at Dick’s
invitation, and proved a not uninteresting and
rather eccentric individual, whose ‘quaint talk
and admissions furnished not a little amuse-
ment for his entertainer and his two mates.

He was a long, awkward, slab-sided, shrewd
Down-East cod-fisherman, and his crew were

"my! .

24:,

Dauntle ss Dick.

 
enterprising Yankee men and boys of the same
stripe. He frankly acknowledged that his ﬂyer
had been anything but an oyster-sloop before
setting out upon her adventurous and warlike
career, and furthermore, confessed that, while
actuated by patriotic motives in the abstract,
he and his bold crew were solely out on the
make, and regarded the voyage as a purely
business venture which they intended should
pay at all hazards.

“ But look here, friend,” cried Dick. “ You
can’t tackle a Britisher of any force with that
old walnutshell of yours.”

“ We’re not tacklin’ that sort,” calmly replied
Ski per Whalebone, taking a sip of his grog.
“ e’re not lookin’ for tough meat, but gravy.”

“ Gravy?”

“ Yes; soup, you understand—brads, spondu—
ligs, the wherewithal, loot, plunder, pickings,
coin, trinkets—anything that can be turned over
real neat, you know, from a gold watch to a bar-
rel of ﬁsh-oil.”

“ Ah! but your sloop didn’t strike me as hav-
ing much of an armament.” ‘

‘N o armament, eh? J ee-whiz! didn’t you
notice that twelve—pounder at the Good Enough’s
stern l”

“ I believe I did remark some sort of a pop—
gun there.”

“Pop-gun? Holy mackerel! you ought to see
that stern-chaser bore a hole through a British
ﬁshin’-smack at a full quarter of a mile, too.
Easier’n ﬁsh-bait l”

“ Rather long range that, isn’t it?”

“ Preeha s,though we git in on a shorter if we
kin. Most y, you see, we sneak in on ’em sort
of onsuspicmus-like, an’ then bang away, an’
pile over the gunwales like mad—that is, if they
ain’t no stronger than we be, you know. 7’

“ Quite prudential tactics, to be sure. Do
you generally choose ﬁshing-smacks for your
noble reyl"

“ Waal, about that size, you see.
takin’ any desperate chances.”

"i should say not. But one would scarcely
suppose you’d get much of what you call gravy
out of that sort of game.”

“ Waal, now that depends. We ain’t done so
tarnation bad since we left our gals at the
Cape.”

“ What prizes have you made, if it is a fair
question?”

Skipper Whalebone ﬁnished his grog, and be—
gan to enumerate meditativer on his ﬁngers,
with a shrewd, avaricious look on his hatchet
face.

“Waal,” he answered slowly, “there’s the
provision yawl we captured oli' Block Island.
She was the fu‘st, and we ain’t quite e’t up the
cabbages an’ turnips we got off of her yet.
Then there was the old Englishwoman’s bum-
boat that we snatched bald-headed jest inside
of Narragansett. Pies, cakes, cold wnﬂlcs an’
dou hnutsl After that we surprised a lighter
oﬂ andy Hook, and gobbled her moneyvchest.
Seven Pounds, six-and—four-pencel Jeewhizl
think 0 that, will ye? And sence then-”

“ Well, never mind taxing your memory any
further,Mr.Whalebone. I’ve nodoubt on and

,your daring ship’s-company are on t 3 high
road to wealth and glory. Here’s looking to-
ward you, and hoping you won’t be hanged‘ in
the long run I"

The Cape Codder made awry twist of his long
scrawny neck, as he touched his replenished
glass to the young commander’s, Junk and Flin—
ders also drinking the pledge with unmoved
countenances.

“ You be a letter—of—marque, ben’t you?” he
observed.

u Yes.”

“Well, we ben’t.”

With that he made his adieux, and a little
later on his uncouth little sloop was sheeting to
the south, with a much better showing of speed
than might have been expected of her, and the
American ensign streaming from her spanker

gaff.

We ain’t a-

 
CHAPTER XXXIX.
Tn] SEA WITCH TO THE RESCUE.

“ IT'S a shame that such a mercenary little
brute of a craft should be permitted to pick up
carrion under he sameﬂag that we ﬂy and ﬁght
under 1” was ick Dareall’s audible comment
while following the Good Enough with his eyes
from the quarter—deck of the Sea Witch.

“ What s the odds?" growled Junk, in his gruff
way. “ They’ll all be hanged by the British
sooner or later, every hatchet-faced son of a sea-
cook of ’em.”

“ You’re both a little out, mates,” interposed
Flinders, with an air of speaking from experi-
ence. “ She only ﬂies the American ﬂag for our
beneﬁt. I’ll bet a dollar to a ﬁsh-hook that she’s
got an ensign of every nation under the sun
stowed in her locker, to be used on occasion.
The coast just swarms with contemptible riff—
raﬂ of that sort, calling themselves privateers.”

But there was one valuable piece of informa-
tion that had been obtained from CaptainJosiah
Whalebone, of the Good Enough.

This was to the effect that his craft had passed
through a ﬂeet of seven French men-of-war
cruising a few miles outside the British block’ad-
ing line oil! Charle ton, three days before.

 
From this information it seemed evident that
the Savannah relief expedition was rapidly
maturing its preparations for action.

The privateer accordingly piled on all she
could carry into the teeth of the northeast wind
that was blowing, and every one was impatient
to arrive upona scene that promised to be so
momentous.

The next day, when twenty miles oﬁ! Hilton
Head, without having sighted a sail, the distant
sounds of a heavy cannonading attracted her
attention to seaward, and her course was laid
accordingly.

“It‘s an unequal ﬁght,” announced Flinders,
with his glass leveled, after the cannonading
had continued to grow more and more distinct.
“ A ship and a brig attacking another ship.”

At eight bells in the afternoon the contes-
tants were plainly made out for what they really
were.

A French frigate was being hotly engaged by
a British corvette and sloop-of»war, the latter
but little inferior in size and strength to her
companion-ship.

“ Ha !” exclaimed Dareall; “ one of our French
friends in trouble? But we must take a hand
here." .

The schooner was accordingly headed direct
for the sloop-of-war,which was hanging off from
the common enemy at about a mile’s distance,
leisurely raking her fore-and-aft as opportunity
( ffurfd, while the corvette was engaged in closer
wor .

It was easy to see that the Frenchman, a ﬁne
double-decker, could have easily disposed of
either of her antagonists single-handed, though
it was equally evident that she must sooner or
later succumb to their combined attacks.

“ Doesn’t the Frenchman look somewhat fa-
miliari”asked Dareall, while the privateer was
sailing in.

“ Yes, Cap,” replied Flinders, to whom the
question had been addressml. “ She is the fri-
gate that took the Agamemnon oil? our hands.”

“ Ah, the Revolution, Captain Delamontl
Well, we’ll endeavor to take the sloop off her
hands. Turn about is fair play.”

The privateer pursued her usual tactics of
preliminary long-range ﬁghting when engaging
a vessel of superior force.

Her approach had doubtless already been re-
marked by the sloop, which, however, had con-
tinued banging away at the sore-pressed French-
man, as if disposed to hold quite cheaply such
interposition as was threatened.

But the ﬁrst shot from the Witch's bow-
chaser, and landed by old Barbareau lump
into her port forechains at a distance of fully
three miles, was enough to alter her opinion in
this respect.

She at once ceased her heretofore game, and
began to turn her attention wholly to the new-
comer.

But she seemed to be armed almost exclusive-
ly with twenty-tours, and not the best of them,
at that.

All of her shots fell ridiculously short, so that
the Witch was enabled to slip in upon her with-
in a two-mile range, whence ‘she rapidly got in
her good work with but little danger of napping
a return ﬁre.

Her magniﬁcent sailing qualities also were
speedily manifest. -

A fresh northeast wind was blowing, which
was just the sort that a square-rigger most
liked, but the sloop vainly attempted again and
again to come to closer quarters.

The schooner kept her distance with consum-
mate ease and judgment, planting her iron when
and where she would With bow or stern—gun,
under the peerless marksmanship of Barbareau
or Flinders, as the case might be, devoting her
attention almost exclusively to her enemy’s
spars.

Suddenly old Barbareau, after delivering
with the bow-gun, straightened himself up to
his tall height, and, ﬂapping his elbows against
his aides, crowed out lustily like a Chanticleer:

“ Ze meezan-mast of ze bulldog!” he cried.
“Vatch itl Ah! ze gun of brass is a good gun
and ze ball of iron is a good ball.”

The sloop’s mizzen-inast was seen to totter and
then go by the board, while an exultant cheer
burst from the privateer’s deck.

“ Well done, monsieur l” cried Dareall. “ A

few more of that sort, and ’we’ll have her at our
merﬁ.”
“ aircy, is it, capitaine?” responded Bar-
bareau. “ Ah. but there should be no maircyl
Zeze brutal British,I zey s’ould be swep’ on? ze
face of zc wave zat zey pollute!”

Here, the schooner having rounded out, Flin-
ders let go with the stern-gun, and with scarce-
ly less success than his rival gunner’s, the
sloop’s main—topmast being neatly eliminagd.

The sloop was now comparatively disa led,
onlya (Risen or more shots from the wary priva—
teer serving to complete her dismantling.

“ lVe’ll board her presently,” observed Dick,
at last. "‘ it appears to me, from the slowness
with which she cuts away that wreckage aloft,
that she is more than likely short-handed, which
would put us on something like even terms; and
we haven’t had a good old-time boarding ﬂ ht
iIn  cruise. Lay her aboard at once, ﬁr.

u .

 
While this was being done, the glasses were
directed at the Frenchman and her remaining

. contestant, now about four miles to windward.

It was erceived with much satisfaction that
the doub edecker was now polishing oi! the
corvette to her heart’s content, and, having
done harsh work on her to s, was now also
about to lay her antagonist a oard.

The sloop was by this time manifesting a de~

sire to draw out.

But, as the privateer rushed in to closer quar—
ters, Barbareau continued to play out with the
bow-gun so successfully that the slonp's entire
foremast at last went by the board, and, in ad-
dition to being by this time a temporary wreck,
she for some reason could not work her broad-
side guns that were presented to the schooner’s
in-coming rush.

I “ Boarders to the front I” shouted Dick, at
last. “ Pipe to quarters, Mr. Junk. This thing
is coming to a head.”

 
CHAPTER XL.
A FRIEND IN NEED.

THE boatswain’s whistle screamed a battle«
note the men rushed to quarters after snatching
muskets, cutlasses, hatchets and boarding-pikes,
and, as the schooner rounded in upon her larger
but disabled foe, her broadside char ed with
shrapnel and canister swept the other s deck at
cable’s-length with terriﬁc effect.

Still there was a mysterious failure to reply
on the part of the sloop, such as might have
been expected, especially as she was heating to
quarters for the hand—to-hand struggle that was
imminent.

“ What ship is that?" shouted Dareal], spring-
ing to the starboard rail of his poop.

His British Majesty’s sloo -of-war Falcon,” ‘

was the gruﬂ? response. “ hat craft are
you?"

“ The American letter—of-marque Sea Witch!"

As this last res use rung across the interval
there was note ’a sudden panicky movemen
among the serried masses 0 the sloop’s men,
which was highly complimentary to the ﬁght-
ing notoriety which the privateer had by this
time earned for herself.

“ Do you surrender?” was the next shouted
question from the schooner.

A grim laugh, preceding the words “ Not yet
awhile (“though there was also manifest a cer-
tain want of conﬁdence in their utterance.

Then the opposing bul warks clashed against
each other, there was the clanking ol‘. gslpnels
making fast, and the privateersmen, wi are-
all and his two mates at their head, poured over
upon the man—of—war’s deck.

But, much to the astonishment of the assail-
ants, but a feeble and wavering resistance was
made notwithstanding the bravery of the Brit-
ish officers in endeavoring to bring their men to
the mark.

And this, also, notwithstanding that the sloop’s
crew on sight were fully equal in numbers to
their assailants, if not more numerous.

At the ﬁrst onset, in fact, a .large section sul-
lenly withdrew to the forecastle, while the re-
mainder, after a desperate but brief resistance,
incontinently threw down their arms.

Their commander and his ofﬁcers at this sul~
lenly made gestures of surrender, and the sloop-
of—war, a this vessel, was the privateer’s prize.

The mystery of the easy victory was soon af-
forded. ‘

Fifty of the sloop’s crew of a hundred and
ninety men were Irishmen who had attempted
a, mutin instantly upon perceiving the Ameri-
can ens gn at the new—comet’s gaff, and, after
being overpowered, had been placed in irons in
the hold.

Then, prior to the engagement, a fortunate
raking roadside from the Frenchman had
or overset every gun in the sloop’s port broad-
side, which explained why she had become so
comparative] helpless after being robbed of
her sailing e ciency.

“It was just cursed luck 1” exclaimed her com-
mander, while making his formal surrender of
the ship. “ We can never get these blasted
Irishmen to ﬁght against your ﬂagjwlth an sort
of hilagt. It’s a marvel to me why they en 'sted.
at a .

“ Perhaps you don’t treat them very well at
home,” suﬁgested Dareall, with a smile.

“ As we as they deserve, curse them! What
are Irishmen ﬁt for, anyway?”

“Well they seem to ave caused you the loss
of our ship, at all events.”

he prisoners in the hold, on being released,
came up with a tremendous ‘ hooroo. ’

The were wild but honest fellows from Gal—
way, ‘onnemara and Tipperar , who instantly
wanted to have their “ Sassenac "oﬂicers yard-
armed forthwith as scones they discovered the
changed state of the situation, ’

This demand Dareall, as a matter of course,
ex lained to them could not be acceded to.

’ he section of men who had snlked at the be—
ginning of the boarding fight were also Irishman

art.
IP‘P We never want to ﬁght against you,” one of
the more intelligent of their number explained,
with a richness of brogne not to_be spoiledgg an
effort to reproduce it, to the privateer’s 0 cars
‘ l
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7 mouse corvette and a powerful sloop—-

 
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that Dick Demiluzoln stepped 0

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ting genial and valiant Countd‘ 

w Jim: ,zxnyrson, welcomwdooine! was the.
nd i s
 1.“,

later on. “For we know you are ﬂ hting for
liberty, and that is what we want, at never
get Without coming to America for it."

The Falcon was a sixteen-gunner, and, apart
from the prisoners taken, provod a magnificent

rize.
p By the time that order was somewhat re—
stored, the French frigate, which had made a
prize of the corvette, joined the privateer, and
the two commanders were soon together in the
cabin of the Sea Witch, it being new about
nightfall.

it was a high compliment for the captain of a
frigate to come on board ihe privateer, instead
of requesting her commander’s presence on board
of his stately craft.

But Captain Achille Delamont was very

rateful for the Service that had been ren-

ered him, besides haying another matter todis-

cuss.

“ Ah, my friend!” was one of his ﬁrst greet-
ings over their wine; “ what do I not owe you?
The two Britishers together would have un-
doubtedly thrashed me soundly. save for your
dashing interposition. A friend in need, indeed,
you were!" ‘

“ Our countries are allies, monswur," was the
smiling reply. “ You havenothing to thank me
or." ,

“ Oh. but pardon me monsieur. I_am sure
there is much, very much! However. in board-
ing the sleep. you doubtless remarked that she
had previously suffered not a little from one of
my broadsides, eh i" ,

Dick smiled as the other matter of the
Frenchman’s solicitude was now becoming ap-
parent.

He was a brisk, dark little man, was this
French frigate captain, with a pointed nose. an
enormous mustache, and twinklinglittle black
eyes, like beads, that were set so far back under
his bushy brows as to resemble those of a terrier
looking out from a rat-hole. And, though he
was doubtless an accomplished navigator and a
fearless man. there was a. suggestion of. greedi-
ness or avarieiousness, about him that some
we (I not have deemed agreeable, though the
commander of the Sea Witch, with_his habitual
good-nature, found him 'more amusing than un-
pleasant. .

“ Exactly, monsieur,” the latter genially e—
' lied. “In fact. you, had disabled her out re

roadside, so that her cagure by me was great-
ly facilitated. {I was g; g to suggest that we
go shaves in the sloop if and he. .” ’

“My friend, my friend!" cried Delamont;
“ you are a gentleman, on are noble you
should have been born in 1rance," andnlmost
weeping, he fell upon the young man’s-neck.

This matter having been arranged to the little
captain’s satisfaction, Dick anxiously inquired
as to the whereabouts of Admiral d’Estaing’s

ﬂeet. _

“ What! you have not heard?" cried the
other. _

“ No, I am just up from a southern cruise.”

“ We shall pulverize these shlop-keelping aris-
toorats my dear friend!” ed element,
enthusiastically. . '

ii “ z“1th all my heart, monsieur! But the

“Ah, I am on my way to rejoin it. You
shalliaccgnipany me in your matchless schooner.
m ear « ' .

