Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-03-02
Continued from FIRST page. /


comprshended with quick fash Of anger,
and almost at the instant he struck on his
feet slapped the fellow smartly on his face.
The devil sprang up In the ugly visage,
and he thrust his hand into his breast and
drew out a knife. He was raising his arm
TO strike when there was a cry and sud-
den report. and the knife flew across the
hold. The fellow dueked and turned. and
went through the hole in the wall like an
eel. Fleming turned toward Kate. Did
YOU do that Pr be asked
Yes" answered Kate.
You knocked the knife out oil his hand"
II fred that's all know" she said.
Mrs. Brooks and Louise were naturally
startled and agtated.
do you want me to stay now p asked
Fleming. feeling that he ought, but anx-
ious about what might happen on deck.
Kate alone was quite composed: her
blood was up, h,r face flushed and eyes
bright, and her hair thrown back from her
face. She moved the lantern so that its
light fell into the corner next the cabin.
No" she said, you go up. Rich. We're
not afraid; | wont let any more come
through"
So he left them and wen, on deck again.
The islanders said it was madness to
think of going into New Dublin that night,
that they must not try it and finally that
they should not go. They said they could
have twenty men by calling for them, and
looked and talked very threateningly.
But meanwhile the Heron was beating out
of the harbor, and the four determined
men took no notice OF their words except
to let the butts OF their pistols show as they
moved about on the alert and stood by to
brace the jjib round TO help her jibe. When
the crew in the cabin found they were
bound to go out, they began to pelt the cap
tain at the wheel, and directly opposite the
companion-way, with anything they could
lay hands on-at first with light objects,
then with bottles and glasses that whirled
past his head overheard or smashed on the
wheel or the iaffrail, knocking his hat off
and cutting his hand. Finally. the cabin
lamp came out bodily and all atlame.
and crushed into thousand fragments
Having thus thrown away their light,
they had no resource but to come on deck.
shouting and turbulent, women and men
together. But they were evidently awed
by the silence and determination of the
little party in charge, and Shore added To
their awe by knocking down first one and
then the other of his own drunken hands
as they came within his reach Some of
them were evidently for getting away.
and as the sloop came round and drew up
on the next tack, and began to feel the
heave of the open water and the sweep of
the bead wind. they began to move toward
their boat, towing astern. But. whether
reckless with drink or wild with resent
ment of Jennings blow on the face. just
as the last Of them were dropping over
the side. the same young dog made sud
den movement and flung off the cover OF
the hatch. Just as he was about to leap
down, Field came with bound and sprang
right across the hatch upon him. You
sea-devil, you! now gor' he cried: and
Selling him round the body as he stopped.
he lifted him and with a swing flung him
clear over the side into the sea. Then he
and his friends stood at the gunwale with
their pistols drawn and warned the boat
off. while the sloop came up fluttering it,
TO the wind and went dancing away IN
staiboard tack, safe from any pursuit.
But they had little time or reason then
for congratulation with rough sea. a
wild night OF head wind and a dangerous
harbor before them. The drunken hands
were dragged forward and left to roll in
the scuppers to sober them. The cabin
was nastliy put TO rights, lantern hung,
and the ladies got out of the hold. The
young men got up the red and green
lights and hung them in tse shrouds, and
made everything snug as the captain d.
rected; and they dropped the harbor be-
hind and went staggering out into open
water. Then for half the night it was
beat and beat up into the wind, with wet
decks and scuppers spouting, spray flying
in great sheets from bow to stern. Tie
lonely ladies sat together. speaking little,
and with dreary feeling of the desola-
ton OF sea-storms and laundering vessels
creeping over them as they listened TO the
labor and strain of the soop the clatttr
and creaking and loud tapping of the
sails and rigging, the swash and thumr-
Ing OF the waves, tramping feet on The
deck overhead, and now and then hoarse
CALL So dismaly they hudded together
in the dim cabin while for hours the soop
forged on, pitching till the bowsprit point
ed halfway to the zenith. then plugging
with a headlong wallow into the seething
hollow. sometimes burying her bowsprit
in the coming billow.