Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1900-06-15

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 hostilities. 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 patty wreck
ing both fleets, drove them asunder. Howe
returned to New York to reft, 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, 1 would
have run into a network from which there
could have been no escape.
BY the same storm which had prevented a
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 ferocity
OF the hurricane even causing several
deaths, Sulllvan'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 I stood and strained
at the wheel, squeezing the vessel into the
wind as close as she would go, having an up-
reasonable objection to making the least
southing in the course. And yet was I'M
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 pitiless and treacherous sands of the
coast of Long Island / would be well con-
tent, and by holding to the present tack I
had little fear of disaster from that quarter.
Figured shat we had made half the length
of Long Island up to the time we had been
overhauied and the calm set in, and that in
a 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 hour.
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, Jagged
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 feeting 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 reckoned by time alone; it seemed the
experience of years. In my half -dazed state
felt that had been an outlaw for years;
for years l had been fleeing and each day
fenced with DEATH for years known and pro-
tected the girl and her brother and for