AN UNDESIRED PROMOTION
As Christy unlocked the cabin door, he discovered a negro lying on the
deck, as close as he could get to the threshold. The man attempted to
spring to his feet, but the officer seized him by the hair of the head,
and pulled him into the cabin.
"Here, Calwood, put your hand over this fellow's mouth!" said Christy to
the quartermaster, who laid violent hands on him, assisted by Norlock.
The latter produced a handkerchief, which he thrust into the mouth of
the negro, so that he could not give the alarm. All the men were alert
and eager to wipe out the shame, as they regarded it, of the disaster;
and those who had been stationed near the cabin had certainly been
wanting in vigilance. Two of them seized a couple of the lines with
which they had been bound, and tied the arms of the negro behind him.
A second look at the negro assured Christy that it was Quimp, and he was
more mortified than before at the trick which had been played upon him.
Thrusting his hand into the pocket of the fellow, he drew from it the
three sovereigns and the three shillings he had paid him for his boat
and his information. It was evident enough now that he belonged to the
Reindeer, and that he had been sent out by Captain Stopfoot to do
precisely what he had done, taking advantage of the general good feeling
which prevailed between the negroes and the Union forces.
Christy thought that Captain Stopfoot had been over-confident to leave
his prisoners without a guard; but it appeared now that Quimp had been
employed in this capacity, though it was probable that he had been
instructed not to show himself to them, and for that reason had crept to
his station and lain down on the deck.
"Now, my men, take your arms from that bale of cotton; but don't make
any noise," said Christy in a low tone, as he took his revolvers and
cutlass from the heap of weapons; and the seamen promptly obeyed the
order. "The captain of this steamer managed his affair very well indeed,
and I intend to adopt his tactics."
The steamer was under way, and had been for some time. Christy climbed
upon the bales of cotton far enough to see what the crew of the vessel
were doing. The hatches appeared to have been taken off in the waist and
forward, and the crew were lowering cargo into the hold. A portion of
the cotton had either been hoisted out of the hold, or had been left on
deck, to form the hiding-places for the men. The captain must have had
early notice of the approach of the Bellevite and Bronx; but there had
been time enough after the former began to fire at the battery to enable
him to make all his preparations.
Captain Stopfoot was not to be seen, and was probably in the
pilot-house. The officer concluded that there must be as many as four
men in the hold attending to the stowage of the bales, and four more
could be seen tumbling the cargo through the hatches. This accounted for
eight men; and this was the number Christy had figured out as the crew
of the Reindeer, though there was doubtless a man at the wheel. The
force was about equal to his own, not counting the engineers and the
firemen.
Christy stationed his men as he believed Captain Stopfoot had arranged
his force. The cabin was in a deck-house; between the door of it and the
piles of cotton was a vacant space of about six feet fore and aft, which
could not be overlooked from the forward part of the vessel. It was here
that the first movement had been made. Calwood, who had been on duty
here, said that two men had dropped down upon them; and when the third
man came to learn the cause of the disturbance, he had been secured by
two more.
This was the noise that Christy had heard when he sent two hands from
the forecastle to ascertain the occasion of it. The three prisoners had
been disarmed, bound, and concealed in the cabin. They were threatened
with instant death if they made any outcry, and one of their own
revolvers was pointed at them. Linman, who had been sent to learn what
had become of Hopkins and White, was treated in the same manner. Then he
went himself, and the mate had dropped upon him, while those from under
the bales secured Bench and Kingman.
Every sailor was fully instructed in regard to the part he was to have
in the programme, and Christy had crawled forward to the point where he
found the aperture in which Groomer, the mate, had been concealed. He
was followed by Norlock, a very powerful man, who was to "make the drop"
on Captain Stopfoot, and stuff a handkerchief into his mouth before he
could call for assistance. Christy believed that the commander would be
the first one to come aft when the men by the cabin fired their
revolvers, as they had been instructed to do.
Two hands had been placed where they could fall upon the two who were
rolling the cotton into the hold at the hatch in the waist; and two more
were instructed to rush forward and fall upon the two men at work at the
fore-hatch. The four men in the space in front of the cabin were to leap
upon the bales and rush forward, revolvers in hand, and secure those at
work in the hold. If there was any failure of the plan to work as
arranged, the sailors were to rally at the side of their officer, ready
for a stand-up fight.
