Year: 1872

WORDSWORTH.


On the afternoon of summer day, a
small schooner yacht, closely reefed, made
her appearance off the mouth of Loeb
Uribol, long and lonely ford in the re.
mote Hebrides of Scotland, and while
beating to and fro in the open sea in the
midst of the squalls from the neighboring
mountains, hoisted the inverted red flag
to the foremast as a signal that the
parties on board were in need of as
sistance. A


It had been a dark, dry day, with the
wind blowing fresh from the west very
steady and strong, and the yacht, q tiny
thing Of fifteen or sixteen tons with a
small cock. pitt had been beating since
early dawn across the tossing waters of
the Minch, which divides the dark,
serrated peaks of Skye from the far off
Outer Isles. Lightly as a bird she had
bounded over the great rollers Of sea,
splashing the foam over herself from stem
to stern, but seldom taking on board a
drop of green" The distance across
was thirty miles, and the wind was dead
ahead, so that her progress westward was
slow indeed The time siipt by, however 4;
the basaltic crags of the northwest coast
Of Skye grew fainter and fainter: and the
islands Of the ocean, which at first had
been scarcely distinguishable on the ho-
rizon, had gradually loomed more and
more misunderstanding In one desolate
and lonely darkness from the high hills
of Lewis, past the faint, low-lylng fiat of
Uist, to the dark and rocky shores which
fringe the cliffs of Barra, Not once IN
the long day had the sun actually made
his appearance, Tho atmosphere had
been full of a palpitating, silyery light,
in which the skies seemed close to the
earth, and very grey, and the waves of
the sea, where they lid not break into
white foam, unusually black and threat
ening Yet it was =" good weather. sui O.
snug day for sailing, and the sombre.
eolorless tone of alE thiDgs-sea, far-off
land, and sky-was not without its charms
for those who have learned to love the
pathetic I" neutral tint " Of the melancholy
Scottish coast a.


But as evening approached, the sun
looked out from a gray chasm above the
outlying hills, and shed a lurid light over
the dancing sea, illumining to rose color
the white sails Of the little yacht, which
was by this time within few miles Of the
dangerous coast. just about this time q
weatber-beaten Highlander, who was
steering the little vessel, cooked his eve
up to the sunset, and relInquishing the
tlller TO young man who sat in the cock
pit beside him, said quietly. E5<.t u


"She's going 10 give a puff out o. the
west yontler, and Loeb Urfb0Ps terrible
place of squalls. We'll take off the fore
sail altogether, and let her canine, VII main
sail. staysail and Ib" sfEr,s


Scarcely had the speaker, with the as
sistance of another man who had been
lying listlessly in the forepart of the
vessel, carried out his precaution, and
taken the foresall down, when the first
squall from the land came up white as
foam, apd laid the vessel over to the
cooming of the cockpit. SquaH7 after
squall followed, while the light from the
sunset grew every moment ola more lurid
crimson, streaming with the wind out
OF great rent In the vast mountains of
cloud. The yacht was too lightly bal
| lasted to carry her canvas we'll, and more
than once the wind struck her so savagely
| as to threaten to founder her outright, the
wafer passing into the cockpit in
one green torrent, and drenching the
helmsman to the skin. The sea was com
paratively smooth, however, owing to the
| shelter of the hills. From the dark pre-
clplces and distant misty glens the squalls
shot out with a fury only realisable to him
who had navigated these coasts in a small
vessel. With the fury of hate and the
strength of despair, so to speak, they
plunged one by one upon the schooner,
like wild beasts frantically endeavoring to
tear her to pieces.


With a light laugh, the helmsman
dashed the wet hair out of his eyes, and
strained his gaze toward the land.


Which is the Ufihol land? he cried
to the old Celt who had first spoken.
"Can you make out the mouth Of the
Loch ?o


The old man shook his head.


q know fine she lies somewhere in yon-
der, he said, but Fve never passed the
mouth. Luff, sir, luff Wen put about
directly-there's nasty hit O. water fair
ahead. "


The young man uttered IN exclamation
| expressive Of impatence,