Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1906-03-23
CHAPTER 1.

bright rays Oh " - oNA sun LEU
?'''I f.oa Of the tepid ocean. The
"''T If the atmosphere was phe-
1s' avon in the ATTITUDES where a
191'I, j., rofgns from month to month.
1l ' olmost impossible to present to
3 -. ~ ewes this picture of southern
'1; ;.ninc beneath a sun which had
!'. cIoud for weeks; impossible to
>'l tho brilliant mOnotony of it all
%' sor degree of reality. The sun
I'd a., .I' br day, week in and week out,
y '9! !, from the straight horizon,
''lo :rb+ overhead, and at last sinks
% 49,. ,.J rpdimmed by thinnest vapor.
a.a' oita~ month, year after year. aye,
l~' &" oftcr century, this days work
guy mod The scorching orb of light
rbo same monotonous hour and
." al. a.. a. he did when this world was
= yn ocean, with but one ship sail
tbe dark. mysterious depths of
' ,,oar wavering ripples mounting
1:a+ion to the surface, broke at
tbo blup uniformity of its bosom.
..nonv 4 delicate nautilus tloated
before some unappreciable breath,
~y' .,lr "a fold its sails and disappear.
&C.,, ,roiIers Of scaweed floating idly
y. seemed to be endowed with a
-,,,. life and movement.
~ b;rl in the air, no fish in the sea.
.,;,, to break the awful silence. A
go. MIGHT float and drift here Or there
hose oimleSs waters for years to-
... and never be found.
q Par Chance. the tickle, ruled that two
rs should break the monotony OF
and sl,v on this particular afternoon.
A., mighty structure, with tall taper
m,s+s pprfent in itself, an ideal
-,..,cotman. The other, small, of ex-
..o vorhr-I.Ec form, and with every
,-o-I sjga Of 4 great speed obtaina-
There was obviously something amiss
4 .i t,a Iarcer vessel. Instead Of white
81, aloft on every spar, bare poles
-t slack ropes stood markedly against
i, blue ether.
I, contrast. the other carried every
a n. of canvas. Carried it literally; for
% white cloth hung mostly idle, only
tines dapDiug softly TO breath of
If that was not felt on deck. Since
.rg the smaller vessel had been stead
though very slowly, decreasing the
sanrp between them, and now there
rrp Sims of activity on her deck, as
g,5 boat were about to be lowered.
,rls, the silent waters triiled the call
"A blatswains whistle. The vessel
"a, calmly & man-of-war. AS Il matter
fact. she was one Of the quick sailing
55nars built and designed by the Brit
% government for the suppression of
1a slave trade on the west coast of At
Every knob of brass cleaned in the
3d. every inch Of deck was holy-stoned
Is white as milk. Aloft no rope was
|nyad. no Selling adrift. 1t was easy
see that this trim vessel carried Il
rye crew under strict discipline.
And now the melodious song of sailors
sG.ng together tiOated through the
.ter.ng air to the great vessel of the
al No answering cry was heard
b. eZpcctant faces peered over the
Tack buIwarks. The signal flags, ''Do
g1 want help" hung unnoticed. The
we've was suggestive of that fable tell
"a; Of a. mouse proffering aid to q lion;
@ hinge still merchantmen could have
&iea the slave catcher upon its broad
a5,
Presently Il boat left the smaller YES
vi and skinned over the water, impell-
By sharp, regular strokes. The sound
., The oars alone broke the silence OF
A.lre.
Ia the stern Of the boat sat a square
aolaLered little man, whose brown face
MI sIlstening chestnut beard. pleasant
suggestive of clearly refinement, com
-eI with readiness of resource. His
2>ant eyes were scarcely hazel. and
could not be described as gray, be-
Use the two cOlOrS were mixed. AS
LIE boat approached the great mer-
2atman, this officer formed his two
.."oS into a circle and raised his prac-
Iced voice:
Adoy--there,'
IaeFe was no reply; and moment or
100 a'eT the small boat swung in be-
'" the high bulwarks. There was 4
WYE hanging almost to the water, and
~. .. q quick jerk the young fellow scram-
@ up the ships side like a monkey.
,~1 OF the boats crew prepared to fol-
Tie sat for a moment balanced Oh the
-I''eo rail, and then leaped lightly on
4, ~7 deck Between the planks the pitch
-' 0o<'d up and glistened like jet, in
\ I'a'eS the seasoned wood had warp
''' stood Tor a moment alone amid
. '2S"d ropes, and there were beads
aspiration on his brown forehead. 1t
/. peasant duty to board a derelict
,'S somewhere or other there will
"'E Ne an unpleasant sight, such as
inferred through the remainder OF
.~a9dae's life.
' was something crude and hard
r",lre picture. In the merciless,
.- >"'doWieSS light of midday sun
".''ii stood out in hard outline.
.. .''- ship. with its forlorn, bedrag-
.. ~. The clean spars towering up
pa a.. I, heavens, with their loose cord
4. ~S'' oiumsily furled sails; and upon
r >>.SFoWn deck this square-shoulder-
-''e oiiicer-trim, seaman-like,