Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-02-07
CHILDREN UP AND GROWING.
The Privateersmans Ruse-A Story of the
War of 1912.

The Privateersmans Ruse-A Story of thu
War of 1872
As she stood by the window she could
see, under the swaying, penduIant
branches of the old elms, the wide white
reaches of the southlying sea rolling
away to the gray horizon line. The wind
was blowing off shore, end the waves
were short and foam crowned. The ships
in the citing and reefs in their sails, and
the gulls kept close to the shore, cluster
ing IN garrulous focks about the reefs.
Now and then one would essay q short
flight seward, but it quickly returned,
battling with weary pinions against the
rush of the northwest gale. There was
no snow, but the earth was hard and bare,
and the wind that had that sharp tone
which is the herald of cold and storm.
The sun, too, had lost the golden glow
of the early autumn, and its light SCENE
thin and grew, and devoid of warmth.
The sparrOws chirped and scolded by the
hedges that marked the boundaries of the
garden, or fuffed and fluttered among
evergreens that skirted the pathway run
ring down to the road. In the field be
low the house large Newfoundland dog
was running back and fourth, barking in
high gIet; TOR he liked the wind and cold,
the attributes of his native cline.
The girl standing at the window watch
Cd the dog for a little time, and then
taking hood and shawl from the chair
where they were lying, put them On and
went ouk, taking the path to the shore.
She called the dog, who gladly greeted
her, and with him for companion, went
toward the beach.
''We will go to the rocks and see the
tide come in, Rover" she said, "fOr il is
nearly time;' and the dog ran forward
with Joyous barks, coming back every
moment for a word and a light pat on
his shaggy head.
Soon they were close to the water and
following the line of wide sand beach,
along which the sea fretted in unceasing
restlessness. A reef rising In rough
masses half a mile out in the water came
shelving landward in huge layers that
seemed to have been piled above each
other in some great conyulsion that made
the wild fury of storms seem weak and
vain. This reef ran in toward the hills
that rose little distance inland forming
good lookout to watch the coming and
going of ships. Up the rough face of
the ledge the girl and dog clambered, the
wind srrging around them with a
strength that threatened to drive them
back to the sand they had just left, but
they persisted in their efforts and soon
succeeded in reaching the shelter of a
large bowlder that rose massive and soil
tary at the inshOre end of the reef.
From this place the beach could be
seen running eastward to where a river
broke into the Hill line, and at its mouth
rose the dark walls of fort. A few
spires jutted up beyond this, and the
roofs of buildings showed among the
trees, telling of a large town, and masts
rose above the grass crowned walls while
nearer the fort the sharply defined and
tapering masts of a trim schooner broke
the gray-blue sameuess of the sky.
Back of the reef and to the right of
the house, a road wound down the slope
back OF the fort beyond which it curved
and disappeared. As the girl reached
the shelter of the bowlder a man came
out from the shadow of the curve and
walked quickly along the road toward the
reef. He was tall, broad shOuldered and
tanned by wind aud sun, and his gait had
the unmistakable roll of the sailor. The
blood tinge of youth and health showed
through the brown of his cheeks, making
it warm and glowing and the merry light
of his deep set eyes drew one TO him with
that Irresistible power which always &C
companies honest good humor. He was
clad in the wide trousers and short pea
jacket affected by men of his calling and
the loose ends OF d black silk neckerchief
huttered as his throat. His hat of soft
felt was drawn tightly down on his head,
his brown hair flying in the wind beneath
it and as he walked he hummed the words
of an old SEA song, his voice sounding
sweet and clear on the gale rushing by.
He had not seen the girl when she
olambered up the rocks, but now that the
road gave his vision a wider sweep, he
noted the garments flying out by the
bowlder and the log near them, and he
quckened his already fast pace, turning
off from the road down a path that was
more direct. The dog saw him as he en-
tered this, and with glad bark, bounded
down the reef TO meet him.
This made the girl turn her glance in his
direction, and when she saw him her eyes
frightened, and a musical "Shlp, ahOyr
sounded down to HIM.
"Hallo!' no answered, and while she
was shaping trumpet with her hands to
make another hail, he scrambled up the
rough rocks and stood by her side.
"Ihere, ! was just going to hail again
to know if it was a friendly craft" she
said, 'and here l am, run aboard, with nc
sea-room for hail"
''The craft is friendly one," he an
swered taking her extended hand; bat
there is one in the offing yonder that is
not So"
"How 90 you knows"
"Do you see that large ship to lee
ward?"
eyes,
"Well, see how square aud trim hel
yards are, ana notice how short her poles
look. That is an English frigate, and
as you see, she is not buthering with an!
of the sails outside"
"What of this?"
''She is waiting for some vessel lying
in the harbor yonder."
The war of 1912 was going on at tn,
time of this story, and the victories o
the listle American navy with the exploit
OF the Yankee privateers had filled on
country with pride, and awakened Eng
land to the fact that new naval powe
had come to dispute her empire of TIA
sea. The swift privateers were specIa
thorn to her commerce, and TO stop thel
depredations, she was filling the sea wit
cruisers, and guarding the ports mos
affected by them. Of these Etmport, tn
scene of the meeting | have narrated
was one of the most noted, and early re
ceived the attention of the English heet
the frigate spoken of by the young MAJ
being the lookout of a squadron lyinl
some little distance away.
As the young girl looked at the shi
with new insteresr, her companion said:
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