The Boy Captain of the Black Swallow — page 12: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

10 of his hut, just about departing for the town. This was about three weeks or little less after his first interview with Letty. The secret of his love he had locked in his own breast; for it was toc sacred a theme for him to discourse upon even with his mother, His motive in now departing for the town svas to endeavour to get three or four men to run in the schooner with him to sea; for since his attachment to Letty his ambition had been aroused, and all his native energy of character brought into life. Heresolved no longer to be idle at home. He determined he would make an effort to achieve something that would make him more worthy of her, and diminish the vast distance between her riches and his penury. A successful fishing cruise he knew would bring him a return of several hundred dollars, and he resolved to make the attempt. Letty had not saida word to him, nor he to her, respect- ing sucha step. But his was not the spirit to bask in the sunshine of a pair of bright eyes in inglorious idleness, He felt she must despise him for his inaction, and he determined that he would show her he was fully worthy of the confidence she had reposed in him. We have now seen him, after his conversation with his mother, leave the cove in his skiff on his way to the town to carry into effect his spirited purpose. The evening was already gathering over the water, and the trembling planet of the western sky shone brightly out, flinging its pencilled rays far along upon the polished mirror of theriver. The rocky shores were dim in shadows, and the lights of the town began to glimmer here and there from the mass of houses. The opposite banks were already in shadow when he left the cove, and a distant boatman could only be faintly seen as he darted away among the fitful shades of the distant shore. At an easy pull Arthur kept on his way to- wards the town within avout a hundred yards of the land, All was silent around him save the shrill chirping of a locust in an elm upon the bank. The distance to the town was less than haif an hour’s row. When Arthur had got about two-thirds of the way he passed close to a wharf and dock that were situated quite below the others, apart and solitary. T’wo or three vessels had been lying in the dock deserted for greater part of the summer, In his trips up and down between the cove and Bath he had not seen a human being either upon the decks of the vessels or upon the wharf, where stood a lonely store, black with age, its doors barred up, and grass growing about the sills. He was therefore surprised when he glided past in his skiff to hear the sounds of men’s voices upon the wharf or one of the vessels, he could not distinguish which, it being too dark for him to see them where he was. They were suppressed and undertoned, and this awakened his curiosity. As water readily conducts the least sound, he even heard deep whispers, though he could not make out anything that was said. The sound of boxes or barrels being THE BUY CAPTAIN OF THE “BLACK SWALLOW.” moved, and the faint ereaking of cordage in blocks, as of heavy weights being hoisted, in- duced him to pull gently in to see what was going on. As be drew close to the wharf, he saw distinctly several men upon a sehooner, apparently engaged in loading it. A cart arrived and was unladen while he looked on, and several men came down, bearing heavy loads upon their backs. What it all could mean he had not the least idea. He thought of pullingin and asking, but his desire to reach the town without delay de- terred him; and so, after watching a little longer these mysterious proceedings going on under cover of the night—an unusual bustle, even for the daytime, since the port had been closed by the British cruisers blockading the mouth of the river—Arthur pulled silently on his way towards the town. Upon reaching the landing, he found all silent about it; but bright lights shone from the windows of the inn, showing that within all was cheerful hospitality. He landed and secured his boat to a ring in the timbers of the wharf, and with a palpitating heart, approached the house. He passed round the front to the door in the end, and opening it with the trem- bling joy of a lover, passed into the snug little apartment which was used as the family room, and which was the appropriate and peculiar domestic throne of Letty. She was not in it, buta candle burning upon the table, and knitting laid by it, showed that she was not likely to be out long. He there- fore took off his tarpaulin, and casting a very excusable glance at the arrangement of his hair in a little mirror hanging above a half-moon table covered with snowy dimity, he took a survey of the room, It seemed to be a plea- sure to him to look upon anything that Letty’s eyes had seen. He took up the knitting and passed his fingers over the bright needles where hers had been, and as he looked at the rows of little stitches, he envied every one of them. Turning his gaze upon the mantel, he started with surprise. Upon it he beheld his little | schooner, as complete as before its destruction. Fie could hardly believe his eyes, and walked up toexamineit. It was,indeed, the same, and perfeetly restored. Nothing was amiss—nay, if anything, it was improved, A little flag floating at the main caught his eye. He read the name upon it with a deep glow of delighted Surprise: “THe ARTHUR Denwoon.” It was beaulifully worked in red silk. He glanced at the stern, and saw the same namé painted upon it in the neatest manner, “Sweet, good Letty! How little am I werthy of her remembrance in this manner! I will show her that I am not wholly idle and good-for-nothing. Love for my mother has long kept me at home inactive. But another love—love for dear Jetty—-impe!s me away. I will tell her to-night my determination, and ——” “And what, Master Arthur?” said a voice EComichboo S (S@)