Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-10-14
CHAPTER VII.
Rnnning the BIockndc.

on deck. after some hours sleep, the
steamer had already left the Greek
mainland behind, and was far out on
the Aegean sea, speeding past many
an historic piece of land, past the
island of Milo, where the statute was
found which has been the despair of the
sculpture of the world, past tiny noun
tain rocks, rising like green steeples
from the water, where some solitary
shepherd spent his lonely days watch
ing a few sheep; and SO onward, cir
cling round the unseen land Of Crete.
IT was not until the afternoon that
the steamer at last began to head for
the greatest o< the isles of Greece, and
they saw the sunlight dazzling on the
snowy roofs of the great hills, renown-
ed in myth and legend, that n C con-
cealed in their mysterious caverns the
cradle OF the infant Zeus.
Vaughan felt like one in a dream as
he speeded over the dark Mediterran-
can waves, amid the islands famed In
poetry and history, like another Odys-
seus exploring the antique world.
Crete was in view, but they did not
yet dare to approach. Thirty miles
out to sea, beyond the neutral zone OF
the blockade, they lay all the hot sum
mer afternoon, and watched the last
RAYS of the sunset fade away in the re-
mote west. Not another vessel was IN
sight as they lay alone on the wide
waters.
An hour before sunset they went be-
low and snatched a hasty dinner. but
the captain, who presided at the little
repast in the cabin, was still rough n
silent. his whole mind absorbed in the
task before him.
When they returned IN deck, the sun
was just vanishing below the rim OF the
horizon. The captain gave the WORD
Full steam ahead!" and the steamer
dashed bolufy forward into the danger
zone patrolled by the seventy. warships
which were gathered like vultures ali
round the stricken isle.
During the long wait the crew had
made some preparations to quicken ohe
landing of the cargo. They had brought
nine boats, some of them swinging
from the davits, others encumbering
the deck, and oars were placed In each
of these, while the hold was opened and
the lou lifted out n ranged along
the vessels side.
Full steam ahead, with every light
put out, except a faint CLEAN that lit
the pinnacle, they went gliding forward
in silence and in darkness. right into
the midst of the hostile navies Of a con-
tinent.
Vaughan sat on deck in the radiant
starlight, which was as bright as an
English moon, the planet Hesper cast
ing a blazon of light upon the inky
waves, while the phosphorescent foam
broke in a giltterlng cluster OF d!a-
monds from the bows.
Full steam ahead, they rushed
through the night towards the sacred
ground of Crete, where, In the legand-
airy age, the bull brought Europa to
land, swimming across the sea from
Asia, and whence, three thousand years
go, King Idomeneus and the warrior
Merton led the men of one hundred
cities on that great expedition against
Lion, of which the world will never tire
to read.
An hour or more they ran, when, to-
wards eight O'Clock, a low cry from the
lookout announced the first sight of
the enemy.
Vaughan sprang to his feet and went
forward, to see, five or six miles away,
on the starboard bow, a faint plume of
light, like a comet low down on the
horizon, which cleaned out for a min
ute and was gone. 1t was the search
light, Which one of the war vessels was
brandishing in order to detect theid ap-
proach.
1t was not the first time he had seen
the ~searchlight. Often, at Cowes, in
regetta time, he had seen the yachts
playing the brilliant flashes on each
other for the amusement of the spec
tators on shore, but this was something
different. With a thrill of excitement,
he realized that the s%earchlight he saw
before him was being used, not for the
purposes of mere display, but with a
serious intention, and that he was at
last face to face with a real enemy.
He knew-for he had heard before
he started-that this was o the first
attempt to run the blockade. Two
ships before had started on the same
errand. The first had fallen a prey TO
an Austrian warship, the second had
been sunk and the crew drowned with
! in sight of the shore.
What was the fate in store for the
craft which bore him towards ME in
visible coast, where the insurgentsNw Were
waiting day after day for the food
which was necessary to support them
in their struggle? X