‘y‘ Just my desire, when I learn where the ﬂeet
is." , , ‘ V ' ‘
“Forgive me, my friend' I am forgetful. A1-
wsys am after a gent andpglorious success for
my country’s arms. Two men-of-war—an im-
. PH“? '20
my little frigate out yonder! Man Dieul it is
scarcely,precedented._’ The fleet, my boy? It is
of! Cnarleston‘, waitin l. to convey the

land
forces under your ga lant General Lincoln. ‘

There were bu two Dieltkadero—they ﬂed like
frightened gulls at our Victorious approach.
The expedition starts to Savannah tomorrow.
Hurrah! Yes; we wil pulverize these beer-
drinking beef-eaters. Thanks; one morerglass
gt wine‘hltehenlhiinc‘iylI must  to my frigate.
utc w'e orysmes _
Tiara weather was magniﬁcent, and the wind
continued favorable. , _ . ,
, By‘midnighgiéie stately prizes, with their re-
s active capti .
ranch pWNWl. _ _
In company with the Revolution, the punk
seer then set sail for Charleston.

The harborwas sighted atidaybreak of the

following morning. together with! the Fiench

‘ ﬂeet.

’All was activity and movement. presenting a

I " stiiring scene. I . _
. 'i‘he sails'gleamed; songs of‘sailorsua their .

work wereheard- buntin was daunting n the
fresh, warm, wiiid; it segmed that auspices of

' victory were in the air. ; ‘

It- as soon after breakfos ‘te htzbells
W ' t’ n {foal-d on;

sdmiral’s ﬂagship. the great ship of the'line

V , asheled‘hisv-Fvisitor-o‘ little
‘ .cpacious quartyrdwk...thronged
in their. so. “8°

 
w y -

hnd been sent 03 in charge of,

- though
' thehand of '

   
Dauntless 

are famous at last? You have yet further dis-
tinguished yourself 1”

‘ My brave ofﬁcers and ship’svcompany have.
at all events, admiral," was the smiling re-
sponse. ‘

“Don’t be over-modest, monsieur. Modesty
makes the woman. but mars the man.” ‘

“ But I am here to fight with you, admiral,
and not to listen to compliments, by your leave,
The expedition is on the point of starting, it
seems?’

The admiral pointed to Morris Island, south
of the harbor entrance, where the American
troops could be seen embarking on transports
at a point quite near where Fort Sumter Was
subsequently to be erected. ' ,

At the o posits side of the harbor mouth ap-
peared Su livan Island, with Fort Moultrie on
. its extreme southern point, where the British
under Sir Peter Parker and General Clinton
had been so signally repulsed in the initial year
of the war.

“ Voila l—beholdl" cried the admiral. “ There
they are. my friend. We sail in an hour and
should enter the mouth of the Savannah River
by noon, this favoring wind continuin . You
will be welcome with your glorious Sea $Vitch."

“ But, admiral,”said the young commander,
with some embarrassment, “ I want to act in-
dependently—that is. to a certain degree, at
least. It is indispensable that I should. ’

“ Independently?”

Count d’Estaing slightly frowned.

CHAPTER XLI.
WITH THE EXPEDITION.
~ DAREALL hastened to explain himself.

In fact, he did not rest until he had acquaint-
ed the count with the story of his heart, and all
that it implied. - '

A French gentleman of the old school is noth-
ing if not romantic, or chivalrous. and Count
d‘Estaing, who had had many gallantries in his
dag, was not an ex0eptlon to the rule.

is frown had quickly given way to a genial
and sympathetic expression.

“ Enouglli i"-he exclaimed, freely. “ I under-
stand. T e young demoiselle and her cousin,
you have reason to believe that they are now in
Savannah l” '

“ I have,” was the reply- ,

“ Restrained of their freedom by this unprin-
cipled Lothario, you suppose?" _ ' v

‘ Hold on, by your leave, admiral!” Dick had
colored—not being himself a Frenchman. . “ Col-
lingford can’t be called that, villain, that he is.
_He Hunts to marry my girl against her will, that
15 3,511 l!) ‘ t '

“ Yes; and
Her cousin,
for company’s sake then b compulsion. But
then she, also, has her troub ed romance—a disa
carded suitor, who inﬂuenced her ﬂight by
threats, and may be pestering her now in safety,
for ought I know: I refer to  Romney.
of the British Navy, in her case.’ ’1 a .

,“ Ah, I recollect the name. .You captured him
more than once?” ‘ 3

“ Yes- and he as. many times effected his
escape.’ » , .

“ This is really ivory interestinbcdouble ro-
mance, so to speak 1” ‘

“ Yes, admiral. ”

“ ’i‘he fan; cousin, Miss Goldheart, would only
require a true lover in her case, equally eager
withyourself for rescue and revenge. to make
the Similarity complete.” ‘ r ' ‘ -

“ .Theie igéjust such a one, admiral; he is with
me on the Witch.”

‘9 Good, good! We are fairly launched in our
romance. Tell, me, my friend; you want to act
independently. but in what way?” .

9‘ You anticipate resistance at the mouth of
, the river, admiral?” ' :

“. Undoubtedly! They have two forts, there.
besides their blockaders that have united in the
vicinity. It lwill be no child’s. plug. In fact—-
but I say th s in conﬁdent-ermy lend—I am
not so intense sen me over the result as your-
General Linea his ofﬁcers seem to be. *

“Themsir ” observed the privateersmsn, re-
,ﬂectively. “ f should like to 0 into the river in
advance of you Without show g any colors. you
understand and as it ursued y your ﬂeet. '

Count d‘Estaing loo ed at him a moment, and
then grasped his hand impulsively. , ‘

“1 do understand 1" he cried. “My sou, you
are a tacticmn—you should have been in a great
navy from the ﬁrst, with an adequate tie! for,
your talents. So be it. i Leave the matter with"
me for arrangement with. my aptains. ,

 
on see, she is the one he restrains.

sdom keep you i” - , :
He embraced his guest with effusion, and they

separated. . r . v ,

“‘1 do wish that these French‘geutlemen were

, not so fond of hu log‘ and kissiugbzofellow !”
their to as f on his way

'Witch. “ It is well enough with cash girl, but
with another man—~pah! However 1: ‘re ins-l
pulslve devﬂs, with their shrugsondthe r grim-
aces} and I suppqseit’s a  of] their coon:

, m"linen theeupeditlcn 
immune-ensue“? , 

 
} ,2, K‘s.

l

iss.Goldhesrt, is rather with her ,

M friend, adieu! and msyGodin his inﬁnite ,

ktothe‘

  
zines, .

25

L

tacle, the Sea Witch was in the van—s. position
she was enabled to maintain at her pleasure and
ease, notwithstanding that the French ships and
transports were cracking on all they could

carry.

Dareall had acquainted Junk and Flinders
with his individual plan of action, so approved
by Count d’Estaing, and now they proceeded to
discuss it in detail.

“ There’s only one difﬁculty, in my opinion,"
observed J unk, in his bluff way.

“ What is that i" asked Dick.

“Well, it may be all ri ht if we succeed in
passing the forts and gett ninp into the river,

y sailing under false colors ut—”

“ Hold on i” interrupted Dereall. “ The
Witch shall never snil under false colors while I
command her. It is proposed to ass the forts
by the ruse of ﬂying no colors at a l~giving the
impression that we are a neutral craft being
pursued, you understand.”

“ Eggsactly l” retorted the old sailor; “ and
it’s ‘just the same thing—false pretenses, one way .
or t other."

Dick scratched his head.

“ Well," said he, with his reckless laugh, after
a pause, “ it's got to be. an way. Go ahead
lwith ”your ‘ only one diﬂicu ty,’ you old sea~

earl

“ As I was a~sayin’,” continued Junk “ there’s
only one difﬁculty, and that is the danger of
our being recognized for what we are by the cut
of our jib." 2

“ True," interposed Flinders.

“ I have thought all that over,” responded
Dick, carelesel . “ We must take our chances.
If our ruse is etected. we are ruined; it not,we

et up in the river, and are all right. That is , L

he long and short of it.”

Junk suddenly grasped one of his hands and V ' 4

Flinders the other.
The uiet de ration of the enterprise was
nit‘lenisiiit borough y understood by both, and they '
Dick returned their hand-pressures with un-
usual earnestness. i

“Now, mates," said he, “as to our course
after we do get up in the river—as I feel pretty
conﬁdent that we shall. Then the only remain~
ing diﬂiculty will be, it seems to me, to locate «

the young ladies. Ha ve either of you ever been j

to Savannah P?

No' neither of them had. . ‘

“ N’either have I. But it must be quite a “
small place in population, bewever linth it
may be in a military sense. when we is '
Georgia itselfwas ﬁrst settled by Oglethorpe onl
gfifty-odd cars a . So I don't believe we"
have nine
ladies’ residence, after all.” , .

i‘Since we‘re takin our chances," observed:
Flinders, “ we'll trust n luck for that, too."

This ﬁnished the consultation, and the indeﬂ-V .

nits plan of action was thus formulated.

 
CHAPTER XLII.
rnaoucu sucks AND um.

I As the mouthlof the Savannah River was ep- : ‘

preached ﬂve urge British blockadin Ihi _ '
came selling out to engage the Frenohghng.
ship: ofthe expedition.  . ‘ V ' " » , ‘
'i e latter came in closer. forming their 
tie-line. with‘the exception of one vessel afoot;
selling Toulon. corvette, which ventured in yet
closer in seeming hotpursuit :0! the Sea Witch, '
which was sheetin away from her apparently
with the utmost pidation, as if to gain the
protection of‘the forts. '

These latter had already opened ﬁre in so ‘.

‘ port of the naval demonstrati, on, notwithstan -
Frenchmanwns as yetmore ‘
tsnt, and the battle may be ’

ing that the nearest

than ﬁve mile!

said to have open 
The tramports, ﬁve in number, containing

General Lincoln, and his “troops. two thousan

strong, remained a little nearer to the coast-line .,
. north of the river, .
battle-line protecting them, but in readiness toL

th the right of the French
mks a landing and attack the fort on that side,

in case of encouragement frommhe result of the '

water "engcgeinent about to ensue. ,
,As for the privateer, she continued her sham .

flight.'havin put everything in readiness for

the success 0' her ruse.

1 Her guns were covered'out of sighthlpgear

:- almost an
crew were he ow, with the exception of eight or ~,
ten, and these were kept hopping about in. the, *

a '  
she less tarpsulined masses that t 5'
g pa sort of innocent c 0. “Abbott ‘

,performance of the various duties on!
with thezsailing of the craft. Other changes, -,
had been made to enhance the merchantman‘w; ‘

Her ofﬁcers anaconda _

Wendi maligned hi] 1 tly towing
ou-a ues,w'e uen .
backward glances at their”;q , ed put-sum;
In‘fewer words, her ﬁctitious e moterw.
ably sustained—the general impression ‘ con- ‘
voyed to an observer notrin the something one .»
ofexcessive panicand" . ,r ‘ i. , . >
ﬁght lut,»however, the corvette had to discon- ‘
tinueher part offthefcrce out of consideration
gar it; own“ , .‘gmdthedwnchgtill mail
or rivers moo. with capers speed.
'   under the stern of a!
‘ 7 1 ‘ thsleftoitheslcwlyad

   
its

    
kthat"

diﬁicu ty in ﬁnding out the young 

 
‘26

 
Dauntlessw 

 
1
British line, and the name Conqueror at her | commander, after viewing the battle in silence

0W.

“ Come to, there, you lubber!” was roaral by
a huge red-faced man in cocked hat and gold-
laced uniform, with epaulettes on his shoulders
'as big as cauliﬂowers, while the similarly
bedizened oilicers gathered about him seemed
to be intensely amused. “What are you run-
ning from? The Frenchman has come about."

“ Can’t come to, sir!" yelled Dick, in return.
“ They’re after us! Must get inside the forts.”

Something more peremptory was then bel-

lowed, but he only made a frantic gesture with
both hands, as if beside himself with fear, and
the disguised privateer swept off on her fugitive
career.
“ So far, so good i” exclaimed Flinders, looking
back. “ They re laughing ﬁt to split at our
‘ cowardice,’ and the frigate is now moving out
in line with the others.”

Junk growled out something discontentedly
about the shame of even pretending to be cow-
ards, and waddled over to the opposite side of
the poop.

But Dareall had good reason to be satisﬁed
with the initiatory success of his ruse, and now,
as they reached the river-mouth between the
forts, there was good reason to trust that it
would be continued.

The cannonading had begun to seaward, the
forts themselves were continuing to pop away,
though to no use whatever, and it seemed evi-
dent that their inmates, having observed the
schooner ass under the frigate, seemingly un-
challenge , were all the more disposed to deem
her a genuine fugitive from the Frenchmen, only
anxious to get up the river behind the protection
of the batteries.

This consummation, so devoutly to he wished,
at length became an established fact.

The cannon continued to roar on either side
and among the great battleships in the ofﬁng,
the sulphurous smoke and smell coming in-shore
on the wind in dense clouds.

And so, amid ﬁre and smoke and the roar of
battle, the disguised schooner ﬁnally swept, un-
challenged, straight through the center of the
broad river’s mouth, and was soon, comparative-
ly out of danger or even suspicion, well up the
bay formed by it, whence she kept up her rapid
and exciting course.

“It’s a go !” exclaimed the young commander,
delightedly. . “ Junk, tell the men below they
can tumble up. The must be half—stiﬂed down
below there by this time. Now to get a glimpse
at the battle behind us. I’m game for that be—
fore anything else.“

“So am I!” exclaimed Flinders. “ It’s only
ten miles up to the town, and we ought to ﬁnd a
hiding- lace somewhere along here from which
we can 00k back, and see how things are going
on ’

Such a place of concealment was presently
found in a. deep, crooked cove, screened by live-
oaks and overlooking wild rice-ﬁelds at inter-
vals, on the right or southern bank of the
stream.

Ample soundings being found, the privateer
was accordingly run into this cove so far as to
be erfcctly concealed from the view of any
cra t that might chance to pass up or down the
main river.

From the bosom of this shelter, the ofﬁcers
and men were enabled to obtain a ﬁne view of
the battle from the tops of the masts or of the
numerous giant trees surrounding them.

Many of these trees were dead at the summit,
though green or partly green below, as a strange
eﬂect o the swamp water about their roots,
thus affording ﬁne natural lookout stations
overtopping the foliage, whence the ﬁght‘ on sea
and land could be plainly distinguished with the
naked eye, though yet better with the glass, as
a matter of course, besides givin an extensive
view over the swamps and rice elds, through
which a road was raised between the sea-
shore and the town.

Flinders and Dick had Secured such a position
_by hard climbing, together with many others,
Junk being left at his own request with about
a dozen men in charge of the deck, far down in
the shadowy depths.

“ We might be taken for crows at a distance,”
observed Dick, full of the excitement of the
thin . “ But we can stand that, if, we can only
see t a ﬁght, though this is about the only bat-
tle"I ever looked on without taking a hand in
it

Then he became absorbed in the stirring and
impressive scene that was spread out before
them like an animated map or picture.

The battle was at ﬁrst wholly conﬁned to the
ships, the cannonading of the forts amounting
to nothing.

Of these_there were two, a comparatively in-
signiﬁcant one on the north side of the river,
occupying the southern int of one of the
South Carolina sea—islan s, the other a larger
and better-up inted one on the lower shore,
and about on t 9 same site that is occupied at
the present day by Fort Pulaski.

CHAPTER XLIII.
run BATTLE.
“ I DON’T like the way the Frenchmen are
handling their ﬂeet,” Flinders called out to hi

i

._.a..—

 
for a while. “ Tho tarnation fools! they’ve got
the most ships; why don’t they bring ’em all
into action, instead of keeping that frigate and
corvette doing nothing up yonder but guard
the transports? I don’t understand it.”

“Neither do I,” replied Dareall. “I should
think the troops might be left to shift for them-
selves, at least till the sea-ﬁght is decided, or be
set about coilperating at once. However, this
may all be in the plan of battle, you know. "

“ Is that D’Estaing’s ﬂagship over yonder,
Cap., tackling the biggest of the frigates?” Flin-
ders presently called out again.

“Yes,” was the response; “ and I think her
anta onist is the Conqueror, whose stern we so
luck‘ y slipped under. Ha! but D’Estaing is
making the ﬁght of his life there 1"

Much of the battle was hidden from view by
the dense clouds of smoke, for the wind had fall-
en oﬂ? and the atmosphere was growing heavier
with a, hint of rain.

The cannonading was incessant and all but
deafening, even at this distance from the shore,
a matter of three miles or more.

Suddenly Jerry Wardlow, who had made his

rch on a tree not far from the one in which

areall and Flinders were posted, and who had
a telescope with him, sung out:

“ Hurrah ! The troops must be going to make
a landing soon. Anyway, there come the two
battle-ships down upon the smaller fort with the
transports behind them.

This was true.

A few minutes later the frigate and corvette
already mentioned were seen to open on the fort
:0 the north with shot and shell with, great

ury.

In less than ton minutes the fort was thor-
oughly silenced, with the appearance of its in—
mates having been killed or wounded to a man.

Then the men-of-war crossed the river-mouth,
with the troops-laden transports still following
at a safe distance, and assayed the same heroic
treatment upon the larger fort.

But this was a different sort of customer.

