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

city
Whist a minute! l hear the sound
of oars between US and the shore.
Listening intently, all could heal
the splash, splash of oars coming
nearer and nearer. Immediately af
terwards a small boat, rowed by 8
solitary figure, shot out of the shad
ow of the hills. 1t seemed to be 6
rude coble, quite at the mercy of the
wind, but very skillfulIy managed
While Calum brought the boat Ut
to the wind, the young man leant
over the side of the vessel and re
garded the small boat intently. Pres
emily he uttered an exclamation
which bore a suspicious resemblance
to an oath, and turned angrily to
Calum-
Look there! Confound the idi.
lots! They've sent out a woman!
Calum who was quite as astonish-
ed, but exhibited more self-control,
nodded sharply. The boat was in
deed rowed by female, to all ap-
pearance strong and young, but her
head was covered by a dark hood,
and they could not see her face.
Angrily enough Calum addressed
the stranger in Gaelic. He was an
swered in clear ringing tones, in the
same tongue; and almost before he
could say another word the cobble
was alongside the yacht, and light
girlish figure, with a speed and agil-
ity perfectly marvellous to the
southerner had sprung on board.
1t was too dark to distinguish her
features plainly, but she seemed fair
complexioned and very young. Her
hood had fallen back, and her face
and hair were damp with spray
Perfectly lost in amazement at SC
strange an apparition, the young
man stood staring opened mouthed.
while the stranger and Calum spoke
to each other rapidly in Gaelic.
What does the girl sayY he at last
inquired, impatiently. Is any one
coming off to pilot US into the an
chorage?
Calum replied in a methodical
way peculiar to him and to his
class.
The lassie says there's not a man
in the village this night that can
pull an oar or draw a net. The
whole village is away after the her.
ring at Loch Uish, and there's
nothing left but wives, barns, and
old bed-rid men.
A furious squaIl struck the yacht
as the fisherman spoke and almost
capsized her, for she had entirely
lost way through being brought up
by the wind. Again addressing
Calum rapidly in Gaelic, the girl
pushed him aside and seized the til
ler.
Hullo, what are you doing? cried
the young man. You're never going
to trust the boat to a girl like that
She seemed to understand what
was said, or guessed at the meaning,
for she laughed. By this time the
yacht was again running rapidly
through the water, steered by the
stranger.
The lassie says, observed Calum,
phlegmatically, that there's no bet
ter pilot in the place than herself
and if we leave the boat to her she'll
take us in all snug. The tides at
the food, she says, and we'll hae
plenty O. water at the narrows.
But it's nearly pitch dark, and
this is mere child.
Never you fear, sir. See that
She kens how to steer a boat, and
take my word for it, she'll take us
safe. I've had worse pilots than this
before. now. She's bold lass, and
a cannie, and better than any man.
A loud cry from the girl inter
rupted him. She seemed giving in
structions 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 q
few feet from large black mass
projecting out of the sea.
That's close work, cried the gen
tleman, nervously. Pm afraid well
come to grief.
The girl spoke again to Calum,
and he interpreted.
That's Dhu Squa, she says. But
there's three fathoms of water to the
very edge of the reef. We're com
ing to the narrows, now, and need
every inch Groom.
Another cry from the girl, and
the vessel was round again on an
other tack. They were now quitt
in the shadows of the hills, and all
seemed darkness and confusion, es
pecially to the unaccustomed senses
of the young man. To him the
land seemed closing in on every
side, the mountains towering
straight above, the wind coming in
all directions. A wild roar was il
the air, and the water seemed swirl
ing and boiling below them will
an angry roar.
We're in the narrows now, CRIED
Calum, that's the boiling o. the tide
The wind was sweeping dead oui
of the mouth of the loch, and agair
and again the vessel put about Sc
rapidly, indeed, that she scarcely
got away upon her own tack before
she had come round again. Once
for this reason, she refused altogeth
er TO answer the helm in coming
around, and seemed drifting right
on the rocks of the channel; but IL
a moment, urged by the girl, Calum
doomed out the staysail to wind
ward with an oar, and the vessel
slowly completed her swinging out
All seemed to grow darker anG
darker after this, for they got more
and more in the shadow of the hills
but bye and bye the young man saw
that they had emerged into NOR,
open water, and the several lights
like those of village, were glimmer
ing from the darkess of the shore
The wind still shrieked loudly.
ALPS safe now, sir, said Calum
We're close to the anchorage, and
out of a. danger.
So saying he ran forward and as
sisted his fellow-seamen to haul up
the chain on deck, that 1t might ruI