The Washington herald., 1919-09-06
THE PILOT"
By JAMES Kenmore COOPER
Condensation by Alfred S. Clark


On q late afternoon OF a winters
day. during the American Revolution.
a rsklsh schooner and a majestic frig-
ate anchored well inside little bay
on the northeastern coast OF England.
A whale-boat drove shoreward. a
young officer scrambled up the steep
cliffs and a few minutes later e mys-
terious stranger was transferred to
the frigate's deck. He answered to
the name OF Mr.. Gray and was said
to be merely a pilot. but he was greet
ed with surprising Difference.
For no ordinary man would these
vessels have yentured so near that
coast Of sand-bars and hidden rocks.
The wind was mere ruffle of air.
But the Incessant mutter OF the long,
slow waves foretold that a storm was
brewing. Ever more fittully and faint
" blew the land-breeze; the mutter
Of the waters grew deeper. Only here
and there did a few stars twinkle be-
tween the fast gathering clouds. 1t
was time to beat out to open sea- II
Il were not even now too late. Men
swarned aIoft and hung upon the
yards: sails fiuttered out; the anchor
was pulled in; the frigate gathered
headwly. Then the faint breeze died.
The spread OF canvas hung useless;
the currents drove the ship shore
ward.
With A roar the wind came sud
denly from the east. White spray
dashed from the bow. Yet the pilot
paced the quarterback seemingly OBJ
liviOus to danger. But open water
was far ahead and suddenly from the
fOrecastle came that dreaded cry.
Breakers, breakers. dead ahead"
The pilot shook of his trance OF
thought. His orders thundered fort n.
sailors spra1g hither and thither at
his bidding. the frigate swung about
at his cry Of Hold on everything -
Tortuously she picked her way
through the twisting channels, in
darkness amid tho howlings OF the
great winds.
She shiyered from bow TO stern as
a hundred men lOosed the huge main
sail. The iib was torn free with a
crash like a cannon's blast, but the
big sail held and the frigate bowed
like a reed in the wind. White foam
showed dimly upon both sides, but
the pilot kept the ship. as by a mir
acle, within a narrow ribbon OF dark
water. He took the wheel himself.
Time and again the frIgate seemed 10
have reeled free from peril: time and
again she plunged anew toward a
welter Of white water. But she drove
ever on and at last she rode the great
waves Of the open sea.
Not the storm alone had these
ships dared. They were American
vessels, lurking about an enemy's
coast. This little bay had a peculiar
fascination for two young lieuten-
ants aboard. Edward Grifith and
Richard BarnstabIe. Not far inland
lived Col Howard. a Tory who had
fled from America when the colon
lists revOlted. With him dwelt his
niece, Cecilia Howard. beloved by
GTif1th. and his ward, Katherine
Piowden, betrothed to Barnstablc
In st. Ruth's Abbey fingered too
Christopher Dillon, a poor kinsman
anxious to better his condition by
wedding the wealthy Cecilia. Red
coats lent a picturesqueness to the
venerable abbey for a small gar
rison under Capt. BOrroughcriNfe
had been summoned by tho owner.
For aught that men knew, John
Paul Jones himself might be aboard
these ships lowering nearby.
While recOnnOitCring the next
night, Mr.. Gray" and Griffith were
captured, but Borroughcliffc' 5
drunkenness enabled them to es-
cape. Griffith was. however, reta-
ken.
The impetuous BarnstabIe, fret
ting orshore with his enormous
coxswaln, Long Tom Coffin, had been
nearly cut Off from his schooner by
an English cutter. but he scrambled
aboard safely and the drum beat to
quarters. While broadsides roared
and the decks grew slippery with
blood, the little fighting ships met
and grappled. Before Barnstable
could lead his boarders to the
enemy's deck. CONN tumbled into
the sea. Shouting Revenge Long
Tom" the lieutenant rushed with
his men upon the foe. 1t was fight
ing at close quarters and the Issue
was in doubt when the 'drenched and
furious coxswain emerged from the
sea and with his harpoon piniUneu
the English captain to his mast.
In a few minutes the Americans
were masters of the cutter. Cover
Ing in that scene of bloodshed the
victors discovered the crafty DIIlo3.
who pleaded to be sent of as a host
age, promising to return N person
or to have Griffith delivered in his
stead.
His word Of honor was trusted
and he was sent away with Long
Tom He luckily overheard Dillon's
treacherous plot to entrap Barns
tables waiting party. The resource
ful old seaman gagged Borough
cltfe and drove Dillon. at the point
Of his harpoon, back to the waiting
schooner. By this time, however, a
battery on the clitf brought down
the schooner's mainmast. She was
driven from her course by heavy
seas. The masts were felIed and
anchors dropped. but she plunged on
ike a bobbing cork in rapids. Barn
stable would have stayed by his ship
but suddenly Long Tom seized him
ind hurled him over the bulwarks.
Gods viii be done with me-" Coffin
sried, above the winds roar. Dill