Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 February 1893 — In Sheep's Clothing. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

In Sheep's Clothing.

BY Capt Ormond steele

CHAPTER lll—Continued. “I am Wllllajn Fox, Captain of her Majesty’s cruiser Wanderer, and right honored am I, dear sir, to salute and welcome you,” replied the Captain, grasping the Squire’s hand. “And my friend," said the Squire, ■with another bow and a wave of his left hand, as he turned to the gentleman in the bottle-green coat, “is Dr, Nehemiah Hedges, late representative of this county in her Majesty’s Provincial Assembly, surgeon to the First Suffolk Volunteers, and- our chief physician at this end of the island.’’ “And may heaven long spare him to keep health to the people and to reflect honor on the crown,” said Captain Fox, giving both hands to the doctor, who, being a very modest man, blushed at the complimentary words of his friend, and the almost forgotten titles of which he found himself the possessor.. Captain Fox presented his visitors to the officers not on duty, and then all adjourned to the cabin, where the lamps were lit, and Don, under the directions of Lieutenant Frenauld, had set out crystal flagons of wine, wiih a great array of such glasses as the provincial gentlemen had never put eyes on before. “Gentlemen,” said the Captain, when all the glasses were filled, “permit me and my officers to drink- to your long life and continued prosperity, and to welcome you with all heartiness on board the Wanderer.” “I but seldom drink wine, and never prescribe it,” said Doctor Hedges, lookitver his wineglass at the captain, “not that I object to the fluid in moderate quantities, but that it is so difficult to And on this coast the pure vintage in which our fathers delighted. I drink to you. ”

The glasses were drained, and the captain hastened to say: “You cannot find that fault with,the wine j’ou have just tasted, for it has been twice around the world in the wood, and like sherry, burgundy improves by travel, and unlike some of ourselves, it grows better and purer as the years pass over it ” “Ah, it is rare wine, in truth,” said Squire Condit, smacking his lips, and raising his glass to inhale the aroma. “But though our wines cannot be praised, we feel that our brandy is not inferior, and Governor Dungan, who honored us with a visit not long since, assured me that our spiced rum was superior to anything of the kind he had ever tasted. “I hope to confirm the the governor’s judgment before I sail hence,” said the captain. "You shall have a chance to do so tonight,” said -he squire, with more enthusiasm than he ordinarily manifested, for being a law officer and a deacon, he felt that reserve was essent'al to sustain the dignity of his dual honors. "I am the guardian—or rather I was the guardian—of Captain Kalph Denham, whom I have grown to look on as a son; and Doctor Hedges is the brother of the first officer, and the uncle of the second officer of the Sea Hawk.” “Then let me congratulate you both,” said the captain, again shaking hands with his visitors, “for though I have not the honor of a personal acquaintance with the officers of the Sea Hawk, news of their brave exploits in the West Indies has reached me at the other side of the worlc, where the Wanderer has been cruising till ordered to these waters.” “You must come and dine with them to-night,” said the doctor. “After dinner at my house we adjourn to the squire’s, where there will be music and dancing.” “A concession I make to the brave sailors who have be.m so long away,” exclaimed the “There will be those who, on the morrow, will say, ‘Deacon Goodwill Condit has done that for which he should be disciplined by the congregation.’ But should they do so, I will reply, ‘I danced not, and I was not my own master on the occasion.' ” “An excuse that should exonerate you with the most rigid,” laughed Captain Fox; adding as he waved his hand to Don, “we must try one more glass before you leave.” Both visitors protested that they had had enough. “Then you will honor me by permitting me to send each of you a cask tomorrow. ” The captain said this in a way that gave no chance for refusal, and then he escorted the squire and doctor to the deck; and at his command the sailors sprang into the rigging and cheered as the' little yawl bore the delighted old gentlemen away.

