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THE LOG CABIN LIBRARY. i
We’re safe from any chase for the next tive hours,” said: Hop-
kins, as he saw.a startled look on Pemberf®n's face. ‘They can’t
get through till the tide shifts, pilot, or no pilot. And we can
jucé streak it in this breeze, can’t we?”
‘‘Are you going along with me?” asked Ned. ,
'“T’d Kind o’ like to, cap’n, and you can call the wages just
I’m sick o’ Hell Gate pilotin’. It’s rough
work and darned poor pay.’ I know every shoal, reef. rock,
bay, harbor,:and channel, from Sandy Hook, to the mouth of
the Saint Lawrence River. I’ve been on the water ever since
I was a six-year old goslin, coastin’, fishin’, and pilotin’.”
“You aré just the man I want. You shall rate as Coast Pilot,
on lieutenants’ pay, and mess in the cabin,” cried Pemberton,
delighted with the acquisition.
“Allright, cap’n. I’m your man now. I’yea bundle in my
boat astern there—we’ll get that out and let the boat go. She
ain’t worth much, but my Sunday-go-to-meetin’ suit, and a
change o’ shirts is in the bundle, and I can’t go without them.”
The schooner was luffed to the wind, the boat got alongside.
and Josi‘Hopkins secured the precious bundle, which contained
his ‘“‘Sunday-go-to-meetin’ suit.” coy
Then the little boat was cast adrift, and the schooner under
all the canvas she could carry, was soon standing up the sound,
running off between eight and nine knots easy...
CHAPTER XIV. ~
FANNY’S RUSE,
Maude knew when she looked in her father’s clear and un-
clouded face, when she found him and Mr. Maynard beside the
._ horses, preparatory to the ride, that the latter had said .nothing
to the former about his passion, real or pretended, for his daugb-
ter. And she was glad, for though her father was gentle in his
general nature, his temper once fully aronsed was fearful,
and nothing could arouse it more quickly than an insult to
his child.
Maude took care, when they started, to rein her horse in by
‘the side of that-ridden by Fanny, thus leaving the two gentle-
men to lead the way.
The ride occupied several hours, and all the party seemed to
enjoy it.
“There is not a finer estate in all Virginia than yours, Mr.
Pemberton,” said Mr. Maynard, as they neared the mansion on
their return.
“TI believe there is not a better piece of land. My crops have
always been first-class,” said Mr. Pemberton.
“Tt would be a pity to see such an estate confiscated,” said
Mr. Maynard.
Mr. Pemberton laughed outright.
“Confiscation would not be a laughing matter,”)said Mr.
Maynard, piqued at this reception of his hint, and his first ap-
proach to something else.
“It makes me laugh, to think snch an idea can enter your
head, my dear sir,” said Pemberton, pleasantly. ‘‘I do not care
to discuss politi¢s with you, since our views differ, as I know,
most materially.” .
Fanny, fearing that a storm was. brewing, most opportunely
broke in at this moment, with alittle plan of her own, to change
the conversation, and break off what might terminate un-
pleasantly. f
“Papal” she cried; ‘‘Maude and I are going to run a race to
the house. Please ride ahead to time us there, and see who
crosses the path first in front of the door. Good Mr. Pemberton
will remain to see that we start fairly.” :
Mr. Maynard could not refuse, though his intention to open
another subject was thus broken in upon.
“J will defer my explanation of that idea to another time,’”’ he
said to Mr. Pemberton as he rode on. . '
“The time had better be made indefinite,” .said Mr. Pember-
ton, gravely. ' . \
Mr. Maynard did not appear to hear this, for he galloped on,
and soon halted in the place assigned to him.
“1 never thought of the race, Maude, till I feared papa was
going to say something that would make your father angry,”
said Fanny to Maude. Then turning to Mr. Pemberton, him-
self, she said:
‘Dear Mr. Pemberton, do try to avoid all argument with my
father. He is so set in his views. - I love Maude, and I cannot
bear to ve cut off from intercourse with her, and if father quar-
rels with you, he’ll keep me away from her.” ;
“Tt shall not be my fault if we quarrel, my dear little girl,”
said Mr. Pemberton, kindly, ‘Are you and Maude ready for a
start?”
“Yes, sir.” .
“Then go, and may an angel kiss the foremost.”
