The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-12-19
BOOK v.
What Happened in the Tower.
CHAPTER xxII.-(Ccntinued.)
The Boat In the Pass.

ne .3oat IN the Pass. -
You arc surely not going in your uni
FORM queried Hatfield.
Yes. why not? I've no mind to hang
as a spy. and if 1 am captured in this
uniform I'm a prisoner Of war. only. Re-
member my Instructions.
Il shall not forget them
Good bye
Good bye, and God bless YOU. shall
he in a fever Of anxiety until YOU return
exclaimed the lieutenant they parted.
Waving his hand Grafton stepped to the
gangway and dropped easily down the
battens into the boat. whittier Socurn
had preceded him. A vigorous shove sent
| them clear of the frigate: bit Of close
rcefed sail was hoisted on the dinghy and
she gathered way toward the distant
! shore. =
1t was a wild night. The wind came in
| fierce squalls and gusts. still blowing di-
rectly on land: The sea was very rough.
and they had felt it severely on the deck
| of the large ship. out in the little boat
the pitching was simply tremendous. No
| better seamen, however. ever lived than
| the two who handled her. Old Jabez had
been Gloucester fisherman in his young
! days before he took to man-o'-Wur cruiS
| ing. and he was actually more at home in
Il small boat than in. a great ship. He
stcered the shallop and watched her going.
meeting every wave or squall with a
nice deXterity that filled Grafton with
| admiration. even though the officer was
ensrossed in thinking over and planning
for his night adventure.
After two hours Of hard running hay
ing at last come well within the harbor
mouth and reached a point opposite the
/ old chateau. they bore UP and began
ratchins in toward the shore. 1t seemed
to the old sailor at the helm, after they
had made several short tacks. that they
rofti ,,C fI,o h.o.,1 L
ers. AS he pcered ahead he thought he
could see the white caps, and he believed
as he turned his ear up to Windward. that
he could hear the roar of the mighty
waves. One more tack and they would
certainly be in the midst of them.
Grafton had ordered him to throw the
dinghy up into the wind and check her
way while he investigated the situation
He had gone forward and was kneeling
down by the mast peerng ahead trying to
get his bearings Finally, having salts
fed himself as we'll as he could in the
darkness, he called out a command to the
sailor at the tiler. Although it looked
like certain destruction, old Jabez was. too
| thorough a seaman to hesitate to obey,
and when Grafton directed hin, to put the
helm over he let her go off, slipped out The
| sheet, and In few seconds they go thered
way and were rushing straight for the
! breakers.
They could now dimEy make out the
bla ok mass Of the cliffs before them. In
the tower Of the hateau which rose above
they We're two lights. Grafton sought
| them out from other lights in other
| windows in the castle. He was sure of
| the tower, for he thought he recognized its
concal top; though the darkness was SO
deep. there were signs of q break in the
clouds-in fact. they had broken over the
| tower. Was that a star above it to lead
1 him on? =:
One light Grafton surmised came from
the oriel window in the tower, the other
from the window Of the room adjacent to
it. BY what happy fortune did they
chance to be lighted that night?' If he
were right in his opinion he knew his
course to the mouth of the passage to the
little bay. Once in the channel leading
to 1t, he would have to trust to instinct
tofeel his way through.
If he were wrong and these were lights
from other portions Of the castle-well
God help them! He had studied the To-
cality carefully and his retentive mind had
preserved a vivid and. as he trusted. an
accurate picture OF it during all these
years. 1t was useful knowledge and he
had treasured it. In daylight he could
! have made the difficult pass with ease
4 and if the lights there were where he
thought them. he felt that he could fine
it even in the warkness and storm.
Mind your steering. now, Slocum!' ht
/ cried Keep your weather eye Lftins
& aud obey my orders exactly! Our live.
4 depend on it. starboard little! So!
think we can win through. but it's toucl
and go: Steady! Do you see those tw'
d Iights?'' 49,
II sees EN-, SIR
Keep them in range until say further
= Steady, now! Nothing off, for Gods sake
man! Hold her up to it!'' :, ..,>
The boat steered with an uneasy helm
She had a tendency to fall off. to go t.
! leeward. that is; but old Jabez set hi
t teeth hard. contracted his brows, and
peering steadily out at the lights hig
above and far ahead of them, kept her O
u her course. -. ..-..
e They were nearing the shore rapid
y now; it looked awfully close The cliff
!, doomed up in front of them grim and ter
It rible. There was no entrance throug
VI them, no rift even, no way that. he coul
II see. Their course seemed Madness An
v other moment and they would be beaten
$ pieces But the business of the old sailc
, was to obey orders and steer the boa
r He put everything else out Of his hea,
II and watched and listened. all his skill all
training and discipline at his own corn
e inand. and at his captains service.
n We'll done' Grafton called back t
IS him: "Now let her go off little. Eas,
It now Very well. dyce: Port. once NOR,
"a SO! Port, port again.
n Port it is sir!" cried Jabez. as til
- boats head fell off to starboard in obed
- ence to the command.
Then. in compliance with the rapid an
charging directions of Grafton, /
luffed up to port and then agai
"a swung to starboard; twisting about, >
III obedience to Grafton's instructive connin
- through the harrow pass through ii
W reefs = =
g. They were right in the breakers MOI
- The waves were Kissing, boiling, and roa
- ing around the m on every side The S,
n was white with the surf - The old ms
4 thought his last hour had come in tn
I riven sea: the rapid succession of con
I nands from the captain. however. le
Il him no time for ref1ection; the bo
\ Whirled about. darted back and fort
swung from side to side like mad-wont
4 Bacchante. under their skillful handlfn
4 She seemed doomed a dozen times 4,
that sshe.wa not shattered was wonderf,
I Suddenly. right in front of them loom,
black mass of rock E..- ,5,,j,-... =.
5''Luff! roared Grafton "I,ltff h
Il hard!". -gEtE& - -. y =
\ The slittle' boat spun %around once mo
\ like a. dancing girl her starboard side III
scraping jagged reef. The sail shi
\ Eered and Slated as she came! eleaping
into the wind, andfthen bore away on Il
/ other tack 80 ~ :
4 THAT was a close shave" scream
4 Grafton. but we're all right yet Give
a good full now God! But it's dar
We've lost the lights. but I5think@w we &;
1t@fep1 orr way IIa ri h. s,r AZ