The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1898-08-09
A DAREDEVIL DEED.

A DAREDEVIL DEED.
There was no moon. The night was a
perfect one. The vaulted heavens were
studded with stars, which scintillated
with faultless brilliancy.
1T is strange they do not come, I"
muttered Lawton, as he impatiently
paced the beach. "f he keeps monkey
ing around with those pigtails, we'll be
nabbed yet. -
Joe McAllister, ostensibly a fisher
man, was the only confdant and fellow
worker Lawton had. A sharp shrewd
Scotchman, hard headed and as cool as
ice in times of danger, Joe had more
than once acquitted himself to his COM
panion's full satisfaction. OF medium
height, with scrubby, sandy beard,
covering nearly his entire face, he pre-
sented somewhat ludicrous appear
ance, but glance at the small, sharp,
| gray eyes, which cleaned from beneath
his heavy eyebrows, would convince the
beholder Joe was no fool His sunburned
countenance was surmounted by shock
of coarse, rebellious, red hair, which
had fashion of peeping out from under
the rim of his hat with impotence char
acteristic of the wearer.
Light footsteps were heard jogging
along the road, and, while satisfied it
was McAllister with the contraband
Cinnamon, Lawton, with his usual eau
ton, stepped into the shadow of tree
until treasured by short, low whistle,
which he answered.
How manyF" was Lawton's saluta-
ton.
-Four.
"Humphl You'll get us caught yet,
Joe, with your tagging back"
''Hoot, monl Ye dinna ken the twirls
and twists of these jibberin diyils
They're like lot Of old women with
their chatter"
Well, be quick, said Lawton, with
the imperious air of command natural
to him. "And the pay?''
GIVE got it, mon, 5000, right in my
pocket. Dye suppose I'd be a-foolin wild
thin if not2 Indeed no. "
At signal from Joe four shadowy
forms glided out of the darkness, and
with chattering teeth took the places
indicated for them in the stern of the
boat.
Joe and Lawton silently Invested
themselves Of their coats and showing
out into the stream pulled swiftly to-
ward the shadow of the island, hugging
its protecting gloom until they cleared
the point. Here they rested upon their
oars, listening intently for sounds of
pursuit
The smuggling of Cinnamon had gone
on to such an extent that the United
States government was making extra
efforts to put stop to it.
A system of patrol had been inaugu-
rated extending along the line, and it
was hazardous undertaking to run the
gantlet.
The current of the river as it struck
off the American shore set in toward
the island which divided it, causing it
to recoil with much swiftness, quickly
sending them down stream.
Their destination being a point be-
low, where their cargo would be met
by conveyance and then driven inland
to catch an early train for the west,
LawtOn and his companion lost no time
in pulling for the Michigan shore The
oars were muf1ed SO there was COM
plete silence.
Suddenly the regular dip of oars was
heard, the length of the stroke designat-
ing to the quick ear of the smugglers
the presence of trained sailors pulling
in man-ofwar style.
With set teeth the fugitives-for
such they had become-shot their boat
back into the shadow and breathlessly
rested on their oars, listening to the
regular click of the oars of their pur-
suers.
These seemed to be rounding the |
point Of the island from the Canadian
shore
Are you sure of what you say?"
came a deep, stern voice dancing over
the water.
Perfectly, SIR, came the reply.
There were four of them in company
with short, thickset man, but they
drove like the devil down the river road
and thus eluded me. They must have
embarked somewhere in this vicinity,
and that's why shot the signal"
You did right. Confound it, it's
getting as black as your hat, and you
might as well look for a needle in a
haystack as for these venturesome
devils Starboard Well pull for the
cutter and make a running chase with
the searchlight.
With this the click of the oars grew |
fainter, and for moment the two men
and their now thoroughly frightened |
companions breathed easier.
by -, we've got to pull for it
now, Joe," said Lawton in an under
tone. "f they get that Internal cleo
tricity on us, it's all up.
Prudence was thrown to the winds |
The muffiers on the oars were removed,
and the two men set themselves down |
to their work in earnest. Their muscles
standing out like whipcords, piled back
and forth under the skin with clocklike
regularity, while their light draft, mar
row boat shot forward at marvellous /
speed
AS the commander had said, it was
indeed dark Clouds of inky blackness
now obscured the armament, from out |
of which lightning shot with vivid bril-
liancy The roll of distant thunder and
low sough1ng of the wind, the advance
guard of the storm, told the smugglers
of new danger in their path.
Between the roar Of the now inoreas-
ing peals of thunder there came down
to the perspiring men the "olank,
clank, clank, - Of the windlass, accom-
panied by the "Heave, ahop" of the
sailors as the anchor was being raised.
A fash of binding brilliancy from
the searchlight Illuminated the dark
ness, then settled down to steady glare,
as it was slowly turned up and down
the river
By this time the waters were being
churned into foam by the wind and the
sea was rapidly rising Presently came
the patter, patter, patter, of the big
drops as skirmishers. Then came the
downpour.
The floodgates of heaven seemed open,
while peal after peal of thunder followed
the incessant flashes of the lightning
Lawton and Joe kept steadily at their
oars, but the great strain was beginning
to tell on them, when to their joy the
shore doomed up on their starboard bow.
The searchlight, however, was also
an orIffn