Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1879-06-27

my IIleluS NcllI dSnOIt. lllell, luSJ us
| was going down the cabin stairs, he
walked briskly aft and called:
Captain Bryantr
That's my name,' | said.
go Then you know what this means )
and he took the broken needle from the
lapel of his coat. / told him recog-
nized it and asked him what / could do.
He said:
"If you'll have no objection, wish you
would get clear of this dock at once
The sooner New York sees our heels
the better I'll like it.
"' Very WE'LL l said but I'd like to
know some name to call you by. /
suppose you have one.'
My name is William Hunt
II had the watch called up and we
cast off from the wharf. | singnaled u
tug and was towed out of the dock and
down to Governors Island. There the
tug cast loose and we made sail. There
was brisk breeze going and we bowled
along at good rate till we were about
midway between Fort Hamilton and
Murray & Norton's Coney Island wharf.
There Hunt told me to run as close into
the beach as could and anchor.
GO obeyed. Hunt was perfectly cool
and collected, as if he had the whole pro-
gramme clearly made out. But he
watched every movement on the
schooner keenly. When the anchor
touched ground asked him if we should
furl the sails. He said:
"'Not much. Unless you want the
trouble of setting them again tonight )
"This time it was as dark as pitch.
The men went to supper, and took n
snack on deck, as Hunt had said he
might want me any minute. He sat on the
taffrail, smoking one cigar after another,
humming q tune, and looking toward
the shore, without ever turning his head,
even when he occasionally spoke to me.
My mate, who was eating supper in the
cabin, came on deck as soon as hefinished,
and said it was eight bells (nine o'clock.
He had hardly spoken when a bright
light Dashed out ashore. 1t looked like
one of the flash lights made by burning
resin, which we use to signal ships with
at night. 1t only flared out once. Hunt
jumped to the deck and threw his cigar
overheard. l noticed that his voice
trembled with excitement when he said,
hurriedly: Lower boat, captain.
You and me will pull ashore by our
selves
81 got boat into the water at once.
Hunt and myself got in. noticed that
he rowed nervously, but like man who
knew his business. We pulled straight
for where the light had showed, and
beached the boat just below Murray Il
Norton's wharf. There were three peo-
pie there. One was Murray himself, an
other, young Mckay, the former owner
of the Atwood. He had a lantern, keep
ing it partially under the wharf, as if TO
keep the light from being seen.
THE third party was a big, portly,
man, with clean. shaved
down over his eyes, a rough blue woolen
coat on. There were three handsome
silver or nickel-mounted valises on the
beach at his feet.
Hunt landed and said something /
could not hear, sitting in the boat.
Murray and Mckay shook hands with
the middle-aged man and with Hunt,
and wished them goodbye and a pleas
ant voyage. There was no other con-
versation, but such as would pass be-
tween parting friends. Mckay put the
valises in the boat, and Hunt and the
other man got in. He sat in the stern,
and was so heavy that he almost
swamped the gig. When we pushed off
Murray called to me:
"' You know your orders, captain.
Don't make any mistake
"'He won't if | know myself said
Hunt, and we rowed off, leaving them
watching us. The man in the stern
never moved or said word after we
started.
"As soon as we got on board Hunt
and the other passenger went into the
cabin. / ordered the anchor to be hove
short and followed them. The middle
aged man was sitting on the sofa, with
his hat on yet, mopping his face with a
blue silk handkerchief, Hunt said, Cap
tain, let me introduce you to Uncle John
Secor.'
"We shook hands, Uncle John say
ing, without rising, Glad to meet YOU
captain, and taking his hat off. | knew
him ut glance, from his pictures in the
papers. 1t was Bill Tweed.
Ills face was thinner than the pic
lures made it, and his beard was shaved
close off, but there was no mistakine
him. The sight sort of fabbergasteC
me, and kept staring like BOBBY. HI
noticed me looking so intently at hin
and stopped down, so as to hide his face
while pretending to tie his shoes. HI
was visibly nervous and his hand trem
bled very much.
al hope you'll make yourself com
Portable, Uncle John. Anyhow your
safe,' | said, hardly knowing what wa
saying anyhow.
"Then went on deck. The ancho
wasn't apeak yet, and / set some of TIL
crew to swaying up the sail, while
walked up and down, wondering wha
would happen next. They were at i
when Hunt came out of the cabin. II
was quite calm now, and smoking
fresh cigar. What's the matter. now
he asked. i might as well tell you
Hunt l said, that ! know who Uncl
John Secor is. Don't you think ough
to have stake out of thisP'
"'Never fear,' he said, quite gayly
putting his hand on my shoulder. 'Ih
old man hasn't got much. He's bee
pretty well cleaned out, but we won
Now get to sea as quick us you can
we were well OUT 10 sea Dy uayHgllt
Tweed began to be seasick the minut
we struck rough water. He was abou
the sickest man / ever saw, ana was a
helpless as baby. There was some
thing pitiable in the sight of him. II
would lie in his berth with Hunt, wh
was as good sailor as he was an oars
man, holding his head over wash BASH
and reich and vomit for hours, till you
think he was going to turn inside ou
The Atwood's cabin is so small that I'll
/, air soon became close and fetid enoug
to give whale the collie, but the sic
man would not come on deck. He ID
there three days, sweltering and beir
sick, drinking brandy, by way of med
cine. Then he got well enough to sit II
! and was soon all right. Even when |
, .uae 1unlst sicl. he Lad n nLnnrE,ll eli