Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1877-08-30

the ur0teCI0u 0I TUG BctNafh u y luz W
stop q rent which the pressure had
made in the hose that the cid trapper
was tending, rose out of the shadow
and approaching the Captain said:
Yes, sir. l know the coast
sWho are yon, said the Captain,
that claims such knowledge? Are You
not the youth saw with the old nunt-I
ter at the table tonight? How should
you, born in the interior, know any
thing about this coast?' II
Il was not born in the woods re-
sponded the lad; Il was born within
ten miles of where we are, and know
every rock, and reef, and point, for l
have fished on them all; and know ev-
cry beach, for used to play on them
when boy
The Captain looked incredulous. He
had associated him with the hunter
and the wilderness, and it seemed in-
credible that he should have been born
where he said he Was born, and that
he should be on that boat that night,
and be discovered by the merest acci-
dent at the very instant of supreme
peril.
Captain said the old trapper, who
had drawn nigh, .Cap'n, whatever the
lad says ye can sartainly take for. Cos
pei truth. And if he says he was born
here, he WAS born here; and il he says
he knows this shore, he does know it;
and We can rely on him to do what he
says he can do; for his words be truth,
and his acts be like his words.'
Young man. said the Captain, have
you any other friend on board beside
this hunter?'
'Sartin he has, said the old man, an
swerine the question for the lad, there
be Henry there, who has b0ated with
him and camped with him off and Oh,
and the lad saved his life once. and
that's a ssrvice that man isn't apt to
fergit. Yis,, you may sit it down,
Cap'n, that Henry and me be the lads
| friends
'Call him here,' said the Captain,
hoarsely, and then follow me TO the
pilot hoase.' --sA- ~roF 4
1t was with the greatest effort that
1.-THE four were able 10 reach the point
designated, for the gale was blowing
with increased violence, and the iron
rod and the ropes they grasped to
-teady themselves were already hot;
land even as they reached the upper
ldeek the flames broke fiercely out from
1.-THE hatch way and the fire began to run
in Waveripg lines along the inner tim
bers ofthe bulwarks and the Ornamen-
tai edgings of the upper deck.
l. II have called yon here said the
Captain, TO ask you in the presence OF
/ my officers If there Is any safe spot, any
eove or bay into which the steamer can
be run along the coast abreast of us"
DO you mean 10 beach her, Captain?'
asked the lad. -
Yes he responded, it is our only
chance. We must beach her. Can
you do it?'
Il can,' said the lad, simply.
You cdilp exclaimed the Captain;
do you mean to say, young man, that
you can beach this steamer? Gentle.
men, he continued, as he turned to his
officers, IF this young man can dc
what he says, every soul can be saved.
Il can do just what tell you / can
do said the lad: that is, if the engines
work, and we can fetch her around in
the sea, and the flames don't gel
ahead Ofsus; for there is little bay
nearly abreast of Us, and the water is
deep in in it, and the beach is free
from rocks and stones, and / can tell
the pilot just where to steer to gel
Into it, -..
But said the Captain, and he spoke
with hurried ulterance, as one who
feels there isn't "A moment to lose, you
fought to know, ana your friends here
ought TO know, the danger you, run
for the flames will break out in a few
moments. You can hear them roaring
under deck already. The flames will
break out in moment, l say; this pi-
lot honse will be on fire. and he who
stands beside it will stand in the center
of flames, and il will be through Gods
mercy if he comes out with his life.
feel it to be my solemn duty to state
these things to you, young man, and in
the presence of your friends who are
interested in your life.-.Now, know
ing that you will probably lose your
life, ask you again, will you pilot this
steamer to that beach? There are six
handred souls on board, and if you dc
itSou viii be their saviour. Will you
de lt?'
The lads face never changed mus.
lcle! Il he light in his eyes may posi-
fb,y have darkened a little. and the old
trspper noted that his long, awkward
fingers shut into their palms with q
tinged grip, but his voice was quiet as
ever as he said:
L will help you beach, Captain S
The Captain hesitated yet a moment.
He knew himself that the lad was go
!, ing to his death-going with quiet
ness that could have only ignorance or
the finest heroism for its cause. II was
not TO he wondered at, that, accepting
as he was the sacrifice of life, he was
touched. He gaZed at the singular be
| ing before him, observed the simple
guilelessness of his countenaBee,s and,
dashing a tear from his eye, he turned
to the trapper and said:
old man, this boy is your compan-
ion, and you love him?'
'Yis; the lad and me have slept to-
gether, und we've eaten from the same
bark, and he and me has done little
sarvices for each other that men in the
woods don't forgit, and guess you're
about right, Cap'n, when you say that
L love the lad.'
God forbid!' exclaimed the Captain,
God forbid that take the responsible
ty of the sacrifice-fOr that's just what
it is, old man. Ought the boy to stay?'
/ .Sartin, sartin,, said the old trapper;
If the lad can save the wimmen folks
and leetle uns, not to speak of the
men, by stayin' here, then he sar-
tainly ought to stay, even ii he starts
on his last trail from the deck of ves-
Isel instead of from the shadder of the
pine, fer death never comes too quick
10 one who meets it at the post of duty,
and it never comes slow enough to one
who shirks. Yis, let the lad stay where
he is, and an old man who has faced
death on many field where bullets
was thick will. stand by his side, and
the Lord of Marcy shall do with him
as he will. should like to have seed
the.pups again; but the Lord will take
care OF the dogs
While this conversation had been
carried on, the officers Of The steamer
had made the arrangements necessarily