Richmond Palladium (Daily), Volume 31, Number 330, 29 December 1906 — Page 7

The Richmond Palladium, Saturday, December 29, 1906.

Page Seven

REFUGEES By A. CONAN DOYLE, Author of "The Return of Sherlock Holmes"

I COPYRIGHT. JS9. BY ' - I n I I . II I- ' f - tt is not a ery severe oc. louj Bee this paper upon the table. It an order that all the Huguenots in my dominions shall give up their errors, i tinder pain of banishment or captivity. J Now I have hopes that there are many! of iny faithful subjects who are at fault in this matter, but who will abjure It when they learn that it is my .clearly expresed wish that they should do so, lo you follow me?" "Yes, sire." The young man had J turned deadly pale, and he shifted his ifeet and opened and clasped his hands., j "You are yourself a Huguenot, I understand. I would gladly have you, tben, as a first fruit of this great measjtire. Let us bear from your own lips jthat you,, for one, are ready to follow ithe lead of your king." j The young guardsman still hesitated, j though his doubts were rather as to 'Low he should frame his reply than as tto what Its substance should be. He felt that in an instant Fortune had j wiped out ail the good turns which she had done him during his past life and jthat now, far from being in her debt, he held a heavy score against her. The king arched his eyebrows and drum med his f r rrcra ImnaHantlv a a he fglaneed at the downcast face and de fected bearing. 'Why all this thought?" ho cried. You are a man whom I have raised ;and whom I will raise, fie who has a major's epaulets at thirty may carry a marshal's baton at fifty. Your past Isj "mine, and your future shall be no less so. What other hopes have you?" I "I have none, sire, outside your service." I "Why this silence, then? Why do you not give the assurance which I definand?" I cannot do it, sire. It la impossible. should have no more, peace in my mind or respect for myself If I knew ;that for the sake of position or wealth fl had given up the faith of my farthers." i Man, you are aurely mad! There is all that a man could covet upon one aide, and what is there upon the other? 1 "There la my honor." 1 "And Is it, then, a dishonor to emDrace my religion?" I "It would be a dishonor to me to em brace it for the sake of gain without believing In It." "Then believe it." '"Alas, sire, a man cannot force hlmelf to believe. Belief is a thing which ust come to him, not he to It." "On my word, father," said Louis, glancing, with a bitter smile, at his TesuIt confessor, "I shall have to pick he cadets of the household from your seminary, since my officers have turned casuists and theologians. So, for the last time, you refuse to obey my request?" . I "Oh. sire" De Catlnat took a step orward, without outstretched hands jm . , r . SiUCL tears in his eyes. f But the king checked him with a gesr - i4.. t, , urc. i uesire no protestations, said lie. "I Judge n man by his acts. Do "I cannot. Bire." ' "You see," said Louis, turning again $o the Jesuit, "it will not be as easy is you think." J "This man is obstinate, it is true, but many others will be more yielding." J The king shook his head. "I would hnf T tnaiv' Trhot At" rnl1 Madame, I know that you at least Jvill ever give me the best advice. You 4are heard all that has been said. Vhat do you recommend?" I She, kept her eyes still fixed upon ler tapestry, but her voice was firm fnd clear as she answered: j "You have yourself said that you are ho eldest son of the church. If the lldest son desert her, then who will lo her bidding T I Louis took up the pen from the table ;nd drew the paper toward him. . I "I have the same counsel," then, from Ml of you," said he; "from you, bishop; &Voni you, madame; from you, nbbe. Bjnd from you, Louvois. Well, if ill oine from it, may it not be visited upDta me. But what is this?" j De Catinat had taken a step forward;

ills ar-l

tril "Do riot ttgn , ire,' he cried.

trroken down all the barriers of canf on, and he seemed for the instant to f ate that countless throng of men, woCjen and children of his own faith, all Kjaable to say a word for themselves Ljjjid all looking to him as their chamianon and spokesman. L i Do not sign it, sire," he cfied. "You

heill lire to wish that your hand had withered re it grasped that pen. I pow it, sire; I am sure of it. Conmder all these helpless folk the little iildren. the young girls, the old and feeble. Their creed Is themselves.

