The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1909-12-30

--haE standing. half STOPPING in 9TH
stern sheets. the ends OF a cape fy,ins
past him in the gale.
When l could see again the long bqai
was msking ready for the dash into tbs
roaring surf. The oarsmen-there we4rs
some twelve-were laboring to keep ~
bow straight on The tall man was stand,
ing up to see where he should 20. and Al
caught sight OF his white and storn-dI
torted face. could NOT move. / couE
not utter cry stood transfxed. scart
breathing. my body tant. waiting to 81.
what would happen next.
Seconds passed in the darkness, the}i
a fash. and I saw that the boat ha(l
weathered the worst Of the surf. and waS
grinding on the shore. -Four OF the med
had leaped ont and were hauling hard
at the sides; the steersman. gaunt and
black. still clutched the tiller, half
crouching. and was shouting. SucceedinrI
darkness gave me a chance TO wonderl
what manner Of men were these making
for Alastair. deserving their ship on theI
coast, and landing where there was no
harbor. and only a single beach Light
again. and | stood dnmfounded. trans
fixed. for I saw little processioa march
ing up the beach 70 the pines east Of me
first the tan man in the long. black, LAP
ping cloak. then two men bearing a good
sized box between them. and then two
others. carrying what looked to me
Ike shoveis. Darkness. a terrible roar
Of thunder, and I pinched myself to make
sure that I was awake
struck a match and held il behind my
hand in order that no signal should De
given Ny watch told me the hour was
half past one. / found that I was shiv.
ering from the cold. and slipped into my
coat. At every fash Of light I was back
At the window. raking the beach with my
eyes- I saw nothing but the grounded
boat. with a number OF men standing BY.
and far OF the tossing hulk OF the schoon-
er.
did not even dare step into the hall
to call Charles 50 afraid was I Of losing
something Of this remarkable sight. Min
Jtes passed l kept ny watch in my
land Flash succeeded fash at greater /
but the sceue was still the
ame- the boat evidently waiting. the far
her reaches Of the beach empty
Half an hour had gone when my pa
ience was rewarded The same process
ion appeared from the pines. minus only
so far as could see-the box that two
them had carried There was long
iterval Of biacknees. and then saw the
lng boat pluneing again through the
reakers. and the crew struggling TO keep
Pr righted with their oars / could see
ie boat was sharp at either end. and the
en no novices ar the dangerous work
Bleaching They were gone. going back
their schooner. and / felt that the
brit Of mystery was lifting from Alas
Iir.
Still I waited. and in time the scene
GIFTED. and I saw that the boat had left
,mething the tall. cIoaked man still
God upon the beach. gazing seaward as
rough TO catch the last Of his mates.
.member that even In that brief in
ant I felt there was something strange
1out him. something fantastic. some
ing out Of keeping with the New Eng
nd shore.
Darkness shut in. the roar OF thunder
ssened. the lightning passed the outer
orld only sent me the deep, distant
,0ming Of the sea upon the cliff. I
umtIeI back 70 bed and pulled the
othes about me. full Of wonder at what
3 eyes had seen
! lay there for a long time. thinking.
'njecturing what all this strange mat
7 meant Somehow. my quiet beach had !
en- transformed; the space between the j
ifs now Swallowed forth a mystery. and !
{, preposterous as the idea seemed. I j
Il In some way that I had always ex-
'cted remarkable something to happen.
y dreams in some way to come true. for
lastair was no common place and was
for some surprising history.
In time I dropped asleep to dream Of :.
Ieer things