Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1899-09-21
the north, ther. o.uld be no telling the

hucNA DIS SauOHuleTS, anu, There Uslug
40 safe objective for the fugitiyes, to land
would be but beginning anew search for
refuge. Without money Though ! would
make shift to remedy the lack Of that),
without friends and with price Oh Their
heads, change to the pine wilderness Of the
western coast would be scarce an improve
ment over the deck of the Phantom, out
lawed though she was. Such was their argu-
nlent.
A. for myself, nothing would have now
tempted me to desert the vessel BY hold.
ing course well south, clinging only to the
loom OF the Long Island coast as "a guide
for had NO sure compass), might run
| across Yankee privateer or find protec-
ton in possible French cruiser. At this
moment ! had recovered all had lost and
mere. The schooner with its cargo was in
tact; the gold was still in the cabin; had
been enriched by several rolls of money
from Clinton Though had not yet counted
the coin, only guessing at its value by its
drag on my pocket), while below were
Lounsbury and prisoner of rank. More
| than these, had the knowledge of a move
to be made toward the relief of Newport by
| the British, and-here I was honest with
| myself as | thus compiled my gains-I had
| two friends, one of whom, oath or no oath,
should come to no harm from mankind
while had an arm to interpose.
! had suggested the Jersey shore as mat
ter of duty. l had heard their determine.
ton to abide with me and share my for
tune, be it high or low, with something of
feeling that put new power into me, and,
l fancy, new light in my eye chad they
been looking Closely, not caused by the
6azzle of the sun. Our destination lay, then,
first for the Vineyard. There would place
this now homeless girl in care of my mother
and sister, who were probably mourning for
me as lost, then to New London to deliver
prisoners and cargo to the proper authori-
| ties, and after that-well, would wait and
| see.
! Ay, would wait and see One need not
plan ones life for months ahead. Somehow
there was a brilliant spot in the future
which l cared neither to define or get be.
linda Will-o't he-wisp both tangible and
elusive which l could not analyze, being
content with the glow it spread over my
mental picture. The radiance lay on the
ancient island farm. 1t fell on the ancient
house and livcned it's homely interior. It
went abroad over familiar fields, dusky
woodlands and swamps, and gave color
to the stretches of lonely beach, 1t made
life more than living, and changed the dross
OF existence into something very like gold.
l knew was dreaming dreams and build.
ing air castles as l stood my trick at the
wheel and hove it over to meet the low-run-
| ming swell and forestall the vessels yaw.
hut what picture equals that of the brain!
In progressive stages l mentally doubled
Montauk, raised Blockhouse island, sunk it,
and saw the mist of Norman's Land and
| tcor ,rorDJ Tho TOW ala,
cliffs of the Vineyard, and was at home.
! Every detail was real, yet faircE than reality.
BY some queer change in me / looked less
for glory now than had the month before.
War was we'll enough if it must be; glory was
ii prize easily gotten, but there was nothing
to equal peace. l had tanned wonderfully;
nothing to equal the delights of home and
domesticity. l had acquitted myself before
my fellows, and for time would rest on
my honors. In short, had by then gotten
into weakened mood, the like Of which
every man knows at some moment Of his
life; harmless enough, possibly, and for the
enjoyment of which he can thank God for
Withholding the knowledge Of what the
next hour has in store.
By this it was about four in the afternoon
as I figured from the height of the sun,
which, though clear, shone from sky that
had become faxed as though drawn
smoke had settled over it, Though the
wind hung still from the west, it was lighter,
and the schooner dragged through the water
as j; it was travelling uphill. Its sluggish
ness | knew was due somewhat to the char.
acter of its cargo, which was the deadest of
| dead weights, but more to the marine
growth which had collected on her bottom
during her long anchorage, and which could
easily be seen streaming below like long
and ragged green beard. Beyond the dull
gurge of the cutwater and an occasional sob
in our wake, not a sound broke the intense
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 heasd
beyond demand for water, which had been
given to them, and air, ocean, and schooner,
with all on board, had quoted into what
babe fair to become dead calm.
We had seen number of sail during the
day, but nothing had as yet come hull above
the horizon, even these showing south and
west mere specls of light against the pearl
of the sky line. thanked God for the scare
given the British by the advent of the
French fleet, and knew that each cable
length we made to the east brought US 80
.lauch nearer safety. The day was waning;
night would soon be on us, and if 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 it's cap of green turf, sign that We
were in home waters.
Even as my heart warmed at the thought,
] cast my eye landward over the larboald
quarter and saw coming out of the haze
which had all but botted out the Long
Island coast topsail schooner bearin.
southeast or directly toward the Phantom.
She was some five or six miles away, but
even at that distance l could see by her
slope that she had found fresh slant Of
wind, and that from her forward cloths to
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
he fact that any craft had gotten SO close
without having been marked, gave me
start, and I put the helm down that the
lib and staysails might draw, which would
at the same time bring the stranger over our
taffrail A landubber could have seen she
was no Frenchman, for the Gaul had 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 privateer, in which case all would be well,
but if not, and feared my own intuition,
then my air castles were doomed to ruin,
my borrowed happiness was but the swan
song of hope, my dream that of con.
demned man.
The jibing of the foresail and my hail to
Ames brought Miss King to the deck. Her
brother joined us, and We three stood look
;ro q. the oncor,inp vessel which bad ap-