The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1909-08-19
scopyrlght. lsoe. By Stanley J. weyman.,
/.
ON BOARD THE CoRMoRANT
SLOOP.

Midway In that period of Ireland's
history during which, according to his
torians. the distressful country had
none--to be more precise. on a spring
morning early in the 18th century, ana
the reign OF George the First, a sloop
of about 20 tons burden was beating
up Dingle bay. in h teeth OF a stiff
-easterly breeze. The sun was two hours
high, and the gray expanse of the bay
was fiecked with the white horses hur-
rying seward In haste to leap upon
the Blasquets, or to disport themselves
In the field Of ocean. From the heaving
deck of the vessel the mountains that
shall not be removed were visible-on
the northerly tack Brandon, on the
southrly Carntual; the former sunlit,
with patches of moss cleaning like
emeralds On Its breast. the latter dark
and melancholy, clothed In the midst
OF tradition and fancy that In those
days CARRIED so much of Ireland's bog
and hill.
The sloop had missed the tide, and.
close hauled to the wind, rode deep in
the ebb, making little way with each
tack. The breeze hummed through the
rigging. The man at the helm bumped
q shoulder to the sting OF the spray,
and the rest of the crew. seven or eight
In number-tarry, pigtailed, ~outlandish
sailor men-crouched under the wind
ward rail. The skipper sat with a COM
panion on a coil of rope on the dry side
OF the skylight, oblivious alike of the
weather and his difficulties, his eyes
fixed On his neighbor, In wondering.
fatuous admiration. ~
Never" he murmured. respectfully.
Never his companion answered.
MY faIthi" Captain Augustin re-
Joined. He was a cross between a
Frenchman and an freshman. For 20
years he had carried wine to Ireland,
and returned laden with wool to Bor-
deaux or Cadiz. He knew every inlet
between Achill Sound and the Head
OF Kinsale, and was so far a Jacobite
that he scorned to pay Caty to King
George. Never? My faith" he re-
peated,, staring. IL possible, harder
than ever. ."
"No," said the Colonel. Under no
pro~vocation. thank GodI"
but it's done" Captain Augustin
rejoined. 'Tt would bother me sorely
TO know what you do"
What we all should do his passen-
ger answered gently. our duty, Cap
tain Augustin. Doing which, we have
no more to fear, no more to question"
But west of Shannon, where there
Is no law 2" Augustin answered. And
IN Kerry-where Well be, the saints
helping, before noon-what with Sui
aivans, and Mahonies, and O'Beirnes,
that wear coats only for g gentleman to
tread upon, and would sooner shoot
q friend before breakfast than spend
the day idle, par ma fol, I'm not seeing
what you'll be doing there, Colonel"
"a man may protect himself from
violence" the Colonel answered soberly.
..and yet do his duty. What he may
not do-is this: he may not go out to
kill another in cold blood, for a point
of honor, or for revenge, or to sustain
what he has already done amiss! | hope
I make myself clear, Ca tain Angus
tin % he added c~ourtcously.
He asked because h shippers face of
wonderment was not to be misread.
And the skipp answered, Quite
cleari" mean ng the reverse. Clear, in
deed? Yonder were the hills and boys
OF Kerry-l.wless, imper etrable, abom-
inable--a realm of Tories. On the
sloop itself was scarce a man whose
hands were free from blood. He, Au-
gustin. mild hammered as any Snug
gler on the coast, had spent his life
between fleeing n lighting, with his
muzzle, and his cargo ready to be jetti-
soned at sight of a cruiser. And this
man talked as IL he were in church!
Captain Augustin cast a wild eye at
the straining, shrieking rigging; the
Eloop was lurching heavily. But wheth-
er he would or no, his eye luttered
back and rested, fascinated, on the
COlOuelS lace. lHuSSC, lFOIU Tie HOuT,
10 days earlier, which had seen him
mount the side in the Bordeaux river,
Colonel John Sullivan had been a sub
ject of growing establishment to the
skipper. Captain Augustin knew his
world tolerably In his time he had
conveyed many a strange passenger
from strand to strand, and had talked
with them, learned their secrets, and
more often their hopes. r
But such a man as this he had never
carried. A man who had seen outland-
fish service; but who neither swore, nor
drank above measure, nor staggered,
nor threatened. Who would not dice,
nor game-save for trifles. Who, on the
contrary. talked of duty, had a peace
full word for all, openly condemned
the duello, N was mild as mild and
as gentle as an owl. Such a n seemed
the tabled "Phaynix." or a bat with
six wings, or any other prodigy which
the fancy. Irish or foreign, could con-
ceive.
Then, to double the marvel, the col
onel had a servant, q close tongued
fellow, William Bale by name, reputed
an Englishman, who. IL he was not
like his master, was as unlike other
folk. He was as quiet spoken as the
colonel, as precise. and as ~peaceable.
He had even been heard to talk of his
duty. But while the colonel was tall
and spare. with a gentle eye n long,
kindly face, and was altogether of a
pensive cast, Bale was short and
stout, OF a black pallor, and very for
bidding. His mouth. when he opened
dt--which was acknowledged honey
and his silence invited no confidence.
But his brow scowled, his lips sneered d,
and his silence invited no confidence.
Such being the shippers passenger,
and such his nan the wonder was
that Captain Augustin's as )nishment
had not long g melted into con-
tempt. But 1t had not. For one thing,
q eaman had been hurt, and the col
onel had exhibited a skill In the treat
ment of wounds which would not have
disgraced an experienced chirurgeon.
Then In the bay the sloop had met
with half a gale, n the passenger, in
circumstances which the skipper knew
to be more trying to landsmen than to
himself, had maintained a serenity be-
yond applause. He q e clinging
to the same ring bolt with the skipper
while the Southwestern tore overhead
LN - 5000