The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1893-01-25
-can we not cross before

d 81
shoot, sholy. Wes got ter drift an
wait. Be reddy ter kiver wen Pete
gibs de motion" ~
a He unshipped and packed the oars,
his broad-bladed paddle turning the
boats nose to the slack, as she slowly
drifted downstream. Then he tshed
from the seat well-oiled woolen rags,
securely muffling the rowlocls. ,m
The propeller's splash grew louder
rapidly; soon great steamers Lights
CLEANED siclly through the gloom, and
she was abreast of them, moving slowly
upstream, when from her farther side
suddenly flashed her signal light, 1t
was promptly answered by oneTtwo--
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. uyc5sel1g,es
Not sound aboard the skif. 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. saa
''Those anchored ones, across the
channel, will wait for day? We must
pass them?" she said.
"Sholy, missy Ef dem wont leebe,
we's got to run dey," he answered,
gravely. "Lay low she's a-comin'p
Again the pair nestled low in the
straw, Pete backing the skif slowly as
he lay fat 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 hulls beyond
the channel, their positions fixing on
his brain.
The second steamer had passed, the
third not yet in sight; and the sSiff,
Pete judged, had drifted down half
mile,
"Now, bossy," he said, simply, ives
! gwine ter cross da chainil, sholy. Den
we'll reslS de transputs, fur wunstl Pull
long an slowV
Again the slxiff 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 shoul-
der. With that glance the black lifted
his oar, Evans stroke spinning the
boats head upstream, as he caught the
quick whisper:
Lift, bossyl 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
dently turned, CLEANED the stern-lght
Of a vessel, Its height proving her a big
one. Then, as he spoke and turned, he
glanced below, and dimly through the
gloom shone the lights Of secondl
No time for speculation now. They
were almost beneath the towering hull
we'll within hail or easy pistol-range
} Only careless security, or untried ears
had failed to catch the plash Of oars
J the breathless trio waiting for q hal, =
probably yolley. But neither came
and silence as Of death covered wha'
might have been phantom ship
Meanwhile, the sldff, In slack form
the current, began 10 drift slowly 10
wards the second light; and Pete, low
crouched In the stern, noiselessly shippes
his paddle and turned her head shore
ward. tf
, Intuitively the others had stretched
In the hay, drawing the oilcloths wei
, over them, breathlessly expecting tn
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 Pete's strong
slow wrist. Inch by inch she bor
away, passed under the dim-loomini
stern, almost grazing the still blades o
the propeller. But, spite Of the black
strength, the slSiff drifted fast; and h
dared not quicken his paddle, fearinI
noise. For now on his quick ea
sounded the dull tramp Of the deck
watch on the second transport, and tn
dim CLEAN Of her consort's stern-ligh
fell on the low black slSiff drifting be
tween twin dangersl So the steersmai
let her swing closer In, beyond tn
light,-almost too close, e,-before h
softly turned her shoreward.
For high above him loomed the sec
ond bow; and biscuit dropping iron
II had fallen In the slriff. And the muf
fed tread above now sounded clear evel
TO the two beneath the oil-cloths Blu
to neither Of the three did thought o
capture come, the reckless daring Of th
boy relying on his tried, trust-to-lucl
3 theory, the calmer courage of the gir
upheld by. nearness to the goal sh
must reach now, the peril-hardened ne
: gro crouched quiet and cool, his bod,
motionless, his strong wrist barely feel
. ing the noiseless paddle. oo'.' NLS y =.
Under the very nose Of the tall shi
3 drifted the slriff, quiclk-turned into th
0 gloomy shadow OF her great sides, car
9 ried slowly downward BY the siack. q
They were through the barrier, th
enemy we'll behind themi They wer
!. safel And Pete, ttirnine the bofts hea
y 10 shore, wore away cauticnsl bu