Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-09-05
IA fffilfss
NO. N12.
A Yaclling Episode. .

F & Ik IA WORDSWORTH
On the afternoon of summer day, a
small schooner yacht, closely reefed, made
her appearance off the mouth of Loeb
Uribol, long and lonely ford in the re-
mote Hebrides Of Scotland, and while
beating to and fro in the. open sea in the
midst of the squalls from the neighboring
mountains,A hoisted the inverted red flag
to the foremast as a signal that the parties
on board were in need of ass stance.
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 on sixteen tons, with a
small cockpit, had been beating since
early dawn across the tossing waters OF
the Minch, which divides The dark serra-
Isles. Lightly as bird she had bounded
over the great rollers of the sea, splashing
the foam over herself from stem to stern,
but seldom taking on board drop of
green The distance across was thirty
miles, and the wind was dead ahead, SO
that her progress westward was slow IN
deed The time slipped by, however; the
basaltic crags Of the northwest coast of
Skye grew fainter and fainter; and the
islands of the ocean. which at FIRST had
been scarcely distinguishable on the no.
rizon, had gradually loomed more and
more misunderstanding in one desolate
and lonely darkness from the high hills OF
Lewis, past the faint, low-lying Hats of
Cist, to the dark and 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 of palpitating, silvery light,
in which the skies seemed close to the
earth, and very gray, and the waves OF
the sea, where they did not break into
white foam. usually black and threatening.
Yet it was "geod weather." safe snug
day for sailing, and the sombre, colorless
tone of all things--sea, far. off land and
sky-was not without its charms for those
who have learned to love the pathetic
"neutral tint of the melancholy Scottish
coast. efsrasr1
But as evening approached the sun
looked out from gray chasm above the
outlying hills, and she'd a luried light over
the dancing sea, ilumining to rose color
the white sails of the little yatch, which
was by this time within a few miles OF the
dangerous coast. just about this time a
weather-beaten Highlander, who was
steering the little vessel, cooked his eye
up to the sunset, and relinquishing the
| lllltF 10 u young IllaH WIZ sat LII tiiC Wy 1e
pit beside him, said quietly esa.s
"She's going to give puff ont o the
west yonder, and Loeb Uribofs terrible
place for squalls Well take off the fore
sail altogether, and let her 60 cannie wi
mainsail, staysail and jib."
Scarcely had the speaker with the assist.
ance of another man who had been lying
listlessly in the forepart of the vessel,
carried out his precaution, and taken the
foresail down, when the first squall from
the land came up white as foam and laid
the vessel over TO the coming Of the cock
pit Squal after squall followed, while
the light from the sunset grew every mo-
ment of more lurid crimson, streaming
with the wind out of great rent in the
vast mountains of clouds. The yacht was
too lightly ballasted to carry her canvas
well, and more than once the wind struck
her so savagely us to threaten to founder
her outright, the water passing into the
cockpit in one green torrent and drench-
>>ag the henlsman to the skin. The sea
I. comparatively smooth, however, ow-
wa 'ae shelter; OF the hills. From the
ing to. 'eices and distant glens the
dark prec.. It with fury only realizable
squalls shot o; asigated these coasts in 9
to him who has Ii; the fury of hate anf,
| small vessel. Wit. 50 to speak, they
the strength of despair. tbs schooner,
plunged one by one upo.. 'deaycrina :"
like wild beasts irantically Ell. M
" Wth q II Gdht Ghtlh l.,nh ,hoh.,, 'ashed
the wet HAIR ont OF his eyes, and stral gu
his gaze towards the land
(Which is the Urbol land ?" he cried to
the old Celt who had first spoken. 'Can
\ ....t1 IL l. II. 4 =
The old man shook his head
II know fine she lies somewhere in von-
der, he said, "but I've never passed the
directly there 5 nasty bit o. water fair
ahead"
The young man uttered an exclamation,
expressive Of impatience.
Here, Calun, take the held, and let
me have look at the chart y. r..
So saying, he again resigned the tiller
to Calum, as the old man was called, and
plunging down the campanion to the cab
in, soon reemerged with the government
chart of the coast in his hand, spreading ii
out on the coach roof" and following
the marks with his finger he studied it at
tentively, now and then glancing at the
land, while the yacht. having put about,
was dashing along through squall after
squall and coming nearer and nearer to
the shore.
lie was u man of eight or nine and
twenty, with a rather handsom style of face
broad, high brows, nose of the So
called Grecian sort, and proud, sarcastic
mouth. His skin was dark and tanned,
as if he had lived long in the sun OF
warmer climates. He was clean shaven,
sll save the upper lip, where he wore
thick fiossy moustache, very fair in color.
his eyes were blue and very large, though
he had habit of contracting them very
much when he was booking at any one.
In his whole person, and in every gesture.
there was a certain air which bespoke the
gentleman by birth His expression. new
ertheless, was marred by audacity and
superciliousness, and his laugh had not
the ringing clearness of youth, but sound
ed hollow at times, with u sort of spas
inodic gayety his face did not share.
As he studied the mysterious lines of
the chart, his face grew very black. II "a
was clear that this gentleman, whatever