Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1894-04-19

| DcuOI luulS, uTlIu your VuTuS 10
the gale, and shorten sail down 70
the tops'ls"
hesitated and glancedInqulrlngly
at the captain. lie was evidently
impressed with the ability and conf
dence Of the stranger for he motioned
TO me to obey the order.
Half an hour was sufficient to exc
cute the commands, teen leaving
two good men on the lookout in com
pany with the secono mate | re-
turned aft. Both the skipper and
the assenger stood at the wheel
while the seaman, who had been re
lieyed, remained close by to lend a
hand in case his services were needed
Already the roar Of the surf as it
beat upo1 the coral reefs was borne
to our ears above the the scTeeching
Of the gale, and long line Of white
foam stretched across our bows
scarcely quarter Of a mile distant
All but one spot and here the sea
rolled on in mighty waves,
Straight for this indenture the i'm
promptu pilot headed the bark
Rigid as statue carved in bronze he
grasped the spokes Of the wheel,
while his flashing eye wandered al
ternate y from the bright light of
the beacon to the seething pillows
which laved our side!
On, on, we flew until the surging
line Of surf bore amidships. Then in
a clarion voice. the stranger called:
Settle away the topSls Stand
by to let go both anchors"
repeated the orders, as it were,
mechanically for I was dazed, and
felt almost as If we were under the
guidance Of a supernatural being.
Ten minutes later the light on Key
Francis hung over our stern.
Then | saw the captain and the
stranger throw the wheel hard down
and in few moments more our yes.
sci was sailing through comparatively
still water, and when the anchors
left the bow, though we could hear
the tempest raging above our heads,
we lay safe and quiet under the lee
Of the land, which had it not been
for the skill Of the stowawaX would
have proved our destruction.
When l again went aft the captain
was wringing the hand of the
stranger and assuring him thai his
valuable services should not go unre-
warded.
may" heard the other say, II
want not your gold. But there is
one request which l will make, that
is, to give me the use of a boat"
ut shall be yours, senor" replied
the skipper, but not tonight
Wait until morning when you and
will go up to CaiDarien together
mo, no, captain. l must away at
once, for to be found on this vessel
when the Spanish officers visit her in
the morning, would mean for me a
fate fully as bad, if not worse, than
though the bark had gone to de-
struction upon the reefs of Key
Francisl Say, senor shall l have
the boat?"
"She is yours, and 1 will send men
to handle her."
"Again l am compelled to refuse
your offer, senior. l must 60 alone. :"
1t was with heartfelt regret that
we babe adieu to our passenger, and
as he disappeased in the darkness
the captain turned to me and asked
wonderingly:
'Who can he be-"
Before we left Cuba the question
was answered to our satisfaction.
A revolt had broken out in the
northern part of the island The in
surgents had been Joined by pa
trlotic leader who had come to them
from the United States, but how he
had succeeded in making a landing
the Spanish authorities were greatly
at loss to comprehend.
Then it was that we, the crew OF
the Curlew, knew who had been our
mysterious pilot and brought us safe.
ly by the treacherous reefs Of Key
Francis and left us riding serenely
at anchor in the bay of Caibarien. -
Yankee Blade.