The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1869-10-06
TIE pILO'pS STORY.
by HARRY WILDE.
[iErom the New Orleans Picayunc.l

FROM the new orleans Pleayunc.l
| CHAPTER l.
/ He drew his chair up to the fire
rs the wind and rain ratified on Tx
windows, with shiver-any one
would have thought, from his hand
some, weather-beaten face, that he
! had seen worse nights, however that
was as it may have been-thcn mo-
tioning for silence with his hand, he
began:
Tt was, I think, the night before
the great gale in '53, when all the
Gulf islands were overfowed by the
sea, AID so many people drowned,
that I, in company with my partner,
Capt. Tugg, were outside the bar,
waiting for a steamer that we expec-
ted IN. The night was intensely
dark, SO much SO in fact that you
could almost feel it; and when we
fell into the trough Of the waves, and
lost the light from the lighthouse
off Pilot Town, it was enough to
brighten any one; butas we We're in a
strong boat, and knew every inch of
the bar as well as our own houses, or
our own selves for that matter, we
were under, no apprehensions for our
safety, and laughed and talked till
about II O'Clock, when !, beginning
to feel sleepy, told the captain to
watch for an hour while I slept, then
wake me up and We wosld watch by
turns.
think I must have slept about
half an hour when [ was walked by
the heavy hand of the captain on my
shoulders, who told me to listen.
Capt. Tugs was q brave indeed
I do not think I ever saw Drawer;
but be troinbled so violently with
fright when he awoko me that the
whole boat shook Ike a leaf. In a
second or two I heard cry that
chilled ny blood in my veins, and
made my hair stand on end. It was
not loud Cry, but mournful and
wailing; and as it broke out on the
stiffness Of the night it sounded more
than mortal; it did not seem to come
from any particular direction, but
from everywhere. Before I could re-
cover from my terror [ heard it again
this time followed by o kind of wild
shrieking laugh, which sounded, if
possible more horrible than the cry
itself.
We were both overcome with
dread, and crouched down in the
bottom of the boat as if struck down
by some omnipotent power unable to
move. The wind, which had before
been very light. in asshort time be-
gan to blowquite heavy, and we were
obliged to move and take in sail SO as
to save our lives. As we heard no
more of the cries, this we did, but
but what was our dismay, upon look
ing around, to discover that we had
drifted out into the Gulf, and could
not see the light from the lighthouse.
We were deliberating what to do
when again we heard the cry, this
time almost upon us, but as it was
accompanied by the call of s'Water,
water, for the love of God!" our ter
Irors were quickly dispelled; and fear
| ing no mortal foe, being, as we al
ways were, well armed, we shouted
"Boat ahoy!" to this no answer was
made but the same cry which had
frightened us before, but which now
to us did not seem supernatural at
all. I told Tugg to get out a blue
light, of which we had several on
board for making signals, and light
it; this he did aid in second what
had before had been wrapped in
darkness became light as day, and
VIC saw about ten yards away from us
q large lugger OF small schooner, bot
tom upwards, with several persons
clinging to it, one Of whom appeared
to be q woman.
We Immediately took down our
sail and having got out our oars
rowed to the schooner, for such it
proved to be. Here, setting fire to
another blue Light, we found three
men dead and female alive. I had
seen many beautiful women, both in
this elsewhere, but never had it been
my fate to see SO lovely being; des-
pite the condition in which we found
her, I at once conceived for her q
desperate passion which [ found it
impossible to control. Both she and
her companions who were dead were
richly dressed, from which we con-