Five Cent Wide Awake Library (vol. 1) (1889 05 01)
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ee : . ae we YOUNG CAPTAIN o = ( . ‘TOM DRAKE. a = = , 4 The sea was strewn with fragments of the wreck, bit not a man could be seen, though one or two empty boats were pissed in the course of a few minutes. In the distance, low down upon the horizon, could be seen a faint bluish line, which the sailors knew to be land, and toward this the schooner was now making. cron At that time the two vessels seemed to be about equally matched as to speed, the distance between them neither increasing nor diminish- ing. In case the wind abated somewhat, however, the schooner would have the advantage, being able to sail in a lighter breeze than the ship. «I’m looking for a gale, Ike Bolt,” muttered Hawser, up forward. “ Ay, lad, and one that'll tear that dirty rag yon into boot laces. He’s the man we want, or, if he isn’t, he’s one o’ the same Sarpent’s breed, and the sooner we put our heel on his head the better.” _ “Right enough, Ike Bolt, but the fellow knows how to sail.” “So does young Cap’n Tom,” grunted the boatswain, as he arose and walked aft. The men were now given their breakfast, and after partaking of a hasty meal, Tom went on deck and ordered everything removed which would at all interfere with the speed of his ship, the sails being well wetted in order to make them draw better. The pirate schooner was bounding like a bird over the waves, while now and then a shot was fired, in pure bravado, Tom paying no at- tention to it. The ship was steadily lowering the lead of the schooner, the wind being.favorable, and at last, in the middle of the forenoon, the two were scarce half a mile apart. ‘A shot was row fired from the Viking which struck the top of the starboard rail, tearing away a portion of it and bounding against the main shrouds, whence it fellinto the sea. ‘« Send another one, alittle to port, and we'll disable him,” said Tom to the gunner. : At that instant, however, the schooner altered her position; and, almost at the same time, the wind was observed to be decreasipg in force. At the end often minutes the pirate had increased her lead sehtly, but ag the wind was still going down the chances were greatly P her favor. ‘A stern chase is a long one,” mused Tom, ‘‘ and Iam not beaten yat. I will follow this bird of prey to his nest, if necessary, forl am determined to do what I can to rid the ocean of these pests.” _~ By noon the schooner was a mile ahead and steadily gaining, the land being now easily visible about twenty miles ahead. “< She is evidently bound for those islands,” mused Tom, ‘and it is among them that the pirate evidently has his hiding-place.” ‘We must not let her reach them if we can help it,” added Harry. “bat is true enough, but Iam afraid wecannot. The wind is dy- ing out fast.” In another hour the schooner had still further increased her lead, and seemed to be making for a point between two of the islands, there being quite a group of them at this spot. Tom burried below, examined the chart and said, thoughtfully: . "None of these islands could accommodate as many men as the pirate must have. He has his lair somewhere else, and this is bur a ruse to lead me off the scent.” Returning to the deck young Captain Tom gave orders to have-the sbip’s course changed, so as to round the point of the largest isiand and not attempt to follow the schooner. : “Tam afraid that there isu’t water enough in that channel,” - plained to Harry, ‘‘and besides, we do not know its turnings might easily ran upon the rocks.” ‘* You think that this fellow intenda merely to run between the js!- _ ands and so increase his lead on us?” “Yes, and he will do so, of course, but the chase is not over yet.” As the Viking went upon the other tack there was barely wind enough to propel them, the yards being hauled around so as to catch all the breeze there was. Before they reached the islands the wind died down completely, and, to make matters worse, a heavy fog began to arise. This soon shat out all view of the shore, and Tom ordered sound- ings to be taken, finding that they were in four fathoms with the Water rapidly shoalinc. Just as the fog had settled down Hawser, from aloft, had see = = pirate schooner glide into the channel between two of the islands) 2 disappear. a “They are no better off than we are,” mused Tom, when this wac. told him, ‘‘and but for this fog I might have been able to warp j around to the other side of this island, and so see them when they | came out.” kK Now that there was danger of running aground, and the next Cast of the lead showed but two and one-half fathoms, with a strong tide set- ting towards the point, Tom determined to drop the anchor at once. “TJ almost wish I had a gmall yeasel like Clifford’s,” he said to Har- ry, ag they sat in the cabin after the ship had come to a halt. “We | must catch this fellow on the open sea, if anywhere, for we can never follow him into the holes and corners he will be likely to take to.” «There are the boats,” said Vere quietly, but Tom made no reply. ~ The islands formed a part of the Florida group and were hardly large enough to serve as habitations for men, being, besides, but poorly pro- = vided with the necessaries of life. d They had merely proved of use to the pirate in getting away from ~ his persistent foe, as a close encounter between the two vessels 5 not to be thought of for a moment. The fog hung thick and heavy over sea and land and seemed to hiaye a moat depressing effect upon the sailors who were usually in the tyest of spirits. a It lasted until after dark, and then a breeze sprang up, and in ashort ; time every vestige of it was swept away, the moon shining full ‘ind clear in the heavens. —?} The anchor was raised, and the Viking stood off from shore, roulad- ing the end of the island with room to spare and scudding oe away to the southward. coe Nothing could be seen of the schooner, and Tom determined to hn. 3 chor-again, and send a boat ashore to explore the island in case he { did not discover the pirate on the water. “ There’s a bit of fog to the s’uthard of us yet, cap'n,” said Ike Bolt, and maybe when we get clear 0’ that we'll see this fellow-again.” } ‘As they kept oni the fog cleared, and in a little while Hawser went 4 aloft with a glass to see if he might discover any sign of the enemy He had been there for fully half an hour, when he’shouted to thoze below: te “ Sail ho! dead ahead, a good six mile, looks like the same fell or we chased.” “They must have slipped through the channel and gotten away, in the fog,’ mused ey ‘cand there we were lying idle instead of f “ole lowing them up.” ‘Six miles or even ten is not such a long lead on the open sea wit th ; this wind blowing,” said Harry. ‘We ought to overhaul them by = _ morning.” 1 “If we had the open sea before us I would not fret,” said Tom. “I ; am afraid of these islands, which may form a retreat for many mc ye ‘ buccaneers than this one. However, we will push on.” . The wind blew fair and strong ell night, and at sunrise Ike Brolt é called Tom, who had pout gone to sleep after being up nearly half ishe ¢ night. ; ‘‘There’s something you might like to see, sir,” said Ike, as Tom sprang up. The young commander grasped his sword and a telescope aud har- ’ ried to the deck. ie 1H ing forward, he stood well up in the bo goto am out Sieeeandc cried in a ringing Oe si swan «There, my brave boys, is our enemy all ready for 1 us. The vill: yin shows his teeth at last.” The pirate schooner was seen iu the distance, her colors flying, wou. oy her ports open, and her decks cleared for action, ready to keep BERS a running fight with her determined enemy. 7 A shot came presently whizzing over the water, falling far short" jor” the ship, but Captain Tom’s brave men, set up a shouta: aad a hands wiehed that the fight might begin at once. os < “Ay! let them bark,” cried Tom, ‘:but brave dog8 never shi their teeth and then run. Crowd on all sail, my hgertee, and whe overtake them yet.” (
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