The fort, besides being well—armed. and
manned, was a well-constructed series of earth-
works, provided with bomb-proof pits and maga-
me.

It was enabled to answer the cannonading
shot for shot, and gave no signs whatever of
givmg in.

Indeed, the men-of—war presently withdrew
beyond range,and then the transports were seen
passing behind them; after which the troops bee
gan to disembark from them in boats at a point
further down the beach.

“ Aha!” cried Jerry. “They’re going to
charge Mr. Fort in the rear. That’s the inten-
tion. Hurrah for our side i”

But they were going to do nothing of the

sort.

When all the troops had landed, they were
lost to view behind some sandy dunes for alittle
space.

When they reappeared, it was not on the
sandy beach, as might have been expected, but
at the lower end of the raised swamp road,
whence they were taking their march, drums
beating and pipes shrieking, straight up into the
country.

“ That’s the talk!” exclaimed Dareall. “ The
brave boys! They are leaving the fort for the
smegmand are marching on to attack the town
i . ‘

This was really the case, but Flinders, who
had chanéed to level his glass away in the di-
rection of the town, a steeple or two of which
could be just glimpsed in the distance, calling
out, in a tone of regret:

“Thunder and lightnin ! it’s tob infernally
mean. I didn’t suppose t e Britishers had so
man troops right in the town."

“ hat’s up?” cried Dick, abo
glass to bear.

“ Look back yonder, and see!"

Dick drew a long breath, while Jerry roared
out a string of pro unity. ‘

There was excuse, if not cause, enough.

Far up the road, three or fd'ur miles or more,
a body of grenadiers, apparently double the
number of the advancing Americans, were
re. idly deploying out of a dense wood of live
on , and forming their line in its skirt, evident-
1y with the intention of giving a warm recep-
tion to the would-be assailants of Savannah

own.

“ It’s damnablo l” exclaimed Dareall, grinding

his teeth. “ There are three thousand of them
at least, while I don’t believe there are more than
twlo thousand of our fellows with General Lin-
co n. .
“ Still, our fellows have glimpsed the enemy l”
interrupted Flinders. “ See! the scouts on
horseback are already dashing ahead to recon-
noiter; and that must be General Lincoln him-
self on the big white horse, with his staﬂ oﬁlcers
around him.

“ Hurrah!" shouted the boatswain again.
“ No back track for our boys! There they go
on the quick-step!”

Oblivious of the naval engagement for the
time being, the lookouts on the tree and mast-
tops continued to follow the" march of the Conti-
nentals; while the grenadiers drawn up in line

bringing his.

 
across the road, away up at the edge of the dis-
tant thicket, were still seen waiting, apparently
in grim and stem expectancy.

Then, after half an hour or so, there came the
ﬁrst exchanges of musketry.

The British advanced, and then fell back, in
perfect order, and ﬁring volleys continuously.

Then the Americans went forward, only to
fall back in their turn, while an attempt to turn
the British ﬂank by a charge on the part of
the small squadron of horsemen on the American
side was seen to be rolled back in confusion.

Then both sides advanced simultaneously, the
she rattle of the musketry could be distin-
guis ed even above the thunder of the cannon-
adingr to seaward, and as an intervening timber
strip partly shut out the view of the contending
little armies, they seemed to be inextricably
blended in a furious hand—to-hand battle with
the bayonet.

The high-perched spectators awaited the re—
sult in an agony of suspense.

It was not of long duration.

In ten minutes the Americans were in full re-
treat—a retreat that was just not a rout, and
tlﬁat was all—carrying their wounded with
t em.

The British pursued a short distance, and then
came to a halt, doubtless so battered themselves
as to rest content with retaining possession of
the ﬁeld.

Back beyond, over the wild rice ﬁelds and in
among the sparse—growing trees, the ground was
more or less strewn with motionless and man-
gled forms.

it was a defeat! ,

With heavy hearts, the oddly posted specta-
tors once more turned their gaze toward the
sea.

No comfort there!

There was a general cry of dismay.

The smoke clouds were dissipatin , snowing
the French ﬂeet, or what was left 0 it, falling
back on the sea-line, beaten and distressed.

Several of the British shi had also been
badly cut up and dismantled)? But they were
the victors, after a desperate battle, and were
slowly making sail after their beaten foes,
D’Estaing’s ﬂagship sullenly hanging in the
rear, like a. wounded sheep-dog in defense of his
ﬂying fold before victorious wolves.

A rench fri ate and corvette, comparative]
uninjured, stil? lingered off-shore, howeve ,
without molestation, to cover the transports
and the reémbarkation of Lincoln and his de-
feated troops.

The combined attack upon the British position
at Savannah had been made and repulsed, with
a loss of more than one thousand men.

CHAPTER XLIV.
UP run RIVER.

IT was now near nightfall, and the privac-
teer’s ship’s-company made all haste to return
to their vessel, and once more gain the broad
river from the depths of the crooked cove, or-
bayou, that had sheltered them so strangely.

bad as were their hearts over the distressin
spectacle they had witnessed, their individu
ente rise was so far secure, if there was any
conso tion in that.

And, vaunt as we may to the contrary, there
is in truth no ublic misfortune, however near-
ly our 3 mpa ies and interests may be therein
9118
to oigselves bya consciousness of our individual
securit or prosperity as an offset.

The ritish were still in possession of Savan-
nah, but the privateer was well up the river,
still in her d uise of innocence, the one re—
maining fort 9. its mouth was not gently to
be feared when the time to run out ould ar-
rive, and the blockaders were not likely to re-
turn in a hurry from the pursuit of their beaten

09.

That was the privateer’s individual situa--
tion, and there was no denying that there
was both consolation and encouragement in the
same.

As she made her way slowly up the‘ river un-
der easy sail, but a small portion of her crew
being in view, she passed many small craft
coming down for news of the naval “battle, but
seemed to escape suspicion altogether.

There was still the chance however, of her
being recognized by either Collingford or Rom-
ney lshoul the latter also be in the vicinity,
which was more than likely), and, on the out-
skirts of the town being sighted, Dick and Flin-
ders began to look for a convenient place to
anchor for the night, while they should make
their nest for the oung ladies’ whereabouts.

Dus was fast c osing in.

Suddenly Jerry Wardlow exclaimed, his
eyes staring at the right or Georgia bank of the
river:

“ Hallo! No further doubt of our fair doves"
bird-cage now, I reckon.”

“ What do you mean, Jerry!” cried Dareall,
in no little excitement.

“ Friend Dick, look yonder l"'

He indicated with his hand the shadowy out—

i

, but that can be more or less mitigated .

 
W<>

 
l

I

moo-MA

, rt”

--;<-- .x 7’

Dauntless ,Dick.

27””

 
lines of a small vessel riding at anchor in a deep
indentation of the river-bank, whose rising
shore was for the most part heavily wooded.

“ Atyonder sloop, you mean i”

“Yes, friend Dick.”

{1 “ What of it?"
x “ It is Collingford’s yacht, the Curlew f”

Dick fairly caught his breath, for it seemed
too good to be true; while Finders, who had
overheard the announcement, came heunding to
the spot.

commander,a perceptible tremor in his voice.
“ I can hardly believe in such a stroke of luck.”

thders leaned forward, bending his searching
gaze through the dusk.

“ Jerry is right," he observed. “ You are
doubtless ri ht about our being in luck, Dick.
It is the Cur ew. But there is something worth
i sighting over and beyond her. Where is your
ui ht-glassi” i

t was produced, and then Dareall perceived
by its aid a solitary house.

It was on a bill, a mile or two back from the
river on a line with the yacht, was partly em-

be inning to glimmer from its easements.

e lowered the glass, and his hand met the
mate‘s in an instinctive grasp of gratitude and
i congratulation.

There was a world of meanin
in that simple grasp of the ham .
4 They felt that the goal was won, or almost
.- won, and that they were on the threshold of
‘l their hopes so long deferred.

n’ A place had been found in which to cast an~
chor now.
 1 Slowly and cautiously, the privateer was sailed
‘ across the stream, and then anchor quietly drop-
ped in deep water back of the river-bay, under
the shadow of the overhangin trees, and within
two or three cable-ion the of t e 8100 .
Presently a light g immered on e deck of

bet ween them

, ji peered below. I
1 Dick and Flinders, the former leaving certain
‘ ,- directions with Junk for the ponduct of the
5 Witch in case of their failure to return, then set
out for the sloop, accompanied by a single rower
with mufﬂed oars.

Voices, the voices of negroes, were heard in
the forecastle as they approached.

It thus seemed most ely that only servants
were in possession of the vessel.

They silently boarded her, leaving the man in
the boat.

Stepping stealthily over the deck, they peered
down into the forecastle.

Four negroes, one of them cooking, were
gathered about the galley ﬁre.

The one engaged in cooking was thick-set,
5'? . squat and muscular. The three others were

' negroes of huge and powerful frames.

i; r I were doubtless slaves, and’yetall were armed,
3' * as was often the custom in the South during the
. Revolution, for the British were likewise slave-
~ owners in their colonies at that time and the
American negroes could in most cases betrusted
against them. And all possessed sinister and
ferocious faces

Making a signiﬁcant motion tohiscompenion
Dareall suddenly hounded down the steps, an
Ehoored the cook with a tremendous blow under

e ear.

Flinders had followed him, and instantly the
prostrated man’s astounded companions were
confronted by leveled cocked istols in the hands
of the two whites, though was ho ed by the
latte; tgllt their explosive use won d not be,

u e .

ut the slaves, perceiv their threateners to
be strangers. and in spite 0 their surprise, were
, not intimidated.
,. ,t'; ‘ They may have also suspected that the leveled

7 ls were a bluﬂ’.

l At all events, they almost immediate! drew

their weapons—immense and murderous- ookin

bntcher-knives—and with the snarling growl o

wolves at bay, suddenly launched themselves

a: theig ﬁhnts, ivtvllliigm gigs evidently mis-
for ri ers, w . ru pry.

There/ was no help for it, the pistols had to be

It “was done simultaneously each bringing
down a man, and as the sprugf up the
steps afteraterocious,cleveri -evad lungeat
llilinciers, the latter was at 5 basic, sword in

mi.

When Dick followed, the mate was ahead
wiping his sword-blade on a coil of rope. W
the corpse of the negro was ﬂoating out withtho
subsidies e. '

“ Rather ghastly work i" muttered Doreen;
“ but there was no help for it, as far as I‘ can
see. Come!” ,

Returning to the galley, the two remaining
dead bodies were dragged up and tossed'into the

stream.
‘The stunned minutes then revived with ,a
dash of Easter, at}; made to realise the helpless-

. assent .

“ l t, boss red-coat!” he said, with a
signof abject submission. “.Doan’tkill dis -
, bplgesg‘lggn’youﬁuns hob done got
"“  red-coats!" exclaimed the‘yonng

it ‘ ,

 
‘ we»..-

“wasp:- ,. . :

 
\

  
-tﬁhgiwaoewv .W — wear-2'] .- .; :

  
“ lou look, Fog-cycl" exclaimed the young ‘

.
l bosomed among bowering trees, and lights were I

 i the latter, was carried about, and then disap— ‘

i l

 commander, sternly: “and we don't Want the
: sloop—not Just now at least. Be submissive and
v obedient, and no further harm shall come to

“ I done belongs to you now, boss."
“ What is our name?”
“ Sanibo artingale.”
Dick gave a self-satisﬁed start. He remem-
bered to have once heard that Collingford had
relatives, rich planters, of that name somewhere
, in the South.

“ ls yonder your master’s house, on top of the
wooded hill?”

“ it am one of his houses, boss.”

“ Who is living there new?”

“ Marse Collingford, Marse J ack’s cousin.”

“ Any one elsel"

“ be two young ladies, togedder wif de brack
, gals that waits on ’em un’ keeps ’em from run-
i nin’ away.”

“ Wha young ladies?”

“De done come wif Marse Collingford in dis
sloop, ong time a o."

“ Any one else i vin at the house?"

“ No, boss; dough arse Romney, he done
come dah sometimes.”

0‘ Aha l”

“ Yes, boss; but I’se t’inkin‘ he doan’t come so
much now." And a grin spread over the negro’s
ﬂat, baboon-like face.

it Wh I’n ‘

“ De oung1 lady dat he lub doan’t lub him, I
reckon, ’ wit another grin. " Any way, she
done gib him ﬁts de las’ time.”

“ And the other young lady l”

“ Marse Collingford done be arter her, but she
i won‘t eben speak to him. Hu l”

' “Come with us,” and Dick led the way back
i on deck Fog-eye warily following the ne ro.
, Here hick reloaded his pistol, as did also his
‘ associate. -

l “ You will guide us to the house?” the former
i demanded of the captive.

The latter readily assented.

' “ Do so, then. And remember, at the first
sign of rebellion, or if you try to give the alarm,
it means a bullet from this pistol in your hes ”

“ Yes, boss.’-’ '

“ Get over the side into that boat i”

 
CHAPTER XLV.
AT THE GOAL.

A raw minutes later the landing was enacted,
and the negro, Samba, was leading the way 11
Is. narrow path among the trees, with a pisto
constantly clap to either side of his head.

The moon ha risen, and was very. bright.

It had been agreed beforehand that in case of
the two guest-seekers being compelled to sep-
arate the should make for the privateer'each
indivldu y on his own account.

And, in case either one of them should be im-
able to do this, he was to make for the coast, as
near the mouth of the river as should be safe,
wilgreﬂthe privateer would be expected to take

0 . -

It was, moreover. tacitly understood that nei-
ther was to relinquish his quest unless in the
com any of the young lady in which he was
chic y interested. _

The way up through the semi-tropical wood;

was not an unpleasant one.
' The breath of the warm summer air was like
the caress of a loved one’s hand, and it was fra-
grant w1th the scent of wild ﬂowers‘ which, with
more light, might have been seen hanging on the
great treeptwming vines in milky mosses or
graceful trumpet shapes.

They at length got out of the woods, and en-
tered park-like grounds and lantations of vast
extent, With the lights 0 the ittle house plainly
visible half a. mile or so rther on.

tHere they were ‘suddenly aware of :he sound
0 vaices, apparen y an ones not drawn '
and they came to a momgehymy halt. y,
b “ ﬁgmi” exclaimed the negro, under his
res . ‘ ' '
“ You re'cognize those voiced,” demanded Dick,
in a cautious tone. ,
_ “ I done guess at ’em, boa.” ..
'  are they: , ’be 3 .d' '
arse mney, emus pastel-in e 0
led againgober in dat 0mg]: rove.” y, m
was not very lucid, 11 they cautiously
.approachedthegroveindiostedﬁhevoices trick-
go resolving themselves into those of semi
ldheartand Captain Ron: 9%; ~ '

Here Flinders re nested a it, and with a
genius be indicated but his qtgest was at hand,
and should be left exclusively him. i! ' \

The transﬂgurin dignity of demeanor had
come over him, an he stood noble and erect,.,
‘but with a certain surgery in his face that was

not exact] Food to see. ,
c112“:er ed, and a parting hand-grip w'u ex.
n e . , i -
‘5 ligamember our agreement as to individual
action ” he muttered. ,. ’ ‘ ‘»
He then went on! alone under the negro’l' guid-

 
ance. ,

- Naomi and Romney were in ailment '
glade among theora trees of” a large
noon to the right of o path with

 
planta—

"at

 
house near at hand, indicating that it was a
saunteriug spot perhaps often resorted to.

Naomi was very indignant, the Britisher labor-
ing under suppressed excitement, and the inter-
view had apparently but just begun.

“I tell you, sir,’ exclaimed the young wo—
man,“ 1 will not have you come here again. 
And I have said the some thing so often that I
should think you would begin to understand,
if yo’u have a spark of gentiemanliness remain-

‘ I have nothing remaining but my love for '
you," was the moody response.

“ And I will have none of’it, sir."

“ It was not always thus, Miss Goldheart.”

“ There might have been a brief space when it
was otherwise—4. girl's ﬁrst silly infatuation—-
but that is long since over and done. Sir, I in-
sist on the discontinuance of your visits. ”

“But you can‘t desirethe mere companionship
of black slaves?” .

“ Myconsin’s society sufﬁces me—that is,when
hcr cowardly annoyer giVes her a chance to in‘
dui e me in it. ’ ' V 

“ Vhy are you so changed to me?” i ,

“Sir, I wish to be alone i" " '

“ You once loved me.”

“ N everi An infatuation, no more.”

“ You might even have married me."

“ And God be praised! I did not.”

“ Do you, or do you not love nnotheri” he sud-
denly exclaimed, almost savagely. ,

She restrained the indignant answer that was.
evidently on her tongue.

“ Perhaps so,” was her collected reply.

Romney suddenly gaVe way to ungovernablev J

tern r.

“Yieoolish girl!" he raved: “ think lﬁfu I will
submit tamer to being treated thus— a a cast»
off toy, an outgrown caprice'l"

“ Stand back, sir 1"

She was frightened ,now, and there was deh
peration in his looks as he advanced a. step.

“ Naomi Goldheart, I am here to marry you
and," with an oath, “I shall do so sooner 0)-
later, if I have to drag you to the altar!”

