Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1877-08-31


overthrow by the violence of the
gale. BY degrees, however, the tu-
multi subsidized, light again penetrat-
ed the foliage, and the hurricane
passed off as quickly as it had come
1t was only after long hours of
walking, and when they were tired
out, that the sea once more spread
itself out before them, heaving still.
and showing a thousand reflections
of rose-color from the sunset-tinted
clouds overhead. The sun almost
touched the horizon, and, tired though
he was, Lieutenant West could not
but stop to admire, with wonder and
something of awe. 1t is only with
a stormy sky that the wonderful sun
sets of these latitudes are to be seen,
as IN calm weather the sky is almost
invariably cloudless. The voung
mans eye swept the surface of the
ocean somewhat anxiously for the
cutter, but where she had been an
chored was nothing to be seen hut
the gradually subsiding waves.
"There she is, sir" exclaimed one
Of the men suddenly, as he pointed
to where, nearly mile from them,
the little vessel was aground, her
bowsprit buried in the sand, and her
mast and yards entangled among the
branches of the trees.
They soon reached her, and found
that the storm had not done her any
serious damage. The captain had
two tents set up on the beach-one
for the sailors, ahd the other for his
daughter, that she might be in shell
ter until the vessel could be set
ahoat. Alice stood by her father,
pale and agitated, and as Vests
glance noted it, the captain said:
"She was afraid you were lost,
Charley, or that the snake had made
an end of you," and then moved off
to give some order to the sailors.
This remark dispelled the girls
palor, land she would have followed
him, bending her head to conceal
her bushes from the lieutenant,
when the latter arrested her.
81 am deeply grieved," he began,
in low voice, ''tO have caused you
so much alarm"
"You need not reproach yOur-
SELF" she interrupted coldly; at was
the storm that frightened me so ter
ribly."
But she seemed to regret the
speech the next moment, as the
young man turned quickly away,
and made a movement as if to stop
him. Then, seeing the eyes of one
of the men upon her, she walked
away in the opposite direction.
Those who had remained on board
had been more fortunate than the
lieutenant's party, for they had had
another glimpse of the python, but
it had disappeared before they could
reach it. This temperance of the
monstrous reptile made them keep a
good watch during the night, but
without any result. However, at
daybreak, West was awakened from
a dream, In which he had cut off the
serpent's head at a blow, and been
rewarded with the hand of the cap
tain's daughter, by fearful shrek,
which chilled his very blood.
He sprang~up on the instant, and
dashing out of the tent, he beheld a
spectacle which he would never for
oct in all his after-life. Right past
him sped Alice, terror lending her
wings, her lips parted, face cOlorless
as marble, and her long, golden hair
streaming behind her. Close after
glided the python, with all the sail
Ors and captain in pursuit; the young
man stood for a moment stupefed
with horror, and then joined in the
chase. 1t was in vain that the mep,
armed with hatchets and knives,
aimed blows at the tail; its motions
were so rapid that it escaped their
strokes. The poor girl was only
few steps in advance, with the rep
tile gaining on her every minute,
when she gathered all her strength,
and changing her direction, fled to
the forest, where the serpent follow
ed her, distanced for the minute by
the sudden alteration of her course.
The whole crew seemed to have
lost their heads entirely. They blum
dered on headloDg, tumbling over
roots and serambling through bush
es and brambles, instead of avoiding
them; so that first one and then an
other was left behind. West alone
retained his self possession. He was
soon in advance of the others, arm
ed with hatchet, which he snatch
ed from a man he had passed, appar-
emily entangled hopelessly in some
brambles.
The poor girl, without a thought
save of distancing her pursuers, pen
etrated farther and farther into the
recesses of the forest; but as she felt
that exhaustion must soon render
her an easy prey, after crossing a
little glade, she took refuge in the
trunk of hollow tree that present.
ed itself as a hiding place, and utter
ed one more piercing cry for help,
which reached the ears of him for
whom it was intended
"Save me, Charlie!''
He heard, and the words gave him
renewed energy and courage. The
reptile flung its 1.-THE coils around
the tree, so as to enclose poor Alice
in its fold, yet without touching her.
She clasped her hands in an agony
of dispair as her enemy, seeming to
be aware that it ws impossible for
her to escape, now turned It's atten-
ton to the lieutenant. Its eyes gilt
tering with a cruel, steely hght' its
forked tongue darting out and qulv-
ering between its gasplng JaWs-lt
presented a threating and terrible
asneet The captain and some of the
others came painting up. What was
~ he donc9 Il was impossible to fire
AZ the reptile, for fear of hurting the |
imprisoned Girl. They tried to strike
it with their hatchets and knives, but |
it avoided their strokes, and threat
ened them with its faugs.
''My poor girl! My poor grill"