Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1897-02-04

him back with me. i had as yet told no
one, when Mary Williams came to mo
and said
"Ralph, J. know what you have plan
ned to TO, but you must not 60 alone.
You believe you can find your way
through the forest without help, but you
cannot. You must got the bearings by
compass, and tonight you must have
compass with you. The captain is likely
to have been hurt and may need help to
get along if rescued. I shall 60 with
youv'
When I heard the good girl speaking
after that fashion, was specchless with
surprise, but after bit pulled myself
together and answered her that we could
spare no men, and, as for taking a
woman OH such perilous jaunt, it was
not to be thought Of
"Eut shall 60 with you' she stoutly
persisted 81 will take one of the re-
volvers and a small compass and you
can arm yourself with the fowling piece
and another revolver. If worst comes to
worst, l believe the two Of US will be
match for the whole gang, as they have
no firearms. 1t is needless for you to
raise objections, for if You 60 l gop'
but your clothes:' l persisted.
"Why, Mary, the dress would be torn
off your back before we had crept half
q cables length
81 shall arrange about that, sir; so
go ahead ard make your plans!"
There was girl of sense and courage
for you--a real English girl-who might
cry out at the sight of q mouse in her
own chamber, but who could be real
heroine when the occasion demanded.
pretended to yield, but at 8 O'Clock that
night, when had one of the boats softly
dropped into the water and Haskell was
ready to pull me ashore, Mary came aft
and whispered to me:
Don't forget the compasses and some
matches, Ralph, and have last look at
the firearms. You see, am all ready to
90 with you?"
looked at her in amazement don't
say that she had Oh full suit Of her
fathers clothes, but it was pretty near
it. / realized that she must feel embar-
raised, and that only her love for me
had brought it about, and so l looked
in any other direction as l replied:
"See here, girl, but do you realize
the peril of this expedition? Ben john
son would like nothing better than to
capture US both at once. l think he'd
almost give up all ideas of possessing
the Hindu if he had us in his hands!'
eyes, Ralph, know the danger" she
quietly replied. 1T will be greater to
you alone than with me- and so shall
20. Take along revolver for the cap
tain, aud it would be we'll if Haskell
remained in the boat after we have
landed, us we may come back in great
haste.
To tell you the truth, l was glad to
have company. I should rather have
had one of the men, of course, could
one have been spared, and it made mo
tIcmble to think we might be playing
into Johnson's hands. With the three of
us prisoners the people left aboard the
bark could not hold out against him a
day. Wasn't it brave of my sweetheart
to volunteer to accompany me-aye, to
insist Oh it in spite of my objections? l
want you to praise her a bit for that. IL
you had stood on that lonely beach with
us and looked into the dark forest and
realized the peril as we did, | know you
would call her heroine. For all we
knew, a dozen of the mutineers might
be lying concealed in the bushes not 80
feet away. | was not nearly so confident
of success after landing and standing
face to face with the difficulties. Sailor
though | was, and ever using the COM
pass for my guiding star, ] should have
overlooked it on this occasion and been
lost in the bush before we had gone 300
feet but for Mary.
After few whispered words to Has
kell, who was to remain in the boat un.
til we returned or daylight came, took
the lead, and we pushed into the woods.
1t rained a little, and the wind was
gusty, and once under the trees it was
so dark that we had to feel our way. l
f1attered myself that we were keeping
true course, but at the end of a quarter
of an hour Mary suggested that we take
a look at the compass. We got down
close to the ground and struck Il match,
and, to my surprise, we were bearing
northwest instead of due north. After
that we consulted the compass every
few minutes, but were IL good hour and
a half making our way to the clearing.
We were within 80 feet of the tents be-
fore we got sight Of the fires which the
rain had almost eXtinguishcd. We crept
closer and listened, but not sound
came from the mutineers. Putting her
mouth close to my car, Mary whispered
Now, Ralph, you made out four
tents or shelters here. The captain is
certainly in one CT them. If any one
was OH guard over him, there would be
q better fire We shall find him fast
bound in one of the rear shelters. Let
me take the lead from this out, and re-
member, if we are surprised, we must
open fire on them and try and cut the
captains bonds and put a pistol in his
hands.
Would you believe that /, who had
planned the expedition and intended to
go alone and had taken the lead thus
far, should give way to a girl at the
most critical point and take second
place? And yet that is the very thing
l did. 1t seemed to be a matter Of
course. won't admit that was fright
ened, but my nerves were strung up and
my heart humping away like a trip
hammer, and I'm sure l was the more
Hnstrated of tho two Mnru nnynd To