Christy gave the signal for the two revolvers to be discharged. The
captain did not appear at the report of the arms as expected; but he
ordered the two hands at work at the after-hatch to go aft and look out
for the prisoners. The two seamen on that side of the steamer dropped
upon them, gagged them, and secured them so quickly that they could
hardly have known what had happened to them. The enterprise had been
inaugurated without much noise; but the captain had heard it, and called
one of the men at the fore-hatch to take the wheel, from which it
appeared that he had been steering the steamer himself.
The naval officer saw this man enter the pilot-house, from which Captain
Stopfoot had come out. He moved aft quite briskly with a revolver in his
hand; but as soon as he had reached the point where the mate had dropped
upon him, Christy leaped upon his head and shoulders, and he sank to
the deck, borne down by the weight of his assailant. He was surprised,
as the first victim of the movement had been, and a handkerchief was
stuffed into his mouth. He had dropped his weapon, which Christy picked
up and discharged while his knees were placed on the chest of the
prostrate commander, and his left hand grappled his throat. He was
conquered as quickly as the first victim had been.
The shots had been the signal for all not engaged to rally at the side
of the lieutenant, and the men rushed forward. All of them had removed
their neck handkerchiefs to serve as gags, and they brought with them
the lines with which they had been bound. The captain was rolled over,
and his arms tied behind him. He was sent aft to the cabin, while
Christy led six of his crew forward. The hands in the hold had attempted
to come on deck, but the two sailors at each hatch dropped upon them.
In less than five minutes every one of the crew of the Reindeer had been
"jumped upon," as the sailors put it, bound, and marched to the cabin.
The battle was fought and the victory won. Christy was quite as happy as
Captain Stopfoot had been when he had taken possession of the steamer.
The man at the wheel had been the last to be secured, and Calwood was
put in his place, with directions to come about and steer for Egmont
Key.
Christy determined not to make the mistake Captain Stopfoot had
committed in leaving his prisoners insufficiently guarded. He selected
four of his best men, ordered them to hold the cutlass in the right hand
and the revolver in the left, and to keep their eyes on the prisoners
all the time. He then went to those who had been gagged, and removed the
handkerchiefs from their mouths.
"I am as grateful to you, Captain Stopfoot, as you were to me less than
an hour ago," said Christy, and he removed the gag from his mouth. "I am
happy to be able to reciprocate your complimentary speeches."
"I am not aware that I have done anything to merit your gratitude, Mr.
Passford," said the chief prisoner.
"You are not? Why, my dear Captain, you could not have arranged
everything better than you did for the recapture of the Reindeer,"
replied Christy.
"I did not think that ten men with their hands tied behind them could do
anything to help themselves; but you Yankees are very ingenious, and it
seems that you found a way to liberate yourselves. Besides, I had a hand
here to watch you, with instructions to call me if there was any
trouble," added the captain, in an apologetic tone.
"When the trouble came he was not in condition to call you," the
lieutenant explained.
"No, sar! Dem beggars gagged me, and den robbed me of all my money!"
howled Quimp, whose greatest grievance was the loss of his fifteen
dollars.
"That was hardly justifiable, Mr. Passford," added the captain shaking
his head.
"It would not have been justifiable if the rogue had not first swindled
me out of the money," replied the naval officer.
"How was that?" asked the chief prisoner.
Christy explained the manner in which he had encountered Quimp, saying
that he had paid him five dollars for the loss of his boat, and ten for
the information that a steamer was loaded with cotton and ready to sail
behind the long key.
"Quimp is as smart as a Yankee," said Captain Stopfoot, laughing in
spite of his misfortune. "The flatboat was one we picked up on one of
the keys; and the information was precisely what I instructed Quimp to
give you, without money and without price. I promised to give him ten
dollars if he would pretend to be an honest nigger, and do the job
properly. I have no fault to find with him; but under present
circumstances I have not ten dollars to give him. I have lost the
steamer and the cotton, and it seems to be all up with me."
"I hope you will get into a safer business, Captain. I will suggest to
the commander of the Bellevite that you and your party be landed at
Gasparilla Pass; and I shall thus be able to reciprocate your good
intentions towards me."
Christy had sent some of his men forward, and he now followed them
himself. The engineers had remained in their room, and kept the
machinery in motion. As the Reindeer approached Egmont Key, the
Bellevite, followed by the Bronx towing a schooner, were discovered
coming out of the bay.
