St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1882-08-19
DARE'S CRUISE;


Or, the Dory that Found Its Way Home.
What pretty boy!"
Dare laughed and blushed as she
damned down the tiller of her little
dory to let the larger boat, from which
the remark had come, pass by.
'That amt q boy" she heard a
rude voice reply; "that's that Peters
girl from Star Island"
Dare's laugh died out, and the flush
turned into an angry red. The first
speaker she did not know. 1t was a
girl-a little younger than herself, Dare
thought frank, pleasant face
and winning voice. But the other was
a familiar foe, who had tormented Dare
for ten years. Tom Suydam, she verify
believed, was the most hateful boy that
ever lived. Because he was rich
mans son, and boarded at the hotel
every summer, while she was fisher
mans daughter who lived on the
beach, he seemed to feel at liberty to
tease and annoy her in every possible
way. When she was little girl he
had amused himself by destroying her
castles in the sand; and now that she
was thirteen years old, and did not
build sand castles, he would make I'M
mplimentary remarks loud enough
for her to overhear. Dare almost hated
Tom Suydam.
1t was not surprising that she should
be mistaken for boy. Her short clus-
tering hair, firm mouth, and ruddy
complexion gave her face a boyish
look, while the sailor hat, and blue fan
mel waist, open sailorwise at the throat,
added to the illusion. The costume
was nothing more than girls bathing
suit; but Dare found it convenient for
boating, and not in the way when the
boat capsized, as had once or twice
happened, Notwithstanding her good
seamanship, and she had to swim. She
could sail boat, Captain Peters proud
ly declared, better than any boy around
the Shoals, and there WASH t a trick of
the wind she did not know. In this
respect, at any rate, Dare felt sense
of superiority over Tom Suydam. He
might be richer, and know more, but
he couldn't manage even a row. boat.
Dare wondered. as she looked back
over her shoulder, and saw the little
skiff driving ahead under the fresh
southeasterly breeze, how the sweet
faced, gentle-voiced girl who was his
companion would trust herself to his
care, and how, indeed. she could 90
with him at all. Dare knew that Tom
had no sisters. She must be his
cousin" the girl concluded, as she
hauled over the sail on the other tack.
Dare was going back to the Island,
having taken her father over to Ports
mouth on his way to Boston The wind
beat down the river, and was now 60
ing on long tack to the north. 1t was
not a steady wind, but a titful gusty
blow that warned Dare to keep her
hand on the tiller and her eye on the
sail. She knew precisely how much
wind the boat would take, and she knew
too that ones calculations might. be up
set by an unexpected puff. She looked
up at the sky critically, and decided
that the wind was shifting There were
clouds in the west indicating thunder
storm. at will blow me straight to
the Shoals" Dare reflected, bringing
the boat little closer to the wind.
The slight change of direction brought |
into view Tom Suydam's skiff. which,
as she looked, seemed to have put /
about, and to be running on the same
tack as herself. Tom had no doubt
seen the clouds. and was making for
home. It was now a race between the
two boats. at distance Of perhaps half
mile apart.
Meanwhile, with every instant the
sky darkened and the wind grew fresh.
Dare took reef in the sail, and kept
the halyards free, so that she could |
drop it at the slightest warning The
other boat. however, kept on under
full head of canvas. Was Tom Suydam |
crazy? Dare wondered. She had hard
l., framed the thought before gust /
struck his boat, and laid it SO far over
on it's side that the mast seemed to |
touch the water. 1t righted, however,
while Tom, evidently uncertain what to
do. hauled the sail over, and attempted |
to run on the opposite tack. For an
instant the sail Mapped in the wind;
then it suddenly filed, and for second
time careened until Dare never expect
ed to see it come up again.
they'll surely be drowned'' she