Pluck and Luck #139: Jack Wright and His Deep Sea Monitor — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

338 The deahetiite men next scaled the harvest, oe although | Yim poured a heavy fire down upon them from the window of. the pilot-house, several of them got in and attacked him. Within a few minutes he, too, was knocked down and bound. It was a complete victory for the Carib. His men yelled themselves hoarse, and beat the quartet about the deck with capstan bars, without doing them any damage. “The idol and this ship are ours!” screamed Mixitli, deliri- ous with delight. “Signal the'schooner to follow us back to the island of San Salvador, I left Blackbeard there with some of my native friends, and we will take these accursed Yankees ashore and avenge the deaths and injuries they have created in our midst! ” Tim had brought the monitor to a pause, Jack watched his enemies narrowly. “They have got us bad,” he remarked, with a crestfallen f air. “But see at what a fearful cost,” consolingly answered Hop: kins, Just then Mixitli came out on deck through the turret door, : and with a dark scowl upon his face he approached Jack and asked: 7 | “How do you work this boat?” sp “J refuse to give you any information,” “piaatry answered the boy. fae ; “Beware! 1 can torture and force you to speak.” “Proceed, then, and see if you can!” defiantly replied Jack. The Carib ripped out a malevolent expletive. z Mixitli saw that he could gain no information from the boy a __, then, but swore he would do so ere putting Jack out of the ay way. He turned upon his heel and walked off, a dark look on his face. ae Se gene schooner hove up to them just then, and after an inter- _ change of explanations towing hawsers were made fast from i, the monitcr to the two vessels. ‘They were then brought about and headed for San Salvador, beh mee dragging the captive Sea Serpent along astern of them. ae ‘2 CHAPTER XVIII. ef HUNG FROM THE CLIFF, ie When the three vessels reached the island and hauled to ina . smali, sheltered lagoon, the anchors were dropped, and, a ce . Jarge body of men came out of the bushes on shore. Jack and his friends were taken ashore, as they had shut ae _ off the electric flow by the aid of each other’s teeth, and were _ carried to the cavern in which Blackbeard had been dwelling. On the following day they were given some food, and then were left alone in the cavern with the pirate and the Carib. A conversation then ensued between the two men, to which “s Na listened with great and absorbing interest, as they had fs taken his helmet off. =~ ! It was decided between the two men that the three vessels - gang of white and black men Mixitli had at his back. - They were to scour the vicinage of the West Indies and - Bahamas together, Mixitli in command of the Sea Serpent, the se pirate to control the schooner and one of their men the other . craft. Bice “We all hate this accursed bby inventor,” said the pirate, See _ when their conference was almost ended, “and it now remains, ge should be turned into piratical cruisers, manned by the mixed — et c Lari iene oa) Oe rt a > ; f ION aa $3 “a a +> ss to 7 ; j “3 28% er eut . re oN f.. KA ‘MONT! OR. the Carib answered, rising to his feet. “He ue Baris ‘stra ng 'Bodily pain wili not. force him to open his lips. We m reach his heart. It can be done by injuring one of his frien He is devoted to them. Sooner than see them suffer, he will confess how he operates his electric boat. We will then pul him out of the way.” kee oy “Then begin with the sailor,” said Blackbeard, with a hide- our leer. a Jack started, and glanced hurriedly at Tim. iy It stung the boy to see how easily they had divined | ig: weakest point, and tears sprang to his eyes. Se The old sailor observed the look. aa “Avast thar, lad!” he exclaimed, energetically. “Don’t yer * eo fer ter give in about me. I’m a tough ole oak timber, I a by an’ they kin flay me from bow ter starn, but dash my ornary ole figger-head if they’ll make me cave!” They carried Tim out of the cavern bodily; and left ‘the three prisoners remaining lying on the floor near the fire to eloomily wonder what they were going to ao to poor old Tim. “ aa The day passed quietly by, one of Blackbeard’s men comin in to feed Jack and his friends, but toward evening they means << the sounds of drunken revelry going on outside, by which they knew that their enemies were having a good time drink ing. mr The carousal continued, the laughing and jesting voices soo breaking into ribald songs, hilarious chaff and loud talk. — ae It wag evident that the orgy was at its height. Ke Mixitli and Blackbeard came staggering into the cavern atte a while with bloodshot eyes and unsteady legs. SS “Come!” said the Carib, pointing down at them. “Yo0—t —are wanted. “We can’t move, unless you unfasten our ankles,” sald age who observed that the pirate was oniy sigue intoxic tion. : WSs “Black—Blackbeard, ” said the Carib, gravely, as he shut o eve, rocked unsteadily on his heels and toes and ae fingers, “will you do me ze favor—hic—ze favor to cutek vonch?” - ‘ Kan sete ae “Ay, messmate, I will see to them,” replied the Hirata He stooped over Jack with a knife and hissed in his ear: “He is drunk, I am sober. I will give you a chance for you life if you will trust me. To remain in his power you a = doomed.” x es ie “Treachery!” muttered. the startled boy. 1 SR “Hush!” fiercely whispered the pirate. “He may prt Now, then, in whose hands do you place your fate—his, tor ish miserably, or mine, to live? I have a plan—a good one. “What is it?” questioned Jack. ate ogi “To wrest the ships and treasire from him and his cre “He is cruel, vindictive, and bloodthirsty—a savage at. and soul, while you—well, you may be ten times worse, but ¥ are a civilized Christian, and I’d fare better at your. meré “So be it. Follow your own ideas. Come—you are aie walk.” | , Ag ce “And my friends?” asked Jack, wistfully. Cy aes “They go with you,” said the pirate liberating Fritz Hopkins. fl a The two scoundrels led our friends oak and in the ty Jack saw that the worst part of the damage on ‘the | ) was repaired by the Taree force of men who BC put, to ) at it. Se The pirates, aS we may now call them collectively, rowed our friends out to the monitor, which had bee round on the other side of the cliffs in Ship Chann “y - for you to devise a means of punishing him in a manner that: noise attracting Jack’s attention on the c-tops, be le la i will expiate all the indientvee he has peopes lobe us, Kellenda | up and saw a crowd of men there. . B12 SU aaa ' | They had Tim in their midst, released of his 3 fa as T ere are a thousand. Mier eee of so doing in my mind, ¥ lowered him over the Pe and Beis. ’ ; Bs, , ae > aed - ” ’ > , ‘ 7, 4 | 4 “* e d 4 ‘. . iy ay m mia C a ehh We Fe eu, $ . ry . ‘t A, Fa DE or eae i eS : + : ee rine oly You 2 twee W ONA re 1 : - te hfe 4 Doge AM 5 * : 4 eas ARs. ply, pS Rabon eer ae ey ey @ o) 4 eres 4