“ Cowardi .Oh, that my country’s brave de-
fenders were in power hereaboutsl’

“ Brave defenders, indeed! Have they not .
this day been repulsed. like beaten hounds, from
our town gates? And where are the French
ships?” with a dei-isive laugh. “Dismantied
battered fugitives, with the oak leviathana of .
old England in hot pursuitl Child, you have no
country, save what is minel Your country’s
defenders? they do not exist, save as ragged’
va abondsi”

he gavea low cry, that was sufﬁciently in-
dicative of:how the disasters of the day had
stricken at her heart and he es.

“Leave me, leave mel” s e faltered. “Go
awn l” .

“ shall not leave you!” he cried, with grow—
ing passionateness. ,“ Not till you have prom-
ised to be my wife.”

“ Neverl”, ‘ .

“ Tell me, then, the name of this other man
gig: say you love, and I will go, at least for this *

e. ,

“ did not say I loved another man.” 7

" You hinted that it might be I0.” ‘ i

“ Thatis different.” ,

“ Hisnamel” ‘  - .

“ I shall not tell it. But he is not a Britisher " ‘
-—not one of my country’s hated focus-thank .
God for thati" . r

A sudden revelation seemed to ﬂash through 
Romney’s mind. ' ‘

“Good Lord l” he exclaimed, with a crackling
laugh; “ it can’t be that lanky, red-headed nous»
descript who plucked. you out of Barneget

.v'i”
Naomi blushed violently, and then became
ve e. ‘ i ‘

5y 9 man who rescued mew-be replied, com- .
madly, “had before that saved my brother's .
'einbattle.” ' '.' ‘;'

’He stared at her, and then cried out: V .‘

“ Great Godl it is true.thenl Talkof Titania: ‘
and Bottom, the weaver! But come, enough of ',
this. Have I your promise, or not?" i ,  .

Yyp
“ or to be my wife.”
4“ Mr. money, you are a fool!" . ' 3'
Losing the last vestiges of self-control, he x
suddenly seized her wrist, hisface convinced and .

“1‘8. “ » ,\, , f
' You shall be minel” he hbarsel ‘ *
She struggled to release her 

vain.
“Oh!” she cried: “me on in com: ‘3
ggfegslers,‘ is there not gage w mango
“Ha, ha,hal Your country's defenders! If
tell you they do not exist! Come; I must have ~
that minke.” . - ' 3 ‘ ' 
i “ l” was suddenly thundered forth, and
the some moment he gored back under a .
blow in the chest, while 1"] on towered above
him. “Iamthe lady’s defender—~ay,and her
avenger!" ’ ‘ .
Naomi was I0 dazed and h Iterical thatcho
did what otherwise Ihe- ht . never have.”
dreamed ’

_8hethrewheuelf with o', tsob; ,s .1
We.» ' "   
FM“. ”, I”. p ‘

    
28

Dauntless Dick.

 
CHAPTER XLVI.
ONE Love‘s TRIUMPH.

FLINDERS, from what he had already over-
heard, was in a sufﬁciently ecstatic and bewil-
dered state of mind, apart from his furious re-
sentment against Naomi’s insulter, at his ﬁrst
ap arance on the scene.

ﬁgure fairly in his arms, close to his breast,
soft arms even tightening around his neck as she
wept hysterically upon his shoulder—it seemed
altogether fanciful and unreal.

Indeed, he might not have been able to realize
it at all, had he not perceived Romney rushing
upon him, sword in hand and foaming at the
mouth. .

“ It is true, then!” roared the Britisher. “ But

she shall not survive this ignominy, this dis- ,

grace! This to the hearts of both of you l"
His sword was already drawn back for the

fatal double-thrust, when the young woman ‘

was ﬂung aside from its passage by a lightning-
like movement, Flinders’sown sword caught the
rushing blade, and turned it aside from his own
breast.
h Naomi screamed, and stood by with clasped
an 3.
But the tragedy was of a different character
from what might have been ex
The opposing swords had
gether in fence when Rommﬁl suddenly stag-
gered back, pressing his left h ' d to his head.
He then pitched forward on his face, and
when Flinders stooped over him he was dead.

“ It was the wave of blood in his head,I ‘

fancy,” said Flinders, looking up after a hurried
examination. " What is the name for it— Oh,
yes; congestion of the brain.” ‘

“ I suppose so,” half-inaudibly.

She was standing there very white in the
moonlight, still clasping her hands.

“ I am so glad you didn’t kill him!” she then

managed to say, with a strong effort at compos- '

are; a burning shame-faced ﬂush slowly blotting
oht her pailor, as fire might frost.

“ Why 9" somewhat stupidly, no less than fal-
teriglglly in his turn, as he half—wonderineg
fac er, like a man in a dream. " He was

, deserving of the fate that overtook him,
ma’m.”

“ Yes, yes; I suppose so.” hurriedly, and half-
averting er face. “ And I had come to dislike
.him horribly. But—I am glad it was not you
to do it.”

“ But why?” still wonderingly.

“ Come away—this is terrible 1” And, still in
her painful confusion, she led the way through
the grove to a considerable distance from the
motionless form. After that she turned to him,
a strange vehemeuce struggling through her
ehame—facedness. “ Oh, sir! ’ in indescribable
excitement; “ you are so strong, so brave. Be-
sides, are you not an American, a strict? And
did you not save my life, no ess than my
brother's? Herbert told me all about it.”

Still in his bewilderment, he was about to
msk, “ What of that?” when suddenly, out of her
.zmiiidlgn confusion and trepidation, she gave him
a. 00 .

“ There is a look which woman gives to man
Once in a lifetime, baring to its shrine
The inmost mystery of her secret heart.
Accursed be he who, meeting once that look,
Passes not on, vouchsaﬂng no return;
Or, meeting it, fails not in truth to take
Its jeweltreasure to his inmost soul.
There to hoard up and cherish its sweet fire
Forevermore—his blessing and his prize!"

Then it all rushed upon his simple but grand
nature like a revelation.

“ Good God i” he exclaimed; “ you can’t mean
'that you care for me—me 2”

And why not.

She gave but another look—a shy, difﬁdent
one this time—and was in his arms.

“ I can’t understand it—I just can’t!” be con-
tinued to say over and over again to himself
even in the novel and delirious ecstasy of it all.
“‘ She—the loveliest in all the world, alady born
--to care for the like of me! I just can’t under-
stand it I"

But she could, having the advantage of
him there. For he had never seen himself in
battle, besides being unaware of the strange

“constant transformation that had been working
.in him from the ﬁrst hour of his ennobling love
.and worship ; a transformation that had wrou ht
not only upon his aspect, but upon his thong ts
and speech, as if the vulgar commonplace to

which he had been born, and to which he had

'- been bred, were somehow falling off from him
like a material shell, to the disclosure of the na-
tive worth and manliness beneath.

A veritable and the only true enchantress is
Leve. its transformations outlasting time itself
on into the eternities, when “ a thousand years
are as yesterday when it is past, and a watch in
the night.”

But it was not in .the nature of circumstances
"for this stran e death-haunted and peril-girt
episode of ten erness to last uninterruptedly for
more than a ﬂeeting space.

“ How and why are you here?” asked Naomi,
hurriedly withdrawin from her lover’s em-

brace. “ But come- will try to have Jessie
accompany our ﬂigh .”

ut now to have that beloved and worshiped '
er

pec .
hardly clashed to— g

1 “ Dick Dareall is lookin after her,” was the
reply. “But you are rig t. We must hasten
1 up to the house after him.”

“ Heavens! has he ventured there?”

“ Of course; isn’t your cousin to be found
there?”

“ Yes, yes; but little better than a prisoner—
surrounded by armed slaves belonging to Mr.
Collin ford’s Tory relative, Colonel Martingale
—crue and relentless wretches at that. 1, sim-
ply being here as her associate, have less espion-
a 9 over me,as a matter of course. Come then!
l r. Collingford was to come again with his
hideous supplications to—night, and I left Jessie
nervous and miserable over expecting him. Be-
' sides, the news of the American disasters nearly
prostrated us both."

They regained the path and hurried up the
, hill, side by side.

On reaching the borders of a second planta-
tion, however. in the center of which the house
itself stood, a series of yells suddenly burst upon
the air from somewhere in the vicinity of the
building. They were followed by the clash of
steel, a hearty, deﬁant shout, that was recog-
nized as in Dick’s voice, avolle of curses which
were as evidently from Squire ollingford’s lips,
and the din continued indiscriminately.

Followed by Naomi, Flinders was about spring-
ing forward to the rescue when there came the
I loud ringing report of a pistol of a peculiar
r resonance or intonation, almost like the jarring

of a bell, and he came to a sudden halt once
i more.

“ It is Dick’s signal!” he exclaimed. “ We are
to leave him to his own devices. Such was the
‘ agreement between us. Come! to the boat, to
. the boat!”

: He threw his strong arms about her and re.
traced his steps down the path at all but break-
! neck speed sweeping her with him like a sheaf
,‘ In the crooked arm of a tornado.
‘ Yet swiftly as they sped he could explain to
_ her the nature of the signal
| “That shot,” he said, “ was from a at-bore
', steel-barreled pistol that, together wit its mate,
; can alone give forth that clear, bell-like ring.
1 Its mate is here in my belt. By the si al,
Dareall will not attempt to return to the river,
but will make his way directly to the coast.
Such was the agreement. Had I been similarly
circumstanced with you, I would have done the
same.” .

Reaching the boat without mishap, they at
once put off in her for the privateer.

To return to Dareall,immed1ately after separ-
ating from Flinders, he had proceeded directly
trip through the adjoining plantation to ward the

ouse.

Voices resently attracted him — women’s
voices—an , still keeping his guide covered with
his pistol, he had cautiously approached the spot
whence they proceeded.

To his great joy, he perceived Jessie taking
the air on a. pretty terrace near the house, close-
ly attended by a muscular black woman, who
seemed to have charge of her, and to be very
watchful and alert.

Presently, however, as the prisoner sunk list-
lesst into a rustic seat, her attendant stepped
into the house.

“Jessie! Jessie !” Dick cautiously called out,
from his place of concealment among some con-
venient laurels, while pressing his weapon yet
more closely to his black guide’s temple; “ I am
here. Come to me-quickl”

She started to her feet, her sweet, sad face
lighting up, when the negro, suddenly ducking
his woolly head gave utterance to an ear-pierc-
ing warning yell.

CHAPTER XLVII.

FOB LOVE AND LIFE.

TEE next instant the negro was a. corpse,
; thou b not by the pistol that had ressed his
temp e, Dick having remembered is signal-
agreement with Flinders in time to swiftly sub-
stitute it for his sword and make the quietus-
thrust before the echoes of the alarm had died

away.

But it had been enough.

Then, the next moment he had his sweetheart
in his arms and was hurrying back throu h
the trees with her in the direction of the pat .

But the negro woman had instantly reap-
peared from the house, taking up the death-
silenced alarm.

Armed slaves seemed to sprin into pursuit
from almost every quarter as if y magic, and
then Coningford himself—on horseback, and
looking as if just from the town ona hard gallop
—was upon the scene, andtook in its signiﬁcance
at a lance;

“ pon him i” 'he yelled. spurring forward in
a white wrath that caused the strange throat:
encircling birthka to stand out with lurid
distinctness in the moonlight. “ Tear her from
him! cut him to pieces!” '

But Dareall, who had come about-face with
his back to a dense eve n clump, with Jessie
tremblineg crouchin hind him, had by this
time come to the cone usion that it would be im-
possible for him to retrace his steps toward the
river, and that the agreed-on signal to that ef-
fect must be made.

 
Hurling back the primary onset of several of
the slaVes all of whom were armed with mur-
derous-looking knives, by stretching two of
them lifeless with his sword and wounding sev-
eral others, he suddenly shifted the weapon in-
to his left hand and drew from his bolt the
select pistol with his right.

“ Come, then, you Tory hound!” he ex-
claimed, ﬂashing it to an aim as Collingford
was madly spurring his steed directly upon
him. “1 had hoped to reserve you for the
hangman’s noose for which you seemed to have
been predestined (‘ Rope-mark Collingford,’ you
know,” with a mocking laugh), “ but as it is—”

But Collingford, in spite of his fury, was
clever enough to cause his horse to rear at the
critical instant. _

The pistol accordingly rung forth its warn-
ing, but it was the animal’s and not the rider's
brain that received the fatal missive accom-
panying the report.

Then, while the Tory was still'struggling to
rise, With his leg pinioned under the dying
brute, Dareall, thrusting the pistol back into
his belt and killing yet another negro assailant
with his sword, darted away with his com an-
ion and made feint of dashing down the '11-

at .

D At the junction of the adjoining plantations,
however, he branched off due southward,
through the dense- wood, directly toward the
sea, ten miles away.

And at. this juncture, very fortunﬁtely for
the fugitives, the moon momentarily v 'led her
light behind a passing cloud.

Collingford, on foot, sword in hand, and with
a herd of his kinsman’s slaves at his lead, had
swiftly‘followedpuntﬂ the sudden fading of
:he moonlight caused him to miss the ﬂeeing

orms.

“Quick!” he ordered. “To the beach-road,
all of ou, in case he might have gone that
way. ’11 to my sloop alone, to cut them off by
the river-line! Off, oﬂ l” beatin some of them
with the ﬂat of his sword, and icking others.
“ If they escape, more than one of you shall be
skinned alive for permitting it.”

Then, as the~negrOes scattered in the direc-
tion indicated, he hurried on unattended down
the path.

On he went, passing without dreaming it the
little glade in which Romney’s body lay stark
and cold and stiff in the returning caress of the
eerie moonlight.

On, and on! and at last the outlines of his
sloop were in sight, riding peacefully in a little
bright water-patch among the deep overhang-
in shadows of the river-bay.

Vhat was this?

Wasn’t it a good deal nearer the shore than
ordinarily!

No matter. He reached the water’s edge, and
called out hoarsely, in the inhuman manner of
the times when summoning a bondsman:

“ Sambo! Scip! Remus! Hannibal! quick
— -in here with the sloop, or I’ll rip off your black
hides! Ahoy, I say! What! if you are sleep-
ing on watch, woe betide you! Samba!”

at he was heard, and by those who were not

aslee .

A dusky-seeming head popped out of the fore-
castle, to disappear again, and slowly, mysteri-
ously the Curlew quitted her anchorage, and
came in-shore. «

But in his excitement he did not heed.

“ Bestir yourselves monkeys! baboons !" he
cried, scrambling on  “ Did that villain,
Dareall, land at this ointi It shall be slow-ﬁre
torture for you all, 5 cold it prove so! Sambo!
Remus! where are you? Out of your rat-holes
you black rascals! This shore must be patrolle
without an instant’s delay and—”

Here he was roughly collared.

“ Yes, we’ll attend to that, Mr. Collingford—
and be hanged to you!” interrupted old J unk’s
rasping voice. “ Pay 01!, my lads! we’ve
scotched our snake l”

Three or four of the nrivateersmeu had risen
up around the cum ppe i T013 as if by magic.

Resistance was u. eiess, an just at this mo-
ment, while the sloop was being ushed of! into
deep water, a spectacle presen itself to the
scoundrel’s despairing eyes that was to haunt
them till the last darkness should shut down
over them forever.

It was that of the stately Sea Witch herself,
swinging out into the moonlit water from the
black shadow of the bank, and with Jerry
Wardlow’s face among the throng that were

grinnin remorselessly at him from along her
port bu warks.
“'A good-evenin to thee, my dear half-

brother!” Je c ed out, in his mock sympa-
thetic tones. ’ What! am I even nearer the
heirship of the great Collingford estates than I
had hoped i”

Collingford had again become livid, the throat-
girdling mark once more standing out with
startling distinctness. Then he covered his face
with his hands, and threw himself prone upon
the deck without a groan.

In the mean time, Dick Dareall, 1rd got well
on down with Jessie throu h the envy wood
into which he had diverg . when the yells of
the negroes once more sounded in‘ his pursuit.

“One more light for it, my love! said he,

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Dauntless Dick.

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(Leeringly; “and then i. fancy we shall be rid
,Q‘ th:s especial breed of enemy, at least.

Fortunately, another evergreen clump was
at hand for him to back up a ainst, and there
was still time to reload his ischarged pistol,
there being three others in his belt,land when
the black savages were again upon him. he was
once more in position, with Jesuie behind him
as before. '

ﬁlindly obedient to their taskmaster‘s cruel
mandates, and doubtless incapable of compre-
hending the meaning of humanity in their own
behalf, or even in the abstract, they came With
the blind i'vipotuous savagery of wolves, swing-
ing their long knives, their blood-shot eyes glar-
ing, and many of them frothiug at the mouth:

‘ It’s a ity to slaughter such unrewining, ir-
responsib ebcings as these,” muttered the young
commander between his teeth. “ But there is
no help for it, that I can see." .

“ Crack! crack! crack 1 and then crack-ding-
dong i” went the four istols in rapid successmn,
the bell~toned barker list, and each tumbling its
human billet headlong to the fresh turf.

