Beadle's Half Dime Library (no. 616) (1889 05 14)
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ik <x wi i ee le {i i esau iia Ln ee sss et i, SJ ml \y \ ( )) | \ 7 be . a | f \ f, (j y . 3 | | A IS TM” FA, WEEE, 7G au : = — 0) i Entered at the Post Office at New Y: No. 616, 8252 a Year. ) q * v —~ % 7 Mp a = ~ WN ’ N A OR. Thea Last Cruise of the Black Bear A Romance of the Alaskan Seas and Coast. BY GEO, C. JENKS, AUTHOR OF ‘‘ DOUBLE-CURVE DAN,” “ THE SINGER DETECTIVE,” ‘‘ GIT THAR OWNEY,” ‘“THE DEMON DOCTOR,” ETC., ETC, CHAPTER I. SAIL, HO! A DENSE fog! Above, below, around, silence—deep, awful! Suddenly a harsh voice of command: sed = = ‘‘Starboard watch ahoy! Tumble up, men! “TWO WOMEN!” MUTTERED BOB. AS HE LOOKED FIXEDLY AT THE OCCUPANTS Be lively!” OF THE YAWL, As if the elements had taken cognizance of
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~nee <— 2 AN ; the order, and had been startled out of their usual impassiveness, the fog lifted like a huge brown curtain, and allowed a few of the sun’s rays to stream redly down upon what, in spite of its dreariness, was a beautiful scene. A whaling bark in the center of an ice-floe. As far as the eye could reach, from the deck of the vessel, the blue-white of snow-covered ice, An almost solid pack that had floated down from the Arctic, toward the Behring Sea, and had caught in its embrace the good ship Ameri- cus, of New Bedford, Massachusetts, hunting whales off the coast of Alaska. “‘ Starboard watch ahoy!” repeated the harsh voice, and a figure wrapped in a heavy deerskin overcoat, with a sealskin cap on its head, reveal- ing a weather-beaten, but pleasant face beneath it, stood at the forecastle and waited for the order to be obeyed. “The lubbers must have more ballast in their heels than usual,” he grumbled. ‘‘ What’s the time, Bob?” A bright young fellow, of perhaps twenty years of age, who was walking briskly along the deck, with his fur cap in his hand, as if dis- daining to acknowledge the chilliness of the at- mosphere, answered carelessly: “Nearly eight bells. What’s the trouble?” But ere the other could answer, there was a general bustle at his feet, and, one after the other, some forty able-bodied seamen came out of the forecastle, ready for orders, ‘*Man my boat, and stand by to launch her over the ice.” At once there was the busy movement of men who are glad to havea duty after monotonous idleness, and in a few minutes the yawl hanging over the gunwale on the starboard side well for- ward, was loosened in its davits and was read to drop to the ice at the next word of command. ‘¢ Lookout ahoy!” shouted the boatswain, for of the weather-beaten man in *‘ Whereaway do you make her now?” - ‘“‘'Two points on the starboard bow about half a mile away.” ‘* What do you make her?” _ * A ship’s yawl, with two people aboard, drift- a sow’west. They have rig up an oar with a handkerchief or something.” The man above, who was answering the eager inquiries, was in what is known as the crow’s- nest, a small, boxed-in structure of canvas in the maintop, from whence he could see for miles in every direction, without being exposed to the biting blasts of an Arctic temperature. The or- dinary situation of a lookout at the mast-head would not be bearable in northern latitudes, and the crow’s-nest is always provided for the man upon whose sharp vision the safety of the vessel mainly depends, ** Bob, you’d better call the skipper. I don’t eare about chasing after these people on my own say-so,” observed the boatswain to the boy, after a moment’s thought. * All right, Silas. But, I don’t know whether he will thank me for waking him. He’s about played out, and he was as cross as Old Nick when he turned in.” ‘“Wal, mebbe you'd better call Mr. Stokes, then I’m gol-blamed if I want to command the ’Mericus, altogether, jist now.” To account for the boatswain being at the bead of affairs, it must be stated that the Americus had had a dangerous passage through the ice for the last two days, during which Captain Wrench, and his first mate, Wilfred Stokes, had been almost continually on deck. The second mate had died soon after leaving San Francisco. Now that the bark had be- come packed things were comparatively safe, atid the skipper and mates had sought their bunks, leaving Silas Hawkins in charge. ‘“What’s the question?” broke in another voice, anda man of about thirty years of age, almost a giant in stature, with well-proportioned limbs and a world of latent strength in every movement, walked carelessly forward. His piercing black eyes belied his unconcerned manner, for they rapidly scanned the faces of Silas and the young man he had called Bob, as if to make sure that nothing to his own disad- vantage was passing in their minds, He was a singularly handsome man, of the dark, Satanic style of beauty, and hisdress, consisting mainly of an overcoat of black bearskin, with a cap of the same material, gave him a still more somber appearance, He was known among his crew and those of other whaling vessels as ‘‘ The Black Bear.” His sobriquet was never men- tioned in his hearing, however. Clarence Wrench was a man of quick temper and iron will, and when he was iepiensed a The Ocean Detective. blow that was likely to mean death to the re- cipient was delivered without hesitation or com- punction. “Sail on the starboard bow!” announced Hawkins, briefly. «‘ Boat in distress,” added Bob. Captain Wrench raised his telescope, that had been protruding from his pocket, and looked in the direction of the black spot that could be seen across the field of ice floating in blue water. ‘Lower away!” he commanded. “Tl go myself. Silas, call Mr. Stokes.” The boatswain, accustomed to prompt obedi- ence, went aft, and in a few minutes returned with the first mate, who, at a word from the captain, assumed command of the Americus, while Silas followed the captain over the side into the boat. Bob, though not invited, went too. The yawl lay on the ice, but the crew had no difficulty in sliding it along for a few hundred feet to a huge crack in the pack, which appeared to afford an outlet to the clear sea whereon the strange yaw] rocked and drifted toward the im- mense ice-floe. The crack was perhaps one hundred feet wide, so that the eight oars of the crew were not im- ded, and, with Captain Wrench steering, and Bilas standing in the bow, the yawl cut through the water a great deal faster than a stranger would have thought possible, considering its heavy build. Whaling-boats are not shaped so much for speed as for thorough sea-going quali- ties. While the boat is moving toward the cast- aways, let us glance at the young man, Bob. Sitting in a negligent attitude on the tub con- taining the coil of rope to the end of which is attached the harpoon ready to be cast at a mo- ment’s notice, if a whale should be seen, the lad, for he was little more, seemed to be without a care in the world. His familiar manner with everybody, including the captain, was sufficient indication that he was not one of the crew of the Americus, while his ready obedience to the rules of the ship showed that he was not disposed to try and take advantage of his independent position. _ Robert Burleigh had suddenly appeared in New Bedford, shortly before the Americus set sail on her three-years’ whaling cruise, and seeking Captain Wrench, had been closeted with him in the latter’s cabin for an hour. At the end of that time he was introduced to Wilfred Stokes and the second mate as a young gentle- man from Boston, who was going with them as a passenger, with the understanding that he would rough it with the rest, and would, if oc- casion arose, work or fight for the general good, under the orders of the ship’s officers, : It did not take Captain Wrench long to dis- cover that Bob—as he insisted upon being called by everybody, from the skipper to the cook’s boy—was a Hatvard College man, and that_his father was one of the wealthiest lawyers in Bos- ton. : With this introduction, the reader will be left to improve the acquaintance of Bob Burleigh, as this narrative progresses. ‘Well?’ observed the captain, interroga- tively, as the t, running out of the canal, gave Silas a clear view of the strange yawl. “Thunder an’ snakes! I b’lieve it’s two wimen, Yes, 1 swan. So it be!” ‘“ Women?” ‘Yes, ez sure ez my name is Hawkins,” Captain Wrench stood up, with his telescope in bis hand; but he did not need its assistance to convince him that the boatswain had spoken the oe There were, in truth, two women in the rift. ‘Bear away, men!” he shouted, and the eight oars bent beneath the vigorous pulling of the crew. Now they were very near the yaw], and were convinced that they had not come any too soon for the good of those on board. “Two women!” muttered Bob, as he looked fixedly at the occupants of the yawl. “ Yes, and refugees from that cursed country on our left, or ’'m mistaken.” “Steady, all! Pull port! Back water, star- board! So! Easy!” As the captain thus spoke, against the gunwale of the stranger, awkins stepped on board of ber, Leaning against the oar that had been lashed upright to one of the seats in the bow of the yawl, with a fluttering rag at the top, was an elderly woman, with fe, hair framing her wan face, which showed in every lineament the unmistakable traces of high breeding, In spite of the wretched rags that were huddled around her, one could see at a glance that she was a lady. his boat ground and Silas el Bob, who had been close behind the boat- swain, put out his band to her to raise her from her cramped position in the bottom of the boat, but she waved her hand impatiently, and mo- tioned to him to look to her companion. Lying with her bead in the elder woman’s lap, partly covered by an old sealskin wrap, was another, who, Bob saw, as he pushed back the wealth of brown hair that shrouded the face, was a young girl of singular beauty. At first he thought she was unconscious, but she moved slightly as he touched her, and mur- muring ‘‘ Mother!” looked into his face, “My child! My Marie!” said the other, as she bent over the girl, and kissed her passion- ately. ‘* We are saved—saved!” Te ‘Wal, captain, what'll we do? Tow her back ter the Merikus, or jist ship them two wimen on our own boat, and cut the other adrift?” bawled Silas, He always addressed the captain as if they were the length of the sbip apart, in a gale, even when close to him, ‘‘ Bring the people on board, and then make the yawl fast to us. We don't want to lose a good boat because we are too lazy to take it.” “ Ay, ay, sir!” answered Silas. Bob had by this time raised the girl to her feet, and was carefully leading her toward the stern, where she could step into the other boat in the stern-sheets, Clarence Wrench glancing at him with a half-contemptuous smile, As the girl, in stepping over the gunwale, pushed back her hair and allowed the captain to see her face, bis black eyes flashed with ex- citement, and as he turned bis back upon her, he muttered below his breath: a ‘Curse it! It seems impossible!” , ‘¢ Clarence!” said a voice in his ear. He turned sharply, and looked into the eyes of the elder woman, who, with one foot upon the gunwale, and the other upon the seat of the stroke oar, was regarding him with a horrified stare, in which hatred and contempt were as prominent as astonishment, Silas Hawkins, who was ype ee, Bird was too much concerned for her safety in stepping from one boat to the other, to notice the little by-play between herself and the captain. “This way, mum,” he said, busily. ‘This ’ere’s the way. Jist sit down on this canvas an’ yeou'll be all right.” Still with her eye fixed on the captain, she suffered herself to be seated by the side of her daughter, whom Bob was persuading to drink a little Jamaica rum from his pocket-flask, “Clarence!” she repeated, just loud enough for the captain to hear. A scowl clouded his brow as he bent down and whispered: ‘Keep quiet now, Pauline, or ru—”" ‘* What?’ with a disdainful smile. : His right hand, upon which he wore no glove, and which, white and soft, was yet cruel in its every line, crept to the inside of his coat, and drew forth a dirk-knife, held so tightly that red spots showetl themselves between the white knuckles. “This!” he hissed. “* Kill me?” ‘Yes, curse you! If I bad only known who it was on that boat, l’d—” ‘‘Have left us to freeze or starve to death, I suppose?” he woman was as quiet and calm now as he was wratbful. ‘Yes, I would! I’d have let yourot! You, and your’miserable brat!” The words came low, and he looked like a cobra just before it springs upon its defenseless victim. ** Clarence Wrench, you are a—” ‘* Hush!” He saw that Bob Burleigh was looking. , “*T will not hush.” _ He put his hand over her mouth, but she tore it away desperately, and, just as Bob half-arose from his knees in attendance upon Marie, to in- terfere in what he yet could not understand, she | ke the word in an awful screech, ‘‘ Mur- er !” and fell back unconscious, “Bh? asked Hawkins, in bewilderment, as Bob raised her from the bottom of the boat, “Give way!” shouted Clarence Wrench, and the crew bent to their oars and rowed toward the canal, which had now extended to the very cutwater of the Americus, giving her a clear passage to the open sea.: CHAPTER II. PIETRO’S HEAVY FIST. Tue Black Bear seemed well suited to his name as he sat moodily in the stern-sheets and, with the tiller in his hand, steered mechanically, with 7 ad i = vo wee Uy" i, . ‘ 4 af ’ " “ay xa. aisha B. a ae ee ee ee Le ee vhuishs . Poe ee $iactoe. pF tae ne! a pail ae 1 FF Ss . 7 oP.t 5s oa” ‘ if
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it * The Ocean Detective. 3 his brows bent, and his fiery eyes never removed from the face of Pauline Novritch. She, after uttering the one terrible word, had been easily restored by Bob Burleigh, who -ap- parently had not attached any significance to the utterance, but had attributed all the excite- ment to sheer exhaustion and the flighty condi- tion of mind that it naturally engendered. The eight oarsmen had enough to do 1n pull- ing the boat, and did not trouble themselves about anything else. Besides, they knew Cap- tain Wrench too well to show any interest in matters outside the line of their duty. Silas stood in the bow, looking forward, and from force of habit held his Jong harpoon in his horny fist, as if he expected to see a whale at me moment. The two women sat in each other’s embrace— the girl still in°a half-bewildered state, and her mother with her glance defiantly returning that of Clarence Wrench. Thus they reached the Americus, the captain raising his eyes for a moment toadmire her trim appearance, Everything about her was taut and neat, her sails clewed up to the yards, her anchors triced oP to the hawse-holes, and every- thing that could be seen from the deck of the boat in its place. It was an ensemble such as any seaman could but admire. As soon as the boat touched the hull of the ship, Captain Wrench seized a rope, and, haul- ing himself up hand-over-hand, sprung into the chains and thence to the deck. One swift glance around, and then he uttered a low whistle, of peculiar intonation. The sound had hardly left his lips when a being that one could hardly declare was human, stepped into view. A creature witha arge head and a large, flabby face, with only one eye—the right having been lost by being struck with a splinter from a shivered mast in a gale some three years before. He was not more than four feet high, though, if his bowed legs had been straight, he might have been several inches taller. ‘He had long, black, curly hair, that straggled down from beneath his fur cap: and around his deerskin coat, that reached only half-way to his knees, he wore a broad sash that had in the long ago been crim- son. Greasy buckskin leggings and moccasins completed his attire. When his features were in repose, he looked like a harmless fool; when excited he was devilish enough to be a fit- ting aide-de-camp to the remorseless Clarence Wrench. “*Oh, you’re there, are you, Pietro?” The dwarf nodded. He never spoke when a gesture would do instead. ‘“Come to my cabin as soon as these peuple are aboard. I have work for you,” ‘“*Deviltry, I suppose,” ’ The captain raised his arm threateningly, but the other never moved. He only shot a con- eae ag from his one eye, “Never mind what it is. t to the cabin now.” : Pietro looked over the side of the vessel to where Silas Hawkins was securing the rope lad- der below, so that the two ladies could be helped up to the deck of the vessel. A grin of intelli- gence overspread the flabby face, and with a wink of his eye that was perfectly impish, he shuffled aft and made his way down the com- panionway to the captain’s cabin. ** So! so!” he muttered. ‘ Pauline, eh? Where did he pick her up? Never expected to see her again.’ ' ‘Steady, neow!” exclaimed Silas, as he direct- ed the young girl to put her foot on the rather treacherous rope ladder, and held her until she had climbed high enough for Bob, who had gone up first, to give her hand and raise her to the ship’s deck. As already stated, the ice-pack had split, leaving clear water all around the Americus, Fortunately, being sheltered by the ice, it was perfectly smooth, and the boats were almost as still as if they had been lying on the floe. Clarence Wrench stood at the head of the lad- der, and extended his hand to Marie, She allowed his fingers to touch hers and then drew them quickly back with a little shudder, The action was entirely involuntary, and she could not have told why his soft finger-tips sent such a thrill of terror through her frame. She only knew that such was the fact, and that the dark-eyed man shot a glance at her which was full of covert menace. : All this had so quickly that only the sharp.eyes of Bob Burleigh had detected it. He did not allow ay one to see that he had ob- served anything, but he made a mental note of ay ture, and he determined in his own mind that Pauline and Marie Novritch were both threatened with worse peril than that from which they had been rescued in their open boat. “Take them to my own cabin, Bob,” said Captain Wrench as Pauline reached the deck, and passing him without a look, put her arm around her daughter. ‘‘ It is theirs as long as they remain aboard the Americus.” ‘*Thank you,” said Marie; but her mother, without a word, declined Bob’s proffered arm, and walked steadily, notwithstanding her evi- dent weakness, to the after companionway, which she descended to the captain’s cabin, Clarence Wrench marched up and down the deck in deep thought, for half an hour after the ladies had gone down to the cabin. “Well, captain, I guess they are all right now. They are sitting on the sofa in your snug- gery, as much at home as if they commanded the Americus, and had done so for two or three years,” It was Bob Burleigh who spoke, and he touch- ed the captain familiarly on the shoulder as he did so. The Black Bear stopped in his walk, and turn- ing sharply around, looked the young man full in the face. ‘*Do you know who they are?” he asked. “Certainly. You don’t suppose I would bear them company for half an hour without getting their pedigree, do you—especially when Madame Novritch is so willing to talk?” “ Well ” “She is an American woman—a New Yorker. She met Ivan’ Novritch seventeen years ago in Washington, when he was a member of the Russian embassy there.” ‘* Well?” “Ivan died lately. Mrs. Novritch and her daughter were carried out to sea from the Rus- sian coast, and had about given themselves up for lost when we picked her up.” ‘I wish we had never seen he-,” muttered the captain, savagely. pa beg your pardon ” oe not speak, _Bob spoke this word with a peculiar intona- tion of intelligence that did not escape the Black Bear, but the latter did not make any remark, save to inquire, carelessly : “Did Mrs. Novritch condescend to explain how she came to be in an open boat at all in the Arctic Ocean?” ‘* She did,” answered the young man, looking full into the captain’s eyes, as if challenging him to ask something more. Clarence Wrench understood the challenge, but it did not suit his purpose to accept it. He strolled aft; with his hands in the pockets of his bearskin overcout, and went down the compan- ionway, Bob Burleigh looking after him with a smile curling his lip, and a strange light.shin- ing in his keen blue eyes, A tap at the cabin door and “Come in” in a clear voice from within. Captain Wrench removed his cap and bowed with ceremonious politeness as he entered the cabin and faced Pauline Novritch and her daughter. Pietro was laying the cloth for dinner, and the two Jadies faced each other on lockers on either side of the table. A sofa near the door was unoccupied, and upon this Clarence Wrench seated himself. “T have something tosay to you, Pauline,” he commenced abruptly, addressing himself to the elder lady, without taking any notice of Marie or Pietro, ‘Be brief then, if you please, Accident has made me indebted to you for my life. For my daughter’s sake I must thank you. Were it not for her I would rather have remained in the boat to sink into the dreamless sleep that is ever ready to welcome weary wanderers in this ter- rible region. My life is spent.” As Mme. Novritch thus spoke, she shook her head reg But recovering herself with an ef- fort, she looked inquiringly at the captain and waited for him to speak. ‘* How did you come here?” he asked, ‘Clarence Wrench, it should hardly be neces- sary for you to ask that.” -** Nevertheless, I do ask it.” Pietro had finished his preparations for the meal, and now stood calmly by the table listen- ing to the conversation. : ‘* Pietro,” growled the Black Bear. “ Yes,” Bate ough the words were spoken sharply, there was » quick turn of the captain’s eye that the dwarf saw and understood. He opened a door at the end of the cabin that was concealed by a heavy curtain of dark velvet, and banged it. oo ‘** Now he has gone, Pauline, tell me how you come to be floating about Behring’s Straits in a small boat in such an uncomfortable condition?” ‘* Marie,” said Pauline suddenly, ignoring Clarence Wrerch’s question. ‘*Yes, mother.” **This man is your father’s murderer!” ** Mother!” The young girl clasped her hands in horror as she looked into the dark face of the captain, whose clinched fist, resting upon the table, twitched and worked nervously. ** You talk like a—” He was going to say “‘ fool,” but something in the eye of Marie warned him that it would be un- wise to do so, so he substituted the words ‘** very prejudiced person.” ** Listen, Marie,” continued ber mother. * Tvan Novritch, your father, was an honored, rich man in Washington, where you were born, seventeen years ago. You know where he is now.” . es Alas] Yes! Heliesin an exile’s grave in iberia. * Dead, is he?’ asked Clarence Wrench eager- ahr Yes.” A faint chuckle sounded behind the curtan at the end of the cabin, but no one noticed it, Yet, if the curtain had been hastily pulled aside, Pietro, the dwarf, would have been revealed, standing there listening to every word, His opening and shutting of the door was only a ruse, “ Well, if he is dead, is it any fault of mine?’ asked Wrench, with a sneer. “Ts it any fault of yours?” repeated Pauline, sorrowfully. ‘‘ Who caused him to be recalled to St. Petersburg, and from thence, after the mockery of a trial, sent to Siberia, where he wore out his life in expiating offenses he never committed? Answer me that.” ‘*T had nothing to do with it. I was never in Russia any further than along the coast here,” ** You lie!” The swarthy features of the Black Bear were distorted .with passion as these two words were fiung at him vehemently. He sprung up from the sofa, and losing all control of himself, seized Pauline Novritch by the throat and bore her backward with deadly intention, Marie shrieked, but, before the sound had more than balf escaped her lips, a something like a big ball of deerskin, curly hair and Black fur, dashed from behind the curtain and struck Captain Wrench a tremendous blow in the face. he Black Bear rolled over upon the sofa as if shot, and Pauline lay back, gasping and trem- bling, but alive. Marie gave her mother a glass of water, and with arms around her neck tried to calm her. The Black Bear slowly recovered himself and looked around ‘the cabin, half-dazed, while Pietro, who, it is needless to say, was the indivi- dual who had saved Mme. Novritch from stran- gulation, thrust his immense hands into the pockets of his deerskin coat and whistled un- concernedly. ‘You scoundrel!” muttered the captain, as soon as he realized where he was and what had bappened. : “Ay, ay, sir,” answered the dwarf, coolly. ** But you had better not use such strong words while you have that lump on your jaw, You'll make it sore.” ‘ There was indeed a tremendous swelling at the side of the captain’s chin, where the dwarf’s brawny fist had descended with almost the force of a battering-ram. Without another word, Pietro turned and dis- appeared behind the curtain. “You shall see me again, soon,” said the Black Bear to Pauline, as he followed the dwarf, CHAPTER III. THE BLACK BEAR SCENTS DANGER, CAPTAIN WRENCH appeared on deck five min- utes after the scene described in the foregoing chapter, as cool and stern as if nothing had oc- curred to disturb bis equanimity. The only in- dication of what had passed in the cabin was a swelling, red and angry, on his chin, but men on shipboard, where accidental knocks and bruises are of common occurrence think, but little of them when they do not incapacitate a man for duty. “Sail on the port bow!” Wilf: Stokes, as Captain Wrench walked forward. * Ah! What is she?” “Looks like a Russian cruiser.” “ Steam ?? “ Yes,” Z ‘Ah! Well, we don’t want to meet her, '