It was evident that the second lieutenant's capture had not been the
only one during the day, and he concluded that Mr. Lobscott had brought
out the schooner that had been supposed to be at Piney Point.
The Reindeer was about two miles south of Egmont Key when the Bellevite
came out of the bay, and the latter stopped her screw as soon as she had
reached a favorable position a mile from the island. Christy brought his
prize as near to her as it was prudent to go in the open sea. The
lieutenant went to the cabin to look out for the prisoners there, and
found that the four men who had been detailed a guard were marching up
and down the cabin in front of their charge, plainly determined that the
steamer should not be captured again.
"Boat from the Bellevite, sir," said one of the men on the quarter.
"Where is the Bronx and her prize now, Kingman?" asked Christy.
"Just coming by the island, sir."
In a few minutes more the third cutter of the Bellevite came alongside.
Mr. Walbrook, the third lieutenant of the ship, came on board of the
Reindeer, and touched his cap to his superior officer.
"Captain Breaker requests you to report on board of the ship, and I am
directed to take charge of the prize you have captured, Mr. Passford."
"I will go on board at once, Mr. Walbrook," replied Christy. "It is
necessary for me to inform you before I leave that this steamer has
changed hands twice to-day, and her ship's company have given me a great
deal of trouble. The prisoners are in the cabin under guard, and I must
caution you to be vigilant. Calwood will inform you in regard to the
particulars."
"I am sorry to inform you that Mr. Blowitt was severely, if not
dangerously wounded in the action with the battery up the bay, where we
had some sharp work," added Mr. Walbrook.
"That is very bad news to me," replied Christy, who had known the
wounded man as second officer of the Bellevite when she was his father's
yacht, and had served under him when she became a man-of-war, and as his
first lieutenant in the Bronx.
The intelligence filled him with anxiety and sorrow; but while he was
fighting for the right, as he had been for three years, he could not
give way to his feelings. Without asking for the result of the action up
the bay, he went over the side into the cutter, and ordered the crew to
pull for the ship. Mr. Blowitt had been more than his superior officer,
he had been his friend, and the young lieutenant was very sad while he
thought of the wounded officer.
He found Captain Breaker on the quarter-deck; and he could see from his
expression that he was greatly affected by the condition of his
executive officer. Mr. Dashington, his first officer in the yacht, had
been killed in action the year before, and now another of his intimate
associates might soon be registered in the Valhalla of the nation's dead
who had perished while fighting for the right.
"We have sad news for you, Mr. Passford," said the commander, who seemed
to be struggling with his emotions.
"But I hope there is a chance for Mr. Blowitt's recovery, Captain
Breaker," added Christy.
"I am afraid there is not. Dr. Linscott has very little hope that he
will live. But we have no time to mourn even for our best friends. You
have captured a steamer and brought her out; but I saw that you were
coming up from the southward when I first discovered the steamer. What
does that mean, Mr. Passford?"
"I hardly know, Captain, whether I brought her out, or she brought me
out," replied Christy, who felt very tender over the Southern Yankee
trick which had been played upon him. "The steamer is the Reindeer,
Captain Stopfoot. My boat's crew were overpowered by her ship's company,
and we were all made prisoners; but we rebelled against the humiliating
circumstances, and recaptured the steamer."
"Then you have redeemed yourself," added the captain.
Christy gave a detailed report of all the events that had occurred
during his absence from the ship. The commander listened to him with the
deepest interest; for the young officer was in some sense his _protégé_,
and had sometimes been his instructor in navigation and seamanship. In
spite of the sadness of the hour, there was a smile on his face when he
comprehended the scheme of the captain of the Reindeer to get his vessel
out of the bay in the face of two men-of-war.
While Christy was still on the quarter-deck, Mr. Lobscott came on board,
and reported the capture of the schooner Sylphide, full of cotton. Her
ship's company, consisting of six men, were on board of the Bronx.
Captain Breaker planked the deck for some time, evidently making up his
mind what to do with the prizes and with their crews, for he did not
regard these men as prisoners of war. He asked the second lieutenant
some questions in regard to the character of the Reindeer. She was an
old-fashioned craft, but a good vessel.
"We are rather overburdened with prisoners, and I desire only to get rid
of them," said the captain.
