Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-09-05

spknkS, CAOeo Oy-Ec0. tQef6 n announcer, BU
somethiug ease; and then there's half:;l.
dozen here, and j another half a. dozen
there. To crown all, there's only six feet
q low water in the deepest part Of the
channel, although We are drawing seven
feet az; and, by George the channel it.
self 10 only about two cables lengths
across. 1t would DO certain shipwreck to
enter without = pilot. What are we
to do?"
It was in answcr to this question that
Cnlum recommended that they should
signal to the shore for q plot; and 50 the
liitle yacht was kept running to and fro
on the wind, just offthe sno,e. On coming
thus close in under the mountains, they
could just distinguish, balf mile ahead,
the silver CLEAN OF the mouth of the loch,
and, seen from afar, it looked very narrow
indeed-only few yards across. Just
inside, as they knew, there was good
anchorage IN Q small snug basin just op-
posite ths svillage."
But IN hour Of great excitement passed,
and there was on answer to their signal
from tho shore. Every instant the squalls
grew more terrific, till it seemed the little
vessel must be lost indeed. Worst Of all,
night was near; the hills were already
growing dim.
It's On awfI coast, " said Calum 70.
fiectivelY as he shook the boat though a
a voilcit squall. 81 mind once Of y smack
ofa hundred tons bsing clean foundcred
just of here. :. And there wasna any sea :
she was running for the south with herring,
and had twa Or three empty barrels on her
aeck and the wind came Of yopder hill
and sunk her as ye'd sink spoon in q
bowl o milk Iwouldna sail an open
boat here for Q hoap o. money"
No one appears to tako any notice of
u.s." cried the young man. "What is TO
be done ? The boat won't stand much more
of this"
"The boats q good: boat, said C:,lum, {"
" but the NIGHTS going to be bad and nae
yacht " this size can live if it comes on u
gale. If nae man comes of from the
shore, we'll just have to run for LocE Uish,
STRAIGHT down the coast lis no. cannie
run in tho dark, for there's the Mackenzie
Rock, and the reef whore Sandie Cow lost
the Spell ;and forbyo that, theirs the Black
Rocks, but we'll dae our best." y r..
"Humphl then it's only ! chance that
We get clear out Of this confounded
20 ay, just a chance. The folk'n be
AVA At tho fishing, and it's bad NIGHT for
. boat like this in the -open,"
Something iu the perfectly unmoved and
phlegma'ic tone of the speaker took the
others attention, for the young man stared
at him for some time with half comic,
half sueering look of astonishment: and,
seeing the grim, wether.beaten features
perfectly unmoved, he broke into hard
laugh. =
:" You take it cool enough, at any rate, :"
he cried. -
.Aud what for should NO taxi it cvolly?
Pm only a common man, and naun taxi
the winds as they come, and earn my
aCansyou swim ?" -
~Not . stroke, " replied Calum, buryinx
bis face in bis hands to- Light his black
Guilty pipe, while theiman af the forepar,
of the vessel, reclining against tue bits,
hutnmed in low voice the dolefal lively
disty Of" Gillie Caulm."
Still finding secret amusement in the
stolidity Of bic companions, the young mau
laughed again; then, entering the cabin
once more, he re-emerged with fovling.
piece, and fired two shots rapidly in the
iir, when an enormous black dog sprane
up the companion, and rushing 10 the
bulwarks, gazed eagerly out ON tho waters
"DowD, Nero, DOWN." cried the young
man. "He thinks have shot something
ha tho noise seems to have attracted
attention at last. Look yonder,"
On small eminence overlooking the en-.
trance to the loch two or three figures
were dimly seen; but it was already toe
dark to make OUT who and what they
were. The twilight hid quite fallen. and
the wind was Blowing with great fury.
Hang of ten minutes longer" the
young man said, " and then, If no one
comes, we must risk tho run down the
coast. y
Ths helmsman nodded, "put about y
once more and ran through the wind
The squalls could still be seen whitening
the sea to windward when they struck
the water; but every minute the coas
| grew DINNER. 80 that only 4 very
familiar eye could have made ou: the
landmarks.
Ten minutes passed, and tho order wa.
already given 70 let the vessel rnr with
. free sheet, when Calun,, knocking the
as;.es Of his pipe out into the water 'e
leeward, said quietly
"Wheest q minute! L hear tho SCUM
of oars between US and the shore"
Listening intcntly all could hear tn,
splash, splash OF oars coming nearer unt
nearer. Immediately aftcrward. small
boat, rowed by solitary figure, shot out o
the shadow Of the hills. 1t seemed to be
rude coble, quite at the mercy of the wint
but skilfull managed. While Calun
brought the boat up to tho wind, tn
young man leant over the side of the yes
eel and regarded the small boat intently
Presently he uttered an exclamation whicl
bore suspicious resemblance to an oath
and turned augrily to Calum.
"Look there! Confound the idiots
They have sent out woman"
Calum, who was quite as astonished
but exhibited moro self control, nodde,
sharply. The boat was indeed rowed by
woman, to all appearances strong an
young, hut her head was covered by
dark hood and they could not see he
.. face.
Angrily enough. Calcm addressed tn
stranger in Gaelic. He was answered i
clear, ringing tones in the same language
and almost before he could say anotRe
word tho coble was alongside tho yach
and slight girlish figure, with u spec
and agility perfectly marvellous to til
southerner, had sprung on board.
1t was too dark to distinguish her fea
lures plainly, but she seemed tair.comple,
io"ed and worry young. Her hood ha
fallen back, and her face and hair WEI
: damp with spray. Perfectly lost
! amusement at 80 strange IN apparitio'
}, tho young man stood staring open.mouthe
t while the stranger and Calum spoke
each other rapidly in Gaelic:
q" What does the girl say ?" he at la
It inquired, impatiently. is any one con
Q ing off To pilot us into the-anohorage ?"
!, Calum reblied in the methodical wa
r peculiar to him and his class:
o "The lassie savs there's not man
the village this "icht tl,a, Gan pull an OF
q or draw q net. T:,c whole village is aw
D' after the herring ut L"ch Cish, and there
o. .. nothing left but wives, bairns, and o.
'c bed-rid men."