The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-02-03
CHAPTER N.-(Continued.)

Nf1AP En- lE.-(COntlnued.)
On perceiving that l was awake, a
hand bell Was rung by the captain, and
not coffee, accompanied by the last
slice OF shore-bread that remained, was
brought to me by Billy. the ~cabin-boy,
and then, after a time, I was requested
to state what craft that was from
which | had been taken. my name, and
so forth. that Mr.. Hislop might enter
all he particulars among the re
marks in his log-book.
| soOn satisfied them as to ali this.
and where am ] now" l inquired.
"Pretty far out upon the open sea,
my lad replied the captain with a
smile, as he threw the end Of his che
root into the empty crate.
"The open sea-still the open SEAL
I reiterated with dismay, which l cared
not to conceal.
eyes; we saw the last glimpse of the
rugged Start on the day before yes
terday, and this morning, just an hour
before picking you up, we babe good
bye to old England, for the Lizard
Light was bearing-you had the dead
""|>A tAotoP Ho" Niu ~ L
About twelve miles off, on the
weather quarter
"How shall return homer"
They both laughed as I despairingly
made this inquiry.
by the way you left it, I suppose:
that is by water" said Capt. Weston.
"4ou spoke OF the Start; what is
that?"
"A cape of the Channel, Oh the
southeast coast of Deyorshire, about
nine miles to the southwark of Dart
mouth he replied, while casting a cas-
ual glance at a chart which lay on the
table
had thus, before being rescued so
p~rovidentially, drifted more than a
hundred miles from Erlesmere, and it
was marvellous that the schooner had
foated SO far unseen.
well, what is to be done now?'
asked the captain. eve are bound for
the West Indies, but we may put you
aboard the first craft that passes us,
homeward-bound; or you are free to
remain, if we cannot do better for
you"
l thought of my mother, my father,
my two sisters; and my heart was so
full of gratitude to heaven for preserv-
ing me to the end, that I might see
and embrace them all again, that l had
no words to reply. After q time l ex-
claimed:
Home, home!-let me go home to
Erlesmere!"-weeping as I spoke, for
the thought Of them all made me a very
child again.
The captain and mate exchanged
glances Of inquiry.
cts 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 a son Of old DR.. Rodney, the rec
tori"
do you know my father, them" ]
exclaimed.
"Can't say exactly that I have the
honor Of being known to him; but
know of him, right we'll. Why, Master
Rodney, I have sailed your uncle's
ships many a 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 al
home" 4,
This was pleasant intelligence, at al
events; but my earnest desire was tc
return-a design. which was not fateG
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 then
would have delayed the Eugene Longer
than Capt Weston could risk. Two
that passed near us, when we showed
III ensign, replied by displaying the
tricolor of France or the red and vel
low bars of Spain; so there was moth.
ing for me now but to remain content.
eddy On board the Eugene, which wa:
bound for Matanzas with a solid cargo
Of steam machinery and coal.
The master had no doubt of gettins
a return freight direct for London:
thus six or eight months might elapst
before l could return to Erlesmere.
l gradually became reconciled to tn,
novelty of my. situation; I looked for
ward hopefully to the time when tn,
sorrow of those I had left behind woult
be alleviated, and began to enjoy L
the utmost the prospect of a voyage il
a spanking brig to the shores of Cuba
CuADTEp "
The Voyage to Cuba.
I resolved not to be an idler or lob
folly boy, and was allowed by Captain
Weston to take my watches and shsr,