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I 4 Stand away to the northwest and give her a wide berth.” ‘*Sensible for once,” growled a voice, at the captain’s elbow, as Pietro swaggered past him, and, with a telescope nearly as long as himself, tried to make out the stranger. She was some distance away, and but little was to be seen of her save her topmasts and a very thin stream of bluish-white smoke. he Americus had got under way while the captain had been below, and was now careering lantly toward the open Arctic in obedience to the suggestion of Silas Hawkins, who had a *‘ gift,” as he called it,for telling where the next whale was to be found. His ‘ gift” had con- vinced him that they would meet a big ‘‘ bow- head ” or “‘ right whale” off the Alaskan coast as soon as they had got out of the Straits. The Black r and his first mate, each with telescopes to their eyes, stood watching the stranger, as the Americus swerved still more to the northeast, as the helmsman put the wheel down hard to starboard, at Stokes’s orders. ‘* She’s after us, curse her!” muttered Wrench, as he saw that the steamer had altered her course, and was evidently determined to run across the bows of the Americus. ‘“Going to run away from her?” asked Pietro, wagging his big head, sarcastically, and screw- ing up his one eye in his own impish fashion, *Fool!” responded Wrench. ** Stand by,” he added, a moment later. ‘‘She is after us, Wedon’t want to be dodging her. At least we must not let them see that we are. Mr. Stokes, take in a reef on the main and mizzen topsails, and put the helm a couple of points to port, e meet her gracefully.” The maneuvers were quickly executed, and the Americus and the steamer were before long within hailing distance. The steamer flew the Russian colors at her peak, while the Stars and Stripes floated at the main-gaff of the Americus. ‘‘ What ship is that?” shouted an officer in the uniform of the Russian Navy, from the quarter- deck through a speaking-trumpet. - “The Americus of New Bedford, Massachu- setts, United States of America, hunting whales,” answered Clarence Wrench, adding softly to himself: ‘‘And I’d like to meet you, man to man, with just a knifeeach, I’d teach you to ask impudent questions,” ‘* Look out!” suddenly exclaimed Pietro. “Why, what yer doin’?” added Silas Hawkins, Pauline Novritch was standing behind the captain, wildly waving her handkerchief to the captain of the Russian steamer, he Black Bear turned quickly, and snatching the handkerchief from her hand, put his heel be- hind her, and, with a dexterous twist, taking her entirely off her guard, threw her violently to the deck, “Mother!” shrieked Marie, who, unnoticed by Wrench, had also been behind him. ‘“¢ Make her keep quiet, or, by Heaven, I'll kill her! Remember, that on board of the Americus, my word is law.” “The law of justice is higher than yours, and it will punish you yet, Clarence Wrench,” cried Pauline, whom her daughter was assisting to her eet. ‘* Oh, mother, cannot we get away from here? Why did we not stay in our own boat? We should have reached shore very likely, and even if we had not, it would have been better to die es to get into the power of such a man as S. Thus speaking. Marie rested hor head on her mother’s shoulder and wept from sheer fright and exhaustion. “Say, Cap, the Roosians are coming,” said Pietro, as he sat curled up on the gunwale, and screwed up his one eye to look through his long telesco ‘* What?” It was true, A boat had indeed been launched from the steamer, and they could see the flash of the four oars, as the sailors bent to their work, and poe rapidly over the smooth water. se ietro.” There was a peculiar ring in the tone of the Black Bear that the dwarf knew meant trouble, a desperate projects to meet and overcome ‘* Well, Cap,” answered Pietre, springing from his perch like a monkey, and landing, telescope and all, under tie other’s very nosé. » Wrench stooped and whispered. The dwarf nodded intel ently and glanced at the two women, who still remained crouched ' upon the deck, waiting for developments. The were just abaft the mainmast, Silas Haw he first mate and the sailors of the watch on deck, with the exception of the man at » ~ok sy } ‘ wd a } hone, PART ee Ee = ey eee en malt Ce ae ee aeeeny The Ocean Detective. the wheel, being all forward, and curiously watching the rapidly approaching boat from the Russian steamer. ‘** At once,” added the captain, aloud. Pietro seized Marie by the wrist, and without any apparent effort raised her to her feet. er mother flew at him like a tigress. ‘¢'Take your hands off my child,” she shrieked, The dwarf grinned. Silas Hawkins and Wilfred Stokes both heard the cry of Pauline, and involuntarily moved as if to come toward her. The Black Bear waved his hand, and, so thor- ough was the discipline he maintained aboard the Americus, that both the men turned away and resumed their observation of the approach- ing boat without taking any more notice of the scene that was being enacted on the deck of their own vessel. Captain Wrench had managed to intimate by the simple motion of his hand that Pauline and Marie Novritch were hysterical from the excitement and privation they had un- dergone, and that he was doing the best he could for them under the circumstances, Meanwhile Pietro had thrown one arm around each of the women, and lifting them from their feet, took them down the companion-ladder and into the captain’s cabin, where the table was still spread with the meal that had been prepar- ed for them. ‘‘ Will you stay here and eat something?” ask- ed Pietro, as he still held them. ‘“No,” answered Pauline, vehemently, She had been so choked with passion that she had been unable to utter another word after her first ery when the dwarf grasped Marie’s wrist. “Very well; then I must obey the captain’s orders.” Without further pariey, he lifted them again, and pushing aside the curtain that concealed the door, opened the latter, and took them into a place that, to their unaccustomed eyes, seemed to be pitch-dark. The dwarf walked on unhesitatingly for a few ste Then he stopped and put them down, still holding their arms in a vise-like clutch, ‘* Where are you going to put us?” asked Pau- line, recovering her speech with an effort. “Into the captain’s boudoir,” chuckled the dwarf, ‘‘ where you will be strictly private and out of the wind. As he spoke there was a rattling and creaking and a gust of warm, fetid atmosphere, redolent of oil and stale fish struck Pauline Novritch, As for Marie, she had fallen in a faint, Pauline’s eyes were now partly used to the loom, and she saw with horror that the dwarf fad opened a large trap-door, revealing an open- ing through which she could distinguish a ladder leading apparently into the depths of the hold, ‘* Come on,” commanded Pietro, in a business- like os He ped and raised Marie. As he did so her mother struck him on the head with her clinched fist with all her force, The dwarf chuckled, ‘“-You'll hurt your knuckles if you try that,” he remarked quietly, as, with the young girl in his arms, he went rapidly down the ladder into the noisome hole at her feet. ‘*Come back!” she shrieked. ‘‘My child! My child! Oh, Ivan, were you here now, how your strong arm would lay low this wretch!” The only answer her d iring cry was a demoniacal peal of laughter m the yawning pit into which the dwarf had sunk out of sight with Marie, For one wild moment Pauline tried to look around her and find some way of escape. Then, as Pietro had coolly calculated would be the case, her mother love overcame every other con- sideration, and she went as quickly as she could down the ladder to rejoin her child, regardless ofthe 1ada greasy and d 6 ladder was and steep, and, incum- bered as she was oy het skirts, she climbed down it with difficulty. How long the ladder was or where she would find herself when she reached the bottom she had no idea. Suddenly an arm encircled her and she was lifted from the ladder and seated on a barrel lying on its side, “There you are, Madame Novritch, and here is your girl,” croaked the dwarf, as he took Pauline’s hand and guided it to the face of Marie, who was lying on a pile of old canvas and rope that had been stored here to be sold for junk when the Americus should reach port. ‘You have killed my child!” moaned Pauline asshe took the head of Marie in her lap and felt her cold, lifeless face. ‘* Not a bit of it,” answered the dwarf. . He was lighting a small oil lamp which, with a great deal of smoke and bad odor, yet enabled ; rh oe 4 y wet ‘ a5 Seth bobo 4g : rs Mea ida Me hb ihe) Ela s Silica alliadss them to see something of their surroundings. He put the lamp down on the head of a con- venient barrel, and drawing from his pocket a small flask of brandy, put it to the lips of the girl. Ste moved slightly, and soon, under the influence of the strong spirit, revived sufficiently | tochng around her mother’s neck, and burst into a fit of passionate weeping, Pietro nodded as if satisfied, and running up the ladder, looked down and said: “Tl bring you some water and food. You need not trouble yourself to make any noise. No one could hear you, and it would only waste your breath,” ith another chuckle he stepped out of the hole and shut down the trap with a Bangs, Clasping her daughter to her breast, Pauline Novritch tried to understand where they were. She knew enough about the internal arrange- ments of ships tobe sure that they were not in the hold proper, but on a lower deck below the main deck, where stores required on the voyage were stowed in such a manner that they could be taken out without much difficulty. The oil lamp was a common tin affair, with- out a glass chimney, though the flame was sur- rounded by a smull wire cage for safety. With the exception of the light given by the lamp the rag was quite dark. There were port-holes, ut the head-lights were up, and the water, which reached so near to them as to make the port-holes useless save in harbor, where there was norough water at all, la ped against the dead-lights and sang a mourn?ul lullaby to the half-unconscious girl resting in the arms of her mother. ~ wie had Pauline made up her mind to explore their present quarters when the trap opened again, and Pietro, witha tray contain- ing the meal that had been prepared for them in the captain’s cabin,and witha large tin bucket of water, hanging to his fingers, came down the ladder, his mis-shapen limbs and awkward body looking more grotesque than ever as, monkey- like, he lowered himself to the bottom. . “Bat and drink,” he growled, briefly, and before Pauline could shape into words her desire to know what was to be the fate of Marie and herself, he had run up the ladder and left thei again in gloom and silence. CHAPTER IV. BOB BURLEIGH ON THE TRAIL, WHiLz Pietro was disposing of Pauline Nov- ritch and her daughter on the lower deck, Clarence Wrench was anxiously watching the movements of the Russian steamer and her t, He saw that, while the latter was being rowed swiftly toward the Americus, the steamer had been gently veered around, and was coming head on toward the whaler. “Mr, Stokes?” called the captain. S$ Sin, 7? ‘* She seems to be trying to surround us, eh?” observed Wrench, with a cynical smile, ‘‘ Can you make out her name yet?” ‘“ Yes, sir, as she swung around I saw the gilt letters shining. It is the Volga.” Captain Wrench bit his nether lip so hard that the keen white teeth drew the blood. ‘The Volga!” he gasped, under his breath. The boat was now very near the Americus and Clarence Wrench saw from the uniform o: the officer sitting on the bow that he was the captain of the steamer. As the boat ran under the stern of the Americus and stopped on the — side, the two captains salu each fother ormally, Captain Wrench was a past-master in marine etiquette. In another instant the Russian commander stood upon the deck of the Americus, while his boat, made fast to the whaler, was towed gently along as the light wind kept the latter moving ever so slightly. ; ; Captain Wrench?” asked the Russian, in English, but with with marked foreign accent. Yes, sir.” f : “T am captain of the Russian cruiser, the Volga, cruising in the Arctic under special or- ders.” ‘Yes, sir,” said Wrench. He was about to add: ‘*What has all this to do with me?” but rudence restrained him, and he only bowed, as he acknowledge the other’s remark. ‘¢T shall have to search your vessel.” “What?” The Black Bear’s face became livid with rage, and his hand flew to his breast as if seeking for a on ‘TJ have orders to secarch the Americus, American whaler, for certain contraband liquors and other articles,” went on the Russian captain, calmly, ‘* and I hope that you will not object to ) Ay Aw? < 4 af. 2 ink alade cits Nal Michal Odi ithe’
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ae The Ocean Detective. 5 my carrying out my instructions. If you do, why, you see what will be the result,” He pointed to the Volga, which lay to within a quarter of a mile, and had her gun-ports open showing her teeth ready to senda broadside into the Americus at a second’s notice. 44 Captain—I beg your pardon! What is your name?” asked the Black Bear, with forced calm- ness. ‘* Nicoleff !” “‘Thanks! Captain Nicoleff. Well, I wish to call your attention to the fact that the Americus is an American vessel, sailing under the protec- tion of the United States flag, and that its busi- ness is of a peaceful, legitimate character.” “TI donot recognize the right of any one, es- pecially a foreigner, to come aboard my ship and search it without the fullest authority from the Government of the United States. The orders you say you have from the Russian Government are nothing tome, I do not recog- nize them, and if you attempt to carry out your threat to search the Americus, you will do it at your peril.” Captain Nicoleff smiled and looked significant- ly in the direction of his steamer. “One wave of my hand and the Americus would be riddled from bowsprit to taffrail,” he said, quietly. Behind the Russian captain stood a young fellow, in the uniform of a midshipman, while grouped around were the four seamen who had manued the oars, All wore cutlasses, while in the belts of the two officers were revolvers. ‘““Wave your hand, and the movement will be the last for you in this world,” hissed the Black Bear as he suddenly drew a revolver and pointed it at the head of Captain Nicoleff. Like flashes of lightning five cutlasses—those of the midshipman and the seamen leaped from their scabbards and the revolver of Clarence Wrench was knocked from his hand and sent spinning into the sea. Silas Hawkins, armed with a harpoon, and Wilfred Stokes, revolver in hand, were upon the Russian captain at once. The cutlasses swungin the air, but with one sweep of his ponderous iron Silas disarmed two of the seamen, and would have brained the other two, bad not the midshipman dextrously seized the end of the harpoon as it circled over Silas’s head, disturbing his aim and causing the weapon to fall harmlessly to the deck, Meanwhile Wilfred Stokes had flung himself upon Captain Nicoleff and with his fingers on the Russian’s throat, seemed resolved tostrangle him, when the Black Bear interposed. “* Release him,” he commanded, sternly, The first mate of the Americus obeyed with- out a word, and Silas Hawkins, who was about to annihilate the little midshipman, stood back and looked toward his captain for further orders, _ _ Captain’ Nicoleff, if you wish to search my ship I will make no resistance, but I warn you that you will be required to answer to the au- thorities at Washington for this outrage on a ship sailing under the protection of the Stars an its og Captain Nicoleff only bowed, ‘‘Tam prepared to accept all responsibility for my acts here,” he said, after a pause. ‘I have information that you are supplying whisky to the Esquimaux on the Russian coast. My in- structions are to prevent such trading, to board all vessels that I may suspect of engaging in the traffic and to seize all contraband property found on such vessels,” The Black Bear laughed sarcastically. ‘* Where would you like to begin?” he asked. “Tn your cabin.” ‘*Go ahead. You do not wish me to go with you, do you?” “No, sir; it is not necessary.” “ Thanks!” 4 Tbe Black Bear was speaking with studied politeness, but it could be easily seen that he was holding back his indignant rage only by the most determined effort. “We will go down through the forward hatchway first,” announced Captain Nicoleff. ‘Very well. Silas, show them the forecastle, and allow them to bave full run of the ship whil> they are on board.” ‘* Jehosophat!” gruated Silas under his breath, as, with a very bad grace, be slouched forward, Nicoleff and bis five followers close bebind bim., As they disappeared down the hatcbway, Clarence Wrench’s brow grew black as night, and he strode toward his cabin with muttered imprecations between his teeth that boded trou- ble for some one. , He glanced across the water to where the ee Volga, with her propeller lazily turning so as to keep her abreast of the Americus, as the latter moved slowly along before the light breeze, looked a veritable thing of beauty upon the blue water. The ice floe had now almost disappeared, having been taken by the current far away to the northwest, and the temperature had goneup several degrees in consequence, being actually mild to men who had become accustomed to breathing the air of northern latitudes. ‘*That’s done,” croaked a voice under him, as he marked the trim lines of the steamer, with eyes ry then for nothing else, h? Pietro had shambled out of the companionway and along the deck, and was contentedly sitting cross-legged, at his feet, a favorite posture of his, ‘**] said, that’s done.” ‘* Well, where are they?” ‘*They are on the lower deck, eating roast lamb and drinking fresh water—all the luxuries of the season,” laughed the dwarf. , ‘*Well— Get up. I don’t want to yell at you,” said the captain, petulantly. Pietro was on his feet at once, and standing on tip-toe, reached nearly to Clarence Wrench’s shoulder. The Black Bear stooped and whispered. ‘* Wh-a-a-a-t?” The flabby face of the dwarf was drawn with the. most horrible contortions, He was sur- prised, and, if his looks did not belie him, ter- rified beyond measure. ‘““Tt is a fact.” **Did he know you?” ‘‘No. He only saw me once before, and then—” ‘*Tt was rather dark eh?” added the dwarf, with a ghastly grin. He was recovering some- what from the fright caused by the Black Bear’s whispered communication, and could enjoy the discomfiture of his companion. ‘*Tt was rather dark,” assented the captain, gravely. ‘*Tt was in that little hut in Yakutsk, before you got Ivan Novritch safely into the mines, where he rotted with thousands of others in merry Siberia. Ha, ha! Youare a slick one, Captain Wrench!” “ Hush, you devil!” hissed the Black Bear, as he clapped his hand over the wide mouth of the misshapen little wretch. The dwarf pushed his hand away angrily. ‘*T know what I am talking about, You killed Ivan—” ‘* You lie!” ‘* Well, it was your fault that he died in Si- beria. You needn’t chop, words with me, They'll consider that ge killed him, and if you don’t play your cards very neatly you'll wish that you never saw him.” ‘*T shall play my cards neatly.” ** With my help?” ‘* With your help.” ‘* And suppose I won’t have anything to do with it?” “You will have something to with it,” **T don’t know that.” ce T do,” ‘Because it is my will,” hissed the Black Bear, ‘‘ Moreover, refuse to obey my orders, and Pll have you hanged at the yard-arm for mutiny and inciting the crew to rebellion.” For a moment the two men looked fixedly into each other’s eyes, Then the dwarf shrugged his shoulders and remarked: ** You're a pretty tough nut, captain. I only said that to see how you would take it, Of course I will help you. It is to my interest, You hold the deeds to half a million dollars’ worth of pared in Boston that rightfully be- longs to the widow and daughter of Ivan Nov- ritch—” ** Hush!” ‘* And,” continued the dwarf, ignoring the other’s warning, ‘the captain of the Volga turns out to be Ivan’s brother, who has sworn to hunt down the man that caused bis death—” ‘* Hush, will you?” The heavy brows of the Black Bear lowered until they formed a bushy black line over his eyes, but he could not stop the terrible tongue of the imp with the flabby face. “Luckily for you he does not know the name of the man. If he kuew that it was Captain Wrench, and that he was the commander of the Americus, bow long do you think you would be sailing in the Arctic as the skipper of a whaling vessel?” a “Pietro, what is the matter with you? I know all this, but there is no occasion to tell the story where there may be listening ears, for all I know,” “Oh, no. We are alone. I don’t want to ive fe away. But I want you to understand ow things are,” answered Pietro, carelessly. ‘*'You say those two women are on the lower deck?” ss Yes.” “They must not be found by—by—” “Call him Nicoleff. That’s good enough. His first name is Nicoleff,” suggested the dwarf. “Tf he and they meet, everything will be re- vealed, and—” ‘* And then there will be trouble for you. What shall I do with them?” ‘* Finish them!” hissed the other, ‘No, stay! Let them down into the hold, They ma live down there, and even if they don’t, why—” The dwarf winked with his one eye, and was about to say something in reply, but the Black Bear stopped him by walking swiftly toward the companionway. “Tl go with you and see that itis proper] done,” he said over his shoulder, as Pietro shuf- fled after him. The two disappeared down the compenion- way, and as they did so, Bob Burleigh stepped from behind the mainmast, with an expression in which horror struggled with triumph. “So! I bave found out more than I expect- ed. It looks as if I should catch you upon more than one *tharge, my sweet-scented Captain Clarence Wrench. I do not think it will be long before I shall let you know that Bob Bur- leigh has another name—one that will make. ou tremble. Innocent, the College Detective! like that sobriquet somehow, It has a schol- arly sound that puts crooked gentry off their guard!” CHAPTER V, TRAPPED! Bos BURLEIGH’S usual light-hearted demean- or seemed to change as he soliloquized, and it was easy to believe that he was the astute de- tective whose gentle manner, together with the fact that he had been educated at Harvard, had procured for him the title of ‘‘ Innocent, the College Detective.” It was true that he was the son of the famous Boston lawyer, Bur- leigh, but no one was allowed to know that the young man was employed in secrot service against criminals when it was possible to hide the fact. With the exception of the police, and such offenders as had reason to know him, few people were aware that the young fellow was anytking more than an assistant in his father’s office, when he was not traveling about the world enjoying himself. Just now, as he turned over in‘his mind rap- idly a dozen plans of action, there was nothing of the “‘ gilded youth” about him, and it was easy enough to understand that he was one whose name would be a terror to those evil-doers that knew him. He had paid but little attention to Pauline and Marie after they had been installed in Clarence Wrench’s cabin. He had no desire to intrude upon them, and he had gone forward to the forecastle, where he liked to listen to the yarns of the old salts who had sailed in every sea, from the Arctic to the Mediterranean, and had something startling to tell of every voyage they had made since they first shipped before the mast, He had come on deck just as the Black Bear had told the Russian captain that he could search the ship, and had not seen anything of the scrimmage that bad preceded the permis- sion. He had not seen the face of Nicoleff, and would not bave recognized bimif he had, but now that he bad heard the conversation of Pie- tro and Wrench, he knew who he was, and was considerably enlightened ov a matter that had hitherto been rather foggy to bim. “‘T must save those two women at any risk,” he muttered. ‘‘ After that perhaps I shall be able to do justice to Ivan Novritch’s memory, as well as to his wife and daughter, Providence must bave sent them to the Ameri- cus. And then to think of Ivan’s brother being © here, too! Well, well, truth is stranger than fiction, after all.” € Quick to decide, as be always was, Bob Bur- leigh (for we will continue to call him by his own name), went below, by way of the fore- castle, nodding carelessly to Silas Hawkins, who had not yet got over his indignation at the Rus- sian seamen. ; ’ Captain Nicoleff and bis men were not to be seen, but Bob rightly conjectured that they would make their way to the lower deck, and he sought one of the traps that led to it, and — ima i oN fe ; ' hae % o2 ee as a Mone MRee sory, eae SOS
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x i “What?” asked Nicoleff, infected by his com- : 5 rn 0 “ ‘ ’ >. 4 ay dat Y ty swe a Rated, (8, es ae 5. s x hee aoe = Ain. . an SF ida Pubs ata Ni hen ie es in th The Ocean Detective, ‘went down the ladder into the gloom without hesitation. Looking along over the barrels and lumber in the place, he saw the blinking lamps carried by some of the Russian seamen, and made his way to them as quickly as possible. “Lift that rope,” said Nicoleff, in Russian, to one of his men, The order was obeyed, and several boxes, that might have contained anything, but that the ex- perienced eye of Nicoleff recognized at once as the cases in which jugs of fiery whisky were usually packed for consignment to the Esqui- maux, were revealed. ‘* What have you found?” put in Bob, The Russian captain looked at the youn man inquiringly,’and with some sternness sepited in English: **Contraband articles, sir, Are you an officer of this ship?” ** No, sir.” “Not an ordinary seaman, eh?” glancing at Bob’s costume, and noting the air of refinement that asserted itself, despite the rough clothing. “Well, no. I am—” He whispered in the other’s ear, **Can you prove that?” For answer, Bob threw open his coat and thick shirt, showing a silver: medal suspended by a stout cord from his neck. Nicoleff examined the inscription upon it by the light of one of the lamps and then offered I heard Wrench and that little monster say they would do it, but it slipped my memory for an instant.” “Pauline Novritch! Marie! What do you mean?” demanded the Russian captain, trem- bling with anxiety. ‘“‘T mean that they are the prisoners of Clar- ence Wrench, and that he is murdering them, even while we are talking.” ‘*Great heavens! What shall we do?” ‘Follow me!” answered Bob, as, seizing one of the smoky lanterns, he dashed into the dark- ness, over barrels, boxes, ropes, bales of sail- cloth and the other heterogeneous matters which filled the narrow space between decks, “See! Here is the entrance tothe hold. They are down here!” He had pulled up a trap as he spoke, and showed a horrible, dark pit, fouler than the place in which they stood, access to which was given by a steep ladder, - Without hesitation Bob Burleigh let himself down the ladder, and found himself up to his ankles in bilge-water. He was quickly followed by Nicoleff, and his five men, who tried to show by their lanterns where they were. With the exception of the large masses of iron used for ballast, and a number of barrels, some full of whale-oil and others empty, it was diffi- cult to tell what there was in the hold. The lanterns gave no light save in their immediate his hand to the young man. _ : vicinity, and they might have been in a cavern The latter took it and gave it a peculiar pres- | at the bottom of the sea for all that they could sure, distinguish of their surroundings, ‘Ivan! lvan!” cried a faint voice, “Pauline!” answered Nicoleff, as he hurried away into the black darkness, regardless of where he might find himself at last, Bob Burleigh followed closely. He felt that hesitation might mean death for the two helpless women. ‘‘ Pauline!” repeated the Russian captain. ‘Here Iam. Oh! Can it be? Nicoleff?” ‘* Yes, indeed, Nicoleff!” he replied. ‘Then I am saved,” The light held by Bob Burleigh flashed upon the face of Pauline Novritch, as she lay ex- tended upon a mattress laid upon some barrels. By her side sat her daughter, who seemed now to have reversed the former state of things, and to have taken charge of her mother, The next minute Nicoleff had clasped the hands of mother and daughter, and was pouring words of encouragment into their ears. ** Well, now, atn’t she a daisy?” The words were uttered in clear-cut English, and evidently proceeded from some one in an ecstasy of admiration, Bob ke turned quickly, and the light of his lantern flashed full upon the face of the Russian midshipman, who in his showy uniform, was regarding the beautiful daughter of Pauline Novritch with a stolid look of appreciation such as an American youth bestows upon a favorite base-ball player, It could not be this quiet young Russian that had emitted such a distinctively American sen- tence, Yet there was no one else. * Did gos speak?” asked Bob at last. “Well, now, you bet yer boots I did! I know a pretty girl whenever I see one, and I say she’s It was the Masonic grip. ‘*'You have something more than the badge?” asked the captain. “Certainly. I have my regular papers in a secret compartment of my sea-chest.” “That is good. You can show me them at a more convenient time, In the mean time, what do you suspect?” “* That I will tell you Jater on. It is not neces- sary for me to say that I have other objects in being aboard the Americus besides the mere en- joyment of the cruise,” “Tsu BO,” At this moment a dark face, under a bearskin cap, peered around a bale of goods a few yards away from the speakers, and disappeared again. “if I help you in this matter you have in hand, I suppose you will give me assistance, T have got everything in train. I have established the evidence that I required, and I am anxious to turn Captain Wrench and his precious adju- tant, Pietro, into the hands of the United States authorities as soon as possible. Then I think it would be well to blow the Americus out of the water, for I believe she is too corrupt ever to serve an honest purpose again,” “* How are the crew?” : “ All ee eee Pietro. They really have been hunting whales, and we already have considerable baleen and some oil aboard. But of course whaling is only a cloak for the other business.” Again the dark face under the black bearskin appeared for an instant like a vision of evil. “*Curse you, you viper! Lucky I’ve found you out in’ time,” muttered Clarence Wrench as he withdrew into his concealment and waited for further developments, ‘** You say they take on most of the stuff at San Francisco, eh?” asked Nicoleff. ‘Yes. There is a fence there who receives stolen property from every city in the United States. The Americus is only one of several vessels that carries it away, but Captain Wrench and Pietro are the managers of the scheme,” an- swered Bob, “* Have they much on board now?” *“Yes; some $50,000 worth, sg in dia- monds, The settings have been melted down long ago. When there isa trying-out of blub- ber it is easy enough to rig up a small furnace for melting down gold and silver, you know.” ** But that is not all that you told me?” “No. The counterfeiting is of course a prom- inent feature of the business, but all the other things help.” ** Precisely !” Without further conversation, Nicoleff helped his men to turn over the rubbish around him, and soon unearthed two more cases containing Jugs of whisky. ob Burleigh was about to lift one of the. mom away, when he stopped and listened in- tent y. ‘By heavens! I bad forgotten that. They are down there—under our feet,” he shouted. Fg * Why, where—where—are you from?” ‘* Boston, Massachusetts—your own town. I know you, too, You are Innocent, the Detec- tive,” answered the boy coolly. ‘* Well, you are a mystery,” ejaculated Bob, “Oh, no. I found I couldn’t get to Annapo- lis—hadn’t the influence. So I just worked it through my father’s friend, Nicoleff Novritch, to try a cruise under the Russian flag, so long as there was no quarrel with Uncle Sam. But I’ve had enough of it, and I hope to be home again by this time next year,” Nicoleff was too much occupied with Pauline and Marie to notice anything else, and the boy continued : “* Now, see here, Innocent: I’ve taken a faney to you, and I am going to see you through the wickedest time you ever had. That lack, sneaking scoundrel, Clarence Wrench, doesn’t know [ am American, and he didn’t care what he said before me. He thought I didn’t under- stand United States, Ha, ha, ha! Well, be’ll find that Bert Murray knows a little too much for him, sure as you’re born. You bet I can play Russian when I have to, but when I lay American I get there with both feet. You hear me. As he spoke, the lad placed his hand signifi cantly upon the hilt of his cutlass, and looked as if he would have liked to take part in a battle at panion’s excitement, that moment, “Pauline Novritch and her daughter Marie, aa **Come along, Pauline. Lean on me, , We wili get out of this place at once. I will con- front this man, Wrench, charge him with his attempt on your life, and take the Americus a prisoner, to be turned over to the authorities either in Sitka or at San Francisco,” ‘Frisco will be the better place, on account of the business of which I told you,” interrupted Bob Burleigh. Nicoleff agreed at once, and leading Pauline, he was stumbling toward the spot under the opening to the deck above, when a pistol-shot echoed through the hold and a bullet flattened itself against a mass of iron ballast within a foot of the Russian captain. : 7 **You confounded fool! Why did you do that?” growled the harsh voice of Captain Wrench, ‘“‘For fun! Do you want it all yourself?” re- turned Pietro’s voice, defiantly. Neither of the speakers could be seen, but a loud slam told those in the hold that the trap had been closed, and that they were prisoners at the pleasure of a man who had shown that no sense of right or wrong would deter him from crime, and who was the possessor of so much reckless daring that it was hopeless to attempt to play upon his fears, CHAPTER VI. A BOLD EXPEDITION, ‘So! That makes things safe for the present,” muttered the Black Bear, as he helped Pietro shoot the bolts that secured the trap leading to the hold. ‘They may stay down there and suf- focate or starve, or whatever they please, until I am ready to let them out.” ‘When will that be?” asked the dwarf, as a sardonic grin overspread his flabby face and closed up his one eye. ‘** Never mind. Come on deck,” Clarence Wrench was in no mood to be ques- tioned. He wasin deep thought. A bold en- terprise had suggested itself to him as soon as Captain Nicoleff had gone below on the search mi enw and he was maturing it rapidly now. hen he stepped on deck everything was quiet and orderly there. Silas Hawkins was busy with his harpoons and lines, while the men on watch were moving about and doing what they could, as usual, to keep everything taut and shipshape, : he broad, white sails were spread to catch the light breeze, and the course of the vessel, being westerly, would soon take the Americus around the headland known as East Cape, on the Siberian Coast into the open Arctic, About a quarter of a mile away the ee maintained its relative position abreast of the Americus, with her guns ready for immediate action. | ‘Shows her teeth prettily,” commented the © Black Bear, with a shrug of his shoulders, ‘*Be all up with us if she was to bite once,” added the dwarf. ‘*She won’t bite. I'll take care of that,” “c Oh !” ‘* Pietro.” “oe Yes.” ‘* Listen.” ‘¢T’m all ears.” “‘How many of the crew can we depend upon?” . The dwarf cogitated for a moment. Then, placing a finger knowingly to the side of his nose, he whispered: ‘* All of them, if they are handled right.” . ‘* What do you mean?” ' ‘**Make them think that the Russians are try- ing to play dirt on us, and they will do anything you tell them.” “IT see. Call Hawkins and Mr. Stokes,” The dwarf obeyed, and the two men stood he- fore the Black Bear, wondering what was com- ing next, The captain addressed himself to Silas, though his words were intended for Wil- fred Stokes also, “* Silas, you see that steamer over there?” ‘“* Wal, neow, she’s a ’tarnal big thing. Heow could I help seein’ her?” y “Tf you knew that she was trying to capture the Americus, an American vessel, what would you do?” : ““What would I dew?” repeated Silas, as his weather-beaten face reddened more than ever at the thought of such an indignity. “ Dew? Just let her try it, an’ I'll show yeou what I’d dew!” ** The. infernal foreigner wouldn’t dare to tr it,” put in Wilfred Stokes, and he placed his hand on the revolver in the pocket of his over- coat,
