Ellsworth American., 1874-08-06

RiNNC kOA oIhtAtAS- w Y u t1hC
of the foresail altogether, aud lot her
go canine wi mainsail, staysail and
jib.' 4a I'll
Scarcely had the speaker with the as
sistanoe OF another nan who had been
lying listlessly in the fOrepart Of the
vessel carried out his prccaution, and
taken the forssail down, when the first
squall from the land came up white as
foam and laid the vessel over to the
cooming Of the cockpit. Squall after
squall followed. while the light from
the sunset grew every moment Of q
more lu.id crimson, streaming with the
wind out Of a great rent in the vast
mountains. Of clond... The. yacht was
too lightly ballasted to carry her caa-
vas we'll, and more than once the wind
struck her soisavagely as TO threaten
TO founder her ontrig he, the water pass
ing into the cock pit 10 one green tor
rent and drenching the helmsman to the
skin. The sea was comparatively
smooth, however, owing TO the shelter
OF the hills. From the dark precipicel
and distant misty glens the squalls
shot out with fury only realizsble by
him who has navigated these coasts in
n small vessel With the fury of hate
and strength of despair, so to speak,
they plunged one by one upon the
schooner like wild beasts, frantically
eudeavoring to tear her to pieces.
With a slight laugh the helmsman
dashed the wet hair out of his eyes,
and strained his gaze toward the land.
Which is the Cribol la.id: he cried
10 the old Celt who had first spoken.
"Can you make out the mouth of the
Loeb;
The old man shook his head.
II know fine she lies somewhere in
yonder." he said, ''bnt I've never pass
ed the mouth. Luf. sir, Iuffl We'H
put about dircctly-there's q nasty bit
. water fair ahead"
The Young man uttered an excIama-
tion expressive ofimpatienee.
Here, CaluIn, take the helm, and
let me have look at the chart"
50 saying, he again resigned the TIL
Ter 10 Caium. as the old lhan was called.
and pluuging down the companion 10
the cabin, soon re-emerged with the
government chart of the coast in his
hand, spreading it out on the "coach-
roof and following the marks with bis
finger, he studied it a.tentively, now
aud then glanciug at the land, while
the yacht having put about, was DASH
Ing along through squall after squall,
and coming nearer 10 the shore.
lie vas man Of eight VI nine and
twenty. with rather handsome style
OF Gace-broad, high brow, = nose OF
the 500 aiiod 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, all save the upper lip,
where lie wore thick dossy moustachc,
very fair in color. His eyes were blue
and very large, though he had nablt
of contracting them very much when
he was looking at any person. In his
whole person, and in every gesture,
there was a certain air that spoke the
gentleman by birth. His expression.
nevertheless. was marred by audacity
and supercillIousness, aud his laugh
had not the ringing carelessness Of
youth, but souaded hollow al times.
with sort Of spasmodic gayety his
face did not share.
As he studied the mysterious lines
of the chart, his face grew very black.
II was clear that this gentleman, what
ever might be has good qualities, pos
sessed very passionate temper.
Way the devil did come here
without pilot r. he exclaimed. Look
here. Caium the mouth of the loch j.
full of sunken rocks in every direction.
Far out 10 the right there's Bo Scarhh,
a regular reef, three feet under water
al high springs close by-see there's
another. DO something else; and
then there's hali-a-dozen rocks pepper.
eel here, and another half-dozen there.
To crown all. there's only six feet AT
low water in the deepest part OF the
channel, although We are drawing sew
en- feet aft am. by George tue chan
mel itself is only two cab es' length
across. 1t would be certain shipwreck
to enter without pilot. What are we
TO do:'
IL was in answer 10 this question
that Calum recommended that they
should signal TO the shore for a pilot
and so the little yacht kept running
to and fro Oh the wind just Off the
shore. On coming thus close in un-
der the mountains, they could just dis
tinguish, half mile ahead, the silvery
CLEAN OF the mouth of the loch, and,
seen from afar it looked very narrow
indeed-only a few yards across. Just
inside. as they knew, there was good
anchorage in small snug basin just
opposite the village
But an hour of great excitement
passed, and there was no answer to
their signal from the shore. Every
instant the squalls grew more terrific,
till 1T seemed the little vessel must be
lost indeed. Worst of all. night was
near the hills were already growing
dim.
''It's an awfu' coast" said Calum,
rehectively, as he shook the boat
through a violent squall. 81 mind
once of smack Of. a hundred tons be-
ing clean foundered just off here. And
there wasna any sea; she was run
ming for the South with herring, and
had twa or three empty barrels on her
deck, and the wind came off yonder
hill and sank her as ye'd sink a spoon
in bowl O milk. l wOuldna sail an
open boat here for heap O money"
mo one appears to take any notice
Of US, cried the young man. What
is to be done? The boat won't stand
much more Of this.
The boats a good boat" said Cal.
um, ''but the nights going to be bad
and nae yacht Of this size can live il it
comes on gale. If nae man comes
off from, tho chnra WALL s,rt 49,. -