The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1913-04-26

Eome, and besides you are doing a
service for the city
Muttering that it was the weirdest
go that he had ever struck. he clucked
to the weary horses. and after a little
more of cobblestones began the strug
gle through the sand.
Those terrible sand hills. We labor
ed in them like a snail. They seemed
to hang on the wheels and to heap
themselves in front of us. but the in
creasing light came on wings. and
what exact moment In all this long.
gray and golden approach Of the sun
was TO be considered dawn?
At last we were over the hilltop and
laundering down the other side. the
trees and gardens of houses overlook
ing the water front upon my left hand.
upon the other sand and sea. Straight
below. running out from the shore. was
the little disused wharf. One or two
Italian fishing boats rocked in its shad
ow. but no vessel was in sight.
Could ii he that | was too late? I
thought In an agony of uncertainty as
the carriage drew mp Mt the pier.
Thrusting my head and as much of my
body as possible out of the carriage
window. | looked out the gray, wind
ing channel toward the Heads. Not a
sail in sight! This was encouraging.
for | knew that wen starting with the
grayest light there would not have been
time for the vessel to have vanished
out mt sea. Through the other window
mass. rose bluffly out of the water.
~shouldering the city out of sight. Near
its base tall eucalyptus trees swayed
against the blue bay. and through their
shifting leaves and branches | was
able to make out the masts and sails
of the lugger lying close under the
hill. 1t was so well hidden that had
| not been expecting to see it. l must
certainly have passed it over altogeth-
er. taking the masts for tree boles and
the furled canvas for the light acacia
bark.
| drew my cloak closer around my
shoulders, pulled up the carriage
blinds on each side. allowing only a
crack wide enough for me to look
through. and settled myself to the hard
task Of waiting. of being at one pa
tient and vigilant. There was not an
instant when | dared relax my watch,
first at this window. now at that. for
who could tell by which way the Span
ish woman would approach-through
the sand hills, driven up in her car
riage. or. what was more probable. on
foot over the tree guarded slopes of
the hill. The blink of an eyelash might
lose her,
The dull gray light that had chilled
shore and sea began to take on a warm
err CLINT. | knew the east was growing
rosy. And still she did not come. The
fishing boats began to go out. and mt
my back | heard the first murmur of
the city stirring on of sleep. Two of
the fishermen. Italians. stood on the
wharf and stared at my carriage GU,
riously. but | hardly noticed them. |
felt as if | were outside of all the
world and everything usual that could
happen.
The wind was freshening, picking up
whitecaps on the bay. and presently
noticed that the lugger had shifted her
position. had moved out Il little from
under the lea of the hill. and | saw
they were running up sail on board.
One large tapping white wing and
hen another rose and spread beyond
the trees. | could even hear the pip
ing sound of the sailors voices. and
then. with Il veering and IA fitting and
finally with Il graceful bowling motion,
she stood away from the hill and be-
gan TO go out to sea.
Beautiful sight that it was | looked
ut it with despair. | could not believe
it. How had the Spanish woman got
on board without my seeing her? Could
she have slipped along through the be-
wildering shadows and so evaded ne.
or had she gone on board even before