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‘“‘ He would, for ho has.” ¢No!” cried Stokes, tain?” ‘“ Yes, whar is he? ‘* Where is the cap- Darn his fluffy head! Why, I'll brain him with a whale-iron. Thet’s what I’ll dew,” broken in Silas again. Pietro chuckled and rubbed his hands stealth- ily. He saw that his plan was working splen- didly. se t have him and his people safe below, and I am going to keep them there,” said the Black Bear, savagely. “‘Good for yeou, Captain Wrench,” cried Silas, shaking his head in satisfaction, ‘“Now, my intention is to take that steamer and run her down to ’Frisco, where I will band her over to the United States authorities, to- gether with her captain and crew. That will mean a reward for every man on the Americus, for the Volga is nothing more than a pirate, carrying the Russian flag as a blind.” Pietro made a sly grimace. He was actually astonished at the audacity of the Black Bear in telling such a story, and still more at the ease with which it gained credence with his listeners, Perhaps Mr. Stokes had some misgivings. If he had, he judged it prudent not to give them ut- terance. He knew Clarence Wrench too well for that. As for Silas, the captain’s word was law with him, and he hated foreigners, any- how. The bare suggestion of an insult to the American flag was enough for him, and he would have fought the whole crew of the Volga, officers and all, in its defense, if needs were. It was evening by this time, and already the Arctic sun was very low in the heavens. An- other hour and it would be dark. ‘ The Black Bear looked over the port side of the vessel, where, it will be remembered, the Volga’s boat was being towed out of sight of the steamer. ‘* Muffle the oars of that boat, and lower away your own boat, Silas,” he commanded, “ Ay, ay, sir. But my boat is towing on the starboard side yet, e didn’t haul her up since we brung them two weemen from the ice this mornin’.” “That is so. I had forgotten, Well, haul her around to the other side of the ship, so that she won’t be seen from the steamer. Then have her oars muffled.” Ss Av. ay, air.” “You will take command of her. Mr. Stokes and Pietro will come with me in the Volga’s boat. Arm all your men with cutlasses and six-shooters, and tell them that they may have to use them.” ‘ ‘Ay, ay, sir.” ‘““Wait until it is dark, and then be ready to start immediately.” ‘“t Ay, ay, sir.” : The Black Bear, attended by Pietro, walked away to his cabin, while Silas Hawkins pro- ceeded to execute the orders of the captain, and the first mate, Wilfred Stokes, paced the deck uneasily, wondering what new wickedness was contemplated by the Black Bear. Once in the privacy of his cabin, Captain Wrench, after carefully examining the curtains and door at the end of the apartment, to make sure that there were no eavesdroppers, unfolded the rest of his plans to Pietro. ‘¢ We will row over there in the darkness, and and board her before we are discovered.” ** Good!” croaked the dwarf, “Tf they see us we must pretend that we are her own people. For that reason our boat only must be seen. Silas must keep behind, but be read = help us when the tug of war comes,” “ ell? “Once on board, it becomes a question of nerve and pluck. We must get their crew un- der hatches and take possession,” “Then we will steam away for ’Frisco, eh?” The dwarf looked with bis one eye straight in- to the face of the Black Bear. The latter al- most smiled, and indeed so nearly did so that Pietro understood the slight contortion of the captain’s visage. ‘We shall probably not go to San Francisco right away,” he said, ‘‘I may have to take the Mi in another direction first.” ‘“You are sure that you will capture her, then?” “ Yes,” It was but one word, but the tone in which it was uttered was one of perfect confidence. ‘*Good. That’s what I like about him,” mut- tered the dwarf to himself. ‘* What did you say?” ‘Nothing. I was only clearing my throat.” For an hour the two men sat opposite each other, on either side of the table, the captain smoking a fragrant Havana cigar, and the The Ocean Detective. dwarf pulling away at a short black clay pipe filled with the strongest tobacco, It was quite dark when the Black Bear broke the silence with: ‘*Come, Pietro.” ‘*T’m ready.” ‘*T wonder—” commenced Clarence Wrench, and then stopped. ‘“*T know what you wonder,” chuckled the dwarf, ‘‘ You would like to know what our friends are doing down in the hold. It’s—” ** Hush!” ‘‘Ts jt time to start, sir?’ broke in the voice of Wilfred Stokes, as the first mate stood on the stairway and looked into the cabin, The captain had seen him in time to stop the rather too freely wagging tongue of Pietro. ‘¢Yes, Mr. Stokes. ‘Tell Silas to man his boat, I am coming at once,” *¢ And what shall I do?” ‘You will come with me.” ‘¢ But, captain, who is to take command of the Americus? You know we are terribly short of officers. There is no one we can trust.” The Black Bear hesitated and bit his lip. For reasons of his own he would have preferred that his first mate should accompany him on _ his ex- pedition. ‘‘ Well, [suppose you are right. We cannot leave the Americus to take care of itself. You will have to stay, and I will do as well as I can with Pietro.” The three men went on deck. It was very dark, and the lights on the Volga in the distance looked like stars in the black firmament that seemed to reach to the surface of the dark sea, On board the Americus all was bustle, but without noise. Silas Hawkins had his crew all ready. He had just looked them over tosee that their cutlasses were properly secured in their belts, and that their revolvers were fully charged with six cartridges each. His large boat, furnished, as usual, with all the paraphernalia for whale-catching—harpoons and coils of rope, well-soaped, in tubs—rocked softly under the bow of the ship. The oars had all been carefully muffled with old sails, and it would be possible to row without a sound save that caused by the dip of the oars in the sea. ‘Keep a little behind me, Silas,” said Captain Wrench, in low tones, ‘‘ but watch me closely. As soon asI want you to come I will blow one blast on my whistle.” He held up a small silver whistle, with whose shrill note Bilas Hawkins was thoroughly fa- miliar, for it was often used as a signal when the elements made too much noise for a voice to be heard. ** Ay, ay, sir,” responded the Yankee, ‘Very well. Now, Pietro!” The dwarf swung himself over the side of the vessel, and with the agility of a monkey, let himself down by a rope, into the boat belonging to the Volga, ** Come on, Cap,” he croaked. The Black Bear signed to the four seamen who were to man the oars, and they, without a word, slid down the rope and took their respective laces. There may have been a feeling of exul- tion in their bosoms over the prospect of a tus- sle, for they were American sailors, but they knew better than to make any sign of their emotions in the presence of Captain Clarence Wrench. He would have made them suffer for such a breach of discipline, in the very teeth of an enemy, and they knew it. ‘* Now, remember, Silas. Keep out of sight until I call you,” said the Black Bear, as he held up his silver whistle, significantly. Silas responded with his usual ‘“ Ay, ay, sir,” and at once manned his boat, and cast off from the Americus. ‘* Steady all,” he whispered, to his men, as he waited for the other | oat to get headway. The Black Bear, armed to the teeth, sat in the stern of his boat, steering straight for the Volga, whose black outline could hardly be distinguished but whose lights showed exactly her position. ‘‘ Fun, eh?” observed Pietro, dryly, as he sat close to the captain. . ‘* Yes—for the people on the Volga.” *‘ And for the Americus crew, too, if I know anything.” “You do not know anything.” Ohl? The muffled oars struck the calm sea in regu- lar cadence, but the splash*they made was not more audible than the natural lap of the waves. It was not very cold, considering the latitude— but a few degrees below freezing—and the work at the oars kept the men comfortable, while Wrench and Pietro, wrapped in their overcoats, were as warm as they desired to be. About a hundred yards behind came the i boatswain, his crew rowing steadily, but slow- ly, soas to keep at arespectful distance from the Black Bear. The hull of the Russian steamer now became more distinct, seeming, as the first boat ap- roached it, to rise out of the water higher and lohan, until it became gigantic. “Boat aboy!” suddenly rung out a voice, in Russian, from the deck of the Volga, as a de- cided bustle could be discerned among a few dark forms appearing above the bulwarks, “Captain Nicoleff,” answered Pietro, disguis- ing his voice as well as he could, so that it would pass for that of the Russian captain at a inch, / : The answer evidently satisfied the Volga’s officers, for a rope ladder was tet down, and two mean leaped into the main chains and stood by to await the approach of the supposed Captain Nicoleff to climb up into the vessel. ‘*Now comes the tug,” whispered the Black Bear to Pietro, as he stooped and picked up the uniform hatof the Russian captain from the bottom of the boat and placed it on his head in lieu of his black bearskin. Pietro did the same with the little midship- man’s hat, which, fortunately for the Americus people, had been left on the main deck, with that of Captain Nicoleff, when the two plunged into the confined space of the lower deck search- ing for contraband goods. Had Nicoleff and Bert Murray been less careful of their gilt- trimmed, showy hats it might have been more difficult than it was for the Black Bear to have pursued his designs upon the Russian steamer. CHAPTER VII. CUT AND THRUST, ** BASy,” commanded Wrench, in a low tone to his men, and Pietro repeated the word, put- ting up his hand warningly. The crew, like machines, obeyed, but they could not repress the quickened breath that showed they were ready for the fight that ap- peared to be imminent. They interpreted the word ‘‘ Easy,” to mean stop rowing, understand- ing at once that it was to give Silas an opportu- nity to come up to them. ‘*Row all,” whispered the captain again, as he saw the other boat coming steadily forward. In another instant the Black Bear was on the rope ladder, with Pietro close bebind him. The four seamen had unshipped their oars, after making the boat fast to a rope that bad been thrown overboard from the Volga, and were now crowding toward the stern, ready to run up the ladder and overcome the unsuspecting Russians. The Black Bear held kis silver whistle in his mouth, but forbore to blow it until the last mo- ment. He knew that the sound would give warning to the Russians that something was wrong, and he would prefer to take possession of the steamer by strategy rather than force. Bloodshed, he knew, would be difficult to ac- count for satisfactorily, should he be ever brought to justice. He stepped into the chains, averting his face so that the two soldiers holding the rope ladder should not obtain a full view of him. The dark- ness favored his deception, and the men allowed him to pass without any suspicion that the stately figure was other than that of Captain Nicoleff. Pietro, was the next, but the sailors, after seeing the top of his bead, and that he had reached the chains in safety, coolly let go of the rope and walked away. They were not dis- posed to take trouble for a mere midshipman, and certainly not for their own companions, the foremastmen who followed him up the ladder, As the Black Bear reached the deck he touched his bat to the first officer, who stood respect- fully near, and passed on toward the open com- panionway leading to the captain’s state-room. The motion of raising his hand enabled Wrench to partly hide his face, and thus prevent an a edie discovery that might have taken place. ** Come!” he said, as he the stairway, and beckone cer. The latter walked quickly toward his sup- posed superior, thus enabling Pietro to come on deck without it being revealed that he was not the active young midshipman, Bert Murray. The misshapen form of the dwarf, his bowed legs and large head, would have betrayed him at once, even in the thick gloom, if the Russian officer had looked straight at him, The crew of the Volga had gone forward, and there was no one in the vicinity save the man at the wheel—who was mechanically keeping the head of the ship toward the west—and the aused at the head of to the Russian offi- —
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sailors an The Ocean Detective. second officer, on the bridge, walking backward and forward, and waiting for his watch to end. The engines were working very slowly—about quarter speed—and the hot breath from the engine-room came up in gusts that reached sometimes to the bridge, and made the young fellow, in his tightly-buttened overcoat, think longingly of the warmth and comfort below. he first officer was a few yards from Cap- tain Wrench, when the latter, without turning, said, in Russian: ‘‘Go forward and put the whole crew under hatches,” “ Sir?” ‘* T have my reasons.” ‘What, do you su t—” “Mutiny. Yes. o as I tell you. Make some excuse, so as not to arouse suspicions, and when you have carried out my orders, come to to me in my cabin.” The first officer saluted, and went.rapidly to the other end of the sbip to carry out his strange commission. ‘‘That whaler seems to have a spell over it,” he muttered, in his own language. ‘‘I wish the captain would let me give her a broadside. I don’t feel as if the Volga weresafe for a moment while the Americus is allowed to float, As for that captain of hers, the Black Bear, I believe he is the very devil himself,” Pietro stood in the shadow of the bridge as the Russian passed him, and he listened to this soliloquy with a grin that expanded his flabby face from ear to ear. The four seamen from the Americus were hiding near Pietro, in response to a command from him, and the officer passed on without noticing any of them. ‘Now, Pietro,” whispered the Black Bear, as the dwarf and the four sailors stood at his side, ‘* oo into the cabin and fasten the doors leading to the main-deck, so that no one can get up that way. That fool of a Russian will look after the forward batchways, and we shall have them all below as helpless as rats in a trap.” ** And then?” “That is further along,” returned Captain Wrench, significantly. “Doyle,” said the dwarf to one of the four sailors, ‘‘ can you see the boatswain’s boat?” ‘* Yes, sorr; she be roight under our lee, sorr.” Tbe Black Bear frowned at this assumption of authority by his familiar; but though at any time he would have resented, in a way that could be felt, the giving of orders by any one else in his presence, he deemed it prudent to swallow the effront at this time. e kept it stored away in his memory for the future bene- fit of honest Pietro, notwithstanding. The dwarf, if he knew that he bad done any- thing to offend the Black Bear, did not show it in his demeanor. He simply walked away into the darkness, to carry out the latter’s orders, chuckling to himself as the humorous aspect of the enterprise struck him more forcibly every moment, When he got below, the dwarf turned and shook his fist at the ceiling of the cabin, at the spot where he supposed Captain Wrench was standing. “You fool!” he hissed, ‘‘ You think you have Pietro under your thumb—that heis bound to you body and soul. Wait and see, my fine fellow. Ill cut the Black Bear’s claws yet, and T’ll make money out of it at the same time that I get revenge.” e did what he came for, however, despite his expressed hatred for the man that he served, There were two doors leading from the state- room to the other portion of the main-deck, where most of the crew were assembled ready to aged the guns at a moment’s notice. These doors he locked and bolted, and then, with a final glance around in admiration of the cozy character of the apartment, went on deck. He was just in time to see the Black Bear step coolly up to the helmsman, and quickly seizing bim by the throat, bear him to the deck, nearly insensible and wholly powerless, One of the Americus crew—none other than the Doyle referred to above—took the wheel, and the captain, seizing a convenient rope, took a few turns around the arms and legs of the rostrate Russian, and had him so tightly bound hat it seemed as if he must be benumbed for the rest of his life if he escaped immediate an- nihilation, y ‘Take that down-stairs,” growled the Black Bear, giving the prisoner a slight kick of con- tempt. was picked up by the remaining three borne into the captain’s: state- _ Yoom, where he was laid upon the floor and left __te chew the cud of sweet and bitter fancy, aud wi %, reflect upon the strange chances in the life of a seaman. It was very dark now, and the Black Bear felt pretty certain that his bold attempt to capture the Russian cruiser would be entirely successful, There was only the second officer to be overcome now, and, as he was entirely alone, that would be easily accomplished. The bell forward here sounded eight, ‘* Right bells,” muttered the captain. give it to them myself.” The heavy gong abaft the mainmast was right by his side. e picked up the hammer used for striking it, and caused eight heavy, deep-toued notes to float out upon the air, “There! That reminés me of my old navy service, years ago,” he said to himself, softly. “Ah, I was young and innocent in those days!” If there was a moment of regret for those days, gone forever, it passed over at once, and the Black Bear was the same pitiless, stern man as usual when he blew a short sharp blast on his silver whistle, Silas must have been very close, for the sound seemed hardly to have given itself to the breeze ere the boatswain was on deck, followed by his eight men. he Russian officer could. hardly make out in the darkness what was taking place, but he knew that something was wrong, and he touched the electric button that communicated with a bell in the captain’s state-room, and another one to summon the boatswain from the forecastle. His finger was yet on the button when a pow- erful arm was thrown around his neck, and he was dragged backward by a force that his ut- most resistance could not shake off. ; ‘‘ Surrender!” hissed a voice in his ear in Rus- sian, ‘* Never!” he answered, in the same language. He was trying to get his hand on the handle of his sword, determined to sell his life dearly. What it all meant he did not know, but hehada hazy idea that the crew of the Volga had muti- nied, and that he was in the hands of one of the men whom he had been accustomed to com- mand, By an almost superhuman effort he managed to draw his sword, and at the same time throw off his assailant. He saw a tall, powerful man, whom even in the gloom he knew to be astranger on board the cruiser, With a shout of execration and de- fiance he cut viciously, with a round-armswing, at his unknown foe, The latter was too quick for him. Cutlass in hand, he parried the stroke of the young Rus- sian, and returned it with his owm weapon. But the second officer was well trained in the use of arms, and could not be easily cut down. Cut, thrust, parry, thrust, recover, slash, cut! Like lightning the two weapons crossed, re- crossed, clashed, and struck fire. ** Sacre !” hissed the Black Bear. He always swore in French when very much excited, thereby revealing his Gallic origin unmistaka- bly. Te Russian with clinched teeth said nothing. He needed all his breath to sustain him in this fearful and entirely noeecte combat, ‘“* Surrender, or—” snarled the Black Bear, as La ressed his opponent to the very end of the ridge, For answer, the Russian fougbt with redoub- led energy, forcing the other back in his turn, and giving him, in spite of his gigantic strength and undoubted skill with his weapon, all that he conld do to avoid a death-stroke from the Russian’s sword. ‘*Ah!” he gasped, as his guard was beaten partly down, and he felt a sting in his sword arm, The sting meant aslight cut that had gone through the bearskin sleeve and drawn blood. But for the thickness of the sleeve the battle had ended there, with the Black Bear’s discomfiture. The wound made Captain Wrench furious, He felt the blood trickling down his arm, and he did not know how badly he was wounded, He must finish up this affair at once. While fighting with his rigbt hand he took from his bosom with his left bis silver whistle, which he ports to bis mouth. Then he blew it, again, and again, and again, The Russian although be was unconscious of all that had taken place, and did not understand where Captain Wrench had come from, sur- mised something near the truth, and knew that this whistle was to summon assistance for the giant who was, single-handed, more than bis match, He felt, like his antagonist, that a de- cisive blow must be struck by one of them to end the duel, but was determined to strike it “*T will fa if possible, instead of allowing bis foe to 0.0. There was acertain maneuver that he had not used in the fight—a twist of the wrist that would if circumstances favored him, enable him to cut under his opponent’s guard, and, by a rapid movement, slash the forearm that he had already managed to wound, Thismaneuver he had not hitherto brought into operation, both because it was extremely difficult, and would, if it failed in its object, leave him at the mercy of the Black Bear’s cutlass. é Now, when the ominous whistle had summon- ed he knew not how many new foes, he deter- mined that this particular stroke was the only thing that could by any possibility save him from death or defeat. Grasping his sword yet more firmly, he put himself entirely on the defensive, allowing the Black Bear to chase him up and down the bridge, and not attempting to strike back. He was gathering up his energies for the cut and thrust that would mean either victory or annibilation. The quick breathing of the combatants, who were both feeling the effects of their exertions, sounded like the panting of small engines, The perspiration poured down their faces, and they were as hot as the fireman far below them in the engine room, with its great blazing furnaces and oily atmosphere. “Surrender, you whelp! Sacr-r-r-re!” snarl- ed Wrench, as he made a particularly vicious pass at the young Russian. For answer, the other ran at him, and parry- ing the blow, dexterously twisted his sword around the other’s cutlass, and sent it flying from his hand, ‘** Sacre!” For a second the Russian’s sword flashed over his head, and was coming down with resistless force upon the Black Bear’s shoulder, when an- otber blade struck it with tremendous force, knocking it to one side. It came down, cer- tainly, because nothing could stop it, but so diverted from its original aim, that if missed the tes Leng of the Americus altogether. he next minute four men were upon the brave young officer, and he was bound as-se- curely as the helmsman. “Take him below with the other fellow,” or- dered the Black Bear, in mocking tones, ‘‘ He made a good fight and he needs a rest!” Without a word, four of the seamen from the Americus Pos up the second officer of the Volga, asif he had been a baby, and, carrving him into the state-room, laid him on the floor, with his head resting on the chest of the other prisoner, CHAPTER VIII. BURT MURRAY MAKES FUN. LET us now return to the captives in the hold of the Americus, When the trap-door was slammed down after the ineffective shot from Pietro’s revolver, Bob Burleigh ran and stumbled, lantern in hand, to the place where the steep ladder ascended to the deck over their heads. In a moment he was at the top of the ladder, pushing with all his force at the trap-door, He might as well have tried to push out the side of the pee The mocking laughter of the dwarf could be faintly distinguished, as Pietro and Clarence Wrench made their way to the outer air, and Bob ground his teeth as he realized that he and his companion were powerless to interfere with any of the lawless proceedings that he knew were contemplated. “‘Tf I could only make my boys on the Volga know,” murmured Captain Nicoleff, as he watched the futile attempt of Bob Burleigh to open the trap-door. ‘Well, don’t you think it can be done, cap- tain?” asked Bert Murray, quietly. * How?” The boy did not reply. He did not wish to reveal a plan he bad in his mind until he had proved it to be practicable, but he thought it would be possible to get out of the hold and stop the Black Bear’s villainy, if an energetic attempt were made, Entirely below the surface of the water, there was no chance of light seperti the hold from the outside, and with the exception of the three oil lamps, in the hands of two of the four sea- men and the detective, the place was in pitchy darkness. : Bob came slowly and disconsolately down the ladder and looked in the faces of the captain and the two ladies. He was not despairing, but his expression was decidedly one of disappoint- ment and disgust. ‘Curse bim!” he muttered. ‘‘Who would have thought of his playing such a trick as that?
