Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1899-10-26
copyright 1897, by D. Appleton & Co. All
rights reserved
CHAPTER III.-CoNTINUED.
By CHAUNcY c. HOTchkISS

Of the younger lady l had never heard,
nor, after my tieeting glimpse of her, could
! make myself believe that her nature was
tainted. Scammell was the official guard of
the two for the trip, which accounted for the
dragoon being at sea, and, according to the
doctor, he had become deeply enamored of
his younger charge, the fair Gertrude King
Doubtless it was a desire to cover himself
with glory and dazzle the eyes of his love
which had led him to take hand in board
ing the Phantom, but | gave over interest
In the whole matter by the time the boat
reached it's destination.
The half-slewed Irishman made but hasty
work with Lounsbury. The unconscious
man had been removed to the cabin, and lay
In my berth with eyes fast closed, still
breathing like a pump. The doctor locked
at him frowningly, felt of his head and pulse
with careless air, and then gave his dag
noss.
Flip sovereign, cap'n, and bet on its
fall, and ye will have as good a notion of how
the case will turn out as myself. There no
knowing at all what the man viii come to.
He has had the devils own shock. 'Tis con-
cusson and mayhap fracture, mayhap true
tural lesion of the brain. Who knows? He
may die, he may live, but he'll be d bit
flashed in his wits if he pulls through, and
ne'er the lad he was. What's one dead rebel
more or less? Let him lie and take chances.
Have you a drap o potheen to say good
night on? I'm off"
] felt like kicking the man for his heart
lessness, but gave him a drink and saw him
started for his own craft; then, getting the
crew together, ! set them to work, and in
short order we were under way.
The surgeons words had not tended to
bo
when | struck my mate had passed away,
ana if he would live and remain flashed"
until / had cleared from the muddle into
which | had been forced | would pray for
bis final recovery.
1t was an easy matter to sail for New York.
As the schooner now bore, wing on wing,
that port lay fair off the end of the jib
boom. The Sprite sailed something less than
half mile on our larboard beam, and thus
we went for hours, each holding her own.
In the early light of the following morn the
wind suddenly hghtened, then shifted to
the north, and by the time l had made
Sandy Hook, where the bulk of Howe's fleet
lay waiting the arrival of the British army,
the Sprite was some miles to windward.
l had forgotten the race. The sick man
had most of my time and attention, tor he
had taken to raving, and was finally lashed
to his bunk. His speech was but an uncouth
mouthing of words that meant nothing, and
when at last in the lower bay, the schooner
was formally taken possession of, | passed
the care of him to others, and began to look
sharply to my own affairs.
1t was two days after the mess on the
Phantom before we dropped anchor off the
city, coming to final rest near the upper
limb of the blight of the small bay below
Corlears Hook, on the Sound river East
river).
There had been moro than little fuss and
many questions put by the authorities be-
fore / stepped ashore. Answers, too, were
given, which might have been picked full
Of holes had suspicious arisen in the minds
Of the reigning powers; but owing to the
disorder due to the retreat of Clinton from
Philadelphia, and the arrival of his army,
which had now boarded the fleet at Sandy
Hook, confusion ran riot in all branches of
government, and saved me from much fine
lying.
There had never been a moment when
could have gotten at the gold in the cabin
without exciting suspicion. In fact, | had
but little time to study the papers | had ap-
propriated and still had on my person; and
now, well-nigh destitute from want of cash,
! had the misery Of seeing the kings broad
arrow painted on the bows of the Phantom
and of finding myself turned ashore.
was not greatly troubled by my lack of
ready money. / held Endorsement docu-
ments for a claim on my own ship for prize
money for capturing her, and could easily
turn it into gold by allowing liberal dis
count; but it went to my heart to see the
broad arrow (Which marks the kings prop
erty), and know the craft was, by hook or by
crook, prize in possession of the enemy.
But if my comparative poverty caused me
no great uneasincss, was worried over the
fact that | had two living witnesses against
me, one of whom, the negro, was capable
Of damning me with his evidence could he
but obtain the ear of an official 1t struck
me forcihly, too, that was fairly within the
enemy's lines and under a false name and
character. 1t were one thing had | been
caught at acting part on the high seas and
on my own schooner, but quite another to be
discovered under the existing circumstances.
The first could have made me prisoner of
war at most; the second would damn me as
a spy, and give me short shift to the next
world by means of a rope.
At that time it might have been possible
for me to have left New York and gotten
on my way homeward. But it did not hap
pen to lie in my blood to turn up with the
report of having forfeited everything save
liberty and life. With weakling it would
hGve passe6 with me twould look as though
had thrown away all for the sake of light
sn!ng my heels, and would likely injure my
reputation