"Captain Stopfoot was considerate enough to announce his intention to
put me and my men on shore at Gasparilla Pass; and I promised to
reciprocate the favor by suggesting that he and his ship's company be
landed at the same place."
"That will be a good way to get rid of them, and I will adopt the
suggestion," replied the commander.
All the rest of the day and a part of the night were used up in making
the preparations for disposing of the prizes. A large number of hands
were sent on board of the Reindeer, and her cotton was nearly all placed
in the hold by good stowage. The prisoners from both prizes, except the
engineers and firemen, who were willing to work for wages, were
transferred to the Bronx. Mr. Lobscott was appointed prize-master of the
steamer, which was to tow the schooner to Key West, where both were to
be disposed of as circumstances might require.
The Bronx was to convoy the two vessels as far as the Pass, where she
was to land her prisoners, and then return to her consort. At midnight
this fleet sailed. A protest against being landed at the place indicated
came from Captain Stopfoot before it departed; but the commander paid no
attention to it, declaring that if the Pass was good enough for one of
his officers, it was good enough for the captain of a blockade-runner.
"Mr. Passford, by the lamentable accident to Mr. Blowitt, you become the
ranking lieutenant in condition for service," said Captain Breaker, soon
after the young officer had reported the capture of the Reindeer. "You
therefore become the acting executive officer of the Bellevite."
"Of course I shall do my duty faithfully, Captain Breaker, in whatever
position is assigned to me," replied Christy, his bosom swelling with
emotion. "I regret more than anything else the occasion that makes it
necessary to put me in this place; and I am very sorry to be called upon
to occupy a position of so much responsibility."
"You are competent to discharge the duties of executive officer, Mr.
Passford, though I appreciate your modesty in not desiring such an
important position; but there is no alternative at present."
It was therefore under Christy's direction that all the arrangements for
sending off the prizes were made. The Bronx returned at noon the next
day, and both vessels sailed to the station of the flag-officer. The
commander reported that he had silenced two batteries, captured a
steamer and a schooner, sending them to Key West; but the shoal water in
the vicinity of Tampa had prevented him from capturing the town.
Christy, in becoming first lieutenant, was relieved from duty as a watch
officer; but his duties and responsibilities had been vastly increased.
He was the second in command, and a shot from another vessel or a
battery on shore might make him the commander, and he certainly did not
aspire to such a charge and such an honor. There was something in the
situation that worried him greatly. Captain Breaker had not been to the
North since he entered upon his duties, now very nearly three years, and
the state of his health had given Dr. Linscott considerable uneasiness.
Mr. Blowitt was sent home by a store-ship; but he died soon after his
arrival; and his loving companions-in-arms could not follow his remains
to an honored grave.
The flag-officer, either because he believed that Christy was a faithful
and competent officer, in spite of his age, though in this respect he
had added a year to his span, or that no other officer was available for
the vacant position, made no other appointment, and Christy was
compelled to retain the place, very much against his desire. As he
thought of it he was absolutely astonished to find himself, even
temporarily, in so exalted a position.
Here we are obliged to leave him for the present, crowned with honors
far beyond his most sanguine expectations, but always willing to do his
duty while fighting for the right. The future was still before him; he
had not yet done all there was for him to do; and in the early years of
his manhood came his reward, in common with the loyal sons of the
nation, in A VICTORIOUS UNION.
OLIVER OPTIC'S BOOKS
+All-Over-the-World Library.+ By OLIVER OPTIC. First Series.
Illustrated. Price per volume, $1.25.
1. +A Missing Million+; or, The Adventures of Louis Belgrade.
2. +A Millionaire at Sixteen+; or, The Cruise of the "Guardian
Mother."
3. +A Young Knight Errant+; or, Cruising in the West Indies.
4. +Strange Sights Abroad+; or, Adventures in European Waters.
No author has come before the public during the present generation
who has achieved a larger and more deserving popularity among young
people than "Oliver Optic." His stories have been very numerous,
but they have been uniformly excellent in moral tone and literary
quality. As indicated in the general title, it is the author's
intention to conduct the readers of this entertaining series "around
the world." As a means to this end, the hero of the story purchases
a steamer which he names the "Guardian Mother," and with a number of
guests she proceeds on her voyage.--_Christian Work, N.Y._
+All-Over-the-World Library.+ By OLIVER OPTIC. Second Series.
