Troy weekly news. (Troy, Idaho) 1897-1933, 1906-12-07
CHAPTER XVIII.

grafton of sullen and thunderous magnif-
cence. The coastline behind us darkened
and faded until the crests of the breaking
waves rose CHASTITY white against the
gloom of the shrouded land. But for
tunately the sky above us was still clear,
and a silver crescent of the moon, swing
ing at an angle as if the wind had tilted
her, showed us the chase heading south
ward. 1t was evidently some port in
France for which she pointed. My cousin
had joined Isaac. who was at the tiller,
and the pair conversed in low tones,
glancng frequently to the northwest,
from which the wind blew strong and
cold.
1t was, according TO my remembrance,
past nine o'clock that the steady pres
sure of the wind failed. In its place
came gusts, fierce and uncertain, spaced
with lulls of restless calm. Ignorant as
was of sea weather, | began to grow
uneasy. There seemed a menace In the
dark, mysterious wall of cloud to wind
ward, a rampant edged with silver from
the moon. Motionless it hung like a
| heavy curtain that at its rising would re-
veal some monstrous spectacle. For the
first time | realized the insigniicance
of our boat its loneliness amidst the hur-
rying wastes of the sea, and my anxiety
passed into alarm. 1t was about this
time that my nausea suddenly left me.
This was great relief to me, for / was
well aware that an excess of sea-sickness
may result in serious prostration.
Ii was in one of the lulls l have mem
toned that Isaac gave my cousin the
helm and with his mans assistance low
cred the sail on the smaller mast at the
stern which, believe, is known nautical
ly as the jigger. They also reefed the
larger canvas on the foremost The
Agnes Jane, which was now not more
than four hundred yards away, showed
no sign of following our example.
mark Pennyfold must be mazed,"
said Isaac on his return aft. "E must
have zeen us were chasin' e, yet e gives
we no chance o. speaking Inn and now
e be CHANGING his boat by carrying on
, with that press o zail. Place to keep thy
, hand on the tiller EUR"
The little Cornishman rolled forward
, to where 1 sat, and stood, making hol-
. low of his hands A great stiffness held
the sea and air, save for the whisper
e of the gliding waves.
"The Agnes Jane, ahoy!
4 He drove the words over the black
q waters like the blast of a trumpet.
THE Agnes Jane, ahoy"
h Again he called and this time there
came an answering voice.
4 Help 1t cried-the one woodland
r was silent We waited, but that was all.
ut is no good, Treherne," said my
a cousin. "They have an ugly customer on
q board who does not mean to be taken.
v He has his pistol at their heads as like
as not. They must take their chance
If Of"
His words were lost in stirring note
4 like the throbbing of a giant harp-string
Is note that rose to a shrek and then
melted into a rafting, drumming roar
, the uttermost diapason Of the storm
i, wind. For some seconds we heeled over
"A SO that l could have dipped my face II
ID the bubbling waters; and then, slowly
gathering way, we shot forward through
o the flying spray with Treherne yelling
u to his man in tones that even outsoundeC
" the squall itself
ic We were upon her almost before l re
!, allied the disaster that had befallen her
q | caught a glimpse of the level line
timbers about the keel, the red sail
- awash in streaks Of Kissing foam; ant
N then l saw my cousin lean out and gri
~ something III lne Whltl. l. VI hhN
- ment thought he would be dragged fror
or the boat, but Isaac, letting go the tilleI
o. circled his legs with a pair of muscula
- arms and held on like the little bulldo
~ he was. With three great heaves Gra
no den logged the dripping thing he hel
IN to the boats edge; with a fourth h
i'll landed it fairly on board. The Agne
Of Jane had gone, and with her the unfol
80 tunate men she carred-save Marina
r. only.
va Thus Fate in its own strange name
ho had given him to us at last!
Shouting like a madman, l started t
60 wards the stern, where my cousin wa
bending over the huddled body he ha
saved. But even as l did so l sa
ne a black mass, crested and streaked wit
no Kissing white, rush up from the obscurii
re- TO windward For a space 1t seemed I
sr- hang above us, while Isaac yelled as !
sci tugged wildly at the tiller. Then, wit
mt wild roar that drummed in my ca
IN like the explosion Of a mine, 1t threw
no self upon us, hurting me into the botto
IN of the boat, choked, deafened, and bin
ed.
en- ITO be continued.)