The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-09-12
Continued from last week.
Tricks that are Vain"
CHAPTER Nv.

crisped musically under the bows of the sal :
. boat as, with sails pulled by the gentle land
breeze, it glided smoothly down the bay.
Charley managed the ter, while Jake seated
himself amidship within easy reach of the
sheet. Their first course took them down
the middle of the Patapsco river which leads
up to Baltimore, and, the wind being fair, the
care of managing the sheet was not sufficient
to keep Jake awake, and he began to nod.
The breeze freshened making the boat pitch
slightly, motion which was indescribably
soothing to Jake whose SHORES intensified in
volume as they settled into pendulum like
regularity, till they resembled nothing so
much as the tearing of new topsail in an
East Indian typhoon. Absorbed in refresh
ing slumbers, he did not perceive that on
emerging into the bay, instead of turning
sharply to the right as would be necessary if
the programme of going to Fortress Monroe
were to be followed, Charley kept the same
course, which would eventually land them on
the eastern shore. The young steersman
showed no disposition to interrupt the SUM
bers of his associate, and evidently found his
own thoughts sufficient to occupy all the at
tention he could devote aside from the labor
of sailing the boat.
He ore off slightly to round the point and
then steered straight for light which gilt
tered from the low shore ahead. The dark
shore line was already visible not mile from
them, when Jake's SHORES changed into spas
modic snortings, his spinal column became
convulscd, his arms and legs shot out alter
nately; he seemed possessed by a fearful
nightmare. Then he shouted wildly:
"Clap on sail, clap on sail, Cap'n Skillins,
or we shan't save the diamonds. Here's old
Sharpsey right at our heels with his pistol
Look out! he's going to fire."
The fearful excitement engendered by his
dream awoke him at this point, and he came
to his feet looking fearfully about him. His
first movement was to nearly tumble ever
board, from which disaster he escaped by
catching the main boom VIXEN Lalf way ont
of tie boat. Extricating himself with much
effort from his perilous situation, and thor
oughly awakened by the exertion, Jake be-
gan to comprehend his surroundings. His
disposition, nevergenial, was decidedly askew,
and he glared around for something to swear
at. Charley being the only animate object
his eyes encountered, was saluted with a vol
ley of profane abuse directed at assumed gen.
eral elements of character; his apparent in
difference added fuel to Jake's wrath, who,
seeing no visible effect from his depunciatons
finally ordered him, with an oath, to yield up
!, ic v,lao fba
ing met with a resolute refusal, he started aft
to enforce his commands, but stopped short
at the sight of a massive horse-pistol drawn
by the boy from the little locker at the stern,
and presented full at his stomach. The muz-
zle of the weapon, to Jake's eyes, seemed in
capacity not inferior to an eighty-four pound
Parrot gun, and firm conviction instantly
possessed his mind that, if he made another
movement in the direction of the boy, lie
would receive the contents of that dreadful
weapon. A sickening sensation came over
him, a premonitory qualm of goneness, as he
thought of the awful cavity that would be
made in his abdomen by such weapon dis
charged at six feet's distance. All desire to
assault Charley left him, and he retreated to
the seat he had just vacated, and sat quietly
down. Jake was no more of coward than
the average of saturnine, cross grained men,
but he had no notion of gratifying taste for
bullying at the imminent lisk of getting
killed. The fountains of volubility suddenly
dried up within him, and he subsidized into 81
lence. Charley laid the pistol, still cooked,
within easy reach, and let the boat off point
TO head for little cave, the mouth of which
showed plainly a few hundred feet off.
"Goin' to land?" said Jake, respectfully.
He had come to a realizing sense that the
boat had captain who would permit no fri
fling with his authority.
eyes," re turned Charley sharpley. ''Stand |
by to fend off,
Jake picked up an oar and took his station
in the bow. The boat was gliding up sinu-
GUS inlet which extended far into the land,
and soon became SO narrow that Jake could
have touched either bank with the tip of his
oar. The banks soon shut off the wind, and
Jake, by direction of Charley, poled the boat
along with the oar. After proceeding in this
manner mile Or more, they reached the head
of the inlet, and the boat grounded on
beach of white sand.
slump out" said Charley; land pull the |
bows up"
Jake begged, with mental reservation,
and,in compliance with further orders, plant
ed the kedge anchor in the sand. Then |
Charley, tossing HIM the bundle he had |
brought on board, commanded him to pick it |
up, and precede him along path that led in
land from the beach; holding the pistol cock
ed in his hand, he followed the reluctant |
Jake up the narrow path, which led through |
a dense thicket. After proceeding some dis
lance, they emerged into an opening in which |
stood low house with wide verandas, and in |
the rear some outbuildings. Their appear
ance was greeted by yelping. chorus from a
pack Of dogs who dashed toward them with |
the evident design of tearing them piece
meal. Jake felt himself to be in a most ua- |
comfortable situation; there was no escape |
from the dogs but in flight, and he felt equal
ly assured that at the first symptom of such |
an intention he would receive the contents of |
the pistol. He glared wildly about; behind
was the pistol bearing on him, with wicked
looking eye behind it; in front, not hundred
feet from him, dozen dogs, of all sorts and
sizes, galloped toward him like pack of |
tends, snarling and swapping their teeth. In |
this emergency,not knowing what to do. Jake
did nothing and waited silently for whatever
might happen. The foremost dog was with. |
in twenty feet of him when the sharp COM
mand OF Charley seemed to awaken recogni- |
ton, for their clamor cease and they crowd |
ed about the pair, wagging their tails, and |
fawning.upon Charley; but snuffing at Jake's |
calves in way not calculated to entirely quiz
ct his startled nerves. The dogs allowed the |
pair to proceed without further hostile DEM
onstratlons, con.enting themselves with ac- |
companying them in close phalanx as BODY
guard. AS Jake and Charlie stepped on the
veranda, the door opened, and a man appear-