The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-09-15
THE PILOTS STORY.
A Recollection of the River st.
Lawrence.

This is the story told me by the In
dian pilot of one of the grand steamers
that ply the River St. Lawrence, and
are known to tourists from Montreal
and Quebec to Rimouslli:
So you would like to know why I
scare at that headland? You notice
that cape? Yes, Corlett's Cape, we
call it, and bad place it used to be.
You nsice the lighthouse that stands
there? Yes. Well, l lived by that
headland long before the lighthouse
was built, a matter of nearly fifty years
ago. | hate that same Corlett's Cape,
though | never heard tell Of more than
one wreck. 1t happened after the light
house was built, but the lights were put
out, and put out on purpose, too. It's
well nigh forty years since, but I re-
member it as if it were but yesterday.
There was then little bit of a set
Element down near the mouth of the
creek, which you may have noticed
empties into the river just above the
cape. There wern't many people lived
there, and the biggest and most impor-
tant man in the place was Charlie Cor
lett. He was North of England man,
I've heard tell, and anyhow he owned
every acre Of land and every stick of
timber for miles around. Besides, at
that time, Corlett's was the only grist
and lumber mill within a hundred
miles in any direction. Then he owned
fast little schOoner-about the only
one that traded to the settlement, max
ing trips up and down the river, be-
tween Quebec and the Provinces. AL
though Corlett was rich man for
those days, he was fond of sailing and
had notion to run the schooner him
self. Charlie Corlett would have
passed for handsome man anywhere,
and he was, by long odds, the finest
built man in the settlement. But
Charlie had terrible temper. He
was so used to having his own way
that when any thing or any body
thwarted him he was regular devil
in his fierce, unreasonable anger.
When the lighthouse was built
young Frenchman from Three Rivers
was put in charge as keeper. He was
1 fine young fellow, and if he was not
so handsome nor SO rich as Charlie
COrlett, he was liked a good deal bet
ter by the boys.
Corlett was some ten or twelve years
older than young Hector Baptiste, but,
as luck would have it, they both fell in
love with the same woman. Indeed,
that was hardly to be wondered at,
seeing that Lizzie Lenox was the only
pretty manageable white woman in
the settlement. Both men loved the
girl well and sincerely, and both made
her an honorable offer of marriage.
OF course Lizzie couldn't marry both
of them, and strange as everybody
thought it, she chose Hector. The
Captain, as we all called Corlett, was
furious with rage, and he tried in
every way he could think of to induce
the girl to change her mind. He
argued with her in vain, and then
threatened to use his influence with
the government to have Hector turned
out OF the lighthouse. Then he brought
costly presents from Quebec and st.
Johns, which Lizzie refused to accept.
The simple fact was that Lizzie never
liked the Captain, and the more he
tried to win her love, the closer she
stuck to Baptiste
l was at that time sailing with Cap
tain Corlett and knew him pretty well.
One day he came down to the settle
ment after three weeks trip to Hall
fax, and found that Hector Baptiste
and Lizzie Lenox were married, Al
though the Captain didn't say very
much, could tell that he took it badly
to heart, and / saw look in his eyes
that didn't fancy very well. Two
days later, towards evening, we slipped
out OF the creek, bound for Montreal.
We hadn't got more than mile past
the point when the Captain ordered
the mate TO down sails and lay-to. He
said he had forgotten something and
told me to get out the yawl and run
him ashore. When we were in the boat
he says to me: Pierre" he says, II
saved your life once, didn't I?"
Eyes, Cap says land he did; he
jumped overheard for mo when fell
from aloft two years before.
well, says he, zone good turn de-
serves another, doesn't it? Now you
just keep to yourself whatever you
may happen to see tonight. I'm goin'
up to the lighthouse to settle an old
score" |