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He's as slippery as an eel, and now he bas found me out—as I am confident he has—I shall have to play him carefully to land him. It will be troublesome to even angle for him while I am held down in this awful pit.” ‘* What did you say, Innocent?” asked Bert. The detective started as the unusual name fell upon his ears. He recovered himself at once, however, and answered carelessly: * Oh, nothing. I was only talking to my- self. ‘* What are we todo now?” questioned Nico- leff, as he took the hand of Marie reassuringly in his own, and nodded to Pauline. ** Is every opening of the deck above secured?” asked the latter. Save when the natural weak- ness of a woman succumbed under hardship and excitement, she was equal to most emergencies, “The best way to find that out would be to examine them,” suggested Bert. The detective smiled as he muttered: “ Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings—” ‘¢ Kh!” interrupted Bert, sharply. ** Notbing.” “Yes, but you did say something. I want you to understand that ‘ babes and sucklings,’ as you call them, can sometimes get in and out— where larger people get left. Just assureas you are born!” The boy spoke with considerable heat and seemed to be inclined to fight with everybody present except the two ladies. The expression ** babes and sucklings ” had hurt his manly feel- ings, and he was fully prepared to vindicate himself at a moment’s notice. ‘* Bert, you are a good fellow, and I am sorry if addi offended you. Shake hands, will you not? The detective put out his hand as he spoke and the lad grasped it warmly. From that moment pe \ besa and Bert Murray were friends till eath. “The trap at the top of this ladder is firm, That I can assure you,” added the detective, after the formal burial of the hatchet by Bert and himself, as they all gathered around in the light of the oil lamps, the four seamen standing respectfully a little in the background, Bert shinnec up the ladder and gave the trap a bard push to corroborate the declaration of the detective. Then he ran down, and snatching a lamp from one of the seamen, he disappeared in- to the darkness, though his progress was punctu- ated by the tumbles and knocks he got ashe scrambled over barrels and general lumber. He had a defined purpose in what he was do- ing, however. He had seen, with the quickness natural to his nationality, age and temperament, that there was a small opening to the deck over his head through which he, a small, active lad, might climb. ‘** Bob,” he called, for the detective had told him that he preferred not to be called Innocent. It sounded too much like a character in a farce- comedy. ‘* Halloa!” answered the detective. ‘** Come and give me a lift.” The party went toward the place whence the voice of the boy proceeded. “Why, what are you doing, Bert?” asked Bob Burleigh, as he burst out laughing. All the rest save Bert, joined in the merriment. The boy considered his situation very serious, and was not disposed toward mirth. A long shute extended from the top of the hold into its very depths. Upon this shute Bert Murray had climbed, attempting to make his way to the small opening already referred to. About half-way up, a splinter had caught the back of his jacket, and he had slipped at the same moment. The consequence was that he hung upside down, caught by the splinter, and was as helpless as a trussed turkey. ** Get me out of this fix, Bob, won't you? Ql have to stay here for the rest of my life if you don’t.” The detective scrambled up the shute, and holding to the side, lifted the boy bodily from his awkward position. ‘‘Thanks, Innocent, awfully. Now, let me show you what I was after when I was so rudely stopped in my wild career.” rt carefully climbed up to the top of the shute and disappeared, the detective holding his lantern close to the heels of the lad when they vanished, with a struggle, apparently through the solid wood overhead, : A moment later his voice, muffled, cried: ** Say, Innocent, come up here,” The detective obeyed, and then saw that a SS SE - trap-door at the top of the shute was open a lit- tle way, leaving an opening through which the boy had squeezed to the deck above, ‘How did you get through, Bert?” asked Bob The Ocean Detective. Burleigh, examining with some surprise the small space, “Tt was a little larger than that, but it has closed again. There is a big pile of stuff on top of the door that is likely to fall on it at any mo- ment.” ‘“*Can’t we raise the trap so that I can crawl through, eh?’ askerl the detective. ‘* We might try it.” The Jad seized aniron ring in the trap and pulled with all his might. At the same time the detective pushed from below. ‘Push, Innocent. She’s coming!” gasped the x violent tug and shove and Bob Burleigh had forced his way through the opening, just as the trap closed with a loud slam. “That settles it,” exclaimed Bob. ‘ There are about twenty tons of oil and other stuff on the trap now. See how it has shifted. We never could get that trap open again.” ‘* But we must. We cannot leave them down there,” said the detective, as he ground his teeth in excitement, “Certainly not. I only say that we cannot get them out the way we came.” ‘* Well, well, this is no time to stand talking. Come back here to the other hole. We can easily unbolt it and let them out that way.” The two made their way along the lower deck, which has already been described, until they came to the trap-door where Pietro had fired bis shot, and had afterward made it fast, ‘* Hello, there! What are you doing?” broke in the voice of Wilfred Stokes the first mate. **We want to look into the hold,” replied ob. “Mr. Burleigh, 1 am in command of the Americus in the absence of Captain Wrench. I cannot allow any tampering with the arrange- ments of this ship. That boy is one of the pris- oners in my charge. I am afraid that you have been assisting him to escape. I will put him back in the hold, and then I must request you to come on deck with me. I wish to speak to you.” Wilfred Stokes, holding a lantern in his hand, looked pale and worried in its flickering light, but there was an expression of determination in his face that showed he would do his duty as he understood it, to the last gasp. ** But, Mr. Stokes—” commenced the detec- tive. ** Silence, sir,” thundered the first mate, “ But—” ‘* Another word, and I’ll put you in irons,” At this moment Bert Murray created a diver- sion by suddenly stooping, butting Mr, Stokes in the stomach with his head and darting up the ladder to the main deck, in the open air. Wilfred Stokes, who had been thrown down by this unexpected attack, quickly recovered himself, and seizing Bob Burleigh by the wrist, dragged him toward the ladder leading to the main deck, the detective not deeming it well to resist at this time, but making up his mind to return and rescue the prisoners ‘below at the first opportunity. Up to the upper deck went Stokes and the de- tective, both looking eagerly about for the boy. ‘* Where is he?” asked Stokes, breathlessly, of a sailor who lounged against the foremast, with his eyes fixed on the lights of the Russian c r. ‘Who, sir?” responded the seaman, straight- ening upat once in the presence of the first mate, “The boy.” ** IT don’t know, sir. Isee a kid come up the ladder a minute ago, but he was gone before [ had time to look at bim,” **Confound him!” muttered Stokes. ‘I feel as if the Americus had a nest of hornets aboard. I wish the captain had let them search the hold without any trouble, and then got rid of them, I don’t believe they would have wanted to cap- ture the Americus if something had not been done to stir them up.” It was easy to see that Mr, Stokes was very much disturbed over the escape of the boy, and that he did not relish the care of Captain Nicoleff and hisseamen. As to Pauline and Marie Nov- ritch he supposed they were still in the Black rs own cabin. Their incarceration in the hold was a matter between Clarence Wrench and his precious lieutenant, Pietro. The detective stood by the first mate’s side, de- bating within himself whether he should take the latter into his confidence, and ask his assist- ance in saving the two ladies and obtaining con- trol of the Americus. Another look into -Wil- fred Stokes’s face decided him-against such a proceeding. “Tt would not do,” he told bimself. “ I should only find myself in irons for inciting to mutiny, ” i, ge end te ae = = Toate ii et eae ag P Sr. © has aes > hoger N 9 and, for eG I know, be hung on ship- board off-hand. Certainly it would be made warm for Mr, Stokes, as well as Captain Wrench, afterward, when my father heard of it, but that would be poor consolation for me in my last moments. No, I must do what I have before me sin le-banded and alone, unless I can find Bert. here did the boy go, I wonder? He would be a valuable acquisition to the Secret Service. He’s as quick as lightning and as brave as—as—well, as an American boy usually is. That is the best I can say for him.” During the detective’s reflections, Wilfred Stokes had not been idle. He had set all the men on watch searching for Bert. Every batch- way had been watched, and he knew that the boy had not gone below. He must be either on the upper deck or in the rigging. It would not do to allow him to remain at large. The Black Bear would listen to no ex- cuses if his prisoners were not kept safely dur- ing. his absence. y this time the two boats had nearly reached the Volga, but, as the reader knows, there was no disturbance of any kind, and Stokes could only suppose that the Black Bear’s expedition was Pkg here | smoothly and successfully. ‘**Mr. Burleigh, will you promise, on your honor, not to go below except with my permis- sion?” he asked, suddenly facing about, and Jock- ing steadily into the detective’s eyes. ‘1 will.” “Enough! Inever knew you to break your word,” **T will not break it now. Where do you su pose that boy is, and what do you mean to do with him—when you catch him?” “Put him below again. Darn his picture, [ ought to give him a taste of the rope’s-end, too, | He’s too slick for a Russian, it seems to me, The detective smiled. The boy’s nationality had almost revealed itself to the first mate al- ready. A thorough search of the deck by Wilfred Stokes and four of the watch convinced the first mate that Bert must be somewhere aloft, ‘““We must chase him among the ropes,” he said, savagely. ‘‘ Bill, come up the fore-rigging, and you other three cli into the maintop. He’s somewhere up there,” Springing upon the ratlines of the foremast on the starboard, the first mate’s assistant, whom he had called Bill, took the other side. It had been getting warmer for the last twelve hours, the ice-floe having disappeared entirely to the north, and the rigging was as soft to the touch alinost asif the Americus were sailing in the temperate zone. Up into the top ran the first mate. He asked the *‘ lookout” if he had seen the boy, but that astute individual, as he turned his plug of to- bacco in bis mouth, had been watching the lights of the Volga, and had not bestowed any atten- tion upon what bad been taking place under his nose. He was still talking to the “lookout” when a shout from Bill above him made him start. At the same instant a dark body shot by him, sliding down a rope, Then there was a splash in the sea, and at the same time arose that ery which is always so dreadful under whatever circumstances it is heard: ‘** Man overboard!” CHAPTER IX. IN THE ESQUIMAUX’S HUT, “Cant all hands!” yelled Stokes. ‘Throw life- peers and hencoops overboard, Stand by to ower a boat!” : He ran down the rigging as he gave these orders at the top of his voice, and then, after thro overbo a number of loose articles that migh help the person in the water to keep afloat, helped with his own hands to lower one of the heavy boats on the starboard that are always on whaling vessels, ready for immediate use. When he heard the splash the detective was standing near the foremast, looking over the sea at the dark shape of the Volga, whose lights here and there enabied him to make her out with the more certainty. He was on the alert, however, for anything on the Americus that should indicate the contiguity of the boy, and he felt certain at once that the * man over- board” was none other than Bert Murray. The boat had. hardly tonched the water before Bob Burleigh was in it. and seizing a pair of oars, pulled with all his strength toward a spot where something black bobbed up and down with the swell of the waves, “ Hold on, Bert,” he shouted. ‘I’m co cae ‘““Wal, hurry up,” returned a faint voice. “This ‘water is not any too warm, I tell you.” ‘ At this hint Bob put a little extra enerey tato his rowing, and in a very short time had overhauled the f*
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3 The Ocean Detective. ee “Bert!” the rigging of the Americus, from which he had ac- swimmer, who was nearly spent with his exertions > ‘* Halloa!”’ cidentally fallen into the sea. in the icy-cold water. “Basy, Innocent. Don’t muss my bangs,” ex- claimed Bert, as the detective clutched his hair, and tried to haul hhim into the boat by it. The detective laughed at the boy’s coolness and pluck which nothing could subdue, and leaning over caught him by the right arm and pulled. “Ah! shivered Bert, as he dropped into the bot- “‘l’'m afraid we have lost her.” The detective armed himself in like manner, and tom of the boat and caught his breath. ‘This is a we?” “Who?” then, when they had seen that their pistols were ‘The Volga.” fully charged and that their side-arms were ready ““What are you giving us, Innocent? There she is, | for instant use, they made tracks through the snow about a mile away.” for the ridge, above which arose the smoke in in- And she was only half a mile when we started creasing volume. ; to row toward her. We are making good time, ain’t Not a sign of the Americus or Volga could be dis- cerned now. If they carried lights they were not visible to Bert and the detective, and the latter could only suppose that the vessels had stood further out to sea, or had taken such a course that intervening islands, of which there are man north of Behring’s Straits, hid them from the main and. “Never mind, Bert. We shall know what to do in the daylight. What we want now is rest and some- thing to eat,” observed Bob Burleigh, as they trudged up the incline. As they had surmised, the smoke did proceed from a hole in the roof of a rude_hut of sods, stone and hard-caked turf, such as the Esquimaux hide in in the summer months. It was just below the top of the hill, where it was well protected from the sea-winds, while enabling, the inmates to get a sie view of the ocean without going far from the ouse. The two young men went unhesitatingly to the heavy wooden door and knocked for admittance. There was the noise of bustle inside, and after a nice fix for a fellow. In an open boat in the Arctic ‘* Well, she has steam.” Ocean, soaked through and not a thing to prevent “Certainly! And she has used it so effectively my freezing to death. Where is the crew of the | that she has shown a clean pair of heelstous. You a? cannot see the Volga, my boy.” “Yes, I can. See that light about two points to starboard?” wy, is.’ “That’s so, by gracious,” responded Bob. “I never thought of that. As soon as they set her afloat I drop into her and rowed after you, with- out waiting for anybody else. LT suppose Stokes will have me punished for stealing a ship’s boat next.” As he spoke the detective looked around him, Both the Americus and the Volga were at least half a mile away, in different directions as he could see by their lights. The Volga had kept on her course because the people aboard of her knew no reason for chang- Russian cruiser, Volga, Captain Nicoleff command- ing it. As for the Americus. a sailing vessel is not ; ing. I'll stake my reputation as a naval officer on soeasily turned. The work of putting her “‘instays,” it. Pull all!” so as to swing her around, takes time, and Bob was ‘As if this ended the discussion, Bert lay to the seaman enough to know that such a proceeding | oars, and the detective, not caring to argue the mat- would be useless on such a dark night, f the idea | ter longer just then, pulled away contentedly in the were to find the boat and the boy who was struggling | direction of the light or star, whichever it might be. “That's on the Volga’s jibboom. I can swear to “Well, don’t do so, or you'll commit perjury. That’s nothing but a star, You see, it is right in the midst of a cluster.” “T know that. But I tell you it is alight on the in the water. “Say, Innocent. * broke forth the boy, again, after | minute’s pause the door was flung open, and they ““We are not far from the coast, Bert. I guess we | two minutes’ hard work. had a full view of the interior, made ruddy by the had better try and make the shore till morning.” * Well.” light of two large pine torches stuck in the floor. “No,” answered the boy resolutely. ‘‘There’s “T can’t see that light now.” Together the two young men exclaimed, as they treachery aboard the Volga, and I am an officer of “Very likely,’ was the detective’s dry response. looked into the faces of three persons who stood by that ship. I’m going there to take a hand in it if 1 | “She’s swallowed up in the other stars. How can the side of the crackling wood fire: am shot as soon as I get alongside.” you expect to single out one in particular among so ‘Good heavens!” Then they rushed forward, and exchanged hearty handshakes with Pauline and Marie Novritch and Captain Nicoleff. “Youre right,” agreed the detective. “ The Black | many?” Bear is up to some dirty work there, and it is my Bert was about to make some reply in not very business to pull him up short. He knows me for his pleasant tones, when something ce his eye that enemy now, and it will be a square, straight-out | changed the direction of his thoughts fight.” “See, Innocent! Breakers ahead!’ Bert crawled over an intervening seat and shook ‘“*So, by gracious!” hands with the detective. A aap line of white surf that seemed to have “Tnnocent, you're a white man,” he remarked, | sprung into existence almost by magic, and their simply, but heartily. subdued roar was plainly audible all at once. ‘Good Heaven, boy, how cold you are! Get right The quick eyes and understanding of both the out of these wet clothes,’’ commanded the detective, | young men explained this seeming phenomenon at as he realized the plight of his youn companion. onee. They had been pulling along shore—closer a good deal, fhan they had suspected, for their atten- tion had been directed out to sea—and had been under the lee of a headland which ran out irregular- ly from the coast. The last ten minutes’ work had pulled them clear of it, and the surf they saw was at the extreme end of the cape. ‘Pull hard, Bert. We had better run in here till we can see what to do next.” ** No, let us double this cape, so that we can have a clear view of the offing.” CHAPTER X. MUTINY. WHEN the Black Bear, with Pietro’s aid, had over- come the young second officer of the Volga, and made him prisoner in the captain’s cabin, he turned his attention to the work he had ordered the first officer to do. With Pietro at his heels he examined the whole upper deck minutely, He had’ put one of his own men at the helm, with orders to stand out to the rorth further away from shore. He had no wish to be in full view of the land at daybreak. He was playing a desperate game, and he knew that it re- reg delicate manipulation if it was to be success- ul. ‘Whereis that sneaking Russian?” growled the Black Bear, as he saw that all the hatches were battened down, and that, with the exception of the lookout in the foretop, all the Volga’s crew were below. “ Meaning the first officer,’’ suggested Pietro, with a ra pd grin. “ es. , “That's good advice, Innocent. _ But T can’t sit in an open boat with nothing on, and the temperature not more than 82 degrees. What are you giving us?” The detective had already pulled off his deerskin overcoat when he chanced to think of the locker in the stern of the boat. It was locked, but with his heavy jack-knife and some skill, he had forced the lock in a jiffy, and throwm} up the lid with an exult- ant cry. : “Here is just what we want!” he exclaimed. Diving into the locker, he pulled out a complete “ All right, Bert. Just as you say.” suit of clothes of deerskin, with sealskin cap. In In a, few minutes they were in the breakers. They the northern seas, men learn to have extra clothing | could have avoided them by pulling further out to ready at all times, and Bob knew that there was just | sea. But they preferred to r sk getting wet rather such a locker as this, containing similar supplies, in | than spend an hour going around the rough water. every boat belonging to the Americus. aptain * Now, where are your tights, Bert?’ asked Bur- Bang, went a pistol near them, and a bullet whiz- ‘Wrench might be a scoundrel, but he understood his | leigh, Jaughing, as their heavy boat was tossed | zed past the captain's head. ostensible business, as captain of a whaler. about like a cockle-shell in the angry surf. “here he is,” chuckled the dwarf. He did not “What kind of togs are they?” asked Bert curi- ‘‘Mmnocent, I believe you are right. I can’t see | seem to mind discomfort or danger to himself so long as Clarence Wrench shared it. With a flash, the Black Bear’s cutlass lea ed from its scabbard, as the captain dashed forwa into the darkness in the direction from which the shot had come. In vain he searched, boiling with rage, the whole forepart of the steamer. Nota vestige of human being could he find, while the mocking laughter of Pietro sounded in his ears, and kept his anger at full pitch. “No use, Cap. He's safe somewhere. He knows the ship better than you do, and you might chase him from now to daylight without getting your hands on him.” The Black Bear was fain to acknowledge the truth of this observation, notwithstanding the offensive way in which it was put. He had enough of his own men to work the ship, provided he could keep the engineers to their peg h “7 wonder if those fellows below suspect the state of things on deck,” he muttered. “I'll go down and ‘By yourself?” asked the dwarf, who, although he bad not been addressed. had listened to the cap- tain’s remarks, and had no misgivings about re- sponding. The Black Bear scowled. “No. You shall go with me, Then, perhaps if ously, as he turned the clothes over and tried to ex- | them. The best thing we can do is to go ashore and amine them by the faint light ofa few stars that | wait for daylight, if we can find any place to keep had Peet shown themselves, preparatory to the | out of the weather. We are warm enough now, of gran celestial illumination that they would afford | course, but we cannot row all night, and I fanc, the ater in the night. mercury has dropped again during the last hour, “ Never mind what kind they are. Put them on. | judging by the way the wind stings my ears.” I guess they are pretty clean, even if they are not as “We'll find some nook, I guess,” returned the de- showy as your Russian uniform. And—by gracious! | tective, cheerfully. ‘ We have the boat. anyhow. This is good! Here is a bottle of brandy, for medi- | We can pull her ashore and sleep among the sails as cinal use only. Well, we will use it in that way, for | snugly as if we were in our own rths.’ Tam sure that any physician would prescribe it for “That's what, Innocent: Gosh! What an adven- you now.” ture all this will be to tell the folks when we get He uncorked the flask by unscrewing its metal | pack to Boston, eh?” top, and offered it to the _ The boy chuckled as he thought of the a he ‘No, thanks, Innocent. It is, very kind of you. | would open the yarn in the family parlor, with a But I never touch anything of that kind. Ipromised | crowd of admiring listeners around him, includin my folks at home in Boston that I wouldn’t, and— | a certain ch-cheeked, cherry-lipped damsel wit and—I never deceive my motber.” whom he had broken a gold dollar in two before he The detective avy J replaced the cork in the flask | left home, and his half of which was even now and put it back into the locker. He did uot say @ oes warmly against his chest just over his heart word in response to the young man’s declaration, | beneath his oe a woolen shirt. but Bert und d intuitively that he had some- They had pulled over the breakers now, and were how risen still igher in the estimation of his friend, | inside the e of surf. The white expanse of Innocent, as he liked to call him. : snow-covered shore stood out ghastly in the star- The boy took the clothes, and, with youthful | light and did not offer a very warm welcome to cast- ingenuity, burrowed under a pile of canvas that was | aways. Moreover, it was Russian soil—the extreme left on the boat to be rigged as sails on a jury-mast | north of Siberia—and to these two young men, who in case of necessity. He was thus enabled to keep | had just been talking and thinking about home, it out of the cold air while undressed. It took him | seemed more than ordinarily cheerless. they are inclined to be ugly they may cut your some time to change his clothes under these dis- Their glance swept the dreary expanse of snow, | throat.” advantageous circumstances, but he did not mind | as they made up their minds to stay in their boat “Thank you kindly, captain.” that, and when he finally emerged, rigged out in | till daylight, when Bert exclaimed: Pietro’s feelings were not easil hurt, and he deerskin, with the sealskin cap pulled over his ears, “No, we won't, either. Look, at the top of that | grinned cadaverously at the Black Bear's kindly he crinned with an enjoyment of the humor of the ricge. There is smoke.” suggestion. F affair that was not in the least dampened by the Ah)” Gee that the hatches are really fastened,” com- awkward and perhaps dangerous situation in which ‘Smoke means fire. Hurrah! We shall get under manded Wrench, in his off-hand manner. 7 he was. cover, after all. There’s an Indian hut on the other The dwarf obeyed, and after a few minutes’ ab- “Cold, Bert?” asked Bob. : side, probe half-way down the hiil. The Esqui- | sence, came heck with the information that the “No. Don’t you know that sea-water never gives | maux are a right, and even one of their huts is forecastle Lad been left unfastened, and that there ou cold? I’m perfectly comfortable. Now, pullall | better than nothing. They won't put us on the , were n dozen of the Volga’s crew inside, discussing or the Volee. Cheerily, men, chee:ily!” f oven, perhaps, as they do in some parts of Russia, | the situa’ion. They had an idea that something As he spoke, the ligh -hearted youngster seized a | but they will give us a warm corner by the fire, and | was wrong, and the next thing to look for was mu- paic of oars in the bow, Bob sitting amidships and | with our coats and things around us, we can put in | tiny. . : aie 4 stroke, and the two bent to their work ina|a few hours comfortably and advantageously, I Ath this Pietro told in his usual cheerful way, his "er that showed they meant business. ‘ have no doubt.” flabby face becomin; flabbier than ever in his satis- or an hour they worked at the oars without The boat was soon pulled ashore bigh and dry, faction at being the bearer of evil news to Clarence peeking, They needed all their breath for their | above the reach of the tide, and then the detective Wrench. labor. Then the detective, turnin: around, looked | went to the locker again, and brought forth a six- “ Sacre! Vill see,” growled the Black Bear. long and searchingly across the umbling waves..| shooter, which he handed to the boy, together with | “ Pietro!” The stars had come out in millions, and it was con- | a cutlass, The swim indulged in by Bert had ren- CD gia lighter than it had been earlier in the | dered his own pistol useless for the present, and his “We must settle with those fellows at once.” sword he had cast away from him before he climbed “Certainly.” i Aas te Sie Sip ald ad eon aries ore ian ee
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Without hesitation the Black Bear marched to- ward the forecastle. “Want me to come with you, Cap?” asked Pietro. “Yes, and at the first sign of ugliness on the part of any one, send a bullet through his head!”’ “Allright. Butif I carry out your orders strict- ly, I know I shall have t» begin with you.” The Black Bear raised his hand threateningly, and Pietro dodged away. In the forecastle, sitting on lockers and standin about the narrow space were, as the dwarf had said, some dozen or so of Russian sailors, scowling in the light of the oil lamp that hung from the ceiling, and fingering the knives that were stuck in their belts in anything but a reassuring way. The Black Bear, however, was not a man to be affected by surly looks from common seamen, As he would say himself, he understood them, and he never met a set of men yet whom he could not con- trol. He addressed them in their own language, as they tendered him an evidently unwilling salute. They were men-of-war’s men, and had been trained to the most exact discipline. The Russian navy is one of the best in the world in this respect. “Men,” he commenced, ‘Captain Nicoleff has taken possession of the whaling vessel, Americus, to make her captain answer certain charges brought against him by the Russian Government. As you can see and hear from my accent, I am a subject of the Czar.” ‘* What infernal cheek he has,”’ muttered Pietro, under his breath, “I was on board the Americus asa passenger, having nothing to do with the vessel,”’ continued the Black Bear, ‘*‘ When Captain Nicoleff came aboard and found himself compelled to assume command of the vessel, he was in a quandary as to how he was to convey the information to his own ship. I relieved him of the difficulty by offering my ser- vices. Iam an officer in the Russian Navy, having been to America on a furlough. Now, men, at Cap- tain Nicoleff’s request I shall assist your first officer in the command of the Vo'ga.”’ The men had been listening intently to this harangue, delivered fluently in their own tongue, and with an air of truth calculated to allay all sus- icion, As the Black Bear reached the last sen- euce, however, there was some muttering, and one pay fellow, with a large, round face, almost hid- den by black whiskers, half-turning to the others, was evidently about to express doubts as to the truth of Clarence Wrench’s words. The Black Bear, quick as lightning, saw this and acted immediately. With one blow of his ponderous fist he sent the malcontent reeling among his fellows. ‘Seize that man and put him in irons, Now! At once!” The Black Bear thundered this order in the man- ner of one born to command. There was a few seconds’ hesitation, and then the Russian sailors, quaiiog beneath the glance of his fiery black eyes, laid hands upon the binokwhiaiar- ed man, and placing heavy handcuffs upon his wrists, led him below to a corner of the gun-deck fenced off with thick iron bars for use as a prison. The remainder of the sailors stood where they were, afraid to move until ordered todo so by their new commander, Wrench, after scanning the faces of each of the eight men—three having gone below with the priso- ner—was apparently satisfied. “So,” he said to himself. ‘‘That is the way to keep down such fellows. I think it will be safe for me to leave them for a few moments now. I have it all my own way as sure as my name is Clarence Wrench,” Pietro did not say anything. He was, for once, completely silenced by the display of nerve on the part of his captain, “Hello, Pietro!” It was the voice of Silas Hawkins. “Here, Silas,” answered Captain Wrench. He was glad to have the long-headed Yankee boatswain at his elbow again. “Captain, [have my men aboard, ready for or- ders. here shall I stow ’em?” “Set the watch on deck. Send aman up to relieve the lookout, and let two come down here,” * Ay, ay, sir!” The Black Bear added in a low tone: ‘‘Let the two men keep a close watch on these fel- lows At the first sign of mutiny, no matter how slight, let me krow. Do you understand?” Ay, ay, sir.” “Good! I hold you responsible.” And with this the Black Bear, Pietro at his heels, went down into the engine-room, he content- ed himself with looking down into the fiery pit where the engineer and his three assistants were at work, He saw that they had no suspicion of the change in the command of the cruiser, being occupied solely with their own duties. ; They did not particularly notice Clarence Wrench and the dwarf in the semi-darkness, and the former, with the reflection that he had only to signal them from above, without their knowing anything about the change of captains, walked away again, and ap- peared on the upper deck. : The Black Bear felt now that he was in full pos- session of the Volga. He had all the crew either as prisoners or at his disposal, and he could do as he pleased with the cruiser. -He saw that his orders had been obeyed, and that his own men were at all the important posts. Then he examined the armament of the vessel. A long brass gun, forward, was mounted so that it could be swung around in any direction, It was a bow-chaser of the most approved pattern, The Ocean Detective. P * Pietro, how many guns are there on the main eck?”’ ‘*Eight—four on a side, and trained ready for action at any moment.” **Good! don’t want to use them. But itis as wellto know that we have them handy. If those Russian fellows refuse to work them, why,I can handle one, you another, and Silas another. That will be enough to give them a broadside.”’ out of sight. She had rounded East Cape, passed Wrangel Island, and was now, as the Black Bear judged, some three or four miles from the Ameri- cus. **So, Nicoleff Novritch, I think Ihave shown you that you cannot defy the Black Bear. And you, Bob Burleigh !”’ He clinched his fists as he thought of the way the detective had managed to hoodwink him for a whole voyage. He walked up and down the bridge, where he had installed himself as captain of the Volga, and turn- ed over his plans in his mind. The knowledge that the first officer wasin hiding somewhere did not disturb him. He would have to reveal himself at some time. In the mean time he could not do much harm. He was thus reflecting when a pair of strong arms were thrown around his neck from behind, anda voice in Russian hissed in his ear: “You scoundrel, I have you now!” At the same time, a foot was thrust behind his heels, and the Black Bear was lying on his back, with the Russian first officer’s knes in his chest. As Clarence Wrench recognized the face of his assailant, a contemptuous sneer curled his lip. There were few men who could resist the gigantic strength of the Black Bear. Taken by surprise, he had been forced back; but now, summoning all the agility and power at his command, he turned over and had the other by the throat, completely at his mercy. The Black Bear did not say a word; but he had decided coolly that he would kill this troublesome Muscovite. Holding him down with his left hand, he felt in his pocket inside his coat fora knife. He had just seized the handle, and the poor Russian was about to be speeded out of the world, when a heavy blow from a marlinespike laid Clarence Wrench senseless. Then there was a shout, and the black-whiskered seaman who had been placed in irons, flourished the heavy bar that had laid the captain low, and cheer- ed on half a dozen Russian seamen to the attack. The Russian officer was not slow to rise to his feet. Now was the time to regain possession of the Volga, and punish this impudent pirate. “Seize them all and put them below,” he com- manded, in Russian. The black-whiskered man, who was, in fact, the boatswain, gave the unconscious form of Clarence Wrench a hearty kick, and ran down the ladder to the bridge. It was his last action in this world. A pistol banged, and he fell, shot through the head. Pietro, with his smoking pistol still in his hand, dashed up the stairway, followed by Silas Hawkins and the twelve American seamen. There was a short, sharp struggle, and then the first officer, who had made such a gallant, fight, to- gether with the six members of the Volga’s crew who had followed the black-whiskered boatswain, were heavily ironed and stowed in the hold of the vessel, where the steady ‘‘thump-thump” of the engines seemed to be singing to them the death- knell or all their earthly hopes. CHAPTER XI. THE SECRET TREASURE, Pretro looked at the Black Bear, as he lay uncon- scious on the bridge, and could hardly restrain him- self from following the black-whiskered seaman’s example and giving him a hearty kick. “I'd _ like to, curse you!”’ he muttered, “but I guess I had better not now. But I'll get even with you somehow, if it is only to see you hanged in Frisco,” There was no mistake about the malevolence with which the misshapen little wretch uttered these words, but he saw that Silas Hawkins was approach- ing with two of his men to raise the captain, and ° he knew that the Yankee harpooner had the unques- tioning reverence for the ‘‘skipper”’ characteristic of all old sailors. Taken to the cabin, the Black Bear was soon re- stored to consciousness, but the blow on his head stilt made itself felt by a certain dizziness and in- ability to collect his thoughts. ’ 9 He looked inquiringly at Silas Hawkins, who, with Pietro, had been bathing his forehead and pouring brandy, that thev had found in Captain Nicoleff’s private stores, down his throat. c “All right, sir. You had a nasty crack, but you will git over it ina few minutes. That black-whisk- ered chap allowed as he’d kill yeou, I guess, but, jewhillikens, if he ain’t dead himself, then I never see a corpse.” Silas grinned approvingly as he said this, and nodded toward Pietro. He did not like the dwarf as 11 a general thing, but he felt that credit should be given where it was due, regardless of his own per- sonal preferences or prejudices. ‘““Where—are—?”’ faltered Wrench. ** Meaning them two fellers ez we had down here on the floor,” suggested Silas. ‘ Wa-al, they are down below with the rest. Pietro ’tended to that.” “Yes; they were neither use nor ornament here,” put in the dwarf. ‘“‘That’s right. Silas, goon deck and watch things a few minutes. Signal the engineer to stop, and just lay to where we are for the present. want to speak to Pietro. You understand ?”’ ** Ay, ay, sir,”’ responded Silas, as he disappeared up the companionway. **Pietro, you’Jl have to take command for a few hours. I’m hurt more than I thought at first. Per- haps, if I sleep awhile, I shall be well again. As it is now, lam notin good enough shape to manage things. You know what todo. I—” The Black Bear fell back upon the bed, and closed his eyes. The dwarf bent over him eagerly, and a shade of disappointment crossed his flabby face as the cap- tain looked up and said: ‘Tam all right, Pietro. Only sleepy. That's all.’’ With these words he closed his eyes again, and Pietro, stealthily shaking his fist at him, went out of the cabin. to the upper deck. ““Now, brother Wrench, I have the chance I’ve been waiting for,” he muttered. ‘‘Piracy is a rather serious thing and if stealing a Russian Gov- ernment steamer isn’t piracy, I should like to know what is.” The first streaks of dawn were visible in the east- ern sky, and Pietro reckoned that daylight would not be long in enabling him to see just where the Volga had got to. “Silas, can you see anything of the Americus? The captain says we are to overhaul her as soon as possible. Then we are to go straight to Texas with our prize and turn it over to the authorities. I am afraid it won’t be very healthy for any of us when this business comes to be inquired into.” ‘““Why not? An American vessel has a right to defend herself against a foreigner who attempts to capture her, and that’s just what the Volga tried to i «a Wrench was a little too slick for her, though.” The dwarf chuckled softly to himself, and with the aid of a night glass that he had brought from below, scanned the horizon in every direction. In a few minutes he discovered the Americus off East Cape, and evidently anchored there. Without hesitation he went to the helmsman, and taking the wheel in his own hands, bore straight down upon the whaler, It was rapidly getting light when the Volga ran in between the shore and the Americus and stopped. Pietro could see the men moving about on the whaler, as if uncertain what to do. “Give them a signal, Silas,” he said. ‘‘Run up the flag.” At the word, Silas Hawkins, who had been pre- paring for such an order, hauled down the Russian Eagle from the main peak, and replaced it with the Stars and Stripes. ‘*Now lower a boat and come with me.” Half an hour later Pietro, Silas and eight of the American seamen climbed up the side of the Amer- icus and faced Wilfred Stokes. asked the ‘*Prisoners all right, Mr. Stokes?’’ dwarf. “Where is Captain Wrench?’ was Stokes’s re- sponse. : “On board the prize, the Volga.” ‘* What are his orders?” **He wants to know, first, whether you have Cap- bec a and his men safe, as he left them?” “ fa) ” Wilfred Stokes uttered this monosyllable with what, to Pietro, sound d like a note of defiance. “Where are they?”’ “ Ashore, within a mile or two of us, for all I know. I went below to see that they were safe, after the escape of the midshipman—” * He escaned, did he?” : ‘* Yes, and Bob Burleigh took one of the boats of the Americus and went with him.” “That’s a pretty story.” “Tt’s a true one,” answered Stokes, sternly. **Go on.’ I went down into the hold, and I there found two ladies—those that we picked up in the Straits yester- day. confined as prisoners, with Captain Nicoleff, of the Volga.” “Well?” ‘The captain showed me that the Americus was engaged in illegal traffic, and proved to me, by his official papers, that his business on board this ship was to seize contraband articles in the name of the Russian Government.” “Well?” ‘* He called upon me, as an honest man, to release him from the hold of the Americus, and put him ashore on Russian soil, where he could take meas- ures to recover his ship. of which Captain Clarence Wrench had taken possession. Pietro tried to grin in his usual careless fashion, but his rage would not allow his flabby face to be twisted into more than the most distant resemblance of mirth. \ * And you let him go?” “T did. I put them ashore at once, Captain Nicoleff saying that he knew where he could obtain shelter for the night, and that he would be active in the morning.”’, *, Well, you will answer to Captain Wrench for ““T am ready to do so, but I think he will have 2 Pes ieee is A eee te eee? ee tn i hh et ee ‘Sere Sa aeked - “25,
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12 The Ocean Detective. enough to do to answer for himself,” answered Stokes. “Mutiny, eh?’ ‘Under some circumstances mutiny is the only course for an honest man,’’ returned the first mate = he turned his back upon the dwarf and walked aft. ‘Silas, seize that man, in the captain’s name,” suddenly yelled Pietro, foaming with rage. The boatswain hesitated, and on the instant Wil- fred Stokes turned, with a revolver in each hand, **7’ll kill the first man that advances one step,”’ he shouted. ‘As first mate of the Americus, I am the captain here now!”’ ‘Ay, ay! Mr. Stokes is right,” broke forth several gruff voices, and all the seamen on deck, with the exception of two, ranged themselves he- bn es first mate, looking threateningly at the warf, * Pietro, I think yeou had better get out o’ sight,” suguonee Hawkins, ‘‘and let Mr. Stokes run things till the captain comes aboard, I don’t exactly un- derstand what kind of a snarl we’re in here, but covsarn me if I ever see such goings on ina whaling cruise afore, an’ I’ve been in the business, man an boy, for nigh on to fifty years.” The dwarf looked around him, but on every side he saw stern faces, in which there was no indication of friendliness to himself, ’ **- You wiil be brought to your senses before you're many hours older,” he growled, as he obeyed the implie¢? command, and walked toward the com- panionway. He had scarcely turned his head, when there was a confusion of shouts in Russian and English, and a dozen of the Vclga’s crew climbed up the ladder by which he and Hawkins bad reached the deck, and threw themselves upon the sailors who sprung to the defense, The Americus people, though taken by surprise, were, fortunately, armed with cutlasses and pis- tols. Stokes fired both his pistols at once. The first officer of the Volga, who led the boarders, was standing in the chains,, At the report he threw u both hands and fell back into the sea, shot throug oe heart. One of his followers shured a similar ate, Then it was cut and slash, hand to hand, with cut- lasses, and the Americus crew were victorious. With the exception of the two victims to Stokes’s pistols, there were no deaths, but there were plenty of wounded to claim the attention of such of the erew who were experienced enough in rude surgery to bind up the cuts and stabs that constituted the hurts. In this work Pietro was particularly useful, he having, in fact, studied medicine, though he had never takenadiploma, — ‘“What does that meay, Silas?” asked Stokes, when the wounded had been taken below, while four unhurt Russian seamen, who had surrendered as prisoners, were inthe same unpleasant quarters oe oo hold lately tenanted by Nicoleff and the two es. “*Ic means that Pietro deserted his post on board the steamer, leaving a foremast man temporarily in command, because he did not expect to be away more than half an hour. The natural result was that when there was no one to watch things, there was a monkey-shine, and that Russian officer thought he would try and rescue his captain,” **T ruess you're right.” : *T know I’m right. NowI think we had better get aboard the Volga as soon as we can, and look after our captain.’’ * First of all, lam going to make sure of Pietro,” observed Stokes, as he went down to the cabin, whither the dwarf had retired. “ Pietro,” he called, as he went through the door- way. There was no answer, and he went to the other door behind the curtain, It was locked. ‘*He must have gone through here and locked it after him. He’s up to some deviltry, I suppose, But I will find out what it is this time, if it takes me all day,’ muttered Stokes. she spoke, his foot er af in the carpet that was rumpled near the leg of the table upon which he leaned. To pull up the carpet was the work of an instant. Then his fingers closed around an iron ring, and he pulled it up with a small section of flooring. As he expected, there was a secret place below, with a ladder leading into the darkness. He put his foot on the ladder, but managed, some- how, to slip. To his surprise, he fell only a few feet, the ladder having just three steps, though in the darkness he had imagined it led into a deep pit. He saw in the distance the feeble glimmer of an oil lamp, and crawling along in a narrow space only about three feet in hight, he saw the figure o a man, with its back toward him, taking something out of a small chest. One glance at the squat figure, with the big, tousled head convinced him that it was none other than Pietro. Cautiously S‘okes crept forward, until he could look over the dwarf’s shoulder. Then he saw that the chest contained diamonds and melted gold that, even to his unpracticed eye, showed that they were worth many thousands of dollars. CHAPTER XII. ; PIETRO TAKES CARE OF HIMSELF, ~ For a moment Stokes looked upon the jewels in utter astonishment. Then he became more inter- ested in the maneuvers of Pictro. _ The dwarf was carefully fishing out the diamonds from the other valuables, and was heen, them in | first suspicious movement on the part of the Volga a leather money-belt, with numerous pockets, that he wore under his clothing, next his skin, ‘*Hold on there!” yelled Stokes, grasping Pietro’s right hand, just as it was withdrawn from the chest holding a very large gem, that flashed in the light of the lamp like liquid fire. The dwarf turned like lightning and closed with his disturber. There was so little room that the movements of both men were impeded, but the dwarf, being so much the smaller, had, in this case, a decided ad- vantage over his adversary. Pietro had been kneeling at the chest, but when interrupted by Stokes he had dropped into a sitting posture, with the other leaning forward upon his shoulder, He still held the large diamond firmly in his clutch. * You little wretch! I always suspected that you had some business on hand that would not stand the light of day. I recognize some of this property from the description I read of it in San Francisco papers.”’ “Oh, you did, eh? Smart, ain’t you?” snarled the dwarf, as he twisted himself so as to force Stokes against the chest, with the back of his neck pressed down upon the edge. Wilfred Stokes was so firmly wedged in that he was helpless; but he knew that Pietro could not hold him in that position for leng, so he did not fear bim particularly. In an open space he would have been much more than a match for the dwarf. ** Pietro, I shall have you turned over to the police as soon as we get into an American port.” “ Yes, when we get to one.” ‘*Weshall get toone soon. Restassured of that,’ retorted Stokes. As he spoke he suddenly made a desperate move- ment to release himself fr-m the dwarf’s grasp, and succeeded. Then, without trying to <n the dwarf with him, he backed rapidly out of the little nook, and, stepping out into the cabin, closed down the trap, and shot a bolt that was fitted on the outside, sunk in the wood so that it would not make itself felt under the carpet. Then he replaced the carpet and went on deck. Meanwhile, Pietro satin front of his chest, grin- ning in his impish way, and examining, with his one eye, the diamond that he still held in his right hand. “Ah, you beauty!” he said. ‘And there are a dozen more like you. Well, you are all mine now. Our precious captain has run to the end of his string, and poor Pietro, who knows enough about him to hang him two or three times over, will get his rights at last.” He see! took the rest of the diamonds from the chest and finished his task of bestowing them in the money-belt. “There are—$50,000. Enough to make Pietro com- fortable for the rest of his life, even if he had not already a comfortabte little sum in bank in Madrid. Ah! Once I get back to Spain, I’ll never trouble ‘Frisco again. As for the Black Bear! Well, I must take care that he never has the ability to bother me ony more.”’ e shut down the chest, locked it, and hid the key under a pile of dust that seemed to have accumu- lated accidentally in a corner, but that really was put there on purpose to conceal a small hole into which the key slipped. “Now, good-by, old friend! I hope you will treat the Black Bear as well as you have me, if he ever visits you again. Ha, ha! If heever does. Which I take the liberty to doubt.” He edged away from the chest — ot to the short ladder under the trap. He raised himself so that he could push with all his force against the trap-door. It was immovable. This circumstance did not disturb Pietro in the least. He ey ner gleefully, and then, with a side- long blow of his fist, knocked the ladderdown. The action disturbe1 the flooring upon which he sat and revealed a loose board. The dwarf knew all about the construction of this hiding-place. He laughed at the idea of Wilfred Stokes making him a prisoner by fastening the trap- door over his head. “Tf my honest friend had been in the same busi- ness as Captain Wrench and Pietro, he would have known that rats always have more than one en- trance to their holes. Mighty smart man, Stokes. He'd be a little too smart to live, I’m afraid, if I hadn’t made up my mind to quit the Americus right away. I’ve seen men die only because they happen- ot to find out more than was good for them to ow. As he reflected he lifted up a similar trap to that above, and the next moment stoodamong a number of barrels on the lower deck that prevented easy ac- cess to the vicinity of the entrance to the secret re- cess. He closed the trap carefully, and then made his a cautiously through the labyrinth of barrels (a pathway having been carefully arranged that was easy enough to be followed by one in the secret) until he reached the forward deck and from thence the forecastle. } It was now broad daylight. A short distance away, near the shore, the Volga rode at anchor, a thin ribbon of smoke rising from her stmoke-stack, her sails furled, the Stars and Stripes floating from her main gaff, and her brass-work shining in the morning sun like burnished gold. She was, indeed, a beautiful sight. or would have been did she not represent so much worry and apprehension to every- body on board the Americus. The dwarf looked cautiously around, but neither Silas or Stokes were to be seen. The truth was they had both turned in for an hour or two, the first mate leaving strict orders that he should be called at the or any one aboard of her. Pietro’s performance below had not been mention- ed by Stokes to anybody. He was not a talkative man at any time, and in the present vase considered that it was particularly desirable to keep his own counsel, So when the dwarf swaggered on deck, the men on watch took no particular notice of him hae Ae ie pea him as an officer without any wel-de- fined tank save that, after Captain Wrench, his word was generally regarded as law. Pietro, with his usual carlessness of what might be the thonght of anybody near him, took a long, careful survey of the coast. In the distance he saw a blue wreath of smoke arising above a ridge some quarter of a mile from the shore line. As we already know, the smoke came from the top of an Esquimaux hut in which several of our friends had taken shelter. ‘* Suppose there are Indians in the neighborhood,” muttered the dwarf. ‘‘ Wonder whether it would not be a good move to hunt them up and get them to help me get through to Yakutsk. From there I could easily make my way to St. Petersburg, and from thence to Spain.’ He bit his stubby finger-nails as he thus reflected, and as he did so they seemed to turn his thoughts in other directions. ‘*No, that would not do,” he hissed. “TI have a score to wipe out with the Black Bear before I settle down to enjoy a quiet life, 1.1 wait.” The boat in which the Volga’s men had made their attack upon the Americus still floated idly by the side of the whaler, just where it had been secured when its crew made their futile attempt to overcome Stokes and his men. z ; “The very thing,” said Pietro, with a grin, “Tl go and see how our friend, Clarence Wrench, is get- ting along. It is not very safe to stay here, under the very noses of the Czar’s people with a Govern- ment steamer that has been taken by main strength. I don’t want to be hung for piracy.” Without more ado he let himself down into the boat, and seizing a pair of oars, put all his extraor- dinary strength into his work, and rowed swiftly toward the Volga. ‘*Halloa, there! Come back!’’ yelled Wilfred Stokes, as he saw, when too late, that his supposed captive was not only free, but was rowing toward the enemy, with what purpose he knew not. The dwarf emitted a harsh ‘Ha, ha, ha!’ and ceased rowing for an instant to wave his hand mockingly at the Americus. Bang! Wilfred Stokes fired his pistol at the little imp but the bullet fell short, and Pietro’s laughter redoubled as he bent to his oars again and made his boat cleave through the water with as much power as if there had been eight rowing instead of one, and an undersized man at that. As the dwarf neared the Volga he could not see a <—_ person, either in the rigging or on deck. The bridge, too, where the officer of the watch should have been, was deserted, and the ship might, for anything that he could see, be entirely abandoned. e rowed boldly up to it. however, and seizing the rope-ladder that still hung from the main-chains, climbed into the steamer, “This is funny!’ he croaked. “There must be some one aboard, That fool of an officer, who met his fate on the Americus, would herds ere things unprotected here if he had managed to get the bet- ter of the Black Bear.” He looked up and down, but not a soul could be seen. ‘* Well, I must find out something,” he continned. ‘* Qlarence Wrench may be able to explain this pecu- liar arrangement.”’ “Well, Pietro,’’ said a sleepy voice, as he entered the cabin. ‘* Where have you been?” The Black Bear was sitting up in his bunk, look- ing rather wildly at the dwarf. The blow on the head had left him somewhat dazed even now. “ Crazy, by gracious!”? muttered the dwarf. ‘‘ What's that?’’ suddenly shouted the Black Bear, as his eyes blazed with fury. He sprung from the bunk as, he spoke, and it was well for Pietro that the captain of the Americus had no veer at his hand. “Nothing, nothing!’ answered the dwarf, hastily. Courageous as the little man was, he did not want to be forced into a hand-to-hand combat with the Black Bear. ; ‘You lie!’ shouted Clarence Wrench. Pietro dashed toward the comtpamose a7 but the other was too quick for him, He reached the foot of the stairs first. There was no doubt about the mania of this dark- visaged man, who, with his black eyes transfixing the dwarf, looked like an avenging demon, eager for his prey. He was stark mad. “You lie!” he repeated, as, with Herculean strength, he wrenched one of the brass hand-rails from the stairway and rushed upon the dwarf. The latter did not wait to argue matters. He saw the brass bar flash as Wrench tried to whirl it around his head, but struck the ceiling of the cabin and thus lost the power of the intended blow. This accidental turning aside of the stroke prob- ably save Pietro’s life. Thick and hard as the dwarf’s head was, if the twenty pounds or so of brass had descended upon it with the viciousness in- tended by the Black Bear, there is reason to suppose thatit would have cracked like a walnut-shell. Before Wrench could raise his weapon to deal an- other blow, Pietro had vanished through the door opposite the com bang, locked and bolted it. He did not look where he was going, but ran for- nionway and shutting it with a
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ward headlong, intending to reach the upper deck by the first ladder he came to, and thence make his way to his boat and away. e saw that it would be useless to try and talk to Clarence Wrench now, and that the best thing for him to do would be to get ashore, and escape with the wealth he had before Captain Nicoleff returned, with reinforcements, to make every one concerned in his imprisonment and the capture of the Volga, er. ** Hold there!” , The words were in Russian, but Pietro understood them perfectly. He thought it would be the better policy, however, to pretend ignorance, so he did not stop in his run along the gun deck toward an open ayers cae! that he could see in the distance, ** Hold!’ The command rung out again, and this time was emphasized by a hand being laid with no gentle touch upon the dwarf’s shoulder, with the result that the little man was dragged back so suddenly that he tripped and felt flat upon his back. With an oath, he was on his feet again, and seized the person who had stopped him, Then, he suiidenly changed his mind, and allow- ing his t flabby face to relax into a smile, said in Spanish; ‘* At your service, sir.’ “Exactly; as my prisoner,’ was the response in the same language. In five minutes the dwarf was chained to the nearest gun-carriage, with the young second officer of the Volga—whom we last saw himself prisoner, after his gallant fight with the Black Bear—search- ing his pockets and clothing for weapons. e dwarf submitted to this search gently, partly because he could not help it, and partly because he felt that his money-belt with the value of a fortune in it, could not be found, unless he was actually eee of his clothing. ‘“Who isin command of this ship?” asked the dwarf, still in Spanish, which was a much easier language to him than Russian, though he spoke the latter fluently. i “Tam,” announced the young officer, ‘ until Cap- tain Nicoleff returns.” ‘* Where is Captain Nicoleff?” ** He is on shore.” The dwarf started. ‘How do you know that?” he asked. ‘“We got asignal from him an hour ago—a private signal of his own.” “ Yes?’ “ And we shall have him aboard very soon now.” oo Ah °° “And then— Well, the captain will know what to do, I expect,” observed the officer, shrug: his shoulders, with a smile, as he turned away from Pietro, having taken from him a six-shooter, cut- lass and long dirk-knife. : t “But Captain Wrench?” said the dwarf, inquir- ingly. = at about him?” ‘lam going to _— him in safety now. He got the better of us while on deck a short time ago, and drove us all below, soon after we sent a party to take ession of the Americus,” ‘Ah! Yes. That was the pew that took our vessel by surprise I escaped in the middle of the row in the Volga’s boat.” ‘*Leaving our people in “Of course,”’ uie Pietro, with a sardonic grin, adding, below breath: “The fool actually does not know that the officer and one of his crew were wounded, and the rest made prisoners. Well, it isn’t my business to tell him, I have enough to do to attend to my own affairs.”’ With which philosophical reflection, Pietro drop- into a sitting posture on the floor and devoted is attention, backed up by considerable mechanical ingenuity, to getting himself free from his gyves. ession, of course?” CHAPTER XII. READY FOR A NIGHT ATTACK. For a moment after Bob Burleigh and Bert Mur- ray had so unexpectedly come face to face with Captain Nicoleff and the wife and daughter of Ivan occa in the hut of the Esquimaux, no one e. *PThen Bert, the irrepressible, whispered to the de- tective: **Tgn’t she a daisy?” “How did you come here?” asked Nicoleff, still retaining the hand of the detective in his own, in the peculiar grasp that brings the Masonic brother- hood together at once in whatever part of the world its members may meet. ‘“‘How did you come here?’ returned the detec- tive, with a laugh. | Pauline looked inquiringly at the detective, and then drew Marie gently behind her, for she saw that the young girl was somewhat embarrassed by the open admiration of Bert. . ‘At this moment, a queer figure, not more than four feet in hight, with shaggy hair, and a face of kindly expression looking from beneath its sealskin cap, Stepped trom behind the others and made a motion of welcome to Bob Burleigh and his youth- ful companion, : : “This is Pete. He isa very old friend of mine. This is not the first time I have shared the hospital- ity of his hut, andI knew exactly where to come when I landed with my sister-in-law and niece.” “Eh?” said the detective. ‘“Why, Pauline Novritch was my brother’s wife, and of ‘course Marie is my niece,” explained Nicoleff, with a smile. ‘‘ Had you forgotten that?” * Only for an instant. But you have not told me yet how you escaped from the Americus,” In a few words Nicoleff told how Wilfred Stokes had released him, and had put him ashore, with the ‘The Ocean Detective. two ladies and the four seamen of the Volga, The latter he said, were in another hut, within call of that they were in, owned by uimaux Pete. ‘By the way, I must thank Pete,” said the detec- tive, turning to the Esquimaux, who having seen that all his guests were comfortably seated on rude benches around the fire, now stood outside the circle, beaming benevolently upon all. ** Do it by signs, then, for he is deaf and dumb.” The detective was a good pantomimist, and even had he not been, he could easily have made Pete un- derstand his gratitude for the Hsquimaux or Indian, for both terms are applied to this peculiar race,) was very intelligent, as is often the case with those who have lost one or more of the senses. The detective told of his adventures with Bert Murray, and how the Black Bear had taken posses- sion of the Volga. The Russian captain ground his teeth in indig- nation. ‘*T will bring that gentleman’s career to a close very shortly,” he said, in a low, determined tone. ‘‘There must be an end to every life of law-break- in Thad Ry will help you!” declared the detective, as he lanced around, and thought of the web he had en gradually weaving around the Black Bear. The Esquimaux here brought forward a meal of fish and ship biscuit, which, though coarse fare, was acceptable enough to the detective and Bert Murray. The others had already eaten all they de- sired. “T think we had better all try and get some ey suggested Bob Burleigh, at lengh, when he and his companion had done justice to their supper. +5 a am certain that the Volga is not far away, an Pee, “ And we will be aboard of her soon after day- light, or I'll know the reason why not,” interrupted icoleff, sternly. ‘‘We can use your boat. That is, if you will let us have it.” e detective smiled grimly. “The quarrel is as much mine as yours,” he said. ‘* And mine,”’ put in Bert, Captaln Nicoleff looked at the boy nae He had not forgotten that Mr. Murray was an officer in the Russian Navy, attached to the steamer Volga. commanded by Captain Nicoleff. Bert recognized the look by saluting bis superior officer. ‘*But I must say that that girl, Marie Novritch, is a daisy,’’ he said to himself under his breath, as he stole a glance at her sidelong. Bert Murray was an American youth, and he liked the last word as much as he admired a pretty rl, Pete in the mean time was busy preparing couches for his visitors. In one corner of the hut, which was fenced off from the rest of the apartment by barrels and boxes that had evidently at some time or other been part of a ship's stores he spread a number of brown skins for Pauline and Marie. The elder lady inclined her head graciously, as her host, pointing the corner, made signs that the bed, such as it was, awaited her pleasure. Then, taking her daughter by the hand, she clasped those of each of her companions in turn, expressing, in this simple fashion, her gratitude to them all. Marie followed her example shyly. When she came to Bert, that young gentleman would like to have held the dainty fingers in his strong clasp for the rest of the night, and it was with a sigh that he could not repress that he relinquished it in conven- tional style, saying in Spanish, as being more roman- tic than English: “* Adios, senorita! “ Adios!” she replied softly, as she turned her gray eyes for a second upon the boy’s face. The Hood rushed quickly to his cheeks, and for ten minutes after the ladies had retired he did not know whether he was sane or not. ” He made a sign to the Esquimaux, and the whole four went over the ridge and in a short time return- ed with the canvas as well as Bert’s uniform, which he had exchanged for the suit of skins he wore, and upon which he had noticed Nicoleff had more than once cast a questioning glance. “Was that the Votes, do you think?” observed Bob, as they entered the hut, continuing a conver- sation that had been begun while they were down at the shore. ‘“‘Tam sure of it,” answered Nicoleff. ‘I know my owns iP too well to mistake her for anything else. even at midnight, inthe Arctic Ocean.” * Yes, Innocent, it was the Volga. I can back Captain Nicoleff up in that.’’ added Bert, bowing respectfully to his superior officer as he spoke, for he had’ not forgotten the hint of discipline he had received a short time before, ‘‘ Well. suppose we get some sleep. We will be on board the Volga before we are many hours older,” cy me detective, as he threw himself down before the fire. ; Captain Nicolet? did not respond. He was wrapped n thought, Bert Sturra , who knew “his moods pretty well, seated himself upon i pile of the canvas they had brought in, and whilé apparently only enjoying the gp warmth of the fire, kept his eyes fixed upon e captain’s face. : He knew that there was something paming in the mind of Nicoleff Novritch that would fine vent in words before long. As for Pete, the Esquimaux, he was to all appear- oo . A, ed 4 ithe , “et? P - ¢ v - was a pea Fe OTE Ui Oar ee ST paced OR Wi dep eS i a re et = a P hus 13° ances fast asleep in a corner, having done every- thing that hospitality demanded for his guests. For half an hour there was absolute silence in the hut, save for the measured breathing of the sleepers, and the occasional click from the log fire rset burned steadily in the center of the apart- ment. It was a picturesque sight. The ruddy glow of the embers failing across the thoughtful face of the Russian captain as he frowned meditatively or smiled sternly in unison with the ideas that coursed through his brain; lighting up the handsome, clear- cut boyish features of Bert Murray, whose thoughts were in fact of the fair Marie, and of how he would like to meet any number of foes for her sake; flick- ering over the compact form of the detective, lying, like a lion asleep, ready to spring into action at the first note of danger. In the background, where the reflection of the fire had only the effect of placing him in deeper shadow, Pete, the Esquimaux, re- cumbent, and perhaps asleep! “Bert!” said Nicoleff, at last. “ Sir!” “We must do it now.” “ Yes, sir.’ The boy did not ask what he meant. He had beer expecting that Captain Nicoleff could come to a de- cision before he slept. ‘The men are in another hut.” “Yes, sir.”’ ‘*T will go and bring them here.” OF OS tar There was nothing for Bert to do but to acquiesce in Captain Nicoleff’s remarks. The boy was not be- ing asked for advice, but only told what was re- quired of him. The captain had arisen while speaking, and was feeling in his pocket to make sure that his six- shooter was by his side in his belt. His sword had been restored to him by Wilfred Stokes when the latter set him free, and he had besides a dagger ina sheath concealed in his breast. Bert was fully armed in the same way, his weap- ons having been, as we know, taken from the chest in the boat in which he and the detective had left the Volga. When Captain Nicoleff arose and expressed his in- tention of going for his four seamen, who were quartered in the other hut, the boy got up too, and looked at the detective, as if doubtful whether he should wake him. Nicoleff held up his hand restrainingly. “No; let him sleep till the last moment. He will do all the more effective work for even an hour’s rest,’ “Yes, sir.” As Bert obediently said these words he could not poo a most prodigious yawn on his own ac- count. “Ah, yes; my poor boy!” said the captain, placing his band kindly upen Bert’s shoulder. “I had for- gotten. You are as tired as any of us.” ‘*No, sir. Not very. 7 am sorry I yawned. It took me unawares, or I would have stopped it,’’ re- plied Bert, orgs d “Nevermind. You shall turn into your own bunk before to-morrow Le Mark my words. You may have a little fighting first, but that will make hag your rest all the more when you do get t, e. ‘Yes, sir.”’ ‘Well, sit still here—or, better still, lie down for a few minutes—while I go and get the boys.” ‘“*Yes, sir.” Poor Bert, whom the warmth of the hut had made vere. sleepy, took advantage of the permission that h been vouchsafed him by his captain, and dropped by the side of the detective, as Nicoleff dis- appeared through the doorway into the outer ‘ht. night. slight disturbance awoke Burleigh at once, *Halloa, Bert! What's the matter?” The detective was used to breken rest, e ally since he had been aboard the Americus, and he was broad awake, with all his senses about him, as soon as he opened his eyes. “Nothing is the matter, Innocent. Go to ca Bob Burleigh sat up and looked around him. He eee the absence of the Russian captain in- stantly. : ‘* Where is Nicoleff?”’ “Gone out.”’. ** Where has he gone?” “To capture the Volga. What should the rong be doing when he knows that his craft is in the hands of a pirate right under his nose?” ‘*Stop your foollng, Bert, and tell me what is going on. I am ashamed of ~~ for sleeping while you and he were awake. ere is Captain Nicoleff? There is something afoot, i know.” ** Well, you bet poe mustache there is,” answered Bert, whose sleepiness was dispelled as soon as he had any one to talk to. “What is it?” “Don’t speak so loud. Don’t you know there are ladies present?” “You young monkey! I believe you would joke at the canron’s mouth.” “T am not joking. Listen.” “Welt? ; : “Captain Nicoleff does not feel like wai till morning before making an attack upon the Black - Bear.” . hdd “In fact, Idon’t see why he should. Surely it is — better to f° now in the darkness, when we can steal aboard quietly and comfortably, than to rush out in the open daylight, a target for every on the | ship. I tell you, they can swing that brass bow- chaser around mighty 3 easily, tosay nothing of the —
