Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1899-06-15

great main BOOM WITH It's IIlS1SG;d saTf~ rsiiG:
had greeted me with a touch of her hand,
the first she had ever vouchsafed me, while
the quick turn of her eyes and the CLEAN of
her teeth (Which was all | could see of her
facet showed me that she was alert and still
self-contained. But not a whisper of ques-
ton did she bother me with, though for that
matter she had spoken not word since
leaving Turtle bay. | had mighty respect
for her if only for her knowledge of how and
when to keep from obtruding her helpless
ness, and would have lifted to my lips her
smooth finger tips, only dared not Even
had she not resented the act, it might be but
for the reason that through gratitude she
would save my feelings, and the thought
was not comforting.
Dropping her hand therefore, with the
word that all was going well, | returned to
my post In my expectancy and dread of |
knew not what, the minutes seemed to
lengthen to quarter hours. The white muf-
file Of mist appeared thicker than ever, and
once or twice | fancied caught on my wet
check a cooling breath, as though the dead
air was giving first faint heave Of coming
activity. / felt that the wind was not far
off, and feared it, but come what might /
must now hold my course and drift into free
com or eternity.
And still no sound from the cabin save
now and then a cough showing that the
lungs of the two were harried by their own
powder smoke. ! dared not explore the in
terror for fear of being greeted by shot,
and could only await some overt act to show
me what was afoot. Suddenly from below
there came dull, Earring thud, and the fog
about the quarterback was lighted by a
brilliant flash, apparently from beneath the
tarpaulin, while at once following came the
voice Of Lounsbury calling for water and
Air, air, for the love Of Cod" Almost on
The instant, and before | realized that some
thing untoward had happened below, seem
ngly from the muck directly overhead a
hoarse voice shouted:
"The deck, ahoy There's a schooner
adrift and almost on us! Did We see that
lght?"
"Ay! Where away is she?" came an an
swer close at hand.
Con our starboard bow, sir; coming stern
first aud no sail set She's like to foul u.s."
Can you make her out?"
''Naught but the foreyard and topmasts
show above the fog, sir.
What the devil can be the meaning of
i.?'' came the return, and then | heard the
scuille of feet on the strangers deck, fol-
lowed by quick call:
Schooner ahoy! What schooner that?"
Hitherto my policy had been silence, but
Low it instantly struck me that to pay no
attention to the hail would be but to pre-
eiptate ruin while vet there was a forlorn
hope. II we came in collision, unless an
swered they would board us in the twinklng
Of an eye, while if we missed they would
be suspicious ard start search, which,
blind as it would be, might end by their
running across US. Therefore | at once sent
my voice back with all my power and with
out the least hesitaton:
Az, az; we've parted shacllle and are
losing ground. Will bring up in a couple Of
cables lengths if we clear you. Stand by
to take a blow What ships that?
His majestys sloop-ofwar Ajax! What
sehooner's that"
THE Sprite," | returned at venture,
that vessel being the only schooner | could
then call to mind The answer hurled back
II me was startling
eye lie! The Sprite went outside this
morning on patrol. Come to, or I'll sink ye!
Stand BY for quartersl On deck, the watch
below!' Then, evidently to guard aloft:
"Where away is she? Damn the fog!"
In the quick hustle, the shrll rattle Of
the boatswain's whistle on the deck Of the
enemy (Which sound seemed to fill the har-
hor1, and all that followed, heard no an
swer to the call aloft. There was enough
aiese at hand, for from our own cabin there
came 4 bediam of shouts that drowned the
cetails OF the notes OF preparation made on
the Ajax.
Treason! treason! IIelp!-help IT'S
the Phantom cut out by the rebels! IT'S
The villain Thorndyke! We are prisoners in
the cabin! Board us, for God Is sake!" and
matter Of this tenor which crossed the water,
and was as plain to the ear Of the officer on
the adjacent vessel as it was to mine
And now for us the game appeared to be
played to the end With faces evidently
pressed close to the open dead lights of the
cabin the two below had sent forth the
alarm and made the muss past mending
From the Ajax came loud orders, and just
as | caught the glimmer of that vessels an,
ehor light as it swept by in a thick yellow
halo, there came the rattle of drum beat
ing to quarters, and it was at once followed
by a similar but faint alarm from some ship
anchored east and toward the Brookland
shore Then we slipped into the darkness
again, and went whirling on our way
We had missed d collision, but by a close
shave only, as think there lay not two rods
betwXt me and the light had seen. Our
move had been exposed, and the only thing
gained by us was a knowledge Of our speed
and whereabouts. The Ajax | knew had
been anchored for upward of a month about
a mile below the grand battery" and the
Wv her riding LIGHT had slid by US be