Illustrated. Price per volume, $1.25.
1. +American Boys Afloat+; or, Cruising in the Orient.
2. +The Young Navigator+; or, The Foreign Cruise of the "Maud."
3. +Up and Down the Nile+; or, Young Adventurers in Africa.
4. +Asiatic Breeze+; or, Students on the Wing.
The interest in these stories is continuous, and there is a great
variety of exciting incident woven into the solid information which
the book imparts so generously and without the slightest suspicion
of dryness. Manly boys will welcome this volume as cordially as they
did its predecessors.--_Boston Gazette_.
+All-Over-the-World Library.+ By OLIVER OPTIC. Third Series.
Illustrated. Price per volume, $1.25.
1. +Across India+; or, Live Boys in the Far East.
2. +Half Round the World+; or, Among the Uncivilized.
3. +Four Young Explorers+; or, Sight-Seeing in the Tropics.
4. +Pacific Shores+; or, Adventures in Eastern Seas.
Amid such new and varied surroundings it would be surprising indeed
if the author, with his faculty of making even the commonplace
attractive, did not tell an intensely interesting story of
adventure, as well as give much information in regard to the distant
countries through which our friends pass, and the strange peoples
with whom they are brought in contact. This book, and indeed the
whole series, is admirably adapted to reading aloud in the family
circle, each volume containing matter which will interest all the
members of the family.--_Boston Budget_.
LEE AND SHEPARD, BOSTON, SEND THEIR COMPLETE CATALOGUE FREE.
OLIVER OPTIC'S BOOKS
+Army and Navy Stories.+ By OLIVER OPTIC. Six volumes. Illustrated.
Any volume sold separately. Price per volume, $1.25.
1. +The Soldier Boy+; or, Tom Somers in the Army.
2. +The Sailor Boy+; or, Jack Somers in the Navy.
3. +The Young Lieutenant+; or, Adventures of an Army Officer.
4. +The Yankee Middy+; or, Adventures of a Navy Officer.
5. +Fighting Joe+; or, The Fortunes of a Staff Officer.
6. +Brave Old Salt+; or, Life on the Quarter Deck.
"This series of six volumes recounts the adventures of two brothers,
Tom and Jack Somers, one in the army, the other in the navy, in
the great Civil War. The romantic narratives of the fortunes and
exploits of the brothers are thrilling in the extreme. Historical
accuracy in the recital of the great events of that period is
strictly followed, and the result is, not only a library of
entertaining volumes, but also the best history of the Civil War
for young people ever written."
+Boat Builders Series.+ By OLIVER OPTIC. In six volumes. Illustrated.
Any volume sold separately. Price per volume, $1.25.
1. +All Adrift+; or, The Goldwing Club.
2. +Snug Harbor+; or, The Champlain Mechanics.
3. +Square and Compasses+; or, Building the House.
4. +Stem to Stern+; or, Building the Boat.
5. +All Taut+; or, Rigging the Boat.
6. +Ready About+; or, Sailing the Boat.
"The series includes in six successive volumes the whole art of boat
building, boat rigging, boat managing, and practical hints to make
the ownership of a boat pay. A great deal of useful information
is given in this +Boat Builders Series+, and in each book a very
interesting story is interwoven with the information. Every reader
will be interested at once in Dory, the hero of 'All Adrift,' and
one of the characters retained in the subsequent volumes of the
series. His friends will not want to lose sight of him, and every
boy who makes his acquaintance in 'All Adrift' will become his
friend."
+Riverdale Story Books.+ By OLIVER OPTIC. Twelve volumes. Illustrated.
Illuminated covers. Price: cloth, per set, $3.60; per volume,
30 cents.
1. +Little Merchant.+ 7. +Proud and Lazy.+
2. +Young Voyagers.+ 8. +Careless Kate.+
3. +Christmas Gift.+ 9. +Robinson Crusoe, Jr.+
4. +Dolly and I.+ 10. +The Picnic Party.+
5. +Uncle Ben.+ 11. +The Gold Thimble.+
6. +Birthday Party.+ 12. +The Do-Somethings.+
+Riverdale Story Books.+ By OLIVER OPTIC. Six volumes. Illustrated.
Fancy cloth and colors. Price per volume, 30 cents.
