The Portland daily press., 1895-03-09

T. Olls IL is you. mr. " 4'I4Sis you WA SeA'
US, will you not?'
Save you ejacated o'Brien from
what?'
From my father and Jackson' but Go
not delay-let us go-l will tell later on
The girl appeared terribly frightened,
and dragging her companion with her,
made at once for the boat, o. Brien ana MS
mate following. Scarcely allowing time Tor
the others to get seated, she seized an oar.
and pushed off; then, drawing knife from
her pocket. she cut the cable which at
tached il to the shore, and the little craft
went skimming over the lake towards
| Owls Head. helped by Will Blake, who
was scuiling as though for life. For few
minutes all was silence then there arose
angry shouts from the island, and torches
were seen to wave in all directions. Men
were rushing hither and thither, shouting
| and gesiiculating. Then three boats were
seen to put off from different parts of the
| island and start in pursuit Of the little
craft. But the latter had got too much of
a start. and by the time the pursuers were
halfway across. the pursued had reached
the beach at the foot of Owls Head, where,
/ leaving the boat, they hurriedly made for
the woods. Gaining an elevation, they saw
the pursuing boats reached the shore. Then
there was a conference, which finally ended
in the men returning to their boats. evil
IDENTIFY satisfied that it would be impossible
to find the fugitives in the almost .lmpene-
trable woods which at that time surrounded
the base of Owls Head.
After seeing the men return to the is
land. Mary and her compa MONS considered
what had best be donesanext. There were
very few buildings in the vicinity Of the
mountain at that time, only few logger's
| shanties, and it was decided to seek the
shelter of one of these till daylight would
permit them TO find path over the noun
| tain. O'Brien, who seemed to know the
locality very well, took them by an intri-
cate path to a clearing, where there was
a deserted Lighthouse. Here they made
themselves as comfortable as circumstances
would permit, when O'Brien asked Mary to
tell him the cause of her alarm. She was
about to comply, when they were startled
| by he sound of an explosion.
''All were on their feet in moment, hur-
rying to the eminence from which they
had watched the pursuers-depart. All eyes
were directed toward the island. No lights
were visible now, but sort of vapor seemd
to float over it. almost enveloping it.
e" My God, the powder magazine!' ejacu-
late Blake.
6" My father! my father. moaned Mary.
| sOh, come to him.
And starting forward again. she aerted
towards he boat, the three men following.
AS the island was approached strong
smell of gunpowder was noticed, but ot a
sound was heard. The oarslnen rowed di-
rect for the opening of SINNERS Cave.
|
leaped out and darted forwaI d to She open
ing of the cave. But she had not proc led
many PAGES when she We brought to a sud-
den malt. There WAS no opening. AT the
end OF the cave appeared a huge rock. while
| scattered in all directions were pieces of
splintered granite that had evidently been
recently deposited there. Both Mary and
Blake after vainly trying TO find the open
ing. returned to the boat and roweu round
to the side of the island, where there was
another landing place
| Both appeare ed thoroughly acquainted
w it'll every part of the island. and select
| ing one of two paths that came down to
TO beach, they dartd up it, and soon
reached the crest of a hill. From there they
looked eagerly around, but nothing but
scene of desolation rewarded their gaze.
The whole place looked as If it had been re-
Gently shaken by violent upheaval.
Trees were uprooted and great rocks were
overturned in all directions. Vainly Mary
and Blake, assisted by O'Brien and his com
panion. searched for traces of Skinner and
his crew. Vainly the two sought what to
them were familiar land marks.
Seeing that it uselessto remain
longer on the island. the four determined
to row back to SINNERS house, in the hope
of finding some of the smugglers there. But
on their arrival the house was found just as
O'Brien had left it. As soon as il was light
the VIII ole party returned to SINNERS Is
land. but their further search revealed
nothing of startling nature. There were
| certainly many pieces of boards, broken
| barrels, and fragments of bales strewn in
all directions, but trace of human be-
! ing. The whole party were forced to the
| opinion that the powder magazine had by
some means exploded. blocking up both
openings TO the cave. and in all proba bility
burying all the smugglers in the ruins.
Both Mary and Blake told their stories
to O'Brien. Capt. Skinner and his band
had carried on most extensive system of
smuggling. the goods being taken from con-
| federates In all parts of the country
| IneSe goods were nTSr conveyed to his store
and then concealed in the underground
p assage, whence they were taken to the
| little cove and ferried in boats, of which
he smugglers we've in possession of quite
a fiotiila, to the island, where they were
| concealed in the caves with which the is
| land was interested. The smugglers were
| In league with several of the residents in
the vicinity, who came to the island al
stated intervals for the goods and distri-
buted them all over the country Their i'm
munity from arrest had made them bold.
and at the time of the explosion there must
have been many thousand pounds worth Of
contra band goods on the island.
Regarding Mary's lovers, it appears that
there was an understanding between old
| Skinner and his lieutenant, jackson, that
the girl was to become the latter's wife
on her twenty first birthday A strong at
tachment had meanwhile sprung up between
young Blake and the girl. an attachment
which at length ripened into secret en-
gagement. By some means unexplained this
| engagement reached the ears of jackson.
and he determined to be revenged on his
1 ~ vi