The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-09-15


needn't be afear'd. I'm goin' to give
that French puppy piece of my mind,
and perhaps a licking, that's all"
And | think he meant no more than
what he said, SO l made no answer. |
was only lad, and an Indian at that
he was a white man and my Captain.
Besides, as he had reminded me, ]
owed him my life.
1t was about eight o'clock of a Sep
TENDER evening. | could see the Ian
tern lights being lit in the lighthouse,
and knew that Hector was there and
probably alone-for although there was
a small cottage attached to the light
house it was never used as a dwelling.
Corlett jumped ashore and babe me
wait for him. In the stiffness | could
hear words that were said. Corlett
spoke first
"You French sneak, want bit of
reckoning with you!"
"Those are hard names, Captain,
said Baptiste. land 1 don't like them"
80, you don't Ell? Well, you
shouldn't deserve them, then. don't
like having crawling Frenchman
coming up here and stealing away the
woman 1 had intended to marry.
That's what you did"
Captain Corlett, you lieu
"For calling me a liar, take that!
And for playing dirt on me take that
| and thatt'
IN moment there was scuffle up
in that little room under the lantern,
and the next thing 1 heard was a
splash in the water
thought it time to interfere but as
ran the boat aground Corlett jumped
III and showed off. ASH opened my lips
to speak, he shouted in a terribly ex-
cited manner:
Don't you ask any questions and
don't you say a word on ship-board, or
I'll shoot you without warningr'
l confess that during that evening |
was a coward and was afraid OF the
Captain in his mad rage. We pro-
ceeded on our trip to Montreal, whittier
we carried q cargo, and started back
light. In week we were again near
ing the settlement. 1t was a squalIy
night, though not very rough, but
dark as pitch. The tide was running
out and the wind was from the west
The Captain had been drinking
whisky pretty freely all through the
trip, and he was in no shape to take
the schooner into the creek even in the
best of weather. The mate tried to
persuade him to keep outside until the
morning. Not says he, 'rm running
this vessel. I'm Captain here, and you
fellows will do as I tell you, or I'll
know the reason why" With whisky
in his head and pistols in his pockets,
Corlett was u dangerous customer, and
we prepared to make the best of bad
job. We all knew that we were pretty
near the headland, but what puzzled
the boys was that no light was to be
seen. had my own suspicious but
dared not mention them.
Boys" said the Captain, at last-a
little sobered in his efforts to make the
creek-"guess we won't try to make it
tonight. Keep her off u bit, and go
easy down the river"
At that instant 1 saw q light flashing
right ahead of US. 1t didn't look ex-
actly familiar, but We all took it for
the lighthouse.
That's lucky" says the Captain.
81 thought we were further off shore.
Hard a-port!' he shouted. Wen clear
the point in good shape now"
Meantime the wind bod been gather
ing strength and the waVar was much
rougher. We were now spanking along
with reefed sails at twelve or thirteen
knots an hour.
Suddenly there came a crash. We
mad run aground on the point, two
hundred yards the land side of the
lighthouse! 1t was such a shock that
in ten minutes the schooner was break
ing to pieces and sinking. Then it was
each man for himself. | was the first
to pick myself up on the low rocks and
the mate was with me. Soon afterwards
three Of the boys, which completed the
crew, showed up, but the Captain was
missing.
The mate told me to go up to the vii
lage for help, while he and the others
stayed by the vessel. In five minutes
| came up to the light which had de-
ceived us all and caused the wreck. 1t
was a large, bright lantern, in the
hands of Lizzie-Hector Baptiste' wife!
Lizzie" l cried, ''for Heavens
sake, what is this? Do you know what
you have done?n
She did not look her old self at all.
She was pale and haggard and was
drenched with the spray from the surf
''No," says she, in a strange tone.
not one bit like her old voice. "No;
what have l doneP"
why, girl" l says, ''you holding
that lantern down the shore put Captain
Corlett out of his reckoning, and he
ran the schooner aground. What's
more, | guess the Captains drowned"
"Ah!' she says, with sort of sigh
e IL .F