Pluck and Luck #139: Jack Wright and His Deep Sea Monitor — page 28: what you’re looking at

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

a on ‘wild roar pealed from. pis Hos. and he hopped up i the air. a _ “Murder!” be bellowed, “I’m full of pins and needles!” . “Haw! haw! haw! haw! haw!” brayed Fritz, till the tears ran from his eyes. 3 » *Oh—ouch—wow—whoop!” yelled Tim. “This is a iriekt” - i ae « a “Tt vhas a torpedo!” chuckled Fritz, delightedly. The fish was filled with electr icity powerful enough to knock : % a mule down, and the Dutch boy knew it well enough. The old sailcr dropped the torpedo, scrambled up on his good a Pooat, and caught Fritz a tremendous bang g, as he bent over, with his wooden leg. It lifted the Dutch boy lend olf the adhe, and he gave a - stunt He didn't say a word, except: * “Donner vetter!” | iS Then he fled, and the irate sailor pursued him. ee A few minutes afterward a terrible thumping, clattering ea and banging noise came from the pantry, interspersed with - choice adjectives in sailor lingo and Dutch dialect. “They are having a red-het time of it in there,” observed Beaopktns, BY a “Just a little scuffle,” replied Jack, with a smile. “If you are a good surgeon, professor, they may eall upon you to sew on a few pieces of arm, a nose, scalp, and a few ears when they = fist s _ Hopkins looked as if he did not doubt it, and said so. Bs “Which way are you taking the boat now?” he asked. se? “Toward Ruatan,” replied Jack. “It is the worst rendez- yous in the world for pirates, and as Blackbeard is going there, I don’t see why I can’t break the pestiferous place up, as ¥ pee as blow that scoundrel and his schooner out of the mates ‘ a may -—---—-- , ; f eet CHAPTER XXII. THE NEGRO. It Was a long run from Rum Island through the Caribbean Se pa into the Gulf of Mexico, for ordinary vessels, but the ate 0 itor made quick time of it, and soon hove in sight of the > Bay of Honduras. Bs. The afternoon had closed when they came in sight of the island, and the big blood-red moon began to rise over the -e astern waters like a ball of fire, which sent a broad sheen ittering across the gulf. ack stood silent and alone in the pilot-house when the far- A stant island was sighted, and he was wondering what the a st disposition would be that he could make of,the golden A dol, when he was startled by hearing a cry coming from the : A moment afterwards there sounded a vidlent crasb. a He thought at first that the bow of the monitor had struck apon a sunken reef, and “hastily stopped the wheels and A spot, scphslenaae the accident. foo as the young inventor saw the negro’s kinky head old sailor, who stood beside Hopkins in the doorway. boat out on the Guit again, as he had no landmark. upon. ed water,. whe whistled ita a the Bcachigies.| : ‘ oe ea be iy oe, \ | 3 | . veh =e god a} : , J oa py t34 RA 39 Ss ere — e oa 2 4 Pe Aimee PES x Ss A ¢ tite y ek ed. \al- a = “Fritz! he sheuted in the pipe. oe wy ia “Yah vohl!” came the Dutch boy’s reply. faites “Man overboard, Fling him a rope!” “Shiminey Christmas! Vhas dot so? All right!” ts A moment afterwards Fritz dashed out on deck with a ies eh in his hand, and hurrying to the bulwark he peered over. “Steamer ahoy! Help, dar! Help, dar!” yelled the swim- ming coon, res "Shtrike oudt! You vhas ofer your het!” bawled Fritz. “Caught yourselluf aholt by dis rope alretty quick.” “te He let the coiled line fly, and it dropped in the brine beside | ihe negro, who eagerly caught hold of it, whereupon Fritz hauled him in, and he got up on deck, soaking wet. Jack scon found out that the negro was well acquainted with the shoals and rocks in the neighborhood, and promised nim five dollars if he would point out a safe passage to the pirates’ rendezvous. This the treacherous rascal swore he would do. “Tink, “oe sy ih ~ > go down in the bow on lookout, y ae the boy to the “Hull on, dar!” exclaimed the negro. “Ay, now, what’s amiss?” queried Tim. “"Vain’t no use ob habin’ lookout; de water am cl’ar ahead, ~ boss, an’ dis yere coon know ebery bit ob it, fo’ shuah.” “That don’t make any difference. Go ahead, Tim.” | “Ay, ay, sir!” responded the ancient mariner,.limping away. A look of disappointment overspread the darky’s sable face. — The monitor passed on like a shot, and in due time came within half a mile of the rock-bound coast, when pudte aes Tim, stationed in the bow, yelled lustily: “Haul to! Haul to!” “What’s the matter?” asked Jack, complying, “Reefs ahead, sir.” “T don’t see any.” | ae areal “Ay, but looker that ’ere rifled water athwart our course.” “By jove!\a sunken reef, or a sand bar! ” 03) es A guilty look crept over the negro’s face, and Jack turned to | oo him angrily, and exclaimed: 4 ed “Say! <Are you playing me false for any oitteuae® “Lord a-massy, no, boss,” quickly answered the coon. “eo done fo’get dat de tide wuzn’t all de way up, sah. Wif plenty tide, yo’ done could go ober dis' yere reef easy ’nough.” “Do you know a passage to get inside of it?” “’Spec’s I do. Golly—how I could fo’git dat reef. “How far?” pet “Opposite dat palm tree asho’, boss.” ie Jack started the boat, when a narrow. opening was found na Os the barrier reef, and they passed through toward the rugged — land. Nothing but rocks, black and beetling, lined the qhone “Now which way am I to steer?” queried Jack. “See dat stone castle yonder, on top ob de rocks?” “Yes—so I do. Is that it?” “Yassah.. I’se a-gwine fo’ ter leabe yo’ heah. money.” | “Going to swim ashore?” asked Jack, handing him a pill. Ai g “Fo’ shuah. D’yo’ s’pose’I’se gwine ter stan’ de shots from _ de cannons up dar on de binffs? No, sah! No, sah!” «— a He wished them good- -by, went out on deck, and, leaping — overboard, he swam away to the shore. Hardly had he reached it, when a gang of men jumped out irom among the rocks and surrounded him. An energetic conversation followed, whereupon one of By Bu men with an ax cut down the palm tree by which the passage | = in through the reef was marked. | Unless there were other openings, Jack could not now get his ‘ - z t 4 - ie, 0. Bio . 2 red | pms iA ie Wy tae 2h Gimme de ae um ~~ ee MN ~ oc goks* "ee th Tad -, a) ri ae ee > oh od The negro and ‘the men sent the tree adrift and disap: sare No sooner were they gone when a light hogs UD on. the