Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-09-05
TIE FAIR PILOT OF L0CH URlB0L.
4 Y:ehetins Epi'eae.
Jsoa sf psnl's yloosAly Nasasine.
''she was . phantom Of delight
When hEst she cleaned upon my dght:
A lovely sppsrt ion sa0t ~ ; =,

80, To be Q moments 0rnAmensiH
On the afteln of = summer day, .
small schooner yacht, close! J 5resfed. made
her appearance Oft the mouth of Loeb
UriboI, q long and lonely ford in the re.
mote Hebrides Of Scotland, and while
beating to and fro in the open sea in tho
midst Of the squalls from the nsighboring
mountains, hoisted the inverted red fla0
to the toremast as signal that the
parties on board were in need of u.s.
distance.
1t had been : dark, dry day, with the
wind blowing fresh from the west very
steady and strong, and the yacht, = tiny
thing OF fifteen or sixteen tons, with 4
small cock pit, had been beating since
early dawn across the tossing waters of
the Minch, which divides the dark,
serrated peaks, of Skye from the far off
Outer Isles. Lightly as q bird she had
bounded over tho great rollers of sea,
splashing the foam over herself from stem
to stern, but seldom taking ON board q
drop Of "green." The distance across
was thirty miles, and the wind was dead
ahead, 20 that her progress westward was
slow indeed. Tho timo slipt by, however;
the basaltic crags of the northwest COAST
Ut Skye grew fainter and faintor: and tho
islands of tho ocean, which at first had
been scarcely distinguishable ON tho ho.
rizon, had gradually loomed more and
more distinct stretching in one deeolate
aud lonely darkness fom the high hills
of Lewis. past the faint, low-lying fat of
Uist, to the dark. add rocky shores which
fringe the cliffs of Barra. Not once IN
the long day had The sun actually made
his appearance. The atmosphere had
been full ofa pslpitating, silvery light,
in which tho skies seemed close to tho
oat0, and very gray, and the waves of
tho ssa, where ,hoy old not break into
white foam, unusually black and threat
.eniog. Yet il was - good weather." = safe,
snug day for sailing, aud the sombre,
colorless tone Of all things-sea, far-od
land, and sky-was not without ito charms
for those who have learned to love tho
pathetic neutral tin" " of tho melancholy
Scottish coast.
But a. evening approached, tho sun
looked out from gray chasm above the
outlying hills, and shed lurid light over
the dancing sea, ilIumining to rose color
the white sails Of the little yacht, which
was by this time within few milee If the
dangerous coast. Just about this time q
weatber-beaten >. Highlander, who va.
fsteerfng the little vessel, cooked his eye
up to the sunset, and rellnquishing the
tiller 10 q young man who set in the cock.
pit beside him, said quietly
"She's going to give q puff QUITO the
west yonder, and Loeb Uribol's Z terrible
place of squalls: Well take of tho fore.
sail altogether, and Let her cannie vi main.
sail. staysail and jib."7,i
Scarcely had the speaker, with tho as.
sistance Of another man who had been
lying listlesaly in the forepart Of the
vessel, carried out bis prsca ution, and
taken tho foresa,l down, when tho first
squall from the land came up white as
foam, and laid the vessel over to the
cooming Of the cockpit. Squall utter
squall followed, while the light from the
sunset grew every moment ola more lurid
crimson, streaming with the wind ou,
| OF great rent in the vast mountains ol
cloud. The yacht was too lightly bal.
lasted to carry her canvas we'll, and more
than once the wind struck hor 20 savapel,
as t. threaten ~ founder her outright. The
water passing into tho cockpit il
one green torrent, and drenchine the
helmsman to tho skin. The sea was com
paratively smooth, however, owing to the
shelter of the h;lls. From tho dark prc
cipices and distant misty glens the squall.
shot out with q fury OILY. realisable to him
:, who had 'navigated these coasts in q smal
vessel. With the fury Of hate and III,
strength of despair, 50 to speak, the,
plunged one hy ono upon the schooner
like wild beasts frantically endeavoring Il
tear her to pieces.
With a light laugh, the helmsma'
dashed the wet hair. out of his eyes, an,
strained his gaze toward the land.
(which is the Uribol land?" he erie.
to tho old Celt who had first spoken
"Can you mako out the mouth Of IT,
Loeb ?"
The old man shook his head.
81 know fine she lies somewhere in yon
der," he said, 'but Pve never passed th
mouth. luff, sir, luff! Wen put abou
directly-there's nasty bit o water FIJI
ahead"
The young man uttered an exclamation
expressive Of impatiencc.
Here, Calum, take tho helm, and le
mo have look ut the chart. ="
So saying, he again resigned the tile
to Calusn, az the old man was called. an
plunging down the companion to the oabi,
soon re.emergsd with tho Governmer
chart Of the coast in his hand; spreadin
it out on the "coach roof" and followin
the marks with his finger he studied
attentively. now and then glancing Ut tn
land, while the yacht, having put abou
, was dashing along through squall aft.
suqall, and coming nearer aud nearer
- the shore.
!. lie was man Of eight or nine al
~ twenty, with rather handsome style
~ fAce-.-hrOAd hi0h hrn,v a Dnso nc sh> g