CHAPTER IV. THE PI.AN OUTLINED. After the boat had been gone a few seconds, Captain Fox named the officers he expected to accompany him ashore Uiat night, and then told them to report at once in his cabin. “Gentlemen,” he said, when the officers were gathered about the table, from which Don, the cabin boy, had removed the flagons and glasses, “this is a night to test each man’s power of self-con-trol. I shall expect you all to drink, or to seem to do so; but the man who becomes drunken must take the consequences. I cannot forget that at Merida, Cartagena and Para, some of you so far forgot yourselves as to get drunk and bring on fights with the natives, who drove you to your boats, and who in their just anger, would have seized our ship had I not turned the guns on them. We cannot avail ourselves of such a remedy here. Each man must appear to be what the people believe us, officers and gentlemen in the service of England. At one o’clock I shall expect you to be on board; in the meantime remember —sealed lips and open orders.” Captain Fox waved his right hand,, and the officers, Frenauld excepted, withdrew. “Ha, Frenauld,” said the Captain, wheK he and his chief executive officer had the cabin to themselves; “asof old our good luck follows. By the spirit of Blake, sir! things could not have happened better. ” “I am glad for your sake,” replied Frenauld. “Aye, aye, my lad, and for your own sake, too. Zounds! Lieutenant, are we not to be sharers in the great prize?” “Yes, Captain; but you will not pet without seeing his lordship?” “Do not say ‘lordship;’ say ‘Col. Graham.’ Why, man, if these provincials knew there was a live lord among them they would eat him up with adulation. Remember, we must speak of Col. Graham of the guards; Graham who, under Churchill, led the decisive charge on the French at the battle of Walcourt. Ha, ha, hat This cruise has its eoim-

cal aspects; It is play instead of hard work. Why, I expected to blow yonder ship out of water before this. But the Colonel will come down, as per arrangement from. Boston, and he will be thunderstruck to find us side by side.” “And very naturally sj. I must say you will never have a better chance to get rid of him. ” “To get rid of this Denham, eh, Frenauld?” “I said to get rid of him, Captain.” “But, confound it, I don’t want to get rid of him." “I thought the Colonel wanted, him out of the way?” “So he does, but I don’t. His lord—confound my slippery tongue, I mean the Colonel, wants him disposed of, and we must make him believe that we have earned the money; but Denham, alive and in our power, is worth more to us than the richest galleon that, silverfreighted, ever plowed the sea.” “Ah, but to get him in our power without a fight; that, in truth, would be an exploit worthy of yourself. ” “And it shall be done, Frenauld; it shall be done. Oh, I will court the youth. He is generous, brave, and unsuspicious. I will flatter and dazzle him. If he loves wine, as a good sailor should, may I be shot if I have him not at sea before six tides have flooded this bay." “ My heart beats faster at the thought, ” said Fernauld, with unaffected joy. “Aye, my lad, and it shall leap with perpetual delight after the crowning exploit of our cruise is finished. Now, caution, prudence, patience, and our object masked, like a Dutch battery, with evergreens, roses, and floating swans; eh, Frenauld?” “That is it, Captain.-” “Come; we have no time to spare, The dinner awaits us ashore, and if tonight the officers of the Wanderer make no impress on the hearts of the fair dames of this island, then have they forgotten in works of war the ways of love, and it will be the first time in all my experience that I ever knew ffiich a thing to happen. ’’ Capt. Fox was in high spirits, but Frenauld did not presume on this, for he well knew that the smile could change in the space of a lightning flash to a frown, and that the sentence begun in the softest accents might end in tones of thunder.

