Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 February 1893 — In Sheep's Clothing. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

In Sheep's Clothing.

BY Capt. Ormond Steele

CHAPTER ll—Continued. “Why this rejoicing?” asked Lea Bodges, reining in her horse -before Squire Condit’s gate, and addressing 'Ellen, who stood with more than the sunset glow on her fair cheeks. "Oh, Lea! good news! good news!” Scaled Ellen, running out and taking her friend's hand. ■ ■ ‘Then do not keep it back, Ellen, for imy very soul yearns for news good, bad jor indifferent; anything to break the jmOnotony of this dull life. Ah, if I [were a man I should make my own [news and give the world a fresh and [startling supply every day, but being •only a woman, ‘a weaker vessel,’ as the dominie says, who ” Lea would have gone on at some jlqngth in her bantering, half-real, halfllaughii’g way, had not Ellen Condit interrupted her by calling out: j “The Sea Hawk has just anchored in •the harbor! ’’

“The Sea Hawk?” echoed Lea Hedges, and for the instant the color fled, under the excitement, from her cheeks, and ■she sprang from her horse, the spirited ■creature making no effort to get away, jthough there was no restraining hand ion the bridle. I “Yes; she has in sight for an •hour, and Ralph has signaled that he is ■coming ashppe ,at bnce. Mother has gone in to order Supper, aud every Iservant on the place is hard at work to igive thelf favorite a welcome.” i “There, Ned, go home and tell Black 'Joe to put you in the stable.” Lea Hedges threw the bridle rein over ithe pummel of the saddle, and the inItelligent horse, with a snort that no [combination of letters could convey an idea of, tossed up his head and walked ■away with comical dignity. I “You will come into the house and wait.” suift Ellen, encircling her friend’s wais t with her left arm, and making as if she Vdle going to the house. “No, my love, we shall take the other direction; 7, said Lea. “To the village?” “No, to'the shore. Let us greet the brave boys before their feet press the soil, Ten months since they sailed away; it has seemed like ten years. The Sea Hawk carried with her all the life and glory of the island. I pray that tho pirates have torn none of them from us.

! This was said as the girls hastened down to the beach, a few hundred yards below Squire Condit’s house.

“The pirates have not taken the Sea I-lawk,”'teaid Ellen, who, though as much rejoiced at the ship’s arrival, had neither her-friend’s enthusiam nor her fluency of expression. “I knew the pirates never could take hor.- they might destroy her, but she •would go down with the'flag flying and every living man at his post,” skid Lea. ! "The people are cheering and the (bells are ringing, Lea.’’ “Aye, but the iheers are all too faint [to express my feeling, am the bell .tinkles,when it should clash, and clang, and Benin. Hark, a gun from the ship! -Bee- the smoke rising from the port like ;a monster's breath on a frosty morning. [There is music in that sound. How did mo® fight before the roar of cannon set th* warrior blood to throbbing in their veios?” I Ellen Condit did not attempt to an•swer'hei• friend’s question. By this time coufd see a boat lowered away (from the Sea Hawk, into which six irowers and four officers got. The boat shot away from the ship. ,and headed straight for the beach where ■the girls—now the center of a large (crowd of whites and gaily attired In■dians —were standing. | Fmm the stern sheets Capt. Denham waved his hat, and the people answered .with a cheer. ! The men at the oars threw all their [streilgth into-WW-quiveriug blades, till (the boat at each stroke seemed fairly to ■leap from the water. - - - \Vhile the Captain's cutter was' still several-hundred feet from the shore he (recognized among the throng the faces of .Ellen, his adopted sister, and of Lea, ■his old playmate and friend. He rose in his place and raised hts hat,'and the first aini second officers did the same. Ttfc&ifi.WP 1 -® 011 shore supposed the greeting to be general, and they at once sent up a cheer, which the men at the oars answered, and as they shouted tho ;boat seemed to leap from the water, as If it, too, were animated, and shared in the joy at again touching the soil on which it was built.