THE

HARPER & BROTHERS II ! I II I JJIJUI .mr. I AB wen asis tne leaves to cnange toe twig on which they grow. They could not change. At mot you could but hope to turn them from honest folk mto hypocrites. And why should you a0 jt?Thev honor you. They love you. They harm none. They are proud to serve in your armies, to fight for you, to work for you, to build up the greatness of your kingdom. I implcre you, sire, to think again before you sign an order which will bring misery and desolation to so many." For a moment the king had hesitated as be listened to the short, abrupt sen tences in which the soldier pleaded for his fellows, but his face hardened again as he remembered how even his own personal entreaty had been un able to prevail with this young dandy of the court. "France's religion should be that of France's king," 'said he, "and If my own guardsmen thwart me in such a matter I must find others who will be more faithful. That major's coinmis sion in the mousquetaires must go to Captain de Belmont, Louvois." "Very good, sire." "And De Catinat's commission may be transferred to Lieutenant Laba doyere." "Very good, sire." "And I am to serve you no longer?" "You are too dainty for my service.' De Catinat's arms fell listlessly to his side, and his bead sank forward upon his breast. Then, as he realized the ruin of all the hopes of bis life and the cruel injustice with which he had been treated, he broke Into a cry of despair and rushed from the room with the hot tears of impotent anger running down his face. So, .sobbing. gesticulating, with coat unbuttoned; and hat awry, he burst into the stable where placid Amos Green was smoking his pipe and watching with critical eyes the gTooming of the hors.es.' "To Paris! To Farls!" shouted the guardsman frantically. If I am ruined , I may yet be in time to save them. The horses, quick! It was clear to the American that some sudden calamity had befallen, so he aided his comrade and the grooms to saddle and bridle. Five minutes later they were flying upon their way, and in little more than an hour their steeds, all reeking and foam flecked, were pulled up outside the high bouse in the Rue St. Martin. De Catinat sprang from bis saddle and rushed upstairs, while Amos followed In his own leisurely fashion. The old Huguenot and his beautiful daughter were seated at one side of the great fireplace, her hand in his, and they sprang up together, she to throw herself with a glad cry into the arms of her lover- and he to grasp the band which his nephew held out to him. iue uiucr Bluer ui iue uirjJiatc, with a very lon P'Pe In his oh and a cun of wine uDon a settle beside him, sat a strange looking man, with grizzled hair and beard, a fleshy, red, projecting nose and two little gray eyes, which twinkled out from under huge brindled brows. His long, thin face was laced and seamed with wrinkles, crossing and recrosslng everywhere, but fanning out in hundreds from the corners of his eyes. It was set in an unchanging expression, and as it was of the same color all over, as dark as the darkest walnut, it might have been some quaint figurehead cut out of a coarse grained wood, ne was clad In a blue serge Jacket, a pair of red breeches smeared at the knees with tar, clean gray worsted stockings, large steel buckles over his coarse, square toed shoes, and beside him, balanced upon the top of a thick oaken cudgel, was a weather stained silver laced hat. His gray shot hair was gathered up behind into a short, stiff tail, and a seaman's hanger, with a brass handle, was girded to his waist by a tarnished leather belt. De Catinat bad been too occupied to take notice of this singular individual, but Amos Green gave a shout of deI 1. a. a. ii t x. M ; M ward to nlm. "Why, Captain Ephraim," cried Amos in English, "who ever would j have thought of finding you here? De j Catinat, this is my old friend Ephraim j Savage, under whose charge I came ; here." "Anchor's apeak, lad, and .the hatches down," said the stranger in the peculiar drawling voice which the New Englanders had retained from the English Furitans. ."And when do you sail?" "As soon as your foot is on her deck, if Frovldence serve us with wind and tide. And how has all gone with thee, Amos?" "Right well. I have much to tell you of." De Catinat and his relatives were far too engrossed with their own affairs to give a thought to the others. De Catinat told his tale In a few short, bitter sentences; the injustice that had been done him, his dismissal from the king's service and the ruin which bad come upon the Huguenots of France. Adele, as is the angel instinct of woman, thought only of her lover and bis mifortunes as she listened to his storj, but the old merchant tottered to his feet when he heard of the revocation of the edict. "What am I to do?" he cried. "What am I to do? I am too old to begin my life again." " "Never fear, uncle," said De Catinat heartily. "There are other lands beyond France." "But not for me. No, no; I am t old. Lord, but thy hand is heavy tipca thy servants. What shall I do and whither shall I turn?" He wrung his hands in his perplexity. "What Is amiss with him, thCO, Amos?" asked the seaman. "He and his must leave the country. Ephraim." "And whyT "Because they are Protestants afid the king will not abide their creed."

