Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1872-09-11


Look there Confound the idiots
They have sent out woman7
Calum, who was quite as astonished,
but exhibited more self control, nodded
sharply. The boat was indeed rowed by a
woman, to all appearances strong and
young, but her head was covered by a
dark hood and they could not see her
face.
Angrily enough, CalGm addressed the
stranger In Gaelic. He was answered In
clear, ringing tones in the same language
and almost before he could say another
word tho cOble was alongside the yacht,
and a slight girlish figure, with a speed
and agility perfectly marvellous to the
southerner, had sprung on board.
ltwas too dark to distinguish her fea-
tures plainly, but she seemed fair complex
ioned and very young. Her hood had
fallen back, and her face and hair were
damp with spray. Perfectly lost in
amazement at SO strange an apparition,
the young man stood staring open-mouthed
while the stranger and Calum spoke to
each other rapidly in Gaelic.
What does the girl say 2" he at last
inquired, impatienIly. " Is any one com
ing off to pilot us into he-anehorage ?n
Calum reblied in the methodicaI way
peculiar to him and his class:
"The lassie saYs there's not man in
the village this nicht that can pull an oar
or draw net. Tie whole village is ava
after the herring at Loeb Uish, and there's
nothing left but wives, bairns, and old
bed-rid men,
A furious squall struck the yacht as
the fisherman spoke, and almost capsized
her, for she had entirely lost way through
being brought up to the wind Again ad-
dressing Calum rapidly in Gaelic, the girl
pushed him aside and seized the tiller.
" "Hullo what are you doing ?" cried
the young man. You're never going to
trust the boat to girl like that ?"
A loud cry from the girl interrupted
him. She seemed giving instructions in
her own tongue. In a moment he ran
forward to assist the other hand with the
sheets, while the girl brought the vessel
round just few feet from a large black
mass projecting out of the sea.
That's close work." cried the gentle
man neryously. "Pm afraid we'll come
to grief"
The girl spoke again to Galurn, and he
Interpreted,
/" That's Dhu SOUR, she says Bat
there's three fathoms water to the very
edge of the reef. We're coming up to the
narrows now and need every inch %
rOom."
Another cry from the girl, and the YES
sci was around again on another tack
They were now quite in the shadow of the
hills, and ali seemed darkness and con-
fusion, especially to the unaccustomed
senses of the man. To him the land seem
ed closing in on every side, the mountains
towering strnightaboye, tho wind coming
in ali directions. A wild tumult was in
the air, and the water seemed swirling and
boiling below them with an angry roar.
We'ee in the narrows now,o cried
Calum that's the boiling O the tide.n
The wind was sweeping dead out of the
mouth of he Loeb; and again and again
the vessel put about, so rapidly, indeed,
that she scarcely got way upon her one
tack before she had to come round again.
Once, for this reason, she refused altogeth,
er to answer the helm in coming round,
and seemed drifting right on the rocks of
the channel but in moment, urged by
the girl, Calum koomeds out toe staysail to
windward Withan oar, and the vessel slow
IL completed her swing out. All seemed
to grow darker and darker after this, for
they got more and more in the shadow of
the hills, but by-and-by the young man
saw that they had emerged into more open
water, and that several lights, like those Of
a village, were glimmering from the dark
ness of the shore, The wind still shrieked
loudly.
"AlPs safe now, sir,n said Calum.
4" We're close to the anchorage AID oot
of a danger"
So saying, he ran forward and assisted
his fellow seaman to haul up the chain on
deck, that it might run free, aud to hoist
the anchor over the bows A minute af-
teTward the vessel was brought up to the
wind and glided steadily along through
smooth wator for about Hundred yards
when the girl cried out to the men forward
and released her hold Of the tiller.
The yacht was quite stationary Down
went the anchor with that.delicious scunC
which only the weary cruiser knows and
loves TOT SO1ne ullnubeS LueTe was CON
fusion in the darkness. The young man
went forward o see all snug, and to take
look about HIM. So far as he, cOuId
make out IN the night, they were tn nice
natural harbor, surrounded on every side
by hills, and sheltered almost entirely from
the wind then blowing.
" Five fstbom water" said Calum, haul
ing in the lead-Hne "and fnesoft mud
for the bottom. We eouldna be in a snug
ger berth" -..-
The young man who had been plunged
in deep reflection, touched him on The
shoulder. ...... ......-
"Come aft with me and speak to the
girl" he said. :" In all probability she
has saved our lives" ... ro-
But when they went in search of her sh'
had disappeared, and the old cobble il
which she had rowed out to their assist
ance had disappeared also. They strain
ed their eyes into the surrounding dark
Eess, and listened for the sound Of oars
but all was quite still, and they could no
get a glimpse Of the stranger.