Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-08-01
CHAPTER II-Continued.

Ii..n who stood with nrOro than the |
snn.et g!ow on her lair cheeks.
ION. Lea! good news! good news!"
.cied Ellen, running out and taking her
friends hand. ru
nv very soul yearns for news good, bad
~ ;,d:fereur anything to break the
,aonotony OF tLis dull life. All. if
r,ere man l should make my own
news and give the world fresh and
snrtling supply every day. but being
o,jy n Woman, "a weaker vessel as the
dominic says, who
La would have gone on at some
length in hcr bantecing, half-rcal, hall
laughing way, had not Eficn Conuit in
terrupted her By calling out:
"The Sea Hawk has just anchored in
the harbor!"
ard for the instant the color fled, under
the excitement, from her checks. and
she e,,ang from her hor- Q, the spirited
creature making no effort to get away,
though there was no restraining hand
on the bride.
.les, she has been in sight for an
hour, and kalph has siSnaled that he is
coming ashore at once. Mother has
lust gone in to order supper, aud every
servant On tuo pltCo ID HdXu AZ WOAA W
give their fas orite a welcome"
There, Ned, go home and tell Black
Joe to pu5 you IN the able"
Lea Hedges threw the bride rein over
the pummel OF the saddle. and the in
telliyent horse, with snort that no
combination of letters could convey an
Idea OF, tossed up his head and walked
away with comical dignity.
you will come into the house and
wait, said Ellen, encircling her friends
waist with her left arm, and making as
II she ware going to the house.
mo, my love, we shall take the other
direction" said Lea.
"To the viliaye?"
"No, 20 the shore. Let us greet the
brave boys before their feet press the
soil. Ten months since they sailed
away; it has seemed like ten years.
The Sea Hawk carried with her all the
life and glory of the island. l pray
that the pira ,es have torn none Of them
from us.
This was said as the girls fastened
down to tho beach, few hundred yards
below Squire Condit's house.
"The pirates have not taken the Sea
Hawk, said Ellen, who, though as rluch
reioiced at the ships arrival, had neither
her friend enthusiasm nor her fuency of
expression.
Il knew the pirates never could take
her: they might destroy her. but she
would go down with the flag flying and
every living man at his post, said Lea.
The people are cheering and the
bells are ringing, Lea"
Aye, but the cheers are all too faint
to express my feeling. AM the bell
tinkles, when it should clash, and clang,
and boom. Hark, a gun from the ship!
See the smoke rising from the port like
monsters breath on q frosty morning.
There is music in that sound. How did
men fight before the roar of cannon set
the warrior blood to throbbiny in their
veins?"
Ellea Condit did not attempt to an
swer her friends question. By this time
they could see boat lowered away
from the Sea Hawk, into which six
rowers and four officers got.
The boat shot away from the ship.
and headed straight for the beach where
crowd of whites and gaily attired In
dans-were standing.
From the stern sheets Capt Denham
waved his hat, and the people answered
with cheer.
The men at the oars threw all their
strength into the quivering blades, till
the boat at each stroke seemed fairly to
leap from the water.
While the Captains cutter was still
several hundred feet from the shore he
recognized among the throng the faces
OF Ellen, his adopted sister, and of Lea
his old playmate and friend.
He rose in his place and raised his
nat, and the first and second officers did
the same.
The people on shore supposed the
greeting to be general, and they at once
sent UP cheer, which the men at the
oars answered, and as they shouted the
boat seemed to leap from the water, us
II II, too, We're animated, and shared i'll
me 10y at again touching the soil on
which 1t was built.
Captain Dem an sprang ashore the
instant the boats bow grated on the
white beach, and the people were not
surprised to see him catch Ellen in his
arms, for was she not his sister?
Lieutenant Dayton was near him, and
MS arms were about Lea, whose fine
eyes were now full Of tears of Joy.
valentine was her own cousin, some
esld he was her lover, but of that this is
not the time to speak.
Every man at the oars was native to
the place, and had mother, sweetheart,
or sister to greet him.
1t would be waste of time to de-
scribe what the most prosaic reader can
easily imagine.
The men laughed and shook hands
again and again.
The women smiled through their tears
ana seemed never to weary Of repeat
ing the first greeting.
And in the midst OF it all, down came
nquire Condit and DR.. Hedges, and to
mem the welcomes were repeated, and
the gathering people cheered till the in
creased volume of sound rolled out to
the ship. Here, the watching sailors
forced to stay on board-caughtt the joy
GUS contagion, and springing into the
rigging, they shouted in q way that
called out all the crew of the stranger.
who cheered also.
~ speak 1t the feast and dances that
Followed that night would take good
sized volume.
The officers Of "The Stranger" as we
snail call the other ship for the want OF
oeteer name, were invited. and how