Beadle's Pocket Library No. 275

*Beadle's Half Dime Library*, Vol. XXII, No. 275 "Fred, the Ocean Waif: The Old Sailor's Protégé" by Charles Morris begins a serialized adventure. Two old watermen spot a fugitive barque near Beach City and alert coast guards to pursue it through a coastal inlet. Young Fred Halyard, the coast-guard boat's helmsman, abandons the pursuit to track the fleeing smugglers across treacherous salt marshes, using bent reeds as navigational signals for his fellow guards. Ambushed and captured, Fred is gagged, bound, and transported blindfolded to a hidden boathouse where smugglers celebrate their success. Observing details—a distinctive white cat and a dark hand with a gold ring—Fred escapes into the water when the floor gives way. Released on the marsh bound and blindfolded, he must navigate alone through miles of channels toward daylight, demonstrating resourcefulness and courage in this maritime adventure tale.