The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1902-12-11
in THE TRACK OF THE TOW.
By Albert w. To1man.
By Albert w. To1man.

little rowbOat on Long island Souhu' |
Nothing gives me greater delight thah
to paddle out mile or so from
shore, and there lie on my oars dream
ing. marking the play of sun and Wind
on the water. and watching the vessels
aud steamers glide by.
In July and August. 1895. passed
a few weeks in a Connecticut shore
town not many miles east of New
Haven TO this city my skin had been
sent down by steamer from New York.
and had rowed her from New Haven
harbor to the mooring in a cove near
my boarding place. The joy of that
afternoon in the free air and sunlight
eau be appreciated only by man who.
like myself. had been porting over
ledger columns in back office for
eight hours day for ten months.
crescent of big blisters adorned each
OF my palms at the end OF the trip,
but my nerves were tranquil and !
slept like a log that night.
The next day the thermometer regis
tered between ninety and 100 degrees,
aud up to 1 o'clock in the afternoon 1t
was too warm to do anything but
browse in hammock under the apple
trees behind the house. | got an early
supper. and just before sunset pulled
out into the sound. Soon l was beyond
the tree-tops set up to mark the boun-
daries of the oyster beds.
The water was unrufIled. East and
west down either shore to the horizon
moved long. broken procession of
tugs and steamers, staining the cloud
less sky with their black smoke. The
few sailing craft in sight were motion
less. their sails hanging idly in the
still air.
Farther and farther out l padded,
the soft dip of the oars sounding pleas
antly in my ears. The sun dropped
below the horizon; the red of the west
darkened and disappeared. and il was
night, with myriads OF stars reelected
on the glossy blackness of the sound.
Lamps began to sparkle along the
shore, while masthead lanterns and
red and green running lights told the
position OF moving steamers whose
hulls had become invisible in the
gloom.
| stopped rowing and established
myself comfortably on my back in the
bottom Of the boat, pillowing my head
on the bow. The cool darkness, the
salty fragrance of the ocean air, the
gentle motion OF my skiff, and the dis
tant sound of bells and whistles from
passing steamers and the land all in
dueed peaceful drowsiness, which
soon lapsed gradually and impercepti-
bly, into a dreamless sleep.
/ must have been unconscious for
two or three hours when the rocking
of the boat awoke me. Cramped and
stiff from my slumber in the night
air on the uncushloned boards, | start
ed up to find myself enveloped by a
thick mist, which covered the sound
like blanket. II was not very deep,
for the stars shone family through it.
but all other objects We're cut off from
my view. There was no wind, but an
ocean swell. rolling in from the east,
was stirring up quite a sea.
Although without watch, I knew
that Il must be well on toward mid.
night. IL dawned ON me that | had
heen and still was ia a very danger.
Gus position. not because l expected
any trouble in finding the land, but
because | was in the track of tugs aud
steamers. / shiyered al the thought OF
the peril to which | had been exposed
while asleep. Beneath that shrOud OF
mist my skif was Invisible to look
out. and might have been crushed
like an egg shell by some steamer
Prov without soul on board being
the wiser for Il.
Shipping my oars. | listened to the
whistles speaking to one another
through the fog. The general course ol
all the vessels was east ana west II
without endangering myself. | coulC
approach tow OF barSes near enough
to see which way they were heading
could then determine the quarters
Of the compass; for If the boats wer,
loaded l knew that they would b,
going east If light. then west, OF
their way back TO New Yorl:.
O0-oo-oOhl Oo-oO-Oohi The increa
ing loudness OF a whistle to my lef
told thar tug was swiftly approach
ing. Lying on my oars, | waited, pre-
pared to row forward quickly or bacl
water, as might be necessary. Neare
aud nearer came the footing. and
could hear the rush OF water beneat
the unseen PROV. and the pun. pun o
steam. Suddenly. twenty feet away
appeared a black stem, nosing rapid
through the fog. 1t was little 10
close for comfort. As the tug swep
by caught a glimpse OF a tow-rop
dragging over the stern. and judge
from her size that she probably la
two coal-laden barges behind her.
could hear the voices of the me
on board growing fainter In the d;i
tance
Another black phantom passed;
was the FIRST barge. loaded low In th
water; after her at an interval cam
another As they were loaded kne'
that they were heading enst. au
that the shore therefore lay la fro1
Of me. ! settled myself on the thwal
and braced my feet for the row Ia.
So Interested had | been 10 ny ca