1 Captain Denbam sprang ashore the Instyittathe boat.’# bow grated, on the tyjiach, and the people were not surprised to see him catch Ellen in his arms, for was she not his sister? Lieutenant Dayton was near him, and his armh were about Lea, wuose fine eyed" were How full 'of tears of joy. YtalenQhe was her own cousin, some eaid he was her lover, but of ihat this is not the time to speak. , Every man at the oars was native to the place, and had mother, sweetheart, or sister to greet him. ... i It would be a waste of time to describe what the most prosaic reader can easily imagine. The men laughed and shook hands aga|xt and again. " * The women smiled through their tears audwseemed never to weary of repeatjtinjpthe fl^st greeting. . And in thetnidst of it all. down came (Sqijtire Condlt and Dr. Hedges, and to 'them the weicpmes were repeated, and ,the gathering people cheerei till the in- : creased volume of sound rolled out to {the ship. Here, the watching sailors— to stay on board—caught the joyous contagion, and springing into the Jrigginfe f they shouted in a way that 'called out all the crew of the stranger, .who cheered also. To speak of the feast and dances that •followed that night w iuld take a goodsized volume. 1 . The officers of “The Stranger,” as we 'shall call the other ship for the want of a better name, were invited, and how jthis was brought about, we shall now {proceed to explain. . CHAPTER 111. u. NEARER VIEW Of THE OEKJCERs AND CBEW | ; O* THE c.TRANOKR While there was no name visible on Jthe bow or stern of the stranger— at least to those linable to make a close {examination — on the caps of the sailors, oa&WS coverings of the upper-deck guns, apd<m the many small boats swinging tin headiness from the davits was the .word ■‘•Wanderer." * Aa oh the Sea Hawk .'everything on (board the Wanderer was in the state of perfect order which old sailors desig-

The crew were powerful, flerce-look-ing fellows, and, though there was not one man with gray hair or beard visible, all were in that golden prime of life when experience restrains the Impulses of youth, without lessening its activity or vigor. The majority of the crew was decidedly English, but accent and face told that the minority was composed of many nationalities; not an unusual thing in this day when England, in order to recruit her warships, sent press gangs on shore, and, if occasion required, did not hesitate to force into her service the sailors of merchantmen overtaken on the high seas. When nations became robbers in selfdefense, it is not to be wondered at that pirates were plenty, as much for their contempt for law as their desire for plunder. With one or two exceptions the officers were men between 30 and 40 years of age, and there was that in their manner that told of perils daringly met in the past; and the adventurous spirit In their stern, restless eyes showed that, like their beautiful ship, they were wanderers, impelled on and on by the spirit of adventure, which, though rife in that age, cannot be said to be peculiar to any. Capt. William Fox, commander of the Wanderer, looked like a man in every way qualified for his duties. He was about 35 years of age, rather slender and of medium height, with hair and beard that would be called “golden” by the poetic and “red” by those or a prosaic turn. His eyes were blue, but with that steely glint that is rarely seen except in eyes of gray. Capt. Eox must have been in these waters before, for when a yacht came alongside offering a pilot, he shouted down: “I know the channel, and I can’t fail If I keep In the wake of the Sea Hawk.” He seemed the very personification of activity, but it was act.vity without nervousness. His short, quick commands were given with decision, and obeyed with the promptness and regularity of fine mechanism. After the anchors were down, and the

sails furled, Capt. Fox said to a blackeyed officer, some years younger than himselt: “Come to my cabin, Mr. Frenauld. I wish to speak with you. ” “Aye, aye, sir,” replied Lieut. Frenauld, touching his cap and following the Captain down the companion-way. The cabin of the Wanderer was quite in keeping as to neatness with the other parts of the ship, but the furniture Was such as even an admiral could not have afforded. The place was crowded with works of art. The walls were covered with pictures, the most incongruous religious pieces being hung side by side with fierce battle pictures, and rude cupids placed in companionship with winged cherubs and seraphic madonnas. Through the open doors of some of the staterooms opening into the cabin the same lavish adornments could be seen, giving the idea of a floating artgallery. rather than tho quarters of officers on a ship of war. And this lavish profusion of wealth was visible in the persons of the officers, certainly in the two who now retired to an inner cabin. Their fingers were half covered with rings, in whioh emeralds of deepest tint and diamonds of purest water flashed, and the buckles on their shoes, or “pumps,” as they were then called, were masses of the same gems. After dosing the door of the cabin behind him Captain Fox pointed the lieutenant to a chair and sat down himself. This done, ho deliberately pulled off his pumps, and drawing a plainer pair from a drawer near by he put them on. He then removed his finger rings and threw them, with the shoes he had taken off, into a box. “We must put away these things for the present, Mr. Frenauld,” said Captain Fox. “it is well enough to wear them at sea, where the sight of them will Inspire our mon to deeds of greater valor, but here they may create suspicion, and that is the very thing we must avert.” “Of oourse, sir,” replied Lieutenant Frenauld, and he at once removed his jewels, going into another room to remove his pumps. Coming back, he asked: “Shall I instruct the other officers. Captain?” “No; I have ordered them to wear nothing that does not accord with their rank as officers in the service of the good Queen Anne ’’ Captain Fox, hesitated, and Mr. Frenauld nodded, and said: “I understand, sir.” “I expected that Captain Denham would have done me the honor of a visit the instant the Bea Hawk came to anchor. ”

