The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1911-08-18

/ make our attack with sufficient swift
ness to prevent the discharge of fire
arms, the rest might be accomplished
! without great risk of discovery, bar
ring some unexpected mishap. The
very audacity of such an attempt was
| strongly in our favor. If we succeeded
in silently warping the Esmeralda be-
yond range of the guns of the shore
batteries all real and immediate dan
ger would be over. Probably not a
war vessel in the harbor had steam
up, and, if they did, no Chilean war
ship could hope to overhaul us when
once fairly at sea.
gave the personnel of the crew
Tuttle had collected brief considera-
should naturally expect men to be
who were volunteering for such task.
Besides, Jack ashore and Jack at sea
are two widely differing personalities;
once sobered and on shipboard,
steadied somewhat by the perils of
their position, and exhilarated by the
promised reward, they would doubtless
prove efficient enough. Tuttle might
require a lesson in sea etiquette, and,
if he did, felt perfectly confident of
my ability to administer it promptly
and forcibly. AS for De Nova, had
no doubt that he would prove himself
a good man. So, altogether, my spirits
rose as / thus contemplated definite
plan of action.
The movement on the water was
only the merest ripple, with the riding
lights of the various ships at anchor
reflected back as from a giant mir
ror. Two vessels, a full-rigged ship
and a small schooner, lay close in
shore, apparently deserted, their decks
gloomy wastes, their bare spars stick
ing up skeleton-like and ghostly.
Farther out, and somewhat to the left,
a yellow lantern, perhaps in the bow
of a guardboat, bobbed about, zig-zag-
ging here and there like some erratic |
star. 1t was some time before could |
locate with any certainty the partic- |
ular vessel / sought The harbor was |
Uttered with sea craft Of every de- |
scription, and my knowledge regarding
the Esmeralda was most meager, be-
ing merely her point of anchorage, and
that she was a large steam-yacht,
schooner rugged.
Finally, into the focus of the leveled
glasses there crept indistinctly the
delicate tracery of her bow, rendered
more plainly visible beneath the green
radiance of her riding lamp. Lights
we're showing family through several
lortholes amidships, certain proof that
she was not entirely deserted; yet
he cabins aft were dark, and the only
moving figure could distinguish with
was slowly pacing back and
orth along the lee rail of the poop.
out from the enveloping
mudge, came a shower of sparks
md a red glare, and, moment later,
traced the outlines of a steam launch
leaving the black water. It quickly
anished behind the fog wreaths hang
ng to seaward, the faint sound of it's
dying away, leaving the ST.
snt loneliness behind more solemnly
Impressive than ever. Only from off
ne land came echoing the noises of
len-the loud vivas, the reiterated
DOM of explosives, the ceaseless
lare of bands.
The scene became oppressive in its I
arrenness, and l felt the need of a
ovement to overcome its weakening
feet upon the nerves. This was to
, a night of action, not of dreams, so t
CROPPED my uncertain path back {
ong the Uttered wharf and around t
lie curve of the shore line, beneath n
e gloomy shadows of coal sheds. OF o
ghts there were comparatively none. Il
! except the uncertain glimmer OF
ckets along the waters surface, and Il
was consequently compelled to feel rt
y way from object to object like a W
inded man. Still, the course was 81
hiciently familiar SO that I success tr
lily maintained both footing and di- st
ction, finally emerging safely close m
side the spot appointed for our rem OF