People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1893-04-28

shoot, sholy. We's 90: ter drift an
wait. Be reddy ter kiver wen Pete
GIBBS de motion"
He unshipped and packed the oars,
his broad-bladed paddle turning the
boats nose to the slack, as she slowly
drifted downstream. Then he fshed
from the seat well-oiled wooden rags,
securely mufling the rowlocks.
The propeller's splash grew louder
rapidly; soon great steamers lights
CLEANED sickly through the gloom, and
she was abreast of them, moving slowly
upstream, when from her farther side
suddenly flashed her signal light It
was promptly answered by one-two-
three, out of the dense gloom, beyond
the channel, towards the Virginia
shore. They had struck feet of an
chored transports; and only Pete's
quick decision had saved their rowing
straight into them.
Not a sound aboard the skiff. All
three knew the peril, but that comment
would not mend it. Perfectly still they
sat, until the lights had died away and
the first steamer had passed up, the
lights Of the second well in view. Then
the girl whispered:
"How long before dawn"
"Less'n two hours, Missy" Pete whis-
pered back.
Those anchored ones, across the
channel, will wait for day? We must
pass them?" she said.
"Sholy, missy. Eff dem wont leebe,
ives got to run dey," he answered,
gravely. "Lay low! she's a-comin'r
Again the pair nestled low in the
straw, Pete backing the skiff slowly as
he lay fiat along the gunwale, watching
the second transport pass. Again the
signal-lights, again the answers of the
anchored transports. Then through
the gloom the boatman's trained sight
took in three huge black bulls beyond
the channel, their positions fixing on
his brain.
The second steamer had passed, the
third rot yet in sight; and the slliff,
Pete Judged, had drifted down a half
mile.
Now, bossy," he said, simply, yves
gwine ter cross da chainil, sholy. Den
we'll resk de transputs, fur unst! Pull
long an slow!''
Again the skiff flew over the water,
headed straight for Virginia. Across
the channel, well into the slack below,
and well-Pete hoped-below the an
chored ships, he glanced over his Shout
der. With that glance the black lifted
his oar, Evans stroke spinning the
boats head upstream, as he caught the
quick whisper:
Lift, bossy! Left 'er drift! Kiver,
quick"
For either had the darkness made Pete
miscalculate the drift, or Evans quicker
stroke had headed the boat diagonally
across, not straight. For-not twenty
yards ahead-into the eyes Pete conf
IDENTIFY turned, cleaned the stern-light
of vessel, its height proving her big
one. Then, as he spoke and turned, he
glanced below, and dimly through the
gloom shone the lights of a second
No time for speculation now. They
were almost beneath the towering hull,
well within hail or easy pistol-rang6!
Only careless security, or untried ears,
had failed to catch the plash of oars,
the breathless trio waiting for hail.
probably a volley. But neither came;
and silence as of death covered what
might have been a phantom ship.
Meanwhile, the skiff, in slack form
the current, began to drift slowly to-
wards the second light; and Pete, low
crouchedin the stern, noiselessly shipped
his paddle and turned her head shore
ward.
Intuitively the others had stretched
in the hay, drawing the oilcloths well
over them, breathlessly expecting the
whirr of bullet or the glare of ben
COLA.
Flat on the water, no head showing
above her sides, the light craft an
swered well the feather of Petes strong,
slow wrist. Inch by inch she bore
away, passed under the dim-looming
stern, almost grazing the still blades of
the propeller. But, spite of the blacks
strength, the sliff drifted fast; and he
dared not quicken his paddle, fearing
noise. For now on his quick ear
sounded the dull tramp of the deck
watch on the second transport, and the
dim CLEAN Of her consort's stern-light
fell on the low black skiff drifting be-
tween twin dangersl So the steersman
let her swing closer in, beyond the
light,-almost too close,-before he
softly turned her shoreward.
For high above him doomed the sec
ond bow; and biscuit dropping from
it had fallen in the skiff. And the muf-
fled tread above now sounded clear even
to the two beneath the oil-cloths. But
to neither Of the three did thought of
capture come, the reckless daring Of the
boy relying on his tried, trust-to-luck
theory, the calmer courage Of the girl
upheld by nearness to the goal she
must reach now, the peril-hardened ne
gro crouched quiet and cool, his body
motionless, his strong wrist barely feel
ing the noiseless paddle.
Under the very nose of the tall ship
drifted the sl1iff, quick-turned into the
gloomy shadow of her great sides, car
ried slowly downward by the slack.
They were through the barrier, the
enemy well behind theml They were
safe! And Pete, turning the boats head
to shore, wore away cautiously. but