Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1909-08-19


Simon Fluke lived some two or
three miles below St. Inigo's, near
the mouth Of the river. where q
small cabin gave shelter 10 his wife
and troop Of children AN amphi.
oious brood Of urchius who seemed
TO be at home either on land or wa.
ter. and whose rude habits of life
mad Injured them 10 the scant accom-
modation and precarious protection
hof the hut into which they were all
huddled. This man earned n hard
livelihood by supplying his neigh
bors OF 81. Inigo's and the townpeo-
pie with fsh; and 10 was greatly 20
bis content that he now found him
sell engaged In the service Of the
proprietary, with the promise Of a
handsome reward II bis good fortune
should enable him 70 aid effectually
n securing the person Of the skip
I,u8r. s7sslsss
II was Q Few days after his am
ployment in this service, that the
sun was seen to set amongst thick
ly scudding clouds and blasts of
wind, such as, with the near an
proach OF November, are apt sud-
denly to break in upon the serene
autumn, giving rude foretastes of
winter. The horizon was dark, and
the overmastered sun hopelessly
struggled TO fling q parting beam
upon the ruffied waters.
The fisherman had hauled his
boat upon the sand. bestowed his
nets and other tackle In safety for
the night, and taken his seat at his
fireside. with lighted pipe, where
be challenged the besmirched. white.
haired boy that toddled across the
room-the youngest Of bis troop-to
a game of romps, or more demurelv
chatted of household cares with his
meagre and sad-vissged dame. The
door OF bis hut standing wide open
and looking southwardly, showed
him the Potomac. even across to that
remote cape called by the early set
tiers after st. Gregory, but now
known as Smiths Point.
Look out. wife" said the fisher
man. as he cast his eye over this ex-
tensive sheet of water, vet illumin-
ed with the light OF parting day,
and you shall see a strange craft
beating up from from the Virginia
shore; she is almost too light q skiff
for such a sea as that now running
in. Have you seeen il 60 down the
riyerr Where can il belong2"
1t is new sight to me, replied
the wife; II saw nothing like it go
down from st. Mary's TO- day"
He does not shape his course.
either. up the river, so much as he
makes for this Shore" added the
fisherman. He comes from some
harbor on the other side, short OF
st. Gregory. His business must
drive him hard. to bring him out at
this hour, in the teeth OF such a
wind. i will keep an eye on that
fellow. wife; there is enough in his
venturing to raise suspicion.
The homely supper of the family,
soon after this, called of the fisher
man from his watch, which indeed
the thickening shades OF night soon
rendered useless, and the only yigi-
| lance which the master of the hut
could now exercise was shown in
an occasional walk to the beach, in
the hope that the nearer approach
OF the boat might inform him with
more certainty whether her course
lay towards the town. Nothing
however was gained by these visits;
no boat came in view, aud the gloom
forbade further observation. The
craft was some seven or eight miles,
at least, from shore when she was
last seen, and the fisherman, giving
up all hope Of learning more that
night, threw his weary frame upon
his tattered couch and sunk shortly
into profound sleep.
During the night q growl of the
house dog, and the tread OF a foot
upon the gravel. woke the uneasy
slumbering dame, but the sound
died away amidst the plash OF waves
upon the strand, before she could
rouse the heavy and torpid frame OF
her snoring lord. When at last he
woke, IL was only TO utter q drowsy
and bewildered reproof for the an.
noyance he had suffered, and TO fall
back a. ain into his former deep an
consciousness. At early dawn,
however, he was abroad, breathing
the sharp, cold breeze OF the clear
morning. Below bis hut, seaward,
be could descry upon the beach,
some miles short OF Point Look Out.
the small craft which, on the preyi.
Gus evening. he had noted standing
across the river. Il was a SUSPECT
Gus sight 10 see boat at such time
in such place; and connecting it
with the circumstances his wife had
remarked in the night. Fluke found
reason enough TO put himself on the
watch for the person who controlled
its motions. He accordingly went
into his hut, and sticking under his
gircle horseman q pistol which he
kept for domestic defence. and tax
ing O stout white-oak staff ia his
hand, he trudged forth along the
margin OF the river, resolved TO
plant himself in some ADVANTAGEOUS
position. whence he might intercept
any one who should approach the
boat by land. He had not left his
door above half an hour, before his
wife observed traveller, in O sea-
man 3 dress partially concealed by
q gray cloak, striding on foot along
the field contiguous 70 the beach. In
the same direction that her husband
bad just taken. The mastiff OF the
househ old was the first 10 challenge
the stranger. by springing almost
TO his heel.-a trespass that was in
stsntly resented by sturdy blow
blow from walking stick that sent
the dog yelping back TO the hut.
80. lagol / will kill the dogl"