The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1876-07-08
They set sail from the Patuxent on Sat

long voyage of five days over so short
distance would seem to indicate that they
departed from the common track of navi-
CATION to avoid notice.
The next morning Mr.. Wormeley fur
nished them horses and a servant, and
Mrs. Talbot, with the nurse and child,
under the conduct of Cornet Murray, set
out for Gloucester-a distance of some
twenty miles. The day following, that is,
on Friday, the servant returned with the
horses, having left the party behind. Sat.
urday passed and part of Sunday, when, in
the evening, Mrs. Talbot and the Cornet
reappeared at Mr.. Wormeley's. The child
and nurse had been left behind; and this
was accounted for by Mrs. Talbot saying
she had left the child with his father, to
remain with him until she should return to
Virginia. infer that the child was intro
duced into this adventure to give some
seeming to the visit which might lull sus-
picion and procure easier access to the
prisoner; and the leaving of him in Glou
and probably confederates, to whose care
he was committed
AS soon as the party had left the shallop,
upon their first arrival at Mr.. Wormeley's,
the willy Master Skreene discovered that he
had business at landing farther up the
river; and thither he straightway took his
vissel-W ormeleys being altogether too
suspicious place for him to frequent
And now, when Mrs. Talbot had returned
to Wormeley's, Rogers business above, of
course, was finished, and he dropped down
again opposite the house on Monday even,
ing; and the next morning took the Cornet
he drew out into the river. This brings
us to Tuesday, the 10th Of February.
AS soon as Mrs. Talbot was once more
embarked in the shallop, Murray and Riley
facts, as find it in his testimony subse-
quently taken before the Counci) made
pretext to go on shore, taking one of the
men with them. They were going to look
Skreene-and besides that, intended to 60
to a tavern to buy a bottle of rum; all of
which Sllreene gives the Council to under
stand he verify believed to be the real OBJ
.ject of their visit.
The truth was, that, as soon as Murray
and Riley and their companion had reached
the shore, they mounted on horseback and
galloped away in the direction of Glouces-
ter prison. From the moment they disap-
peared on this gallop until their return, we
have no account of what they did. Roger
Skreene's testimony before the Council is
virtually silent on this point.
After this party was gone, Mrs. Talbot
herself took command, and, with view to
more privacy, ordered Roger to anchor
near the opposite shore of the river, taking
advantage of the concealment afforded by
a small inlet on the northern side. Skreene
says he did this at her request, because she
expressed wish to taste some Of the oys-
tiers from that side of the river, which he,
with his usual facility, believed to be the
only reason for getting into this unobserved
harbor; and, merely to crafty this wish,
he did as she desired.
The day went by slowly to the lady on
the water. Cold February, little sloop,
and the bleak roadstead at the mouth of
the Rappahannock brought but few COM
forts to the anxious wife, who sat mutlled
upon that unstable deck, watching the OPP
posite shore, while the ceaseless plash of
the waves breaking upon her ear number
ed the minutes that marked the weary
hours, and the hours that marked the still
more weary day. She watched for the
party who had galloped into the sombre
pine forest that sheltered the road leading
to Gloucester, and for the arrival of that
cousin of whom Murray spoke to Master
Skreene.
But if the time dragged heavily with
her, it flew with the Cornet and his COM
panions. We cannot tell when the twenty
miles to Gloucester were thrown behind
them, but we do know that the whole forty
miles OF going and coming were accom-
plished by sunrise the next morning. For
the deposition tells US that Roger Skreene
had become very impatient at the absence
of his passengers, at least, SO he swears
to the Council; and he began to think, just
after the sun was up, that, as they had not
returned, they must have got into revel
at the tavern, and forgotten themselves;
which careless demeanor of theirs made
him think of recrossing the river and of
going ashore to beat them up; when, 10.
all of sudden, he spied boat coming
round the point within which he lay. And
here arises pleasant little dramatic scene
of some interest to our story.
Mrs. Talbot had been up at the dawn,
and watched upon the deck, straining her
sight, until she could see no more for tears;
and at length, unable to endure her emo
ton longer, had withdrawn to the cabin.
Presently Skreene came hurrying down to
tell her that the boat was coming,-and,
what surprised him, there were four per.
sons in it. "Who is this fourth man 2"
he asked her, with his habitual simplicity,
"and how are we to get him back to the
shore again pa very natural question for
Roger to ask, after all that had passed in
his presence! Mrs. Talbot sprang to her
feet,-her eyes sparkling, as she exclaimed
with CHEEKY voice, ooh, his cousin has
come r'-and Immediately ran upon deck
to await the approaching party. There
were pleasant smiling faces all around, as
the four men came over the sloop's side;
and, although the testimony is silent as to
the fact, there might have been some little
kissing on the occasion. The newcomer
was in IA rough dress, and had the exterior
of servant; and our skipper says in his
testimony, that Mrs. Talbot spoke to him
in the Irish language" very volubly, |
have no doubt, and that much was said
that was never translated. When they
came to pause in this conversation, she
told Skreene, by way of Interpretation,
che need not be uneasy about the stranger
going on shore, nor delay any longer, as
this person had made up his mind to go
NTH them tO Maryland'