Sphraim Savage was across the room in an instant and had inclosed the old merchant's thin hand" in his own great knotted fist. -There was a brotherly sympathy In his strong grip and

rugged, weather stained face. "Tell this mail that" we shall see hkn through, Amos. Tell him that we've got a country where he'll just fit in like a bung in a barrel. Toil him that religion is free to all there. Tell him that if he wants to come the Golden Rod is waiting with her anchor apeak and her carg aboard." "Then we must come at once," said De Catinat as he listened to the cordial message which was conveyed to his uncle. 'Tonight the orders will be out. and tomorrow it may be too late." "But my business!" cried the merchant. "Take what valuables you can and leave the rest. Better that than lose all, and liberty into the bargain." . j And so at last jt wds arranged. That j very night, within five minutes of the ,' closing of the gates, there passed out! of Pari3 a small party of five, three! upon horseback and two in a closed I carriage which bore several weighty ! boxes upon the top. They were the j first leaves flying lefore the hurricane, i the earliest of that great multitude ; who were within the next few months to stream along every road which led from France. Thanks to the early tidings which the guardsman had bronght with him. his little party were new ahead of the news. At Roi.cn' all was quiet, and Captain Ephraim Savage before evening had brought both them and such 'I l,f ASS UrtU C tfl tU l 1. IU1U U13 brigantine, the Golden Rod. It was but a little craft, some seventy tons burden, but at a time when so many were putting out to sea .j open boats, pre ferring the wrath of nature to that of the king, It was a refuge indeed. The same night the seaman drew up his M.nVtAM a.. Virvnn .Taii'Iv moba life ' way down the winding river. With the early dawn the river broad - ened out and each bank trended away, leaving a long, funnel shaped estuary between. Ephraim Savage snuffed the air and paced the deck briskly, with a twinkle in his keen gray eyes. The wind had fallen away, but there was still enough to drive them slowly upon their course. , "Where's the gal?" he asked. "She's in my cabin," said Amos Green. "I thought that maybe she could manage there until we got across." "Where will you sleep yourself, then?" "Tut! A litter of spruce boughs and a sheet or birch baric over me nave been enough all these years. What would I ask better than this deck of soft white pine and my blanket?"' "Very good. The old man and his nephew him with the blue coat can have the two empty bunks. But you must epeak to that man, Amos. I'll have no philandering aboard my ship, lad; no whispering or cuddling or any such foolishness." "It's a pity that we left so quick, or they might have been married before we started. She's a good girl. Ephra im, and he a fine man, for all that their ways are not the same as ours." "But what is the matter with the old man? He doesn't seem easy In his mind," said Captain Savage. The old merchant had been leaning over the bulwarks, looking back with a drawn face and weary eyes at the red curving track behind them which marked the path to Taris. Adele had come up now with not a thought to spare upon the dangers and troubles which lay in front of her as she chafed the old man's thin cold hands and whispered words of love and comfort into his ears. "We are always in the hollow of .God's hand," he whispered, "but. oh. Adele, it is a dreadful thing to feel his fingers- moving under us!" "Come with us, uncle," said De Catinat, passing his arm under that of the old man. "It is long since you have rested. And you, Adele, I pray that you will go and sleep, my poor darling, for it has been a weary journey. Go now to please me, and when you wake loth France and your troubles will lio behind you." When father and daughter had left the deck De Catinat made his way aft again to where Amos Green and the captain were standing. "I am glad to get Amos," said he, "for I them below, fear that we may have trouble yet." "And how?" - i "You see the white road which runs by the southern bank of the river. Twice within the last half hour I have seen horsemen spurring for dear life along it. Where the spires and smoke are yonder is Honfleur.' and thither it was that these men went. I know not who would ride so madly at such an hour unless they were the messengers of the king. Ah, see, there is a third one!" On the white band which wound among the green meadows a black dot could be seen, which moved along with great rapidity, vanished behind a clump of trees and then reappeared again, making for the distant city. Captain Savage drew out his glass and gazed at the rider.. . v "Aye, aye," said he as he snapped it up again. "It Is a soldier, sure enough. I can see the glint of the scabbard which he. carries on his larboard side. I think that we shall have more wind soon. With a breeze we can show our heels to anything in French waters, but a galley or an armed boat would overhaul us now." De Catinat. who, though he could speak little English, had learned in America to understand it pretty well, looked anxiously at Amos Green. "I fear that we shall bring trouble on this good captain." said he, "and that the loss of his cargo and ship may be bis reward for having befriended ns. Ask him whether he -would not prefer to land us on the north bank. With our money we might make our way into the lowlands.". Ephraim Savage looked at his passenger with eyes which had lost something of their sternness. "Young man," said he, "I see that you can understand soaiethin of my talk.". De Catinat nodded. . , r "I tell you, then, that I am a bad ffiaa to beat. Any man that was ever shipmate with me would tell you as much. I just jam my helm and keep my course as long as God will let me. D'ye see?" : ' De Catinat again nodded, though, in

