The Concordia sentinel. (Vidalia, Concordia Parish, La.) 1882-current, 1920-07-31

late afternoon of a winters
day, during the American Rev.
oiuttoH, rakiSh schooner and q
majestic frigate anchored well inside
a little bay on the northeastern coast of
England. A whaleboat drove shore
ward, young officer scrambled I'D
the steep cliffs and few minutes later
a mysterious stranger was transferred
! TO the friSate's deck. He answered TO
the nan1e of 'AIr. Gray" and was said
to be merely pilot, but he was greet
ed with surprising Difference.
For 40 ordinary man would these
vessels have ventured so near that
coast of Sandbars and hidden rocks.
The vii was mere ruff1e of air. But
the inceSSant mutter of the long, slow
waves foretold that a storm was
brewing Ever more fitfully and faint
ly blew The land-breeze; the mutter of
the waters grew deeper. Only here and
there did few stars twinkle between
the fast gathering clouds. 1t was time
to beat out to open sea, if it were not
even now too late. Men swarmed aloft
and hung up the yards; sails f1uttered
out; the anchor was pulled in; the
frigate gathered Roadway Then the
faint breeze died. The spread of can
vas hung useless; the currents drove
the ship shoruward.
With roar the wind came suddenly
from the east. White spray dashed
from the bow. Yet the Pilot paced the
quarterback seemingly oblivious to
danger. But open water was far
ahead and suddenly from the forecas-
tie came that dreaded cry, Breakers! |
breakers, dead aheadi' The Pilot |
shook Off his trance Of thought. His
orders Numbered forth, sailors sprang
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 the howl
ings of the great winds.
She shivered from bow to stern as
hundred men loosed the huge main
sail. The jib was torn free with a
crash like lannon's blast, but the big
sail held and the frigate bowed like a
reed in the wind. White foam showed
1lmly upoa both sides, but the Pilot
kept the ship, as by a miracle, within
narrow ribbon Of dark water He
.ook the wheel himself. Time and
again the frigate seemed to have
'eeled free from peril; time and again
me plunged anew toward a welter of
White water. But she drove ever on !
Ind at last she rode the great waves
# the open sea.
Not the storm alone had these ships
Jared. They were American vessels.
urklng about an enemy's coast. This
title bay had peculiar fascination !
or two young lieutenants aboard, Ed
yard Griffith and Richard Barnstable.
'ot far inland lived Colonel Howard.
Tory who had fed from America I
'hen the colonists revolted. With him {
welt his niece, Cecilia Howard. be- ,
wed by Griffith, and his ward, Kath- I
rine Plowden, betrothed to Barnsta- a
ie. In st. Ruth's abbey fingered, too, 4
Dillon. a poor kinsman {
nxious to better his condition by we'd I
ing the wealthy Cecilia. Redcoats
mt pictureSqUe1esS to the venerable y
bbey. for small garrison under t
aptain Borroughcliffe. had been sum- d
loned by the owner. For aught that v
len knew, John Paul Jones himself h
light be aboard these ships lowering n
earby. h
While accommodating the next night, n
Mr. Gray" and Griffith were captured, G
Ut Borroughcliffe's drunkenness ena- y
ed them to escape. Griffith was, how a
1er, retaken. K
The impetuous Barnstable, fretting r.
fshore with his enormous c1xswain,
ong Tom Coffin, had been nearly cut
from his schooner by an English
liter, but he scrambled aboard safely
I'd the drum beat to quarters. While