The Red Cloud chief., 1881-10-20

| 90 IOm D3ue MS latHef Soou-osS onoS
more, and pulled away into the dark
ness. 1t Is always lighter on water
than It is on land. and Tom knew the
harbor 30 well that he had no difficulty
in rowing straight to the point where
the amelia" had anchored.
But when be had rowed some dis
lance, he was surprised on turning
around TO find that he could not per-
ceiye the "Amelia's" lights
why. where is the schooner" said
Tom to himself. And then he rowed
with redoubled vigor.
But. before long. he was quite GER
tain that tho amelia" was not on her
anchorage ground.
"She must have dropped down fur
Their, around the end Of the island. be-
fore the tide turned" he said to him
self. That may have helped a little.
but il was a mean trick for the Captain
TO do. after letting me go ON shore
But Tom did not hesitate. He laid TO
his oars again. and pulled around the
island. He could see no signs OF the
ship. but supposed she waslying direct
ly inside the bar. which spot was con
ceaIed from him by a projecting point
Of woodland. Tom rowed IN and on,
until, at last, he actually reached the
entrance TO the harbag. but still he saw
no signs of the amelia" Could it
be possible, he thought, that the Cap
tain had taken advantage of the rising
of the wind, and had gone to sea? II
would be a rash act. Tom rightly i'm
agined. to sail through that narrow pas
sage, with the breakers scarcely a hun
drcd yards on each side of the vessel.
on n night as dark as this-cloudy, and
without a moon. And yet, what else
could the Amelia have done? He
could not have passed her in the harbor
as he rowed along. She could not have
quietly sunk n OF sight. She must
have gone to sea.
As Tom. without thinking what he
was doing. kept rowing on, he looked
out over the long waves that came
swelling in between the W. lines of
breakers. which guarded the entrance
TO the harbor. And there. not a quar-
ter of a mile from the shore. he saw the
lights of a ship, evidently lying to. with
her head to the wind.
Tom was very angry ut this sight.
elf it were not for my chest" he
thought. (which holds everything |
own, I'd row back. and have nothing
more 10 do with her."
Tom was not the man TO 90 back
when he had started out to do anything.
And so he rowed on and on toward the
inlet, where the long waves. which be-
came breakers on either side of the
narrow passage, were rolling in from
the sea. II was not an easy matter TO
row a boat over these waves. but Tom
had been used to such work from a
boy, having often rowed out to sea on
fishing expeditions. and he knew eN-
actly how TO pull his boat against the
incoming surf. 1t was not long before
he was out on the gently swelling wa
tiers of the ocean,. and pulling vigorous
lv for the vessel. He forgot, entirely,
that it would be necessary for him 10
return Jacob Hopkins boat, but he de-
termined to give a piece OF his mind to
his shipmates. who, whatever might
have been the cause of their sudden de-
parture, could certainly have found
some means of giving him notice of it.
lie pulled up TO the bow of the vessel,
and loudly called for n line. A rope
was soon thrown to him. and, fastening
this to his skiff. he sprang into the rig
ging. under the bowsprit, and nimbly
c,ambered on board.
This is a pretty piece of business
he cried, as oon rs his feet touched
the deck. why did you fellows sail
Off and leave me in this way?"
"What do you mean?" said n man,
stepping up toward him and holding
up a lantern. "Who sailed Oft and left
you?
Tom looked at the man. and then
hastily glanced ABOUT him. 1t was 4
pretty piece of business! by the uni.
form of the officer before him. and by
the appointments and armament of the
ship, he saw in an instant. tina. he was
on board a British vessel of war. What
a fool he had been TO get so angry that
he would not look behind him as he
rowed! II il had not been for his un
fortunate temper, he never would have
mistaken this vessel for the amelia
Il made a mistake" he said, his
voice trembling a little. 81 thought
this was my ship. the Amelia"
And then he made n movement back.
ward. as if he would scramble yer
board and get again into his little boat.
But the officer laid his hand on bis
shoulder.
stop, my good fellow" he said.
"You must go and report to the Cap
tain. l have been watching you fol
some time, and wondered what was
bringing YOU here. Your ship must be
a good one if o mLstook His Majesty's
s~loop-of-war .Saracen' for it."
.sv chnplJ NOT hava made cuph a
blunder." said Tom. eff l had looked
out better" And he dejectedly fol-
lowed the officer to the quarterback.
The Captain heard his story. and
asked him a good many questions.
what is the cargo of your ship, the
.Amelia"" he asked.
Nothing but stones and old IRON"
answered Tom. "She's going North
for a cargo, and sails in ballast. There
is nothing in our little village with
which she could load. She came here
to reft."
1.-The Captain looked at the first of
ficer, and said:
"If this boys story is true. the
Amelia would be no great prize"
But how can you tell that it is
true?:" said the other.
You'd find it out very soon if you
could look into her hold" said Tom.
He was about to say more, but the Cap
tain interrupted him.
"How much water is there on your
bar at high tide?" he said.
Fourteen feet" answered Torn.
THAT would be a tight scrape for the
~'Saracen.'" remarked the Captain to
his officer. "But she could do it."
"Oh yes, sir" said the other, land
q couple of feet to spare"
The Captain then addressed Tom
again: 1.-The channel of the harbor runs
around the end Of the island opposite
the town. does it no,P" said he.
Yes. sir" answered Tom.
"Are YOU familiar with the inlet and
the channel?" asked the Captain.
"Oh, yes, sir" said Tom. Al have
piloted vessels in three or four times"
"Well. SIR" said the Captain, IF l
make you a handsome present, will you
pilot the 'Saracen' into the harbor?"
bring q British vessel into our har-
bor?" cried Tom. IL will never do
that Our bar and orr crooked chan
mel, as father has often said, are better