huuj, tuts seaoi.au a UieipuOl'3 jeii, uiui with but a very general sense of his meaning. While the Puritan seaman had been talking his eyes had kept wandering from the clouds to the flopping sails anJ back. Such wind as there wa came in little short puffs, and the canvas cither drew full or was absolutely slack. The fleecy shreds of cloud above, however, traveled swiftly across the bice sky. It was ou these that the captain fixed his gaze, .and he- watched them like a man who is working out a problem in his mind. They were abreast of Honfleur now and about half a mile out from it. . All was quiet ou the curving quay and on the half moon fort, over wh!ch floated the white flag with the golden flear de lis. The port lay on their quarter now, and they were drawing away more quickly as the breeze freshened. De Catinat, glancing back, had almost made up his mind that their fears were quite groundless when they were brought back in an instant. Round the corner of the mole a great dark boat dashed into view ringed round with foam from her flying prow and from the ten pairs of oars which swung from either side of her. A dainty white ensign drooped over her

i stern, and In her bows the sun's light was eaii!?ht 1)7 a lieavv brass earroj nade Tue captain brought bis glass to bear upon, them and whistled; then he glanced up at the clouds once more, "Thirty men," said he, "and they go three paces to our two. You, sir, take your blue coat off this deck or you'll bring trouble upon us. The Lord will look after his own if they'll only keep from foolishness. Get these hatches off, Tomlinson. So! Where's Jim Sturt and Hiram. Jefferson? Let them stand by to clap them on again when I whis tie. Starboard; starboard! Keep her as full as she'll draw. Now, Amos, and you, Tomlinson, come here until I have a word with you The three stood in consultation upon j the paopti glancing back at their purj suer. There could be no doubt that the wind was freshening. It blew briskly in their faces as they looked ; back, but It was not steady yet, and the boat was rapidly overhauling them. Already they could see the faces of the marines who sat in the stern and the gleam of the lighted linstock which the gunner held in his hand. "Hola!" cried an officer In excellent English. "Lay her to or we fire!" " vv ho are you, and what do you want?" shouted Ephraim Savage In a voice that might have been beard from the bank "We come in the king's name, and we want a party of Huguenots from Paris who' came on board of your ves sel at Rouen." "Brace back the foreyard and lay her to!" shouted the captain. "Drop a lad der over the side there and look smart. So! Now we are ready for them The yard was swung round, and the vessel lay quietly rising and falling on the waves. The boat dashed alongside, her brass cannon trained upon the brig antine, and her squad of marines with their fingers upon tneir triggers ready to open fire. They grinned and shrugged their shoulders when they saw that their sole opponents were three unarm ed men upon the poop. The officer was on deck in an Instant, with his drawn sword In his hand. "Come up. two of you," he cried. "You stand here at the head of the ladder, sergeant. Throw up a rope, and you can fix it to this stanchion. Keep awake down there and be all ready to fire. .You come with me. Corporal Lemoine. Who is captain of this ship?" "I amt sir," said Ephraim Savage submissively. "You have three nuguenots aboard." "Tut, tut. Huguenots, are