Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1900-02-15

of the other. The French followed. For
two days they played about, either seeking
to get the weather gauge of his opponent be-
fore opening hostilties. Here at last there
must have been fought battle which might
(and probably would have altered the com.
pleXion of the war; but the storm stepped
in, and, after damaging and partly wreck
ing both fleets drove them asunder. Howe
returned to New York to refit, and
D'Estaing gathered his scattered ships and
sailed back to Newport. What my fate
would have been had the tempest held off
leaves little to guess as, had my hoped-for
programme been carried forward, / would
have run into a network from which there
could have been no escape.
By the same storm which had prevented
conflict on the sea the patriot force on land
had suffered well-nigh as severely as the fleets.
What with ruined ammunition, destroyed
stores and demolished shelter, the ferocty
of the hurricane even causing several
deaths, Suliivan's army was in forlorn and
desperate state, and, though in no condi-
ton to make an assault, the gallant com
mander furthered preparations to that end.
Knowing, however, the ticklish temper of
our allies, the attack was postponed until
the French should return, an event which
occurred on the 10Th of August. Mighty was
the JOY OF the patriots as D'Estaing sailed
up the bay, but the joy was shortlived, for,
giving his damaged ships as an excuse, he re-
fused to remain at Newport and, turning
away, sailed for Boston for repairs, leaving
Sullivan with discouraged and rapidly dis
solving army close to the strengthened lines
of the British.
But, barring the storm, of these matters
knew nothing then nor for some time after
their occurrence. Now | stood and strained
at the wheel, squeezing the vessel into the
wind as close as she would go, having an un-
reasonable objection to making the least
southing in the course. And yet | was un
certain as to the exact point to which | was
steering, possessing no compass save the
telltale which was set into the cabin cell
ing and out of reach of my eye. If | escaped
the pitiess and treacherous sands of the
coast of Long Island | would be well CON
tent, and by holding to the present tack
had little fear of disaster from that quarter
figured that we had made half the length
of Long Island up to the time we had been
overhaued and the calm set in, and that in
wind for the most part light. If this was
so, at the rate which we were now going |
hoped to enter Vineyard sound by noon on
the morrow, barring disaster, and "a hours
from the present would see me at my own
hearthstone. The thought of it warmed me,
and great was my need of warmth of some
kind for | was as empty as drum, tagged
by excitement and lack of sleep, and had not
known comfort for so long that my memory
Of it was misty.
But by midnight even the heeting comfort
of thinking was gone, and soon after in feel
ing | was little better than block Of stone.
That which | had gone through might not
be rcckoned by time alone; it seemed the
experience of years. In my halfdazed state
| felt that | had been an outlaw for gears
for years | had been fleeing and each day
fenced with death; for years known and pro
tected she girl and her brother; and for