Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-07-03
CHAPTER XIV.
WILD TIMES,

WILD TIMES.
What that mysterious gloom had meant
on the previous evening was revealed to
them the next morning by roaring
wind that came sWooping down from the
Clebrig slopes, shaking the house and
bowling through the bent and leailess
trees. The blue surface of the lake was
driven white with curling tips of foam
great bursts of sunlight sped across the
plains and suddenly lit up the northern
hills; now and again Ben Hope or Ben
Hee or Ben Loyal would disappear alto
gether behind a great mass of gray, and
then as quickly break forth again into
view, the peaks and shoulders all aglow,
sharp. The gillies hung about the inn
door, disconsOlate. Nelly made no speed
with the luncheon baskets. And probably
Mr.. lIodson and his daughter would have
relapsed into letterwriting, reading, and
other feeble methods of passing Il rough
day in the Highlands, had not Ronald
come along and changed the whole aspect
of affairs. For if the wind was too strong
he pointed out to admit of their working
the phantom-minnow properly. they
might at least try. the fly. There were
occasional lulls in the gale. 1t was some
thing to do. Would Miss Hodson venture?
Miss IIodson replied by swinging her
waterproof on her arm and they all set
ont.
Well, it was wild experiment. At
uls'' Nhuccu' " nch tieS So' uO"H W Vnc
shores of the loch, the case was quite
hopeless; no boat-much less a shallow
Hat botlotileu copleIcoulu nave ilNeu II,
suth sea ana lhey merely lollereu
ahouI' holQinI themselves nrul HeaIhoC
the lorce OF me Wlhu' ana regarding as
best they might the savage beauty of the
scene around them-the whirling blue and
white of the loch, the disappearing and
re-appearihR HIS Ile loilS PrOHloht0ileS
suddenly become OF viva ana startling
yellow, ana then as suduenly again
STEPPED IN gloom. 5ut MISS carry was
ANXIOUS 10 ne ABOARD;
we snould only ne drlNen across TO
the shore yonder, Ronald SAID; or may
/ ne c%pSlItu' ,, ,,.-.e,
oI' put ,haV Woulu ne ueliShllul'
| she remarked, instantly never had
my me saved II "oulu reau very wen III
the papers. ;,
yes, but II might end the oIher way,
her la'her ihterposed' ANA tneh ! uol
see Where the run Would come lh-thoush
you "ould get your newspaper paragraph
all the same.
Ronald had neeh WatchlhG tne cIouus
ana the direction OF the squalls on tne
loch; there was some appearance OF u luil
we II chance IL now, ne salu 10 the
iao; ana forthwith they showed the poat
INTO the water, ana arranged the various
things --,,. =.
MISS larry was laugnihS' Hhe Knew IL
was an adventure her lalhei reihon
strated' our she Would not ne hlhuereu.
She TOOK her seaC III tne coole; anu eoI
nold OF the roo theh 'neS showed OIL anu
| jumped IN; ana presently She was paying
out the line, 10 Wh'ch was attached Il oil
yer DOCTOR ABOUT as lonE as heI loreiihBeT'
casting, or course. was Deyohd her skill
even mad me Winu netn less si0le =. !,
there was NOT hlhS LOT II put 70 iran !he
lily through theAe rushing anu tuilloAlilt'
anu MS! waves ., !. -.
And ut iirst everything seemed to 60
WEI enoueh-eHcePt tnat the C4ple roileu
IN the trough OF me waves so that every
minute sne cApeetcu ~ ut pilo neu W.
boaru' htE were urltiIS, uo". we
"'Iu' with the Wo oars helu HaIu III me
WAFER 'ore'aru the pace, anu tne oI'hcins
moNemeut OF the cone was rather ENJOY.
aDIe az mere was kilu oI mere uess VI
suhIlGht anu VIM anu nv, nun my Matei
VA. iiItu i.ei ba"th ir1u poUi pe tInv
lingering on ihe shore- what were Ine!
a'r'tlG OF ny, was 'here ever any tninS
so deilghttul as hs-the cry OF the vino
ana the rush OF the water; ana eNerythlng
around IN eIahclhg lEnts anu N!NIu coioIs
lnL Tue idhe Wa ot an Vi 'Iiao ni
driven blue-lt became DeauilIUl rose
ave purple Where the SunIlShI stLuch
through inc Swallows on Inc loils nai pan ol
can to those poor forlorn ones LETT behind
hnt INN She ielI both hands must be lief,
free. in case of emergency.
But alas, that temporary lull in which
they had start ed WAS soon over sharp
or small thun any before came darkeninQ
and trarinu across the loch. then another
and another. until n downright gale was
blowing, and apparently increasing ever,
moment in yjolelce Whittier were they
driftingy They dared not run the coil,
ashore all along those rocks n heavy sef
was breaking white: they would hay,
hern inset and the boat stove in in
connle of minutes.
This ii never do. Johnnie lad" sh,
heard Ronald call ont. Well have t,
fpht her bnck and get ashore at the top.
Very well; we can try.'
And then the next moment all the stu
alton of affairs seemed changed. Their,
was no longer that too easy and rapit
EurGllG along OF lne CODlt, Dul dpIdlelll.