Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1900-07-18

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CHAPTER XIV.
Mr.. Jack Duncombe seemed very well
pleased to be back among us, and was
gay and talkative, his facetiousness chief.
ly taking the form Of magnifying the
possible dangers Of that trip down the
open Severn to which we were now def
nitely pledged. Perhaps he meant to
show that this part of the expedition was
as important as the passage of the tun-
nels, which he had missed; perhaps he
was so sure of the seaworthiness Of the
boat that he could afford to scOff; but
in any case he entirely failed to terrify
his hostess-if that was his aim.
''Oh. no." said she, with decision,
whatever may happen to the rest of
you. Peggy and 1 will be safe. am not
going to take the opinion Of any Of you
gentlemen: am going to take the opin-
ion of professional seaman; l am going
to ask Murdoch whether We should make
the venture. And il he is in any way
doubtful, then there Is the landau for
Peggy and me; and you may as well keep
an eye on US as we are driving along the
road, for when We see you sinking we
should like to wave a handkerchief, by
way of good-by."
At this moment Miss Peggy came out
into the sunlight; she had been adorning
the saloon with the flowers that had done
duty on the dinner table at the hotel the
night before. Moreover, she had made
bold to appropriate to herself a few hya-
cinths. and the little bouquet looked very
well on her dress of dark blue serge.
"Come here, you American girl" Queen
Tita says to her, and takes hold Of her
BY the arm. and makes room for her by
her side: do you know that l am re-
these people have determined to go down
the Severn in this cockle-shell of thing,
the question Is whether l am going to
allow you to remain on board"
81 thought that was all settled" OBJ
serves Mis- Peggy. rather appealing to
Col. Cameron.
. ut Is not all settled" Mrs. Threepenny-
bit makes answer. II will not permit Of
any fOolhardiness, and, unless l can be
assured that there is not the slightest
danger, you and will put ourselves into
q carriage and get down to Bristol on
good solid land. I am going to consult
Murdoch"
"Oh, MurdochT says Miss Peggy.
quickly.
"Yes, although he Is q steward. he has
been a sailor. too. all his life: and unless
he thinks We may safely run the risk.
then ashore we CO."
"Oh. yes; very well. 1 agree to that"
remarks Miss Peggy; and why should
she again glance toward Sir Even Cam.
eron, this time with a kind Of smile in
her eyes? 81 will hold myself bound by
MurdOch's opinion. certainly"
"Why, Miss Rosslyn," Inverfask inter
poses, with q touch Of reproach, you
promised to stay by the ship!
"But am not going to allow her to
run into any danger" Queen Tita says,
In her -peremptory fashion. II have got
to restore her safe and sound to the
United States, and much good may they
get out of such q piece of baggagew
So on this brilliant and shining day
We got on by Rea Bridge and Quedgiey
and Hardwicke even unto Whitminster,
where is the junction with the Stroud
water Canal. But we did not stay to
make inquiries as to the practicability Of
getting back to the Thames by this route;
we had signed our articles, As 1t were.
and were bound for Bristol: the allure
ments of the Avon and the Kennel.
among other considerations, had proved
too potent. So we continued our placid
voyage; and 80 fair and shining and beau
tiful was the country around us that we
pretended not to know that q breeze had
sprung up, and that those mighty masses
of purple cloud were advancing. heralded
by a few rags and shreds Of silvery
white.
The storm burst forth while We were
all inside and leisurely seated at lunch.
1t had been growing darker for some
time before, but we had hardly noticed it,
for we were listening to Jack Duncombe's
recital of his experiences on the produc-
ton of his one and only piece, and our
imaginations were away in the region OF
the lamp lighted Strand. But all of a
sudden there was q sound that recalled
us to our actual surroundings-a smart
rattle as Of buckshot on the forward
window; and then we became aware that
the world without was STEPPED In an un-
usual and mysterious gloom. The next
moment the tempest broke upon US with
q roar-a continuous thunder Of rain and
hail and ice that battered on the roof and
hurled itself against the windows with
an appalling fury. We could guess that
the sudden gale was tearing the water
around us into q white smoke, but we
could see nothing, for the panes were
steaming with half-melted ice and hail
stones. Then, In the midst of all this
Of noise, there was q sharp
er crack, as II q pistol had been fred just
outside.
why. what's that?" cried Jack Dun
combe. jumping up and making forward
Here. don't open that window! one
had to call to him. do you want to
swamp the whole place? Leave the hur.
r:cane alone; it isn't meddling with you.
But what was this now? The Name
less Barge" was going more slowly; tnen
it touched something gently; then It stop
ped altogether.
81 know what it is!' said that youns
man triumphantly. 1.-The tow-rope hA'
broken, and Murdoch has run the Doa'
alongside the bank"
When we went outside, we founo q
most tempestuous looking scene arouno
us. Far away in the west the MONMOUTH
shire hills STEPPED in somOer Sioo~i
but the hills in the east were swept "
flying rain clouds, followed by ours's =,
sunlight that produced rainbow Oh 'ne
soft gray background. And II tne eo
Of the landscape had been vivid Deiv,
they were now keener than ever III .n.s
radiance; the very hedges anu
viIlows beside MS were all shimmering III
the silvery wet. There "as
Dreexe blowing, too, q stimulating sCIu W
beoese that seemed to suggest our nsau.s
our way against it-as. indeed. We ~
soon were. For We found that the Tow.
path were offered excellent walking, se
we all got ashore, Jack Duncombe ano
Queen Tita leading the way through tnl'
whiriing and changing world Of showen
and dyIug cl1uds and SunllR0ts