they? I thought they were very anxious to get away, but as long as they paid their passage it was no business of mine. An old man, his young daughter and a young fellow about your age in some sort of livery." "In uniform, sir the uniform" of the king's guard. Those are the folk I have come for." "And you wish to take them back?" ! "Most certainly." "The old man is in his bunk asleep, the maid is in a cabin below, and the other is sleeping down the hold." "Sleeping, yu say? We had best surprise him." "But think you that yon dare do it alone?. He has no arms, it is true, but he is a well grown young fellow. Will you not have twenty men up from the boat?" - . Some such thought had passed through the officer's head., but the captain's remark put him upon his mettle. "Come with me, corporal,", said he. "Down this ladder, you say?" "Yes, down the ladder and straight on. He lies between those two cloth bales." Ephraim Savage looked up with a smile playing about the corners of his grim mouth. The wind was whistling now in the rigging, and the

stays of the masts were humming like'v60 flat ln bottom that she had been

tw6 hart etrines. Amos Green i lounged beside the French sergeant who guarded the end of the rope ladder, while Tomlinson, the mate, stood with a bucket of water in his hand exchanging remarks in very bad French with the crew of the boat beneath him. " : The; officer made his way slowly down the ladder which led Into the hold. The corporal followed him, and had his-t-hest level with the deck when the other bad reached the bottom. It may have been something in Ephraim Savage's face or it may have been the gloom around him which startled the young Frenchman. "Up again, eorporair' he shouted. "I think that you are best at the top. "And I think that you are best down below, my friend," said the Puritan, who gathered the officer's ' meaning from his gesture. Putting the sole of his boot against the man's chest, he gave a shove which sent both him and the ladder crashing down on to the officer beneath him. As he did so he blew his whistle, and in a moment the hatch was back in its place and clamped down on each side with iron bars. The sergeant had swung round at the sound of the crash, but Amos Green, who had waited for the movement, threw his arms round him and hurled him overboard Into the sea. At the same instant the connecting rope was severed, the foreyard creaked back into position once more and the bucketful of salt water soused down over the gunner and his gun, putting out bis. linstock and wetting I his priming. A shower Of balls from !

uioiiuo pipeu tnrouga tite air or nipped up against the planks, but tho boat was tossing and Jerking in the short, choppy waves, and to aim was impossible. In vain the men tugged and strained at their oars, while the gunner worked like a maniac to relight his linstock and to replace his priminsr. The boat had lost its weigh, while the brigautiue was flying along now with every sail bulging and swelling to bursting point. Crack! went the carronade at last, and five little slits in the mainsail showed that her charge of grape had flown high. Half an hour afterward a little dark dot upon the horizon with a golden speck at one end of it was all that could be seen of the Ilonfleur guard boat. The smoke of Havre lay like a little cloud upoa the northern horizon, and Captain Ephraim Savagejpaced his deck with his face as grim as ever, but with a dancing light in his gray eyes.