And then his sword was playing out before
him, like a. hundred tongues of pointed silvery
ﬂame, till the bodies of the on-coming herd were

iled up one above: another in a semicircular
reastwork around him. _

It was only when half had been slain that the
remnant turned and ﬂed away, yelling and ap-
palled, amid the wood. . _ _ '

Dick lost no time in continuing his ﬂight,
Jessie and be having an ample opportunity for
the exchange of news items and conﬂdences dur-
in is continuance.

t last they reached the beach road, and the
comparatively unobstructed swamps and rice
plains stretching away toward the coast.

But by this time they were almost completely
exhausted, the young man having to support or
half-carry his companion at intervals; and there
was the new danger of coming upon the camp
of the Britishers who had triumphed in the bat—
tle of the afternoon.

But at this juncture, when they were resting
temporarily under some low trees, a whiny
was heard a short distance off. ,

Dick uttered a joyful exclamation, and poxnt—
ed with his hand.

“ We are saved l” he cried.

A grou of horses—doubtless freed by the
death of is air riders in the battle, and some of
them still retaining their equipments—were
quietly grazing in he swamp quite near at
hand ‘

In a short time one of them had been so-
cured, Dareall was in the saddle with his sweet-
heart before him, and their motto was _still
“ For Love and Life," with the prospect bright-
ening before them.

The mill camp was found to have been
abandoned, doubtless by the withdrawal of the
troops back into the town. i

But the experiences of our fugitives had been
none the less prolonged and severe and it was
daybreak when they reached the beach at or
near the point at which General Lincoln and his
devoted Americans had made their ill-starred
landing twelve or thirteen hours previously.

 
CHAPTER XLVIII.
BATTLE-SUNSHINE.

“ Wa’iui in luck my darling Jessie!” cried
Dick, as he helped hls sweetheart to alight, and
once more gave the faithful chance-found steed
his liberty. “ Look out yonder!“ pointing sea-

war .
She we; vs 9 and tottered so much that
he an lieu-pi; in: arms‘ ,his dark eyes brim-

' with their pity and love.

St 11 she managed to. stand erect a moment
and look awa .

“Ah!” wi a lad little criof thankfulnccs;
“ the privateer, t 8 Sea Witc 1"

Then she fell into his arms again, and would
have fainted had he not sprinkled her face with
the cool brine from the run wave. ‘

Yes; the Sea Witch, ind , well oﬂ-shore,

, and apparentl with a smaller craft in her com-

pany and loo g as if she might have been

 the coast for hours in a vain search
or these very two who wore n0w so overjoyed

at sightln her.

Dick’s ﬁnal was specdrigilanswercd b a sa-
lute from t c swivel-guns chips (and t was
about the ﬁrst and only use that that same little
swivel had been put to thus far), and a boat was
seen putting out from her.

It was the longhboa with four men at
the oars and Fog-eye deuh waving his
hand from the steru‘sheeu. ‘

J mic was weepln tears of joy on her lover's

, shoulder as the ban s of the two friends met in

their greeting grip. .

Ten minutes star the was in Naomi’s arms on
the privateer’s quarterideckalwhﬂc a tumultuous
cheer of thankfulness over air young leader‘s
return was springng from the hardy crew.

It was not till on that the young commander

« and Jamie noticed~that the companion vessel

was the sloop Curios], and that she was strange-

‘I‘. l nottosa hideo y ornamented.
- ’lt was byythe body of a freshly-house; 21:3

 
—and that man the Tory, Henry Collingford,
her whilom roprietor.

Jessie shugdcred, and hid her eyes in Naomi’s
bosom.

“ By whose orders was that done?" demanded
: Dareall sternly.

; “ By unk’s and mine together,” replied Flin-
i ders, boldly. “We were afraid you might to
‘ lent toward him, sows took time by the fore
lock. What’s the odds, Dick? Rope—mark Col-
lingford but fulﬁlls his destiny at last!”

nd lie forthwith ave ii hurried sketch of his
own experiences w th Naomi, including the
death of Romney, and of the manner of the
Tory ’s capture.

The sternness in the oung commander’s face
relaxed, and he shook ands with both Flinders
and Junk.

“It is just as well,” he said, “though you
need not have been afraid of my relenting.”

He then gave orders for putting to sea at
once, and took Jessie below with him for break-
fast and recuperation generally.

The Curlew had been manned by a dozen men
from the privateer’s crew, and Jerry Wardlow
placed in command.

When the sloop followed her- stately mentor
out to sea, a short time later, the ghastly de-
coration at her spanker was no longer visible,
but buried without ceremony beneath the
waves.

By the sheerest good luck, the Witch had re-
E68886] the fort at the river-mouth without even

eing challenged; but there was still the most
imminent danger of her being intercepted by
one or another of the British blockaders on their
way back to the coast from their pursuit of the
defeated French fleet.

Indeed, Dick had onl just ﬁnished hisbreak-
fast, while Jessie was sing cared for by her
cousin in the after cabin, which had been re-
signed wholly to their use, when " Sail ho i”
from the crow’s nest brou ht him tumbling on
deck again, with his fresh- ighted cigar between
his teeth.

“What do you make of her?" he cried to
Flinders, seizing a glass himself.

“ A British sloop-of-war,” was the re ly.
“ She’s making to cross our course, too, an if
the wind continues favorable for her, she ought
to succeed in doing it."

“ So much the better—0r shall we cross hers?”
cried Dareall, all the dauntless, ﬂght-lovin in-
stinct rising in him seemingly With redou led
zest now that love and vengeance were equally
his. “ Brin her about on the rt tack at
once. That s just what we wil do. Who is
acting as boatswnin in Wardlow’s absence?”

“Revels,” replied old Junk, whose watch it
was after giving the necessary 'order.

“ ell, have him pipe to quarters without do-
lay; and then have the guns stripped of those
accursed tarpaulins, that we may ship-aha
once more. To the deuce with shams, whether
fair in war or not! The Witch is through with
them, at all events and is henceforth a ﬁght-
ing ship, open and aboveboard, with a ti ht-
ing crew, while a stitch draws or ,a p k
swims!” ' ‘

This gallant sentiment, no less than the free
oath that rounded it off, was heartily echoed by
all who heard it.

When the sloop-of-war, for such it noved to
be came in full view, it was remark that all
of her tops, with the exception of her fan were
either dismantled or badly damaged, while her
hull also bore indications of hard knocks, and
ﬁt sh: seemed full of ﬁght and determined to

ve .

“ About chi , and War the old r1 at long
range i” cried . hing. “ he French-
men have evidently given or some back-kicks,

 
front, it‘s a pity a should be disappoinﬁl.

CH AFTER XLIX.

m! Knocks, su'r mo ens.

Tan, sloop-of-war was bv this time but three
miles awa , and Fog-eye hinders, after a last
studious o vation, gave it al‘ his opinion,
which had come to be rcgardedu noth lea
than a. certainty in this line, that, in addi on to
being clread knocked up considerably, she was
short-hand . ' .

Then, hardly were the deﬁant words out of
Damn before she was seen to yaw, there was a
smoke-wreath from her how and the round shot
that followed whittled directlyacroutheWitch'l
midships, though fortunately without doing any

“ A forty-two under, by jingoi” cried Sal
Junk, stamping is foot. w
“ Just that, and nothing elseor less,” observed
Dick coolly. “Pay off for a 10!: range,
Flin ers and we’ll give her a taste 0 our stern-
gun w e doln so. We're not hankering for
an more such one shaves as that one.”
i h" Wed“ 3“: seed, “ft: m"
,n a 0 ‘6 18 ' 91' w t.
5mg: that, o Witch was kef‘i‘ma car! of
range, and as'much as podsib c away from the
of the enemy’s formidable gun
up to be the only fortivI-l-pounder (an nu-'
usual on rfor sea-lighting1 those days) she
possessed, and quite enou the bargain.
Once, however, in a M tack,

 
but if she’s aching, or more, straight from "the.

 
q

0

with the Curlew for company, as a matter of
course the privateer was compelled to expose
herself once more to its giant swoop, and with
disastrous consequences,though not to herself.

“Look out, and let her of! three points!"
shouted Flinders, at the critical moment glass
to eye in watch of the piece’s manipulation.
“ Quick, or it is too late! There!"

The schooner‘s helm had been put down hard
at the warning, though, and she fell 0'! just.
enough to avoid the huge shot that followed it.

Only for her crew to hears. loud or to lee
ward, however, and then the little Cur ew was
seen to have practically disappeared—knocked
clean to pieces by the bolt ripping her fore and
aft just above the water—line, from cutwater to
stern-post.

“ Lower away for ’em I" cried Dareall, burst-
ing intuit. laugh u nperceiving that none of
the abolished sloops crew, all of whom were
swimming vigorously among the wrecks e, ap~
peared to have been hurt. “ Good ri dance,
anyway. I_should always have felt that there

was something uncanny about that craft, had -

she lived.”

Nearly every one else had the same sort of
impression with the single exception, rhaps,
of Jerry ardlow, who, upon been p ckod up
with the rest of the swimmers, looked back a
little ruefully at the spot that had known the
yacht, but knew her no more.

“It was my pro any at the last, you know,”
he observed “an it’s a fresh personal rudgo
I’ve got against the Britishers," shaking is list
at the man-of-war. “ However, I‘ll have plenty
to buy another with when l step into the estate
~—that is, if there’s anything eft of it after I
make the money ﬂy among the old boys."

Which was doubtless all Very heartlessenou h,
(though Jerry had strongly dissented to t a
ban ing of his half-brother, by the way), but
fam 1y bitternesses were perhaps more 3 1y
pronounced in that day than in this; an it
was notorious that the rich ’squire had treated
his happlyJ-go-lucky relative With contemptible
ni ard eat from the first, even withholding
a rust-fund that had been left for his educa-
tion, and barely according him the privilege
of a home at the Hall. .

“ Let me buff :8 leetle shy at as Monsieur
Rodcoat,”urbanely observed old Barbareau, as!
the schooner, once more out of danger of the
dreaded forty-twp, was coming about on her
next tack in order to get back on the enemy's

uurter. “ I t’ink at I can do zomet’iugs.

n9.” .
As he lighted the and let 0 with it
Flinders had his length. his eye.“ ‘4 '
A shower of s Haters sprung from the enemy's
port bow, and ere seemed to be a sort of crash
ollowing.
“ Hui-$0011! and ﬂshhooks I” shouted Fllndcrl,
with a riot rela into oldtime vulgarity in

his excitement; “ e’s done it! Keel-haul me,
if he hasn’t!"

“ What has he done?” cried Dick and Junk in.

a breath.

“ Wrecked the forty- under teetotallyl You
needn't mind about suc long range now, Dick;
That hull-dog‘s biggest tooth is drawn i"

Even Barbareau, modest as he mutauwu,
could not refrain from joining in the ju tion
of this piece of news. ‘ '

“ Ah 1” he cried, Iggmuh’lde of the gun, '

and putting it with i “ to Fun of brass
is a good gun, and so ball of iron—'

He was lntcrru ted by the roar of the sloop’c
entire broad e and was the next instant
awe t nto eternity—his head bein carrlod of!
3y k 9 only round shot that the Witch's

ec .
No little loom was out over the ofﬁcers and
crew by this distressing incident, for, apart.
from its being the onl casualty of the sort the
schooner had sustain for a long time, the old
Acadlan was no less a god-hearted, popqu
man than a superb, a1m0st unrivaled or.

The privaher now began to at in some good.
and rapid work with her th y-twos upon her
giant but unwieldy adversary, which seemed to

"1:31 savor-l oft Educ:- $3181 in some

rev on w one
£nos,‘aftor e wrecking of her big flirty-penal
er, seemed to ho twenty-fours.

After a number of effective shots had been
well placed- by the at long range,

vntccr
chieﬂy to the further ngnging of the man-ob

wu’ntopl Dick was makin urn. emcntswith
his two m’ata for the prepEratioggand deliv

of [2:13 red-hot shot—an experiment that in
raw

which m nevertheless,

i wit the
whcrowi "med ‘1

for such attempts—MimGoldhcark

showed her head above the companioninxm‘ Iv
“3cm! islnh stories Ca faln Douall’th ‘ l
e i I o".
I! y t P I  I

“You sea-he has never

touch ' >
this sort ofthing, “I have, and it seems to have. ‘ »

upsethcrnerveacom . Aubc capsc
ingfor you constan . I think you had better-
cometo her, if youcan.

Doctor orgulouthinhn
so, too, and so does Doctor Mackcnaie. Notb'

ling ”that they can prescribe poems to quick
or.

aftcncaNn.‘

 
yet been assayed on board thoWitcb, '

Dicklaft MEI-s nmsmmdm‘if
hunicddovglitot n‘ , _-=
( > _', , v.‘

 
4 .

‘30

Dauntless‘ Dick.

   
, He was with Jessie much longer than he felt

- he had a right to be, but at last had the satie-
faction of seeing her grow more calm, and ﬁnally
fall to sleep under the inﬂuence of opiates.

He was then hastening back to the deck, when
he heard a distant roar, which was followed by
a tremendous cheering from the schooner 5
crew.

He could well afford to join in the jubilation
on reaching his post.

The second hot shot had just been delivered
by Flinders from the bow-chaser ( r Bar-
bareau’s pet gun) with the effect of b owing up

, the man—of-war’s main magazine.
-’ Nor was this all.

She was on ﬁre amidships, the wildest confu-
sion was rife among her ship’s company, and
her great hull had a list to starboard, indicat-
ing that she was hit, doubtless badly, between
wind and water.

The Witch was now sailed in at half-range,
whence she poured in shot’ after shot into her
hu e but disabled adversary, when it was pres-
en y perceived through the smoke that she had

3‘ A 'struck her ﬂag.

“,' ' “Send help aboard!” was reared from her

:7: poo aspthe privateer swung in closer. “ We’re
on re

The prize was at once takeiéfomession of, and
the ﬂames ﬁnally extinguish after a long and
arduous battle on the part of both crews, vic-
tors and vanquished but not before she was so
irretrievably injured that it was decided to com-

 
oners to the privateer. ‘
These latter numbered two hundred and
thirty men, ofﬁcers and crew, including a num-
berhczf wounded. Eighteen had been killed ont-
1'1 .
he prize proved to be the sloop—oi-war Gany-
mede, sixteen guns, Captain Reginald Morgan-
ton, commanding. She was not one of the
Southern blockaders, but recently from New
York Harbor. She had however participated
in the defeat and pursuit of the Trench ﬂeet,
and had received her ori 'nal injuries in a gal-
lant but im rudent bru with D"Estaing’s re-

Itreating shi , which was more than twice
her strength an site. > ,

. While the prisoners were being transferred to
the privateer, Dr. Mackenzie a preached Cap-
tain Dareall to say that among be wounded ,in
the cockpit was a young midsgilpman, in ea:-

~’ mic, Who was imploring to be owed to see

u ' I

Dick immediatel accompanied the surgeon,
and was grief cken to recognize in the
,wounded lad—who was fri htfully injured in
the lower extremities with at a shorttime to
live—none other than little Jack Grantb . Y
He had been exchanged at Philadelp is but
1 three weeks previous, and had then joined the
Ganymede under orders at New York, with this

lamentable result. . '

CHAPTER L.
V rooa LII-rm JACK—CONCLUSION.
I A 3mm smile lighted the boy’s brave little
faceas his fadingeyes rested uponthe young

commander.
“Youarecomel Realgoodof

\

    
ion, Capl’ﬂie
, murmured. “Do take'mehythe' u, Cap ”
Dick took both the poor llttle‘hands in his
without trusting himsel to speak. "
v ‘fI say, Capl”cheerily.calne’ again from the
"‘"till‘ - ‘
" , my boy?” \ i
“Whatastunning schooner you‘ve got for a,

I”

so! Who

in 0.1”” doesn’t know it? And—I
z’wmmim‘ ' '

  
“I—I,” the voice was dropp . fainter
‘fccmmanded the other—the u Witch—"ell
for a short , didn‘t 11” v -' r
“ That ’you did, lad!”

' ‘ “I—I,
.PQ

, all” 3 ‘
“ l—I alwsyl liked ygu, pap—mobbe'it‘was a

nothing. in: a‘ whisper now, "say,

   
lyralsed human facetha

u a
taceoflif noionger.  / '
thatwcs'all. ’i
this is

   
event 
sew... gram  m
-. over
ﬁfths vnnnahre apediti r rep
Dickreceivedhis

  
OD.

sword from the
W at last meg prise-moneywas tom.
, or

all hhnds; and there was triumph.
tio and . y.
rest for the ‘en y-

     
plete her destruction, after transferring her pris-_

‘ to the noble cause of I

" “The

constitutin a big day for the Barnegatters, as
we may we I believe.

There was a notable double-wedding at Tom’s
River in less than a month thereafter, the names
of whose contracting principals participating
therein need hardly be mentioned.

Jessie Dearborn was so complacent, in the
light of recently occurring events, as to forget
her original vow not to be married before the
end of the war, and Dick Dareall was not the
one to gainsay the reconsideration of a resolve
that had already caused him so many a pining
heartache and so many a dream deferred.

