Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1869-12-08

few moments without the exchange of I
word, they were embarked in the fisherman |
skiff-the fasts were cast off, the honest
peasant worked at bis oars with will ; and
in ten hours, the dawning light showed him
the coasts Of the Low Countries. Through
the night he had been guided by his familiar
pilots, the stars and the labor was so much
his habitual custom in his hardy calling-hc
had so often endured it as a matter of course
and of habit, that with such stake in sue
cess, he did not once think OF fatigue. Sud
denly new danger caught his eye. Two
armed boats were pursuing him. and not
withStanding they were crowded with sol
diers, awkward afoat as clowns on stills,
they rapidly gained upon him. 1t was evi-
dent that they had been lying in wait near
the cost, to intercept the very precious bur
then which he carried. He uttered no cry
of surprise
Down, madame he said, without any
appearance of being disconcerted-' down
in the bottom of the boat, for it needs bal
last"
The othe~, unccu cious # be IT, G N
ing danger, obeyed mechanically In the
next instant musket balls whistled past the
ears of the intrepid faheIman-had they
sped an instant before, the mother would
have escared the perils of the sea, but to
have been murdered by the hirelngs
Finn examined with his eye the distance
yet between his boat and the shore and he
saw it was impossible to reach it before his
pursuers would overtake him. He formed
| a sudden and desperate resolu,ion-he ceas-
ed to fly. lie even turned his boats head
toward his pursuers, ohd making trumpet
Of his hands, shouted Boats ahoy What
do you wiSh?"
You are not alone - answered his pur
suers.
True" rcphed the fisherman as the
boats were now so near each other that thev
could converse with less effort, ''truc-I
have a good cargo of fish for my companions.
You can provision yourself with them If you
wish-there was no need to fire upon me
for that
Advance !"
''Ay! ay! cried Finn, gaily, yet tremu
lousy. 1t was proper and natural that the
poor fisherman should be awkward and
alarmed before two boat loads of soldiers
The coarse brutes enjoyed what they thought
was the trepidatfon and energy of fear, am
as they stood up, their boats reelei unde
their shouts of laughter, as the fisherman
skitI, urged by his nervous arm, shot to
wards them.
4 scream from the lub1ers 4 splash
The awkward fisher clumsy boat hasstru
their bows, with its whole momentum, an
awkward soldiers fall over the gunwale a
around into the sea. Nor is there less con
fusion among the other skif- load of soldiers
Their boat dipped water first over one o
its sides, then over the other, as the soldier
swung their arms, and swayed and fell upor
each other in vain attempts to succor thei
drowning bretbern. What another acci
dent The awkward and frightened fisher
man has taken a sudden sweep, and ran I'M
them too. And now he is pulling away 70
dear life, without thought for the safet.
Of the soldiers of Denmark ! What hea,
peepiDg over the side of the fisherman
boat-a womans head Never mind tn
men oveboard-pursue!
But the oars have all been thrown 70 tn
drowning men.
Fire upon them
But the muskets have fallen Overboar
with their owners, or from their arms-o
they are in the bottom of the boat--in soak
That night the fisherman and his wifi
laughed long but not loud, for there nigh
have been listeners. The good man Finn
never made any inquiries about the soldier
who had taken a cold bath and as all wer
saved, they did not care to bruit about thei
own discontinue by a sigle stupid fisher
man, and as he was too mode t 10 beast G
his victory to ary body but his wife, the hon
est couple lived on in quiet and content, IN
Ill they had forgotten the adventure.
A ''WID0w s. VICTIM The New ! orr
Post says: On Monday young woman