The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1854-01-07
WHOLE No. CAD

cry effort at haste; and IN the interval
the skif had vanished. Whether she
had only disappeared IN the gloom of
the sea-board. or whether she had been
capsized, no one could 'e |; Tor all had
been too much occupied to notice the
exact moment when she passed from
/ sight But the fears or at least donbts,
exceed the hopes. 1t was, therefore,
wit sensation Of relief, that the crew
felt the pilot-boat to be in motion, and
as the waters whizzed past their spirits
rose. The very schooner seemed 10
share in the general anxiet... No grey.
hound loosed from the leash, could
have sprung forward more eagerly or
swiftly.
The night had now shut in. Ths
wind sighed mournfulv up in the sky:
a wild SQUAD wen, fitting overhead, now
revealing a few, faint stars; and the sea
was black as ink, except where the
white caps dashed up for an instant, ON.
nous Of a coming tempest.
For long time the rush of The hull,
as it glided through the waters, was the
only sound heard. Every eye mean.
time was scanning the narrow, but tn.
multuons prospect, in the vain hope ot
discerning so newhere the skilf, and ito
occupant. AS the schooner left the
shore out of sight behind her, this scru.
tiny became more sharp: but alas to no
! purpose.
Don't you see anything yet - cried
the master at last, hailing the principal
look. out from the helm. "Sureiy he's
in sight somewhere"
"There's no sign Of him, ar.''
"We're close OH the shoal now, and
must soon go about. Can we have pas
sed him -
Cant say. Don't think we have"
laconically replied the man. 81, is dark
enough: but I've hooked sharp, SIR"
/ At that instant dull roar was heard
close ahead, and long line of foam
suddenly whitened the gloom in that d.
rection. proclaiming that the schooner
was perllously near to the shoal
"Ready about" shouted the master;
and instantly every man sprang TO his
station, "haul in, let 90, belay. Rouad
she is cheerily !" And as he fnse
the light craft danced away on the 9TH
er tack, 'eaving the breakers at a safe
distance astern.
"Look lively now, mind We don't
leave him." cried the master; as the
shoal rapidly faded into the darkness be-
hind. "lou don't see his skaff bottom
upward any of you %
The pilot-boat was no longer gliding
noiselessly, like a greyhound coursing,
but leaning over to the wind, she strug.
gled against the head-sea, like war
horse charging up hill. When the bow
struck the opposing waves, the spray
often flew cracking 10 the very cross
trees apparently, while simultaneously
a qnver ran through the hull froro stem
to stern, and the masts creaked audbly.
Far oat to i-evard belied the iarboard
shrouds, while those to windward were
so taut that aandsman would have ex-
pected to see them snap.
"Nothing yet - These were the
words with which the helmsman broke
another long silence.
"Nothing, sir"
"He can't certainly be inside us.
We've either missed him, or else he
went to the bottom before we reached
the shoal. But bark What's that
As he spoke what seemed faint cry
came out Of the gloom ahead. Was Il
a child's voice Or was it only 10 cd.
ulation of the gale
They listened, not daring to b-.eatbe
N nj hInr nnrbo Il b.,,, l. - I,
of the wind in the rigging, and the d..h
OF the waters humping agains. the bow:
and, with long drawn sls h, the mas.
ter was preparing to brea'l the sile ,,o.,
and propose lacking toward the shoss
again. A
But suddenly, close at hand Theme rose.
cheering voice out OF the dsrl u.s. ''
fellow down." ~ ~" q
"I,s Billy" shor' Ted the master e1ac.
trically. dts tn . bow himself e'l u I'ue>
it it. 's $, A'lle! Where are you, nv hears
his :olce rang clear over all tho nm.
.oat OF IN. winds, and waves, like a
battle. '''''S u
"Here | am" stoutly replied the 1t.
Tie hero, his skiff dancing up suldenlv
out Of the gloom. "LuG nth. or
you'll be over me" "
All rushed to- the side of the scboon.
err except the helmsrnan, who called
u all ms Sklll to shave The skif, as he
afterwards said, without hitting it.
An interval of thrilling suspense sue
ceeded. The pilot.boat deviated for an
instant from her direct course, curtesv,
ing up toward the wind like a lady in ,
dance, and then falling off again. dash, i