The weekly true Democrat., 1909-10-01
CHAPTER XVI.

CHAPTER XVI
n EAN1N0 against the cOmblng. feet
braced upon the slippery and
treacherousd deck. KlrkwOOd chung
- 10 tiileF and malnsheet aud peer.
20 ahead with anxious eyes, q packer
81 daring craven deep between his
brows.
A mile 20 westward. three or more
ahead. he could see the bfiRantine
Standing close IN under the Essex
shore AZ times she was invisible.
Again be could catch merely the CLINT
" her canvas, white against the dark
gloom Of the littoral, toned by a mist
of flying splndrlh. lie strained bis
eyes, watching for the chance which
would take place IN the rake Of her
masts and sails when she should come
ah0ut
For the longer that maneuveF was
deferred the better was his chance OF
attaining bis object. II was n for
lOrn hope. But IN time the brignn.
tine. 10 escape MaplIn snnds. would
be forced 20 inck aud stand out past
che llghtshlp. W wind or her port
bows. Then their courses would IN.
tersoct II remained 20 be demon
stFated whether the eatboat was
speedy enough 10 arrive at this point
of contact IN advance OF or sinful.
teneously with the larger vessel
He watched the catboat anxiousIy,
quick 10 approve her merits as she
displayed them. lle had sailed small
ernft before e-frnil centerbOard cat.
boats. handy and swift. bullt to serve
~ summer winds ana protected wa.
ters. never such a one as thh Yet he
uked hnr
OiishOre. too, the wind stormed With
added strength or possibly had fresh
sned. For minutes on end the lee.
ward gunwales would run green, and
now and again the screaming, peltlng
squalls that secured the estunry
would heel her over until the wateF
enacnded IN over the lee cOmbing and
the Fudder. lifted clear would hang
idle until. smltten by some racing bIl.
low. the tliier would be ali but torn
from KirkwOod's hands, Again ana
again this happened, aud those we're
tlmoa OF trembling. But always the
cathOat rlghted. shaking the cllnging
waters from her ana swinging her
stem Into the wind again. and there
would follow an abbreviated breath
ing speH, during which KlrkwoOd was
az liberty 20 dash the salt spray from
hls eyes and search the wind harrlcd
waste for the brigautlne Sometimes
he found her, sometimes not
Long after he had expected her 10
she went about and they began to
close IA upon gnch other lie could
zee that even with shortened canvas
she was staggering drunkenly under
the fierce impacts of the wind. For
himself, n wns nip and tuck now, and
no man IN his normal sense would
have risked a elxpence on the boats
chance 10 live until she crossed The
brimntlnes bows
Tlmc out uf reckoning he was forced
to kneel In the swimming cockpit,
ateering with one hand. using the bail
ing dish with the other aud keeping
hla eyes rcllglously turned 90 che belly
lna patch of rnll II was heArbrcak
ins toll. ile began reluctantly 81 con
cede that Il could not last much longer
And II be- missed the brlgantIne hc
would be- lost
Long since he had become numh
with cold from inccsaant drenchlpFs
~ lcy spray that piled IN over the
Nindwnrd counter. keeping the bottom
ankle deep rcEnrdless of hIs lnborious
hui intermittent offortsewith The bali.
lne dleh aud the two, brlganilue aud
stekiesben. were drawing together
Nilh appalling delbernfipn.
Nut that hla 4lpch in hts
aflhed thrOal 81 a 4are sleutct
81 hIs clnli0n when tffHtually hS
gained the point ol inlerseciiou a.
rhlh Of d mile ahead of the brigan
AS and goi sight Of her wlndward
tcard as most slowly the catboai
across her course
of ~ that. The moment of hls ae
M triumph was not Jet ne had atll
carry ~ successfully Q acheme thai