El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-08-12
Or, The Adventures of
An Elton Boy.
BY JAMES GRANT.

| southeast coast OF DeVOnSQlre, aDOu
nine miles to the southwark of Dart
mouth" he replied, while casting cas-
ual glance at chart which lay on tn
| table
1 had thus, before being rescued sc
| providentially, drifted more than E
hundred miles from Erlesmere, and II
was marvellous that the schooner ha6
foated SO far unseen.
well, what Is to be done now?'
asked the captain. I'VE are bound fol
the West Indies, but we may put you
aboard the first craft that passes US
homeward-bound; or you are free &c
remain, if we cannot do better fol
you"
1 thought Of my mother, my father
my two sisters; and my heart was sc
full Of gratitude to heaven for preserv-
ing me to the end, that I might see
and embrace them all again, that had
no words to reply. After time 1 ex-
claimed:
Home, home!-let me go home to
Erlesmere! as I spoke, for
the thought Of them all made me very
child again.
The captain and mate exchanged
glances of inquiry.
Its no use piping your eye now, my
lad" said the former, coming toward
my berth; "but answer me quietly. You
said that your name was Rodney?'
EYES,"
"And you spoke Of Erlesmere; are
you son Of old DR.. Rodney, the rec
tor?'
do you know my father, them" I
exclaimed
Cant say exactly that I have the
honor Of being known to him; but 1
know of him, right well. Why, Master
Rodney, I have sailed your uncle's
ships many time, and know his
gloomy old Office in the city, as well
as the buoy at the More; so you are as
safe and as welcome aboard the Eu-
genie as if in the old rectory house at
home'
This was pleasant intelligence, at all
events; but my earnest desire was to
return-a design which was not fated
to be speedily gratified.
For several days We passed only out
ward-bound vessels, or others which
were at such a distance that the task
Of signaling and speaking with them
would have delayed the Eugene longer
than Capt. Weston could risk. Two
that passed near US, when we showed
our ensign, replied by displaying the
tricolor Of France or the red and yell
low bars of Spain; so there was moth
ing for me now but to remain content
eddy on board the Eugene, which was
bound for Matanzas with a solid cargo
of steam machinery and coal.
The master had no doubt of getting
a return frof0hf dirocf
thus six or eight months might elapse
before could return to Erlesmere.
I gradually became reconciled to the
novelty of my situation; I looked for
ward hopefully to the time when the
sorrow of those had left behind would
be alleviated, and began to enjoy to
the utmost the prospect Of voyage in
a spanking brig to the shores of Cuba.
CHAPTER ".
The Voyage to Cuba.
resolved not to be an idler or lob
Jolly boy, and was allowed by Captain
Weston to take my watches and share
of deck duty with the rest Of the crew;
and at intervals I worked hard at
Spanish grammar with Marc Hislop,
who would read Don Quixote" in the
with a fuency that even my
old tutor at Elton might have envied.
We were now clear of the Channel;
and, after a hard battle with the wind
and sea, we left the long roll of the
mighty Atlantic.
On the third night after my rescue,
we encountered dark and cloudy wealth
er, with strong gale, which set all
the cabin afoat. My watch was over,
and I had just turned in, when 1 heard
the voice of Capt. Weston, who was
on deck, shouting through his trumpet
to "close reef the maintopsail, hand
the mainsail. foresail, and foretopsail.
Look alive there, lads he added, "or
as sure as my name is Sam Weston,
I'll give the volt to the last man off
the deck"
This threat, so unusual in one so
yood-natured, together with the bel
lowing of the wind, the Tapping of the
wetted canvas, the rattle Of the blocks
and cordage, and the laboring of the
brig, which was so deeply laden that
every timber groaned, all gave such
Indications of a rough night that 1
;prang from my berth and proceeded
% dress again in haste.
To my establishment, at that mo-
nent l heard the boarse rattle of the
chain cable, as it rushed with a roa
Ing sound through the iron mouth c.
the hawse hole; then 1 was sensible -
a violent shock, which made the II
stagger, and tumbled me headlon
against the paneled bulkhead wh:c
separated the cabin from the at
hold.
Hislop, who had been doing OF :.
"a bin-locker in his storm jacket, sta
I'd up with alarm in his face.
Have we come to anchor?" 49,
anchor in more than three hurd:
athoms of water!" he exclaime.