Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-05-10

wondering where my grandfather wa
at that moment Then | turned home
ward. | had got about a third of th,
! gully. which was very dark, when
heard strange sound. | stopped t
listen. 1t was not the scream of a sea
bird, nor the moaning of the sea.
came down the gully and drew nearer
beat, beat, with a little, very distinc
! iingling sound. 1t was the tramp o
men and the clink of steel. Soldiers
| had never seen any, but | guessed
what they were. In moment / has
scrambled cautiously up the rocks ant
hidden behind ledge. / cioucheC
perfectly still, with every sense on tn,
alert. Suddenly the measured tram
ceased, and presently two men came
slowly down the gully, talking in low
voices. They wore long cloaks, anC
their weapons jingled as they walked
They passed me and stood at the lower
end of the gully. The air was still
and | could hear every word they
said.
This is the place, SIR" said the big
ger and stouter of the two. 1.-THE
goods are landed little to the left OF
here, carried up the gully, and received
at the top by the carts. The carts
stand where we came down"
The other, who by the ease of his
bearing and the Difference of the big
man, | took to be the officer, had a
paper in his hand He looked around
him, evidently taking in the features OF
the place.
There won't be any carts tonight
sergeant" he said in pleasant voice
The people in the village know we are
here and will be sure to warn them. ]
hope they won't manage to warn the
man we want"
mot they, sir,n answered the SER
geant. "Not boat can leave the har-
Dor without its being stopped by our
men, and not man leave the village
and come in the direction of the Point
if you post the men as | venture to sug-
gest.n Here the conversation became
inaudible for moment. "A man at
the top of the gully, sir, and the others
at intervals on the seward side of the
village. You and |, sir, to manage the
signals down here, and then / step up
to the man at the top of the gully, one
calls in another, and we are all down
here ready to receive Them
by all means, > said the officer; land
as you know the place and don't. you
had better post the men. BY the way"
he added, scanning the paper in his
hand and holding it close to his eyes,
sat 1890. l think it is the signal.
You understand that, do you?''
The sergeant produced something,
probably a lantern, from under his
cloak. Here is the signal, sir.''
Then we're right. Now post the
men,
The sergeant saluted and clanked up
the gully, while the officer walked slowly
toward the water and stood at the edge
some distance from me, for the tide
was getting low--with his head bowed
and his hands clasped behind his back
Il ventured to breathe freely again,
and began to review the situation.
What did it all mean? 1t meant that
the authorities had got wind of my
grandfather doings, and had sent this
detachment of soldiers TO take him in
the act. 1t must be grandfather, be-
cause there was no one in the village
likely to be aimed at. And if they
caught him, what then? What was this
form of words that kept ringing in my
ears over and over again? ''Transpor-
tation for life." What was thatp 1t
was no uncommon punishment, | had
heard. for smuggler taken, as my
was, red-handed. For a
br 40 ,,,+<~ 4
that he might not come that night.
But no; the wind was light, and not I'M
favorable; there was no suggestion of a
fortunate storm in the sky, and | knew
that our friends with the wagons had
agreed to come and that all was in read
mess. My heart sank within me as !
thought of my old grandfather gray
hairs dishonored in the felon's dock
for had once seen a man tried--and
his kind old face bidding me farewell
forever. / bowed my head on my hands
and longed to cry.
Suddenly | raised my head, and my
heart beat with n loud resolve.
would save him. Yes /! The skill i
had attained for my own needless pleas
lre should be put to stern service. My
resolve was this. When the lugger
showed her signal in answer to that
one from shore, j would
swim out to the buoy, and keep myself
ailoat at the entrance Of the channel
until | could hail our people and warn
them of their danger.
| never hesitated after | had formed
this resolution. | forgot that | was
tired and hungry, put aside the thought
of cold and exhaustion in the water, and
began at once to make my prepara-
tons. On the narrow ledge of rocks
where | now knelt, | undressed and put
on my little bathing dress, which con-
sisted only of tunic and drawers. My
own clothes made into bundle and
slowed away behind stone. Then,
like cat, clambered up the rocks,
hiding behind every projection and
keeping a fearful watch upon the senti-
mel at the head of the gully. Fortu-
nately, the gully was not very deep
When l got to the top | crept on my
hands and feet until / judged WAS well
out of sight, and started for the end of
the Point. | took my time, for there
was no hurry, and | had to husband my
strength; and at last reached the rock
from which | meant to start. There |
sat down to wait.
did not know the time, and could
only guess it by calculating from the
sunset How long should have to
wait? How long did | have to wait?
Heaven knows; but it seemed an age.
| got sleepy from my days exertion.
The night air was cold, too, and my
however well adapted for ex-
ercise, was somewhat scanty for sitting
in. Besides, it was damp The wretch
edness of that long watch comes to me
now On! would the slow minutes
never pass?
Thicker and thicker grew the gather
inc darkness. The water and the heay-
ems were blended in obscurity, and
there, at the end of the rocks, | sat
patiently. poor little figure shivering
in the gloom, listening to the lap of the
waves as they beat upon the rocks, and
peering out to sea with my heart in my
eyes. waited so long that | believed |
must have fallen asleep and missed the
signal, and at that thought | was bury
ing my face in my hands to give way
to despair, when something stopped
me "a flash! far out upon the dark sea
there it was! l sprang to my feet.
every nerve tingling. The moment
for action had arrived.
| paused for moment to picture to
myself the bearing of the buoy. knew
exactly how it lay from the point, for
had swan round it often enough. But