Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1900-03-08

haven of Holmes Hole and dropped the only
anchor we had left, creating futter among
the inhabitants of the hamlet who were
nightly alarmed at seeing schooner bear
ing no flag sail up within gunshot OF the
shore and round to as though for broad
side Heretofore they had not been mo-
Tested, but perhaps it was an inward sense
of trouble impending which made them
quake at the mysterious action of the Phan-
tom, for barely a fortnight was to elapse
ere Grey, the "Hand of Iron" sailed up as
| had done, and under the guns of the fleet
demanded the usual tribute of blood and an
unusual one of forage.
But now, saving few fishermen drawn
up on the beach, there was not craft in the
harbor. The peace of the evening, the
quiet beauty of the green land, and the feel
ing of safety fell on my spirits like bene-
dction after an impressive sermon, and |
breathed as one breathes on waking from the
horrors of nightmare. War and danger had
vanished as had vanished the storm clouds
of the day before, and, indeed, so far as
the events of the past few days had affected
me- they had been but as a nightmare or
as had been the storm to the land, leaving
but few marks to tell of its fearful reality.
In a week | had recovered from the ter
ribe strain to which | had been subjected,
noticing only that my head had taken on
few white threads had never seen be-
sore but my nerves, which had been my
mainstay through life, were neither loosened
nor frayed by the desperate tune circum-
stance had thrummed upon them.
| had suddenly shot from an era of con-
fict to one of peace, thought, nor did !
| dream | should be aroused again, unless
| voluntarily took the field. | became a
hero, too, nor was my notoriety a cheap one.
| From Edgartown to the heights of Gays
| head the fame of my achievements spread,
even the half-breed Indians. whose ground
| lay about the latter point, being unstnted
| in their sober congratulations to the big
| Thorn" as | was called by them
Seafarers and those drawing their sub
| sistence from the sea are stolid to apparent
| Indifference as to the fortune, be it good OF
| bad, fate deals out to them. They become
| Injured to the fickleness of the great element
| which is at once a threat and a mainstay,
and the rack of uncertainty on which they
| are stretched for most of their lives makes
wild demonstration impossible, be their joys
mighty or their griefs deep.
| And so, when ! appeared before my moth
er, who, as feared, had given me over a:
| dead, there was no violence of emotion
only stunned, ghostseeing look on hel
white facesas | entered her presence anc
opened my arms to her, and the single ar
ticulate cry of "My son my son!" as she fel
! into them. 1t was but little more from my
sister, who had been brought up in The
same stoical school, and by the time my Ions
story had been told, much as | am telling il
here, the quiet round of daily life had beer
reganed, the sick and wounded transferred
to the small house overlooking the sound
and the doctor, full of protestations as to hi.
good intentions, and yet surly withal, in
stalled medical attendant.
After my arrival my earliest business wa.
to clear up my mind of two responsibilities
weighing thereon: the first to get word t.
Gen. Sullivan of the intended move of SiI
Henry Clinton, as | feared that by some
slip my first message through the Jenny
captain might have miscarried; the second
to have the Phantom's cargo delivered a
| New London.
The news of the arrival of Howe and tn
departure from Newport of the French t.