CHAPTER XVII. F OR two days, the Golden Rod lay becalmed close to Cape la Hague, with the Breton coast extending along the whole of the southern horizon. On the third morning, however, came a sharp breeze, and they drew rapidly away from land until it was but a vague, dim line which blended with the cloud banks. "I am frightened about my father, Amory," said Ade!e as they stood to gether by the shrouds and looked back at the dim cloud upon the horizon which marked the position of that France which they were never to see again. "What do you mean, Adele? My uncle Is hale and hearty, and be will accustom himself to this new life." "If it only could be so! But I fear, I rear tnat ne is over ola tor such a change. He says not a word of com plaint, but I read upon his face that he is stricken to the heart." De Catinat was about to suggest that the voyage might restore the merchant's health, when Adele gave a cry of surprise and pointed out over the port quarter. "Look!" she cried. "There is some thing floating upon the sea. I saw it upon the crest of a wave." He looked in the direction "in which she pointed, but it was so far from him that he could make nothing of it, but sharper eyes than his had caught a glance of it. Amos Green had seen the girl point. "Captain Ephraim," said he, "there's a boat on the starboard quarter." The New England seaman whipped up his glass. "Aye, it's a boat," said he, "but an empty one. Maybe it's been washed off from some ship or gone adrift from shore. Put her hard down, Mr. Tom linson, for it just so happens that I am in need of a boat at present." Half a minute later the Golden Rod had swung round and was running swiftly down toward the black spot which still bobbed and danced upon the waves. As they neared her they could see that something was project ing over her side. "It's a man's head!" cried Amos Green. But Ephraim's grim face grew grimmer. "It's a man's foot," said he. "1 think that you are best down below." think that you had best take the cal below to the cabin." Arnid a solemn bush they ran along side this lonely craft which hung out so sinister a signal.. She was a little thirteen foot cockleshell, very broad for her length and meant evidently ror river or iaKe wort. Huddled together beneath the seats were three folk, a man In the dress of a respectable artisan, a woman of the same class and a little child about a year old. The boat was half full of water, and the woman and child were stretched with their faces downward, the fair curls of the Infant and the dark locks of the mother washing to and fro like water weed upon tho surface. The man lay with a slate colored face, his chin cocking up toward the sky, his eyes turned upward to the whites and his mouth wide open, showing a leathern crinkled tongue like a rotting leaf. In the bows, all huddled in a heap and with a single j paddle still grasped in his hand, there crouched a very small man clad in black, . an open book lying across his , face and one stiff leg jutting upward, i with the heel of the foot resting be- j tween the rowlocks., A boat had been lowered by the Golden Rod, and the unfortunates were soon conveyed upon deck. No particle of either food or drink was to be found or anything save the single paddle and the open Bible, which lay across the small man's face. Man. woman and child had all been dead a day at the least, and so, with the short prayers used upon the seas, they were buried from the vessel's side. The small man had at first seemed also to be lifeless, but Amos had detected some slight flutter of his heart, and the faintest haze was left upon the watch glass which was held before his mouth. Wrapped ln a dry blanket he was laid beside the mast, and the mate fereed a few drops of rajn every few minutes between his - lies until the little eck

- wmm. Ci.l iihgnru Hi Dim might be fanned to a flame. Meanwhile Ephraim Savage had ordered up the two prisoners whom he had entrapped at Honfleur. "Very sorry, captain," said the seaman, "but cither you had to come with us, d'ye see, or we had to stay with you. They're waiting for me over