1. +Little Merchant.+ 4. +Careless Kate.+
2. +Proud and Lazy.+ 5. +Dolly and I.+
3. +Young Voyagers.+ 6. +Robinson Crusoe, Jr.+
+Flora Lee Library.+ By OLIVER OPTIC. Six volumes. Illustrated.
Fancy cloth and colors. Price per volume, 30 cents.
1. +The Picnic Party.+ 4. +Christmas Gift.+
2. +The Gold Thimble.+ 5. +Uncle Ben.+
3. +The Do-Somethings.+ 6. +Birthday Party.+
These are bright short stories for younger children who are unable
to comprehend the +Starry Flag Series+ or the +Army and Navy
Series+. But they all display the author's talent for pleasing
and interesting the little folks. They are all fresh and original,
preaching no sermons, but inculcating good lessons.
LEE AND SHEPARD, BOSTON, SEND THEIR COMPLETE CATALOGUE FREE.
OLIVER OPTIC'S BOOKS
+The Great Western Series.+ By OLIVER OPTIC. In six volumes.
Illustrated. Any volume sold separately. Price per volume, $1.25.
1. +Going West+; or, The Perils of a Poor Boy.
2. +Out West+; or, Roughing it on the Great Lakes.
3. +Lake Breezes+; or, The cruise of the Sylvania.
4. +Going South+; or, Yachting on the Atlantic Coast.
5. +Down South+; or, Yacht Adventures in Florida.
6. +Up the River+; or, Yachting on the Mississippi.
"This is the latest series of books issued by this popular writer,
and deals with life on the Great Lakes, for which a careful study
was made by the author in a summer tour of the immense water sources
of America. The story, which carries the same hero through the six
books of the series, is always entertaining, novel scenes and varied
incidents giving a constantly changing yet always attractive aspect
to the narrative. OLIVER OPTIC has written nothing better."
+The Yacht Club Series.+ By OLIVER OPTIC. In six volumes. Illustrated.
Any volume sold separately. Price per volume, $1.25.
1. +Little Bobtail+; or, The Wreck of the Penobscot.
2. +The Yacht Club+; or, The Young Boat Builders.
3. +Money-Maker+; or, The Victory of the Basilisk.
4. +The Coming Wave+; or, The Treasure of High Rock.
5. +The Dorcas Club+; or, Our Girls Afloat.
6. +Ocean Born+; or, The Cruise of the Clubs.
"The series has this peculiarity, that all of its constituent
volumes are independent of one another, and therefore each story is
complete in itself. OLIVER OPTIC is, perhaps, the favorite author of
the boys and girls of this country, and he seems destined to enjoy
an endless popularity. He deserves his success, for he makes very
interesting stories, and inculcates none but the best sentiments,
and the 'Yacht Club' is no exception to this rule."--_New Haven
Journal and Courier_.
+Onward and Upward Series+. By OLIVER OPTIC. In six volumes.
Illustrated. Any volume sold separately. Price per volume, $1.25.
1. +Field and Forest+; or, The Fortunes of a Farmer.
2. +Plane and Plank+; or, The Mishaps of a Mechanic.
3. +Desk and Debit+; or, The Catastrophes of a Clerk.
4. +Cringle and Crosstree+; or, The Sea Swashes of a Sailor.
5. +Bivouac and Battle+; or, The Struggles of a Soldier.
6. +Sea and Shore+; or, The Tramps of a Traveller.
"Paul Farringford, the hero of these tales, is, like most of this
author's heroes, a young man of high spirit, and of high aims and
correct principles, appearing in the different volumes as a farmer,
a captain, a bookkeeper, a soldier, a sailor, and a traveller. In
all of them the hero meets with very exciting adventures, told in
the graphic style for which the author is famous."
+The Lake Shore Series+. By OLIVER OPTIC. In six volumes. Illustrated.
Any volume sold separately. Price per volume, $1.25.
1. +Through by Daylight+; or, The Young Engineer of the Lake Shore
Railroad.
2. +Lightning Express+; or, The Rival Academies.
3. +On Time+; or, The Young Captain of the Ucayga Steamer.
4. +Switch Off+; or, The War of the Students.
5. +Brake Up+; or, The Young Peacemakers.
6. +Bear and Forbear+; or, The Young Skipper of Lake Ucayga.