CHAPTER V. BT THK SHORE. There were bonfires along the beach, and swarms»of boats passing, with happy crowds aboard, between the ship and the shore. When the Wanderer’s cutter grated on the sand, the people cheered the officers and crew as if they were old friends. And the Squire and the Doctor, with Captain Denham and his officers were there to meet th>m. And after introductions that seemed unnecessary, and salutations full of honest heartiness, a procession was formed and all marched to Doctor Hodges' house,’ which was now illuminated from the door of the summer-kitchen to the highest of the little dormer windows, that looked like single eyes set in the brows of the quaint gables. Mrs. Hedges and Mrs. Condit, with their blooming daughters, welcomed the strangers in the wide hall that ran directly through the comfortable old building, and then led them into the low parlor, the red hangings of which had not yet been removed for the summer. Mrs. Hedges thought this was fortunate, because the evening was cool, and then, with a mother's pride in the beauty of her daughter, she thought the dark crimson curtains reflected something of their warmth on Lea’s cheeks. But a greater master than ever gave color to a fabric had limned the hues of youthful health on the cheeks of Lea Hedges and her friend, Ellen Condit; and Captain Fox thought as.he watched them, without appearing to "do so, that their eyes- were more brilliant and beautiful than the gems -which he and his officers wore when on duty, to excite the cupidity of their sailors. The officers, with the frankness that characterizes sailors the world over, were soon talking as familiarly as if they had been away together for years oh the same ship. Captain Denham had heard of Captain Fox and the cruiser Wanderer, and he wa3 delighted to meet in America a man he had supposed on the east coast of Africa. “I must say that when I first sighted the Wanderer,” said Captain Denham, “that I supposed she was the Adventure Galley, which was sent from New York some time ago to suppress the pirates.” '‘Let me see, the Adventure Galley was commanded by Captain William Kidd,” said Captain Fox, reflectively. “Yes, he took command of her in Bermuda, and there can be no doubt about the loss of the ship. The Sea Hawk went out to take her place. ” “And she did it well, Captain Denham. I heard of many of your exploits against the pirates in the West Indies and I am glad of this opportunity to meet you,” said Captain Fox, whose officers watched him lor their cues. “But how did you happen in here, Captain?” asked Captain Denham. “I simply obeyed the orders received in Jamacia. lam to receive further instructions from Colonel Graham, who should have been here by this time.” “I pray he may not be in a hurry, for I know of no place where you can spend a few days more pleasantly,” said Captain Denham. This was the only conversation, which might be called at all professional, that the young officers had on this occasion. Lea Hedges was the soul of animation that evening, without being at all forward; and Lieutenant Frenauld escorted her to dinner, the Captain having the honor of leading in Mrs. Condit, Balph Denham and Mrs. Hedges brought Up the rear, and Ellen Condit and Lieutenant Hedges preceded tffem, evidently well pleased with the arrangement.

The dinner might be called provincial in its arrangement and large-handed abundance; certain it is, no other part of the world could have afforded a greater variety of life’s good things, nor could any cooks in the great capitals surpass the black women, who, though slaves themselves, were the complete mistresses of all the Hampton kitohens. Shell fish from the Gieat South Bay, blue fish from the Atlantic, wild fowl from the Great Peconic Bay; wild turkey, grouse and woodcock from the neighboring forests; venison, better than ever royal forest produced, early vegetables, most grateful of all food to the sailors; preserved fruits and nuts, imported and domestic; butter like fanciful gold ingots; these and many other things came on in regular and seemingly endless courses; and the dishes steamed amid masses of flowers gatifored from garden and field; and oldfashioned wax candles of many colors lit up the whole. All were on good terms before the meal began, but during its progress the thin walls of reserve melted away, and when the banquet—for such we call it — was concluded all felt like old friends. Wine and spiced rum were passed around in abundance, and Captain Fox and his men appeared to drink as did the others—and this was a time when it

was thought a man could be neither i good sailor nor a brave soldier If he did -not drink-—but they did not drink, 01 even sip, each time they lifted the silvei goblets to their lips. After dinner, the musicians, who had been playing in the vine-covered porcli outside, struck up a march, and anothei procession was formed; and Squire Condit, with Mrs. Hedges on his arm, led the way to his own house, where the festivities were to be continued. Sailors in the service of the British Government were always sure of a welcome in thb best society of the colonies. Their commissions implied that “officer* and “gentleman” were synonymous; and it can be said that a knightly courtesy ran through the ithis time, for England had entered on that grand career for supremacy of the ocean which was afterwards to leave her for a time its undisputed mistress. The officers of the Wanderer were made as welcome by the people of Sag Harbor as if, like the Sea Hawk’s crew, they were their own sons and neighbors. With the exception of Captain Fox and Lieutenant Frenauld, the offloers of the Wanderer were not, judging from their awkward and constrained manners, much accustomed to ladies’ society, for only the two named could dance, or at least attempted to do so. This, however, only made the nondancers tho more acceptable to such staid citizens as Squire Condit and Doctor Hedges, who were not so strict in church matters as not to enjoy a game of whist. But Captain Fox and Mr. Frenauld more than made up for the deficiency in the others. The former, now that he was in his magnificent uniform, and his expressive face _ and strange blue eyes’ beaming and flashing with animation, was conspicuously line-looking, even in the presence of such men as Captain Denham and Mr. Valentine Dayton. Mr. Frenauld, though dark, and with eyes that a physiognomist would call “sinister," presented a good foil to his light-haired commander, whom he equaled as a brilliant conversationalist. |TO BE CONTINUED.]