Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1891-07-17
THE ADVENTURE OF SAM.


mated Mud Sam.
Everybody knows Mud Sam, the old
negro fisherman who has fshcd about
the sound for the last twenty or thirty
years. Well, it is now many years since
that Sam, who was then young fellow,
and worked on the farm of Killian
Suydaul on Long Island, having fin
iahed his work early, was fishing, one
still summer evening, just about the
neighborhood of Hell Gate. He was in
a light sAiff, and being well acquainted
with the currents and eddies, he had
been able to shift his station with the
shifting of the tide, from the Hen and
Chickens to the Hogs back, and from
the Hogs back to the Pot, and from the
Pot to the Frying pan; but in the eager
ness of his sport Sam did not sec that
the tide was rapidly ebbing, until the
roaring of the whirlpool5 and rapids
warned him of his danger, and he had
some difficulty in shooting his sluif from
among the rocks and breakers, ard get
ting to tho point of Blackwcll's Island.
Here he cast anchor for some time, wait
ing the turn of the tide to enable him to
return homewards As the night set in it
grew clustering and gusty. Dark clouds
came bundling up in the west; and now
and then a Erowl Of thunder or a flash Of
lightning told that a summer storm was
at hand. Sam pulled over, therefore,
under the lee of Manhattan Island, and
coasting along came to snug nook, Just
under a steep beetling rock, where he
lti. n Iva Is,
that shot out from n cleft and spread its
bread branches like u canopy over the
water The gust came securing along;
the wind threw up the river in white
surgcs; the rain ratified among the
leaves, the thunder beloved worse
that that which is now believing, the
lightning seemed to lcl, up the surgo5
Of the stream; but Sam, snuClv shell
tered under rock and tree, lay
crouched in his skitF, rocking upon the
pillows, until he fell asleep. Whom he
awoke all was quiet. The gust had passed
away, and only now and then a faint
CLEAN of lightning in the east showed
which way it had gone. The night was
dark and moonlcss and from the state
of the tide Sam concluded it was near
midnight. llC was on the point Of max
ing loose his shiH 10 return hOmowardS
when he saw light cleaning along the
/ water from u distance, which seemed
rapidly approaching. AS it drew near
he perceived that it came from a lam
thorn in the bow Of a boat which was
gliding along under shadow of the
bank. 1t pulled up in a small cove close
to where lie was. \ man jumped ON
4 shore, and searching about with the Ian
/ thorn exclaimed: This j. the place
here's the iron ring" The boat was then
made fast, and the man returning on
board, assisted his comrades in convey
ing something heavy on shore. As the
light cleaned among them Sam saw
4 that they were five stout, desperate look
ing fellows in red wooden caps, with a
loader in a three cornered hat, and
that some of them were armed with
dirks, or long knives and pistols. They
talked low to one another, and occasion
ally in some outlishish tongue which he
could not understand.
On landing they made their way among
the bushes, taking turns to relieve each
other in Juggling their burden up the
rocky bank. Sans curiosity was now
fully aroused, 50 leaving his skiif he
clambeicd silently up the ridge that over
looked their path. They had stopped to
rest for moment, and the leader was
looking about among the bushes with his
lauthorn. "Ilavo you bsJught the
spadcs?" said one. They are here" re-
piled another, who had them on his
shoulder I'VE must dig deep, where
there will be no risk Of discovery" said
a third.
y cold chill ran through Sans veins.
He fancied he saw before him gang OF
murdercrs, about TO bury their victim.
His knees smote together. In his aEita-
ton he shook the branch Of a tree with
which he was supporting himself as he
looked over tho edge Of tho cliff
whats that:' cried one Of the gang.
"Some one stir5 among the bushes
The lanthorn was held up in tho dircc-
ton of the noise, One Of the red caps
cooked pistol, and pointed it towards
tho very place where Sam was standing.
He stood moionless-breathcss; expect
ing the next moment 10 be his last For
tunately, his dingy complexion was in
his favor, and made no glare among the
leaves.
IT'S no one said the man with the
lanthon, "What plague! you would
not fire off your pistol and alarm the
country"
The pistol was unlocked; tho burden
was resumed, and the party slowly toilcd
up the bank. Sam watched them as they
went, the light sending back htful
CLEANS through the dripping bushes, and
it was not till they were fairly out of
sight that he venturel to draw breath
freely. lilo now thought of getting back
to his boat and making his escape out of
the reach Of such dangerous neighbors;
but curiosity vas all powerful with poor