The Blue Clipper — page 64: what you’re looking at

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

66 THE BLUE CHIPPER. “How did Watson know Wand was in the cave?” he asked. “ Perhaps he had reason to suspect it.” The Cape Cod man shrugged his shoulders. Then he walked the quarter-deek fapidly and thoughtfully for some y time. Soon after he changed the vessel's course, heading toward . Vera Cruz. He kept on wntil he came in sight of the conical rocks, whence he had made his escape from Watson's men. = It was now morning; he kept his vessel close hauled, stand- _ ing off and on. Far away to the eastward a craft lay at an- chor. Bend, inspecting it with his glass, reeognized the revenue cutter, the crew of which, owing to the blue color of his vessel, i had not, it was evident, yet seen him! | From the crew he now picked out an old salt who had sailed the sea for forty years, and held a long conversation with him, the upshot of which was that the old salt was to take command of the blue clipper during ‘his ‘absence. “ Don't let any thing capture you,” said Bend, “ that is if you can ‘help"it. Keep off shore at night, as much as possible, and show a red and blue light, for which Ishall be-on the watch.” j “ Ay, ay, sir,” answered the old sailor, who, next to Bend, Was the best seaman in the ship. ; BA night the Cape Cod man déantd 's Sat of dusk pants, & — Guernsey frock and a sou'-wester. Then he went ashore in a boat, which he immediately sent back to the schooner. He walked rapidly along the beach until nearly opposite the light of the cutter, lying about half a league distant, when, g coolly pulling off his Guernsey, and tying it round his waist, 4 he strucl¥ out forthe cutter. F “He was an excellent:swimmer, and ins few minutes he ar 4 . rived alongside. “ Ahoy, there!’ he shouted, “be a ae _ Instantly a face was thrust over the rajl. 4 “ Who's that ?”