Mrs. Goldheart never quite get over the seem—
ingly ill-assorted marriage of her dau hter with
Hezekiah Flinders, of the Mist itch. But
Naomi herself was perfectly happy in her choice,
her own father gave her away at the altar with
smiling acquiescence to the inevitable if not
with complete satisfaction, Captain Goldheart,
her brother was one of the ﬁrst to grasp her
bridegroom by the hand in the poet-nuptial con—
gmtulatory shake, and even the vain old lady
herself managed to witness the ceremony with-
out fainting dead away.

The married lives 0 both couples proved ex—
ceptionally happy and fruitful, their descend-
ants bein numerous and respected to this day,
along the ersey east shore especial-1y. .

After the war old Sam Junk lived yet long
with his daughter in a little cottage near
Osbornville, in well-to—do circumstances on the
Elﬁn-money he had managed to save. and where

s gusty yarns of privateering and adventure
became household words. '

Jerry Wardlow’s career, after his being vest-
ed in the great Collingford estate, proved a
double disappointmenH bitter one to his erst
worthless companions, a joyful one to his true
friends. .

In a small we , it was a reproduction of
the example of rince Hal on the latter’s ac-
cession to his father's throne, when “ that fat
old man " Falstaff was so summarily bidden
to stand aside from the path of the coronation
procession, when the squall bibulous and no
see unconscionable Bardolp , Nym and Pistol
were so conveniently and unexpectedly forgot-
ten, and real princely ambitions stepped into
the place of wild license and unworthy aims.

Jerry married well, became thoroughly,re-
spectable, and lived out the remainder of his

to with honor to himself and proﬁt to his
fellows.

Circum'stances—“ environment ” is the favor-
ite word in these evolutionary days—have
more to do than is generally supposed with
moldin a youn life and influencing a career,
and it s not a ways our ne’er-do—well who
goes to the devil in t e end, if accorded the
chances and opportunities that may have
been cruelly and unjustly withheld.

And the privateer herself, the lent, the in-
comparable Sea Witch! what of er?

Dick Dareall and his brave men sailed many
another cruise in her before the close of the
war, and if none of thesewas of quite such un-
exam-‘led success as had distinguished her ﬁrst
two all were more orless lotions and proﬁtable
spendence, which she
‘contributed to achiever ‘
‘ Her end was no less glorious than and not
dissimilar to that of her prototype and lesser,

n e. - »
In the last year of the war she had made a
gins of a large British West Indiaman oi! the
‘orlda Kc s, when a sudden squall hurled her
upon a sun on rock, where she received such
irretrievsble damage to her bottom as to pre-
clude all hat}? of her ever being sailed on a»
vo age cg . I i
bet , 23min the case of themMist Witch, after
ng porarlly repaired, e was started on
her soli- { cruise out to death, Dauntless
Doreen an his crew sadly watching her fune-
real coursefromthe decks of her last capture, as
she headed grandly and pathetically for the mid- ’
sea sails set, colors fl
without the fabled dea
of Holmes’s plea/for the ceremonions funeral of

a yet grander and are pretentious ship— , ‘
‘ “Nailto the mast, hertattered ﬂag, ’
‘ Set every threadbare sail.
And give her to thegod of storms.
’i'h lightning and the gale I"

ran nun. ‘ i , '/

 
, . ———

BY JACK ransom.
glue Cabin Boy. ' ‘ - "
' ca Emotes-rotate Boy Slim.)
.3: ,LIE‘UT. u. n. PERRY. u. s. N.

:53 R: Ersatz-u r 3*: "tr-ms“ “'-
1” Captain Kit; or, The Mystery ofﬂoan Point.
A ’. BY lunar ynszs'm).

,nr w. J. mares. 

  name's Half-Dime library. ,

15 N
:39. The

l

 
  Twelve 
.Welkrn tha'rmn m. I .
We”  n. 313' m

. 11‘! d _
«@531;me 1

, ans
4

    
BY COL. A. I“. "0LT.
) Black Buckskin: or, The Muskull Men ol‘Denlh Canyon.
Kenneth, the Knife-King.
Llltle lehtl'oot. the Pile: of the “'oods.
Ralph Renwoml, the Lightning Express Detective.

BY J. “U OSIHDN.

469 The Rlvnl Giants of’Nowhnr’.

498 Cut-tun Burr, the Man from film! Luck.

53'? “Id Buckeye, the Slurrn Shallow.

564 Powder l’llll. the “03‘ Miller-

609 Holly Dorrlt. Hm \eh-rnn Detective.

820 Univ LIL-litmusz Lcnguc: or, Thu Mystery onus Ill-ad.
633 l’llu-ky Pqu, no hay l'mspet‘lur.

BY FREDERICK DEWEy.
818 Olmnrron Jack, the King-Flu of Rule-shots.
478 Tnngomund, the Desert Detective.
542 The Cunyon Purds.

BY ARTHUR C. GRIBBOM.

440 thtle Foxf'oot, the Gold Bowie Kid.
558 The Sure-Shut l’urds.
621 Truthl'ul Junie», the “Peeoolinr” Man.

BY CAPT. J. F. O. ADAMS.

84 Dragon [in]; or, Nick Whiifles’s Buy Spy.

46 Glasn- Eye, the Grunt Shot of the West.

54 Ned lluzel. the Buy Trapper.

56 Nluk \V llllllen’ﬂ l‘et; or, In The Valley of Death.

60 The “’hlte Indian; or, The Scout oflhe Yellowstone.

70 Old Zl '1! Cabin; or, The Gresnhoru in the \Voods.

81 nghtn n; Jo, the Terror of the Prairie.

35 Buck Bucks-sun; or, Bess, the Female Tradpivfr,
B4? 01d Grizzly and “in Pets; or, The.Wll untrue.
861 LIght-honse [deer or, Osceola, the Fireln‘and.

95’! The Lost Hunters: or, The Underground Camp.
1388 The Scalp King; or, The Human Thundcrholt.

BY JOSEPH E. BADGER, JR.

2 Yellowstone Jan-k3 or,'l‘ha Tm or.
43 Black John, the Read-Agent; or, m Outlsw’s Retreat.
65 Hurricane Bill; or. Mustang Sam and His Pard.
119 Mustang Sam or, The King of the Plains.
136 ngh --lluwk 'lt; or, The Daughter of the Ranch.
144 Dnlu y Lance the Boy Sport.
15l I’m-i- hI-r Paul: or. Dninty Lance to the Rescue.
160 The {luck Glam: or, Dainty Lance in Jeopardy.
168 Dch y Din-h; or, Fighting Flre WlllJ Fire.
181 The Boy Trailers 3 or, Dainty Lnnce on ‘the Warl’ath.
203 The Be Yards; or, Dnlmy Lance Unmasks.
211 ﬂrookci Cale, the Cnlibxm ox‘ Celestial City.
810 The Ran-anon Wolf; or, The Beautiful Decoy. ,
319 The “luck lder: or, The Horse-Thieves' League.

    
835 (Nd Double lat or, The Strange Guide
855 The King of the ’oolle: or Dnulel Boone’s Last Trail.
449 Klt Fox. the Border Bo ' Delectlvs

     
625 (thm-upln Dan, the Boy Trullcr.
677 Cliincupln Dun'n Second Trnll.

BY LIEUT. A. K. SIMS.

546 Cumulu- Cactus, tlIcChnpsrral Cock.
563 The Dandy of Dodge.
5?“ The Silver Sport. A
588 Saffron Sol. the Man Wlth A Shadow .
589 Torn-(int und Pin-lg or. The Dead Set at Silver City.
601 Ila 1) "ans, the ulcl) \‘ldoc . ‘
fill Busing Bus-nuclei, the Detective ercules.
322 Texas Tom-(Int a rind
31 Tom Cnt’s Terrible Tnak.
38 'l‘om-(Jut’s Triumph; or. Black lvsn’u Gust Combine.
1 46 (lowbo Gldu “It! Cattle-Runes Detective.
5‘? Wind)le Wllllum. theﬂounmn Mountehank. . ‘
65 Jolly Jeremiah. the Plains Detective.
4 re Signal sum, the Lookout Scout.

BY BUOKSKIN BALI (Motor Barn. 8. Hall.)
84 Old Rocky a "Boy‘oen or. Benito. In: Horse-Breaker.
46 Giant George; or, he Ang'l a! the Range.
75 Arizona Jack 3 or Giant George’s Yard.
9'! The Tarantula o Tnosi or, Glam Gaorgc’l Revenge.
0? The Strnnue l’nrd: 0", ltllv Ben’s Death Hunt.
18 Ker-whee Ker-whee: or, The Tarantula own“.
In: at. the Cnddo; or The Rad andWhluPIrdI.
rod: or, The Tonkawsy’s Trust.
htlllz Trio; or Rattlesnake. the Tonhwsy.
elf; or, Big-Foot Wallace to the Front. -
5 he Ranch Raiders or. The Siege of Fort Purgatory. \
64 Snap-Shot, the Boy ger.
75 Chlotn, the Greek or The Three Thunderbolts.
si Renders mu; or. rlo i‘mk to the mm.
99 Romeo and the Red" or, The Edmund Roach.
4 04 Little Lin-Int: or. Pecan Pete's Blg Rampage.
A 14 The Dally from Denver.
I .2? The Three Trailers: or, Old Rocky on the Rampage.
1 AD Blul Bill. or The Lynx of the Loops.
555 Little Lone Eltan 0!. The Belle of the Clbolo.
684 Cache Carl, the Chico Giant.

MISCELLAN E00! AUTHORI-

4 The Wild-Ilene Hunters. By Capt. Mayne Bela an
Frederick Whittaker. .

9 Adventures of Baron Mnnehanaen.

19 G lllvor’s Travels. B Dun swift.
14 A Minn 3/or.The ‘Wondo lLaxn .
16 Robinson Orucoe. (9'1 lllustrsﬁons.)
18 Slndbad the Sailor. His Seven Va ans, , I
a. The Ben Serpent! or. The Boy Bob mes Crusoe. By Jan

' ,

88 The Ocean Bloodhound: or, The Red Pirates of the
Cardinal. B 8. W. Pierce.
:80 The Boy dlownl or The Arena Queen. By I s. It“.

88 Ned Wylde the Boy not. By'l'am Jack;
51 .Tholloy lull." or. Th! Undogronnd Cmp. By A. 0.1")".
95 The Mvallnﬂqan or. The unbeaten out. “Hal”.

0 no .

8 I? :l'ml'lggd. Outlth sun 11. Mm un' rem-
. C ' 0'; 0 ‘ u
9 urged n '8 Prof ld uvc. ' . '

we gm 1'1]an 1i. Hunts ; or. The Crow cmm. syequ.
m o m“. ,

la "nu-s Ila-tort or. 1 ho Cm omen-h. By Bums-u-

!“ our. the Texan or. Th Young Champion, 3, an...

i

G OPMB- A
188 The Yohn Privateer: vii-Brno Pink's “de. Dy

       
p
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as

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Harry Cav l . ‘ ,
168 Sharp‘laplni or, The Advonluruofs new Boy. I: J.

_ em or turn. r V _
0.7 l Icky Darrell. Tn . u, The Emu Range! ofthe Ysl- ’ ’ ‘

.

By Edward .
l' m hlthoanYrrkBo. s 0.1..A
ath'iil'lvkége all. do; "I.Davythc{|’s m mu.“ .
z’c" “niw'tlisOno-chd mph-noun. menu can.
i W .
sir ringer Fete. nu Line m on hadvlllo. n, we u
.knlntAlfnd‘l'ho . . ~
val 0". A highlight for Hindu-cs.
O .
{in nlvor Rover. «.11. sum/u . .
venue. By Nell Bun Lllns. ' . ,
.. m: ""».°..'ti“".i';'§.°:§l““8“t‘m can:
- Oil I ll I . "
870*.o:llfornlaw.vloc's lint rail. By 0091m\ ,
Vul ans . .
418 mil Ito M I in euros M. tum-um. ..
re TM, .71: all:  £35m smwing' ‘ ‘
afﬁxed?“ .- "'-  il‘  '
new '.A in Dead s Am vanes.
58’ Tlgtkwhfczbl'h-s. ‘y maﬁa“: an...
53  the Al loll. 3v David Druid.
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i 763%? Prince of New York Crooks. '

BEDLE‘SblMEmm

 
Published Every lVediwsday. Each Issue Cmupleieand Sold at the Um’form Price of Ten Cents. No Double Numbers.

BY JOSEPH E. BADGER. JR.

.970 High-Water Mark; or. Silver-Tip Sid.
86' Riam Rob. the Range Champion.
853 The Cawhov Chief's Sure-S iot.
l-‘H ‘l‘ho Rival Red~Hut Sports.
5H7 Curly Kid. the Cheyenne Sport.
HM The Soft Hand Dcti-ctive.
his The Soft Hand's Clutch.
m9 Dan Dunn. the Soft-Hand Sport.

7’ll6 The Frisco Iii-tvctlvc's Thug-Tangle. .\
789 Sam Car . the River Sport.

781) The Deal Sport's. Double.

771 Prince John, Dctoctive S ocia],
763 Dandy Don. tho Dciiver emotive.
7.31 'l'he Man from Trxas; or. Dangerﬁeld,

Doctor Detective,

744 Sweepstakes Sam. the Silver Sport.
720 The Secret Six; or. 01d Halcyon.
712 The Man 01' Silk.
705 Bantam Bob, the Bounty from Butte.
693 Kcnt Kasson. [ho Preacher Sport.
683 Bob Breeze, the Rounder Detective.
675 Steel Sorry, the Sport from Sunrise.
658 Solemn Saul’s Luck Strcak.
661 The Got-There Sharp.
651 Silvertip Steve, the Sky Scraperfrom Siskiyon.
645 Gopher Gabe, the Unseen Detective.
636 Dandy Darling. Detective. ’
627 Mosshack Mose, the Mountaineer.
617 The Grl Sack Sharp’s Even up.
597 Big Ban y. the Brigadier of Brimstone Butte.
588 Sandy Sands. the Slim-p from Snap City.
576 Silver—Tongucd Sid; or. Gri iSack Sharp’s Sweep.
564 The GrlpSack Siizu‘p; or. he Seraplis of Sodom.
555 Grip-Sack Sid. the Sample Sport.
547 The Buried Detective; or. Soul's Six Sensations.
511 Major Magnet, the Man of Nervo.
r 'i llandv Dutch. the Decorator from Dead-Lift.
o2? Dandy Andy. tho Diamond Dctrctive. '

fill (lube Gnnn, the Criml from Ginseng.

501 Solemn Saul. the Sad Ian from San Saba.

405 Rattlepate Rob; or. The Roundhcad’s Reprise].
488 Tlic'l‘horruglibred Sport.

471 Dadd Dead-Eye, the Desnot o! Dew Drop.

1166 01d ough and Ready, the Sage of Sundown.
439 Dutch Dan. the Pilgrim from Spitzenberg.

451) The Rustler Detective.

41:1.A Cool Band: or. Pistol Johnny‘s Picnic.

4 :8 Oklahoma. Nick. .

433 Laughing Leo; or. Sam‘s Dandy Ford. i

4211 The Ghost Detective: or. The Secret. Service Spy.
1111 Monte Jim. the Black Sheep 0! Bismarck.

400 Rob Roy Ranch: or. The Imps of Pan Handle.
40:: The Nameless Sport. ' p .
 Deadly Aim. the Duke of Derrinzers.

387 Dirk Durz. the Ishmael of, the Kilian »

.579 Howling Jonathan, the Terror from ﬁesdwators.
372 (la tuin Crisp. the Man With a Record.

3117 A yai Flush: or. Don Brown's lug Game. .
3m Jumping Jerry, the Gamecock from Sundown;
355 Storm Steve. the Mad Athlete. .

351 Nor‘ \ est Nick. thr Barder Detective.

31:3 Masked Mark. the Mounted Detective.

3'39 Spread Eagle Sam. the Hercules Hide Hunter.
331 Chispa Charley. itho Gold Nugget Sport.

324 Old Forked Ligh thing. the Solitary. l

317 Frank Lightt‘oot. the Minor Detective.

302 Faro Saul. the Handsome Hercules. -

292 Moke Homer. the Boss Ronstabont. »

286 Pistol Johnny; or. One Man in a. Thousand. v
283 Sleek Sam. the Devil of the Mines. , V
257 Death Trap ‘Digmngs: or. A Man Way BECK.
249 Elephant Tom. of Duramzo., > .
m1 Spitﬁre Saul, iglog o: the Bustiers;
£33 The Old Boy 0 Tombstone. '
201 Pirate of the Platters: or. Joaquin‘s Death Hunt.
197 Revolver Rob: or. The Belle of Nugget Camp.
180 Old '49: or2 The Amazon of Arizona. ,1
[170 Sweet. William, the Trapper Detective. v

165 Joaquin. the Terrible . . t

154 Joaquin, the Saddle King. '

141 Etiuinox Tom. the ilul'ylof Red Rock.

127 50 Scott. the Masked Miner.

'11!) Alabama Joe: or. The Yazoo Man-Hunters.

.106 Dan Brown of Denvar: or. The Detective.