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=~: ape Ae Re 14 four beauties on the main deck. Why, Innocent, they could blow us all to perdition before we got our boat launched, and we would not be any the wiser.’ ‘““We might be sadder, eh?” suggested the detec- tive, with a smile, for the boy’s jesting spirit was in- fectious. “Indeed, I don’t believe there would be any pieces of us big enough to feel sadness or anything else. But, never mind about that. We are not going to be such fools as to give that confounded pirate achance. We are going now, in the night, and if there is any blowing-up to be done, we will let the Black Bear have it.” ** But, do you suppose they will not be watching for a night attack? Bert, my boy, you evidently do not give Clarence Wrench credit for very much sense. He may be a villain—heis—but he is not a fool, and a better seaman never trod a deck.” “ All right, Innocent. We must take our chances onthat. But I would rather go at night than show myself to the Volga’s guns in the daylight.”’ th the young men had been talking earnestly, though in low tones, and neither observed a white face framed bya profusion of dark hair, that was peeping between two of the barrels that screened off the sleeping apartment of Paulime and Marie Novritch from the rest of the hut. The pale face was that of the young girl, Marie, and she had been listening intently to the conver- sation. Her expression was that of deep anxiety, mingled perhaps with a little admiration for one of the young men, though which one it would have been difficult to tell, for Bob and Bert were so close together that a glance intended for one might — and naturally have been appropriated by the other. Fortunately, however, both were unconecious of her scrutiny, so there were no misapprehensions to cause trouble all around. Suddenly the door opened, and Nicoleff, with the four seamen who had accompanied him when he first boarded the Americus, entered the hut. Marie’s face at once disappeared from between the barrels as Bert and the detective stood up ready for whatever was to follow. CHAPTER XIV. THE BLACK BEAR’S NEMESIS. “You understand what we have to do?’’ com- menced Captain Nicoleff, in Russian, to his crew. The four men nodded intelligence. “We will row directly up to the Volga, silently, with vars muffled, and try to get aboard before we are noticed at all. It will require care, skill and courage, but I think I can depend upon all three from you, eh?” he continued. Again the four seamen nodded, “That is enough then. Pauline!” He called his sister-in-law quietly, but she appear- ed at once from her corner, showing that she had not been asleep during the foregoing remarks, “Yes, Nicoleff.” ** You and Marie stay here with Pete until we re- turn. We shall have but little trouble with this in- solent pirate, Clarence Wrench, for we have our own men aboard the Volga, and it will only be neces- sary for me to show myself to them to bring them to my support.” “Very well, Nicoleff. And, if you meet him face fo taee sword in hand, strike hard for—for—Ivan's 2.” The brows of the speaker contracted, and the hate she felt for her husband’s murderer was depicted on her countenance in a darkly shadowed desire for . vengeance. ; *“T']l remember, Pauline,’ answered Nicoleff, gently, as he pressed her hand, “ When day breaks a can go outside the hut and look over the top of he hill here. Then you will be able to see for your- self how the battle goes.” “Ready, captain?” asked Bob, as he and the rest gathered at the door. “Yes. Good-by, Pauline. Keep up heart for a few hours and all will be well. Say good-by to Marie for me.” **Marie is here, and you can say it to her your- self,” broke in the voice of the young girl as she step forth. “Isn't she a daisy?’ muttered Bert Murray to himself. ‘‘I wish I could do something specially for her. Then 1 could die happy.” Mr. Murray was not gtven to sentimental rhapso- dies, but he meant what he said in this instance, ** Come,” interposed Nicoleff, ‘or it will be day- light before we start. . Without another word he opened the door and went out, followed by his four seamen, Bob Burleigh and Bert. A brisk walk of buta few minutes brought them to a spot where they had a good view of the Volga, in the shape of a black mass against the starlit horizon. ‘ “There she is—a beauty,” observed Bert, as he gazed at the steamer and tried to make out her exact shape in the oe. * And to think of that scal- lawag of a Wrenc it easy in the skipper’s cabin, as I suppose he is, Oh, I feel like kicking myself!”’ ‘ Silence!” commanded Nicoleff. He often found it necessary to curb the exuberance of his young officer, ‘ The party walked cautiously forward until they reached the boat, which was pulled high up on the shore, just as it had been left an hour or so before. The exertions of seven people soon had it afloat, and then, without a word, the four seamen each manned anoar, Bob Burleigh took his place in the a ae Pee) The Ocean Detective. bow, while Captain Nicoleff in the stern, took the helm, and Bert sat at his side, ready to obey any orders issued by his skipper. ‘Bear away,” commanded the captain, gently, and the four oars dipped in the water and sent the heavy boat skimming across the waves toward the cruiser. “ Cautiously, men,” admonished Nicoleff, as the muzzles of the guns, frowning through their open ports, became plainly discernible. ‘‘ We don’t know who is behind those barkers of ours.” He spoke in Russian, but the detective and Mur- ray were both familiar with that language, so that they understood exactly what he said. “Hadn't we better row around to the other side, under her stern?” asked the detective. ‘* We shall be the more likely to catch them unawares.’ “If they have not yet seen us,’ remarked Bert. ‘*T do not think they have. In any case, we shall be no worse off than Wwe are now, and may be bet- ter, | To stop further discussion, Nicoleff gave orders to his crew, and turning the rudder himself, the boat ran straight for the stern of the Volga. All seemed quiet on board the cruiser, though Nicoleff thought he could see some one on the bridge, et carelessly against the railing. Of this, however, he could not be sure. They rowed slowly and softly immediately under the stern, and then made their way around the ves- sel to the bow, “© Bert!” veh = se be **Could you climb up to the anchor-chains here and look into that window above?’ , sir. “Do so, and tell me what you see.” The boy needed no second bidding. Like a monkey he sprung for the rusty chains that held the two anchors, until he could stand upon them level with the hawse-holes. Then he raised himself a little more and peeped through the port that the captain had pointed out. It was, as he knew, the means of light for a small cubby-hole in which his boatswain kept his private stores, and which was seldom tenanted. — ‘Empty, sir,” reported Bert. ** An oil lamp that gives a little light so that I can see all around.” “Climb up on deck and reconnoiter,”’ was Nico- leff’s next order. Nothing loth, the boy sprung from one rope to another until he reached the bowsprit, where, seiz- ing the forestays to steady himself, he looked along the deck. No one was to be seen, and cautiously crawlin down to the deck, he stole along till he could stan in the shadow of the foremast. He heard voices in Russian from the forecastle, but was too far away to distinguish what they said. “While I am here, I will see what is going on in the captain’s state-room,” he muttered, as he skimmed along under the lee of the bulwarks toward the after-part of the vessel. The skylight of the cabin was uncovered, and he leaned over the brass guards and looked down. As he did so, he started back with an exclamation of horror. His eyes had met those of Captain Clarence Wrench, who was lying upon his back on the table staring straight up at the skylight. In that one glance the boy saw that the Black Bear was a maniac. “That willdo. Til go back and report.” He turned away and ran yap into the arms of the second officer of the Volga. Both instinctively drew their cutlasses, and then the officer, recognizing the boy, dropped the point of his weapon, and said heartily, in Russian: ‘Why, Bert; where did you come from?” “From shore. I have brought the skipper aboard.” “You have? Where is he?” ‘* He’s in a boat under the bows of the Voiga, like askulking Indian, trying to attract the attention of the officers. Nice thing,isn’t it?” . The boy spoke bitterly, but the second officer did not notice the tone. He hurried forward, and in less time than it takes to tell it, Captain Nicoleff was once more upon the deck of his own ship, having re- gained it. somewhat to his surprise, without strife or bloodshed. Explanations were being g's exchanged, when suddenly a pistol-shot sounded from the neighbor- hood of the cabin, and a bullet imbedded itself in the solid thickness of the mainmast. “Look out,’? yelled Bert, as he hastily dragged Captain Nicoleff aside. one too soon! A tall figure in black bearskin, with eyes flashing even in the semi-darkness, was rushing toward the group, and even as the boy spoke. discharged an- other shot from his smoking pistol that would have ended the hfe of the Russian captain, had he not been pulled out of range jus” in time. - The Black Bear was running amuck! There was no mistake about the insanity of the captain of the Americus! He was as as human being could be, but—there was one set idea in his madness. He was determined to have the life of Captain Nicoleff. io the distempered imagination of the fiend, the face of Nicoleff Novritch brought to him with awful distinctness the features of the Ivan Novritch whom he had inveigled to St, Petersburg years ago, that he might seize bis property in Boston by means of papers that he had got from him under the guise of friendship. Wild visions of vengeance to be taken upon him for trusts betrayed to Ivan and his wife, Pauline, chased each other through his brain, and now he desired only to kill this man—this ee 0000 /50—a——wmo—w—{w<m=m™mm™s=_—_— 9 brother of the injured dead—who threatened ven~ geance upon his head. With a shout that, while in the voice of Clarence Wrench, was yet sometiiing like the cry of a wild beast, he rushed upon Captain Nicoleff, firing as he came. The bullet went through the hat of the Russian, tearing off a line of skin just above his left ear as it did so, but otherwise not injuring him. He was about to fire again, but Bert, quick as lightning, struck the pistol with his cutlass and knocked it from the madman’s hand. “ Sacre!” growled the Black Bear, as he took his cutlass in his right hand and threw himself upon the Russian captain. There was no time for any ove to interpose. In a second the two captains were in the heat of combat. Both were masters of their weapons,-and the Black Bear, although the blow he had received the day before had dethroned his reason, was as able and wary in the fence as ever. * Confound that savage! Can't we stop him? It isn’t right to let Captain Nicoleff risk his life with sucha fellow as that low-down pirate! Innocent, grab him from behind when I hit his sword!” The detective needed no second bidding. Though the ehances were that Nicoleff would overcome his adversary, the latter was making such a desperate fight, that no one could be sure of the result of the combat. The two young men dodged around and tfied to carry out their intentions, while the second officer, with a look «f distress upon his face, seemed at a loss what to do. As to the Russian seamen, they were too well disciplined to interfere until they were ordered to do so. “‘ Sacre!” yelled the Black Bear, as the cutlass of Nicoleff slashed his sword-arm slightly. So far the detective and Bert had been utterly un- able to carry out their intentions for the succor of Captain Nicoleff. he Black Bear made a desperate cut at his op- ponent, but Nicoleff, who had seen that the other was beginning to fight wildly. was watching him warily. With one turn of the wrist, the Russian captain managed to catch the weapon of the other in such a way that it was torn from the Black Bear’s grasp and sent spinning across the deck. ‘‘ Now finish him,”’’ yelled Bert, in the excitement of the moment. | Captain Nicoleff hesitated. He did not care about killing even a scoundrel in cold blood. The Black Bear glanced around him for a second. Then aiming a blow with his fist at Bert Murray, which, fortunately for the boy, caught him on the shoulder instead of in the face, as was intended, but which knocked him head over heels, as it was, the Black Bear, with another fiendish *‘ Sacre/”’ broke through the group, and clearing the bulwarks ata bound, sprung into the sea. CHAPTER XV. BERT’S BREACH OF DISCIPLINE. For some time after the party left the hut, Pauline and Marie sat in front of the fire, each wrapped in their own reflections, while the dwarfish Indian, Pete, busied himself in examining his fishing apparatus, spears, etc. He felt that it would be a breach of etiquette to lie down again while his guests were sitting up, P “‘T hope Nicoleff will be safe,” said Marie. “T hope that villain Wrench will be killed,” re- sponded her mother, sternly. She had nothing but bitterness in her heart when she thought of the Black Bear. For an hour or more they sat thus, exchanging a few words at intervals, but generally silent. Pete, at his spears, hooks and nets, took but little notice of them, save to hold himself in readi- ness to obey any wish they might express, so far as it lay in his power. Suddenly he looked up, as if he scented danger. By what peculiar means the impression that some- thing was wrong was conveyed to his mind cannot be explained. As we know, he was deaf and dumb, and eset’ could not hear anything. _ Yet he put down the iron spear that he had been intently examining, and walking forward until he was in the circle of firelight, made signs to Pauline that there was some one outside. “What does he mean, mother?” asked Marie, looking from the geoueee figure of the Esquimaux 4 ig door of the hut, in response to his gesticula- ons. ‘“*T will soon see,”? responded Pauline. She arose and moved toward the door, but Pete reared himself in ber way, shaking his head and in- imating that he would open the door. Pauline, with a shrug, stepped back, as the Esqui- maux, arming himself with his iron spear, threw open the door and looked out. Then, as he raised his spear threateningly, it was twisted from his grasp, and the Black Bear, his dark eyes blazing with the fire of insanity, and with his bearskin clothing soaked with water, stalked in- tO With hs left hand he held the Esqui vith his left hand he he e Esquimaux by the throat, dragging him in as if he had been a enn ; | He walked straight up to Pauline and looked hoe steadily in the eye. “Do you know me?” he demanded. The intense hate of the woman was unrestrain- able as she answered: “Yes. Clarence Wrench, I do know you. The murderer of my husband, and the robber of my child! Yes, T know you, and I will be revenged!”’ Quick as cant she drew a poniard from her bosom and struck at him. He seized her wrist ere the blow could descend, “« = as Se ee
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= 4 +> \ f 5 b oh 7 and, with a scornful laugh, threw her to one side, as he dashed the Esquimaux to the ground on the other, “ Sacre!” he hissed. Then, before his intention could be divined, he stooped and grasped Marie around the waist. **Mother!’’ she shrieked, but her ery was drowned by the wild ‘*‘ Ha, ha!” of the madman, who rushed out of the open doorway with the — in his arms, and running up the hill asif he hardly felt his bur- den, ran at ful speed toward the sea. ‘Pete! Pete!’’ screamed Pauline, as she regained her feet and started in pursuit. The Indian, although he could not hear her call, understood what was required of him. He had been vlad stunned by the force with which he had een dashed to the ground, but soon recovered him- self. He only waited to take another iron spear, similar to that carried off by the Black Bear, and then joined Pauline in her chase of the abductor. Down to the shore ran Wrench, with the half- fainting girl in his arms. — ** Sacre! Make no noise or I'll brain you!’ he hissed, as he ran along the shore, evidently search- ing for something. With a demoniacal laugh of triumph he suddenly swooped down upon a small boat covered with skins and propelled by a paddle, such as isin general use among the Esquimaux, and which is known as a kyack. It was fastened by a skin rope to an old stanchion driven into the ground. With one slash of his knife the Black Bear sev- ered the rope, and, placing Marie in the boat, seized the paddle, and launching the light craft with one vigorous push, leaped into it and paddied out to sea. “My Marie!” cried an _agonized voice from the shore, as Pauline with Peter close behind, rushed down to the water’s edge just as the kyack danced away over the waves. ** Mother |” answered the girl. A loud “Ha, ha!’ from the Black Bear floated over the water like the triumphant laugh of an evil spirit and the Black Bear threw all his mighty strength, augmented now by that born of insanity, into the paddle, and was soon out of sight. Marie sat cowering in the bottom of the small craft, too frightened to speak, and moreover con- scious that words wouid be thrown away upon the terrible being who now had her so thoroughly in his power, _ She saw that they passed a large vessel that, even in her terror, she recognized as the Volga. She looked up at its immense bulk as the kyack shot past some three or four hundred yards away. A cry trembled on her live but the Black Bear, with a madman’s cunning, divined her purpose, and placed one of his hands heavily over her mouth, while his devilish black eyes seemed to fairly scorch her, and dry up the words she would have spoken. They passed the Volga, Marie trying in vain to make out who was on her deck, and then another huge vessel came in sight. Straight for it paddled the Black Bear, until, as the kyack struck the hull, he sejzed a rope ladder hanging from the main chains, and taking Marie in his right arm, climbed rapidly up to the deck of the Americus, Scarcely had his foot touched the deck, when a dozen hands seized him, while some one tore bo away from him, and bore her out of his sight. ® Sacre /” he hissed, as he broke away from his captors, and, flourishing the iron spear of the Indian which he had retained ever since he took it from its owner, ig # every one at bay. 5 “Seize him, men! He is crazy, and he will do harm to some one yet!” The voice was that of Captain Nicoleff, It seemed to redouble the fury of the Black Bear. He glared around him, and, raising the iron spear, tried to throw it at Nicoleff after the manner of a javelin. He would have succeeded in his L urpose had not Bob Burleigh, who had ventured cicon ; closer to the lunatic than any one else, grasped the spear at the critical moment, and tried to drag it away. We say tried, because he was not successful. Clarence Wrench's herculean strength easily pre- vailed against the by no means to be despised mus- cle of the young detective. When the maniac turned and saw who had inter- fered with his murderous purpose he became even more frantic than before. Relin ishing his inten- tion toward Nicoleff, he vented all his hate upon the detective. With one pull he had the iron spear in his hand. Then he swung it up over his head, and it seemed that Bob Burleigh’s time had come, ** Savre /” hissed the demon, Down came the spear, and Bob jumped back, Uvfortunately for him his back was toward the bulwark, and he could not retreat. But, suddenly—bang! went a pistol-shot, followed quickly by another and another. The iron spear dropped from the hand of the coast pirate, and he turned completely around. For a second he gasped and threw up his hands. Then, turning his lasing eyes defiantly upon Nicoleff, he sunk to the deck, “T didn’t know whether I could doit from where Iwas, but I thought I had better try,” remarked Bert Murray, cheerfully, as he stepped forward and bent over the body of the Black Bear. ‘Right through the breast,’’ announced the detec- tive, referring to the course of the bullets. “ Mr. Murray, consider yourself under arrest, for acting without orders!” put in Captain Nicoleff, sternly. Poor Bert looked very much crestfallen, ——————— a The Ocean Detective. **Oh, Uncle Nicoleff, you won’t do that, will you? He saved your life. Do not, for my sake!” It was Marie who spoke, and Bert Murray felt that he did not care what Captain Nicoleff might say or do now. The captain hesitated a moment, but another look into the pretty, pleading face of his niece, was too much for him. ‘*Very well, my dear! I will forgive him for your sake. But he had better not do such a thing again while he is under my command.” Bert saluted, and muttered to himself: “Of course I won’t, because there was, only one Black Bear, and I killed him. But ein’ishe a daisy! Said it was for her sake. Yes, everything is for her sake!” The conversation had been carried on in English, but the Russian sailors comprehended its purpor., os although théy could not understand the exact words. Now that the Black Bear’s career was ended, there was but little trouble in the way of either Bob Burleigh or Captain Nicoleff in carrying out their purpose to stop the evil uses to which the Americus had been put by its on Sayre com- mander, without the knowledge of its crew. The counterfeiting apparatus was brought to light as well as the secret treasure that had been acci- dentally discovered by Wilfred Stokes, Bob Burleigh took charge of these things until the Americus was brought back to San Francisco, where they were turned over to the United States authori- ties. Then he gave his attention to restoring to Pau- line and her daughter the estate of Ivan Novritch in Boston, which had been withheld by the Black Bear, who supposed that Pauline and her daughter had erished in Siberia with the man he had betrayed nto the hands of the authorities at St. Petersburg on a false charge of treason. The detective was entirely successful, and has won the life-long regard of Pauline Novritch and her daughter. Captain Nicoleff,Novritch took from the Americus her contraband liquors, and consigning Pauline and Marie to the care of Bob Burleigh, continued on his cruise for the benefit of his Government, promising to be in Boston to visit his sister-in-law and niece within two years, on which occasion it was under- stood Bert Murray was to Cigieg “er him. Per- haps Marie and Bert may both be looking forward to meeting again! Who can tell? When at length the Americus, after finishing her business at San Francisco, ran into her home portin command of Wilfred Stokes, her owners made the latter captain and Silas Hawkins first mate. The stanch ship has again started on a cruise in the Arc- tic, where they hope to have a more profitable and _ exciting voyage than the last one turned out to e Pietro the dwarf managed to get away with his $50,000 worth of diamonds, Whether he carried out his plan of going to Madrid or not, no one knows. Certain it is, however, that his ill-gotten wealth brought him no happiness. Perhans we may in future learn something cf his ultimate fate. Sailors are fond of spinning yarns, as every one knows. There is not a forecastle story in the whole whaling fleet of the Arctic that has been more often told than that of the Black Bear’s Last Cruise, THE END, Beadle's Half-Dime Library, BY GEORGE ©. JENKS, 485 Git Thar Owney the Unknown, 492 Git Thar Owney’s Pledge. py Y Nae Bpee Meeker: a ouble-Curve Dan, the Pitcher Detect! 