The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1899-08-19
stiffness Of the afternoon. Ames was for,

stiffness Of the afternoon. Ames was for
ward guarding the forecastle hatch, and his
sister had gone below From the prisoners
,who had come at last TO realizing sense
OF their position) nothing had been heard
beyond demand for water, which had been
given to them, and air, ocean, and schooner,
with all on board, had quieted into what
hade fair TO become a dead calm.
We had seen a number of sail during the
day, but nothing had as yet come hull above
the horizon, even these showing south and
west mere specks Of light against the pearl
OF the sky line. thanked God for the scare
gwen the British by the advent Of the
French fleet, aud knew that each cables
length we made 10 the east brought us so
much nearer safety The day was waning;
night would soon be on us, and II the wind
held. under cover OF darkness we would be
secure in our flight. and possibly the NOR
rows sun might rise and show me the gor
geous reds and yellows Of Gay Head bluff
with its cap of green turf. a sign that we
were in home waters.
Even as ms heart warmed at the thought
! cast my eye landward over the larboard
quarter aud saw coming out of the haze
which had all but blotted out the Long
Island coast a topsail schooner bearing
southeast or directly toward the Phantom.
She was some five or six miles away, but
even at that distance | could see by her
slope that she had found fresh slant Of
wind, and that from her forward cloths 10
the tip OF her main boom every rag was
drawing her progress being nightly helped
by the square sail set on her foretopmast.
There was no knowing what she was, but
The fact that any craft had gotten so close
without having been marked, gave me a
start, and put the helm down that the
jih and staysails might draw, which would
OF the same time bring the stranger over our
taffrail. \ landlubber could have seen she
yeas no frenchman, for the Gau had a style
OF cut, rake and carry, all his own, be-
sides which they were not given TO sailing
small craft in these waters She might be
a prvateer, ia which case all would he well.
but ii not, and | feared my own intuition,
then my air castles were doomed TO ruin.
my borrowed happiness was but the swan
scng OF hope, ny dream that of a con.
demned man
The jbing Of the foresail and my hail TO
Ames brought Miss King to the deck. Her
brother joined rs, and we three stood look.
rg az the oncoming vessel which had ap.
peared like a cloud to mar the brightness
or "A perfect Gay, lneIe was no Heeu 20 cA-
plain the menace lying beneath that bunch
OF swollen canvas. BY the faces Of the two
/ saw they realized it was plain ease of
chase. the only doubt being whether it
would prove for good or evil | would have
given the gold in my pocket for a good glass
with which to make her out, but, as that was
impossible, it tool, me but few seconds 10
come 20 the conclusion that our only hope
,and that a slim one) was to make the chase
stern one and give the poor Phantor,,
with her foul bottom, an the speed possible
Putting the wheel in charge of Ames, with
no loss OF words went forward, clambcred
up the fore shrouds and managed alone 20
rnfurl the square sail, settling the braeing
and the sheet and tack on my return to the
deck. In the present light air the pull OF the
canvas was small, but it was something, and
knew the stranger would mark the increase
Of sail and read as plainly as print that we
wanted nothing Of her
tTo BE CONTINUED