“Gad, sir, he would have visited us before that if he knew who wo were," said Lieutenant Frenauld, with a low laugh. The Captain frowned, bit his lips, and, evidently 111-pleased with his subordinate’s levity, he continued as if he had not heard It. “Perhaps I should not blame Captain Denham, for this is his home, and the home of most of his officers and men, and It is natural thatne and they should hurry ashore to see their kinsmen and sweethearts.” “A sweetheart In Denham's case, sir, for, as we know, he has no kin here. ” “You forget,” said the Captain, tapping the table with the tips of his fingers and frowning. “Pardon me, sir, but I did not think,” said the lieutenant, apologetically, “that it would be amiss to allude, under the circumstances, to what we both know about Captain Denham’s ancestors.” “It is amiss, sir. Zounds! if an echo of the facts came to his ears, all our great schemes would crumble to ashes like the Dead Sea apples, even though we had them ripe in our grasp, and we are near that now. Let me speak if there be speaking necessary; it is your duty to act. ” And now the oaptain brought his clenched hand down on the table. “I have never been below, sir, when there was work to do aloft,” replied Lieutenant Frenauld, his dark eyes showing that he did not at all relish his superior’s rebuke. ■. “Very well.” The captain’s manner was mild in an instant, showing that he was an actor as well as a sailor. “YVe must go ashore to-night, and pay onr respects to the authorities. In the meantime, I shall send a note on board with my compliments to Denharm. Get the cutter ready with a picked crew, and after supper I will go ashore, taking with me yourself and Harry Ludlow. Full dress, mind you.” “And side arms?” asked Mr. Frenauld, as he rose to leave. “How, sir, can an officer in her majesty’s service be in full dress without his side arms?” snapped the captain, his eyes flashing again. “True, sir " A rap at the door, an d "before Frenauld could say another word Captain Fox shouted: “ Colne A handsome lad of sixteen came in, bis cap in one hand and a note in the other. “Well. Don?" “The cards of two gentlemen who

have just come aboard, sir,” replied the cabin boy, Don. speaklnywith a strong Scotch accent, and handing the paper to the captain. “Ah, by the Spirit of Blake!” cried the captain, here are the-viLjage fathers come to do us courtesy; They shall have a royal welome. Stay, Frenauld, and help me receive them. Stand by, Don, we shall need your services at once.” The captain’s face and eyes lit up. He was all animation now. His moods were like those of an Alpine sky, or would have been were they not the direct effect of his strong will. He sprang into his private cabin, and in less than a minute he came out again in a dress coat, a regulation chapeau under his arm, and a straight stiff-sword belted to his hip. He hurried on deck, where Squire Condit, in a blue coat with brass buttons, knee-breeches, silk hose, low shoes with silver buckles, and a well powdered wig with a pendent black ribbon, was looking about him with that air of awe a landsman shows when first he steps on board a ship-of-war. Dr. Hedges, except that his coat was bottle-green—a color at that time affected by the medical profession—was dressed exactly like bis friend: and save as to some difference in stature — the former being short and stout—they might have passed for twin brothers. “I am Goodwill Condit,” said th< squire advancing to the captain with a bow, intended to be stately, and hia right hand extended, “holding a commission under hor majesty—whom may God preserve—as Justice of the Peace in the County of Suffolk, in tne ProV' inceof New York.” |TO BE CONTINUED.]