Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-05-12
CHAPTER XXI.

CHAPTER XXI.
THE END.
should require to write to the length Of
this book over again to do full justice by de-
| scription TO the difficulties and anxieties Of
| the DAYS that now followed. IL it had not
| been thick weather all the time do not know
| how should have Jared, | am sure. l was
| betweed two fires, so to say; On the one side
| the French cruisers and privateers, and on
the other side the ships Of my own country,
| and particularly the revenue cutters and the
| sloops and the like cruising after the SNUG
| glers. As | knew that my relative could not
| be with me under four days. | stecred out of
| sight of land into the middle of the channel,
| between Beachy Head and the Seine coast,
and there lodged about under very small
canvas, heartily grateful for the haze that
shrouded the sea TO within "A mile of me. ]
scarcely closed my eyes in sleep, and though
| my worries were now of "a very different
| kind from those which had racked me on the
| ice, they Were, in their way, to tho full as
| tormenting. Every sail that doomed in the
| dinginess flied no with alarm. Several
ships passed me close, and | could scarce
breathe till they were out of sight Indeed,
lay skull,ng oHt upon that sea as II | was
some common thief broke loose from jail
However, it pleased heaven that | should
manage to keep out Of sight Of those whom
l most strenuously desired not to SEQ; and
the afternoon of the fourth day found the
Boca lying oil Bcachy Head, and peering
over the rail with haggard face at the dark
shadow of the land
1t had been blowing and showing all day.
The seas ran short and spitefully It was a
dismal December afternoon, ana the more
sensibly disgusting TO us who were fresh from
several weeks of the balm and glory of the
tropics. And yet would not have exchanged
it for a clear fine day for all that | was like
to be worth.
1t was the most reasonable thing in the
world that a vessel should be hove to in such
somber weather; and SO was under no con
Germ that our posture in this respect would
excite suspicion, should we be deserted. The
hours stole away one by one. Now and
again little coaster would pass, some hoy
bound west, sloop for the Thames, IA lugger
on some unguessable missiou-all small ships,
oozing dark and damp out of the snow and
mist and passing silently. l kept the land
close aboard to be out of the way of the
bigger craft, and kept the vessel in the wind
till it was necessary to reach to our station.
The three of US were mighty pensive and
eager, staring necessarily with all our eyes;
but it looked as If we were not to expect any
thing that day when the night put its dark
ness into the weather Then, as foresaw a
serious danger if the wind shifted into the
SOUTH and as / could not obtain glimpse of
n shore light, | resolved to bring up and ride
till dawn. Long ago we had got the
schooner's old anchors at the catheads and
the cables bent; so, lowering the mainsail
and hauling down the stay fOresail, we let
fall the starboard anchor, and the ship came
10 I bn 1apI hn ln bpt
we might know if she dragged, hung Ian
tern on the forestry and one on either quar-
ter, that our presence might be marked by
my relative should he put out in quest of us,
and went below, leaving Cromwell to keep
the lookout.
was extremely fretful and anxious, and
had no patience to talk with Billy Pitt
There were too many risks, too many vague
chances in this exploit to render cOntempa-
ton Of it tolerable. Suppose my relative
should be dead' Suppose Wilkinson should
be robbed of his money! fall to the cutting of
capers as sailor newly delivered to the
pleasures of the land with ten guineas in his
pocket get locked up for breaking the peacea
blab of us in his cups, and start the customs
on our traill There was no end to such con-
lectures; and l made myself SO melancholy
that i was fool enough to think that the
treasure was no better than a curse, and that
on the whole l was better off on the ice than
here with the anchor in English ground, and
my native soil within gunshot.
1 was up and about till midnight; and then,
being in the cabin and exhausted, fell asleep
across the table, and in that posture lay as
one dead. Some one dragging at my arm
with very little tenderness, awoke me. was
in the midst of dream of the schooner hay
ing been boarded by party of French
IT.
and the roughness with which l was aroused
was exactly calculated to extend into my
waking the horror and grief of my sleep.
L instantly sprang to my feet and saw
Washington Cromwell
''Massa Rodney he bawled, "Massa Rod
ney, de gents 'longside-him an Wilkinson
-yaas, by de good Lord, dey'se both dere,
Dey hail me, an l answer and say who are
your and dey say Are you de BocaP we
am, say, and dey say'-
had stood stupidity staring at him; but
my full understanding coming to me on q
sudden, jumped to the ladder and darted on
deck. l heard voices over the starboard side
and ran there. 1t was not SO dark but that
1 could see the outline of Deal lugger
While I was peering the voice of my man
Wilkinson cried out, "On deck, there Crom-
well-Billy-where's Mr. Rodney4'
''Here l amn cried l.
"My God, PAUL" exclaimed the voice of
Mr.. Mason, "this encounter is fortunate in
deed.
shouted to the negroes to show a light |
and in few minutes Mr.. Mason, Wilkinson
and couple of Deal boatmen came over the |
side. l grasped my relative by both hands. |
had not seen him for four years.
'This is good of you, indeed" I cried. |
~But you must be persisted with the cold of |
that open boat. Come below at once--come, |
Wilkinson, and you men-theres fire in the |
cook room and drink to warm us;' and down |
bundled in the widest confusion of excite
ment, followed by Mason and the others.
My relative was warmly clad and did not |
seer, to suffer from the cold. He took me by |
the hand and brought me to the lantern light, |
and stood viewing me.
GAY" said he, lyon are your old self-a
bit worried looking, but that1l pass. Stout
and burned. Odds hearth Paul, if you have
passed through the experiences Wilkinson
has given me a sketch of we must have your
life, man; we must have your Ife-for the
booksellers"
7
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