Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1900-04-19

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phrasel, and with nearly all her can.
vas set.
! She was about four miles off the reef
at the entrance Of the bay, and was
| bearing directly toward IT, Her can.
vas glimmered like snow in the moon.
| shine, and we could see the red lights
| OF her cabin windows flash at times
upon the sea astern, and the whiteness
Of her long flush deck as she careened
before the breeze.
Yet how was IT, we all asked, that
| there was not breath Of wind with
us?
Perhaps she brings it with her"
suggested Hislop.
And how 1t came to pass that she
appeared right in the offing and out
side the bay all at once?" asked Tom
| Lambouine.
! "She must have rounded the high
blum while we were all paVavering."
! said Probart.
Nothing more was said for a time
| but whether it was the effect of mag
| ination or of an overstrained eyesight
| ! know not, she seemed to melt as II
were in the brightness of the Moon
shine-to become so indistinct that we
| could see the line Of the horizon
through her topsails; and next 1t
seemed as If her hull, her spars and
rigging were edged with bright pris-
| matte hues.
It Is impossible for me to describe
| the blank astonishment, or rather the
intense CONSERVATION, of our men on
| the disappearance of this vessel, which
was the object Of so many hopes and
wishes.
Some time elapsed before the poor
fellows rallied sufficiently to speak on
the subject and meanwhile, there
| flashed upon my memory some strange
and weird old Celtic tales, which a
| Highland boy at Eton was wont to
tell us, Of ships which in the days of
| Ossian traversed the steep hills and the
| salt lochs OF Moryen with equal fa-
cility.
1T is ship-or rather the repre-
! sentation of a verltable ship-which
cannot be far off the island, and is
making for it at this moment" said
| Hislop, emphatically.
"How far do you think she is, sir?"
asked Hugh Shute, moeklngly.
perhaps twenty miles-perhaps a
! hundred-it is impossible to say"
So thoroughly were our companions
scared by the recent spectral appear
ance. which they connected in some
way with the dreadful character of
Antonio el Cubano, that they at once
commenced with alacrity the prepara-
tions for putting to sea.
1t may be that somewhat of the pro-
fessional restlessness of sailors con-
firmed their resolution.
They were already tired of their So
jonrn on the island, and, inspired by
the desire of reaching Tristan da Cum
liza, which Is inhabited by about eighty
families of Portuguese, English and
mulattoes, among whom Hislop as
sured them they might linger long
enough before they were taken off by
a passing ship-quite as long as If they
remained on the Isle of Alphonso-and
where for subsistence they would be
forced to work as day laborers in the
sayannas and on the highways
As fer the Island OF Diego Alvarez.
our Scotch mate, who seemed to know
everything, assured them that it pro-
dueed only moss and sea grass, and
that if cast there they would die of
starvation. Moreover, without chart
or compass, how could they hope to
steer with certainty in any direction?
They all might perish in detail by
the most dreadful deaths in their open
boat gasping with unquenched thirst
under the blaze of tropical sun. He
said much more; but they would listen
to nothing save their own fears and
restless impulses.
|, too, was weary of the island; and
though feeling all the dependency
that follows a severe disappointment
on the disappearance of the illusory
ship, in no way shared the wild and
lll-regulated wishes of the crew
though assured that | would be COM
PEELED to follow their desperate for
tunes.
Hislop and | still lingered so we
We're told peremptorily that If we did
not come on board at once they would
shove off without us. Thus compelled
we stepped in most reluctantly and
seated ourselves in the stern, and ht
assumed the tlller. The oars were rur
through the rowlocks. and Lambournt
was about to shove off, when Probart
who had the bow car, suddenly re
membered that he had left his hatche
near our wigwam, and asked me tt
get it.
jumped ashore, and was proceed
ing along the beach for it, when sud
denly l was confronted by Antonio
who from a thieket had been watch
ing our operations and departure
His tawney skin-for he was nakeu
to the waist-his ferocious aspect, hi
head of matted hair, his eolossa
strength and atrocious character wer
not without a due effect upon tn
boats crew at this crisis.
''Shove off-shove off" l heard sey
eral voices cry in the boat; "her
, comes that dog Of Cubano."
l struggled with Antonio; but h
laughed loudly. and drew his pistc
with The air Of one who would enforc
, obedience; besides, his eyes, whic
tho tangled masses Of his hair over