The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-06-26

1 Oh EcdllZlilS IdlluTe. he SitW iOtHiilS
but a surface of water that was flat
as the splitting table.
/ 'Tis past the turn o the tide, =
said 10 at last, like man giving up
hope.
"Iss, sure!" said Ezekiel, blithely.
"Us'll come about"
"Us'll come about said 10.
The theory had failed, 10 headed
the boat for shore He shaped the
course by Cults Nest Point, measur
ing the shore from it's fading outline
! to the probable location of the har-
| Dor; then he noted the direction of
/ the wind, feeling it with his ear his
cheek and the tip of his nose; fixing
| it, thus, in his mind. When he look
| ed to CULTS Nest Point again the
black mass had vanished.
| Job Luff do say said Ezekiel,
that the tide bides in hoale in the
| say"
| ''Noa." said 10, sharply.
! "I low" Ezekiel said with some
| Difference, "he've hoale t goa to-
| "Noa, b'y!" 10 exclaimed fret
fully.
| II low he do" Ezekiel persisted
| with deepening politeness.
'Huh' said 10. What nd come
oo' the fires O. hell?'
| "Iss, sure, by" Ezekiel said in
awe. 1.-The tide 'ud put un out
| Put un out 10 echoed, sagely.
| The fog thickened Night came
| on, an untimely dusk. Fog and
1 night, coalescing, reduced the circum
| ference of things material to a yet
narrowing circle of black water The
| feel of the fog was like the touch OF
a cold, wet hand in the dark. The
| night was heavy; it was, to the con-
| fusion of sense, falling; it seemed to
| have been strangely vested with the
properties of density and weight; it
| was, in truth, like a great pail de-
| scending, depressing, sitting. Eze,
| kiel, covering in the bow, searched
the mist for ghostly dangers-for
| one, Il gigantic lobster, with claws
| long as a schooner's spars and eyes
like the Shag Rock light. But 10 had
no time for terror; he was fighting
| q fight that was already old, of which
| the history was written on the hand
on the steering oar-a hand too
small to span the butt but miss
| happen, black to the knuckles, cal
loused in the palms, with the blood
1 of cod CONCEALED under the nails, and
| fostering salt water sores on IN"
wrist. Time for visions of frothins
Holsters? 10 had none. He was true
/ son of that shore, and he had the
| oar and the sheet in his hands.
| Chicks bags" 10 remarked, allud-
ing to the fog.
| Ezekiel was silent.
10 was steering by the wind; but
1 the wind Veered, scarce perceptlble,
and the boy did not perceive the
| change at all. A crafty enemy! Thus
| was his childish ineXperience turned
, against him. He had laid his course
| curningly for the harbor before
| Cults Nest Point had been wiped
out; the course was now to the north
| by half a mile. With the deviation
and drift he would meet the coast at
the Rocks of the Three Poor Sisters
| where his father had struck in biz
| zard years ago. The boy planned TO
| take the punt within sound of the
| surf then to ship the sail and creep
along shore to the harbor. That was
the one way; but it was perlious
/ way, for the surf, being hidden, and
| sounding near at hand, had no loca-
| ton. It's noise rises and subsidies
through long distances; it's strength is
here, there, elsewhere, everywhere
nowhere; it is elusive, confusing as q
| great noise. The surf also has u
clutch; a foot beyond it's grasp ana it
is to be laughed at; an inch within
it's eager fingers and it is irresistible.
The breakers of the Rocks of the
Three Poor Sisters are like long arms
their reacn is great; their strength
and depth and leap are great. There
was no peril in the choppy sea over
| which the boat was now pushing; the
peril was in the breakers Watchfui-
iness could evade it; but with every
boats length of progress 10 was
plunged in deeper wonder. He was
| evolving a new theory of the TIDE,
which was a subtle distraction. Was
the spell of this mystery to undo
him? Thus 10, as for Ezekiel. he was
afraid of the monsters he had con-
/ IN, l,n ct
pie invariably do in dread and dan
| ger--he turned to his religion 70:
consolation. He thought deeply of
hell.
as you been good the day, b'y?"
Ezekiel asked, dreamily.
| "Noa," 10 answered, indifferently.
81 low 1 hasn't spread me apiin
quite-quite straight"
| The wind was stirring itself IN the
north The dusk was thick and clam
my. The sound of the surf had risen
TO a deep, harsh growl
| "Be you feared 90 hell?'
"Noa," said 10. Lads doant goa
t. hell"
Momentarily Ezekiel thought him
| self in the company of the damned
He looked in new fright at the water,
through which, his experience mad
taught him, most men found their
L
"Tis a sim he cried ct say it,
Sure O. such be the kingdom o
heaven" said 10, in continued sereh-
lily, maintaining his position with the
| word of the Book.
'Iss sure!" Ezekiel was COM
fortcd.
The breakers seemed very near. JC
peered long into the tumultuous
, darkness ahead. Soon they could
hear the hiss of broken waves. Jc
freed the sheet and sprang for tn,
mast They furled the sail and stow
ed the mast. 10 took his place in the
shute; he propelled the boat by the
, scull. Then Ezekiel's sight did MOI
, reach seven oar-lengths from the
bow.
| "Be you sure"
! "You be not goain' t hell, Ezekle
Serior!" 10 exclaimed, lifting hii
lvoice above the sound of the surf
I"Doan't worry me-
The boat was advancing slowly, fol
| the strength in the oar was slight
IThey were secure for the time, an(