Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-01-16
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
i oUK DoU111 11UH.
II ~ 4. v. BLAKE.
A dull, gray evening gloamin,
down over . gray -. 4 loug, wo
stretch Of shell strewn sad curvinl
below high sandy blum, down who's,
abrupt face 1igxas pathway descen
ded from the plains above. I took NJ
trouble to dismouAt. Chsveikna,
Iclimbed like . CT, and 20 I kept hil
back - best I could during the do
scent.
/ II say, Rail-, you'll 70 over his head
~ yoo keep on In that fashion" !" said
Herries from the bluff.
"Not l."
A slip, . slids, rush OF yieldina
sand, and CheveignAc taking thing
easy In . sitting posture.
"Never you mind, my boy, my
horse and / are one, Centsur lGshicn
and We are certain to come oat right
side up.n
Awhisk. . scampsr, . bound down
the Last slope, supplsmsatsd my 70
mark, and my black trotted, heed up.
for the breakers. =
Now, If there was any one thing
for which Chevsignae had . mania, L
was saltwater bathing; and I stoed
at that moment 3 fair chance OF be3ue
we'll ducked. Herfies laughed and
hallooed from the blp6, and I used
al my authority In vain. Chsyei9.
nae had not achieved parfest ttsainin9 /:
- had bis freaks Of willlhlness quite
like the human beings Of his acqusint-
ance. = 81
It was directly made manifest that
l must dismount or bs carried Into
the breakers. I got my fest ont ofth
stirrups In haste, rolled over his tail,
and landed waist deep in froth and
foam. .ssszE
heard Herries' scream Of laughter
- hs paused half way down the path,
holding his horses bride. Fatal ex.
ultationl The next moment brown
4ogs feet slipped from under her.
A great rush Of ssud overwhelmed
biped and quadruped; struggling,
kicking, and half-smothsred, thsy
rolled together to the foot Of the
bluffs.
Hsrries got up with stand In his
boots, down his back, mp his slssvss,
In his hair, eyes, nose and mouth. /
splashed my way out to the beach and
laughed In my turn at brown Ne9
and her msstsr, who emitted in con.
cert sundry indsscribabls noises be-
tween . cough and . sneese.
SWELL, my dne fellow, when you
have recovered gravity We will resume
our journey. Precious nonsense I"
added Herries, ito come down here
ct ell. We might have skirted the
bluffs ct . respectable distance and
not cut oil these sntics."
"And gone three miles round Cob.
ham Gully-since we couldn't ay
across! PShaw, man; you're not
hurt, and I've the worst Of the bar.
gain, after all. Now to got round
Helmet Rock before the tide turns"
I whistled 10 Chevsignsc, who came
shoreward, roaring and plunging
like some black sea monster. He was
dripping vet, but the lower half Of
my body quite agreed with him, 10
sprang to the saddle and cared for
naught. We rode sesward dewn the
long narrow promontory round the
base of Helmet Rock, which was only
passsble at low water. The rock IT,
self rose sheer eighty feet from the
sand, and intersected the smooth
stretch of beach that lay between us
and the cabin Of . frontiersman nam
cd Nixon, where We hoped to And se-
commodatfons for the night. Meth
er Of us knew the way, save, % direct
cd by IN old miner named Calsabs.
Cheveignac, taking superb strides
around the corner Of the rock, aud
breathing additional exhilsration in
every breath Of the wild sea wind,
very nearly ran over . tall man stand
Ing on the narrow way and scanning
the horizon with sGAcs ofpainful anx-
iety. refined up, apologized, and In
quired II the Strangers name was
Nixon; for I saw not 200 yards away
: long, low cabin in the shelter Of (
huge rock. He said IL was, and In one
sharp, comprehensive glance Of scru-
tiny, took us and our animals In from
head to heel.
"Can you accommodate No with
food and shelter tonight p Nixon
paused. "You're from New Eng
land" he observed, more In the fash-
ion Of remark than question. And
he thrust his hands in his pockets and
appeared to consider.
"Yes old Massachusetts" said ], .
hit nnxzla6 NJ him
$50? Same State myself. Hain't
grasshopper. Wish was there now
but I don't knows you can tie up with
me-"
"Why 2" said Herries and / togeth.
or. Hospitality was the prevailing
virtue Of his class.
"Danger," answered Nixon, signifi-
cantly.
! "Pooh, man! Do We look % II we
feared danger? Give ~ some bacon
and potatoes, and we'll face any reas-
enable danger that any man may, and
live. Supper, at least, II not shelter"
"Jest % you say" said Nixon indif-
ferently. .On'y remember I warned
you," and hs led the way ata dog trot
along the beach.
The bacon and potatoes were forth.
coming, and disappeared In marye.
Ions fashion before our savage onset.
While our host attended 70 our hor.
ses, We found leisure to look Ahout NJ
The cabin WAS IN unusually roomy
one; at least eighteen by twenty
The usual accoutrements Of q hunter
and fisherman were placed shout
There was evidence Of q Woman's
presence and taste, but ws had seen
NO woman. A kind Of uucomforta.
BILE stiffness reigned, broken only bv
the ceassless roll Of the surf. A sim
gle ray Of light broadsnsd and bright.
ened through the one window 1T was
the moon rising.
We conversed In Whisper, wonder.
Ing what danger menaced, and unds-
cidsd whether to stay or resume our
journey.
sLet's 60" said Herriss, unsaaily,
strikes one In the dark. Lets 70 On
to Hoveys; its only Ave miles furth.
Or down the coast, and The Calsabe
fellow said Il was ell plain tsaveling."
Ofa sudden, With no sound IA de
soft saad, . black, bridlsd head and .
brown and white noes appeared be.
fore the half.opsn dooF. With .
hand on each, Nixon stood between
them. We stared.
"Nsn," aid our host with gravity,
''you'rs from old Massachusetts,. I
can't reconcile your staying 70 my
conscionco. You've good horses, and