Away flew the two lovely girls, side by side, and they went
like the wind on their thoroughbred horses. But either both
were exactly matched in speed, or else it was arranged between
the girls, for both crossed the line so exactly head and head, that
Mr. Maynard was obliged to call it a dead heat.
“We'll try it again to-morrow for a longer distance,” cried
Fanny, as she dismounted, laying her. hand on her father’s
shoulder, to leap tothe ground. ‘‘Papa, do go and get dusted”
off. You look so bad when covered with dust.”
So Mr. Maynard was for the time disposed of, and Fanny and
Maude hurried to make their evening toilet, so as to get the gen-
tlemen down to a game of whist with them, before another
chance for an outbreak could offer.
Thus the two girls felt that they could stave off what
they both felt must come some time, a quarrel between their
parents, aud both joined eagerly in everything which could de-
lay, even if they could not prevent, a quarrel altogether.
And that night they succeeded, for Mr. Maynard was an in-
veterate whist player, and with Maude for a partner, he suc-
ceeded in beating Fanny and Mr. Pemberton so many games
during the evening, that all else was forgotten for the time.
CHAPTER XV.
THE FIRST PRIZE.
It did not take Ned Pemberton long to discover that in his
new pilot, Josi Hopkins, he had a real treasure.
He knew the coast thoroughly—every, cape and bay, every
reef, rock, and island they passed, he named. No matter where
) they were, he would tell the soundings before the lead was
thrown to verify his words. e was one of those singular men
who never forgot a thing once seen or heard, and he hated the
Englishmen almost as badly as Doctor Le Berte did.
In the night he took the schooner out to sea, passing close to
windward of Fisher’s Island, and without waiting for Pember-
ton or Clewline to look at the chart, gave them the course they
must steer to clear the Nantucket Shoals, and yet hold well in
shore, so as to sight Cape Cod, and run over the track of British
transports bound into Boston Harbor.
The vessels seen astern were lost sight of entirely when the
Rattlesnake got out of the Sound, and not-until the second
day, with the wind moderated down very much, was a sail seen
by the officers of the Rattlesnake. It was thus almost night,
and the land on the lee. bow was pronounced Cape Cod by Hop-
kins, when the lookout from aloft announced a large fleet of sail
close together hull down ahead.
“Them are craft bound in to Boston,” said Hopkins. ‘*They’ve
got a little to the south’rd, maybe, but if it don’t blow where they
are any harder than it does here, we'll be off Boston just as
soon as they°are, providin’ you use them sweeps o’ yourn,
cap’n.”
‘We'll do it if the wind dies away,” said Pemberton. ‘‘Mean-
time, while we have wind, we'll take all the advantage of it we
can. How much to leeward of those vessels can we steer and be
safe? I want to cut them off, if we can, and cut out a prize or
two in the night, if such a thing is possible.”
“T’ll tell you just how much sheet we can start in about a
minute,” said Hopkins. ‘“WhenI git aloft I'll sing out, and
you can bear away till I tell you to hold on.”
The next second he was shinning aloft, hand-over-hand, as
agile as a monkey, and soon stood on the fore cross-trees.
“Bear away six points by eompass,” he cried.
The helm was put up, and the vessel’s bows veered off to lee-
ward the six points, while slackened sheets gave the sails the
advantage of the free wind.
“She'll bear two points more,” cried Hopkins. ‘‘There, she'll
clear the cape in four fathoms o’ water.” .
“And where.do those ships bear now? we can’t see them from
deck,” cried Clewline.
“Almost abeam—a very trifle on the weather bow,” replied
Hopkins. “We'll cut ’em.off afore midnight, if the wind holds
just as it is now.” :
“Good! We'll have a prize or two in Salem harbor, or some-
where else before another sun sets!” cried Pemberton, gayly.-
When Hopkins came down from aloft, two extra sails were
set, and the schooner was going all of two knots faster through
the water. ” ‘
Tho men went to supper cheerfully, for a hope of prize-money
was warm in their hearts, and at the cabin supper-table there:
was plenty of merriment. ' ‘
After supper, all the small arms were looked to, the great gun
leaded with yrape and canister—a stand of each—and the
swivels got ready for use at close quarters. Pikes, pistols, and
cutlasses were distributed, and then one watch was told to turn”
in, for not before midnight, if so soon, could they hope to come.
up with the strange fleet. . :
”
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