at Boston, and so in truth I couldn't tarry. Which would you prefer, to go on with us to America or to go back to France?" "Back to France, if I can find my way, if only to have a word with that fool of a gunner." "Well, we emptied a bucketful of water over his liustotk and priming, d'ye see, so maybe he did all he could. But there's France, where that thick ening is, over yonder." "I see it; I see it! Ah. if my feet were only upon it once more!" - "There is a boat beside us, and you may take it." "My God. what happiness! Corporal Leuioine, the boat! Let us push off at once." "But you need a few things first Good Lord, who ever heard of a man pushiu' off like that? Mr. Tomlinson. just slins a keg of water and a barrel of meat and of biscuit into this boat. Hiram Jefferson, bring two oars aft. It's a long pull with the wind In your teeth, but you'll be there by tomorrow night, and the weather is set fair." The two Frenchmen were soon pro vided with all that they were likely to require and pushed off with a waving of hats and a shouting of "Bon voy age!" The yard was swung round again, and the Golden Rod turned her bowsprit for the west. But while these things had been done the senseless man beneath the mast had twitched his eyelids, had drawn a little gasping breath and then finally had opened his eyes. Old Catinat had come upon deck, and at the sight of the man and of his dress he had run forward and had raised his head reverently. "He is one of the faithful," he cried. "He Is one of our pastors. Ah! Now Indeed a blessing will be upon our journey!" But the man smiled gently and shook his head. "I fear that I may not come Kneeling hand in hand before the dying pastor. 0 this Journey with you," said he, "for the Lord has called me upon a farther journey of my own. I have bad my summons, and I am ready. ' I am in deed the pastor of the temple at Islgny. and when we heard the orders of the wicked king I and two of the faithful, with their little one, put forth in the hope that we might come to England. But on the first day there came a wave which swept away one of our oars and all that was In the boat our bread war aeg, ana we were lert with no hope save in him. And then he began to call us to him, one at a time, first the child and then the woman and then the man. until I only am left. though I feel that my own time is not iong. liut, since ye are also or tne faithful, may I not serve you in any way before I go?" The merchant shook his head, and then suddenly a thought flashed upon him, and he ran, with joy upon his face. and whispered eagerly to Amos Green. Amos laughed and strode across to the captain. , , "It's time," said Ephraim Savage gruBly. Then the whisperers went to De Cati nat He sprang in the air, and his eyes shone with delight And then they went down to Adele in her cabin, and she started and blushed and turned her sweet face away and patted her hair with her hands" as woman will when a sudden call is made upon her. And so, since haste was needful and since even there upon the lonely sea there was one coming who might at any moment snap their purpose, they found themselves In a few minutes this gallant man and this pure woman kneeling hand in hand before the dying pastor, who raised his thin arm feebly in benediction as he muttered the words which should make them forever one. Ere the stars had waned again one more toiler had found rest aboard of the Golden Rod, and the scattered flock from Isigiiy bad found their . pastor once more. CHAPTER XVIIL OR three weeks the wind kept at east or northeast alwavs at a brisk breeze ' and freshening sometimes into : half a gale. The Golden Rod sped merrily upon her way, with every sail drawing alow and aloft, so that by the end of the third week Amos and Ephraim Savage were reckoning out the hours before they would look upon their native land once more. "Tomorrow we should make land by my reckoning." said Captain Savage. "Ah, tomorrow! And what will it be Mount Daac-rt Cape Cod, Long Island?" "Nay, lad; we are in the latitude of the St Lawrence and are more likely to see the Acadia coast Then, with this wind, a day should carry ns south, or two at the most A few more such voyages, and I shall buy myself a fair brick house In Green lane of north Boston, where I can look down on the bay or on the Charles or the Mystic and see the ships com in' and goin So I would end my life in peace and

The mate's watch that night was from 12 to 4. and the moon was shining brightly for the first hour of it. In the early mornkig, however, it clouded over, and the Golden Rod plunged into one of those dim, clammy mists which lie on all that tract of ocean. So thick was it that from the poop one could just make out the loom of tho foresail, .bat could ee nothing of the foretopmast staysail or the jib. The wind wasv northeast, with a very keen edge to it, and the dainty brigantine lay over, scudding along with her le rails within hand's touch of the water. It had suddenly turned very cold sc cold that the mate stamped up and down the poop, and his four seamen shivered together under the shelter ot the bulwarks. And then in a moment one of them was up. thrusting his forefinger into the air and screaming, while a huge white wall sprang out of tho darkness at the very end of tho bowsprit, and the ship struck with a force which snapped her two matj like dried reeds In a wind and changed her in an instant to a crushed and shapeless heap of spars and wreckage. The mate had shot the length of tbu poop at the shock and had narrowly escaped from tho falling mast, while of his four men two had been hurled through the huge gap which yawued in the bows, while a third had dashed his head to pieces against the stock, of the anchor.' Tomlinson staggered forward to find the whole front part of tho vessel driven inward and a single seaman sitting dazed amid splintered spars, flapping sails and writhing, lashing cordage. It was still a dark as pitch, and, save the white crest of a leaping wave, nothing was to be seen beyond the side of the vessel. The mate was peering round him in desptir at the ruin which had come so suddenly upon them, when he found Captain Ephraim at his elbow, half clad, but as wooden and serene as ever. "An iceberg." said he, sniffing at the chill air. "Did you ndt smell it, friend Tomlinson?" "Truly I found It cold. Captain Savag, but I set it down to the mist." "There is a mist ever set around them, though the Lord In bis wisdom knows best why, for It Is a sore trial to poor sailor men. She makes water fast Mr. Tomlinson." The other watch had swarmed uiion