"OLIVER OPTIC is one of the most fascinating writers for youth, and
withal one of the best to be found in this or any past age. Troops
of young people hang over his vivid pages; and not one of them ever
learned to be mean, ignoble, cowardly, selfish, or to yield to any
vice from anything they ever read from his pen."--_Providence
Press_.
LEE AND SHEPARD, BOSTON, SEND THEIR COMPLETE CATALOGUE FREE.
OLIVER OPTIC'S BOOKS
+The Famous Boat Club Series.+ By OLIVER OPTIC. Six volumes.
Illustrated. Any volume sold separately. Price per volume $1.25.
1. +The Boat Club+; or, The Bunkers of Rippleton.
2. +All Aboard+; or, Life on the Lake.
3. +Now or Never+; or, The Adventures of Bobby Bright.
4. +Try Again+; or, The Trials and Triumphs of Harry West.
5. +Poor and Proud+; or, The Fortunes of Katy Redburn.
6. +Little by Little+; or, The Cruise of the Flyaway.
"This is the first series of books written for the young by OLIVER
OPTIC. It laid the foundation for his fame as the first of authors
in which the young delight, and gained for him the title of the
Prince of Story Tellers. The six books are varied in incident and
plot, but all are entertaining and original."
+Young America Abroad+: A Library of Travel and Adventure in Foreign
Lands. By OLIVER OPTIC. Illustrated by Nast and others.
First Series. Six volumes. Any volume sold separately. Price per
volume, $1.25.
1. +Outward Bound+; or, Young America Afloat.
2. +Shamrock and Thistle+; or, Young America in Ireland and Scotland.
3. +Red Cross+; or, Young America in England and Wales.
4. +Dikes and Ditches+; or, Young America in Holland and Belgium.
5. +Palace and Cottage+; or, Young America in France and Switzerland.
6. +Down the Rhine+; or, Young America in Germany.
"The story from its inception, and through the twelve volumes (see
Second Series), is a bewitching one, while the information imparted
concerning the countries of Europe and the isles of the sea is not
only correct in every particular, but is told in a captivating
style. OLIVER OPTIC will continue to be the boys' friend, and his
pleasant books will continue to be read by thousands of American
boys. What a fine holiday present either or both series of 'Young
America Abroad' would be for a young friend! It would make a little
library highly prized by the recipient, and would not be an
expensive one."--_Providence Press_.
+Young America Abroad.+ By OLIVER OPTIC. Second Series. Six volumes.
Illustrated. Any volume sold separately. Price per volume, $1.25.
1. +Up the Baltic+; or, Young America in Norway, Sweden, and
Denmark.
2. +Northern Lands+; or, Young America in Russia and Prussia.
3. +Cross and Crescent+; or, Young America in Turkey and Greece.
4. +Sunny Shores+; or, Young America in Italy and Austria.
5. +Vine and Olive+; or, Young America in Spain and Portugal.
6. +Isles of the Sea+; or, Young America Homeward Bound.
"OLIVER OPTIC is a _nom de plume_ that is known and loved by almost
every boy of intelligence in the land. We have seen a highly
intellectual and world-weary man, a cynic whose heart was somewhat
embittered by its large experience of human nature, take up one of
OLIVER OPTIC's books, and read it at a sitting, neglecting his work
in yielding to the fascination of the pages. When a mature and
exceedingly well-informed mind, long despoiled of all its freshness,
can thus find pleasure in a book for boys, no additional words of
recommendation are needed."--_Sunday Times_.
LEE AND SHEPARD, BOSTON, SEND THEIR COMPLETE CATALOGUE FREE.
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Errata Noted by Transcriber:
Invisible punctuation has been silently supplied, and superfluous
quotation marks removed. Inconsistent hyphenation has been retained.
The spelling "cockswain" is standard for this text. The variation
between "knots" and "knots an hour" is as in the original.
"_Demandez un garcon_" (ask for a waiter), "Christophe."
_cedilla missing in original_
and your wonderful skill as a detective
_text reads "wonderful-skill"_
he could not breathe as freely as usual
_text reads "breath"_
There was a port light to the room
_so in original: "porthole"?_
the commander of that steamer
_text reads "of of" at line break_
I heard the villanous ruffian swear that he would kill you
_spelling "villanous" as in original_
"Do you know of any steamers ..." asked Christy.
_entire paragraph as in original_
He knew that three of them had been secured
_text reads "know"_
All of them had removed
_text reads "of of"_