Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1906-04-26

peared, but by the last glimpse we hdd
Of her she was fight ng up incl IN inch.
Sheppard ran down for some inmates,
and then he damned the tiller down,
and the boat came up into the wind.
The Tugs Aawed and ratified. Mont
golnery and Sercombe took the sheets.
For moment we hung in the wind,
silent and motionless 1t was only for
a moment In that moment Shep-
pard's eyes met NINE knew what he
was thinking. Even then we might
have paused, and yet not SO. Ser
combe in the bows seemed possessed
of a devil, roaring against the wind
and the tide and laughing aloud with
diabolic delight. Montgomery face
was set with the lust of battle. Shep-
pard said no word, but his eyes return
ed to the leaping water. He put up
the tiller slowly, and then the Tugs
flew out in the wind
Let her go!'' yelled Sercombe from
the bows.
Sheppard damned up the tiller, and
away, like a leaping tiger, sprang the
lugger upon her prey. The black deeps
of that greedy channel were broken
into pools and mountains. Fountains
Of green water spouted upon all sides,
and we were plunged into drenching
spray. And upon all this pomp of war
and devilry the dawn broke slowly.
Before US, and still creeping up the
wind, scarce 200 PAGES, we made out
the yawl, but the light served us no
further through that gray curtain of
rain; but the next moment we were
aware that Hood had awakened to our
neighborhood, although he could not
have suspected our identity or our err
rand. A voice shouted something from
the yawl, but we could not catch the
words. Hands were gesticulating, and
then a light was flashed. Sheppard
kept her nose pointed grimly, and final
~ the yawl altered her course.
IF it comes to lacking, they'll do US"
said Sheppard
On the course we were holding, how
ever, we outsailed the yawl by two to
one The wind took us almost astern,
and we overhauled her. The figures on
the yawl grew clearer, distinct against
the gray light, as we rode into the
trough.
By this time we were plain to her
occupants, as plain as they were to US,
and / could make out Hood himself
standing by the big mast with one arm
about it. A Greek stood near him, and
one was at the helm. He stood without
moving, watching us with those steal
thy eyes knew so well. The roar of
the rain and wind upon the water was
deafening. We descended into the
trough of the waves. and when we rose
Hood stood at his post, his hand stretch
ed forth to the Greek. The next min
ute he held a gun to his shoulder.
Look outT' sang out to the bows.
The two boats We're now quite close,
tossing on the same piece of water.
Even through that hurry burly the
sharp report reached my ears, and at
the same time Sercombe staggered and
went back against the SAIL 1t was all
instantaneous. The Greek shifted his
tiller, and the yawl sheered off Mont
gomery pulled Sercombe up and prop
ped him in the bows.
TITS all right, my lad," he said
'~That black devil got me. ] meant to
10 for him. WE'LL it's luck
We gave him some brandy, and he
spoke no more, breathing with diff
Guilty.
I turned to sheppard "Let her
awayw cried furiously. "We'll have
that bloody scoundrel or die for it."
The boat dipped her nose and once
more forged over the yawl's counter.
Keep a watch on him.'' cried.
Montgomery took his pistol from IN
der his waistcoat. r gripped mine. /
think we were all taken with the frenzy
of bloodshed
aboard herP' cried Montgomery.
s'Lay her alongp shouted. LAY
her along!"
Sheppard twirled his tiller, and the
iugger struck the starboard quarter Of
the yawl with eTRgh. Instantly
Montgomery leapel, pistol in hand,
upon the enemy.
At that instant a shrill scream of
terror from the Greeks stayed my foot
in the act to follow. l beheld Hood,
with his raised arm holding knife,
his nostrils distended, but his eyes
were not on me or toward the boat.
They were directed across the empty,
yelling sea and that gray mist of rain.
These facts passed in moment. had
an instantaneous impression of that
devil with his implacable and imper-
turbable face, leering as it were upon
me, and then heard his shout, and his
arm went up toward the sky. Mont
gomery had stumbled into the yawl
and his hand had knocked down the
man at the helm. The yawl tossed and
tapped in the heaving water. Hood
leaped toward the helm saw him
gesticulate at Montgomery, and it was
only then that looked in the direction
in which his eyes were set.