San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1889-02-21
DOLPH HEYLIGER.
Bv WASHINGTON IRVING.
CONTINUED rnoM LAST WEEK.

(coNrINUED PROM LAST wEEK.)
His dreams were strange and troubled.
He thought he was following the old man
along the side of great river, until they
Gang to n vessel that was on thepoint of
sailing; and that his conductor led him on
board and vanished. He remembered
the commander of the vessel, short,
swarthy man, with crisped black hair,
blind OF one eye and lame of one leg; but
the rest of his dream was very confused.
Sometimes he was sailing; sometimes on
shore; now amidst storms and tempcsts,
and now wandering quietly in unknown
streets. The figure of the old man was
strangely mingled up with the incidents
of the dream, and tho whole distinctly
wound up by his finding himself on
board of the vessel again, returning home
with great bag of money!
When he woke the gray, cool light of
dawn was streaking the horizon, and the
cocks passing the reveil from farm to
farm throughout the country. He rose
more harassed and perplexed than ever
He was singularly confounded by all that
he had seen and dreamt, and began to
doubt whether his mind was not affected
and whether all that was passing in his
thoughts might not be mere feverish fam
tasy. In his present state of mind he
did not feel disposed to return immedi-
ately to the doctors and undergo the
cross questioning Of the household. He
mado scanty breakfast, therefore, on
the remains of the last nights provisions,
and then wandered out into tho fields to
mediate ON all that had befalled him.
Lost in thought, he rambled about, grad
ually approaching the town, until the
morning was far advanced, when he was
reused by hurry and bustle around
him. He found himself near the waters
edge in a throng Of people, hurrying to q
pier, where there was vessel ready to
make sail. He was unconsciously car
ried along by the impulse Of the crowd,
point of sailing up the Hudson to Al
bany. There was much leave taking and
kissing of old women and children, and
great activity in carrying on board bas-
kets of bread and cakes and provisions of
all kinds, notwithstanding the mighty
joints of meat that dangled over the
stern, for voyage to Albany was an ex-
pedition Of great moment in those days.
The commander Of the sloop was hurry
ing about and giving q world Of orders,
which were not very strictly attended to,
ono man being busy in lighting his pipe
and another In sharpening his snicker-
snee.
The appearance of the commander sud-
denly caught Dolph's attention. He was
short and swarthy, with crisped black
hair; blind Of one eye and lame Of one
leg-the very commander that he had
seen In his dreaml Surprised and aroused,
he considered tho scene more attentively
and recalled still further traces Of his
dream; the appearance of the vessel, of
the river, and of o variety Of other OBJ
iects accorded with the imperfect images
vaguely rising to recollection.
As he stood musing on these circum-
stances the captain suddenly called out
to him in Dutch, "Step on board, young
man, or you'll be left behind~ He was
startled by the summons; he saw that
the sloop was cast loose and was actually
moving from the pier; 1t seemed as If he
was actuated by some irresistible i'm
pulse; he sprang upon tho deck, and the
next moment the sloop WINS hurried off
by the wind and tide. Dolph's thoughts
and feelings were all in trrmult and con-
fusion. He had been strongly worked
upon by the events that had recently be-
fallen him, and could not but think that
present situation and his last nights
dream. He felt as if he was under su-
pernatllral influence, and he tried to as
sure himself with an old and favoritc
maxim of his, that "One way or other,
all would turn out for the best" For a
moment the Indignation of the doctor at
his departure without leave passed across
his mind, but that was matter of little
moment Then he thought of the dis
tress of his mother at his strange disap-
pearance, and the idea gave him sud
den pang; he would have entreated to be
put on shore, but he knew with such
| wind and tide the entreaty would have
been in vain. Then the inspiring love of
novelty and adventure came rushing in
full tide through his bosom; he felt him
self launched strangely and suddenly on
the world, and under full way TO explore
the regions Of wonder that lay up this
mighty river, and beyond those blue
mountains that had bounded his horizon
since childhood. While he was lost in
this whirl of thought the sails strained to
the breeze; the shores seemed TO hurry
away behind him, and before he per-
fectly recovered his self possession the
sloop was plowing her way past Spiking
Devil and Honkers, and the tallest Chin
ney of the Manhattoes had faded from
his sight.
have said that voyage up the Hud-
son in those days was an undertaking of
some moment; indeed, 1t was as much
thought Of as voyage to Europe Is at
present. The sloops were often many
days on the way, the cautious navigatOrs
taking in sail when 1t blew fresh, and
coming TO anchor at night, and stopping
D. 60 for ton
without which it was impossible for the
worthy old lady passengers b. s,ibsist.
And there were the much talked Of peril5
Of the Tappaan Zce and the highlands. In
short, a prudent Dutch burger would
talk Of such n voyage for months, and
even years, beforehand; and never un-
dertooli it without putting his affairs in
order. making his will, and having pray
er5 said for him in the Low Dutch
churches
In the course Of such a voyage, there
fore, Dolph was satisfied lac would have
time enough 60 reflect, and 30 make up
his mind as b. what he should do when
he arrived at Albany. Tho captain, with
his bind eve and lame leg. would, IL l.
true, hring his strange dream 90 mind,
and perplcx him sadly for a few mo
ments; Gut, of late, his life bad been
made up 20 much of dreams and rCalities,
his nights and days had been - Jumbled
together, that hs seemed % be moving
continually in a delasiya- There l. al
ways, however, kinl q vacabOud con-
solatiOn in q mans having n0thirg IN the
world % l0se; with this DoiJh c0-ufor1ed
his heart, and determined o. make the
uCet 4 the Tresar.t eIlioyr1cnt
In the sCc0rd day = tlse voFare theT
cane D. tie hizlLauia. ] was TIE latter