88 Big Geo e; or. The Five Outlaw Brothers. 1
' . . iBladez. or. Mississippi Manﬁhark.
67 The Boy Jockey: or, Honesty vs. Crookedness.
64 Double-Sight, the Death Shot.
50 Jack Rabbit, the Prairies rt. '
47 Pacific Pete. the Prince 0 the volver.
45 Old Bull's-E e. the Lizhtni B at. - ~ ‘
40 Long-Hairs Pards; or.The artersofthe Plains.
30 Gospel George- or; Fiery Fred the Outlaw. i
% Three-Fingered Jack. the Road-Agent. '

m: WM. G. PATTEN.,' l

1910 F1 E . the Thug's Terror.
Ii-ie-l'l’llzht-Hawk. the Crook

 
the

Shadower.

‘71“? d Burke the‘Madison Square Detective.

747 Double-v0 ceDan‘s Double Disguise. , .
715 Double-Voice Dan on Deck.

702 Double-Voice Dan. the Always-on-Deck Detective

. 696 Double-Voice Dan, the Go-it,Aloue Detective

.4—

. (E106 Shawna O‘Brien. the scum Boy at e " ai

 
689 The Spat-Her Sha .

6701 Hurricane Hal, thg‘Cowboy Hotspur.

(139 Old Tme‘nlue. the tit-hat . ‘

ﬁlm” consular...“-  ‘ v

i: v. e an -

ms Gold o‘igve old the Manoi'Grit.‘ .' '

641 Aztec Jack. the Desert Nomada‘ = .

6131 Colonel COOL-the Santa Fe Sharp. ‘

602 Ca tain Nameless. the Mouan Mystery.
Dismal; the Ran a Date ive. ~

545 Hustler Harry. the gowiioy Sport.

in on. new; rownnn'.

' m it. Dr 0011 Detee ive' or, A Man 0: Des
\ .158 The Bagged Dozen.§ « ' ‘ i c  : Fan

\

. ‘ m: conclusions:th Joana.

 
Scarlet Owning». Prisoner- «‘33 Tower.

87 T .
.58 Saginaw:- or. The _  Deadwood City.

 
BY \VILLLHVI R. EYS'I‘ERo

867 The Frisco Sport.

852 Tim Stranger S iort‘s Shake—up.

828 Kirk King. the an from Kirby.

818 Gentleman Dave. the Dead (ionic Sport.

783 The King—Pin Tramp.

767 The Sport of Silver Bond.

718 Uncle iledrock’s Big Bounce.

707 The Rival Rovrrs.

687 Douhle Cinch Dan. the Sport With a Charm.

677 Mr. Jackson. the Gent from Jayhiru.

651i Gilt-1211129, Jolllllli"; or. Roldan and His Rovers.
650 Lucky Lester's one Hand.

634 Old Handcart‘s iliu Dump.

6'32 The All Around Sports.

603 Dosorl‘. Alf. tho lllan With the Cougar.

590 (leiitloJack. the High Roller from Humbug.
578 Seven Shot Steve. the Sport with a Smile.

568 The Dude Deti‘ctive.

558 Hurrah Harry. the High Horse from Halcyon.
541) lielshazzar Brick. the Iiuillll' of Blue Blazes.
533 Oregon. the Sport With nScur.

525 Fri-sh Frank. tho Derringer Daisy.

563 The Dude. from Denver.

4763 Pinnacle Pete; or. The Fool. from Way Back.
459 Major Sunshine. the Man of Three Lives.

4%) Hair Trigger Tom 01' Red Bond. 1
402 Snapshot Sam; or. The Angels' Fiat. Racket.
396 The Piper Detective; or, The Gilt Edge Gang.
375 Royal Gcor e, the Three in One.

336 Tlir -e Ham some .13 iorts: or. The Combination.
1 Double Shot Dave 0 the Left Hand.

5! Derringer Dick. the Mun with the Drop.

.00 A Sport in Spectacles: or. Bad Time at Bunoo.
268 Magic Mike. ‘lic Man of Frills.

229 Captain Omen—eve: or. The Little Sport.

214 The Two Cool Sports; qr, Gertie of the Gulch.
192 The Lightning S im't.

182 Hands Up; or. T ie Knights of the Canyon.

160 Soi’t Hand. Sharp: or. The Man with the Sand.
145 Pistol Yards; or. The Silent Sport from Cinnabar

BY MAJOR nandnnnmnn Benn.

448 Hark Kenton.'tho Traitor.

188 The Phantom hiachpa: or. The Hyena.

156 Velvet Face. the Border Bravo. '

it? Captain Crimson. the Man of t o iron Face.

117 Buffalo Bill's Strange Perri; or. aching Dandy.

BY LEON LE‘VIS.

797 Pistol Tommy. tho Miner Sharp.

785 l‘he Down-East. Detective in Nevada. '

773 Buffalo Bill's Ban: or. Cody to the Rescue.

699 The Cowboy Couriers. .

686 The On-tlie-WinﬁDcwctivos. '

624 The Submarine etective: or. The Water Ghouls.
484 Captain Ready. the Red Ransomer. '

481 The Silent Detective: or. The Bogus Nephew.
456 The Demon Steer.

428 The’li‘lying Glim: or, The Island Lure.

lint BURKE unnn'nronn.

866 S ray Sprite. the Sea Witch.
816 T 19 Sen Sweeper. \

BY CAPTAIN MAINE REID; '
1167 The White Squaw. ‘
234 The Hunter‘s Feast. \ . " > ' . . V
we The Maroon. A Tale of Voodooand Obeah.
21% The Wild Humress' or. The saunter.
213 The War Trail: on The Hunt of heWiid Home.
208 The White Chief. A Romance of Mexico. .
200' The Riﬂe Ran era: 03‘. Adventures in Mexico.
74 The Captain 0 the Riﬂes- or. The Lake gueen.
66 The Specter Barque. A Tale of the Peel c.- .
' 55 The Seal Hunters. A Romance of the Plains.
. 12 The Deat -Sliot: o‘r. Tracked to Death.
8 The [Headless Horseman. ‘ -
‘ BY JACKSON numb“ 01d Hawk.”
.838 Old Grips Still Hunt. ‘ ‘
88’? Detectivei Waldcn’s Web. .
778 The Butler Detective» 'or. Old Grip‘s Grip.
770 The Showman Date ‘1. vs. v
762 Old Grip. the Detective. :
.740 Captain Clew, the Fighting Detective.
782 The Hurricane Detective. w
6118 Castlemaine. the Silent Sifter.
616 Magnu. the Weird lDetective.
306 The Drop Detective. . ‘
595 Wei born. the Upper Crust Detective.
682 Jor in. the DctectiveExpert. I .

    
iii 3i? ilw“m"n.”°“b‘°m Fal Detecti .5‘s 1‘ v
e as - or con v on.
548 Falcoan ' e. the Sphinx ‘De rive.

586 Old Falcon 5 Foe: .or. The Dot vels‘Sweli'Job.
515 Short-Stop Ma 6, the Diamond-Field Detective.
509 Old Falcon. t e Thunderbolt Detective.
501 8 ringsth Steve. the Retired Detective.
494 T e Detective’s Sig. _ I I
486 Rowlock. the Bar r Detective.
477 Dead-arm Brandt.
4117 Mainwaring. the Salamander.
462 The Circus Detective. r . . ‘
451 Griplock, the Rocket Detective.
444 TheMa ic Detective: or. The Hidden Hand. ‘
424 Hawk eron‘s-De uty. ‘ ‘
886 Hawk Heron. the clean Detective. \

BY EDWARDWILIE’I‘T.

ii ..
488 Flush Fred. the River Slim. 1
868 The Canyon King; or. a .09 on b
848 Dan Dillon. Kin of Crosscut. . ‘ I

.‘837 OldGabe the l ountaln Trams. ', I '  .

827 Terrapin Dick. the Wildwood emotive.

815 Flush Fred’s Double: or. The Squatteutvuague.
808 Hemlock Hank. Tough True. ‘, . \
298 Logger Lem: or. Life in t 6 Pine Wood’s. V .

289 Flush Fred‘s Full Hand, ’ i "' .\
274 Flush Fred. the Missisle 18

u 3......

I

222 Bill the Eduard: or. Red Joe 5 Crime.- . 
an BuokFai-le .theBonauza v , a  ,. 
129 Mississippi ose;,or.va Stronglm‘Bsym 

 
‘591 Duke Daniels. th

5248 Montana Nat. the Lion 0 last Chame‘camp.

  
BY COL. PREN'I‘ISS INGIIAHAM.

854 The Orcan Gipsv,

$11 The Wild Stocr Rldi'l‘S; or, Texas Jack’s Terrors,

Pill) The Rival Monte Clinton.

804') The Last; of tho Pir' ‘; or. Doom Driven.

601 The \Vuter \Volvcs‘ Detective; or. ’l'rupuing the
Grave Ghouls. \

791 The Coast-Raider's Death-Chase.

748 Arizona Charlie. the Crack-shot Detective.

701 Invisiiiic lvnn. the Wizard Detective.

685 The Red-skin Si-a Rover.

(3’19 Ri'Vt'HO. the Pirate Cruiser; or. The Rival Rovers

iii'.’ The Rod Rapier; or, The Sea Rover‘s Bride.

662 The Jew lirtectivo; or, The Beautiful ConviCt.

658 The Coiyh 5' Chin; or, The Tigress of Texas.

653 Lasso king‘s Loiimiezor. Buck Taylor in Texas.

6m The Rovur’s Rirt‘ibutlon. »

63.5 The Err-Buccaneer; or. The Stigma of Sin.

630 The Son Thief 1 .

625 Red Wings; 01'. The Gold Seekers of the Bahamas.

615 The Three 1 uccauei-rs. "

610 The Red Flag iiovor;or.\\’hite Wings of the Deep.

605 The Shadow Silver Ship. '

600 The Silver Ship: or. The Sea Scouts of ‘76.

593 The Son Re be]: or. Red Rovers of the Revolution.

59.7 Conrad. tho Sailor Spy; or. True Hearts of ’76.

581 The Outlawcd Skipper; or. The Gontlct Runner.

560 The Man from Mexico.

5.3% Mark Monte. the Mutiueer; or. The Branded Brig.

5-16 The Damned Whaler: or. The Life Wreck.

510 The Fleet Scourge: or. The Sea Wings of Salem.

530 The Savnuos of the Son. '

59.1 The Sea Chaser: or. The Pirate Noble.

51h Clintard. the Di-ad-Slior Duelist. ' v

510 El Moro, Lhi Corsair CommodOz-e.

4113 The Scouts of the Sea.

489 The Pirate Huntvr; or. The Ocean Rivals.

482 Ocean Tramps : or. The Desperadoes of the Deep.

«176 ilob Brent. the Buccaneer: or. the Red Sea Raider.

469 The Lieutenant Detectivmor. the Fugitive Salloz'ﬂ

457' The Sea Insurgent: or. The Conspirator Son.

446 Ocean Ogre. the Outcast Corsair.

 
.435 The One-Armed Buccaneer.

4‘10 The Fatal Fries. to; or, Rivals in Love and We. .
425 The Sea. Sword: or. The Ocean Rivals.

418 The Sea Si ren: or. The Fugitive Privateer.

899 The N cw Monte Cristo.

893 The Convict Caption. .

388 The Giant Buccaneer; or. The Wrecker Witch.
377 Aﬂoat and Ashore: or. The Corsair Conspiratqr.
373 Sailor of Famine: or. The Barnegat Buccaneer.
369 The Coast Corsair: or. The Siren of the Sea.

364 The Sea Fugitive; or. The Queen of the coast.
316 Ocean Guerrillas; or. Phantom Midshipman.
841 The Sea Desperado. ‘ . ‘ . -
836 The Magic Shim. or. Sandy Hook Freohootersw v
3‘35 The Gentleman Birate; or. The Casco Hermite}:
318 The Indian Buccaneer; Or. The Red Rovers.

307 The Phantom Pirate; or. The Water Walton.

281 TheSea Owl; or. The Lady
259 Cutlass and Cross; or. the Ghouls ot the Sea.

255 The Pirate Priest; or. The Gambler‘s Dau tor. 
246 neon Helen, the Amazon of the Overlan . -
235 or] Lizhtnimz the Man of Chance. 1

281 The Kid Glove Minor: or. The Magic Doctor.

226 Black Board. the Buccaneer.

220 The sheet ‘1' Yacht: or. A Brother's Crime.

216 The Corsair Planter: or. Driven to Doom.

210 Buccaneer Bess. the Lioness oi' the Sea. _

205 The Gambler Pi ate; or. Lad. of the Lagoon. ' . 1
198 The Skeleton Sc ooner: or. T e Skimmer. -.
189 The Ocean Vampire; or, The Castle Heiress. ’
184 The Scarlet Schooner: or. The Sea Nemesis.

181 Don Diahlo. the PlanterCorsair. '
177 Biack~Pirate:_ or. The Golden Fetters M ry. .
172 TheMad Mariner: or. Dishonored and, howled
168 The Corsair Queen: or, The Gypsies “who,” ‘
147 Gold Spur. the Gentleman from Texas. » i

189 Fire Eyw; or. The Bride ofa Buccaneer. ' .

134 Darke Dan. the Colored Detective. .

131 Bucks nSam. the Texas Trailer. .  _ 
128 The Chevalier Corsair; or. The Harlin“. . . \
121 The See. Cadet; or The Rover of the Rigolotts. ,

.116 Black Plume; or. The Sorceress of Hell Gate.

1011 Captain Kyd, the Kinsﬁot the Black Flag. _ ‘
104 Montezuma. the Moro ess. ' » -
ms Merle. the Mutiueer; or. The Red Mohammad. ,
94 Freelance. the Buccaneer. ‘ . _, *
81?r The Pirate Prince; or. The Queen of the Isle.

. 85 The Cretanloover: or. Zuleikah the Beautiful. -.

2 The Dad Devil: or. The Winged Sea Witch.»

B!“ on. NOEL nunnAn. “7 if ' '

858 Number-Otis. the Dead-set Detective; 'V ‘

8.50 The Planter Detective. ~ ‘ . ,

in 3i“%.”é%ls‘”i"‘i€“‘mb‘°’n?“aum“‘“ s... " v
e vs n a ; or e we:

600 The Trueﬁeart Page. ‘ . no' a 1'

m: J‘. o. cownrucx.

752 The Susgect S of Daisy Drift. _ .
2?; 8%? still“ 3 limdspi'iom?°m“v°'m
e woo . e u a i- o

598 The Dominic Detective. 8

9 Society Detective.
Shadow. ‘

Paul. the Postman Detective

580 Shadowing a
565 Prince

 
Captain of the Gilli. I ‘

it,

. x, y- ‘l
657 The Mountain Graybeards: or. Riddle“ may. a

519 Old Riddles. the Rock r _
499 Twilight ‘Charlie. the port.  .'
473 Gilbert of Gotham. the Steel-arm Detective.
452Ralnbow Bob, the Tulip from T ‘ '
486 Kentucky Jean. the saort gain Ye «Pine ,
390 The Giant Cupid: 01‘ Cibuta ohn’l owed;  .

492 Blue Grass Burt. the
4mm issue won/‘Wednaaday.

! e

. peldle’s mm [dbl-pry it 1or.:salc ny'ui
, Newsdealers. ten cents per copy. or scat. py mail on

receipt of twin cents each. _
‘ ' emu: AND ADAMS. Panama.“
.- ' via W8?» ring m

i

  
BEADLE’S*DIME*EBRARY. '

Publist Every Wednesday. Each Issue Complete and Sold at the Uniform Price of Ten Cents. No Double Numbers.

 
BUFFA L0 BILL NOVELS.

By Colonel Prentiss lngraham.

869 Buffalo Bill‘s Road-Agent Round—up.

8/63 Buffalo Bill‘s Dea'li Charm.

857 Buffalo Bill‘s Royal Flush.

851 Buffalo Bill‘s Double Dilemma.

8-15 Bull’le Bill’s Redskin Ruse.

830 Buffalo Bill‘s Boys in Blue.

8% Buffalo Bill‘s Lasso Throwers.

822 Buffalo Bill's liest Bower.

816 Buffalo Bill‘s Red Trail.

812 Buﬁalo Bill’s Death-Knoll.

704 Buffalo Bill‘s Winning Hand.

787 Bulfalo Bill’s Dead Shot.

781 Buffalo Bill‘s Brand.

777 Buﬂalo Bill‘s Spy Shaclnwer.

769 Buffalo Bill‘s Sweepstake. -

765 B iffalo Bi 11‘s Dozen; or, Silk Ribbon Sam.

761 Buffalo Bill’s Mascot.

757 Buffalo Bill‘s Double.

750 Buffalo Bill‘s Big Four.

748 Buﬂal‘o Bill's Flush Hand.

7‘11) Buffalo liill‘s Blind: or, The Masked Driver.
735 Buffalo Bill and His Merry Men. ,1
731 Buffalo lzill‘s Beagles; or Silk Lasso Sam.