deck, and one of them was measuring the well. "There Is three feet of water," he cried, "and the pumps sucked dry yesterday!" "Hiram Jefferson and John Moreton, to the pumps T' cried the captain. "Mr. Tomlinson, clear away the longboat and let ns see If we may set bet right!" "The longboat has store two planks!" cried a seaman. . "The Jolly boat then!" "She is in three pieces." "Where Is Amos Green J" "Here, Captain Ephraim. What can 1 do?" "And IT' asked De Catinat eagerly. Adele and her father bad been wrap ped ln mantles and placed for sheltet In the lee of the roundhouse. 'Tell him that he can take his spell at the pumps," said the captain to Amos. "And you, Amos, you are a bandy man with a tool. .Get into yonder longboat with a lantern." For half an hour Amos Green ham mered and trimmed and calked. "You've not much time, Amos lad," said the captain quietly, , "She'll float now, though she's not quite water Ught. "Very good. Lower away. Keep up the pumping there. Mr. Tomlinson, see that provisions and water are teady, as mnch as she will hold. Come wltli me. Hiram Jetfersoa." The seaman and the captain swung themselves down into the tossing boat, the latter with a lantern strapped to his waist. Together they made their way until they were under her mangled bows. The captain shook bis bead when he saw the extent of the dam age. "Cut away the foresail and pass It over," said he. Tomlinson and Amos Green cut away the lashings with their knives and lowered the corner of the sail. Captain Ephraim and the seaman seized it and dragged it across the mouth of the huge gaping leak. "How much In the well?" he asked. j "Five and a half feet" "Then the ship Is lost. I could put my finger between her planks as far as I can see back. Keep the pumps going there! Have yow the food and water, Mr. Tomlinson?" "Here, sir." "Lower them over the bows. This boat cannot live more than an hour or two. Can you see anything of the berg?" , ;' The mist bad thinned away suddenly, and the moon glimmered through once more upon the great lonely sea and the stricken ship. There, like a huge sail, was the monster piece of ice Upon which they had shattered themselves. "You must make for her said Captain Ephraim. "There is no other chance. Lower the gal over the bows. Well, then, her father first, If she likes it better. Tell them to sit still. Amos, and that the Lord will bear us up If we keep clear of foolishness. So! You're a brave lass for all your niminy piminy lingo. Now the keg and the barrel and all the wraps and cloaks yon can find; now the other man, tho Frenchman. Aye, aye, passengers first, and you have got to come! Now Amos, now the seamen, and you last friend Tomlinson." It was well that they had not very far to go, for the boat was weighted down almost to the edge, and it took the balling of two men to keep ln check the water which leaked ln between the shattered planks. When all were safely In their places Captain Ephraim Savage swung himself aboard again, which was but too easy now that every minute brought the bows nearer to the water. He came back with a bundle of clothing, which he threw Into the boat "Push off!" he cried. "Jump in, then." "Ephraim Savage goes down with his ship," said he quietly. "Friend Tomlinson. It Is not my way to give my orders more than once. Push off, I (Continued Monday.)

Bears tbs Cfsstws f

Tla Kind Yoa Han Ahwn BouI