598 Flute, the Singer Detective, se: BY JOSEPH E. BADGER, JR, 2 Vellowstone Jack; or, The jg 48 Black John, the Road-Agent; or, The Outlaw’s Retreat, 65 Murricane Bil; or, Mustang Sam and His Pard. 119 Mustang Sam} or, The King of the Plains. . 186 Night-Mawk Kit; or, The Daughter of the Ranch, 1 Dainty Lance the Boy Sport. 151 Panther Paul; or, Dainty Lance to the Rescue. 160 The Black Giant; or, Dainty Lance in Jeopardy, 168 Deadly Dash; or, Fighting Fire with Fire. 184 The Boy Trailers ; or, Dainty Lance on the War-Path. 208 The an Parda; or, Dainty Lance Unmasks, 211 Crooked Cale, the Caliban of Celestial City. 810 The Barranca W olf; or, The Beautiful Decoy. 819 The Black Rider; or, The Horse-Thieves’ League, 885 Old Double Fist; or, The Strange Guide 855 The King of the Woods: or. Daniel Boone’s Last Trail, 449 Kit Fox, the Border Boy Detective. BY JO PIEROE. 897 Bob o’ the Bowery ; or, The Prince of Mulberry Streete 415 The Vagabond Detective; or, Bowery Bo Bo a58 Hotepur Bob, the Street-Boy Detective. +4 fice Boy Detective. »6 rooklyn Ben, the On-His-Own-Hook Detective, Bas 5 Sv eont Fete, mH tone Sifter. -0'-Lantern, the Under-Sea Prospector, 608 Wide-Awake Bert, the Street Stenen BY ©. DUNNING CLARE, 185 Oaptain Paul; or, The Boy Spy of the Mountains. 280 Th Yankee Rajah; or, The Fate of the Black Shereef, 15 BY J. C. COWDRICK. 860 Silver-Mask, the Man of Mystery. 869 Shasta, the Gold King} or, For Seven Years Dead. 420 ame Detective’s Apprentice; or, A Boy Without a Name. 424 Cibuta John? or, Red-Hot Times at Ante Bar. 439 Sandy Sam, the Street Scout. 467 Disco Dan, the Daisy Dude 490 Broadway Billy, the Bootblack Bravo. 606 Redlight Ralph, the Prince of the Road, 514 Broadway Billy’s Boodle. 524 The Engineer Detective. 536 Broadway Billy’s ‘ Diflikilty.” 548 Mart, the Night Express Detective. 557 Broadway Billy’s Peath Racket. 571 Air-Line Luke the Young Engineer. 579 The Chimney Spy: or, Broadway Billy’s Surprise-Party. 592 The Boy Pinkerton. 605 William 0’ Broadway; or, The Boy Detective’s Big Inning, BY FRANK DUMONT. 120 The Branded Hand; or, The Man of Mystery. 127 Wild-Fire, the Boss of the Road. 140 Blue Blazes; or, The Break o’ Day Boys of Rotky Bare 171 Ebony Dan; or, The Rival Leagues. 185 Evil Eye; or, The Vultures of the Rio Grande, BY CAPT. MARK WILTON, 256 Young Kentuck; or, The Red Lasso. 270 Blizzard Ben; or, The Riot at Keno Camp. 286 Josh, the Boy Tenderfoot. BY LIEUT. H. D. PERRY, U. 8. N. 176 The Boy Runaway; or, The Buccaneer of the Bay. 180 The Sea Trailer; or, A Vow Well Kept. 192 Captain Kit; or, The Mystery of Montauk Point. BY HARRY HAZARD. 828 Arkansaw Jack; or, The Scourge of the Mines, 829 Red-Skin Tom; or, The Demon’s Trail, $42 The Mountain Devil; or, Yellow Jack, the Outlaw, BY COL, A. F. HOLT. 899 Black Buckskin; or, The Masked Men of Death Canyon. 419 Kenneth, the Knife-King. 485 Little Lightfoot, the Pilot of the Woods, BY J. W. OSBON. 469 The Rival Giants of Nowhar’. 498 Cactus Burr, the Man from Hard Lack, 587 Old Backs the Sierra Shadow. 564 Powder Phil, the Boy Miner. BY FREDERICK DEWEY, 818 Cimarron Jack, the King-Pin of Rifle-Shots, 478 Tangemund, the Desert Detective. 542 The Canyon Pards. BY ARTHUR C. GRISSOM. 440 Little Foxfoot, the Gold Bowie Kid. 558 The Sure-Shot Pards, BY CHARLES E. LASALLE, [50 Burt Bunker, the Trapper. 52 The White Buffalo. A Tale of the Northwest, BY WM. G. PATTEN, 489 The Diamond Sport; or, The Double Face of Bed Rock 519 ar tome Mystery ; or, Five in One. B81 Da 5 Dare the Sport from Denver. 587 Old Bombshell, the Ranger Detective, 604 Lron Fern, the Man of Fire. MISCELLANEOUS AUTHORS, 4 The Wild-Horse Munters. By Capt. Mayne Reid and Frederick Whittaker, : 9 Adventures of Baron Munchausen, 12 Gulliver’s Travels. By Dean Swift. 14 Aladdin; or, The Wonderful Lamp. 16 Robinson Crusoe. (27 Illustrations.) 18 Sindbad the Sailor. His Seven Fereaee. 22 : Fa Sea Serpent; or, The Boy Rebinson Crusoe, By Juan wis. 88 The Ocean Bloodhound; or, The Red Pirates of the Carribees, By S, W. Pierce. 86 The Boy Clown; or, The Queen ofthe Arena. By Frank Finn. 88 Ned Wylde, the Boy Scout. By Texas Jack. ~ 61 bar Boy Rides; or, The Underground Camp. By Archie -. trons. 95 The Rival Rovers; or, The Freebooters of the Mississippi. By Lieut.-Col. Hazeltine. 98 Robin Hood, the Outlawed Earl; or, The Merry Men of Green- 566 arnt ee as ec ena The C 6 ube, the Hunter; or, The Crow Captive. By Captain Hamilton Holmes. cd 112 The Mad Wunter; or, The Cave of Death. By Burton Saxe. 124 Tippy, the Texan; or, The Young Champion. By George eeson. 128 The Young Privateer; or, The Pirate’s Stronghold. By Harry Cavendish. 148 Sharp Sam; or, The Adventures of a Friendless Boy. By J. Alexander Patten. , 227 Dusky Darrell, Trapper; or, The Green Ranger of the Yel- lowstone. By Edward Emerson. 261 Forgas Fearnaught the New York Boy. By George L. en. 266 Killb’ar, the Guide; or, Davy Crockett’s Crooked Trail. By Ensign C. D. Warren. 298 Red Claw, the One-Eyed Trapper; or, The Maid of the Clift. By Captain Comatock. 817 Peacock Pete, the Lively Lad from Leadville. By Lieu- tenant Alired Thorne. 828 The Sky We*ective; or, A Boy’s Fight for Life and Honos. By Maior Mickey Free. 850 Ked Ralph, the River Rover; or, The Brother’s Re- 865 Baltimore Ben’ the Hootblack D altimore Ben the black Detective. By A. P. Morris, 874 Geld-Dust Tomy; or, Ben’s Double Match. By George H. Moree. 876 Callfornia Joe’s First Trail, By Colonel Thomas Hoyer Monstery. 418 Biily Bombshell, the Cliff Climber. F. S. Winthrop. 45 The Black Ship, By Jobe Warne 484 Comanche Dick and His Three Invinctbles, By Henry J. Thomas. 528 Wizard-Arm, the ony Sport. Arthur F, Holt. y 582 The Cowboy Duke. win Brooke Forrest. 552 Ariel the Athlete. By David Druid. 585 Will Waters, the Boy Ferret. By H. Enton. a A New Issue Every Tuesday. e Half-Dime Lib is for sale by all newsdealers, cents per copy, or sent by melt on raoetpt of ste pee po sa BEADLE ANP ADAMS, Publishers, 98 William Street, New Yerk,
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~ BEADLE’S*HALF-DIME* LIBRARY. Published Every Tuesday. Each Issue Complete and Sold at the Uniform Price of Five Cents. No Double Numbers, BY EDWARD L. WHEELER. Deadwood Dick Novels. 1 Deadweod Dick, the Prince of the Road. 20 Double Daggers; or, Deadwood Dick’s Defiance, 28 yrale Beng or, Deadwood Dick in Disguise. 85 Willd Ivan, the Boy Claude Duval, Phantom Miner; or, Deadwood Dick’s Bonanza, 49 Omaha oe or, Deadwood Dick in Danger. 57 Deadwood Piek’s Eagles; er, The Pards of Flood Bar, 28 Deadwood Dick on Deck; or, Calamity Jane, the Heroine. 2% Corduroy Charlie; or, Deadwood Dick’s Last Act, 100 Deadwood Dick in Leadville. 104 Deadwood Dick's Device; or, The Double Cross Sign. 109 Deadwood Dick as Detective. 129 Deadwood Dick’s Double; or, The Ghost of Gorgon’s Gulch. 188 Blonde Bil); er, Deadwood Dick’s Home Base, 149 A Game of Gold; or, Deadwood Dick’s Big Strike. 156 Deadwood Dick of Deadwood; or, The Picked Party. 195 Deadwood Dick’s Dream or, The Rivals of the Road. 201 The Black Hills Jezebel; or, Deadwood Dick’s Ward. 205 Deadweed Dick’s Doom} or, Calamity Jane’s Last Ad- venture, 217 Captain Crack-Shot, the Girl Brigand. 221 BugarDoated Sam; or, The Black Gown, 282 Gold-Dust Dick, A Romance of Roughs and Toughs, 268 Deadwood Dick’s Divide; or, The Spirit of Swamp Lake. 268 Deadwood Dick’s Death Trail. 8098 Bonsweed Dick’s Big Deal; or, The Gold Brick of regon, 821 Deadwood Dick’s Dezen; or, The Fakir of Phantom Flats, 7 Deadwood Dick’s Ducats; or, Rainy Days in the Dig- ings. 851 frendwooa Dick Sentenced; or, The Terrible Vendetta. 862 Dosdareed Dick’s Claim ; or, The Fairy Face of Faro ats. 405 Deadwood Dick in Dead City. 410 on Dick’s Diamonds ; or, The Mystery of Joan ‘urter. 421 Deadwood Dick in New York; or, A “ Cute Case.” 480 Beadwood Dick’s Dust; or, The Chained Hand. * 448 Dendwood Dick, Jr. 448 Nickel-Plate Ned; er, Deadwood Dick Jr’s Defiance. 458 Sunflower Sam, o! Shasta; or, Deadwood Dick Jr’s Full Hand, 459 ae Fan, the Ferret; or, Deadwood Dick Jr’s Big Ronnd- 465 Philo Fly, of Phenix; or, Deadwood Dick Jr’s Racket at » Claim 10, 471 Bozeman Bill; er, Deadwood Dick Jr’s Corral. 476 prassbelds Harry, the Hurricane;- or, Deadwood Dick Jr's etective. 481 Moll. Mystery; or, Deadwood Dick Jr. in Deadwood. 491 Prince Pistol, the King of the West; or, Deadwood Dick Jr’s Compact. : 496 Monte Cristo, Jr.: or, Deadwood Dick Jr’s Inheritance. 500 Deadwood Dick’s Diggings or, Dr. Death-Grip’s Swoop. 508 Deadweod Dick’s Deliverance, 615 Deadweed Dick’s Protegee. B22 Deadwood Dick’s Three. 529 Deadwood Dick’s Danger Ducks, 544 Deadweod Dick’s Death Hunt. 589 Boaqwesd Dick Jr. in Texas. Peadweod Dick, Jr. the Wild West Vidocq. Hert Deadwood Dick on Mis Mettle. woed Dick, Jr. in Gotham, ‘ 4 Dead 561 Deadwood Dick in Boston. 5667 Deadwood Dick, Jr. in Philadeiphia. 572 Deadwoed Dick, Jr. in Chicago. 5678 Deadwood Dick, Jr. Afloat. 584 Deadwood Dick, Jr. in Denver. 5690 Deadwood Dick, Jr’s., Decree. 595 Beadwoed Dick Jr. in Beelzebub’s Basin. 600 Deadwood Dick Jr. at Coney Island. 606 Deadwood Dick Jr’s Leadville Lay; or, Bristol and Bncket’s Leom. : Other Novels by E. L. Wheeler. Cy 45 Old Avalanche or, Wild Edna, the Girl Brigand. | 58 Jim Blu r., the Boy Phenix. 61 Buckhorn B r or, The Red Rifle Team. 6 ld Rifle, the Sharpshooter; or, The Boy Detective. ob; or, Nugget Ned, the Knight. finer or, Rosebud Rob on Hand. 11; or, Rosebud Rob’s Rea; Wire Can 92 Can Old Anaconda in Sitting Bull’s Camp, 145 Captain Boas Job. 161 New York Nell, the Boy-Girl Detective. 177 Nobby Nick of Nevada; or, The Sierras Scampe, 181 Wild Frank, the Buckskin Bravo, 209 Fritz, the Bound-Boy Detective. 218 Fritz to the Front; or, The Ventriloquist Hunter, 6 Snoozer, the Boy Sharp; or, The Arab Detective, Apollo Bil, the Trail Tornado. 240 Cyclone Kit, the Young Gladiator. 244 Sierra Sam, the Frontier Ferret. 248 Sierra Sam’s Secret ; or, The Bloody Footprints, 258 Sierra Sam’s Pard; or, The Angel of Bi ta. 258 Sierra Sam’s Seven; or, The Stolen Bride. 278 Jumbo Joe, the Koy Patrol; or, The Rival Heirs, 277 Denver Doll, the Detective Queen. 281 Denver Doll’s Victory. 285 Denver Doll’s Decoy ; or. Little Bill’s Bonanza, 291 Turk, the Boy Ferret. 296 Denver Doll’s Drift; or, The Road Queen. 299 A No, 1, the Dashing Toll-Taker. 808 ’Liza Jane, tbe Girl Miner; or, the Iron-Nerved Sport. 825 Kelley, Hickey & Co., the Detectives of Philadelphia. 880 Little Quick-Shot; or, The Dead Face of Daggersville. eee Kangaroo or, The Mysterious Miner, 9 Kangaroo Kit’s Racket. $48 Manhattan Mike, the Bowery Blood. 858 First-Class Fred, the Gent from Gopher. 868 SA aes Jim, the Gold-Gatherer; or, The Lottery of ife. 872 Yreka Jim’s Prise. 78 Nabob Ned} or; The Secret of Slab City. 2 Cool Kit, the King of Kids; or, A Villain’s Vengeance, es Yreka Jim's Joker}; or, The Rivals of Red Nose, 889 Bicycle Ben}; or, The Lion of Lightning Lode, 894 Yreka Jim of Yuba Dam. ‘ 400 W the Night-Watch Detective. at Harry, the Base Bull Detective, | the r-Boy Detective. and Pal, Private Detectives, Tidus elton & BY CHARLES MORRIS, 118 Will Somers, the Boy Detective. 122 Phil mete the Boss Boy. 126 Picayune Pete}; or, Nicodemus, the Dog Detective. 180 Detective Dick; or, The Hero in Rags. 142 Handsome Harry, tke Bootblack Detective, 147 Will Wildfire, the Thoroughbred. 152 Black Besa, Will Wildfire’s Racer. 157 Mike Merry, the Harbor Police Boy. 162 Will Wildtire in the Woods, 165 Billy Baggage, the Railroad Boy. 170 A Trump Card; or, Will Wildfire Wins and Loses, 174 Bob Rockett; or, Mysteries of New York. 179 Bob seeert the Bank Runner, 188 The Hidden Hand x Will Wildfire’s Revenge. 187 Fred Malyard, the Life Boat Boy; or, The Smugglers. 189 Bob Rockett; or, Driven to the Wall. 196 Shadowed ; or, Bob Rockett’s Fight for Life. 206 Dark Paul, the Tiger King. 212 Dashing Dave, the Dandy Detective. 220 ‘Tom Tanner}; or, The Black Sheep of the Flock, 225 Sam Charcoal the Premium Darky. 235 Shadow Sam, the Messenger Boy. 242 The Two * Bloods”; or, Shenandoah Bill and His Gang, 252 Dick Dashaway ¢ or, A Dakota Boy in Chicago, 262 The Young Sharps; or, Rollicking Mike’s Hot Trail, 274 Jolly Jim, the Detective Apprentice. 289 Jolly Jim’s Job; or, The Young Detective. 298 The Water-Hound; or, The Young Theroughbred. 805 Dashaway, ef Dakota; or, A Western Lad in the Quaker City. 824 Ralph Ready, the Hotel Boy Detective. 841 Tony Thorne, the Vagabond Detective. 858 The Reporter-Detective; or, Fred Flyer’s Blizzard, 867 Wide-Awake Joe; or, A Boy of the Times. 879 Jarra. the Leveler; or, The Bloods of the Boulevard. 408 Firefly Jack, the River-Rat Detective. 428 The Lost Finger; or, The Entrapped Cashier. 428 Fred Flyer, the Reporter Detective. 482 Invincible Logan, the Pinkerton Ferret. 456 Billy Brick, the Jolly Vagabond. 466 Wide-Awake Jerry, Detective; or, Entombed Alive, AT9 Detective Dodge; or, The Mystery of Frank Hearty. B01 Boots, the. Boy Fit harp for the 8b oots, the Boy Fireman ; or, Too Sharp for the r, 566 The Secret service Boy Detective. Sis 596 Jimmy the Kid; or, A Lamb Among Wolves. BY OLL COOMES, 5 Vagabond Joe, the Young Wandering Jew, 18 The Dumb Spy. 27 Antelope Abe, the Boy Guide. 81 Keen-Knilfe, the Prince of the Prairies. 41 Lasso Jack, the Young Mustanger. 58 The Border Ming: or, The Secret Foe. 71 Delaware Dick, the Young Ranger Spy. 74 Mawk-eye poet the Young Trapper Ranger. 88 Rollo, the Boy Ranger. 184 Sure Shot Seth, the Boy Rifleman, 148 Sear-Face Saul, the Silent Hunter 146 Silver Star, the Boy Knight. 158 Eagle Kit, the Boy Demon. 168 Little Texas, the Young Mustanger. 178 Old Solitary, the Hermit Trapper. 182 Little Hurricane, the Boy Captain, 202 hg Pete ; or, The Young Outlaw Hunters, 208 The Boy Hercules: or, The Prairie Tramps. 218 Tiger Tom, the Texas Terror. 224 Dashing Dick; or, Trapper Tom’s Castle. 28 Little Wildfire, the Young Prairie Nomad. 8 The Parson Detective; or, The Little 248 The Diaguised Guide; or, Wild Raven, the ger. 260 Dare-Devil Dan, the Young Prairie Ranger, 272 Minksekin Mike, the Boy Sharpshooter. 290 Little Foxfire, the Boy Spy. 800 The Me? Demon ; or. Rainbolt, the Ranger. 884 Whip-King Joe, the Boy Ranchero. 409 Hercules; or, Dick, the Boy Ranger. 417 Webfoot Moe, the Trap Detective, Baby Sam, the Boy ‘Giant of the Yellowstone, 444 Little Buckskin, tne Young Prairie Centaur, 457 Wingedfoot Fred; or, Old Polar Saul, 468 Tamarac Tom, the Big Trapper Boy. 478 Old Tom Rattler, the Red River Epidemic, 482 Stonewall Bob, the Boy Trojan. 562 Blundering Basil, the Hermit Boy Trapper. BY T. ©, HARBAUGH. 28 Nick o’ the Night; or, Th» Boy Spy of ’76. 87 The Hidden Lodge; or The Little Hunter. 47 Nightingale Nat; or, Tne Forest Captains, 64 Dand ack; or, The Outlaws of the Oveae. Trak. 82 Kit Harefoot the Wood-Hawk. 94 Midnight sank 4 or, The Boy Trapper. 106 Old Frosty, the Guide; or, The White Queen, 128 Kiowa Charley the White Mustanger. 189 Judge Lynch, Jr.¢ or, The Boy Vigilante. 155 Gol Tri er, the Sport; or, The Girl Avenger, 169 Tornado Tom; or, Injun Jack From Red Core, 188 Ned Temple, the Border Boy. 198 Arkansaw ; or, The Quorn of Fate’s Revenge, 207 Navajo Nick, the Boy Geld Hunter. 215 Captain Bullet; or, Little Topknot’s Crusade, 281 Plucky Phil; or, Rosa, the Rei Jezebel. 241 BIll Bravo; or, The Roughs of the Rockies, 255 Captain Apoll«, we King-Pin of Bowie, 267 The Buckskin Detective. 279 Old Winch; or, The Buckskin Desperadoes. 294 Dynamite Dan; or, The Bowle Blade of Cochetopa, 802 The Mountain Detective; or, The Trigger Bar Bully. 816 Old Eclipse, Tromp Card of Arizona, 826 The Ten Parda: or, The Terror of Take-Notice, 886 Bie Benson; or, The Queen of the Lasso. 845 Pitiless Matt; or, Red Thunderbolt’s Secret. B56 Cool sam and Pardg or The Terrible Six. 866 Velvet Foot, the Indian Detective. 886 Captain Cutlass; or, The Brccaneér’s Girl Foe. 896 penee Rob j or, The Twin Champions of Blue Blazes, 411 The Silken Lasso; or, The Rose of Ranch Robia, 418 Felix Fox, the Boy Spotter. $5 Texas Trump, the Border Rattler, 6 Phil Flash, the New York Fox. 445 The City Vampires; or, Ked Rolfe’s Pigeon. 461 One Againat Fifty; or, The Last Man of Keno Bar, 470 The Boy Shadow ; or, Felix Fox’s Hunt. Av? The Exceisior Sport; or, The Washington Spotter, 499 Single Sight, the One-Eyed Sport. 502 Branded Ben, the Night Ferret. 512 Dodger Pick, yng 6d Detective, 521 Dodger Dick’s Best Dodge. 528 Fox and Fulcon, the Bowery Shadows. 588 Dodger Dick, the Dook Ferret. 548 Dodger Dick’« Double ; or, The Rival Boy Detectives, 558 Dodger Dick’s Desperate Case. 568 D er oie. the Boy Vidocq. 443 The Two Shadows. Zi 2 Pedger Dick’s Drop. 94 Little Lon, the Street-Singer Detective. ese : ‘ fe p - yeeT. Pom sche aly 4 a ome 1G hah ab yak ve BA é shila be pe Bl oa ye ofa rb cat bad eet BY COLONEL PRENTISS INGRAHAM, 7 The Fiying Yankee} or, The Ocean Outcast, 17 Ralph Roy, the Boy Buccancer; or, The Fugitive Yacht, 24 Diamond Dirk her The Mystery of the Yellowstone, 62 The Shadow Ship; or, The Rival Lieutenants. & The Boy Buellst; or, The Cruise of the Sea-Wolf, 102 Dick Dead-Eye, the Boy Smuggier. 111 The Sea-Devil; or, The Midshipman’s Legacy. 116 The Hussar Captains or, The Hermit of Hell Gate, 197 Little Grit; or, Bessie, the Stock-Tender’s Daughter. 204 Gold Plume; er, The Kid-Glove Sport. 216 Bison Bill, the Prince of the Reins. 222 Grit, the Bravo Sport; or, The Woman Trailer, 229 Crimson Kate; or, The Cowboy’s Triumph, - 287 Lone Star, the Cowboy Coptaln. - 245 Merle, the Middy ; or, The Freelance Heir. 250 The Midshipman Mutineer; or, Brandt, the Buccaneer, 264 é hed Floating Feather; or, Merle Monte’s Treasure sland, 269 The Gold Ship ; or, Merle, the Condemned. 276 merie Monte’s Cruise; or, The Chase of “The Gold Ship.” 280 Merle Monte’s Fate; or, Pearl, the Pirate’s Bride, 284 The Sea Marauder; or, Merle Monte’s Pledge. 287 Billy Blue-Eyes, the Boy Rover of the Rio Grande. 804 The Dead Shot Dandy ; or, Benito, the Boy Bugler. 808 Keno Kit; or, Dead Shot Bandy’s Double. 814 The Mysterious Marauder} or, The Boy Bugler’s Long rail, 877 Bonodel, the Buy Rover; or, The Flagless Schooner. B88 The Indian Pilot; or, The Search for Pirate Island. 887 Warpath Wil, the Boy Phantom. 898 Seawalf, the Boy Lieutenant. 402 Isodor, the Young Conspirator ; or The Fata] League. 407 The Boy Insurgent; or, The Cuban Vendetta, 412 The Wild Yachtsaman; or, The War-Cloua’s Cruise, 429 Duncan Dare, the Boy Refugee. 488 A Cabin Boy’s Luck; or, The Corsair. 487 The Sea Raider. 441 The Ocean Firefly; or, A Middy’s Vengeanee. 446 Maphazard Harry ; or, The Scapegrace of the Sea, 450 Wizard WIIl; or, The Boy Ferret of New York. 454 Wizard Will's Street Scouts. _. 462 The Born Guide; or, The Saiior Boy Wanderer, 468 Neptune Ned, the Boy Coaster. A74 Flora; or, Wizard Will’s Vagabond Pard. 488 Ferrets Afloat; or, Wizard Will’s Last Case, 487 Nevada Ned, the Revolver Ranger. 495 Arizona Joe the Boy Pard of Texas Jack. 497 Buck Taylor, King of the Cowboys. 508 The Royal Middy ; or, The Shark and the Sea Cat. 507 The Hunted Midshipman, 511 The Outlawed Middy. 520 Buckskin Bill, the Comanche Shadow. 525 Brothers in Buckskin. 580 The Buckskin Bowers. 585 The Buciskin Rovers. 540 Captain Ku-Klux, the Marander ef the Ris. 545 Lieutenant Leo, the Son of Lafitte, 550 Lafitte’s Legacy; or. The Avenging Gon, 555 The Oreole Corsair. 560 Pawnee BIII, the Prairie Shadower. 565 Kent Kingdon, the Card King. 570 Camille, the Card Queen. 575 The Surgeon-Scout Detective. 580 The Outcast Cadet; or, The False Detective. 586 The Buckskin Avenger. 591 Delmonte, the Young Sea-Rover. 597 The Young Texan Detective. 602 The Vagabond of the Mines, 607 The Rover Detective; or, Keno Kit’s Championa, BY BUFFALO BILL (Hon. Wm. F. Cody). 8 Kansas King; or, The Red Right Hand. 19 The Phantom Spy: or, The Pilot of the Pratrie. BS Deadly-Eye, the Unknown Scout, 68 Border Robin Hood; or, The Prairie Rover. 158 Fancy Frank of Colerado; or, The Trapper’s Trtat. LATEST AND NEW ISSUES. 608 The Piteher Detective’sa Foil; or, Double Curve Dan’s Double Play. By Gee, C. Jenks, 609 Bolly Dorrit, the Veteran Detective; er, Little Lightning’s Invinei>lesa. By John W. Osbon. 610 Old Skinner, the Gold Shark; or, Tony Shsrp on Guard. By T. C. Harbaugh, 611 Bildad Barnacle, the Detective Hercules; or, The Tussle at Tuble Mountain, By Lieut, A. K. Sims. 612 Deadwood Pick Jr. in Detroit; or, Turning the Tables on Satan. By Edward L. Wheeler. 618 Billy Blazes; or, The Skeleton’s Legacy. By P.S. Warne. 614 Whistling Jaceb, the Detective’s Ald; or, The Queer Com- bination. By Jo Pierce. 615 Fighting Harry, the Chief of Chained Cyclone; or, The Rig pte ees Mission, By J.C. Cowdrick. Sig 616 The Ocean Detective; or, The Last Cruise of the Black Bear. By Geo, C. Jenks. ady May 14. 61 the Dead-Shot Scout; or, The Raiders and the * Feleiders of the Rio. By Col: Prentiss ngrabam. . Ready May 21. fick, Jr. in Cincinnatt; or, The Clineher re y nected 5 Ed. L. Wheeler. Ready May 98, Petective; or, The Double Grip Wit. nn ieny non Te atten Ready June 4. “4 ing’s League; or, The Mystery of tne Island = ee an Ready Noort. Ng 7 A New Iesue Every Tuesday. The Half- Dime Library 's for sale by all newsdealers, five cents per copy, or sent by mail on receipt of six cents each, BEADLE AND ADAMS, Publishers, 98 William Street New York. : eh ete eas rere! swe ao -% ale a Si daca EP LIS oi ee es Sas SE AOS