Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-03-02
NO.. SO.
Tales and Sketehes.
THE CRUISE OFrHE HERON.
Continued from yesterday.I

1
of their visitors before the ladies' returned.
Shore said to Field, I'VE must treat them
civil now. Never mind about a little
roughness; if we get foul OF them, We'll
have the the whole island on US. You
keep sharp lookout on deck. aud I'll go
down with them and give them something,
and make some excuse to get quit Of them.
| That's the devil OF it; they'll never go till
we give them whiskey, and they're no
saints with drink in them"
They came aboad with a good deal OF
rough merriment, and made an especial
show OF iriendliness toward Field; and
when Shore invited them down to the
cabin, they insisted on Fields accompany
ing them. and one or two refused to 90
down till he came. Field would have
been for treating them to cold courtesy
and ordering them off if they did not be-
have themselves but Shore intimated to
! him that it would not do to cross
| them lightly, and so he went down, and
| the skipper remained on deck, sending
down the two hands, Brace and Beach, to
bear him company. These provided bur
| poor resource, however.
Mr.. Meadow was in the hold forw ard,
| arranging some lines for to-morrow's fish,
| ing. CThe cabin accommodations of the
| Heron were limited, and berths had been
| improvised for some Of the party in the
waist) The skipper came and called him
af.er a while: "Mr Meadow, | think
you'd better come up" He came up i'm
| mediately. and saw Shore standing for
ward with a handspke in his hand and
looking out in the direction Flemming had
taken. "What is the matterP" he asked.
go aft and look at the cabin,' Shaw
said.
He went back on the quarter and looked
down the companion-way. There was
high carnival going on down there
Either they had brought off liquor with
them. or they had somehow got the best
of Field and taken possession of the skip
per's store, and appeared to be drinking
freely. The hands, apparently wrought
| upon by the Establishments of the island
| women, had already taken too much, and
| they and their new friends were making
boisterous hilarity. singing, chattering all
together in a harsh iargan, laughing and
clinking their glasses in the widest man.
ner. They were all between Field and
the entrance, and in the fitiul light of the
hanging lamp, the wild faces of the is
landers and their outlandish dress, with
| the handsome young fellow at the farther
| end resolute and composed, and just lit
| tie pale, made rather startling spectacle.
When Mr.. Meadow went forward again
he saw Shaw in the shrouds swinging a
lantern. and he asked, Isn't 1t time Flem.
| ing was back? You don't think anything
has happened ?"
"No," Shore answered "he was armed
| and he's a p!ucky fellow They won't
| trouble him, bat wish he was here.''
Mr.. Meadow went down and got his
pistol and when he got back the skipper
said. They're coming" and, listening.
they could hear the chock of the oars
Presently the boat appeared, and they
| heard them speaking to one another in u
low tone across the water. They had
| seen the signal, and taken the hint from
| its silence. The two men stood by the
gunwale and waited for them to come
| alongside, then helped them aboard aud
Shore said, We've got some drunken
islanders aboard, ladies. and think you'd
better go below here till we get rid OF
| them"
Nothing more was said. but they assist
ed them to climb down the hatchway, put
| on the hatch. and blocked up one side not
to smother them. Meanwhile, Fleming
had been aft to reconnoire, and came
back.
Well he asked, whats to he done?''
'.We've got to go out OF here" the skip
per said.
Fleming was tolerable sailor. and they
| quickly and silently got up sail and then
hove the anchor. The wind was blowing
hard from the northwest by this time. even
| in the harbor the water was beginning to
| be rather rough. As the sails rose and
| filled out. one aud another gruff voice from
the neighboring craft lying at anchor
hailed TO ask where they were going, and
Shore answered, "We's going into New
Dublin
| From all sides came advice not to try il.
and one captain said the Heron could not
make New Dublin with that wind. Shore
| did not reply, but went aft to the wheel.
and the sails tapped and filled, and then
drew and made the sloop move through
the water.
The party below were uproarous by this
time, but some of them noticed the tlutter
in the rigging or the heeling OF the vessel,
and came out to see what it was. Thev
demanded where he was bound, and be.
ing told said it could not be done, and re-
ceiving no reply went back to report.
About that time Field suddenly disap-
pedIeu lIon aulOuS tHe Tiolous crew Wtn-
out any one seeing him go. That and the
news OF the sloop being under way created
a great excitement for the moment in the
cabin and meanwhile Field appeared sud
denly to the startled ladies In the hold
there was q narrow passage through the
partition, covered by the stationary cabin
table. and through this Field had managed
to slip unnoticed. He went to his berth
and brought out pair of pistols, and said.
kate. you've handled pistol, haven't
you?"
| Kate answered, "Yes, remembering
wei! the first time. ''Well, keep that"
said Field. The sloop's under way, and
we'll soon shake them off He climbed up
and pushed aside the hatch, and joined his
friends on deck, who were glad enough to
see him.
| Kate was nearest the cabin partition.
and hearing some noise that way turned
quickly, and the light of the lantern flashed
luridly on the shaggy head of the same
young dog of an islander grinning savage.
ly in her face, and quite close. She gave
an involuntary scream and instautlv the