Leaves from a middy's log

At the time when the adventures which I am about to relate took place, I, Jack Darcy, was serving as a midshipman on board H.M.S. _Rattler_, a smart frigate of fifty guns, comma...

After a long and patient search, our vigilance was rewarded by the discovery of the _Flying-fish_, securely moored in an almost land-locked creek on the southern coast of Cuba....

“Stand steady, Darcy!” he cried to me in resolute tones, as he drew his sword from its sheath. “Empty your revolver amongst them, my boy, and be careful to take steady aim.”

It was not long before I recovered my senses. When I did so, I found that I was stretched upon the ground, and that the surgeon was bending over me bathing my temples with water.

When I went on deck the following morning, I found that the steam-pinnace had towed the _Flying-fish_ to an anchorage in the roadstead not many cable lengths from the _Rattler_....

I was effectually roused from my slumbers on the following morning by the shrill bugle-calls which the drummer seemed to take a delight in blowing as near the gunroom tent as po...

We had two sets of native auxiliaries. One consisted of a fine lot of Spanish baggage-mules, strong hardy beasts, thoroughly acclimatized, and remarkably sure-footed; and the ot...

The _Rattler’s_ officers had reason to be proud of their little brigade of seamen and marines. In this sudden emergency they were calm, cool, and self-reliant. Their discipline...

An hour later we were bivouacking on a tree-shaded plateau, not far from the outskirts of the forest of which the native guides had spoken. We all required rest, and it had beco...

Under the guidance of the native spy, whose name was Sancho, we left the rude cart-road we had been following, and bearing to the left descended a gentle slope rather thickly st...

I was just about took flat aback when it was borne in upon me what had happened; but I must set about spinning my yarn in a ship-shape fashion, I s’pose, or shore-going folks wo...

When I found myself blindfolded, gagged, and securely bound by the ruffians who had sprung upon me, my heart sank within me, for I fully thought that my fate was sealed. And wha...

The cold barrel of the pistol quickly brought me to myself; but I felt strangely bewildered. The glare of many torches was in my eyes, and was reflected on the irregular roof an...

Some considerable time must have passed before my senses returned to me. When I opened my eyes again in a scared way, wondering whether or not I was in the midst of an extremely...

There was very little delay. Another whispered conference, and we moved on again. The ground was now broken and rough, and from the woodland scents which were wafted to my nostr...

Five minutes after I had been put in irons, Mr. Triggs and Ned Burton, under a strong guard, were brought down a hatchway ladder just over my head. I was overjoyed to find that...

I started up. It was broad daylight. The ill-favoured countenance of the mule-driver was the first thing that met my gaze. The fellow was kneeling on the deck beside me, and the...

What the chief’s intention was in seeking us I do not know, for before he had reached our side of the ship he turned livid, swayed heavily forward, and fell prone upon the deck,...

It was a weird spot, and in the gathering darkness had a depressing effect upon one’s spirits. Here there might have been enormous catacombs, where the dead of untold ages had b...

We sprang to our feet in genuine alarm. The guard of four armed men at the doorway fled panic-stricken into the outer cave, crying in shrill tones to their fellows.

Had we been aware of the fact that, on reaching the creek, they had encountered the chief, who had just returned from his cruise, we should not have been so surprised.

To my surprise, Ned’s calm demeanour vanished in a moment. He seemed to be seized with a sudden frenzy of passion, and to utterly ignore the dictates of prudence. It was the sig...

It was a boat of some kind; there could be no doubt about that. A somewhat large, unwieldy-looking craft she appeared to be, but apparently there were only a couple of oarsmen o...

Ned turned to us suddenly, and I thought there was a wild look in his eyes. The beads of perspiration clustered thick on his forehead, and his cheeks were burning.

One or two bullets struck the boat, but most fortunately none of us got hit. A brisk fire, however, was kept up for some minutes, and many of the deadly little missiles flew abo...

Round the southernmost point of the island a small vessel was creeping stealthily. Owing to the lack of wind she could set no canvas, but was evidently being propelled by a numb...