Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1896-09-14
KIDNAPPED,
BEING MEMOIRS OF THE ADVENTURES OF DAVID
BALFoUR IN THE YEAR 1751
By ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON.
CHAPTER xvIII.-(Continued.)

CHAPTER XVIII-(Continued
cay" said he, they'll be gey weary
before they've got to the end of that en-
ploy! And so you and me, David, can
sit down and eat a bite, and breathe a
bit longer, and take dram from my
bottle. Then wen strike for Aucharn,
the house of my kinsman, James Of the
Glens, where | must get my clothes, and
my arms, and money TO carry us along;
and then, David we'll cry Forth, For
tuner and take a cast among the heath
err"
SO we sat again and ate and drank,
in a place whence we could see the sun
going down into a field of great, wild
and hOuseless mountains, such as l was
now condemned to wander in with my
companion. Partly as we SO sat, and
partly afterWard on the way to Aucharn,
each of us narrated his adventures; and
| shall here set down so much of Alan's
as seems either curious or needful.
1t appears he ran to the bulWarks as
soon as the wave was passed; saw me,
and lost me, and saw me again, as L
tumbled in the roost; and at last had
one glimpse of me clinging on the yard.
1t was this that put him in some hope
/ would maybe get to land after all,
and made him leave these clues and mes
SageS which had brought me (fOr my
SINS to that unlucky country of APP
pin.
In the meanwhile those still on the
brig had got the Skif launched, and one
or two were on board of her already,
when there came a second wave greater
than the first, and heaved the brig out
of her place, and would certainly have
sent her to the bottom, had she not
struck and caught on some projection of
the reef. When she hau struck first, it
had been bOWS-On, SO that the stern had
hitherto been lowest. But now her stern
was thrown in the air, and the bows
plunged under the sea; and with that
the water began to pour into the fore
scuttle like the pouring of a milldam.
1t took the color out of Alan's face,
even to tell what followed. For there
were still two men lying impotent in
their hunks; and these, seeing the water
pour in and thinking the ship had foun-
dered, begun to cry out aloud, and that
with such narrowing cries that all who
were on deck tumbled one after another
into the skiff and fell to their oars They
were not 200 yards away when there
came a third great sea; and at that the
brig lifted clear over the reef; her can
vas filled for a moment, ana she seemed
to sail in chase of them, but settling all
the while; and presently she drew down
and down, as if a hand was drawing
her; and the sea closed over the Gov
enant of Dysart.
Never a word they spoke as they pulled
ashore, being stunned with the horror of
that screaming; but they had scarce set
foot upon the beach when Hoseason
woke up, as if out of a muse, and babe
them lay hands upon Alan. They hung
back indeed, having little taste for the
employment; but Hoseason was like q
fend; crying chat Alan was alone, that
he had a great sum about him, that he
had been the means of losing the brig
and drowning all their comrades, and
that here was both revenge and wealth
upon single cast. 1t was seven against
one; IN that part of the shore there was
no rock that Alan could set his back to:
and the sailors began to spread out and
come behind him.
And then" said Alan, ''the little man
with the red head havenae mind of
the name that he is called
''Riach," said |.
cay" said Alan. "Riach. Well, it was
him that took up the clubs for me, asked
the men if they Werenae feared of q
Judgment, and says he. bod, I'll put my
back to the Hielandman's myself That's
none such an entirely bad little man, you
little man with the red head" said Alan.
He has some spunlzs of decency."
"Well," said |, The was kind to me in
his way
''And so he was to Alan," said he;
''and by my trOth, found his way a
very good one! But We see, David, the
loss of the ship and the cries of these
poor lads sat very i'll upon the man;
and I'm thinking that would be the cause
of it,,
SWELL l would think so,'' said 1; 'for
ne was as keen as any of the rest at
the beginning. But how did Hoseason
take itY'
ut sticks in my mind that he would
take it very ILL., says Alan. "But the
little man cried 70 me to run, and indeed
l thought it was a good observe, and
ran. The last that | saw they were all
in a knot upon the beach, like folk that
were not agreeing very well together.
What do you mean by that!' said l..
''Well the fists were going" said Alan:
Sand saw one man go down like a PAIR
of breeks. But | thought it would be
better not to wait. Ye see there's a
strip Of Campbells in that end of Null,
which is no good company for a gentle
man like me. If it hadnae been for that
| would have waited and looked for We
myself, let alone giving Il hand to the
little man." Ut was droll how Alan
dweIt on Mr.. Riachs stature, for, to say
than the other.) go says he, continu-
ing II set my best foot forward and
whenever [ met in with anyone L cried
out there was q wreck ashore. Man, they
didnae stop to fash with me. 1e should
have seen them linking for the beach.
And when they got there they found they
had had the pleasure of run, which is
aye good for a Campbell. I'm thinking it
was q judgment on the clan that the brig
went down in the lump and didnae
break But il was a very unlucky thing
for YOU that same: for if any wreck had
come ashore they would have hunted
high aud low, and would soon have
found We.
Ear# CHAPTER NIX.