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

DeIJeT anu DeSl, OF Gtcc f6TSH. AltlleQ
gave them names of people, places and
the like, all of which they carefully
noted down. lie got double-eagle for
ispains.
al was naturally curious to know how
they were fixed for money, but l got
very little satisfaction on that score.
The three valises were filled with linen
and few old suits of clothes of Hunts;
but in one was Russia leather satchel,
with straps to sling it over the shoulders,
and it was full of something. There was
also a leather writing-case, similarly
fixed for carrying. Hunt had a money
belt around his waist. The only weapon
| saw was little Remington revolver,
which Hunt carried.
"On the 30th of April, sixteen days
out, we weathered Cape Maysi, and be-
gan to think of the end of the voyage. |
had never been to Santiago de Cuba, so
| overhauled my book Of sailing direc-
tions and we held council of war.
"We found from the book and chart
that there was little river emptying
into the sea, about four miles from San
tiago harbor. 1t is a lovely place, only
visited for fresh water by occasional
ships. There Tweed determined to go
ashore, so we ran for that point. We
had head winds and an ugly sea, and did
not raise the coast until after dark on the
first of May. / ran in as close as dared,
and cleared the boat which had been
housed on deck for lowering. We were
laying to at the time, and the night was
very thick and black indeed. Tweed
and Hunt were below packing the few
things they intended to take ashore into
one valise.
Suddenly the seaman who was bail
ing the boat out of some water she had
shipped in launching, called to me that
he could hear the noise of paddles beat
ing the water. Tweed must have had
sharp ears, for he was on deck at once.
At the same time light showed on our
lee bow on the seaward side of us, and
we heard the splashing of the paddles
distinctly. 1t came nearer and nearer,
and other DINNER lights became visible
in line lower down toward the water.
It was not long before made them out
to be the port fires ofa man-of-waT. |
afterward found that the vessel was the
sloop-of-war Conquistador. which was
patrolling the coast to cut off an expected
landing of revolutionary Cubans who
were coming across in a sloop from
jamaica.
"Wo lay quiet as mice. The cruiser
slid by us, as it seemed to us like the
slowest sort of a snail She did not per-
ceive us, though, and we saw her lights
fade out and heard the noise of her pad
dies die away.
at was midnight by that time. Hunt
had brought the yalise on deck Tweed
had the satchel slung to him. Hunt
carried the writing-case. They spoke
together in low voices on the opposite
side of the deck from me. Then Hunt
went into the cabin and called me down.
"He had roll of something in his
right hand. He put his hand out and
grasped mine. | felt the bank notes
pressed into my palm and he said, " Stuff
them into your pocket, captain, and
say no more about it. lsthe boat ready?
"' 1t is.'
"'Here's fifty dollars. The old man
wants you to share it among the crew.
You can have those two valises. They
"This money was in gold five dollar
pieces. He laid it on the cabin table
and | left it there. We got into the boat
with two men at the oars and pulled for
the shore.
"The schooner was laid to within q
mile of the shore, but though we could
hear the sea breaking we could not see
the land. A sort of fog was drifting out
from the mangrOve swamps ashore, and
between it and the wind it was SO chilly
that it made us shiver. Tweed now had
a coat on which gave him. Otherwise
he was dressed as he had been when he
left Coney Island. He was very quiet,
but-uneasy and anxious. Hunt, on the
contrary, seemed to be as cool as ever.
He spoke now and then to his eompan-
ion in whisper.
"Guided by the sound of the breakers,
we pulled down the coast till | found a
current settling steadily to seaward. 1t
was the little river we were in search of,
and turning the boats nose into it, we
rowed in. There was q sDit of sand ut
the mouth of the stream, on the Santiago
side. The stream was q mere creek,
not fifty feet wide, but deep, and with a
strong current of ice cold, fresh water.
eve landed our passengers on the
sand spit with their valise. Tweed
stumbled in getting over the gunwale
and caught ducking He only laughed
at it, though. All his good spirits
seemed to return the minute he felt the
land under his feet.
"Hunt shook hands with me. when
stepped ashore after them. 'Good-by,
he said.
al hope you will have fortunate
stay here remarked. Do you know
how long you will be here p
"'That depends. Wehope for a long
time, believe
"'D Do you intend to settle, then?'
- don't know. Everything depends
on our reception.
| "Here Tweed interposed as if to Gu
/ us short, and shook hands with me. :
, am obliged to you, Captain Bryant h,
l said. I'm sorry our voyage wasn't
longer one; but you'll be back here, ant
, you may meet Uncle John Secor again
} Goodbye
Zone of the men called, 'Good-by
= sir, and he said, 'Good-by, boys, good
: by.' He walked up the beach, then
and we pushed off. The darkness hi
e them in an instant, but | could hear tn
y grinding of the sand as if some one wa
a walking up and down.
"It was now nearly four o'clock.
t got sail on the schooner at soon as | &C
/. on board. When day broke the land wa
e a mere loom on the sky.
+ 81 had seen my last of Bill Tweed
0 What happened to him after that | onl
o know from hearsay and the papers. ]
had been arranged between us that h
d was not to show himself to any on
/. ashore till we were out of sight, as ou
d presence on the Cuban coast while on
a clearance was for Port Maria, at the eas
e end.of Jamaica, was irregular and migl
n get us into trouble. suppose, therefore
y chat they spent the night on the beach
v The bank-notes Hunt had given me wei
twenty fifty dollar greenbacks.
n 81 went through the valises car
s. fully. They only contained lot I
" dirty linen and Undertaking Of man