The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-01-06
CHAPTER I.
THE BARK QUEEN.

The moon rode high and rained |
49, that floated in the air in a mist or
ie ,nndor. the vision was overwhelmed
w the brilliance; the dark shore Oh
~ u;.her hand the spot where the two men
o.ood sank into visionary streaks a lit
.,o distance from them, and looking
aoross sydney bay was like being at sea.
The Circular quay had not been built
IN those days. Ships lay moored IN
creeks, and here and there you caught
a glimpse as of thundercloud OF mast
and spar interlaced and knitted into
deen shadow, in places touched into
silver CLEANS. In the bay the riding
lights of ships winked against the Hood
inc moonlight weak rs firefiies.
A ship rode opposite the men. She
was perhaps quarters OF mile dis
t.nt easily to be distinguished as
handsome little bark, with all her sea
GEAR rove and her sails slowed, as
though just arrived or shortly depart
ing. The men looked at her while they
ouietly conversed. Past her this mo-
ment there went floating, dim as COL
umn of vapor, large ship, newly ar
rived from the old country. In few
minutes she broke up the silence III the
bay by the roar of iron links swept
through iron, and by the hallooing and
hawking of men as the sails melted in
the moonlight into wreaths and fes-
toons delicate as vapor.
It was 10 o'clock. Some chimes came
In faint strains from Sydney town.
They were caught up by the ships bells,
and pretty noise of tinkling, with
clearer, deeper, nearer notes from some
threats of metal up the creek, past the
men, trembled in fairy music across
the waters. Here and there upon the
breast of the bay crept some little shad-
ow of boat, framed in dim glitter OF
phosphor that would have been bright
light had the moon been dark. Scarce
" had the last of the ships bells rung
out 10 o'clock when a noise OF oars
caught the men.
"Here he comes" said one Of them,
straining his eyes in the direction OF
the sound under the sharp Of his hand,
as though the sun was in the sky.
"No, no." answered the other gruff-
ly; "why, Trollope, that noise means
gunwale full of tholes. You'll not see
Hankey till he's here"
As the men spoke these words, both
of them articulating in accents OF re-
finement, low, long white boat came
close in out of the haze of the moon
1;ukt ..-,tL in tho CT chpptG
who stood up ON catching sight of the
figures upon the strip of land, apparent.
ly staring at them. You saw CLEAN OF
buttons ON his frock coat, and the sl>
men who were rowing leisurely on the
thwarts were uniformly appareled.
Oars" cried the man III the stern
sheets
The boat doated to "a stand RICH
abreast the creek, into whose yawninl
mouth, glooming swiftly out of the sill
yer into dusk, thickened by the mast
and rigging of ships the man continuot
to stare for some moments as though il
expectation. The two men down ON TIT
point where the water came strummlnI
with a guitarliko note in black ripple
watched him.
what is that boat?" said one o
them.
Either the harbor guard boat, or sh
belongs to man-of-war, answered
the other.
what have they got the scent OF
On the track of deserters perhaps, o
keeping bright lookout OH whatsyon
der. eh?" and the speaker nodded in tn
direction of the bark.
The man in the stern sheets resume
his seat, the oars were leisurely dipped
and the boat vanished in the vaporou
sheen.
Five minutes after she was out {
sight a black spot showed close in on
line with the bark. 1t enlarged swift
into little boat, with man scullin
her. He was alone. He drove the boa
short way up the creek, where tn
brine brimmed without break Of ripple
and jumped out, keeping hold of h
boat by her painter. The others joine
him.
well, Hankey, what's the news?"
I've been an hour with Poole an
have corkscrewed out of him as muc
as think is to be got. A couple of DO
Ties OF champagne made him chatt,
and the captain was ashore and Ii
chief mate indisposed in his cabii
There are few passengers OH boar'
che sails tomorrow at 2, and seemed
me while she lies in the moonlight as
walked her deck the prettiest lit
craft that was ever handled by a sailo
Easily to be worked, in my judgmen
by half dozen men. Her yards a
square for her size, but I'd undertal
10 roll up her main topsail, blowii
hard, with three men. u"
The others listened eagerly. The ma
spoke with an educated accent. II
tnree OF them suggested the broke
oincer, the gentleman who had come
the colonies for the gold rush, who hi
tailed and made shift for his life in
oinerent directions, sailorizing seemin
~ being one Of them, as might be infe
red at all events from Mr.. Hankey
talk OF topsails and the others apr
C1atfye ds.~, - l. ~s,o~Io