Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1875-02-12

/ know she lies somewhere in
yonder, he said, but I've never pass
ed the mouth. Luff, sir, luff! Well
put about directly-there's a nasty
bit o. water fair ahead.
The young man uttered an excla-
nation expressive of impatience.
Here, Calum, take the helm, and
let us have look at the chart.
So saying, he again resigned the
tiller to Calum, as the old man was
called, and plunglng down the com
panion to the cabin, soon re-emerged
with the Government chart of the
coast in his hand, spreading it out
on the "coach-roOf, F." and following
the marks with his finger, he studied
it attentively, now and then glancing
at the land, while the yacht having
put about, was dashing along
through squall after squall, and
coming nearer to the shore.
He was a man of eight or nine and
twenty, with a rather handsome
style of face-broad, high brow, a
nose of the so-cailed 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 he wore
thick, fossy moustache, very fair in
color. His eyes were blue and very
large, though he had habit of con-
tracing 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 ex-
preston, nevertheless, was marTed
by audacity and superciliousness,
hollow at times, with a sort of spas
modic gayety his face did not share.
AS he studied the mysterious lines
of the chart, his face grew very
black. 1t was clear that this gentle
man, whatever might be his good
qualities, possessed a very passion
ate temper.
Why the devil did l come here
without a pilot? he exclaimed. Look
here, Calum! the mouth of the Ioch
is full of sunken rocks in every di-
rection. Far out to the right there's
Bo Scarbh, regular reef, three feet
under at high springs; close by
see! there's another, Bo something
Else; and then there's half-a-dozen
rocks peppered here, and another
half-dozen there. To crown all,
there's only six feet at low water in
the deepest part of the channel, al
though we are drawing seven feet
aft; and by George! the channel it
self is only about two cables length
across. 1t would be certain ship
wreck to enter without a pilot
what are we to do?
1t was in answer to this question
that Calum recommended that they
should signal to the shore for pi-
lot; and so the little yacht was kept
running to and fro on the wind Just
off the shore. On coming thus close
in under the mountains, they could
just distinguish, half a mile ahead,
the silvern CLEAN of the mouth of
the lock, and seen from afar, it look
ed very narrow indeed-only few
yards across. Just inside, as they
knew, there was good anchorage in
a small, snug basin just opposite the
''yillage."
But an hour of great excitement
passed, and there was no answer to
their signal, from the shore. Every
instant the squalls grew more ter
ifc, till it seemed the little vessel
must be lost indeed. Worst of all,
night was near; the hills were al
ready growing dim. .
It's an awfu' coast, said Calum;
but the NIGHTS going to be bad, and
nae yacht O. this size can live if it
comes on a gale. If nae man comes
off from the shore, we'H just have to
run for Loch Uish, straight down
the coast. It's no. cannie run in
the dark, for there's the Mackenzie
Rock, and the reef where Sandie
Cow lost the Spell; and forbye that,
there's the Black Rocks; but we'll
dae our best.
Humph! then it's only chance
that we get clear out of this con-
founded mess? e.
Aye, just chance. The folk III
be awa' at the fishing, and it's bad
NIGHT for a boat like this in the
open.
Something in the perfectly un-
moved and phlegmatic tone of the
speaker took the others attention,
for the young man stared at him for
some time with a half comic, half
sneerlng look of astonishment, and
seeing the grim, weather-beaten fea-
lures perfectly unmoved, he broke
into hard laugh.
You took it cody enough, at any
rate, he cried.
And what for should no. take it
cody? Pm only common man, and
maun TAX the winds as they come,
and earn my breed.
Can you swim?
Not stroke, replied Calum, bu-
rying his face in his hands TO light
his black Guilty pipe; while the man
in the forepart of the vessel, reclin-
ing against the bits, hummed in a
low voice the doleful lively ditty of
"Gillie Calum."
Still finding secret amusement in
the stolidity of his companions, the
young man laughed again; then en-
tering the cabin, once more, he re-
emerged with a fowling-piece and
fred two shots rapidly into the air.
Scarcely had he done so, when an
enormous black dog sprang up the
companion, and rushing to the bull
warks gazed eagerly out on the wa
ters.
Down, Nero, down! cried the
young man. He thinks l have shot
something. Hal the noise seems to
have attracted attention at last
look yonderl
On small eminence overlooking
the entrance of the loch two or three
figures were dimly seen; but it was
already too dark to make out who
and what they were. The twilight
had quite fallen and the wind was
blowing with great fury.