Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1843-11-14

that if he saved the ship and cargo, he was
to receive twenty-five per cent upon the
gross amount.
No sooner was the negotiation concluded,
and the writings, which were hastily drawn,
safely deposited in his pocket, than he
bounded forth into the storm, with cry
of "a dos scaorcs,' and was. lost in the
gloom which shrouded every thing with
out.
Onward he dashed, reckless Of the thou
sand dangers that threatened to annihilate
him at every step, from showers Of tiles
and broken parapets hurled at his feet by
the wind, which though not yet at its
height, was bowling above his head with
great fury, occasionally licking up the
dust and pebbles in whirling eddies. and
then scattering il into his face with such
force, as not only to blind, but for time
to cause him to reel and stagger.
A brave man light we'll have covered
beneath the blast-but our youth had Felt,
deeply felt, the pangs Of a crushing power
ty; with spirit Of the highes; order, and
consciousness Of his own merits, he had
too often felt the deep degradation his alb
ject poverty had made him subject to. -
Here was chance-a terrible one, TO be
sure; if he failed it would be death in the
excitement Of battle; if he succeeded.
double reward awaited him, magnificent
fhrtune, and the preservation of the lives
of thousand helpless beings. Upon
emerging from the town, the road lay be-
fore him in almost straight line, for three
miles, to the little village Of the Casilda.
From this point, on clear day, the eye
can embrace view Of two hundred miles
of sea, from north TO south, but now, the
road upon which he was ploughing his way,
was scarcely discernable twenty yards a.
head. Onward he labored, occasionally,
when the blast with uncommon fury swept
across his path, seeking a temporary
shelter beneath the hedges formed by the
prickly pear and wild pine apple beneath
whose interviewer branches c!attered thou :
sand Of land crabs, on their way to the sen
from the mountains. An army Of these
creatures crossing his path; regardless of
the countless upIifted hands from this
strange multitude, he crashed through the
array, kicking from his feet some hall
dozen, that had fastened on his legs with
their long pincering claws.
The sea was swollen far beyond its natu.
raj boundaries. The streets of the village
were overlooked, and where, but few hours
before, the gay volante had whrled up the
dust upon a sandy road, now were covered
with boats adrlft, floating logs, casks and mer
ehandize of every description. Every mi
mute marked a sensible increase Of the pow
er of the wind; occasionally, vast bodies o
water were scooped up by the mighty hant
of the tempest and crushed Into vapor, or fel
fir from where they had been torn in show
ers of brine.
Afer wadng and foundering through
ponds of water, under the lee of large
store, he encountered fisherman by the
name of Antonio, hardy fellow, one of the
best pilots of the port To him he immc
diately made known his intentions, and
offered him thousand dollars if he would
accompany him with his boat on board the
SLAYER.
'Why, Scnor,' said Antonio, you must be
certainty; and what good could We do, sup
pose we reached hcr?'
I'll make your for'une,' was the prompt
reply. 'Does she still hold on
Isl, Senor'
sAnd how's the cruiser?'
Ooh, tight enough-with four anchors out
two chain cables. She'll founder at her
anchors if this gale continues
'We can paddle under the lee of the man.
grove bushes ofthe strip of land on the 9th
or side of the harbor, till we come TO the
Fort, then before the wind, you pulling, |
bailing, in three minutes we can fetch the
SLAYER; once OH board I'll show you we can
save her.
Still Antonio doubted, wavcred; all the
eloquence of argument, and stout assuranc IS
with scon of danger, appeared not in the
least TO stagger his determination to decline
the perilous adventure.
LEND me your boat then. BY heaven! I'll
GO alone: and when meet you to morrow,
with five thousand doubloons in my chest.
you'll curse yourself for not having had the
courage to follow
Stop one moment. How much say your
At that instant crash of thunder made
the earth tremble beneath their feet, accom-
panied by flash that pierced through the
gloom, Illuminating every object with lurid
gaze, the foam fakes sailing through the air
like myriads of brands of floating fire; at the
same instant a transient glance was caught
Of the Two vessels rcelng and plungng at
their anchos.
1.-TWO thousand doubloonsi' cried the indo-
mitable stranger, in a voice clear as a trum-
pet, every word distinctly heard by Antonio,
above the roar of the clements
'Agreed-come onr and they jumped in
to the boat.
After great difficulty and the escape from
many dreadful blasts, they succeeded in rea-
ching the opposite shore; but the sea made
a clear breach across the strip of land, and
though broken by the mangrove bushes, yet
the surge rolled over the harbor with terrible
force. The boat was light and pulled with
light and vigorous hands; in shor nc hey
reached the deserted fort, under the Ice of
which they rested for few moments, and
braced their nerves for the great struggle
when they should be exposed to the full fury