727 Buffalo Bill’s Body Guar . ,

792 Buffalo Bill on the Wur- ath.

716 linﬂalo Bill‘s Scout Sha owers.

710 Buffalo Bill Bafﬂed; or, The Ueserter Desperado.
697 Buffalo liill‘s Buckskin Brotherhood.

691 isuffalo Bill‘s lllind Trail; or, Mustang Madge.
667 Buffalo Bill‘s Swoop; or. The King of the Mines.
649 Buﬂalo‘Blll's Chief of Cowboys; or. Buck Taylor
614' Buffalo Bill’s Bonanza; or. Si ver Circle Knights.
362 Buffalo Bill’s Gri ; or. Oatn Bound to Custer.
329 Butalo Bill’s Pie ge: or. The League of Three.
189 Wild Bill's Gold Trail; or. The Desperate Dozen.
175 Wild Bill’s Trump Card; or, The ludian Heiress.
‘168 Wild Bill. the Pistol Dead Shot. ‘

I, By Bull‘alo Bill.
889 The Ranch King. Dead—Shot; or. Texas Jack‘s

Proxy.
.820 White Beaver's Still Hunt.
807 Wild Bill, the Wild West Duelist.

.800 Wild Bill. the Dead-Center Shot.

. £39 Buﬂalo Bill’s Gold King. -
599 The Dead Shot Nine: or. My Penis ot the Plains.
414 Red Renard. the Indian Detective. ‘ _

é ‘ 401 One-Armed Pard; or. Borderland Retribution.
;897 The Wizard Brothers: or. White Beaver's Trail.
394 White Beaver, the Exile of the Platte. I
819 Wild Bill. the Whirlwind of the West.

304 Texas Jack. the Prairie Rattler. '

243 The Plﬂim Sharp: 01'. The Soldier‘s Sweetheart.
‘88 Gold Bu et Sport; or. Knights of the Overland.
i152 Death-Trailer. the Chic! 0 Scouts. " .

ByLeon new“, Ned Buntllne, etc.

778811121110 Bill's Ban: or. Cody tothe Rescue.
682 Buﬂalo Bill’s Secret Service Trail.

. 628 'Buflalo Bill’s Darin Role; or. Daredeatthltk, _ ‘

517 Buffalo Bill’s First rail; or. The Express Rider.
. 158 ‘Bulfalo Bill, Chief of Scouts. .
‘ x , 11? Buffalo Bills Strange Pard‘ or, Dashing Dandy.
, ‘ magical.) Bill, the Buckskin King. _. ,

p nit minor. A. 'x‘. sins. t

The Spangled S rt Shadower. ’ '
The Crescent y S . .
Gi Gale‘s Block Game, ' ,1 v , *
Toe King Pic of the L, dvllle Lions.
Chic 0 Charlie’s Diamond Haul.
Chicago Charlie, the Colombian Detective.
v he Wizarl King Detective.

, the Boomer Detective. '

. the Chem ion of Chestnut Burr.‘

vs.
’ or e Detective from 'Way Back

the Whitests art 01 Santa Fe.
t e Man ot'Bocll). :3

r the Do at. Ki 7 .
nee nli'rose, thﬁ'lowerncﬁ the Flock.
Wherry. the Foo Detective;

I or GBCHGE’C. JENKS.“  1‘

' i  The RoccOourse Detective. ' .
'%u§“m§ litigate Deteti'
‘ n on e r' c V6.
,755 Wild Pete, the’BrouchoBmter Dot

in, .
Detective. '
r n. the Tenderfoot Detective.
.507 The Drummer Detective. ‘ ‘
,, 482 The Giant Horseman. ‘ V g
1 8933160111“: Eye. the Paciﬁc Detective. , _ ,,

‘ at: lunch!) rerun.  l ' I
The King-Pin Shark" or. ThadBuﬂ‘s Ten Strike, r

TheTenderioin. B our
The Quaker City it.» ,
ked to Chicago; -‘ ,
The Policy Broker’s Blind. 1 _ '
e Frisco Singer’s Cool Hand. /
The Tramp Sh ower’sBacker. ‘ ,v 3
T Shani 530mm Shrewd- Scheme.’ "
The Grand treat Goldmu Shin-pars. I .
708, Detective gags Luna-1c lines: ‘
Wall t Sharper-’3 snap.  ‘
ad Barr’s Death Drop. . .,
Detective Burr Among the New York Thugs.
; )etecti’ve Burt's Foil' or. A Woman’sStrstegy.
Detective Burr. the I-leadquarters Special. r
Detective gin-ifs SpiritChaseu’ ', r ,4 ' '

settings
8'

SSESS

V

8. . v -
or, Dunn‘s  

 
’ 642 Red

434 Lucifer Lynx. the

'85?

gill/undo th
1 ", r .’ 6

es.  1 Th
The"?  ' IBThe.

 
BY \VLLLIAI‘I ll. FIANNING.

864 The Police Special's Dilemma.

840 The Genteel Shnrpor‘s Combine

841 Graydou’s Double Deal.

833 The Sport Detective's Giipr.

8'33 The Athlete Sport About own.

808 ’JTheCrook-Detective’s Pull. '

790 Plun er Pete. the Race Track Detective.

782 Roya Rock, the Round-up Detective.

774 Steve Starr. the Dock Detective.

764 The New York Sharp’s Shadower.

738 Detective Claxton, the Record Breaker.

714 Gabe Gall, the Gambolier from Great Hump,
703 Spokane Saul, the Samaritan Sus ect.

692 Dead-Shot Paul, the Deep-Range ‘x lorer.

655 Strawberry Sam. the Man with the irthmark.
646 Dark John, the Grim Guard.

638 Murdock. the Dread Detective.

62:5 Dangerous Dave, the Never-Beaten Detective.
611 Alkali Abe. the Game Chicken from Texas.

596 Rustler Rube; the Rouud~Up Detective.

585 Dan Dixon’s Double.

575 Steady Hand. the Napoleon of Detectives.
5&3 Wyoming Zeke, the Hotspur of Honeysuckle.
551 Garry) Kean, the Man with Backbone.

539 Old oublednrk. the Wily Detective.

531 Saddle-Chief Hit, the Prairie Centaur.

521 Paradise Sam, the Nor’-West Pilot.

513 Texas Tartar. the Man With Nine Lives.

506 Uncle Honest. the Peacemaker of HOTDRS’ Nest.
498 Central Paciﬁc Paul. the Mail Train Spy.

492 Border Bullet, the Prairie Sharpshooter.

486 Kansas Kitten, the Northwest Detective.

479 Gladiator Gabe, the Samson of Sassnjack.

470 The Duke of Dakota.

483 Gold Gauntlet. the Gulch Gladiator.

455 Yank Yellowbird, the Tall Hustler of the Hills.
449 Bluff Burke. King of the Rockies.

442 Wild West Walt. the Mountain Veteran.

437 Deep Duke; or, The Man of Two Lives.

4?? The ivals of Montana Mill.

41-5 Hot Heart, the Detective S v.

405 Old Bald the Brizadier 0 Buck Basin.

385 Will Die Turpin; the Leadville Lion.

297 Colorado Rube. the Strong Arm of Hotspur; "
279 The Gold Dragoon. or, California. Bloodhound

BY CAPTAIN HOWARD HOLMES.

871 The Crook-Cashier.

871 The Crook Cashier.

859 Glow-Hawk Keane’s Right Bower.
847 Hiram Hawk, the Harlem Detective.
840 Major Bullion, Boss of the Tigers.

' 881 Shadowing the London Detective.

817 Plush Velvet. the Prince of Spotters.

803 The Bogus Broker's Right Bower.

788 The N iehtrHawk Detective.

779 Silk Blbbon’s Crush-out. .’

766 Detective Zach, the Broadway Spotter.

751 The Dark Lantern Detective. »

736 The NeverrFallDeiective. ' '

7'21 Captain Hercules the Strong Arm Detective.

711 Dan Damon. the ilt-Edze Detective. .

701 Silver Steve, [the Branded Sport.

694 Gideon Grip, the SecretShadower.

684 Velvet Van. the Mystery Shadower.

678 The Dude Desperado.

671 Jason Clew.‘ thesilkgﬁanded Ferret.

664 Monk Morel, the Man-Hunter. "

654 Sol thinx, the, Ferret Detective, é »
ard and Yellow. .,

the Shadow Sphinx.

608 Silent Sam
the Shasta Ferret.

592 Ca tain Sid.

' 579 01 Cormorant. the Bowery Shadow.

569‘ Captain Cobra, the Hooded Mystery.

‘359' Danton. the Shadow Sharp.

550 Silk Hand. the Mohave Ferret.
543 The Magneto Detective. ,  . ‘
532 Jack Javert. the Independent Detective. ‘
5'28 Reynsrd ' of Red Jack: or, The LostrDetective
5151 Captain Velvet’s Big Stake. ,- , I '
Phil on.rthe.Genteel Spotter, 1 ‘ *
496 Richard Reoﬁre. the Two Worlds' Detective.
487 Sunshine Sam,.a Chip of the 01d Block. V 
480 Hawk ' ar. the Man With a Secret. "

J

V 4213 Coldgr p in Deadwood. "

460 Captain Coldgrm. the Detective:
W-Captain Cold in ’5 Long, Trail.
1447’Voicano. the_‘ r oSpy. a
441- The California Shag).  ‘
‘ onacr Detective.
421 Father Ferret. the Frisco. haaow. ,
413 Captain Coldgiip in New ork. .
407 Captain (magi-lob Nerve; or. In uii Nick. '
Captain Column: or. The New or Spotter. . ,
892 $33,110» Bonanza; or. The-Boot of s lent Bound.
382 30 a , Band: or. Dread Don of Cool ‘
874 Major inﬂame Bigot-t olvaoCltles. ‘ -‘,» ‘
865 Kenna . the haste. Shadow. , , ' ,
, atom in _,  r ‘
an with"‘~Sand." .
i the DakotaDethtive.
the Kabob: or. Blades 0
California Claude. the Lone Bandit. ‘ ,
B oadcloth-Burt. the Denver Dsnd . i 3,” , ..
erclnes Goldspur, the Man of the elvet Hand“

,. —  ' on J w. canon. *
759% s rt-f seismic “ 
518 18.09 "Now. the Thoroughbred. 
' ‘, ' WNED nus-ruin: 

Bowie ‘L .'
,9, Bit.
2294
m

‘ 657 Longfroni'. the Privateer. f
sears ' r I -

9 u . ‘ - ‘ '5’ '
621T shed lpgvateer; or. Thc‘llidshlpm. an Rover.
BSAFgeFéatherA Bucaeneei-‘Klnguf  ,r 1‘. .

gamiloBilmwFlrstW .' ' ‘, V   .
limb-tone Dick, the Train lot.  r? '. ‘ 
dBovIetr mte’s  f
AV. 1 l‘ ' "’ ‘ ’ .
. Stun resptainwﬂ, eZSlripper’s. his.
Captain, gait. the Privateer.  ,.x ,0”
MW” ; or. The’Conianch‘eImer
swam-m The Queen of the Isle.
,imew ; or. The Seminolc‘Prop
W5 Wise-.m- The

- ‘ .57 The Spotterbet

. ,1,” , ,
878 Dauntleu'Dick, Knight 0

 
ALBERT 1V. AIKEN’S NOVELS.

Dick Talbot Series.

741 Dick Talbot’s Close Call.
737 Dick Talbot in Apache Land.
733 Dick Talbot. the Ranch King.
729 Dick Talbot’s CleanvOut.
,725 Dick Talbot in No Man’s Camp.
384 Dick Talbot in the Rockies: or.‘Injun Dick.
354 Dick Talbot: ox, The Brand of Crimson Cross.
349 Dick. the Gentleman Road-Agent.
107 Dick Talbot. of Cinnabar.
93 Dick Talbot. King of the Road.
41 Dick Talbot in Utah: or. Gold Dan.
38 Dick Talbot’s lron Grip; or, The Velvet Hand.
36 Dick Talbot: or. The Death-Shot of Shasta.
35 Dick Talbot at the Mines: or, Kentuck. the Sport.
34 Dick Tulbot‘s Foe; 01'. Rocky Mountain Rob.
33 Dick Talbot at White Pine; or. Overland Kit.

Alkems Fresh of Frisco erles.

825 Fresh, the Race-Track Sport.
660 The Fresh in Montana; or, Blake's Full Hand.
652 Tue Fresh’s Rustic at Painted City.
647 The Fresh at Santa Fe; or The Stranger Sharp.
556 Fresh. the Sport: or. The D g Racket at Slide Out.
537 Fresh Against the Fic d; or. Blake, the Lion.
529 The Fresh of Fnsco in New York.
497 The Freh in Texas; or. The Escobedo Millions.
481 The Fresh ol’ Frisco on the Rio Grande.
173 The Fresh 11 Arizona; or. California John.
130 The Fresh in MexicO' or. Captain Volcano.
97 the Fresh in Big Walnut Camp; or. Bronze Jack
77 The Fresh of Frisco.

Alkcn’s Joe Plienlx Series. -

865 The Female Barber Detectiw; or, Joe Phenix in
Silver City.

799 Joe Phenix‘s Great Blue Diamond Case: or, The
New York Sport at Long Branch. '

793 Joe Phenix s Decoy: or The Man of Three.

760 Joe Phenix‘s Lone Han .

749 Joe Phenix‘s Biz Bulge.

745 Joe Phenix’s Mad Case.

708 JoekPhenix's Siren; or, The Woman Hawkshaw.

700 Joe Phenix‘s Unknown; or. Crushing the Crooks

681 Joe Phenlx’s S cials; or. The Actress Detective

637 Joe Phemx in ‘razy Camp.

632 Joe Phenix’s Master Search.

628 Joe Ehenix's Combim : onthe Dandy Conspiretor

620 J 09. rheuix’s Silent Six. -

601 Joe Phenix's Shadow; or.the Detective’s Monitor

. 419 Joe Pheiiix., the King of Detectives.

391 Joe Phemx's Still Hunt.

161 Joe Phenix’s Great Man Hunt.

112 Joe Phenix, Private Detective; or, The League.
79 Joe Phenlx. the Police Spy.

Alkeiiis Misc ellaneous‘ Novels.

842 Teton Torn. the Half-Blood.

835 The King-Pin Detective. '

814 The New Yorker Among Texas Sports. _

775 King Dandy. the Silver Spur. , ,
758 Gideon’s Gr! at Babylon Bar. 1 ‘ .

717 Captain Pat ,cGow’en, the Greencoat Detective.
674 Uncle-Sun Up, the Born Detective.

670 The ﬁghtweight Detective. .

665 The , sco Detective; or, The Golden Gate Find.
618 Keen Billyythe Sport.

607 Old 'Benziue the “Hard Case ” Detective.

,594 Fire Face. t e, Silver King’s Foe. .
586 The Silver Sharp Detective. _

577 Tom, of California; pr, Detective‘s Shadow Act.
570 The Actress Detective; or. The Invisible Hand.
5112 Lone Hand. the Shadow.

520 The Lone Hand 0 the Caddo.

490 The Lone Hand in exas.

475 Chin Chin. the Chinese Detective.

465 The Actor Detective. ’

440 The High Hor e of‘the l’aclﬁc. ,- ~

4% The Lone Band; or. The Red River Recreate.
408 DocG‘riD. the Vendetta otianth. ' " i , . '
3% gm Gygsy gen tlemﬁn: or. latex Foxﬁ‘inﬁtﬁctive

lack earsioi. e on e g arse

870 The Dusky Detective? . Pursuglto the .
368 Crownin gshield. the t . .

misnomer: or The N. Y. Night Hawk, ,
Street Blood: or. The Telegra in Girl.-

blerDetecilve: or.'l‘he Midnight ystery.‘

End.

 
l e

196 La Marmoset. the Le teciive Queen.

101‘ The Man from New York. a
91 The Winning oar: or. The Innkegper's Daughter.

84 Hunted Down: orﬁl‘hg League Three. 7 '
..81 The Human Tiger-2. or. A Heart at Fire. ‘
‘ 75 Gentlemen George: or. Parlor. Prison and Street.
7-: The Phantom Band: )or, The 5th Avenue Heiress. ,
'68 The Winged Whale: or. The Red Rupert‘ot Bull.
59 The Msnhom Texas; or. The Arkansas Outlaw. '
i ‘56 The Indian mom: or. Madman “ammonia ;
(9 The Wall Demon; ,or. The Ecuwa v
42 The California. Detective: ‘Wl 6'0! NY-
81 The New;YorkShar :, . hot
we; oniGlrlI othw

878 The De ive'e, Colorado (new; 'or. The .
11' lg? of ilvsrton. By Lieut. A. K. Sims.
874x 310* 1‘5 Buckskin Bravos: or,,‘The , d
3 men’s Last Game. By Col. P. Ingraham.
1875‘ appin .me Race—Track Judn- or The Man
" homo , in New York. By Vlﬁ
876 Gold Button Sport; or The liner
'1 plant Bar. By lbert women.

: i if hummus.  
meooi' Grandaiheneamsm oni'iiewmtespo; It." 7
' PricklwaOamp.‘»“By J hnW'

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